Had in kitchen (leftover from other recipes/cooking staples): Panko breadcrumbs, Italian breadcrumbs, olive oil, salt and pepper, butter, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves, baby carrots, can of corn, chili powder, frozen peas

Bought: 1 box bow tie pasta, 1 jar tomato sauce, 1 can black beans, 1 jar salsa, 1 box Earl Grey tea, 1 carton organic tomato red pepper soup, 1 package chicken breast (with two breasts), 1 package Spinach, 1 avocado, 1 yellow onion, 1 container of cubed pineapple, 1 container of Parmesan cheese, 1 individual plain Greek yogurt cup, 1 container whole-milk ricotta cheese, 1 small ball of fresh mozzarella, 1 round of goat cheese (3.5 oz), 1 loaf of hero bread

Spent: $42.97 ($8.59/day)

Daily Breakfast: Scones (I got some packaged scones with great types of jams and honeys for a Christmas gift, so breakfast was already set for me this week!)

MONDAY

Lunch: Leftover Cauliflower Sausage Skillet from the Weekend

Dinner: Veggie Farafalle with Goat Cheese Medallions 

Claire’s Quips: I was doing a new year’s “purge” of my room and found an old magazine with this recipe – so I decided to put it to good use (and then not be a hoarder and throw the old magazine away!). I did really like this meal – it came together fast and was a good (and cheap) combo of vegetables – but my only quip would be to not add the full 1/2 cup of pasta water. Instead, just add a little bit at a time and mix with the rest of ingredients until you have a consistency you like. I added it all together and the whole dish was a little too liquid-y for my taste. The goat cheese medallions were a great addition – really easy but with a great presentation that looked fancier than they were to make. I omitted the dill because I didn’t feel like buying it and it was still great.

TUESDAY

Lunch: Leftover pasta

Dinner: 20-Minute Veggie Burrito Bowl

Comments from Claire: I swear – I actually timed it! See the full recipe here!

WEDNESDAY

Lunch: Burrito bowl

Dinner: Baked Chicken Parm with Sauteed Spinach and Garlic 

Comments from Claire: I followed this recipe (though I’ve seen other variations in cast-iron skillets, etc) and while it was in its last 5-10 minutes of baking I sautéed a bunch of spinach with garlic and olive oil. It was easy, indulgent without being too unhealthy, and yummy. That’s a win in my book.

THURSDAY

Lunch: Leftover chicken parm

Dinner: Tomato and Red Pepper Soup with Ricotta Truffle Honey Crostini

Comments from Claire: I had an after-work event and got home semi late, so I made sure to half-cheat with this dinner. I bought an organic red pepper tomato soup that I know I like (I’ve actually mentioned it before on this blog), and heated that through. Then I sliced some baguette/hero bread and popped it in the oven to toast. Along with the different types of honey I received for Christmas, as mentioned above, I got truffle honey, so I was trying to think of a way to use it, and know that cheese crostini topped with honey is one of my favorite indulgences at a restaurant! So I spread the toasted slices with ricotta cheese, topped with salt and pepper, and drizzled with the honey, and ate it with my soup. I really like this dinner because it was a good combination of store bought and homemade, and felt almost like an elevated grilled cheese and tomato soup combo.

FRIDAY

Lunch: Soup + Crostini

Dinner: Out

See you next week! To see what I’m eating in the meantime, follow me on Instagram or Twitter @ClaireLeaden