Dinners This Week

Let’s talk about food!

• Fish Taco Bowls: https://www.howsweeteats.com/2018/07/fish-taco-bowls/

Note: Combining salad and tacos is becoming a regular pastime of mine, I see. And I am HERE FOR IT.

• Honey Garlic Shrimp with Broccoli: https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/honey-garlic-shrimp/

Note: I have had this on my To Eat list for a very long time. It sounds slightly… off-puttingly-sweet to me? But I think if I add some broccoli and maybe some rice it should be good.

• Garlic Thyme Pork Chops with Zucchini: https://whatsgabycooking.com/garlic-thyme-pork-chops/

Note: This marinade sounds super good. And I have a bunch of pork chops in the freezer just begging to be eaten.

• Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/creamy-cajun-shrimp-pasta/

Note: We haven’t had this in a long time, but it was so good the last time I am wondering why I waited so long? Per usual, I will be amping this up with extra veggies.

• Poached Salmon in Coconut Lime Sauce: https://www.recipetineats.com/poached-salmon-in-coconut-lime-sauce/

Note: I can’t remember, but I think last time I turned this into a stir fry? Whether I did it or not, I plan to do it THIS time.

• Greek Chicken: https://www.recipetineats.com/greek-chicken/

Note: I may or may not make a Greek salad to go along with this chicken. Lots of leafy lettuce with some cucumbers and onions (and tomatoes for those who eat such things) and maybe some avocado and maybe some Kalamata olives? Sounds pretty delicious to me.

• Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken: https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/instant-pot-teriyaki-chicken/

Note: I haven’t made anything in the instant pot in a long time. Perhaps this yummy sounding chicken will get me back in the groove.

 

What does your weekly menu look like, Internet?

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Dinners This Week

While I really want to continue with the Salad Theme, I may be over-salading? So there is only one – nope, two, I couldn’t resist – on the meal plan for this week. Let’s try

• Spinach Salad with Chicken/Shrimp: https://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2019/04/spinach-pine-nut-cranberry-and-feta-salad-with-a-white-balsamic-vinaigrette.html

Note: This sounds… like not something I would eat. But it’s DIFFERENT and it has a white balsamic dressing, which sounds very tempting.

• Baja Fish Tacos with Citrus Slaw: https://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2019/04/baja-fish-tacos-with-citrus-slaw.html

Note: THESE SOUND AMAZING. All the tacos, all the time.

• Southwest Salmon Salad: https://www.howsweeteats.com/2019/04/southwest-salmon-salad/

Note: YUM.

• Chicken Curry: https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-curry/

Note: I will be not eating the chicken and instead loading it up with bell peppers, which are clearly on my Desert Island Food List.

• Green Chicken Enchiladas: https://damndelicious.net/2019/03/01/green-chicken-enchiladas/

Notes: I successfully ate chicken at my dinner party (no barfing!), so I am ready (I think?) to stick my toe back into the chicken water. Which sounds gross. Don’t bathe in chicken water. But this seems like a good, gentle re-entry back into chicken-ism. I will make black beans on the side, just in case this is gross.

• Every Day Thai Red Curry: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/thai-red-curry/

Note: Two curries in one week?!?!?! Am I INSANE?!?!?! Perhaps, but I do not care.

• Out for a Mother’s Day Treat!

Note: We will probably go to my favorite Mexican restaurant so I can gorge myself on cheese and chips and hot sauce.

What are you eating this week, Internet?

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Dinners This Week

Another Tuesday, another list of delicious meals I am eager to eat and not as eager to prepare!

My lovely mother-in-law got us a gift subscription to Bon Appetit a while back. I love reading through it, but it’s rare that I find a recipe that speaks to me enough that I want to make it. But we finaly got around to reading a recent issue and it really pulled out all the stops! My husband and I found three whole recipes to cut out and save. The theme for this week is, once again, veggies! Lots of bell peppers and lettuce. And hopefully a whole lot of flavor.

• Balsamic Pork Tenderloin:  https://addapinch.com/balsamic-pork-tenderloin-recipe/

Note: I never remember that Tuesdays are awful, from a timing perspective. We get home late because Carla has A Sports Activity and she’s always cranky and exhausted so I need to put her dinner in front of her immediately and then throw her in the bath and then put her to bed. Which leaves very little time to prepare dinner for myself and my husband. So tonight I am making this crockpot meal that requires next to no prep and only needs me to chop and caramelize some onions once we get home. AM GENIUS.

