Shopping List: Chimichurri Tofu (or Chicken), Easy Quesadillas, and Allllll the Grilled Corn
The Family Plan #39
Have you ever eaten grilled corn? When it’s hot off the grates, I get a little bit like Teddy the porcupine up there. I just finished writing about grilled corn for one of the food websites I work for (link to come once it’s up) and boy, do I have a hankering. So next week we’re all going to enjoy the glory that is an ear full of smoky, perfectly charred kernels. On Monday you’ll be grilling up some tofu (or chicken, if you insist) as well as a whole mess o’corn—enough to eat on the cob that night and give you the makings of two more meals.
If you’ve never grilled corn before, here’s my basic technique:
Carefully peel back the husks, leaving them attached at the base (no sweat if a few break off). Remove the silk and re-wrap the corn. If you feel fancy, I like to tear off a strip of husk to tie around the top of the ear—it helps hold the husks in place.
Fire up your grill to high heat and place the corn directly on the grates. Cover the grill.
Turn the corn every few minutes, until all sides are nicely charred and the corn itself is bright yellow. It should take around 15 minutes.
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And now, here’s the menu:
MONDAY:
Photo courtesy Bon Appetit
Grilled Tofu (or Chicken) with Chimichurri from Bon Appetit with grilled corn. This week’s meal plan is 100% vegetarian, but if you must have some meat, swap boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs here. Double the chimichurri—if you’ve never had this before, you’re going to want to use it with everything, but you’ll definitely need some for Friday. Grill enough corn for tonight plus 5 extra ears to play with.
TUESDAY: Coconut Red-Lentil Curry from Epicurious with rice or couscous. The beauty of this recipe: It’s made mostly from pantry ingredients, and you can use pretty much whatever vegetables you’ve got on-hand. You can easily control the heat level here by using less (or no) chile pepper. This serves 6 to 8, so you’ll have leftovers to use for lunch.
WEDNESDAY:
Photo courtesy The Kitchn
Sheet Pan Grilled Corn & Black Bean Quesadillas from The Kitchn uses some of the grilled corn as well as a can of black (or pinto) beans. I included this recipe in a meal plan once before, back in May—I love the technique, and you can use it for any quesadilla filling you like. (It uses the oven, but for less than half an hour. If you’d rather not heat up your home, you can always make these the old-fashioned way, one at a time on the stovetop.) Serve it with sour cream or Greek yogurt, salsa, and avocado on the side. Note that this serves 8, so you’ll have leftovers for lunch.
THURSDAY: Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper-Feta Sauce from Food Network makes clever use of jarred roasted peppers, another pantry item, and the sauce is ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta. If you have any extra tofu or chicken from Monday, it would make a fine addition. This one serves 6 so, yes, lunch.
FRIDAY: Grilled Corn Cakes from Food & Wine with creamy chimichurri dipping sauce and a salad. The smoky hint you get from grilled corn adds an extra layer of flavor to corn cakes. This recipe calls for buttermilk, but if you don’t have any you can swap in regular milk that’s been mixed with lemon juice or white vinegar.
Here’s the shopping list:
My standard pandemic disclaimer: I know you probably can’t run out and buy everything on the list, so use it to guide your planning for next week.
Produce
2 bunches parsley (M, Th, F)
2 bunches cilantro (M, T, F)
1 bunch oregano (M, F)
1 Fresno chile, optional (M)
1 jalapeno or serrano chile (T)
9 ears corn (M, W, F)
1 medium + 1 small onion (T, Th)
1-inch knob ginger (T)
5 cloves garlic (T, Th)
1 lb. zucchini OR carrots OR sweet potato (T)
1 avocado (W)
Salad fixings (F)
2 (14-oz.) packages extra-firm tofu OR chicken (M)
Pantry
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, optional (M)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (T)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (T)
1 teaspoon turmeric (T)
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning OR chili powder (F)
Cayenne pepper (F)
1 1/2 cups olive oil (M, W, F)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (T, F)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (M, F)
1 1/2 cups (10 oz.) dried red lentils (T)
1 (13- to 14-oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk (T)
1 cup rice OR couscous (T)
1 (15-oz.) can black or pinto beans (W)
1 (7-oz.) can salsa verde (W)
1 jar salsa, any kind (W)
1 (16-oz.) jar roasted red peppers (Th)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (Th)
1 lb. pasta, preferably whole-wheat fettucine (Th)
1 cup flour, preferably all-purpose (F)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (F)
Meat Counter
1-2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs OR tofu (M)
Dairy
16 oz. shredded Mexican cheese blend OR cheddar OR Monterey jack (W)
16 oz. sour cream OR Greek yogurt (W, F)
1 cup crumbled OR 1 (6-oz.) block feta (Th)
1 large egg (F)
1/2 cup buttermilk OR milk + lemon juice OR milk + white vinegar (F)
1/2 cup milk (F)
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter (F)
Bakery
10 (8-inch) flour tortillas (W)
On Saturday, paying subscribers will get the plan.
Stay safe, be kind, wash your hands, and wear a mask.
Debbie