Meal Plan

Week of May 17, 2026

~27 oz raw protein per dinner · Chicago · late spring

Source: plans/2026-05-17/final.md · regenerated each /plan-meals run

Kenji carnitas
Sun cook · spans 3 dinners
~4 hr · holds 3 days

Kenji's no-waste carnitas

7–8 lb bone-in pork shoulder · ~130 oz raw → ~90 oz cooked

Full method · sides · AI alt ▾
Real recipe
  1. Salt pork; pack into 9×13; squeeze oranges; tuck onion + garlic + bay + cinnamon.
  2. Cover; bake 275°F ~3.5 hr.
  3. Shred; broil 6 min; stir; broil 6 more.
  4. Serve w/ salsa verde + pickled onion + cilantro + lime.
Side: charred scallion + radish salsa.
Starch: warm corn tortillas + black beans.
AI alt: cochinita pibil — achiote-orange marinade overnight; wrap in banana leaf; 300°F 4 hr.
Tacos
Mon · freshen

Carnitas tacos

Crisp leftover meat 90 sec/side. Salsa verde + pickled onion + lime.

Chil.
Tue · freshen

Carnitas chilaquiles + fried egg

Fry tortillas; toss in warmed salsa verde 60 sec; top w/ carnitas + fried egg + crema.

Camarones a la diabla
Wed cook · 1 dinner
~30 min · holds 1 day

Camarones a la diabla

2 lb shrimp (frozen — thaw Tue) · guajillo + árbol salsa

Method · sides · AI alt ▾
Toast + rehydrate chiles. Char Romas. Blend. Sauté onion + garlic; add sauce + stock; simmer 10 min; drop shrimp 3–4 min. Lime + cilantro at table. Side: avocado + cucumber. Starch: cilantro-lime rice.
Pivot
Thu · off-plan

Eggs on toast

Wed shrimp doesn't hold — soft scramble on buttered country bread; cucumber + tomato side.

Chicken tagine
Sun cook · spans 3 dinners
~1h15 · holds 3 days

Chicken tagine — preserved lemon, olives, apricots

7 lb bone-in skin-on thighs · spice-rubbed Sat overnight

Full method · sides · AI alt ▾
  1. Sat night: spice-rub thighs (cumin + turmeric + paprika + ginger + cinnamon + lemon + garlic).
  2. Brown thighs skin-down 5 min, flip 3.
  3. Soften 2 sliced onions in fat 8 min.
  4. Add stock + preserved lemon + olives + apricots. Return chicken. Cover; simmer 1h15.
  5. Finish w/ parsley + cilantro.
Side: shaved radish + carrot salad. Starch: couscous + parsley butter.
AI alt: kefta tagine — spiced lamb meatballs in preserved-lemon tomato sauce w/ peas + saffron + poached eggs.
Cous.
Mon · freshen

Tagine over fresh couscous

Warm tagine; plate over couscous; olive + lemon picada + parsley.

Wraps
Tue · freshen

Tagine wraps

Shredded chicken + yogurt + harissa in warm pita w/ cucumber + mint. Pickled carrot ribbons side.

Chermoula salmon
Wed cook · 2 dinners
~25 min · holds 2 days cold

Sheet-pan chermoula salmon + peak asparagus

4 lb salmon (frozen — thaw Tue) · 1.5 lb local MI asparagus

Bowls
Thu · freshen

Cold salmon + pearl couscous bowls

Flake leftover salmon over couscous w/ cucumber, radish, herbs, chermoula drizzle.

★ Treasure focus: fresh morels + ramps in their narrow May window. Both recipes default to FRESH forms. If neither is findable Saturday, fall back to Plan A or B.
Fricassée w/ fresh morels + ramps
Sun cook · spans 3 dinners
~1h15 · holds 3 days

Chicken fricassée — FRESH morels + ramps

7 lb thighs · 3 oz fresh morels · 2 bunches ramps · crème fraîche · tarragon

Full method · adaptations · AI alt ▾
  1. Sauté fresh morels (halved) in butter 4 min; set aside.
  2. Sear bone-in thighs skin-down 6 min, flip 4.
  3. Soften shallot + ramp bulbs 4 min. Deglaze Noilly Prat.
  4. Add stock; reduce. Stir in crème fraîche.
  5. Return thighs + morels; cover; simmer 35 min.
  6. Off heat: ramp leaves, tarragon, lemon.
Adapted from Rick Stein: thighs not breasts (3-day hold); FRESH morels per fresh-form rule; ramps added; family-scale crème fraîche.
Side: asparagus + peas. Starch: buttered new potatoes.
AI alt: spring poulet au pot — poached chicken in aromatic broth w/ fresh morels + ramps + new potatoes + asparagus + peas. Wide bowls.
Hash
Mon · freshen

Chicken-morel hash + fried egg

Crisp diced potatoes 10 min; soften shallot; fold chicken + morels + sauce. Fried egg on top.

Toast
Tue · freshen

Open-faced fricassée toasts

Warm chicken in cream sauce. Pile on toasted country bread; watercress + lemon.

Pea + asparagus + ricotta pasta
Wed cook · 2 dinners
~25 min · holds 2 days cold · no seafood

Pea + asparagus + ricotta pasta w/ garlic scapes

1.5 lb dry pasta · 16 oz fresh ricotta · 6–8 garlic scapes if findable

Cold
Thu · freshen

Cold pasta salad

Temper leftover pasta. Lemon + oil + arugula + fresh ricotta dollops + herbs.

Saturday prep tasks ▾
Plan A: dry-brine pork; soak black beans. Tue night: thaw 2 lb shrimp.
Plan B: spice-rub chicken thighs. Tue night: thaw 4 lb salmon.
Plan C: GCM check for fresh morels + ramps + asparagus + scapes. Clean morels (paper bag).
Grocery lists ▾
[Three plan-specific lists — pick the plan you're committing to before shopping. Full lists collapsed in this prototype.]