BUY THIS, MAKE THAT: Waste-Less, Spend-Less, and Eat Well: Inspired by Greek Souvlaki and Chicken

Welcome back to The Recipe Vault, and the newest instalment of the recurring series “BUY THIS, MAKE THAT.”

I rarely start any planning with individual recipes. I think about the table as a whole: what works together, what can be made ahead, what gives everyone plenty to eat, and of course, what makes good leftovers.

Before a BUY THIS, MAKE THAT post is even written, I decide on a theme. And I make a playful announcement. ‘Ok boys, we are off to Athens’, or ‘We are parking the boat off the coast of Greece.’ Whenever I say Greece, there is never ever any dissension within the ranks. I rarely get any objections (most of which I dismiss) when it comes to food as they are young men and very active. The more food I make, the better. There are the odd individual food aversions that crop up such as beets, capers, and most recently Kalamata olives. These aversions tend to be fleeting, so I find it is best to wait it out. Eventually they will likely forget.

Ever since I created BUY THIS, MAKE THAT, the whole concept has become one of my favourite ways to plan a week of food: pick a direction, then let everything work together.

The feature recipe is Greek-inspired chicken souvlaki, but done two ways. One version goes on skewers, and the other is a one-pot version that skips the skewers entirely for a simple one dish weeknight dinner using that same gorgeous chicken souvlaki flavour.

What is most exciting about this edition of BUY THIS, MAKE THAT is that both recipes use the same marinade. Make it once (double the recipe), divide it between the two recipes, and you have two completely different meals without starting from scratch.

Planning ahead is the best way to reduce food waste. We are all trying to reduce waste as it is unnecessary, and food prices are ridiculously high these days. BUY THIS, MAKE THAT sets you up for success. I will give you the recipes and a printable master grocery list. From there, the rest of the week falls into place, and leftovers are a sheer delight.

And a much easier answer to the question I think we all ask far too often: What should I cook?

BUY THIS, MAKE THAT started as a very practical idea for my son: what should he buy, what should he cook, and how could he make the most of it all week with minimal waste? He went away to school, he is now a three hour plane ride away. He got married this past spring.

The recipes were meant to give him a taste of home, and, if I’m being honest, a good reason to visit often. I’ve been helping him with meal planning and grocery lists, and that’s how BUY THIS, MAKE THAT came to be. It’s been a massive help to him, and I know it can be for you too.

I do like to cook in themes: pick an ingredient or a cuisine and enjoy a culinary trip to India, the Middle East, Greece, Italy, Mexico, you decide, and all from the comfort of your kitchen. This is not about fancy cooking, the recipes I have are all tested in my home kitchen, and are suitable for home cooks of all skill levels.

Each edition of BUY THIS, MAKE THAT gives you:

• At least one new Vault-exclusive recipe with a printable PDF. This edition has THREE plus a bonus simple Greek salad!

• Several hand-picked recipes from the Just really good recipes archives

• A master grocery list with a printable PDF

• Individual grocery lists for each recipe

• Simple ways to stretch one shop into multiple meals

I have made two other Vault-trips to Greece. Each trip is different. This time, we are leaning into delicious street food and the iconic souvlaki.

The word ‘souvlaki’ simply means ‘meat on skewers.’ But Greeks also use it to describe the entire meal: a warm pita with beautifully marinated, preferably grilled meat, topped with tzatziki sauce (new recipe below!) and all your favourite toppings. Serve it with a stunning Greek salad on the side (recipe also below).

Here are the other Vault-trips:

This is where the Recipe Vault really shines. With more than 300 recipes to pull from, you can build a menu around the people you are feeding and the kind of meals you want to serve. All my recipes are sorted by theme, which makes it so easy to plan ahead.

This is part of the BUY THIS, MAKE THAT series inside The Recipe Vault, built for people who want to cook once, eat well all week, and stop starting from zero. The recipes are all inspired by the region and packed with gorgeous flavour.

This edition gives you three new recipes, one master grocery list, and plenty of ways to turn one shop into a week of really good food.