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What To Cook Every Night This Week (August 5 – August 11)

It’s August, and that means everyone is basically in summer vacation mode. When your official "Out of the Office" is on, the last thing you want to think about is what’s for dinner. That’s where we come in, with a full meal plan (shopping list included). This week is all about easy dinners that come together quickly—leaving more time for the beach, the pool or a lawn chair on the front yard. 

50 Quick Summer Ideas for Lazy People


woman grocery shopping
Dan Dalton/Getty Images

Shopping List

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pound 93 percent lean ground chicken
1 pound shrimp
2 ounces pancetta
½ cup blackberries
1 peach
1 pound zucchini
1 sweet potato
1 bunch asparagus
2 pints colored heirloom cherry tomatoes
1 heirloom red tomato
1 heirloom yellow tomato
1 heirloom orange tomato
1 heirloom green tomato
1 heirloom purple tomato
1 yellow onion
2 leeks
2 shallots
12 cloves garlic
4 lemons
2 bunches basil
1 bunch parsley
8 tablespoons butter
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
3 cups cubed halloumi cheese
2 tablespoons goat cheese
2 ounces fontina cheese
2 ounces Emmentaler cheese
6 ounces feta cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese
12 ounces spaghetti
4 hamburger buns
1 loaf sourdough bread
1 sheet frozen puff pastry

Pantry Ingredients

Olive oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, BBQ sauce, honey, salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, lemon-pepper seasoning, flour

Monday: Heirloom Tomato Tart

This stunner from Coterie member Gaby Dalkin is almost too beautiful to eat (but we’ll take a million pictures and do it anyway). Plus, using store-bought puff pastry means it comes together in no time.

Tuesday: One-pot, 15-minute Pasta Limone

We don’t tend to think of pasta as a summer dish, but this one totally is. It’s light, fresh and (best of all) almost totally hands-off.

Wednesday: Blackberry-peach Grilled Cheese

News flash: Grilled cheese isn’t just kid food. With a little fresh summer fruit, and cheese that’s just slightly more grown-up than the plastic-wrapped orange squares, it can be a totally sophisticated meal (on a Wednesday night timeline).

Thursday: Garlic Butter Shrimp Zucchini Noodles

We’re all about summer dinners that are healthy-ish. This one swaps out pasta for zucchini noodles, but isn’t shy about the garlic butter sauce. (Serve it with a side of crusty bread to sop up all that goodness.) 

Friday: Sweet Potato Cheddar Bbq Chicken Burgers

Leave it to Coterie member Monique Volz to figure out how to get some extra veggies into burger night. These little flavor bombs are bulked up with shredded sweet potatoes—but shh, the kids will never know the difference.

 

Saturday: Grilled Caprese Skewers With Halloumi And Sourdough

Why have boring cold caprese salad, when you can have something warm, melty and full of smoky goodness? We think it’s a no brainer.

Sunday: Five-ingredient Lemon Chicken

Sundays are for family dinners, even in the summer when the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven and roast a chicken. Instead, pull out the skillet—you’ll have a homey chicken dinner in twenty minutes and the kitchen stays cool.