Shopping List: Triple-Duty Roast Chicken (or Double-Duty Roast Cauliflower) Makes an Easy Week
The Family Plan #59
I told my therapist the other day that I won’t dare to say next year has to be better than this one. I said as much last December, after my husband’s horrible bike accident dominated 2019. And we all know how 2020 has turned out… She countered that she could think of several pieces of good news that came my way this year. And she’s right. It wasn’t all bad. (Thank god for that woman, considering how low-key depressed I am 90% of the time.)
Since I’ve been so doom-and-gloom lately, I decided to make a list of 20 positives for 2020. It took a while, but I did it:
In September I took an entire week off, the first time since 2016.
That week I took off? I spent it in Maine.
My son graduated middle school, mid-pandemic.
My mom, my brother, and my sister-in-law all survived COVID.
Ten months of lockdown has protected us: Nobody in my little family of three has caught it.
Joe & Kamala.
This was my best year ever, in 18 years of freelancing. (I feel strange saying that out loud, since it’s been the opposite for so many people. Believe me, I know how lucky I am.)
The success of this newsletter. There have been times this year when I’ve struggled to get out of bed. Chatty emails from readers have made more of a difference than you might imagine. I feel like I know many of you now, and connections are everything these days.
The weekend before we went into lockdown, my husband and I joined some friends on a food tour of Queens. I remember being nervous about the new coronavirus, especially on the subway, but the weather was lovely and the food was incredible. All this time, I’ve been glad it was our last hurrah.
While we expected my husband to be laid off when lockdown started, his company has found a way to make work-from-home work. He remains employed.
We settled a lawsuit against the bike company, over my husband’s accident (faulty brakes).
That settlement means we can finally do some work on our house. This time next year I’ll have the closest thing to my dream kitchen I’ll probably ever see. Again, lucky.
Our financial situation made it possible to support our local food bank in a somewhat significant way.
It also gave my son a small college fund, at long last. Did I mention he already graduated middle school? We are terrible parents. (Seriously, if you haven’t set up a 529 for your kids because you think you can’t afford it, do it anyway. Five dollars a week will add up if you start early enough, and I’m kicking myself for missing the opportunity.)
I got a cozy sweater at the outlets in Maine, a long open cardigan in a mottled deep sea green, and it’s perfect. Putting it on makes me feel safe and happy, almost like a wearable weighted blanket.
For my birthday last week, my husband gave me dark chocolate salted caramels from Fran’s, my favorite treat in the world.
I’ve been working on a novel, a return to fiction after at least a decade. (I majored in creative writing and thought for sure I’d have published several celebrated novels by now.) It’s messy and I have no idea what I’m doing, but it feels good to flex those muscles again.
Speaking of novels, I read three that knocked my socks off this year, saving me from too much navel-gazing: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, and Beach Read by Emily Henry. (They’re not the only books I read, but they’re three I continue to think about, months after reading.)
The Great Pottery Throw Down. It’s gotten me through a rough December. Even though I know how each season turns out, I’m tempted to watch again—it’s that soothing.
A month or two ago, my husband and I went for a long walk in Queens. At one point, we sat down on a park bench. While we were talking, a hawk swooped down and caught a mouse, just a few feet from where we sat. I felt the wind from his wings. It was equal parts gruesome and exciting, a thrilling respite from the sameness of every day.
What’s on your list of positives?
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Here’s the menu for next week:
MONDAY:
Double Roast Chicken and Vegetables from Martha Stewart OR Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Whipped Feta from Live Eat Learn, both with Chimichurri from Simply Recipes. I’m not going to lie: Tonight is a big cook and it’ll take time—though most of it won’t require much attention, since food will be in the oven. Meat-eaters, you’ll be roasting a pair of chickens and a substantial amount of vegetables, which will give you elements for three more meals this week. (Save the chicken carcasses for Thursday’s soup!) Vegetarians, you’ll be roasting two whole heads of spice-rubbed cauliflower plus a separate pan of root vegetables. Swap chili powder for the curry powder in that spice rub, since you’ll be using the leftovers for tacos on Wednesday. And everybody’s making a double-batch of chimichurri, an irresistible herb sauce from Argentina that you’ll want to eat by the spoonful.
