This week's meal plan is a mix of comfort food (ramen!) and good-for-you food (salads!). Each night you'll either make a little extra food for another night's dinner or incorporate already-prepped fare in a whole new way. Slow-baked salmon fillets are turned into a vibrant salmon and escarole salad; meatballs are added to noodle soup later in the week; and plain old brown rice becomes a lovely grain bowl for a fast Friday night dinner.
Here's the grocery list:
PANTRY:
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Dijon mustard
- Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- Smoked paprika
- 4 ounces roasted bell peppers from a jar
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- White miso paste
- Vegetable oil
- Toasted sesame oil
- Brown rice
- Honey
- 1 ounce dried mushrooms (preferably shiitake or porcini)
- 16 ounces fresh or 10 ounces dried ramen noodles
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or substitute homemade)
- Sriracha
PRODUCE:
- 2 bunches asparagus (about 1 pound each)
- 2 lemons
- 1 bunch fresh tarragon
- 1 bunch fresh oregano
- 1 bunch scallions
- 1 small knob fresh ginger
- 1-2 heads broccoli
- 1/2 pound small new potatoes
- 1 bunch fresh dill
- 1 head escarole
- 2 small heads baby bok choy
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 1 package baby spinach
- 2 avocados
DAIRY:
- A dozen eggs
- 3 ounces feta, crumbled
BUTCHER COUNTER:
-1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
SEAFOOD COUNTER:
- 4 (6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, plus 1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet
Monday: Not-So-Slow-Baked Salmon
The beauty of slow-baked salmon is how quickly it actually cooks: just 15-20 minutes in the oven is all you need. For tonight, make this baked mustard-crusted salmon with asparagus and tarragon, which is topped with the most delicious crunchy breadcrumbs. But before you pop it in the oven, take that extra 1 1/2 lbs of salmon fillet, rub it with lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and coat it with oil. Put the lemon-rubbed salmon on a separate baking sheet and arrange the roasted red peppers around it; place it in the oven to cook. Set the lemony salmon and red peppers aside for Wednesday night's meal: the world's most delicious salad.
Tuesday: Not-Your-Average Meatballs
Before you do anything, get some brown rice going in a rice cooker, if you have one, or on the stove. (You need enough rice for two meals, so double what you'd normally make.) Then get started on the chicken meatballs. Follow the instructions for baking them—and make a double batch. Set aside half of the meatballs for Thursday night's soup and half the rice for Friday night's grain bowls. Serve the meatballs and brown rice with steamed broccoli topped with a drizzle of sesame oil.
Wednesday: The Salmon Salad of Your Dreams
Good news: you're halfway through the week, and the salmon for tonight's insanely delicious salad is already cooked! All that's left to do is prep the escarole, steam the potatoes and asparagus, and whisk the dressing. Serve the whole thing on one of your biggest platters and be prepared for rave reviews. Bonus: this salad is easy to deconstruct—the salmon, potatoes, and asparagus can all be served in separate, distinct piles for any kids (and/or picky adults) who can't deal with their foods touching.
Thursday: Really-Quick Ramen
This weeknight ramen normally takes only 22 minutes to make—but it's going to cook even faster today, since you're leaving out the ground pork and adding those leftover chicken meatballs instead. Make a double batch of the optional jammy boiled eggs: you'll be happy to have them tomorrow night.
Friday: Clear-the-Fridge Grain Bowl
Remember that brown rice you set aside the other night? It's the base of tonight's super-easy, leftovers-maximizing dinner: a clear-the-fridge grain bowl. The magic of this dish is that you can add pretty much anything you have on hand: leftover meatballs, salmon, greens, broccoli. We recommend topping warmed brown rice with those perfectly cooked eggs you made last night, along with a handful of baby spinach and some avocado. Top the whole thing with a drizzle of sesame oil and Sriracha and you're ready to eat.