Fall Spices Recipe and Grocery List September 10 to 15.

Lamb Sausage and Fi

Hey, Raincouverites, grab your beans, lentils, kale and stock your pantry with celery, carrots and onions, and let’s get ready for a delicious (and cheap) autumn.

With the rain and fall season comes a greater need for planning ahead. And stocking your shelves with spices. Lots of ’em.  I’m considering naming my first born cumin, and therefore gravitate to any recipe containing the flexible and fragrant spice. I also might have a dog and name it Tumeric.

* Celery, carrots and onions are also known as mirepoix. Just in case you wanted to flaunt some cooking vocab at your next hipster dinner party.

Meal Plan

Monday  Kerala- style beef stew

Tuesday Grilled lamb sausage with figs and chard

Wednesday Grilled chicken and plantains, Jamaican style

Thursday Red lentil dahl

Friday Red harissa over grilled chicken thighs and rice

Saturday My mother’s chicken and potatoes (from Lidia Bastianich)

Grocery List & Where to Shop

Whole Foods  $32.42

• 4 chicken legs
• 4 lamb sausages (Mergeza)
• 2 plantains
• Pomegranate molasses
• 5 or 6 figs
• 2 bunches Swiss chard

Safeway  $30.51

• Red wine vinegar
• Bacon
• Chicken thighs (1 large package)
• Top sirloin steak (1 lb)
• Goat cheese

Kin’s Farm Market  $15.93

• 1 bunch celery
• 1, 2-lb bag organic carrots
• 5lbs red potatoes
• 2 lemons
• 3 red onions
• 4 red peppers
• 3 banana peppers
• 1 package jalepeno peppers
• 1 bunch cilantro

This week’s total:  $78.86

Tips for the Week

• Beef stew:  To make this stew a bit spicier, add some chopped banana peppers with the jalpeno. Also add some more ginger if you’re looking to add more coconut milk.
• Sausage and greens: Stretch the meal by adding boiled red potatoes. The pomegranate cumin dressing is good on the potatoes. Chard is also on special at Whole Foods – sautee the chard in garlic, and top with figs and goat cheese for a warm meal.
• Chicken and plantains: When buying plantains, don’t be put off the brown skin. To have an extra crispy plantain, grill almost completely, then squish down more and fry again. If you really want to live on the edge, substitute Chinese five spice instead of the allspice ( I swear that’s what makes Meat & Bread’s Jamaican chicken sandwich so good.) Also, as usual,  chicken thighs are always better than breasts with Jamaican food.
• Lentil dahl: This is pretty much the only vegetarian meal that I can serve without hearing choral moans in my house.  Add carrots and potatoes and serve it over rice to stretch it into leftovers.
• Red harissa: There aren’t many vegetables in this meal – just chicken, rice and this Turkish sauce. Make a little gem, feta and cumin salad to add some greens.
• Chicken and potatoes: Do not skip the bacon. There is nothing healthy about this meal. But that’s why we’re serving it on Saturday – calories don’t count on the weekends.

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