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Our column, ThePrep, has everything you’ll need to make dinner planning and grocery shopping as easy as can be. Nutritional needs differ from one individual to another, and we invite you to use these dinner plans as inspiration and adjust them as you see fit. Sign up to get a dinner plan delivered to your inbox every Saturday!
The Mediterranean diet isn’t so much a traditional diet as it is flexible guidance about how to eat in a nourishing way. Instead of being restrictive, it encourages you to fill your plate with a variety of whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats—all things I love to eat. While I find it easy to incorporate the principles of the Mediterranean diet into my meals year-round, it’s even easier for me during the summer months when my garden is loaded up with zucchini, tomatoes and other vegetables. So this week’s dinner plan focuses on light, bright summer meals. And they can all be made in just one skillet to keep cooking and cleaning streamlined.
Your Weekly Plan
Sunday: Scallops & Cherry Tomatoes with Caper-Butter Sauce
Monday: Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry
Tuesday: One-Pan Chicken with Basil-Anchovy Butter & Shishito Peppers
Wednesday: Mozzarella, Basil & Zucchini Frittata
Thursday: Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa Salad
Friday: Skillet Chicken with Orzo & Tomatoes
Sunday: Scallops & Cherry Tomatoes with Caper-Butter Sauce
For a quick but elegant Sunday evening dinner, simply brown some sea scallops in a skillet—they take only five minutes. And for a flavorful sauce, combine cherry tomatoes, white wine and capers in the skillet after removing the scallops. Whisk in a little butter to give it some body and richness. To serve, simply spoon the sauce over the scallops and some whole-wheat angel hair pasta.
Monday: Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry
This 20-minute vegan dinner is packed with vegetables: onion, zucchini, bell pepper and baby spinach. Combine them with protein-rich chickpeas and a store-bought coconut curry simmer sauce, and serve it all over precooked brown rice for one of the easiest meals ever.
Tuesday: One-Pan Chicken with Basil-Anchovy Butter & Shishito Peppers
If you’re growing shishito peppers, you’ll love that this recipe calls for 6 cups of them! (Otherwise you can find them at many grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s.) The peppers are lightly charred and paired with browned chicken thighs topped with a basil-anchovy butter. Don’t fear the anchovies; they’ll add depth without adding fishiness. Warm up some rinsed canned black beans to serve on the side to round out the meal.
Wednesday: Mozzarella, Basil & Zucchini Frittata
Of everything I grow in my garden, the basil seems to flourish most, so I’m always looking for ways to incorporate it into my meals. Enter this frittata. It features a summery combination of zucchini and basil with creamy mozzarella. Serve it with mixed greens and a hunk of whole-wheat baguette for a filling dinner.
Thursday: Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa Salad
For this easy dinner, you’ll want to have some cooked quinoa on hand. After you brown the salmon in a skillet, simply mix the quinoa with roasted red peppers, cilantro, pistachios and a homemade vinaigrette to make a colorful salad to pair with the fish. The whole dish comes together in just 15 minutes.
Friday: Skillet Chicken with Orzo & Tomatoes
This dinner takes advance planning as you’ll need to marinate the chicken before cooking it, but that extra time is worth it for the flavor payoff. You’ll brown the marinated chicken and set it aside while you can cook the onions and tomatoes. Then you’ll return the chicken to the pan along with Kalamata olives, orzo and broth, letting everything simmer until the orzo is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Serve it with some steamed broccoli to add a little green and a serving of vegetables.
I wish you all a great week, and I hope you enjoy this dinner plan. If you try a recipe, remember to add a review.
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