MEAL PLAN 13
WHY THIS MEAL PLAN WORKS
A family-pleasing mix of comfort foods that are satisfying but not too heavy features in this plan. Prepared pesto transforms into a dressing for the asparagus salad and also serves as a rich finishing dollop for the tortellini and vegetable soup (which ingeniously uses V8 juice in the base). If you would like to make your own pesto, see this page. Simply slicing steak and mushrooms, cooking rice for the rice bowl, and making the minestrone base in advance gets you far ahead on your meal prepping. The shrimp burger patties can be made entirely ahead of time, and since that recipe is easily doubled, you can freeze an extra batch of burgers for another meal down the road or for family members to pull out of the freezer anytime they need a quick meal.
GROCERY LIST
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PROTEIN |
Substitutions |
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Sirloin steak tips |
1 pound |
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Pork tenderloins |
2 (12 to 16 ounces each) |
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PRODUCE |
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Asparagus |
1 pound |
Snap peas |
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Baby spinach |
10 ounces |
Frozen spinach |
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Shiitake mushrooms |
8 ounces |
Cremini mushrooms |
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Zucchini |
1 |
Summer squash |
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Scallions |
4 |
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Bibb lettuce |
4 leaves |
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OTHER |
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Fresh cheese tortellini (not frozen or dried) |
9 ounces |
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Prepared pesto |
1½ cups (12 ounces) |
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V8 juice |
2½ cups |
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PREP AHEAD
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Finely chop onion |
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Trim and thinly slice asparagus |
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Stem and thinly slice shiitake mushrooms |
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Finely chop 3 scallions |
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Thinly slice 1 scallion |
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Peel and chop carrots |
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Halve zucchini lengthwise, seed, and chop |
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Separate and wash lettuce leaves |
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Juice lemon (3 tablespoons) |
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Thaw, peel, and devein shrimp |
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Trim and thinly slice steak tips |
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Finely chop bacon |
MAKE AHEAD
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UP TO 3 DAYS |
Cook rice for rice bowl |
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Make tortellini and vegetable soup base |
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UP TO 1 DAY |
Shape shrimp burger patties (or freeze for up to 1 month) |
PANTRY ITEMS
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CUPBOARD & COUNTER |
Substitutions |
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Short-grain white rice |
2 cups |
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Panko bread crumbs |
1 cup |
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Cannellini beans |
2 (15-ounce) cans |
Small white beans or chickpeas |
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Oil |
⅔ cup |
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Seasoned rice vinegar |
2 teaspoons |
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Brown sugar |
1 tablespoon packed |
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Dry mustard |
1 teaspoon |
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Dried oregano |
1 teaspoon |
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano |
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Cayenne pepper |
⅛ teaspoon |
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Garlic cloves |
3 |
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Onion |
1 |
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REFRIGERATOR |
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Feta cheese |
4 ounces |
Goat cheese |
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Eggs |
4 large |
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Broth |
3½ cups |
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Soy sauce |
3 tablespoons |
Tamari |
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Mayonnaise |
2 tablespoons |
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Sriracha |
To taste |
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Carrots |
2 |
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Lemon |
1 |
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FREEZER |
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Hamburger buns |
4 |
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Shrimp |
1½ pounds, large (26 to 30 per pound) |
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Bacon |
2 slices |
2 ounces pancetta or salt pork |
STEAK, MUSHROOM, and SPINACH RICE BOWL
SERVES 4 | ACTIVE TIME 35 MINUTES
2 cups water
2 cups short-grain white rice
2 teaspoons seasoned rice vinegar
1½ teaspoons table salt, divided
1 pound sirloin steak tips, trimmed and sliced thin
3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
¼ cup oil, divided
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
10 ounces (10 cups) baby spinach
4 large eggs
Sriracha, for serving
1. FOR THE RICE Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Bring water, rice, vinegar, and 1¼ teaspoons salt to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until liquid is absorbed, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let sit, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Fluff rice with fork and set aside.
2. FOR THE STEAK Toss steak with 2 tablespoons soy sauce and sugar in large bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of steak mixture and cook until well browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to clean bowl, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining steak.
3. TO FINISH Add 1 tablespoon oil, mushrooms, and remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce to now-empty skillet and cook until mushrooms are soft, about 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes; remove from heat. Portion rice into bowls and top with beef and mushroom-spinach mixture. Keep bowls warm in oven.
