We’re approaching the end of the first Family Plan. I’m sending up a little prayer to the meal-planning gods that you’ve had a good time so far.
(And if you did, maybe you’ll tell your friends?)
I got some fantastic suggestions for how to break down the shopping list by recipe—so fantastic I’m a little embarrassed not to have thought of them myself. So here’s what I’m going to do: For each ingredient on the shopping list, I’ll indicate which day(s) you’ll need it in parentheses. Hopefully this’ll help those of you who only need plans for a few nights a week, without becoming confusing or intrusive for anyone else.
Surprise! Next week is Thanksgiving. I’m to go out on a limb and assume you don’t need a quick dinner for Thursday—but you probably do need a way to use leftover turkey on Friday. And since you might need to do a little pre-cooking for the big day, dinner Monday through Wednesday should be as easy as possible.
Here’s the menu:
MONDAY: Roasted Salmon with Kale-Quinoa Salad, a recipe that serves one so you’ll need to multiply—and add some extra salmon to use on Tuesday. For vegetarians, skip the salmon and add a little more quinoa plus canned beans (I like adzuki for this but they can be hard to find, so go with your own preference).
TUESDAY: Corn and Salmon Chowder uses frozen corn to make a dinner that feels kinda summery while being hearty enough for late autumn. Vegetarians: Just leave out the salmon. Serve with crusty bread.
WEDNESDAY: Oven Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms and Thyme has to be one of my favorite ways to prepare polenta. If you think it requires a ton of stirring, think again. Most of the cooking happens in the oven. Serve with a simple green salad.
THURSDAY: Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a lovely time with your family of choice.
FRIDAY: Turkey Chili bears no trace of yesterday’s festivities. Serve it over leftover mashed potatoes if you’ve got ‘em, otherwise cook up some rice. Vegetarians: Swap in two more cans of beans and you’re good to go.
If you find yourself with a lot of Thanksgiving leftovers, my friends at Epicurious have an impressive roundup of recipes that use turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and more.
And the shopping list:
Remember, an asterisk* indicates an ingredient for vegetarians only.
Produce
2 bunches Lacinato (Tuscan) kale OR 2 packages ready-to-use kale (M)
1 head lettuce of your choice (W)
1 head garlic (M, W, F)
1 lb. boiling potatoes (about 3) (T)
1 medium onion (F)
1 bunch scallions (T)
1 small jalapeno (F)
1 red bell pepper (T)
1 green bell pepper (F)
1 bunch celery (T)
1 1/2 lb. mixed mushrooms (such as crimini, skiitake, oyster, and/or maitake) (W)
1 bunch thyme (W)
1 cucumber (W)
1 tomato (W)
1 bunch red grapes (M)
3 lemons (M)
1 orange (M)
Pantry
Cooking spray (M)
Olive oil (M, T)
Extra-virgin olive oil (W)
Vegetable oil (F, optional)
Red wine vinegar (W)
Salt (M, T, W, F)
Black pepper (M, T, W, F)
Bay leaves (T)
Flaky sea salt (W)
Chili powder (F)
Ground cumin (F)
Dried oregano (F)
Quinoa (M)
Dijon mustard (M)
1 (15-oz.) can adzuki beans (or your favorite) (M)*
2 (15-oz.) cans pinto beans (F)
2 (15-oz.) black beans (F)*
6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable* broth (T, F)
Polenta (W)
1 (28-oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (F)
White or brown rice, optional (F)
Seafood
6 (6-oz.) wild salmon fillets (M, T)
Dairy
Butter (T, W)
Milk (T)
Sour cream, optional (T)
4 oz. Parmesan (W)
Bakery
Crusty bread (T)
Freezer Case
Corn kernels (T)
Watch your inbox on Saturday for the full plan.
Until then,
Debbie