With a dish called āCandy Pork,ā how can your kids resist?
At some point, many parents realize that a little creative marketing never hurts when it comes to family meals. Which is reason #1 why Candy Pork is such a winner. Reasons #2 and #3? It tastes incredible and is easy to repurpose in a peanutty rice noodle dish later in the week. The other three nights are just as appealing, featuring a flexible, one-pan drumstick dinner, a build-your-own grain bowl, andāno marketing needed for this oneāindividual pizzas that your kids can shape and top themselves.
All the details are below. But first, the grocery list:
Pantry
- Canola oil
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Ground cinnamon
- Curry powder
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Palm sugar (or dark brown sugar)
- Fish sauce
- 12 oz. regular-width rice stick noodles
- Soy sauce
- Unseasoned rice vinegar
- 3 cups coconut water
- Quinoa
- White rice
- 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, white beans, black beans, or other beans
- 1/2 cup dried fruit, such as currants raisins, cherries, or cranberries (optional)
- Smooth natural peanut butter
- Sugar
Produce
- 2 large shallots
- 1 onion
- 2 medium red onions
- 1 (3 1/2ā) piece fresh ginger
- 1 head garlic
- 2 to 3 Thai chilies (or 1 serrano chile)
- 1 bunch Swiss chard
- 1 bunch collard greens
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 bunch basil
- 2 medium-to-large delicata or acorn squash (about 2 1/2 lb.)
- 20 oz. cremini or button mushrooms
- 4 cups baby greens, such as watercress or arugula
- 2 lemons
Dairy
- 8 oz. Greek-style plain full- or low-fat yogurt
- 8 oz. shredded mozzarella
Butcherās Counter
- 4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder
- 8 chicken drumsticks
Bakery
- Pizza dough
SUNDAY: Candy Pork
Youāll spend a couple hours on this (though most of the time is hands off), but devoting a Sunday afternoon to meal prep will be so worth it. If your kids are reluctant about spicy foods, donāt worry about the use of chiles in this recipeāthe finished pork wonāt be super-hot. Refrigerate 2/3 of the meat in one food storage container, and the rest in another.
MONDAY: Candy Pork with Quinoa and SautƩed Chard
Reheat the larger container of meat for tonightās dinner. While thatās going, cook the sides: SautĆ© the chard in a couple of tablespoons or olive oil, and make a double batch of quinoa according to package directions. Refrigerate the extra quinoa for Wednesday, and if thereās leftover chard refrigerate it for Friday.
TUESDAY: One-Pan Chicken Drumsticks with Rice and Beans
Everybody needs a recipe like this in their back pocket. Itās so flexible, youāll find yourself making it again and again using whateverās in the pantryāwith deliciously different results each time.
WEDNESDAY: Quinoa Bowls with Spiced Squash, Mushrooms, and Curried Yogurt
Tonightās dinner takes very little effort. Youāre just reheating quinoa, roasting vegetables, and stirring together a quick yogurt sauce. Roast all the squash, mushrooms, and red onion, seasoning what you donāt need for the recipe with just olive oil, salt, and pepperāyouāre making leftovers for Friday. When everythingās ready, let each family member build a bowl with whatever ingredients they like.
THURSDAY: Peanut Rice Noodles with Pork and Collard Greens
Instead of cooking ground pork from scratch, tonight youāre subbing the remaining candy pork, which you should add to the skillet when you add the sauce and noodles. For heat-averse kids, save the red pepper flakes to pass on the side.
FRIDAY: Squash, Mushroom, and Onion Pizzas
Itās pizza night! To close out the week, all those leftover vegetables come into play. Heat the oven to 450Ā°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Divide the dough into four rounds, and roll and stretch each into a pizza-ish shape (let the kids do their own, if you like). No need for sauce, tonight you're just doing toppings and cheese: Set out each of the vegetables, the mozzarella, red pepper flakes, and basil leaves, and let everyone top to their heartās desire. Bake on rimmed baking sheets for 15-20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through.
