Who else is stress eating?
I smiled a bit while creating next week’s menu—on Wednesday, the world changes. Maybe that’ll be the real start of 2021. I don’t remember ever anticipating such a drastic shift in equilibrium, just from a Presidential inauguration. And I’m old enough to have distant memories of Gerald Ford. But I do believe a drastic shift is coming, as long as law enforcement and our armed forces are able to ensure things go smoothly. While I’m excited for next week, I’m also scared for Joe. I’m scared for Kamala. I’m scared for all of us.
In the meanwhile, until all those white supremacists see that we will hold them accountable for their crimes, we just keep living. We hug our kids, and we feed our families. We check homework and scramble to make work deadlines and wonder when we’ll see our elderly family members. We live.
Here’s the menu for next week:
MONDAY:
Mix-and-Match Brothy Beans from Food Network with tortillas and avocado. This is one of those super-flexible recipes that’s more of a formula. This time you’ll make the “Tex-Mex” version in Step 9. Vegetarians, you’ll skip the optional meat, of course—to get some of that smoky flavor, add smoked paprika. Everyone will have enough leftover for Thursday’s stuffed peppers.
TUESDAY: Tofu Stir-Fry from Well Plated, with rice. Another deliciously flexible recipe, this will work with almost any vegetable you can imagine in a stir-fry. I’ll include the suggested baby spinach in the ingredients list, but know that you can use whatever you like. If your kids don’t like spicy food, hold the sambal oelek and dab some onto your own portion. Make a double-batch of rice to use on Thursday.
WEDNESDAY:
Grape Tomato, Olive, and Spinach Pasta from Cooking Light. Tonight we’re going to make some tweaks to this recipe, to give us toppings for Friday’s pizza. Double the sauce, and set aside half the tomato mixture before adding the pasta. (Don’t forget to refrigerate it.) Also, use dried oregano instead of fresh basil. Skip the red pepper flakes if you like, or pass at the table.
THURSDAY: Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers from Cookie + Kate. Having your rice & beans ready to go makes this Tex-Mex dinner considerably easier.
FRIDAY: Greek Pizza. No recipe tonight—Wednesday’s sauce plus some more baby spinach and olives make a great, easy topping for pizza. Add a little mozz, a little feta, and bake.
Here’s the shopping list:
Ingredients marked with an asterisk * are for the vegetarian option
Produce
1 medium white onion (M, Th)
1 large yellow onion (Th)
12 cloves garlic (M, T, W, Th)
2-inch knob ginger (T)
1-2 ribs celery (M, Th)
1-2 medium carrots (M, Th)
1 bunch cilantro (M, Th)
1 bunch green onions (T)
2 avocados (M, Th)
3 pints grape or cherry tomatoes (W, Th, F)
4 (5 oz.) packages baby spinach (T, W, F)
4 large red bell peppers (Th)
1 lime (Th)
2 (14-oz.) packages extra-firm tofu (T)
Pantry
1 lb. dried pinto beans (M, Th)
1/3-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (M, W, Th)
Canola or grapeseed oil (T)
Smoked paprika* (M, Th)
2 bay leaves (M, Th)
Toasted sesame seeds (T)
Crushed red pepper flakes, optional (W, F)
Dried oregano (W, F)
Chili powder (Th)
Ground cumin (Th)
1 small can chipotles in adobo (M, Th)
Low-sodium soy sauce (T)
Sambal oelek or other chili paste (T)
Sesame oil (T)
2 cups white or brown rice (T, Th)
8 oz. penne (W)
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth (W, F)
20 kalamata olives (W, F)
Meat Counter
1 (4-oz.) piece smoked meat, such as slab bacon, pancetta, smoked ham, kielbasa or andouille, optional (M, Th)
Dairy
1 oz. Parmesan cheese (W)
4 oz. crumbled feta (F)
10 oz. shredded mozzarella OR 4 oz. shredded cheddar + 6 oz. shredded mozz (Th, F)
Sour cream, optional (Th)
Bakery
8-12 tortillas, corn or wheat (M, Th)
1 lb. pizza dough (F)
On Saturday, paying subscribers will get the details on how it all comes together.
Stay safe, be kind, wash your hands, and wear a mask.
Debbie