This was me when I finished the Food Tetris that is this week’s plan:
It all fits together so nicely, with just one big cooking day. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
Here’s the menu:
MONDAY: Peruvian Chicken with roasted vegetables and quinoa. If you’ve never experienced the glory that is Peruvian roast chicken, boy howdy are you in for a treat. This particular recipe was developed by a friend of mine, Andrea Lynn, for her cookbook Queens: A Culinary Passport. I live in Queens and yes, we have food from everywhere. Seriously, everywhere. Anyway, Peruvian roast chicken is one of those things that every New Yorker knows is just The Best. And the best part of the best is the green sauce, called aji verde, that goes with it. You’re doubling everything tonight: the chicken, the sauce, the roasted vegetables, and the quinoa. Vegetarians: You’ll roast lima beans along with the vegetables and still enjoy that luscious sauce.
TUESDAY: Vegetable Tortellini Soup with a tossed salad and crusty bread. Monday’s cooking was fairly heavy-duty, so I’m keeping the rest of the week simple and straightforward starting with this throw-together soup using prepared tortellini. It’s ready in about 30 minutes.
WEDNESDAY: Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Hash with a fried egg on top. Tonight you’ll learn how to turn pretty much anything into a crusty, irresistible hash. It’s a handy technique, one that’ll give you loads of leeway in the future. Vegetarians: Swap tofu for the roast chicken, and skip the egg if you don’t eat them.
THURSDAY: Quinoa Bowls with lentils, cheese, raw vegs, avocado, and aji verde. This is the kind of meal that makes me ridiculously happy: Thanks to all the cooking you did earlier in the week, tonight you just make a big batch of lentils and chop some vegetables. No recipe required.
FRIDAY: Sloppy Joes with dill pickles, carrot sticks, and potato chips. This one’s my own recipe so there’s no link, but I’m pretty sure you know what sloppy joes are. Vegetarians: You’ll be using more lentils.
And the shopping list:
Remember, an asterisk* indicates an ingredient for vegetarians only.
Produce
2 heads garlic (M, T, F)
3 onions: 1 large, 2 medium (T, W, F)
2 potatoes (any type) (W)
4 jalapenos (M)
2 bunches cilantro (M)
1 bunch rosemary (T)
1 bunch scallions (W, Th)
2 lb. carrots (M, T, F)
1 lb. green beans (M)
2 medium zucchini (T)
4 plum tomatoes (T)
1 pint grape tomatoes (T, Th)
5 oz. container baby spinach (T)
2 cucumbers (T, Th)
1 avocado (Th)
1 red bell pepper (F)
2 limes (M)
Pantry
1 bottle beer, preferably a pilsner or an ale (M)
Canola oil (M)
White vinegar (M)
Red wine vinegar (T)
Cider vinegar, optional (F)
Mayonnaise (M)
Kosher salt (M)
Paprika (M)
Cumin (M)
Dried oregano (M)
Black pepper (M)
Dry mustard (F)
Chili powder (F)
Aji Amarillo paste (or 2 more jalapenos) (M)
2 cups quinoa (M)
2 (14.5-oz.) cans vegetable broth (T)
1 lb. dried lentils (Th)
Ketchup (F)
Tomato paste (F)
Brown sugar or maple syrup (F)
Worcestershire sauce (F)
Dill pickle chips (F)
Potato chips (F)
Meat Counter
2 (3.5-lb.) whole chickens (M)
1 lb. lean ground beef (F)
Dairy
Parmesan cheese (M, T)
Queso fresco or goat cheese (your choice) (Th)
Cheese tortellini (T)
Firm tofu (W)*
Eggs (W)
Bakery
Crusty bread (T)
Hamburger buns (F)
Freezer Case
Lima beans (M) *
Watch this space on Saturday for the details. And if you’ve got any questions, just reply to this email.
Debbie