Cooking Light : July 2007Problem With dinner undecided most days, a busy Colorado reader makes too many trips to the supermarket.
Strategy Think strategically and shop once for dishes that will feed the family all week long.
Mention meal planning, and people often say they don't have the time. Julie Curtin, 38, of Denver, partner in a public relations firm and mother of three, has as full a schedule as anyone. But she knows she's wasting time by not planning meals. "We end up having to go to the store four or five times a week for little things," she says.
We begin by refining Curtin's shopping strategy. Like many people, she takes a reactive approach to shopping lists. "I have a list of what I'm running out of, but it doesn't reflect what I need for meals for the week," she says. Staying on top of inventory is a start, and with some forethought, Curtin can make one shopping trip a week that will not only replenish her cupboards but also provide meals for seven days. To do this, she must plan what dishes she'll prepare during the coming week and make a comprehensive grocery list of the ingredients she needs.
To accomplish this goal, we suggest ways to develop effective menus. One important tactic is to choose meals with crossover potential. Grilled chicken, a regular on the Curtin table, is a good example. Curtin can prepare an easy Monday night meal by marinating chicken breasts for Hoisin and Lime-Marinated Grilled Chicken. Another night, she can chop leftover cooked chicken and saute it with broccoli and leftover rice for a healthful spin on fried rice.
We've developed a week's worth of dinners for Curtin and her family. Some of the recipes use extra ingredients from other meals, but put them to work in a different dish, so the Curtins don't feel like they're simply eating leftovers. Extra meat from Blackened Grilled Flank Steak, for instance, can later become Steak Wraps with Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onions.
Of course, the Curtins wouldn't want to eat this same menu every week; it's the general approach that matters. A little extra planning will allow Curtin to spend less time shopping and more time enjoying meals with her family.
Lesson Plan
Take Stock. Use a notepad, dry erase board, or a checklist document on your computer or PDA to keep a running tally of food inventory. Add items to the list as soon as they become low. The more inclusive and up-to-date the list is, the more you'll avoid unnecessary shopping trips.
Set a Schedule. Develop a meal theme for each day of the week (for instance, Monday, chicken; Tuesday, pasta; Wedesnday, chili; etc.). The dishes don't need to be the same each week, but planning becomes easier when you follow a general blueprint. Still, be flexible. Allow for the possibility that you may not feel like eating pasta on Tuesday, and switch dishes accordingly.
Choose a Workable Timeframe. While planning a week in advance may be fine for some, a three- or four-day approach may work best for you. Or perhaps you're able to handle planning for two weeks at a time. Whatever you decide, make sure the schedule doesn't leave food languishing in the refrigerator.
Post It.. Keep the menus on the refrigerator as a reminder of your plan. This will help you keep track of perishable items you've purchased, particularly if the list details the ingredients in each dish.
Make Ingredients Pull Double Duty. Turn one basic dish, like grilled pork chops, into two meals by thinking creatively. Vary the two dishes by changing the main component's context. Grill simply seasoned pork chops one night for dinner, then cut up leftover chops for an Asian pork and rice noodle salad or pork, peppers and cheese quesadillas on another night, for instance. This approach cuts down the ingredients you need to purchase and makes leftovers more appealing.
Planning Saved Us Time and Money
Meal planning turned out to be a revelation for the busy Curtin family. "Taking time at the beginning of the week to plan and shop saved us a lot of time and money during the week," Curtin says. "For our family, it turned out to be a real pleasure." She loved the convenience of making only one trip to the store. Moreover, she didn't have to decide at 5:00 pm what to serve for dinner that night since the menu was set in advance.
Curtin says making meals with overlapping ingredients proved a valuable lesson in efficiency. Her family enjoyed the taste of dishes such as Steak Wraps with Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onions and Broccoli and Chicken Stir-Fried Rice, and appreciated how they put leftover ingredients to creative use. "I also loved that the kids were getting vegetables," Curtin adds. "It was great to have tasty, easy, healthy meals planned and ready to cook so we weren't forced to order pizza at the last minute."
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{ associated recipes }
Broccoli and Chicken Stir-Fried Rice
{ Broccoli and Chicken Stir-Fried Rice }
Chicken and rice dishes are common in the Curtin household. This one gives new life to leftover grilled chicken. Slightly browning the broccoli deepens the taste of the dish.
