By Marci Lutsky
In my last Vegging at the Shore article, I wrote about how helpful weekly menu planning can be. Did you get started on that? Trust me, it will change your life. It might seem daunting to come up with five or so meals for the week and food shop for them all at once, but once you get into a groove you will be thankful! It’s not a fun feeling to be looking through your refrigerator at 4pm wondering how you will feed all the hungry mouths in your house. So now that we have an understanding about the importance of meal planning, let discuss some of my go-to easy recipes!
There are a bunch of dishes that I can make without a recipe that I know everyone in my house will enjoy. Many of the ingredients can be kept in the pantry or freezer, making them even easier to prepare. One of these recipes is toasted ravioli. We fell in love with toasted ravioli when we lived in St. Louis years ago and I came up with a healthier and easier version that doesn’t involve deep frying. Simply pick up a box of ravioli at the supermarket (I usually go with spinach and cheese), dip each one in egg and then breadcrumbs before placing them on a baking sheet and bake them for about 15 minutes at 350. Serve alongside heated marinara sauce and everyone will go back for seconds!
Tacos and quesadillas are another easy weeknight meal that all of my family members love. While my kids eat meat and love a good beef taco, my husband and I do not so I have come up with plenty of delicious vegetarian filling options like refried beans (homemade in the Instant Pot are so good!), cauliflower rice with black beans and quinoa cooked with vegetables and enchilada sauce. Tacos are great because they make for great lunch leftovers!
Soup and grilled cheese never gets old. You might be thinking, I haven’t made soup since last winter and it’s still 80 degrees out. I hear you, but we eat soup all year long. It’s hearty, inexpensive and a great side dish. Our favorites are tomato basil, lentil and broccoli cheddar. For grilled cheese, the possibilities are endless! I typically take any vegetable, roast or sauté it and add it to bread with a tasty cheese like provolone or gouda. As I’m still getting vegetables from my weekly farm share at B&B Farms, this is a great way to use up produce.
Veggie burgers are another of my weeknight easy staples. I make big batches of different varieties like beet, lentil and chickpea burgers for the freezer. I transfer a couple to the refrigerator in the morning to defrost and grill them alongside some potatoes and vegetables. If you want to skip the homemade part, I’ve gotten some great frozen veggie burgers from ShopRite that will work in a pinch when I don’t have any homemade ones in the freezer.
Busy weeknights don’t have to call for drive-thru meals. Keep some easy meals in your freezer or basic ingredients in your pantry so you can feel good about what you are feeding your family. For plenty more easy recipe ideas, you can visit my blog at www.veggingattheshore.com. I would love to hear what your go-to meals are for busy nights!
Marci Lutsky is a food blogger at Vegging at the Shore, www.veggingattheshore.com and can be reached at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.
