So frustrating about the contractors. You’re making amazing sounding meals, especially given the situation.
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Actuals for June 20 week, cooking for 2 in MN. Where summer heat has, today, been replaced by perfect spring cooler/breezy weather. We get to have the windows open, too, since construction workers for the fire station on the corner take the weekend off.
Mon: Countertop oven pork loin, farro, Normandy veggies
Tues lunch: last of the Greek Chicken salad on naan, red grapes, Rhubarb upside down cake (baked in early morning)
Wed: Salmon, pasta salad w shredded carrot, green pepper and light mayo dressing, fresh orange slices
Thurs & Fri: Apple/lettuce salad with shredded chicken and mini-grilled cheese croutons.
Sat: Ground turkey/mac & cheese w/herb& garlic tomatoes “goulash” A Julia Pacheco recipe with salad and baguette
Sun (today): noon - Top sirloin in foil packet, coated w/ dry onion soup & steak sauce. Sliced potatoes w/ lemon olive oil, garlic, oregano. Salad. Slivers of chocolate pie.
dinner (planned) - either reheat of the goulash or
Peachy meatballs w rice (use the rest of the ground turkey).
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The July discussion is ready for whenever your plan is more for July than June.
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Cooking for 1 at the Jersey Shore. I keep trying to use up things I already have on hand in the freezer to make some space and save money but I need to be banned from Instacart. slams head on table
Sunday: another shrimp burger with Old Bay mayo (Endless Summer cookbook) because it was so good, green salad
Monday: baked boneless pork chop topped with sauerkraut, roasted baby Yukon gold potatoes, green salad
Tuesday: Monday leftovers
Wednesday: Baked pasta (cavatappi) in the style of baked ziti with leftover vegetable manicotti filling from the freezer
Thursday: Andalusian Gazpacho from the Margaritaville cookbook
Friday: Thursday leftovers
Saturday: smashed burger from the freezer with sriracha/relish/mayo sauce, sauteed zucchini
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I’m not a user of Instacart, but can you remove your “stored” credit card, forcing you to type in all that info each time? It might slow you down… and be nicer to that head 
Shrimp burger is going on my list for this upcoming week. Thanks for the inspiration.
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Re. CSA and lack of commitment - have you looked into Morrissey Market? They deliver, you just order what you want, but their produce boxes are great. I just ordered their 4th of July package.
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We had a lovely few days in Santa Barbara. Brief report here. We managed to clear out our fridge/freezer enough to solve whatever temp problem it was having… we think. Perhaps something was covering a temperature sensor? We’ll find out!
For two adults in San Diego:
This week’s breakfasts: No mojo. Not going to lie… I’ll be starting the week with a packet of raspberry Pop Tarts (just one day, I swear). We’ll see where I go from there.
S: Takeout: Chicken teriyaki plate (veggies, macaroni salad, rice). Enjoy for lunch leftovers for a few days.
Su: (tonight) Tostadas with leftover taco meat from the freezer.
M: Clam chowder (purchased) with rolls - seafood
T: Sourdough, gouda, cheddar, grapes and/or apple slices - vegetarian
W: Chicken shawarma tacos
Th: Pasta with ground turkey, peas, shallots, white wine, cream… just making it up as I go along to use up some stuff;
F: Chicken quesadillas with guacamole
Have a good week!
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Hello fellow planners!
Reporting back to say that the Spaghetti al Limone with Shrimp, and Crispy Honey Ginger Salmon Bowls were both big hits last week and they’ll be added to our summer rotation. Our only regret about the salmon bowls was that we didn’t realize until after we’d eaten them at that they would have been a great vehicle for chili crisp…all the more reason to make them again!
It’s a short week for us here in Ontario, as Canada Day is this Friday, and our employer (my husband and I work for the same institution) has also given us Thursday off, so we’ll be headed down to the cottage where my mother, fridge and freezer bursting says, “I’ll need to bring in more food!” This is why we always find ourselves having to “eat everything in the freezer” on Labour Day weekend. But I digress…
Cooking for two adults and a 9 yo in southern Ontario:
M - Cheddar brats on a bun, potato salad, grilled veggies (asparagus, bell peppers, zucchini., red onion)
T - Balsamic basil grilled chicken on a bun and side salad with mixed greens, local strawberries and goat cheese (all from this week’s Caro Chambers recipe)
W - Last day of Grade 3 for my kiddo! Creamy bacon pasta
Th - I think my mum asked my husband to bring and make ribs at the cottage. He makes excellent ribs and usually serves with grilled asparagus and some potatoes.
