Meal Plan Shortcuts

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New to SooN Cooking?

No problem! Some quick background on the concept: I love to cook and realized that I often had to adjust my meal plan to accomodate for for my friends and family with dietary requirements when they joined me for a meal.  More often than not, I didn’t know how to modify my recipe to address their dietary needs which launched me into some deep research and left me with a lot of fear, uncertainty and doubt that I was preparing the recipe the right way for my guest.  A concept that I now call Meal Planning FUD [fear, uncertainty and doubt]. To combat Meal Planning FUD each of my recipes has eight variations which covers everything from vegetarian to Kosher to gluten-free so that you can cut the Meal Planning FUD out of your life and feel comfortable serving the recipe to a variety of guests. Check out the SooN Cooking About page for the complete details.

Number of Unique Recipes: 6

Serves:  6-8 | Prep: 2 h 30 m | Cook: 2 h 45 m | Total Time: 5 h 15 m

Please don’t be discouraged by the total time for this meal plan! The reality is that most of the time spent preparing this meal is “inactive”  — meaning you complete a small “active” step and then walk away while the real work happens without you.

It is important to work backwards from when you want to serve your meal so that you can start the process at the right time and avoid hangry guests who crowd around you while you bring everything together. For instance, if you want to serve dinner at 6pm, I’d aim to start cooking the pork no later than 1pm. You can also do this work a few days before! All the other elements of this meal can be done simultaneously in under 90 minutes.

Even more exciting is that you will get faster in your execution the more often you prepare this meal. So if “Taco Tuesday” is on your regular rotation — you are about 3-5 reps from making this meal become muscle memory!!!!

Bulk Pantry

• Black Beans
• White Rice
• Kosher Salt
• Pepper
• Granulated Garlic
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Liquid Smoke
• Olive Oil
• Any high-heat oil [Avocado]
• White Wine Vinegar
• White Wine

Other

• 1 lbs. Pork Country-Style Ribs
• 1 Can Diced Tomatoes
• 1 Can Fire-Roasted Tomatoes
• 1 Can Diced Green Chili
• Corn or Flour Tortillas
• Corn Chips

• Potato Peeler
• Soup Ladle
• Avocado Slicer
• Potato Masher
• Citrus Juicer
• Fat Separator
• Silicone Spatula
• Metal Spatula
• Large Spoon
• Tongs
• Mesh Colander
• Scraper & Chopper

#1 Carnitas

Link to Pork Carnitas Recipe | Link to Chicken Carnitas Recipe | Link to Mushroom Carnitas Recipe

Serves: 8 | Prep: 1 hour | Cook: 1 hour | Total Time: 2 hours

Pro Tip: Use an electric pressure cooker [Instant Pot] if you have one.  Not only do I find it more flavorful but it is super low touch! This makes it possible to start the cooking process days in advance which further simplifies bringing all the other components of the meal together when you are ready to serve.

#2 Classic Salsa

Link to Recipe

Yield: 5 Cups | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 40 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour

Pro Tip: This salsa is a staple in my fridge because it is simple to make and super flavorful. In addition to snacking, I use it on salads, eggs or to elevate random leftovers.

#3 Smokey Black Beans

Link to Recipe

Serves: 6-8 | Prep: 27 minutes | Cook: 18 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes

Pro Tip: Use an electric pressure cooker [Instant Pot] if you have one.  Not only do I find it more flavorful but it is super low touch! This makes it possible to start the cooking process in advance [and pretty much in the same cooking liquid as the protein]. This further simplifies bringing all the other components of the meal together when you are ready to serve.

#4 Spanish Rice

Link to Recipe

Serves: 6-8 | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

Pro Tip: This is one of those “from scratch” recipes that is so simple to make but will instantly elevate your kitchen credit.

#5 Guacamole

Link to Recipe

Serves: 6-8 | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes

Pro Tip: I find guacamole to index high on the personal preference scale. This recipe is my preferred approach but I encourage you to experiment with the other ingredients that are readily available from this meal plan.

# 6 The Most Amazing Salsa Sauce

Link to Recipe

Serves: 6-8 | Prep: 0 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes

Pro Tip: This is one of those “from scratch” recipes that is so simple to make but will instantly elevate your kitchen credit.

~~~ Optional: Margarita ~~~

Link to Recipe

From ONE to MANY — we even have a recipe that will yield enough to cover your entire dinner PARTY!

Main

• Corn or Flour Tortillas
• Carnitas Filling
• Santa Fe Sauce
• Goat Cheese [optional]

Toppings

• Cheddar Cheese
• Guacamole
• Sour Cream
• Salsa