All right, I'll say it. I've been so lazy the past month when it comes to meal planning. It's just that, well, it's sunny outside! I mean, really--walk down to the park, or go to the grocery store? Spend Sunday afternoon on a restaurant patio sipping something delicious, or spend it washing and chopping vegetables? More often than not, I've been choosing option number one in those types of scenarios, not quite making it to the grocery store on a regular basis. And yet I always seemed to find myself surprised come dinnertime when I opened the refrigerator door and there was nothing inside. I suppose each time I was hoping that would be the day little elves had, in fact, snuck into my apartment and stocked my fridge. (I've heard they do that sometimes.)
It got me thinking. I wish I had a go-to list of super-fast recipes that just involved picking up a few things at the store, and no more than 30 minutes of my time to prepare. No big grocery list required, no heading to the store without any idea of what I hope to get out of the experience, and no trying to make a miracle meal from the few lonely items in my fridge (usually tortillas, milk, and club soda--not much to work with there). So I went ahead and compiled just such a list (on company time, of course) just for you (to justify my use of company time, of course) for those times we procrastinate and find ourselves with no dinner. Not that I'm advocating for it, but it's bound to happen from time to time--we may as well have a solution ready. (See recipe list in sidebar.)
Happy August!
Prep & Freeze
Gyros Burgers: Yay for Greek food! These are such a great meal--especially for something you just pull out of the freezer the night before. (These are also perfect for those "bring-your-own-meat" barbeques you get invited to.)
I recommend buying ingredients for the Tzatziki Sauce on an as-needed basis: get eight ounce containers of yogurt one at a time, and use dried dill instead of fresh (it'll last longer and still tastes great). You can prepare this pretty fast, so just mix up a little at a time.
NOTE: Change number of servings to six.
Cook Once, Eat Twice
Chicken Pesto a la Lisa: I actually prepared this without the pasta--just poured it over some romaine lettuce and it was very, very good. Here's a tip: instead of opening a whole can of chicken broth, buy some bullion cubes and follow the instructions on the box, mixing them with hot water to create only as much chicken broth as you need.
NOTE: Change number of servings to two.
Two Quick and Easy Meals--No Leftovers!
Coconut Curry Tofu: I confess, I made this with chicken (I'm not big on tofu) and it was fantastic--but I'm sure it's equally good with tofu. Beef up the veggies with some extra bok choy, and put the whole yellow pepper in there (yeah, go ahead--get crazy).
NOTE: Change number of servings to one.
Steak Salad: I love a good steak salad--great for an incredibly quick summer dinner. Reduce calories and fat by going easy on the dressing.
NOTE: Change number of servings to one.
Sunday Prep
Set aside some time--probably just an hour--on Sunday to get your week of meals ready.
- Prepare patties for Gyro Burgers. Wrap individually and store in freezer. (Wait to make a small amount of Tzatziki Sauce until the night before or night you plan to eat a burger.)
- Cut chicken into strips for Chicken Pesto a la Lisa--refrigerate. The rest you should be able to do the night of.
- For Coconut Curry Tofu, wash and chop green onions, yellow pepper, and mushrooms. Mix coconut milk, half of soy sauce (the other half you'll use when cooking, as the recipe indicates), brown sugar, curry powder, ginger, and chile paste--refrigerate. Wash bok choy, but wait to chop just before adding on the night of. Wait to chop tomatoes and basil until the night of as well.
- If you plan to eat the Steak Salad within two or three days, you can choose to prepare the salad almost entirely--even grilling the steak, and toss everything together just before eating. If you don't anticipate eating this meal until later in the week, simply mix your dressing and wash and store all your veggies now. Grill meat the night of.
All done--have a great week!
And for Dessert...
I love, love, love coconut and can hardly believe it's taken this long for me to put a sweet coconut treat in here. You'll probably want to halve or quarter the recipe (well, I wouldn't want to, but I probably should).
NOTE: This recipe not included in the Shopping List.
What Say You?
There's a line in the movie Elf that I love (you know, that one with Will Ferrell) where Buddy the elf says, with a silly grin, "I just like smiling. Smiling's my favorite." Well, I just like emails. Emails are my favorite. (Imagine the silly grin.) So don't stop! Email me anytime!
Mackenzie,
I absolutely love your column! I've been wishing and searching all over for something to help me get organized like this. It's ridiculous how much food I waste when it spoils before I have the ambition to cook it, but most of the plans out there are for preparing family meals. So while I do sometimes enjoy cereal for dinner, I'll be eating much less of it now! One thing I'd like to see is different things to do throughout a week (or to freeze) with the larger hunks of meat like pork tenderloins since they always seem to be on sale. Thanks so much. --Lori
Lori,
This is exactly why I am so happy that readers write in to me--you guys have such great ideas! Makes my job easier, that's for sure.
This month I'm doing a whole chicken paired with recipes that can be prepared using cooked chicken. I'll try to get something like this into my column at least every other month, and I'll do my best to switch it up as far as the type of meat and how things are prepared (cooked versus frozen, etcetera, etcetera). Thanks again for the awesome idea! --Mackenzie
Mackenzie,
I've used Allrecipes for years but just stumbled across the single servings column tonight. I read through a few months of the recipe lists. I'm so glad it's there! I'm pretty confident in the kitchen and have been freezing for quite a while, but having someone else plan a menu I wouldn't choose so that there is variety, compiling a shopping list, and telling me what to do on Sunday night is so nice!
I blog a little on the topic of domestic life and occasionally mention the challenges of being single and domestic. Once I get a chance to try out one of the menu selections I'll be sure to write up post and send other happy singles your way. Thanks for the help and inspiration! --Nicole
Nicole,
I'm happy to hear that I'm providing a little more variety for you! I have to say that in writing this column, I've been providing more variety for even myself. If I were to pick recipes based on just what I like, it'd be all Mexican, all the time, but I've forced myself to think just a wee bit bigger than that. So, it sounds like we’re kind of in the same boat. Thanks for your email! --Mackenzie
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