2-week meal plan for 4 people

It’s week #5 of self-quaranting and I’ve been getting lots of questions about how to meal plan and shop.  So I’m posting a sample 2-week meal plan for a family of 4 along with tips for planning what to buy and using it most efficiently.   General tips: First use items with shorter shelf lives (asparagus, fresh herbs) and/or that are…

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Garlicky Soy Honey Green Beans

One of the most popular requests I receive is for inspired side vegetable dishes.  Something easy, something delicious, something that (hopefully) everyone at the dinner table will eat. Green beans are one of those vegetables that pretty much everyone likes.  You hear complaints about broccoli or eggplant or spinach, but green beans are quite well-loved, or at least pretty inoffensive. This recipe takes this…

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Lemon Polenta Cake (gluten-free)

This lovely cake represents my first successful foray into gluten-free baking.  My daughter and I attempted a birthday cake for a friend earlier this year which yielded dubious results.  Now I realize the error, and on the opposite side of the coin, what it takes for successful gluten-free baking (and this theory also applies to successful vegetarian and vegan cooking):…

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Strawberries in Lemon Syrup with Fresh Mint

Desserts….oh, how I love them!  Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, layer cakes with buttercream frosting, chocolate walnut brownies – I could go on. But I also love very simple, no-bake desserts, especially as summer comes around. These strawberries fit that bill.  It is likely the simplest dessert you’ll ever make.  It’s not so much a recipe, as a simple preparation…

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The Only Marinade You’ll Ever Need

The official start of summer in the US – Memorial Day – is upon us this weekend.  In the UK it’s a holiday weekend as well, though it’s a generic “bank” holiday…don’t exactly know the significance, but I’ll take the holiday nonetheless.  Plus kids are off school next week for half-term break.  Yeah!!!! To kick-off the summer, I’m sharing with…

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Fast Vietnamese Caramelized Trout

I’m always leery to use terms like “fast” or “30-minute” or “easy” or “best ever”.  Oftentimes they’re tagged onto recipes which don’t live up to the hype and you’re left disappointed.  I’d rather just be told the truth.  Not every recipe has to be fast, but if one is sold to me as fast, I’ll usually make it when I’m in…

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Whole Artichokes with Melted Butter

Artichokes have always been to me, a beacon of spring.  In the US, though available year-round on the west coast, most of the country starts seeing them in March; in the UK they typically debut in May.  So living in the UK – for less than two more months :(( – I’m just now glimpsing the first artichokes of the season. Most people eat the…

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Turkey and White Bean Chili

The timing of this chili post, when the weather is just beginning to warm up in London and most of the States, may seem a bit odd.  However, let me explain. I’ve been wanting to post my favorite chili recipe for this entire winter.  Originally I’d thought to tie it in with the Superbowl.  Football and chili, a classic combination.…

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