monday meal planning

Back by seriously popular demand is Monday Meal Planning. Had I known how much you guys enjoyed these (cough cough, hello and thank you, comment section) I would have never left you all hanging for so long. My apologies. So, without further ado, I give you your plan:


With all this sunshine and the smell (albeit the promise of a smell) of barbeques being fired up in the distance, I couldn't help but start to crave grilled and slightly charred red meat. London Broil is on sale at my local grocery store (Morton Williams, FYI) for a cool $2.99/lb (it's also my go-to cut of steak anyways) and I say go for it. If you're cooking for one, cut the steak in half and freeze half. Generously season it with salt and pepper then slap it on to a grill pan (or if you're lucky, the real deal) for a few minutes per side, until it's cooked to your preferred doneness. Let the meat rest for at least 5-10 minutes before cutting into it so it stays nice and juicy for you. With a package of Naan flatbread ($1.99) on hand, you can slice the steak up and enjoy a make-shift gyro. Thinly slice some cucumbers (or make some tzatziki), red onion, and avocado ($0.99/ea.) throw on some lettuce and some crumbled goat cheese, fold it up, take a bite, or dig into it open-faced with a fork and knife. Pour a glass of Rosé alongside. This will be damn tasty. And for my veg-heads, grill up some portobello's and follow suit. Bring this for lunch the next day too. It will make for a beyond happy Tuesday.

California Navel Oranges are rocking a 4/$1 price tag so let's pick some up, shall we? Drain and chop up a can of beets into quarters (don't cringe, these are an unbelievable value), throw them into a bowl with some orange segments, some diced red onion, crumbled goat cheese and a splash of white balsamic and olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. You can serve this beautiful little salad along with any leftover steak and a torn piece of toasted Naan. For lunch the next day, throw some on top of baby greens and you're good to go, bebes.


I'm a big fan of turkey burgers. Especially at $2.99 for a pack of 4. Pick up a package and as soon as you get home, freeze two. They don't last long at all in their raw, unfrozen state. Grill up a burger, top it with some cheese of your choice and allow it to gently melt. Slide it onto a plate (or on top of piece of Naan if you need a carb fix) and load it up with toppings. I love avocado and red onion on mine but if you've got extra cucumber (which you will), throw some of those on top. Or, if you really want to earn points with me, make up a batch of Swedish Cucumbers and eat those with your turkey burger. You will, in fact, thank me. Profusely. A side salad of baby greens is a must alongside too. At least it is on my plate.

With any leftover veggies and or goat cheese, throw together an easy orzo salad. You can serve it alongside any of this week's meals and it's perfectly filling on its own for lunch or dinner. I think red onion, orange zest, garlic, parsley, and goat cheese (if you've still got some left) would be particularly delicious. Dress it with a squeeze of orange, olive oil, salt and pepper. But with this one, it's all about what you've got on hand and/or what you're feeling. It's your kitchen. I can't (really) tell you what to do.

Or can I?

And with that, here's your grocery list:

Avocados (2 or 3 @ $0.99/ea.)

Navel Oranges (4 for $1)

Hot House Cucumbers (2/$3)

Red Onions (2 small)

Flat Leaf Parsley (optional but strongly urged)

Baby Greens

1 can of whole beets

Turkey Burgers ($2.99/pkg of 4)

London Broil ($2.99/lb.)

Sargento Deli Style Cheese ($2.99)

Goat Cheese (1 large log)

Naan ($1.99)

Orzo (1 box)

What started off as a totally frazzled Monday (on my end at least), just got a whole lot better with promises of grilled steak, avocados, and goat cheese. Let's hope yours did too.

Cheers.