4. Wipe out skillet and heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat until shimmering. Crack eggs into 2 small bowls (2 eggs in each) and sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Working quickly, pour 1 bowl of eggs in 1 side of skillet and second bowl of eggs in other side. Cover and cook until whites are set, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove bowls from oven and top each with 1 egg. Serve with sriracha.
PREP AHEAD
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Stem and slice mushrooms
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Trim and slice steak tips
MAKE AHEAD
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Refrigerate cooked rice for up to 3 days
NOTES FROM THE TEST KITCHEN
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Serve with kimchi, if you have it
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Sub cremini mushrooms for shiitakes
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Sub frozen spinach for fresh
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Sub tamari for soy sauce
ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN with ASPARAGUS SALAD
SERVES 4 | ACTIVE TIME 30 MINUTES
1 cup pesto
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons oil, divided
2 teaspoons table salt, divided
1½ teaspoons pepper, divided
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced thin on bias
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed
2 (12- to 16-ounce) pork tenderloins, trimmed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
1 scallion, sliced thin
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk pesto, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Add asparagus and beans and toss to combine. Transfer to platter and set aside.
2. Pat pork dry with paper towels and sprinkle with mustard, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook pork until well browned all over, about 8 minutes; transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Roast until pork registers 135 to 140 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer pork to cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Slice pork on bias ½ inch thick and arrange alongside salad on platter. Sprinkle salad with feta and scallion. Serve.
PREP AHEAD
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Juice lemon
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Trim and slice asparagus
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Slice scallion
NOTES FROM THE TEST KITCHEN
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Sub snap peas for asparagus
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Sub small white beans or chickpeas for cannellini beans
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Sub goat cheese for feta
TORTELLINI and VEGETABLE SOUP with PESTO
SERVES 4 TO 6 | ACTIVE TIME 30 MINUTES
2 slices bacon, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3½ cups broth
2½ cups V8 juice
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed
9 ounces fresh cheese tortellini
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise, seeded, and chopped
½ cup pesto
1. FOR THE SOUP BASE Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in carrots and onion and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Stir in broth, juice, and beans, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook until beans are heated through and flavors meld, about 10 minutes.
3. TO FINISH Stir in tortellini and zucchini and simmer until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dollop individual portions with pesto before serving.
PREP AHEAD
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Peel and chop carrots
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Chop onion
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Halve, seed, and chop zucchini
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Chop bacon
MAKE AHEAD
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Refrigerate soup base for up to 3 days
NOTES FROM THE TEST KITCHEN
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Sub 2 ounces pancetta or salt pork for bacon
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Sub 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano for dried
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Sub small white beans or chickpeas for cannellini beans
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Sub summer squash for zucchini
SHRIMP BURGERS
SERVES 4 | ACTIVE TIME 30 MINUTES
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1½ pounds large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), thawed, peeled, and deveined
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 scallions, chopped fine
3 tablespoons oil
4 hamburger buns
4 leaves Bibb lettuce
1. FOR THE SHRIMP BURGERS Place panko in shallow dish. Place one-third of shrimp (1 cup), mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and cayenne in food processor and pulse until shrimp are finely chopped, about 8 pulses. Add remaining two-thirds of shrimp (2 cups) to shrimp mixture in processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 4 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer shrimp mixture to bowl and stir in scallions.
2. Divide shrimp mixture into 4 equal portions and pack into 3½-inch-wide patties. Working with one patty at a time, dredge both sides of patties in panko, pressing lightly to adhere, and transfer to plate.
3. TO FINISH Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Place patties in skillet and cook until golden brown on first side, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip and continue to cook until shrimp registers 140 to 145 degrees and second side is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer burgers to paper towel–lined plate and let drain, about 30 seconds per side. Serve burgers on buns with lettuce.
PREP AHEAD
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Chop scallions
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Separate and wash lettuce leaves
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Thaw, peel, and devein shrimp
MAKE AHEAD
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Refrigerate shaped burgers for up to 1 day (or freeze for up to 1 month)
NOTES FROM THE TEST KITCHEN
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Serve with lemon wedges, tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, or condiments of your choice
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This recipe can be easily doubled