• Shrimp and Basil Stir Fry: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/shrimp-and-basil-stir-fry

Note: This is a new-to-me recipe, but my husband picked it out and it sounds delicious. You know I love a good stir fry. I am going to add some bell peppers, onion, and maybe some broccoli to the mix to make it less shrimp-centric. Also, I am not sure about using two whole tablespoons of fish sauce, per the recipe… Fish sauce, like Chinese five spice, caraway seed, and anise seed, is one of those flavors that hits me REALLY hard, even in small amounts. So I may end up replacing some or all of it with soy sauce.

• Orange Fish in Parchment with Broccoli: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/orange-fish-in-parchment

Note: Another new recipe! I am giving this one the side-eye already because I don’t typically cook with orange. Don’t get me wrong, I love citrus! I am happy to use lemons and limes in my recipes anytime. But… orange? I mean, in bakingoccasionally, sure… But with fish? Well. I am always interested in new ways to make fish and this sounds really fresh and flavorful. I have no idea where I will get a single clementine, but I do enjoy a challenge.

• Caprese Salad: https://cafedelites.com/chicken-avocado-caprese-salad/

Note: Mozzarella was on sale at my grocery store last week, so I bought some and then realized I didn’t know what to use it for. NOW I DO. I am super excited about this salad, although you know there will be no tomatoes on my portion. I am marinating chicken for my husband and cooking shrimp for myself. PUMPED.

• Fajita Chicken Salad: https://gimmedelicious.com/2017/05/18/grilled-fajita-chicken-avocado-salad/#wprm-recipe-container-12805

Note: I am totally going to eat black beans instead of chicken and I CAN’T WAIT.

• Chipotle Pork Chops with Zucchini: https://www.com/best-steak-marinades/#wprm-recipe-container-27352

Note: This marinade is super yummy and I think it’s good to have an easy meat-plus-veg dish in the rotation.

• Out

 

What are you excited to make for dinner this week?

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Dinners This Week

Apparently, planning and executing an extravagant dinner party does not mean you get to SKIP making dinners for your family the rest of the week. Shock!

We are having a lot of vegetables this week:

• Leftover Spinach & Arugula Salad with Chicken/Shrimp: https://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2019/02/spinach-arugula-salad-with-marinated-onion-feta-cranberry-and-candied-pecans.html
• Tex-Mex Salad with Chipotle Lime Chicken: https://vanillaandbean.com/quinoa-mango-black-bean-salad-with-smoky-pepitas-and-chipotle-lime-vinaigrette/

Notes: This is just lettuce with avocado, bell peppers, and corn. I will put black beans on mine for protein and my husband will do chicken “marinated” in taco seasoning.

• Spicy Szechuan Stir Fry: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/sizzlin-spicy-szechuan-stir-fry/
• Firecracker Salmon with Broccoli:https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/firecracker-salmon/#wprm-recipe-container-13839
• Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin with Green Beans: https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/honey-mustard-pork-tenderloin/#wprm-recipe-container-17647
• Chicken/Shrimp Fajitas: https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-fajitas/
• Cod with Asparagus in Parchment: https://www.popsugar.com/food/Cod-Asparagus-Parchment-Paper-22295834

 

What’s on your menu plan for the week?

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Dinners This Week

This Saturday is The Dinner Party. I am sure as hell not planning much of a regular menu when I am so pre-occupied with Not Losing It. I am making things as easy on myself as possible, Internet.

So here’s my meager menu:

Dinners for the Week of April 16-21:

• Today: Mulligatawny Soup
• Wednesday: Tacos
• Thursday: Crockpot BBQ Pork with Baked Potato
• Friday: Out
• Saturday: DINNER PARTY
• Sunday: Crap, it’s Easter do I have to do something special? Maybe beef tenderloin.

 

I know YOU aren’t fretting about my dinner party, Internet. What’s on your menu this week?

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Dinners This Week

Who has time to plan REAL dinners when all one wants to think about is Dinner Party Planning?

Well. Unfortunately, one’s family still needs to eat.

Here’s the menu for the week:

Dinners for the Week of April 9-15:

• Szechuan Stir Fry: https://www.com/sizzlin-spicy-szechuan-stir-fry/

Follow Up: This was DELICIOUS. I used 1/16 of a teaspoon of five spice powder and it was exactly the right amount. I love how this sauce goes well with pretty much any veggies. You can throw in bell peppers, onions, zucchini, broccoli, pea pods — whatever! Anything goes! My only complaint was that I didn’t make enough vegetables. Make more veggies next time!

• Quick Garlicky Shrimp and Couscous with Broccolini: https://www.com/quick-garlic-shrimp-and-couscous/, https://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2019/03/crispy-oven-roasted-broccolini.html

Follow Up: We did not actually make the shrimp portion of this meal (I think I made the broccolini with the vinegar chicken). The broccolini was fine, but I think I just don’t really LIKE broccolini. The stems are too tough for me to enjoy and the fluffy part is too small to make it worth the EXORBITANT price. I think I will stick to broccoli.

