Even with the best-laid plans, cooking during these unprecedented times can be a challenge. So we've put together three recipe pairings, each with an entree and a side, that call for ingredients you may already have on hand. But if you don't have a particular ingredient or the supermarket is out of stock, don't worry; we've also provided ideas for subsitutions.
Dinner This Week: Cooking from the Pantry - Vol. 17
Dinner 1: Stir-Fried Beef with Kimchi and Steamed White Rice
Stir-Fried Beef with Kimchi calls for flank steak, but strip or blade steak can also be used. Kimchi is integral to the dish, but the bean sprouts can be replaced with another crisp vegetable such as thinly sliced celery or strips of bell pepper. For Steamed White Rice that is just sticky enough to be picked up with chopsticks, rinse the rice well and boil it for the first 5 minutes.
Printable Shopping Lists: Stir-Fried Beef with Kimchi and Steamed White Rice
Dinner 2: Broiled Pork Tenderloin and Steamed Broccolini
The intense heat of the broiler gives our Broiled Pork Tenderloin the well-browned exterior and rosy-pink, juicy center usually produced by roasting, but in a fraction of the time. The pork is great as is, or serve it with our Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Salsa. Pan-Steamed Broccolini with Garlic and Mustard is finished with a little Worcestershire sauce and dry mustard, but you can skip these ingredients and simply serve it with a squeeze of lemon.
Printable Shopping Lists: Broiled Pork Tenderloin with Steamed Broccolini
Dinner 3: Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Romaine and Watercress Salad
We use fusilli in our Pasta and Fresh Tomato Sauce with Chile Pepper and Basil, but any short tubular or curly pasta shape can be substituted. Any variety of tomato will work here—even a mix—but make sure to use the best quality you can find. Increase or decrease the amount of red pepper flakes to suit your taste. Romaine and Watercress Salad with Asparagus and Prosciutto can be adapted to use what you have on hand. We like the mix of crisp romaine and spicy watercress, but feel free to try different combinations of greens. Crisp bacon can be used instead of prosciutto, and almonds can stand in for the pine nuts.
Printable Shopping Lists: Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Romaine and Watercress Salad
View more weeknight dinner ideas below, or check out all of the Dinner This Week menus.