TUESDAY: White Pesto Pasta from Bon Appetit with a salad. This is nothing like the pesto you probably pictured—it’s herb-free, a quick, creamy sauce made with ricotta and parmesan cheeses and toasted walnuts. And you don’t even need a food processor, since it all gets mixed together in the serving bowl. Perfect for a wintry weeknight.
WEDNESDAY: Chicken or Cauliflower Tacos from The Kitchn. Using Monday’s leftovers saves quite a bit of time here. All you’ll need to do is make some quick pickled onions (a double-batch, since you’ll want to keep some on-hand for salads, sandwiches, etc.) and an avocado-yogurt sauce, and reheat either roasted chicken or cauliflower. Meat-eaters, toss your shredded chicken with a bit of olive oil and some of the spices in the taco recipe before reheating.
THURSDAY: Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup from Dad Cooks Dinner or Vegan Noodle Soup with Chickpeas from Where You Get Your Protein with bread and/or salad. Meat-eaters, use one of Monday’s chicken carcasses to make the broth. Feel free to do this part whenever you have time, since it takes a good 90 minutes. Refrigerate if it’s more than two hours before you’ll be making the soup.
FRIDAY:
Provoleta (melted provolone) from Seasons & Suppers with bread, plus Monday’s roasted vegetables and chimichurri. Chimichurri comes from Argentina, so I thought it would be fun to use it for this easy Argentinian kinda-fondue made in a skillet with provolone cheese. Serve it with sliced baguette and roasted vegetables.
Here’s the shopping list:
Note that an asterisk * marks ingredients for the vegetarian options.
Produce
8 medium onions (M, Th, F)
9 cloves garlic (M, T, F)
6 beets OR parsnips OR 1 large rutabaga (M, F)
12 new red and white potatoes (M, Th, F)
10 carrots (M, Th, F)
4 sweet potatoes (M, F)
1 acorn squash OR pre-cut butternut (M, F)
2 heads cauliflower* (M, W)
1 bunch thyme (M, W)
2 bunches flat-leaf parsley (M, F)
1 bunch oregano (M, T, F)
1 bunch cilantro (W)
Your favorite salad fixings, enough for 2 salads (T, Th)
1 small red cabbage (W)
2 medium avocados (W)
2-3* ribs celery (Th)
3 lemons (M, T, W)
1 lime (W)
Pantry
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (M, T, W, F)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (M, F)
2 cups distilled white vinegar (W)
Brown sugar* (M, W)
Smoked paprika* (M, W)
Chili powder* (M, W)
Ground cumin* (M, W)
Red pepper flakes (M, F)
Bay leaves (Th)
Dried thyme (Th)
Garlic powder* (Th)
Onion powder* (Th)
Dried parsley* (Th)
Dried oregano* (Th)
Granulated sugar (W)
1/2 cup walnuts (T)
1 lb. tube- or rod-shaped pasta (such as rigatoni or spaghetti) (T)
1 cup wide or extra-wide egg noodles (Th)
1 cup campanelle pasta (or egg noodles)* (Th)
40 oz. vegetable broth* (Th)
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast* (Th)
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas* (Th)
Meat Counter
2 (4-5 lb.) chickens (M, W, Th)
Dairy
Unsalted butter (M, W, Th)
8 oz. feta* (M)
3 oz. cream cheese* (M)
4 oz. ricotta (T)
3 oz. parmesan (T)
1-inch thick slice provolone (not smoked) (F)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (W)
Bakery
8-12 small corn tortillas (W)
2 baguettes (Th, F)
On Saturday, paying subscribers will get the details on how it all comes together.
Stay safe (and stay home), be kind, wash your hands, and wear a mask.
Happy New Year!
Debbie
Happy New Year, Debbie! Thanks for all your work! Glad you have identified your bright spots. I'm doing a year in review later today as well. Hopefully 2021 is better all around!