Shopping List: A Week with Practically No Cooking

The Family Plan #77

this’ll be you next week

I’m not sure how it happened, but the menu I created for next week requires so little effort, it’s almost not fair. You’ll cook a bunch of rice and make a double-batch of an irresistible, Asian-accented sauce, but other than that it’s mostly chopping and combining.

Anyway, you’re welcome. I can’t promise this will ever happen again.

Here’s the menu for next week:

SUNDAY: Make double batches of rice & ginger scallion vinaigrette. This sets you up for multiple meals during the week. Divide the rice into two containers and refrigerate everything.

MONDAY:

photo courtesy Smitten Kitchen

Crispy Rice and Egg Bowl with Ginger-Scallion Vinaigrette from Smitten Kitchen. This might be one of my top 10 favorite recipes of all time. That ginger-scallion vinaigrette, holy cow. The crispy rice—my son would eat all of it. And the bowl itself is so flexible—I’ve included the specific vegetables in the ingredients list, but you can swap those for whatever your family likes.  

TUESDAY: Easy Mezze Platter from I Heart Naptime. We all deserve a delightfully simple dinner in which we simply set out an assortment of nibbles, dips, and cheeses, don’t we? I included the recipe’s suggestions in the shopping list, but it’s very much up to you what to purchase. Just make sure to get some hummus, since you’ll need it for Friday.

WEDNESDAY:

photo courtesy A Couple Cooks

Easy Black Bean Salad from A Couple Cooks, with avocado and fruit. The rest of the rice gets transformed into a simple, filling, tasty salad tonight. Serve it with sliced avocado and whatever fruit your kids like best.

THURSDAY: Momofuku's Ginger-Scallion Noodles with Tofu from Serious Eats. You’ve already got the vinaigrette ready to go, so tonight all you need to do is cook some noodles, brown some slabs of tofu, and throw it all together. The recipe doesn’t call for any vegetables beyond the scallions in the sauce, so I recommend adding baby spinach (but set aside enough for tomorrow first)—put the greens in the colander before you drain the noodles, and the hot water will be enough to wilt them.

FRIDAY: Veggie Wrap from Tastes Better from Scratch, with chips. The shopping list includes only the vegetables officially listed in the recipe, but the author suggests others as well—go to town!

Here’s the shopping list:

Produce

• 3 bunches scallions (M, W, Th)

• 1 (4”) knob ginger (M, Th)

• 1 clove garlic (W)

• 1 lb. carrots (M, T, F)

• 5 Persian cucumbers (M, T, F)

• 1 pint cherry OR grape tomatoes (T)

• 2 red bell peppers (T, W)

• 1 yellow bell pepper (W)

• 3 avocados (W, Th, F)

• 1 (5-oz.) container baby spinach (Th, F)

• Fruit of your choice (W)

• 1 ripe mango (Th)

• 1 (14 oz.) package firm tofu (Th)

Pantry

• Vegetable oil (M, Th)

• Olive oil (W)

• sherry or rice wine vinegar (M, Th)

• apple cider vinegar (W)

• 2-3 cups rice, white or brown (M, W)

• Soy sauce (M)

• Toasted sesame oil (M)

• Sriracha or other hot sauce (M)

• 1 lb. Asian wheat noodles (Th)

• 1 bag pita chips, optional (T)

• 1 bag potato or other chips (F)

• 1/2 cup Greek olives (T)

• 1 (15-oz.) can black beans (W)

• Dijon mustard (W)

• Ground cumin (W)

Deli

• 4 oz. salami, optional (T)

• 4 oz. prosciutto, optional (T)

• Prepared hummus (T, F)

• Prepared tzatziki (T)

Dairy

• 4 eggs (M)

• 8 oz. mozzarella pearls (T)

• 4 oz. chunk feta (T)

Bakery

• 6 pita OR naan OR flatbread (T)

• 4 large whole wheat flour tortillas (F)

Freezer Case

• Shelled edamame (F)

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Stay safe, be kind, wear a mask, and get vaccinated ASAP.

Debbie