Shopping List: Cheesy Bacon Pasta, Pinto Posole, and Quinoa Pizza Bowls

The Family Plan #27

I’m getting ready to do a big grocery shopping trip on Friday. It involves writing up a list which (if I’m lucky) will have half the items crossed off at the end of the trip, psyching myself up to put on my mask and navigate the supermarket, and actually, y’know, going. I used to love food shopping, but this is just exhausting. How are you handling things like acquiring groceries?

Here’s the menu for next week:

MONDAY: Chickpea Stew from Epicurious. The recipe calls for two boneless chicken thighs—vegetarians, you can skip that and add more chickpeas if you like, or tofu, tempeh, or seitan. Meat-eaters, you can add another 4 chicken thighs (or breasts—whatever you have) to make leftovers for Wednesday. The recipe calls for country-style bread but if you don’t have any, couscous would be lovely.

TUESDAY:

photo courtesy Washington Post

Cheesy Pasta with Bacon and Kale (Pasta Alla Gricia) from the Washington Post. The recipe appears in WaPo, but it’s really from a wonderful new cookbook called Keeping It Simple: Easy Weeknight One-Pot Recipes by Yasmin Fahr. I’m saying it’s wonderful not just because Yasmin is a friend—it really, truly is all that. Yasmin’s easy pasta dinner uses almost any pork product you’ve got for the bacon (or none at all, vegetarians!). You can use fresh or frozen kale, and either pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese. Really, the only thing that’s inflexible is the pasta—and even there, you can swap in another strand-type if you don’t have spaghetti.

WEDNESDAY: Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Bowl from Eating Well. This’ll use Monday’s extra chicken, and it comes with a luscious roasted pepper sauce that reminds me of romesco. Vegetarians, you’ll use a can of beans in place of the chicken. Cook a double batch of quinoa, to use on Friday.

THURSDAY:

photo courtesy Cookie + Kate

Pinto Posole from Cookie + Kate. This hearty Mexican soup usually has meat in it, but this version swaps in pinto beans. I know many of you won’t have canned hominy on-hand, but those of you who do are in for a treat. No hominy? Use canned or frozen corn—it won’t be the same, but it’ll still be delicious.

FRIDAY: Quinoa Pizza Bowls from Gimme Some Oven. This is such a clever idea, I bet you’ll be pizza-ing up all kinds of grains in the future. Wednesday’s leftover quinoa is the base here, and it gets layered with sauce, mozz, and pizza toppings. Using large ramekins means everybody gets to assemble their own, so it’s a crowd-pleaser. For this one, pull out whatever favorite pizza toppings you have—I didn’t include them in the shopping list below, so please don’t forget.

Here’s the shopping list:

Use this to see which recipes you’ve got enough ingredients to make. And remember, an asterisk * indicates an ingredient for vegetarian meals.

Produce

• 8 cloves garlic (M, W, Th)

• 1 small red onion OR scallions (W)

• 1 large white OR yellow onion (Th)

• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley (M, W)

• 1 bunch cilantro (Th)

• 1 bunch kale OR frozen kale (Tu)

• 1 large cucumber (W)

• 1 avocado, optional (Th)

• Small head green cabbage, optional (Th)

• 1 bunch radishes, optional (Th)

• 1 lemon (M)

• 1 lime (Th)

• 1 block tofu, tempeh, or seitan, optional* (M)

Pantry

• Olive oil (M, Tu, W, Th)

• 3+ tablespoons cumin (M, W, Th)

• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (M, W)

• 3 bay leaves (M, Th)

• 1 teaspoon paprika (W)

• 6 oz. tomato paste (M, Th)

• 2 (15-oz.) cans chickpeas (M)

• 1 cup couscous OR country bread (M)

• 1 (15-oz.) can white beans, optional* (W)

• 3 (15-oz.) cans pinto beans (Th)

• 1 (15-oz.) can hominy OR canned or frozen corn (Th)

• Large jar roasted red peppers (M, W)

• 1 lb. spaghetti or other long pasta (Tu)

• 1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds, or pine nuts (W)

• 2 cups quinoa (W, F)

• 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives (W)

• 2 to 4 guajillo or ancho chile peppers OR 2 tablespoons chili powder (Th)

• 1 quart vegetable or chicken broth (Th)

• 2 (14-oz.) jars pizza sauce OR marinara sauce (F)

Meat Counter

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts (M, W)

• 8 oz. bacon, guanciale, or pancetta (Tu)

Dairy

• 3 1/2 oz. pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (Tu)

• 1/4 to 1/2* cup crumbled feta (W)

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (F)

Bakery

• 1/2 loaf country-style bread OR couscous (M)

Freezer

• Frozen kale OR fresh kale (Tu)

• Frozen corn OR canned hominy (Th)

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Stay safe, be kind, and wash your hands.

Debbie