This week is the kind of mix I love putting together — a soul-warming soup with a story behind it, a creamy oven chicken that practically makes itself, a bright zesty salad that works alongside almost anything, a humble vegan stew that is ready in 30 minutes, and a batch of butterfly cupcakes that will make everyone in the house very happy.
A week that’s equal parts comforting and fresh. Something for every night, and a dessert worth looking forward to. Every recipe is linked below — let’s have a great week.
This Week’s Meal Plan
Meal 1: Persian Ash Reshteh Soup
This is one of those soups that feels like a warm hand on your shoulder. I went to school with a girl from Iran, and when we reconnected as adults after years apart, one of the first things we did was cook together — and she made me this. We sat in my kitchen catching up over a decade of missed stories while the pot bubbled away on the stove. Thick with lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, butter beans, spinach and flat noodles, finished with golden fried onions, a swirl of cool yogurt and a drizzle of mint-infused olive oil — it is genuinely one of the most nourishing things you can put on the table this winter. Make it ahead, it only gets better overnight.
👉 Get the Persian Ash Reshteh Soup recipe
Meal 2: Mustard Basil Chicken
This is the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in your rotation — not because it’s flashy, but because it just works every single time. Chicken marinated overnight in wholegrain mustard and basil, browned until golden, then baked low and slow in a creamy sauce with turkey bacon, shallots and garlic. The sauce finishes with cream on the stove and it is glossy, rich and absolutely made for spooning over rice. Marinate it tonight, slide it in the oven tomorrow, and walk away. Dinner sorted.
👉 Get the Mustard Basil Chicken recipe
Meal 3: Orzo Salad with Lemon Dressing
This is the salad that stops people mid-conversation the moment it hits the table. Orzo cooked just to al dente, tossed with sweet cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, red capsicum, spring onion and fresh parsley, all dressed in a bright lemon and olive oil dressing. It comes together in under 20 minutes, travels beautifully, and holds up brilliantly when made ahead — just keep the dressing separate until you’re ready to serve. Serve it alongside the chicken or the stew this week, or bring it to a gathering and watch it disappear.
👉 Get the Orzo Salad with Lemon Dressing recipe
Meal 4: Lentil and Cauliflower Stew
Thirty minutes, one pot, completely plant-based — and deeply satisfying in the way only a good stew can be. Cauliflower florets sautéed until just golden, simmered with lentils and a squeeze of lemon that lifts the whole thing, and finished generously with fresh coriander. It is naturally vegan, gluten free and dairy free, which makes it a wonderful option for the nights when you want something nourishing without the effort. Serve it over vermicelli rice and it is a meal that more than earns its place on the weekly plan.
Dessert: Vanilla Butterfly Cupcakes
This recipe came from my cousin — one of those relaxed kitchen sessions where someone just starts cooking and you end up with something magic. Soft, fluffy vanilla cupcakes filled with billowy vanilla whipped cream, the little tops cut and pressed back in as wings, and a generous dust of icing sugar over everything. They look like they came from a beautiful bakery. They are not difficult to make. The secret is beating the eggs and sugar for a full seven minutes — don’t rush it, that’s what gives the crumb its lightness. Add a spoonful of jam to the hollow before the cream and take them somewhere else entirely.
A week of warmth, freshness and one very pretty dessert.
I hope this makes your week in the kitchen feel a little easier — and a lot more delicious. Tell me which one you’re starting with! 🤍
