The lazy days of summer are upon us so it’s all about quick and easy meal planning especially as the calendar fills up with friends and family arriving on the Sunshine Coast.
Last summer I posted some helpful tips for Monday meal planning and given the cost of groceries these days, I thought it was timely to share some new inspiration from our kitchen to yours.
For starters, a well-stocked Pantry makes all the difference in planning a meal efficiently so take inventory of your everyday cooking essentials. If you’re not using the Flipp App, download it today. Flipp is your one-stop marketplace to source savings and deals on your favourite ingredients. You can browse weekly digital flyers for all of the local grocers near you and set up a Watch List on items you need to purchase when they go on sale ~ what a time saver and so convenient! The grocery fliers have disappeared from our weekly newspaper so the Flipp App is really helpful. I love it!
It seems everyone is talking about the ridiculous price of beef these days – yikes! Some local restaurants have taken beef off of their menus and do we blame them? A good budget pick is flank steak which is a lean cut of beef that can be marinated, grilled, and sliced ~ an absolutely delicious alternative to an expensive Rib Eye or New York Striploin.
The summer harvest is on and there is an abundance of fresh veggies & herbs to explore at the Sechelt Farmers’ and Artisans Market as well as the local farms in your area. Fresh herbs boost flavour – some can be preserved and even frozen. Pick up some basil for example and make a batch of pesto, freeze in ice cube trays and you’ve got a quick pasta dinner ingredient in minutes.
My must have summer salad is easy to make in minutes ~ tomato, cucumber, basil, olive oil, red, white or balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Place sliced tomatoes on a plate then put a sliced cucumber on top of each tomato, top with fresh basil, drizzle with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Let it marinate for 10 mins. Delicious! If you like Macedonian feta cheese, crumble some on top ~ YUM!
We eat salad nearly every night so when the price of lettuce gets stupid or to change it up, red cabbage is a cheap option! I’m starting to think about some winter veggies to grow to save money and one that is always on my list is kale! We consume a lot of kale in smoothies and I love that it freezes really well. Blueberries and blackberries are in season right now and they freeze exceptionally well. By the way, if you have a sunny spot and little space, there is a long list of produce that can be grown in pots, even blueberries so plan for next summer!
Summer is a great time to stock up for winter meals and this month I’ll be canning salsa, tomatoes, even a few batches of pesto.
Are you racing the clock to get dinner on the table? I will show you how to maintain a visibly organized pantry and fridge as part of a kitchen reset so that your meal-planning and prep flows efficiently. Learn more about kitchen and home resets. For a free 30 minute consultation, drop me an email and let’s make a fresh start together! Email me anytime ~ niki@tickoffthelist.ca