Ode to Spring: 5 Days of Cooking for 2
I love food.
In fact, I love food so much that I have been cooking for as long as I can remember.
All of my favorite memories revolve around food and the associated smells, tastes and experiences that accompany a good meal. Because of this lifelong passion for cuisine, which has now evolved into the planning of my days from meal to meal, I've found in the recent years that it's just as easy to plan the actual meals themselves as well. Not only is it more cost effective (as a single, well---unmarried, gal just establishing herself on her career path), but it's completely sanity saving.
I shop once a week for groceries...and feed the two of us three square meals a day, for a fraction of the cost of constantly eating out or ordering in (with adult beverages to boot). I put a lot of work into planning a healthy, balanced diet that is simple enough to prepare on weeknights following various recipes I find on the Internet. By the end of the week, the fridge is essentially empty...meaning,
I don't waste what I love: food.
Alas, this week I suspect that many of us have some extra boiled eggs on hand from this weekend's festivities (Hoppy Easter). Thus, my first post-weekend meal for Monday night puts those to good use---it's also an easy take on cooking for those of us who already spent hours in the kitchen preparing Easter dinner for loved ones (not that I have that excuse at all. I merely haven't had time to grocery shop as of yet, hence the meal planning beginning with Monday
night). This week's fare is full of the flavors I'm craving since Spring has sprung as well...now I just have to get my own fresh herbs to keep in my apartment...
Happy cooking, fellow food lovers. Here is my weekday menu of Spring-friendly dinner options that double as lunch in the form of terrific leftovers. For breakfasts, I always use extra ingredients to make delicious omelets, scrambles or sandwiches with the addition of eggs.
Ingredients list
(this is my version, as some of the ingredients I actually already have on hand. You will likely need to amend it for your own purposes):
Turkey Sausage (1 lb)
EVOO
(1) Red Onion
3 Bulbs garlic (I always use more than recipes call for)
Red Grapes (with extra for snacking!)
Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
Fresh Rosemary
Fresh Thyme
Fresh Dill
Eggs (I always keep these on hand)
Bag of Lemons
(1) Fennel Bulb
8 oz. Green Beans
White Balsamic Vinegar
(1) Seedless Cucumber
(16) Large Shrimp (peeled, cooked---buy frozen to eliminate risk of not being fresh by time of use. Just put them in the refrigerator the night before you're planning to use them.)
Bunch of tomatoes
Green onions
Fresh Olives (I prefer Kalamata)
Plain Greek Yogurt (I buy these every trip I make to use in place of mayo as a binder)
Feta cheese
Bleu Cheese crumbles
Jar of Artichoke Hearts
(1) 4-5 lb. Whole Chicken
Frozen or fresh pizza dough
Whole Wheat Pita Pockets
Sherry Wine Vinegar
Fresh Arugula or Spinach (some dark leafy green to keep on hand and throw in)
1/2 lb. Rare Roast Beef (sliced from the deli)
Monday Dinner:
Egg Salad with Lemon and Fennel
I will be serving this nestled in whole wheat pita pockets with arugula and a side dish of Orzo Salad with Green Beans, Dill, and Fennel.
In light of my goal to remain healthy, I always substitute plain yogurt for mayonnaise (despite the fact that my boyfriend loves mayo). I think the dill in the side dish will be *lovely* with the egg salad, and it also utilizes the entire fennel bulb (save the fronds to throw in a stock later if you make your own). I will only use half of the cucumber to ensure save the other half for another meal later in the week.
Tuesday Lunch:
Leftovers!
Because these recipes make 4 servings typically, there is almost always the perfect amount for both of us to have "dinner for lunch".
Tuesday Dinner:
Mediterranean Platter: Hummus, Shrimp Salad and Cucumber Salad
with whole wheat pitas. I use tahini in my hummus, though the recipe doesn't call for it (and extra garlic).
Wednesday Lunch:
I might make sandwiches that consist of: Hummus, Roast Beef, sliced cheese and greens and enjoy it with the cucumber salad...or if there is enough shrimp salad left, I'll just serve it up platter style again.
Wednesday Dinner:
Pasta with Sausage and Red Grapes
I LOVE Orecchiette (it means "little ear" in Italian---wonderful little noodle) and the sweetness of the grapes will be wonderful with the salinity and spice of the sausage (I'm using turkey sausage in lieu of standard pork sausage). If there is any leftover sausage to use, throw it in an egg dish for breakfast one morning with some greens and cheese.
Thursday Lunch:
You guessed it, leftover pasta. I usually save a little bit of pasta water from the night before to splash into leftover pastas before I store them, so it doesn't seem overly dry when reheated...and extra Parmesan on top because I'm greedy with cheese.
Thursday Dinner:
I have extra baby red potatoes on hand, and I know that I'll have a little extra time to prepare dinner this night, so we're having Lemon and Herb Roasted Chicken with Baby Potatoes. I also like to use the ingredients I want the freshest earlier in the week (like seafood), and chicken sits well for a couple of days. I love roasted chicken when I have time, because it makes superb leftovers and lets me walk away for the roasting time to do other things. I'll serve this with crusty bread (being from California, Sourdough is my favorite) and a simple arugula, Parmesan and lemon salad...perhaps a glass of white wine? Yes, please.
Friday Lunch:
Recreate the meat (not the skin) of the roasted chicken into a simple chicken salad: chicken meat, plain yogurt, lemon juice, and sliced green onions (s + p to taste) and serve it as a sandwich or salad (I'm sure I'll throw in some of those grapes, sliced in half, to add extra texture and flavor).
Friday Dinner:
To use the remaining herbs I have on hand, I'm going to try my hand at this Herbed Flatbread. I will have extra roast beef as well, so I'm going to make Roast beef sandwiches out of this with a nice sliced cheese (fontina or muenster would be delicious) and greens. For a side, I'll use the rest of the potatoes I have to make Grilled Potato salad with Arugula and Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette. I can't imagine a better pairing than bleu cheese anything with roast beef (okay, horseradish is up there on my list as well). I don't have access to a grill since I live in an apartment, so I'll broil the potatoes to finish and achieve that same crispness.
TGIF.
