I’m crazy for every last recipe on this week’s meal plan and hope you find some gems to add to your repertoire. Have a great weekend!
Stuffed Eggplant Parm
I consider this a lighter, easier version of the Italian classic. It’s a dish you can manage in under 20 minutes of hands-on cooking time and is excellent served with crusty bread and a leafy salad on the side.
Make Your Own Nicoise Salad
This summer salad bar features the classic Nicoise ingredients. Feel free to riff on the standards by adding other vegetables you like or using fresh, grilled tuna or salmon in place of canned fish. It’s the perfect dinner for a warm night when you don’t feel like spending much time at the stove.
Skillet Steak with Cilantro Chimichurri and Crispy Potatoes
The potatoes here are addictively crispy and the chimichurri — a combination of cilantro, parsley, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil — is magic spooned onto steak. If you want a leaner, quicker cooking (and possibly cheaper) cut, go for flank instead of strip steak..
Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta
Slow roasting is an excellent way to coax the sweetness from one of summer’s true jewels. Toss with olive oil, basil, and hot pasta for a delicious, simple meal. Add a big salad and you’ve got dinner checked off your to-do list.
Falafel Burgers with Creamy Yogurt Sauce
Master the falafel one night and enjoy it all week long. Store leftover burgers refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen in an airtight container or plastic bag. They’re excellent with a tangy yogurt sauce and whatever side salad strikes your fancy. Not into burger buns? Serve on crunchy lettuce instead.
Tahini Almond Butter Chocolate-Dipped Cookies
These wholesome cookies are one of my favorites on the site. They take minutes to make and can be done with or without the chocolate dip. Feel free to swap in peanut butter or another nut or seed butter for tahini.
Corn and Avocado Salad with Quick Pickled Onions
This recipe never fails to be a winner. The dish is excellent as a side for any barbecue, but also makes a tasty filling for vegetarian tacos with a side of black beans. You can make it ahead, adding the avocado just before serving.
SHOPPING LIST
Stuffed Eggplant Parm
4 medium eggplant (about 12 ounces each)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the eggplant
1 pound ground turkey or ground chicken (or 2 cups cooked white beans)
2 cups bottled or homemade marinara sauce
2 cups coarsely grated sharp Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Italian seasoned panko or breadcrumbs
Make-Your-Own Nicoise Salad
1 small clove garlic
2 anchovies
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
pound small, waxy potatoes, such as red-skinned or fingerlings
1/2 pound green beans
4 eggs
1 head butter lettuce or 2 heads Little Gem lettuce
2 medium tomatoes
2 five-ounce cans tuna, preferably packed in olive oil
1/4 cup Nicoise or other favorite olives
Slow Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta
4 cups cherry tomatoes (2 baskets)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic pinches
1/4 cup chopped basil
12 ounces rigatoni, penne, or other dried pasta
1 small chunk Parmesan cheese
Skillet Steak with Chimichurri and Potatoes
2 New York strip steaks that are about 12 ounces each (about 1 ¼-inch thick)
1 1/2 pounds small thin-skinned potatoes (red, yellow, or yukon gold)
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 cup roughly chopped Italian parsley
3 medium cloves garlic
Big pinch red pepper flakes
2 ½ tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil
Falafel Burgers w/ Creamy Yogurt Sauce
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas (3 cups cooked)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
6-8 medium garlic cloves
1 medium red onion
2 large carrots
1 cup cilantro
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (substitute gluten-free flour if needed)
4 teaspoons cumin
4 teaspoons coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh dill
1 large lemon
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 cucumber
1 large tomato
8 English muffins, pita breads, or large lettuce leaves
Tahini Almond Butter Cookies
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup tahini
2 cups almond flour
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (or 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips)
Corn & Avocado Salad with Quick Pickled Onions
4 ears corn on the cob
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 medium red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 ripe avocados
🥩 MEAT & SEAFOOD
□ Ground Turkey or Ground Chicken – 1 pounds
□ Tuna – 2 cans
□ Grass Fed New York Strip Steaks – 12 ounces
🥦 PRODUCE
□ Medium Eggplant – 4 each
□ Garlic – 11 cloves
□ Fresh Tarragon – 2 tsp
□ Small, Waxy Potatoes – 1 pound
□ Green Beans – 0.5 pound
□ Butter Lettuce – 1 head
□ Medium Tomatoes – 2 each
□ Small Thin-Skinned Potatoes – 1.5 pounds
□ Cilantro – 1.5 cups
□ Italian Parsley – 0.25 cups
□ Minced Garlic – 3 cloves
□ Cherry tomatoes, stems removed – 4 cups
□ Fresh basil – 0.33 cups
□ Red onion – 1 each
□ Carrots – 2 large
□ Garlic – 2 cloves
□ Chopped fresh dill – 2 tablespoons
□ Lemon juice – 0.25 cups
□ Cucumber – 1 each
□ Tomato – 1 large
□ Corn on the cob – 4 each
□ Medium red onion – 0.5 count
□ Chopped fresh cilantro – 0.25 cups
□ Ripe avocados – 1.5 count
🧀 DAIRY & EGGS
□ Coarsely Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese – 2 cups
□ Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese – 3 tbsp
□ Eggs – 4 each
□ Parmesan cheese – 1 chunk
□ Plain Greek yogurt – 2 cups
🥫 PANTRY
□ Extra-virgin Olive Oil – 8.33 tsp
□ Kosher Salt – 3 tsp
□ Bottled or Homemade Marinara Sauce – 2 cups
□ Italian Seasoned Panko or Breadcrumbs – 0.25 cup
□ Dijon Mustard – 1 tsp
□ Lemon Juice – 1.25 tbsp
□ Red Wine Vinegar – 2 tbsp
□ Red or White Wine Vinegar – 2.5 tbsp
□ Canola, Grape Seed, or Avocado Oil – 2 tsp
□ Dried pasta, such as rigatoni, penne, or fusilli – 12 ounces
□ Chickpeas – 3 cups
□ Sesame seeds – 0.25 cups
□ Whole wheat flour – 0.75 cups
□ Natural Almond Butter – 0.25 cups
□ Tahini – 0.25 cups
□ Almond Flour – 2 cups
□ Chia Seeds – 2 tbsp
□ Pure Maple Syrup – 0.25 cups
□ Vanilla Extract – 2 tsp
□ Bittersweet Chocolate – 3 ounces
□ White wine vinegar – 0.33 cups
□ Sugar – 1.5 tbsp
🥖 BAKERY
□ English muffins, pita breads, or large lettuce leaves – 8 each
🌶️ SPICES & SEASONINGS
□ Freshly Ground Black Pepper – 1 count
□ Black Pepper – 3 count
□ Red Pepper Flakes – 1 pinch
□ Cumin – 4 teaspoons
□ Coriander – 4 teaspoons
□ Cayenne – 0.25 teaspoon
□ Freshly ground black pepper – 1 teaspoon
OTHER
□ Olive Oil Cooking Spray – 1 count
□ Anchovies – 2 each
□ Nicoise Olives – 0.25 cups
Comments