I didn’t realize how important meal planning was until I lived outside of the New Orleans Metro area.  We had no less than four grocery stores within a two minute drive from almost any home; therefore, you could easily pop into one  on your way home from work, or even on your lunch break.  That’s a convenience easily taken for granted.  Especially if you want fresh seafood. Many times you could tell the shrimp or oysters had just come out of their home waters within hours of your arrival. 

When I lived in the southwest, that the convenience was non existent.  Here in the Midwest, it is a pipe dream.  We have all of two grocery options; both are about fifteen or twenty minutes away. That inconvenience translates to ensuring you plan your meals about a weak in advance.  In the time of covid, I give myself an extra day or two, to account for the fact that I will not get everything I order, nor will I receive the groceries in a timely manner.  I’ve learned that being able to adapt a recipe and/or make any necessary menu changes is a skill that I am thankful to have learned from my time in the restaurant industry.  I realize not everyone has the ability, or the food knowledge to be able to make quick changes on the fly, to use a kitchen term. Hopefully after following this blog and doing some research; those of you reading this, that are new or inexperienced at cooking will pick up some tips and knowledge along your journey.  

One trick I use is something that we Cajuns grow up knowing and using.  There is no such thing as too little leftovers.  Any leftover protein can be used in numerous dishes.  All you need to make a gumbo or jambalaya are  the holy trinity, flour, oil and any 2 proteins. Any Cajun that doesn’t have the holy trinity on hand at all times is a liar. That same rule for left overs goes for soup, Hispanic cuisines, and any number of casseroles.  I’m personally not a huge fan of the casserole; but, I love soup.  

You can have so much fun with left overs.  There are several times over the summer that I will purposely grill or smoke a couple of extra pounds of chicken and sausage just to make sure that I have some left over to make a big pot of gumbo or use in salads.  The smokey flavor from those proteins cannot be replicated any other way.  

I digress and am going to move in from that tangent to get back on topic.  

The way I make my meal plan is simple.  I keep a notepad and pen on the refrigerator and keep a log of my inventory; just like we had to do in the restaurants.  When I go to place my grocery order, (or go the grocery when a pandemic isn’t ongoing) I’ll take a look at mu inventory and figure out what meals I can make from what I have, then check to see what proteins are on sale and what I can make from those and the other ingredients in stock, then proceed to new items.  This method makes sure that I don’t let food go bad. It also lets me know when I need to put things out to thaw or marinade. It helps keep a busy lifestyle running smoothly and still ensure fresh healthy meals for my family. 

Between the meal planning, keeping certain staples in the house and learning how to use leftovers with different flavor profiles, we are also able to keep things interesting.  

For instance, my original plan for tomorrow night was to make a Mexican inspired carne asada salad.  The grocery was out of salad, and didn’t sub plains lettuce. Thankfully I keep roasted tomatoes, corn and couscous in the house.  Therefore I will be making the carne asada with a Mexican couscous instead.  Keeping my inventory list made it easy to make the adjustment.  

What sort of things do y’all like doing with leftovers?