What to Cook the Week of August 31 - September 6: 10 Dinner Ideas from a Chef
Every Sunday I write one week of dinners: five Classic and five Plant-Based, chosen around what is actually good at the market that week. This is the plan for August 31 - September 6, 2026. Take the ideas, cook the ones you want, or let SEASON hand you the whole week with the shopping list already done.
The Classic five
- 1
Turkey Stir-Fry
Snap Pea · Bell Pepper · Ginger-Soy · Lime
The bright Monday reset, crispy-edged ground turkey, snap peas and peppers, ginger-soy, finished with lime and fresh herbs over rice
Stir-Fry, 20 Minutes · serves 4
- 2
Apple-Cider Pork Tenderloin
Brussels Sprouts · Apple · Cider-Mustard
Fall three weeks early, seared pork tenderloin with roasted Brussels sprouts, sauteed apples, and a cider-mustard pan sauce
Sear + Roast, 40 Minutes · serves 4
- 3
Braised Beef Ragù
Chuck · Instant Pot · Creamy Polenta
Sunday-braise flavor on a Tuesday, chuck gone fork-tender in the Instant Pot, shredded into a deep tomato ragu over creamy polenta
Instant Pot, 75 Minutes · serves 6
- 4
Slow-Roasted Salmon
Summer Succotash · Corn · Cherry Tomato · Lemon
The most forgiving salmon there is, roasted low and slow so it stays silky, over a bright summer succotash of the last corn and tomatoes
Oven, 35 Minutes · serves 4
- 5
Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken
Sun-Dried Tomato · Parmesan · Spinach
Creamy sun-dried-tomato chicken breasts in a parmesan sauce over mashed potatoes
Skillet, 40 Minutes · serves 4
The Plant-Based five
Fully plant-based, every week, built to stand on its own rather than as a substitution.
- 1
Pesto Pasta Salad
Basil Pesto · Cherry Tomato · Fusilli
The pasta salad that isn't an afterthought, a real basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, dressed while warm
No-Cook, 25 Minutes · serves 6
- 2
Street Corn Bowl
Charred Corn · Black Bean · Chili-Lime Crema
Elote made dinner, charred corn, black beans, a chili-lime crema, over rice
Skillet, 25 Minutes · serves 4
- 3
Hearty Minestrone
Bean · Ditalini · Kale · Tomato
The first soup of the season, a slow soffritto, beans, ditalini, and greens, deep and warming for the turn
Stovetop, 45 Minutes · serves 6
- 4
Chile Crisp Dumplings
Crispy Dumpling · Garlicky Greens · Soy-Vinegar
The wait-that's-vegan plate, crispy-bottomed veggie dumplings, chile crisp, garlicky greens
Pan-Fry, 15 Minutes · serves 4
- 5
Roasted Squash Tacos
Caramelized Squash · Pepita · Salsa Verde
The first fall taco, caramelized roasted squash, bright salsa verde, toasted pepitas for crunch
Oven, 35 Minutes · serves 4
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The recipe above is the cooking. SEASON membership is the system around it:
- Ten dinners chosen for you every Sunday - five Classic, five Plant-Based
- One consolidated shopping list for the whole week, sorted the way a chef shops
- A prep plan that tells you what to do ahead so weeknights are assembly, not cooking
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