5-day meal plan + grocery list | june
I can’t believe how time has flown by so quickly this year—we’re already more than halfway through! It’s not quite warm enough here in England to feel like summer, but I’ve retired my winter coat and packed away my gloves and turtleneck sweaters. My aunt and cousin were in town last week and we had a great time traveling to Bath and the Cotswolds. But now I feel like I need to reset and eat healthy again, especially since we are leaving our cottage and will be traveling and staying in a hotel for the next three weeks.
You can pick and choose which day you want to cook each recipe. For example, if you’re avocados are ripe, you may want to move up the avocado toast recipe earlier in the week. All the recipes outlined in this meal plan are quick—most take about 20 minutes, some 30 (including inactive cooking time) to get on the table.
Meal #1: Zoodles with Quick Homemade Tomato Sauce | Serves 2-4
This recipe is super easy, quick and healthy! I caved and bought another spiralizer a few weeks ago since I left my other one back at home in Los Angeles…but it’s definitely being used! I’ve made a few different zuchinni noodle recipes and this one is my favorite. It’s best to spiralize the zuchinni ahead of time and let the water drain out in a colander or on a clean dish towel if possible. You could even do it the day before and let the zoodles dry out in the refrigerator overnight. I’ve never done this but I think it would help to make the dish less watery. I usually just let them dry out as I prepare the other ingredients.
Ingredients:
4 large zucchinis, spiralized
1 generous tablespoon high quality olive oil, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon oregano (rub between your hands to release fragrant oils)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 smashed garlic cloves (I removed them after cooking the sauce; alternatively, if garlic doesn’t bother your stomach, you can mince it and leave it in the sauce)
24 oz tomato puree or passata (preferably organic and from San Marzano tomatoes)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
flaky sea salt and pepper to taste
1 small bunch of basil, chiffonade (about 1/4 a cup)
2 tablespoons capers or 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
feta, ricotta or vegan ricotta
parmesan or vegan parmesan (mix of 1/2 cup nutritional yeast, 1/4 cup hemp seeds and 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt)
Instructions:
Heat a wide, heavy-bottom sauce pan or pot over medium (make sure it’ big enough to cook the zoodles so you only have to use one pan!). Add the olive oil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes and garlic. Stir and cook until fragrant, about a minute or so. Next, stir in the tomato paste. Then add the puree, sea salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken.
Stir the basil and capers, or olives, into the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning. Then, add the zucchini noodles and stir until the sauce evenly coats the noodles (you may want to take a pair of scissors and cut up some of the zoodles as they can get quite long and tangled). Raise the heat to medium and cook until the noodles are warmed through, about three minutes. Be careful not to overcook the noodles or they will be soggy. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with feta or ricotta, and parmesan of choice.
Meal #2: Sheet Pan Lemon & Broccoli Pasta | Serves 4
This quick pasta recipe is super tasty and uses minimal dishes which is always a plus! I added some asparagus as well, but this is optional. To cook the asparagus, trim off the woody ends and slice into 2-inch pieces on the diagonal. Toss with some olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, and add to the sheet pan when you mix the pasta with the broccoli, before cooking for the last 5-10 minutes on high heat. You can use Kite Hill almond ricotta, homemade tofu ricotta or full-fat ricotta. Serve it alongside a simple arugula salad with olive oil, lemon and flaky sea salt and pepper.
Meal #3: Spiced Moroccan Eggplant | Serves 2
I love this recipe from Anna Jones. Just a note—in England they call eggplant aubergines, so don’t get confused when you read the recipe! I usually double it and broil the eggplant in advance to give them plenty of time to cool and soften. In the PDF below, I planned for just a single recipe, so please double if you wish. I just use a teaspoon of honey rather than table sugar, but any sweetener is fine. Any vinegar works in this recipe as well, I used sherry vinegar since I had it on hand and it can be used to make the side salad below. Instead of the halloumi you could do vegan ricotta or feta. I like the halloumi because it’s made of sheep and goat’s milk and it’s very light. You can serve this dish with a simple salad, with sliced avocado and some crispy bread.
Meal #4: Summer Greek Salad | Serves 2
This is a light, yet filling salad, perfect to eat on a warm day. The salad itself is filling enough, but if you want something extra, these potatoes go great with the salad! (potatoes not included in downloadable PDF)
Meal #5: Avocado Toast with Walnut Pesto and a Side Salad | Serves 2
Another quick recipe on the table within 20 minutes. You want to make sure you have high quality bread here as it’s the base of the recipe. You can serve the avo toast along with any salad you like, or the salad suggested above. I did add the salad ingredients to the PDF below, so if you want to nix it, remove those items.
Snacks and Dessert:
If you want to add dessert to one of these meals, this rhubarb crisp is super easy and delicious! For snacks this week, I bought:
Almonds for homemade almond butter, I spread it on rice cakes, apples, celery, carrots or just eat it by the spoonful!
Spiced olives
Fresh berries
Extra avocados, sliced with olive oil, salt and pepper
Dark chocolate
