Simplifying Dinner
strategic grocery shopping and sheet pan salads
Simplifying dinner starts with grocery shopping. I always try to have a winter squash or a few sweet potatoes on hand because they can be chopped and roasted on a sheet pan and turn into gorgeous salad like this Couscous and Kale. Long shelf-life and versatile in the kitchen, that’s what I like—carrots, bell peppers, kale, onions, shallots—and a steady supply of delicate greens like spinach, arugula, and butter lettuce.
Usually I mix up dressings on demand from Dijon, vinegar, and olive oil (learn the basic ratios here: French Vinaigrette) but sometimes I make a larger quantity of something simple (will keep longer) that can be tailored at serving time with another flavor, like Dijon, and/or a dab of honey or agave, herbs, or strong flavors that degrade quickly, like minced shallots or garlic. (This Citrus Vinaigrette is a good one and goes particularly well with roasted vegetables, which can get stodgy without a kick of acidity.)
Fruits, nuts, and seeds make great toppings: dried cherries, cranberries, golden raisins, fresh blueberries, avocados, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, pepitas. Buy nuts raw and toast them yourself. I store raw in my freezer, toast a quarter-sheet pan when I have the oven going for something else, then cool and store in a jar in the pantry for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (350° for 8–10 minutes, you’ll smell them when they are ready, just don’t get distracted and forget they’re in the oven.)
Goat cheese, feta, hard cheeses like parmesan, and super-softies like burrata add a lot to salads. Not everyone is a fan, so keep cheese on the side until you know for sure.
Sheet Pan/Roasted Vegetable Salads
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Chipotle-Balsamic Dressing
Roasted Kabocha Squash with Curried Chickpeas
Happy Cooking!
