Simple meals for hectic times

I am writing this between sirens and trips down to the bomb shelter, so forgive me if my thoughts feel a little interrupted. By the time you are reading this, I hope these days are behind us, and we are in a place of peace, calm, and redemption.

- • Text & photos: HENNY SHOR

I had planned to write about the transition from Purim to Passover. It always feels ironic that just 30 days before we begin removing hametz from our homes, we have more of it than at any other time of year – mishloach manot, extra baking, leftover challah, snacks everywhere. Even now, that feels like the right place to begin.

The most practical way to approach menu planning right now – whether because of sirens or simply because Passover is coming – is to start with a kitchen inventory. This is something I coach the women in my Pre-Passover planning group to do as soon as Purim ends. Set a timer for 15 minutes and choose just one area: a few pantry shelves, the fridge, or the freezer. This is not cleaning. It is simply noticing.

Start with the pantry. Scan your grains, canned goods, baking supplies, and snacks. Notice what’s open, what’s duplicated, and what’s been pushed to the back. The two cans of chickpeas can become dinner. The open bag of pasta is already this week’s plan. The extra snacks from mishloach manot can move into lunches instead of sitting untouched.

Then check the fridge and ask one simple question: what needs to be used first? Leftover chicken, cut vegetables, half-used jars of sauce. Instead of buying more, let those items guide the week’s meals. Often, dinner is already halfway there.

Finally, open the freezer and think of it as a savings account. Look first for proteins, then breads, then prepared foods from previous weeks. Plan at least one dinner straight from what is already frozen. Using what you have now lightens both the mental load of the week and the hametz load before Passover.