Thanks so much for all the kind words/positive vibes for my mom. So far she’s holding her own, which feels miraculous to me since she has a boatload of underlying conditions. But then I read about these over-100 folks who somehow recovered, and I see it’s possible. Keep on thinking those good thoughts, please!
Here’s the menu:
MONDAY:
Photo courtesy Epicurious
Shrimp with Herby White Beans and Tomatoes from Epicurious OR Tuscan White Bean Tomato Stew from Well Plated, with rice. Whichever recipe you choose, you’re making two double-batches tonight—the shrimp recipe only serves two and the vegetarian stew is intended to be a light lunch, so you’ll need twice as much to feed the fam dinner. And as long as you’re cooking rice, might as well make enough to use on Wednesday.
TUESDAY: Pizza Night! My kid lives for this, especially now that we’re quarantined and eating so many things he hates. For the crust, as long as you’ve got flour (which I know, isn’t necessarily easy) you can make your own. Here’s a simple yeasted dough recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction, and if you don’t have yeast here’s one using baking powder from Bigger Bolder Baking. Or, if you’re lucky enough to have a sourdough starter going (I was gifted one, hooray!), we’ve been grooving on a recipe from King Arthur Flour that uses discard. Top it with whatever you possibly can.
WEDNESDAY:
Photo courtesy Budget Bytes
Poor Man’s Burrito Bowls from Budget Bytes use Monday’s rice and a bunch of pantry ingredients like black beans and salsa. You should have seasoned beans left over—they’ll come in handy on Friday.
THURSDAY: Niçoise Gnocchi Salad from MyRecipes is an ingenious way to make the classic salad using stuff from your pantry. Shelf-stable gnocchi instead of potatoes, frozen green beans instead of fresh, jarred or canned tuna… you get the idea. Vegetarians: Use more eggs if you eat them, and/or add chickpeas (or any other bean) to replace the tuna.
FRIDAY: Buttermilk Cheddar Corn Cakes from Food Network are the perfect companion to those leftover black beans. This recipe only makes six pancakes, so you’ll want to double it. And don’t be intimidated by the word “buttermilk”—it’s really easy to make a substitute using regular milk with lemon juice or vinegar.
Here’s the “shopping” list:
This’ll help you figure out which recipes you can make. Note that Tuesday’s pizza is a use-what-you’ve-got night, so I’ve only included crust ingredients and a generic “cheese” in the list. Items with an asterisk* are for vegetarian recipes only.
Produce
3 medium shallots or 1 medium-large onion (M, Th)
2 pints cherry tomatoes OR 2 (14.5-oz.) cans tomatoes* (M)
6 cloves garlic* (M)
1 bunch thyme OR dried thyme* (M)
1 large bunch green onions (W, F)
1 jalapeno OR pickled jalapenos, optional (W)
Pantry
1/2 cup or more olive oil (M, T)
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar* (M)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (Th)
2 teaspoons honey* (M)
2 (14.5-oz.) cans tomatoes, preferably diced (M)
2 (15-oz.) cans white beans (M)
2 (15-oz.) cans black beans (W, F)
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas* (Th)
1/2 cup prepared pesto (M)
2 cups rice, any kind (M)
All-purpose or bread flour (T, F)
Yeast OR prepared pizza dough (T)
1 cup yellow cornmeal (F)
2 tablespoons sugar (F)
Baking powder (T, F)
1 teaspoon dried thyme OR fresh thyme* (M)
Ground cumin (W, F)
Garlic powder (W, F)
Dried chives OR 1 green onion (F)
1 jar salsa (W)
Pickled jalapenos OR 1 jalapeno, optional (W)
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard (Th)
1 (16-oz.) package potato gnocchi (Th)
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts (Th)
1 (6.7-oz.) jar OR 2 (5-oz.) cans tuna, preferably packed in oil (Th)
3/4 cup kalamata olives (Th)
1/2 cup jarred sliced roasted red bell peppers (Th)
2/3 cup canned OR frozen corn (F)
Dairy
1/4 cup grated Parmesan* (M)
1 lb. prepared pizza dough OR flour + yeast or baking powder (T)
Cheese for pizza (T)
10 oz. shredded cheese, preferably cheddar or jack (W, F)
4 to 10* eggs (Th)
1/4 to 1/2 cup unsalted butter (F)
2 cups low-fat buttermilk OR regular milk + lemon juice or white vinegar (F)
Freezer
1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined (M)
2 cups green beans, ideally whole (Th)
2/3 cup frozen OR canned corn (F)
Stay safe, be kind, and wash your hands. See you again on Saturday.
Debbie