This is the cake I baked for my mom’s birthday last weekend. So many of you wrote kind notes about having a loved one with dementia, I thought I’d share it. Far from professional, but pretty enough to distract her after she accused my sister-in-law of trying to murder her. Did you know delusions were a thing with dementia patients? I do now.
This is not my mom.
Anyway. You’re not here for dementia content. Let’s talk food.
Here’s the menu:
SUNDAY PREP: Cook dried beans for Smitten Kitchen’s Pizza Beans.
MONDAY: Baked Fish Sticks with Lemon Caper Sauce from SkinnyTaste or Vegan Fish Sticks from VegNews, with green beans. Homemade fish sticks are eons away from the frozen kind. Tonight you’ll make a double-batch to use for Wednesday’s tacos, and you’ll double that yummy lemon-caper sauce, too—it’ll make a nifty dressing for Friday’s salad.
TUESDAY: Pizza Beans and Garlic Bread, both from Smitten Kitchen. That bean concoction is so ingenious, I’m embarrassed I never thought of it myself. Think of it as baked ziti, but with giant beans in place of pasta. The recipe makes enough to serve 8, but you’ll only bake half the beans tonight—the rest can go into the fridge for Thursday. (I’ve included sausage on the shopping list, for those of you who need a little meat in your week.)
WEDNESDAY: Fish Tacos with cabbage, avocado, salsa, and lime. Tonight’s dinner is so straightforward, you don’t need a recipe. You’ll gently reheat the fish sticks, and serve in corn tortillas with all the fixings.
THURSDAY: Beans and Greens Soup with crusty bread. Another night with no recipe! (Don’t worry, I’ll walk you through the steps on Saturday.) You’ll take the remaining, un-pizzaed beans and transform them into a hearty soup with kale, crushed tomatoes, and broth—and a parmesan rind, if you take the pro tip below.
FRIDAY: Baking Sheet Macaroni and Cheese from Food52 with a tossed salad. This clever trick could change your whole mac and cheese outlook: For maximum crust, bake it in a rimmed baking sheet instead of a casserole dish. The recipe says it serves six, but you may not have any leftovers. Thin Monday’s lemon caper sauce with a little water (or more lemon juice), and it’s a perfect salad dressing.
Here’s the shopping list:
Remember, an asterisk* indicates an ingredient for vegetarians only. If I don’t specify an amount for an ingredient, assume it’s not substantial. And note that I’m no longer adding salt and pepper to the shopping list unless a recipe calls for a particularly large quantity.
Produce
1 large onion (T, Th)
1 bunch celery (T, Th)
1 bunch carrots (T, Th)
1 head garlic (T, Th)
1 1/2 lb. curly kale (T, Th)
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley (M, T, Th)
1 bunch chives (M, T, Th, F)
1 lb. green beans (M)
Small head cabbage (W)
1 (5-oz.) package spring mix or other lettuce (F)
1 pint grape tomatoes (F)
1 cucumber (F)
1 avocado (W)
4 lemons (M, Th, F)
2 limes (W)
4 (14-oz.) extra-firm tofu* (M)
Fresh salsa (W)
Pantry
Olive oil (M*, T, Th)
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes (T, Th)
1 lb. dried giant white beans or lima beans (T, Th)
1 cup vegetable broth (T, Th)
1/3 cup mayonnaise, light or regular (M, F)
1 jar capers (M, F)
Dijon mustard (M)
Paprika (M)
Old Bay seasoning (M)
Dried parsley flakes (M)
Dried oregano, optional (T, Th)
Red pepper flakes, optional (T, Th)
Cayenne (F)
2 cups plain Panko breadcrumbs (M)
Tamari or soy sauce* (M)
Nori powder* (M)
All-purpose flour* (M)
Cornstarch* (M)
1 quart low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (Th)
1 lb. pasta spirals or other small shape (F)
Meat Counter
3/4 lb. sweet or spicy Italian sausages, optional (T, Th)
Seafood
2 lb. skinless cod fillet, about 1 inch thick (M)
Dairy
4 oz mozzarella (T, Th)
3 oz. Parmesan cheese (Pro tip: Buy a chunk of the good stuff, Parmigiano Reggiano, with rind attached, and toss that rind into Thursday’s soup for a flavor boost) (T, Th)
4 oz. fat free plain Greek yogurt (M, F)
6 eggs (M)
Milk or soy milk* (M)
Unsalted butter (T, F)
12 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese (F)
12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese (F)
Bakery
1 large seeded baguette (T)
8-12 corn tortillas (W)
Crusty bread (Th)
Liquor Store
Dry white or red wine, optional (T, Th)
Watch this space on Saturday morning for details.
Until then,
Debbie