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
8 cups broccoli florets (about 2 bunches)
2 cups vertically sliced onion (about 1)
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 cups cooked long-grain rice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 Hoisin and Lime-Marinated Grilled Chicken breast halves
, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and onion; sauté for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup broth; cover and cook for 3 minutes. Remove broccoli mixture from pan.
Place pan over medium-high heat. Add rice; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broccoli mixture, garlic, ginger, pepper, and chicken; toss well.
Combine remaining 1/4 cup broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch; add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Stir in salt.
Serves 4
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{ Shrimp and Lemon Skewers }
Serve over rice, and prepare extra for the Broccoli and Chicken Stir-Fried Rice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
40 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 1/2 pounds)
16 1/4 inch thick lemon slices
Cooking Spray
Combine first 7 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add shrimp to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Remove the shrimp from bag, reserving marinade. Thread 5 shrimp and 2 lemon slices onto each of 8 (12-inch) wooden skewers.
Prepare grill.
Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill for 3 minutes on each side or until shrimp are done, basting occasionally with reserved marinade.
Serves 4
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{ Steak Wraps with Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onions }
These wraps use extra beef from the Blackened Grilled Flank Steak.
1 teaspoon olive oil
5 cups thinly sliced onion (about 2)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
6 ounces Blackened Grilled Flank Steak
1 cup cannellini beans or other white beans, drained
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup cooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, and salt; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth; cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Stir in vinegar and sugar; cook 5 minutes. Add Blackened Grilled Flank Steak to pan; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Set steak mixture aside; keep warm.
Mash beans with a fork until smooth. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spread 1/4 cup beans over each tortilla, leaving a 1-inch border. Top each tortilla with 1 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup rice, and 2 tablespoons cheese. Divide steak mixture evenly among tortillas; roll up.
Serves 4
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{ Hoisin and Lime-Marinated Grilled Chicken }
Save two breast halves from this dish to use later as a salad topping, tossed with rice noodles, or in Broccoli and Chicken Stir-Fried Rice. Serve with grilled pineapple rings.
This recipe goes with Broccoli and Chicken Stir-Fried Rice
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 garlic cloves, minced
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
Combine hoisin sauce, ginger, and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.
Prepare grill.
Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done.
Serves 6
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{ Corn and Clam Chowder }
Use extra corn from Grilled Corn with Lime Butter.
2 bacon slices, chopped
1 cup minced onion (about 1)
2 cups clam juice, divided
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups diced Yukon gold potato
2 cups corn kernels
2 cups littleneck clams (about 1 pound)
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan. Add onion to drippings in pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned. Add 1 cup clam juice, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add remaining 1 cup clam juice and broth; bring to a boil. Add potato; simmer 10 minutes.
Add corn and clams to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until shells open. Remove from heat; stir in buttermilk and remaining ingredients. Sprinkle with bacon.
Serves 4
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{ Blackened Grilled Flank Steak }
Grilled steak is one of the Curtins' favorite summer dishes. Serve with Grilled Corn with Lime Butter and a simple salad of field greens and cherry tomatoes.
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (2-pound) flank steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
Combine first 7 ingredients; rub spice mixture over both sides of steak. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours.
Prepare grill.
Place steak on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices.
Serves 8
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{ Grilled Corn with Lime Butter }
8 ears shucked corn
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Prepare grill.
Place corn on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 12 minutes or until done, turning occasionally. Combine butter, rind, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Serve with corn. (TIP: dollop butter on lime wedges and use them to spread onto corn)
Serves 6
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{ Zucchini, Sausage, and Feta Casserole }
This pasta casserole combines pantry ingredients with fresh summer produce for a hearty, family-friendly dish. Any leftovers are even better the next day as the flavors have time to meld.
2 1/2 cups uncooked ziti (short tube-shaped pasta)
8 ounces chicken sausage
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
5 cups thinly sliced zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups vertically sliced onion (about 1)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 400°.
Cook pasta in boiling water 5 minutes, omitting salt and fat; drain.
Remove casings from sausage. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage to pan; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan. Heat oil in pan. Add zucchini, onion, salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and zucchini begins to brown, stirring occasionally.
Combine broth and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute. Combine zucchini mixture, pasta, sausage, and feta cheese in a large bowl; toss well. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.
Serves 6
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