• Chicken Breasts with Shallots & Broccoli: https://www.com/skinless-chicken-thighs-with-shallots/

 

• Salmon in Coconut Lime Sauce with Zucchini Noodles: https://www.com/poached-salmon-in-coconut-lime-sauce/

Follow Up: This was delicious. I made it with zucchini noodles, but I think it would be yummy to stir fry some bell peppers and/or broccoli with the sauce.

• Mexican Salad with Shrimp/Chicken: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/everyday-mexican-salad/

Follow Up: This was delicious. I “marinated” the chicken and shrimp in a teeny bit of olive oil and a good heap of homemade taco seasoning. Very yummy and satisfying.

• Black Bean Burritos

 

• Out

What’s on your meal plan, Internet?

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Dinners This Week

Welcome back from spring break! It is now time to meal plan, once again! Fortunately, the time away has (temporarily, I’m sure) reinvigorated me!

Here are some recipes I am actually looking forward to making this week:

Dinners for the Week of April 2 – April 8:

• Indian Butter Chicken: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/indian-butter-chicken/

Notes: I will be adding bell peppers to this recipe for veggie appeal. Maybe chickpeas.

Follow up: This was decent. It tasted nothing at all like the kind of butter chicken you get an Indian restaurant, let’s be clear on that. But it was pretty good. And it was pretty easy. I did end up adding bell peppers and chickpeas, which were a good complement to the sauce.

• Spinach, Arugula, & Feta Salad (with shrimp/chicken to make it more of a dinner salad):
  https://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2019/02/spinach-arugula-salad-with-marinated-onion-feta-cranberry-and-candied-pecans.html

Follow up: This salad is THE BOMB. The dressing is delicious and the pickled onions are SO GOOD. I never knew arugula could be so yummy!

• Chili
• Fire Fry: https://lifeofadoctorswife.wordpress.com/2009/08/30/fire-fry/

Follow up: This batch of fire fry turned out to be WAY over-seasoned, when I was pretty sure that I had fixed my over-seasoning issues. (What I do is use an entire large container of yogurt, then increase the spices/herbs to 1 tablespoon where the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon.) My husband and I determined that it is the YOGURT that may be at fault. I use the cheapest, lowest-calorie fat-free plain yogurt I can find, which is Dannon. Next time, I am going to get a Greek yogurt instead and see if that helps. (I know that using a full-fat yogurt helps, because I did that accidentally recently and it was DELISH, but I am not really into using full-fat yogurt every time we eat this.)

• Oven Roasted Tuna with Yum Yum Sauce + Steamed Broccoli: https://www.acouplecooks.com/yum-yum-sauce/, https://www.thespruceeats.com/grilled-salmon-or-tuna-steaks-3056837

Notes: Probably doing the yum yum sauce with the tuna is overkill, since it will be marinated already… but I have been wanting to do the sauce for a while, and this seems like a good fit.

Follow up: The yum-yum sauce was good, and I didn’t feel like it was overkill exactly. The marinade for the tuna was pretty mild. My bigger problem was overcooking the tuna. It is NOT EASY to get tuna to that perfect cooked-on-the-outside, -pink-on-the-inside level. Maybe next time I will use a different type of fish.

• Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin with Green Beans & Potatoes: https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/honey-mustard-pork-tenderloin/

Follow up: This was very delicious.

• Out

In addition to buying the ingredients for the above, I will be buying food to replace some of the items that were lost to our extended power outage. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been – it only affected one outlet, which had to be reset when we got home. The outlet happened to be the same one that powers both our wireless internet and our downstairs fridge. The wifi is now rebooted, and now communicating with our security system so our security company can stop calling us (they are on top of things, at least), and the fridge is up and running again. But everything in it was room temperature by the time we came home, so everything perishable had to be thrown out. The saddest things to toss were a) two miniature cakes I made with leftover cake batter from Carla’s last birthday; although my experience with eating the top of my wedding cake after a long stint in the freezer should have been enough to deter me from keeping them quite so long; b) a brand-new box of chicken dinosaurs, which have been Carla’s Entrée of Choice lately; and c) three packages of pork chops I got on sale. UGH. Oh, and a three-pack of butter from Costco. I held onto that a little longer than the rest of the stuff. BUTTER.

Oh well. Aside from the regrettable tossing of what was once perfectly good food, I am also kicking myself for not leaving the freezer unplugged long enough to clean it. Some ancient boxes of popsicles leaked and there are now greenish icebergs in the back of my freezer. Ew.

 

What are you having for dinner this week?

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