Weekly Menus for Fast & Fabulous Moji-Inspired Meals!
So often New Year’s resolutions begin with a mindset of withholding and self-control. In reality, we need to indulge in all that nourishes us from committing to more rest, enjoying higher quality time with friends and family and preparing simple delicious and nutritious homemade meals.
The magic of Indian food is, of course our spices! They are flavorful, sensory-stimulating and full of health benefits. They transform meat, simple vegetables and lentils into mouthwatering meals that become comfort-food cravings. They also allow you to cut back on fat and sugar while enhancing flavor. When we eat delicious, healthy food our body wants even more of it and that process triggers all the needed inspiration for cooking more frequently and taking pleasure in the process.
Cooking regularly can be challenging. The key is clearly knowing yourself and your goals and finding the right compromise. For instance, in our home we want to eat a variety of nutritious meat, fish and plant-based meals that are tasty and require minimal prep and clean-up.
We avoid carry-out during the week.
We are much too busy on weekdays to cook full meals but don’t want to spend our whole Sunday prepping, cooking and doing dishes. So, we reserve about an hour and half on a Sunday for prep and clean up which sets us up perfectly to make multiple meals during the week that take 15-60 minutes including doing the dishes and tidying up the kitchen!
Do you have a weekly cooking routine you love? Email us and let us know - we'd love to try it out and share it with others!
Here is our menu for the week:
1. Bucatini tossed with Masala Shrimp (#3) and Baby Spinach/Herbs (or served skewered)
15-30 minutes including clean-up
Moji Spice Blend: Garam Masala
2. Baingan Bharta (spiced, mashed eggplant) with Pita/Millet & Yogurt Sauce
30 minutes including clean-up
Moji Spice Blend: Baingan Masala
3. Chickpea Curry with Millet & Roasted Delicata Squash, Yogurt Sauce & Jalapeno-Cilantro Chutney
45 minutes including clean-up
Moji Spice Blend: Aloo Rasedar Masala
4. Tandoori Chicken with Roasted Lemon-Parmesan Broccoli & Salad Greens
1 hour including cleanup but minimal
cooking, just baking
Moji Spice Blend: Tandoori Chicken Masala
5. Crispy Indian-Style Omelet with Flatbread or Over Steamed Rice with Lemon Cucumbers
30 minutes including cleanup
Moji Spice Blend: Garam Masala
Shopping List:
Most of this list is basic produce and pantry items. If you have them on hand most of the time, you can whip up delicious Indian and Indian-inspired meals very easily with minimal planning.
Moji Blends: Garam Masala
Grocery (recipe specific):
8 chicken thighs
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
2 lbs eggplant
baby Spinach
delicata squash
Everyday Items to Keep Stocked:
yellow onions
lemons/limes
tomatoes and/or tomato puree (if you don't want to chop)
cucumbers
garlic cloves
ginger
jalapenos
cilantro, parsley, dill or variety of green herbs
full-fat plain yogurt
grated parmesan (optional)
eggs
olive oil & a neutral high heat cooking oil like pure avocado oil
tomato paste
dried or fresh pasta like bucatini
2 cans+ chickpeas
millet and/or basmati rice
walnuts (optional)
Weekend Prep:
So here is what we prepped on Sunday*. 1-3 are specific to the weekly menu. 4-10 we make every week. Having on hand a healthy starch, chutney, yogurt sauce (raita), sliced cucumbers and marinated vegetables for roasting takes very little prep and really helps complete a meal.
1. Roasted 2 large eggplants stuffed with
garlic cloves (see step 1 of recipe)
prep time: 2 minutes
wrap in foil and roast for about 1 hour until completely soft and deflated; cool and store in fridge
2. Marinated batch of Tandoori-style chicken
prep time: 5 minutes
ingredients: moji’s tandoori packet, 8 chicken thighs, a little tomato paste and oil
if your chicken is fresh this can stay in your fridge marinating for a few days easily; raw
marinated chicken freezes very well if you prefer to cook a couple of thighs at a time
versatile: eat it with rice/naan and a side of greens; use leftovers on salads and sandwiches or on its own with a dollop of yogurt or chutney
3. Marinated batch of Masala Shrimp (reserve lemon noted in recipe for cook time)
prep time: 10 minutes
ingredients: moji’s garam masala or fish masala packet, 1 lb peeled/deveined raw shrimp, oil,
tomato paste, salt, fresh garlic/ginger
cooks in five minutes
versatile: eat it with rice/naan and a side of greens; use leftovers on salads
4. Cooked a cup of organic millet with dill
prep/cook time 30 minutes
millet is nutritionally dense and can be stored for a few days in the fridge; it also has a texture
that is more rice like and works well with curries. Follow the recipe on the bag.
5. Cut broccoli bunch into florets and a few small delicata squash into thick slices (peeling is
optional); delicata squash cook quickly and are so delicious my daughter asks for it as a snack
separately tossed each with olive oil salt and pepper (used the same bowl)
marinating the vegetables for a few days creates deep flavor and softens them so they cook
quicker. Day of, roast at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes until nicely browned and soft. If you
leave the skin on the squash, it may need 15 minutes. I toss the broccoli with sliced garlic cloves,
fresh lemon juice and parmesan before baking.
prep time: 10 minutes
6. Chopped 2 large yellow onions (yield about 3 cups)
prep time: 5 minutes
7. Washed and Dried one bunch of cilantro, dill and parsley
prep time: 10 minutes
lay them out on kitchen towels to fully dry for the day and then wrap in paper towels and store in
the vegetable drawer
8. Herbed Yogurt Sauce
prep time: 5 minutes
ingredients: yogurt, garlic powder, salt, cucumber, dill
thin out Greek yogurt with a couple of tablespoons of water; add a pinch of garlic, a larger
pinch of salt and adjust until you find the taste balanced and to your liking. Add diced
cucumbers and herbs.
9. Jalapeno-Cilantro Chutney (small food processor or blender required)
prep time: 10 minutes
ingredients: yogurt, salt, jalapeno, cilantro bunch, lemon, nuts (optional); add mint if you choose
Cut cucumbers into sticks and sprinkled with salt and lemon
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