Not sure what the rest of the week holds as we’ll be at the cottage for dinner on Friday. Since it’s Canada Day there is usually also a campfire, s’mores etc.
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That looks like a pretty tasty celebration meal! Let us know how you like it.
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Hi everyone! First I want to report back that I’m positively shocked by how delicious the canned salmon rice bowl I linked to above turned out to be. Even my husband, who has only recently warmed to salmon in general, loved it. We will definitely make it again. So happy whenever I find a cheap, quick meal we enjoy.
Here’s what I have planned for this week, for 2 adults & 2 little kids in Toronto.
Mon - cavatappi with garlic scape pesto, asparagus, and ricotta (Cook this Now), and a salad of ribbons of Swiss chard with panko, parm, and an EVOO/balsamic dressing. The pasta is an annual favorite in June, this year I subbed in asparagus for the sugar snap peas that are in the original recipe. But the real star was the chard salad. I recently discovered I love raw Swiss chard (don’t care for it cooked). It’s the only bitter green I thought I didn’t like, until I tried it raw. So good!
Tues - Spanish tortilla (recipe from Serious Eats) & simple lettuce salad.
Wed - I’m having dinner at a Bengali restaurant with a friend visiting from out of town. The family will get takeout or make hot dogs.
Thurs - last day of junior kindergarten for my kids! We will either go out or have pizza and a sundae bar to celebrate.
Fri - Canada Day. No school/work. We’re going strawberry picking in the morning and will see extended family in the afternoon. I’m planning to make something I came up with recently that was sooooo good. I took poached chicken from the freezer (vac sealed with some poaching liquid) and added it to quickly sautéed onions and garlic. To that I added a jar of good green salsa, and simmered for a bit. Served over rice and topped with cilantro and avocado. It was made out of necessity but now I am repeating it intentionally.
Sat - southwestern pork tenderloin (recipe from the Kitchn), oven fries, simple salad.
Sun - planning to make Smitten Kitchen’s falafel and serving with all the fixings, but I might be tired at this point and we might get takeout.
Have a good week, all!
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Isn’t it awesome when an experiment turns out repeat-worthy and easy too!
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That’s fabulous!
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It’s the best feeling! Do you have any favorite dishes you’ve stumbled into line that?
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I can’t think of any right now like yours. My memory mostly comes up with different combinations of existing food, e.g. cranberry chutney is a great toast spread with TJ brie cheese.
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I rarely plan weekly meals so rarely post on this thread. But I thought I would share last week (week of June 20th). For four adults (two young and two old) and 2 dogs in the Southeastern U.S.
Monday dinner: I made a huge bowl of saag paneer using mixed greens (spinach, mustard, turnip) based on the recipe from 660 Curries. The recipe is very good. With rice (1 cup basmati + 1 package about 280 gm cauli rice) and raita.
Tuesday dinner: leftovers from Monday plus corn on the cob from the CSA. Corn roasted on the gas top, rubbed with butter, salt, red chilli powder. Cobs made great stock that is in the fridge.
Wednesday dinner: DH made tofu + asparagus + green beans stir fry based on this recipe: https://www.veganeasy.org/recipes/szechuan-green-beans/ that he tweaked a little (added just a little sichuan peppercorn). TJ fried rice (1 package regular + 1 package cauli fried rice mixed, boosted with eggs). Very popular at casa Rasam.
Thursday dinner: leftovers from Wednesday.
Friday: beach mini-vacation. Dinner at a pretty good Thai restaurant called Ida Thai (yum-yum eggplant, pad prik khao w/ tofu, veg fried rice, basil noodles).
Saturday:
- Breakfast was frozen Haldiram parathas (methi and also aloo varieties) + tzatziki + Patak eggplant pickle. These are really good
- Lunch: cheese pizza from Vinnie’s - it was okay
- Dinner: disappointing. A locally famous place called Nollie’s, super crowded and doesn’t do takeout on the weekend, after waiting in line for about 20 minutes we snagged bar seats instead of waiting longer for actual seats. Their tacos (flour tortillas) were not house made. Their fillings were mediocre at best to my taste. I don’t get the hype. Staff was friendly and courteous so no shade on them.
I had baked blueberry-oatmeal muffins and almond tigres plus took lots of crunchy snacks (murukku, chips, cookies) that were grazed on whenever. This army definitely marches on its stomach.
Sunday: we drove back so all meals were leftovers.
Lunches throughout are leftovers or freezer foraged.
Dogs got their fine prescription kibble and canned food.
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Rasam - Great to see your actuals, and hope you’ll continue to post. These are some inspirational ideas for vegetarian meals.
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