Meals With Monet: Weekly Meal Plan #45

It is a hot veggie summer! Summer cooking can often be unhealthy and indulgent (and there is no problem with that), but summertime is also an excellent time to take advantage of all the beautiful produce that’s in season, so we’re going to do just that with this week’s meal plan – and as a bonus, we’re making it super easy for you!

Grocery List

Monday: Blackened Shrimp and Fried Green Tomato Po Boy Salad

Thank you Closet Cooking for the recipe!

Ingredients

Blackened Shrimp:

• ½ lb. shrimp (peeled and deveined)

• 1 Tbsp Creole seasoning 

• 1 Tbsp oil 

Fried Green Tomatoes:

• 1 lb. green tomatoes (sliced ¼-inch thick)

• ½ cup buttermilk

• ¼ cup flour

• ¼ cup cornmeal 

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Oil for frying

Remoulade Dressing:

•  1 Tbsp mayonnaise

• 1 Tbsp Greek yogurt 

• 2 Tbsp buttermilk 

• 1 Tbsp ketchup 

• 1 tsp creole mustard

• 1 tsp horseradish

• 1 small garlic cloves

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp capers

• 1 green onion (coarsely chopped)

•  ¼ tsp paprika

Salad: 

• 4 strips bacon 

• 2 cups lettuce (sliced)

• ½ cup tomato (sliced)

• ¼ cup green onion (sliced)

Directions

1. Toss the shrimp in the seasoning, then cook them in the oil in a pan over medium-high heat until they’re cooked — about 1-2 minutes per side. 

2. Dip the tomato slices in the buttermilk, dredge them in the flour mixture, cornmeal, salt and pepper, then fry them in the oil over medium-high heat until they’re lightly golden brown — about 2-3 minutes per side. Set them on paper towels to drain. 

3. Puree all the salad ingredients in a blender until they’re smooth. 

4. Cook and crumble the bacon, then mix everything together and toss the dressing in.

Tuesday: Skillet Pasta with Summer Squash, Ricotta, and Basil

Thank you Pure Wow for the recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. pasta

• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 

• 1 sweet onion (thinly sliced)

• 3 garlic cloves (minced)

• 2 summer squash (thinly sliced)

• 1 + ½ cups halved yellow cherry tomatoes

• Salt and pepper

• ⅓ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Fill a large skillet with water and salt it generously. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once it’s boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and set it aside, reserving ¾ cup of pasta water. 

2. In the same skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it’s tender, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it’s fragrant — 1 more minute. 

3. Add the squash and tomatoes and cook until both are tender — 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

4. Add the reserved pasta water to the mixture and toss well to coat, then add the pasta and stir. Sprinkle with the Pecorino Romano and stir again to combine. 

5. Dollop the ricotta on top of the pasta and garnish it with basil. Serve immediately.

Wednesday: Baked Green Chilaquiles with Sweet Corn

Thank you The Bojon Gourmet for the recipe!

Ingredients

Chilaquiles: 

• 10 6-inch corn tortillas 

• 3 Tbsp light cooking oil 

• Sea salt (as needed)

• 1 jar green salsa

• 2 medium zucchini

• 2 medium ears sweet corn

• 1 small shallot (peeled and thinly sliced)

• 4-6 large eggs

• ¾ cup packed, grated, goat gouda

Serving:

• Cotija cheese (crumbled)

• Cilantro leaves 

• Large handful cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered)

• Lime wedges

• Salsa

• 1-2 ripe avocados (sliced)

• Sour cream

Directions

1. Position the racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and preheat it to 400°F. 

2. Cut the tortillas into sixths and divide them between two rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle each pan with 1 tablespoon of oil and a few pinches of salt. Toss the ingredients with your hands to coat lightly. Spread the tortillas in an even layer and bake until they’re golden and crisp — 10-15 minutes. 

3. Trim the ends off the zucchini and cut them into fairly thin rounds. Shuck the corn, and holding the cob in a shallow bowl by one end, use a paring knife to cut off the kernels. 

4. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wide skillet set over a medium flame. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally until it’s tender — 5 minutes. Add the sliced zucchini and a big pinch of salt and cook until it’s crisp-tender — 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. 

5. Place the tortilla chips in a large bowl, pour the salsa, and toss with your hands to coat. Fold in the cooked zucchini mixture and the corn kernels. Oil a large baking dish and spread in the tortilla mixture and any sauce hanging out on the bottom of the bowl. Bake until the chips are hot and start to crisp a bit around the edges — 10-15 minutes. 

6. Remove the chilaquiles from the oven and sprinkle the cheese on top. Use the back of a soup spoon to make 4-6 divots in the chips. Carefully crack the eggs into the divots and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt. Return them to the oven and bake until the eggs are set to your liking — 12-18 minutes. 

7. Remove the chilaquiles from the oven, scatter the cotija, tomatoes, and cilantro over the top, and serve immediately with salsa, avocado, sour cream, and lime wedges. 

Thursday: Glow Bowls

Thank you Plays Well with Butter for the recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked quinoa 

• 1 lb. chicken thighs

• 2 ears sweet corn (husked)

• 8 oz. cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered)

• 1 large carrot (grated)

• 1 large cucumber (grated)

• 1 red bell pepper (deseeded and diced)

• ¾ cup packed leafy fresh herbs (finely chopped)

• 1 Tbsp finely chopped chives 

• 5.5 oz. spring greens

Curry Vinaigrette: 

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 

• 1 lemon (zested and juiced)

• 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)

• 2 Tbsp curry powder

• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Add ⅔ cups of dry quinoa and 1 + ⅓ cup of water to a medium saucepan with a lid. Season with a generous pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low or medium-low, bringing the quinoa to a slow simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes and remove from the heat. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff the quinoa with a fork. 

2. Husk the sweet corn and halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes. Grate or thinly slice the carrot and cucumber. Dice the red bell pepper. 

3. Add all the ingredients for the vinaigrette to a medium bowl. Whisk and set it aside. 

4. Place the chicken thighs in a medium bowl. Pour half of the curry vinaigrette over the top, tossing to coat the chicken in the marinade. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to marinate for 12-48 hours. 

5. Prepare the grill. 

6. Brush the corn with a little oil and season it with salt and pepper. Place the chicken and corn on the preheated grill. Grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, or until it’s fully cooked through. Grill the sweet corn for 3-4 minutes per side until it’s nicely charred. Remove it from the grill. Once they’re cool, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and slice the sweet corn kernels off the cob. 

7. Toss everything into a large mixing bowl and pour the remaining curry vinaigrette over the top. Add a handful of greens to the serving bowl and top with the quinoa mixture.

Friday: 15-Minute Artichoke Garden Flatbread Pizza

Thank you The Mediterranean Dish for the recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 flatbreads

• Extra-virgin olive oil 

• 6 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese

• Dried oregano

• 7 oz. marinated artichoke hearts (drained and sliced)

• Baby spinach

• 1 Roma tomato (halved and sliced)

• 1 small shallot (thinly sliced)

• 6 pitted olives (halved)

• Sun-dried tomatoes

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

2. Place the flatbreads directly on the oven rack to warm them for 1-2 minutes. Remove the flatbread from the oven, then switch the oven setting to broil. 

3. Place the flatbreads on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly brush it with olive oil. Spread the ricotta and feta cheese on each flatbread, top with a generous sprinkle of dried oregano, then arrange the remaining ingredients on top. 

4. Place the flatbread pizzas on the top oven rack. Broil for 3 minutes until the cheese softens. 

5. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

How do you feel about our hot vegetable summer? Comment any more themes you’d like to see next!

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