01 What's for lunch

a stocked fridge formula for infinitely delicious meals at home, and a few secret weapon sauces

shoutout Natoora Paris delivery, like Christmas morning

If you’ve been following along on instagram, you may have seen that I cook lunch each week for a corporate client here in Paris. You may have also seen that a massive box now photobombs my buffet displays, but that’s another story.

I’m feeding the loveliest creative team of ~15-20 people. Big appetites. Not fussy. Eat everything. Incredibly grateful. If you’re reading this and are also a private chef, you know these types of clients are like unicorns. I feel extremely inspired to change up the menus each week, but, of course, also cater to requests for repeat dishes.

I realized it could be fun to share with you what exactly is on the menu, and hopefully it may inspire you to create in your own kitchens. I will share the weekly menus, as well as some recipes for dishes and dressings, which will guarantee to up-level your meals at home.

I’ve come to understand that if I follow a formula of stocking my fridge in a certain way, I’ll always be eating well. Not to mention, after the initial lift, these meals come together quickly and with little to no effort. Small investment —> big return.

So,

the formula

at least 1-2 delicious punchy dressings/sauces + pre-cooked veg + a little starch or grain + washed lettuces + jammy eggs and/or protein of choice + fresh herbs + something pickled or acidic = a bowl of goodness with many iterations to avoid boredom throughout the week. (I never tire of warm rice bowls, so in addition to a starch/noodle, I almost always have this on hand.)

I have some catching up to do, so I’ll start by sharing some highlights from previous weeks.

box in question

left: tarragon ranch + garlic oil drizzle, right: whipped feta, chive batons + “pizza” spice blend. Chopped salad: chicories, celery, cucumber, purple radish, grapes

a few recipe highlights

(I’ve shared miso salmon , jammy eggs , and toasted sesame creme fraiche in previous posts)

I believe sauces are secret weapons, so let’s start there

TOASTED TAHINI DRESSING

• 1/2 cup tahini

• 1 clove grated garlic

• 1/2 tbsp tamari / soy sauce

• 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice

• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey

• cold water (as needed)

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

• salt to taste

You can mix by hand, but I prefer using a blender or food processor. Put the tahini, garlic, soy sauce, and citrus juice in your mixer of choice. Blend until smooth. Slowly pour in cold water until it reaches your desired consistency. I like when it is thick but still easily pourable. Then, slowly drizzle in toasted sesame oil with the blender still running to prevent separation. Taste and add salt/acid as needed.

I love drizzling this on cold soba noodles, but it’s an excellent salad dressing, dip for veggies, or an ‘all-over’ bowl finishing sauce.

CARROT GINGER DRESSING

• 1 large (or 2 small) carrots peeled and sliced into small pieces

• 1 diced shallot

• 1” piece of peeled chopped ginger (or more to your taste)

• zest + juice of 1 orange

• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey

• 1 tsp white miso paste (optional)

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

• 1/4 cup neutral oil (avocado or plain sesame oil)

• salt to taste

• optional: 1/2” piece of peeled chopped fresh turmeric, or 1/2 tsp dried turmeric + black pepper

Place all ingredients, aside from oils, in a blender. Slowly pour in the oils until emulsified. I prefer the dressing to still have texture, and not be completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning for salt, sweetness, or gingeryness…

Best as a salad dressing, but I love it for dunking grilled chicken / miso salmon too.

TARRAGON RANCH

• 1/2 cup mayo of choice (I used kewpie)

• 3/4 cup kefir (I use in place of buttermilk)

• 1 heaping spoonful yogurt of choice (I use greek)

• 1 tsp dried garlic granules or powder

• 1 tsp dried onion powder

• 1 clove fresh garlic grated

• 1 tbsp dried dill (this adds that Hidden Valley Ranch vibe iykyk)

• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire

• 1 tbsp caper brine

• 1 tbsp lemon juice + zest

• finely chopped tarragon

• salt to taste + lots of freshly cracked black pepper

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well until fully combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

This would make a dirty shoe taste good. Use on anything and everything. I like to keep on hand for pizza night…

other tips:

SEED CRUSTED AVOCADO

Stole this trick from my days working at Sakara Life. No one wants to eat a brown avocado, so to prevent oxidation, I like to halve + peel my avocado, then coat in lemon juice + olive oil. Then place a mix of white/black sesame seeds, and hemp seeds if you have, along with some flaky salt on a plate, and toss to fully coat the avocado. Extra protein is the bonus. Store in a glass container flat side down. Slice when ready to use.

WHIPPED FETA

A non-recipe recipe, but just place your favorite feta in a blender with 1/4 cup milk (more as needed). Blend until completely smooth. Finish with lemon zest + black pepper. You can jazz up with scallions, dill, or your herb of choice, or make it spicy with Calabrian chilis, finely diced jalapeño, etc.

That’s all for now. I hope this post inspires you to level up your fridge game.

Next post, I’ll be sharing more on proteins. Most importantly, how to brine, marinate, and cook the best juiciest chicken at home, every single time.

Send me your stocked fridge shelfies pls

xoxo,

b&b