Virus: Meal Planning

In these crazy times, I thought I would take some time out to let you know what I’m cooking and how I’m meal planning for self quarantine and the virus. Here’s what my week one looks like, complete with a full shopping list.

I’m hoping that you already have a lot of the ingredients on hand, so the list should be significantly shorter.

I’m also hoping you have plenty of wine on hand for these tough times! If not, I’d stock up on some Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, dry Riesling and Rosé for pairing with these yummy recipes.

I wanted to throw in a bunch of comforting recipes. I also wanted to be sure to include recipes that have ingredients that won’t go bad quickly. If there are only two of you in the family, you could probably stretch out this meal plan even further.

What are you all cooking up right now? What are you stocking up on in the stores? What recipes can I provide you with to make your life easier? I’d love to hear in the comments below! 

Breakfast: 

• Instant Pot Egg Bites (Make a double batch) 
• Blackberry Muffins with Crumble Topping

 

Lunch: 

Day 1:

• Instant Pot Chickpeas (you’ll be using these for recipes throughout the week – or buy canned chickpeas)
• Hummus 
• Veggies – Carrots, Celery, Cucumber 
• Pita or Crackers or Pretzels (save some for pretzel crusted chicken) 

Day 2:

• Bone Broth (you’ll be using this in recipes throughout the week – or purchase boxed broth)
• Avgolemono 

Day 3:

• Bacon Fried Rice

Day 4:

• Chickpea Stew (using bone broth) 

Day 5:

• Avgolemono leftovers 

Day 6:

• Chickpea Stew leftovers 

Day 7:

• Mac & Cheese leftovers 

Dinner: 

Day 1: 

• Easy Roasted Chicken (make 2 for leftovers) 
• Mashed Potatoes 
• Sauteed Spinach with Garlic (use spinach from egg bites) 

Day 2:

• Sweet Potato & Chickpea Buddha Bowl (use Instant Pot chickpeas) 

Day 3:

• Broccoli Pesto Pasta 

Day 4:

• Cauliflower Salad with Roasted Chickpeas & Quinoa

Day 5:

• Instant Pot Mac & Cheese & Side of Broccoli

Day 6:

• Slow Cooker Butter Chicken & Rice

Day 7:

• Pretzel Crusted Chicken
•  Glazed Carrots 

Shopping List:

Meat: 

• 2 whole chickens (4-6 pounds) 
• 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts 
• 6 strips bacon 

Frozen: 

• 1 cup frozen blackberries or fresh
• 2/3 cup frozen peas

Dairy: 

• 2 cups butter 
• Greek yogurt (large container) 
• 1 dozen eggs
• 2 ½ cups milk 
• 16 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup grated Monterey jack cheese
• 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup cottage cheese

Produce 

• 1 bunch green onions
• 2 red bell peppers 
• 1 cucumber
• Celery
• 1 jalapeno 
• 2 pounds broccoli florets 
• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 pound sweet potatoes
• 1 bunch kale
• Spinach leaves (large bag)
• Carrots (large bag)
• 3 heads garlic
• 2 yellow onions
• 1 red onion
• ¼ cup minced shallot
• 1 avocado
• 9 lemons
• 2 limes
• 2 bunches cilantro chopped
• 1 bunch parsley chopped
• 1 cup basil leaves tightly packed
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 4-inch piece ginger

Other: 

• 1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
• 1 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
• ½ cup walnuts 
• Large bag bag salted pretzels
• Pita bread (optional) 

Canned Goods: 

• 12 ounce can evaporated milk
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 3 (15-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
• Jar roasted red peppers
• Olive oil, large bottle
• ½ cup vegetable oil 

Baking & Grains: 

• 2 cups quinoa
• Rice (large package) 
• 3 cups flour 
• 2 cups sugar
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Cornstarch
• Vanilla extract
• Almond extract (optional) 
• 1 pound macaroni
• 1 pound pasta
• 1 pound dried chickpeas or 4 15-ounce cans chickpeas 

Condiments: 

• 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
• 2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 4 Tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• ¾ cup tahini

Spices: 

• Cinnamon
• Cardamom
• Cumin
• Turmeric
• Thyme
• Paprika 
• Red Pepper Flakes 
• Poultry seasoning or McCormick Grill Mates Montreal chicken seasoning
• Onion powder
• Chili powder
• Garlic powder
• Chipotle chili powder
• Nutmeg
• Cayenne Pepper
• Curry Powder
• Garam Masala
• Salt
• Pepper