a really simple meal plan v.8
cozy meets spring-y
Happy March!! This month’s meal plan is designed to usher you into spring, with seasonal produce like asparagus, dill, and peas on the menu. And yet, it’s also still *quite* cozy, with soup, risotto, and beef bulgogi bowls (an oldie but GOODIE) in the mix, making it well suited for a month of unpredictable winter-meets-spring weather.
Most of you reported last month that you typically have leftovers of WTC meals, so we’ve continued to work them into lunches, but check the serving size of the dinner recipe and double it as needed to adequately feed your fam dinner and lunch leftovers!
xx
Caro and Molly (WTC’s editor, who helps with these meal plans)
PS: Click the PDF below for a shopping list. If you need to edit yours for any reason (to sub an ingredient or cut some meals from the lineup), copy and paste it into a new Google doc or phone note and edit as needed.
link to printer version
DINNER DAY #1 // roasted red pepper and butternut squash soup
Let’s start the week with the latest WTC recipe! Double it in order to have leftovers tomorrow (the recipe only yields 2 really big or 4 smaller bowls of soup, so unless you’re cooking for 1 you likely won’t have leftovers unless you double it). Also, roast 1 extra red bell pepper then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for a lunch later this week.
LUNCH DAY #2 // leftover soup + springy green salad
For the salad, start with a bed of mixed greens, and add some thinly sliced cucumber, pistachios, and 1/3 cup green peas or edamame per person you’re feeding. Frozen peas are delicious and such an easy plant-based protein for salads. To heat them quickly, pour some in a bowl, cover them with water, and microwave for about a minute until warmed through. Drain and throw them on!
Make a lemon vinaigrette: whisk together the juice of 2 large lemons, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.
Toss the salad with a 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Taste and add more dressing as desired. Save the leftover dressing for lunch later this week.
DINNER DAY #2 // beef bulgogi bowls
This is a fan-fave recipe from 2 years ago that uses ingredients you probably have lurking in your fridge from past WTC recipes, like kimchi and gochujang. If you haven’t cooked them in a while (or ever!), here’s your sign to add bulgogi bowls back to the rotation. Store leftover elements in airtight containers in the fridge for lunch tomorrow.
LUNCH DAY #3 // bulgogi sandwiches
Make beef bulgogi sandwiches using a French baguette! To construct your bulgogi sandwich(es), spread spicy mayo on both sides of a baguette and pile the beef (reheated either in the microwave or oven), kimchi, some cilantro, and/or any other toppings you’ve got from last night inside. Dig in! Not in the mood for a sandwich? Toss your leftovers with greens and dress with lime juice and sesame oil.
DINNER DAY #3 // sheet-pan spring salmon
Double the dilly sauce to serve with meatballs later this week (so store half in an airtight container in the fridge). Cook an extra filet of salmon (or 2, depending how many people you cook lunch for) to eat for lunch tomorrow.
LUNCH DAY #4 // lemony salmon salad with pistachios and feta
Many of you have fiercely defended leftover salmon, and you know what, you’re right. I personally don’t often plan to have leftover fish, but if I have a filet of cooked salmon in the fridge I will absolutely eat it for lunch the next day and love it. So let’s do it! That said, if you really do not like fish leftovers, swap the salmon out for half a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas.
To construct your salad: Start with a bed of mixed greens and add as much thinly sliced cucumber, roasted red pepper (remember, you prepped this on the first night!), chopped pistachios, and feta as you’d like. If you have leftover dill from last night, chop it up and throw it in too! Just eyeball the proportions and make swaps to suit what’s in your pantry and fridge. Almonds or walnuts would be delicious in place of pistachios; you could use blue cheese instead of feta (or disregard the cheese altogether), if you’d like.
Dress the salad with leftover lemon vinaigrette.
Top it with your leftover salmon filet, either served chilled (so straight out of the fridge) or warmed. If you want to reheat it, cook it in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
DINNER DAY #4 // no-stir mushroom risotto
A very easy and delicious springy supper!
LUNCH DAY #5 // leftover risotto + arugula salad
Reheat your leftover risotto on the stovetop or in the oven or microwave. Add splashes of water, broth, or stock to loosen it a bit while reheating.
If you have leftover lemon vinaigrette, use it! If not, simply dress a bowl of baby arugula with a drizzle of EVOO, a spritz of lemon juice (or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar), and a pinch of salt. Grate in some Parmigiano-Reggiano and top with pistachios.
DINNER DAY #5 // greek turkey meatballs with couscous and dill yogurt sauce
Use the dilly sauce you prepped on night 3 in lieu of making the dilly yogurt sauce. If you have any leftover chili crunch from the mushroom risotto, throw it on top!
Have leftovers at the end of the week? The soup, risotto, and meatballs are very freezer friendly. Freeze them to enjoy for a meal a few weeks from now.
Could you put together a weekend-away meal plan sometime? Ie. cottage weekend with two families, multiple kids, not an elaborately stocked kitchen, lots of ingredient cross over for minimal groceries/maximum reward….
I love working dinner leftovers into a not-the-same lunch. It really gets my brain thinking.