The Steam Oven Meal Plan for real people #14

Or, what to cook in your combi steam oven, June 19-25, 2023

Welcome to my Steam Oven Meal Plan for this week!

New to this combi steam oven meal planning series? Head over to my first Steam Oven Meal Plan for notes about how I do my planning and cooking, or just dive in and add this week’s recipes and ingredients to your shopping list.

You can find all my other steam oven meal plans over on the meal planning index page.

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A steam oven meal plan of simple assemblies

Last week was a wild ride, consequently home life is a little chaotic and in need of nurturing (mostly because I launched my new Steam Oven Insiders membership, which is thrilling but it did ‘take out’ the week!). So this week’s meal plans run along a theme of mostly simple assembly jobs. They’ll provide us all with the nourishment we need, but leave time for other things.

Hopefully this meal plan will give you some of your own steam oven cooking ideas. You’re welcome to follow exactly what I’m serving up, or tweak and change my list to make your own weekly meal plan.

Happy cooking, see you here again soon.

Monday

I’ve got a few sous vide chicken breasts in the freezer, and a stack of pumpkin soup (as per the pumpkin and cauliflower recipe below, but minus the cauliflower). I’ll shred the chicken and add it to the soup with some fresh herbs and sour cream. Hefty croutons on top, made with oil-drizzled and toasted stale sourdough bread, mean we won’t need any sides.

We are still working through our 6 citrus trees worth of fruit, which seems endless (although I know we’ll miss it when all those lemons, oranges and mandarins are finally gone). I’ll throw some more lemons at my favorite lemon ricotta cake for lunchbox and dessert snacking.

Cauliflower and Pumpkin Soup with Ginger and Lemongrass

If you leave out the Asian-style aromatics, you'll have a very adaptable 'base' soup that freezes and reheats perfectly, ready for busy nights and working lunches. Add some shredded meat or croutons for extra heft.

Check out this recipe

A red soup mug with thick, golden cauliflower and pumpkin soup with snipped chives

Lemon Ricotta Cake

My all-time favorite cake and the first recipe ever published on this website! If you've never made it before, you're in for a lemony delicious treat.

Check out this recipe

lemon ricotta cake, on a wooden board with two slices cut from the end of the loaf

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Tuesday

Fried rice for my husband, with steamed broccoli on the side (for me, who am I kidding, no one else will eat that without complaining).

Egg Fried Rice

The key to this fried rice is leftover steamed rice. Make some especially and chill it, or make extra when you're having another rice-based meal so you can throw together this savory and salty Chinese restaurant staple.

Check out this recipe

An overhead picture of steam oven egg fried rice in a white bowl, with a small ramekin of sauce and chopsticks on the placemat beside it.

Wednesday

I’ve got sausages in the freezer and vegetables in the fridge. Sausage bake it is! This ticks all the boxes for midweek-time-poor ease, kid friendliness and the all important still-enjoyed-by-adults criteria.

Sausage Bake

This is a super easy dish to make, and the steam oven makes the vegetables tender and the sausages plump and perfectly cooked. It's a great midweek dinner.

Check out this recipe

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Thursday

I know this beef meatball and beetroot one-pan meal is not dissimilar to last night’s sausage bake, but we love sheet pan dinners around here, and meatballs, and the adult members of the house love beetroot. So I don’t care.

I haven’t made this before but it’ll translate beautifully to the steam oven, perhaps with a little less overall cooking time. I’m going to skip the dill and pickled beetroot stalk part; it’s too fussy and no one likes dill much. A tub of sour cream and some fermented chili sauce will do just fine.

Beetroot and Beef Meatball Traybake

This uses ready-made meatballs, but you could easily make your own with ground beef, a finely chopped onion, parsley and a handful of breadcrumbs (and don't forget generous amounts of salt and pepper).

Check out this recipe

Friday

Stromboli and a movie is tonight’s agenda! I’m going out to the movies with friends, but I’ll cook the stromboli earlier in the day and leave it for everyone else to have as a ‘picnic’ dinner on the lounge room floor. It’s a great Friday night fun meal. Salad optional but recommended. 😉

Easy Homemade Stromboli

This looks kind of fussy but it's actually fun to make and really not difficult at all. Your steam oven will turn this into a loaf boasting the fluffiest bread and ooziest cheese imaginable.

Check out this recipe

Two thick slices of meat and cheese filled stromboli on a board with a ramekin of sauce

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Weekend

We rarely eat a fancy steak dinner, but every now and then we’ll go all out at the butcher and buy rib-eye or filet (oh my goodness, 3 boy children eat a LOT of food and good steak is expensive now!).

We are doing the steaks simply on the barbecue for Saturday dinner, and I’m going to use up some of our oranges in a lentil and grain salad. It’s a pretty salad and the bright orange flavors cut through all the earthiness of the grains and lentils.

Sunday is going to be one pot chicken and coconut milk (doubled for guests, cooked in two pans), and a rustic pear and rhubarb tart. I’ll use the plum tart recipe below but sub out the plums.

Lentil, Grain and Herb Salad with Orange

Pretty, tasty and enough for a crowd. This is one of my favorite salads.

Check out this recipe

An ornate handled spoon in a bowl with a lentil herb and grain salad, with a ramekin with dark liquid and a white dish with yoghurt partially visible.

One Pot Chicken and Rice with Coconut Milk

This is such a comforting meal, and it's deceptively easy to put together. Kids love the creaminess and gentle aromatics, although it's also great with those aromatics bumped up a notch and some fresh chili scattered over the top.

Check out this recipe

a top down view of a white casserole dish with cooked rice, chicken thighs and bell peppers, topped with cashew nuts and scallions

Rustic Plum Tart

Use whatever fruit you like in this buttery, flaky, perfect tart. I much prefer it to a carefully constructed 'fancier' tart; it's easier to make and the amount of fruit you can stuff into it is wonderfully generous.

Check out this recipe