Meet the Pittsburgher Perfecting Meal Plans

Meal planning can already be a hassle, but imagine doing it with multiple dietary restrictions. That could be you — and if it is, there’s a new book by local food blogger Liz Fetchin that could make dishing out weeknight meals a lot easier.

“Weeknight SOS” is a one-month meal plan and e-cookbook filled with quick and easy, allergy-friendly dinners to keep on rotation. All recipes are free of the top eight most common food allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. Extra perks: none of the recipes involve fancy cooking techniques or equipment, and they don’t require more than 30 minutes of active cooking time.

You don’t even have to stress about shopping — Fetchin provides lists of weekly groceries and essential pantry items. Psst — here’s a great list of local markets by NEXTpittsburgh if you want to support some mom and pop shops.

The cookbook has three recipes per week: meatless on Mondays (like one-pot chickpea pomodoro), chicken or poultry on Wednesdays (like maple-mustard sheet pan chicken with quinoa), and beef or pork on Fridays (like quick chorizo and black bean skillet chili).

You can always get more allergy-friendly inspiration from Fetchin’s website, Octofree.

And if you’re a really early planner, Fetchin has you covered for the holidays too. Check out my interview with her on the City Cast Pittsburgh podcast about favorite Thanksgiving recipes!