Why is it so hard to get dinner on the table the last few weeks of the school year? I managed to get my act together last week! I hope these meal ideas and my notes help you with at least one dinner this week.
I have posted about these ribs before, but this time we were able to throw them on the grill. Seriously, the BEST ever [the title does not lie!]. The macaroni salad was excellent as the side. Great for cookouts or potlucks.
I used San-J Gluten Free Thai Peanut Marinade and Dipping sauce instead of the Hoisin and Bragg Liquid Aminos instead of soy sauce. [Two easy swaps and this is gluten free.] I doubled the sauce portion of the recipe but didn’t mix it in with the turkey. I simply put it in a bowl so we could put a little sauce on each wrap. These wraps are packed with flavor-you won’t miss any of the fat!
My grocery story did not have boneless short ribs. The butcher suggested flat iron steak cut into 2-inch pieces instead. He did not steer me wrong! Throw this in the slow cooker and dinner is ready when you are. Full of flavor, and great when paired with the tang of the slaw.
{Images 1 and 2 by Where is June?}
{Images 3 and 4 by Raymond Hom for Real Simple}
The long weekend is just days away! Is there a barbeque in your future? This Hawaiian macaroni salad is the perfect side for ribs, burgers, and other grilled fare. Simple ingredients and a bit of tang.
Hawaiian-Style Macaroni Salad
Serves 3 to 5 Ingredients 1/2 lb. elbow macaroni 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced 1 rib celery, cleaned and diced 1/4 red onion, diced (about 1/3 cup) 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1- 1 1/2 teaspoons bonito flakes (2 1/2 tablespoons canned tuna, drained) 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional salt and pepper to taste
1. Fill a large pot with water, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Add about 2 tablespoons of salt and the macaroni and stir. 2. Boil macaroni for about 12-15 minutes or until al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside. 3. Place mayonnaise, bonito flakes, vinegar, and mustard (if using) in a small bowl and stir together. Season with salt and pepper. 4. Fold carrots, celery, onions, and mayonnaise mixture into the bowl of macaroni and stir together until completely combined. 5. Place mixture in the refrigerator for at least an hour and adjust seasoning before serving.
We served macaroni salad with these ribs over the weekend. Delicious.
This was gobbled up last night in no time flat! My husband was thrilled because Chinese food is one cuisine that is not gluten-free friendly! [It just so happened this recipe was gluten free.] My kids loved it too.
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
The chicken coating:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
salt + pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oilThe sweet and sour sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
4 tbs ketchup
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9×13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.
It has been so great to be able to share my weekly dinner plans with you! The feedback I have received has been so postitive! We are all so, so busy and having a plan for dinner makes it easier to eat well and stay sane! Last week was unusual. The amazing weather kept us busy [in a GREAT way!] all weekend, so I fell short on making my own plan for the week. With out-of-the-ordinary sunshine, multiple evening events, practice schedules, and my husband out of town on business….I barely pieced together our meals. So, I decided to share recipes that were reader favorites and one of my own. [I have had kale, avocado & egg toast multiple times since posting about it!]
Have a great week! If you haven’t tried these recipes they are all delicious and worth putting on your menu.
I have posted about these nachos before and I stand firm. Hands down, these are my all-time favorite!
They are a breeze to make [ready in less than 20 minutes] and a family favorite. Last night I didn’t have sour cream on hand, so I simply topped with Wholly Guacamole and it was perfect. A plate of these and a mid-week margarita. Dinner is served!
Oh, the weather outside is LOVELY…but we all still need to eat. This is when a plan for the week is crucial. No one wants to think about what to make for dinner when the sun is shining! No need to think, just find a meal from our week’s worth of meals. You are bound to find at least one. [I highly recommend the kale, egg, & avocado toast. delicious!]
The flavors of this slow-cooker beef was great. However, the recipe calls for 4 hours on low. When using chuck roast, you will need to cook it more like 7 hours on low for the beef to be tender. But since it is in the slow cooker it is no big deal. We had this on a baseball night. We arrived home after the game and dinner was ready!
I followed the directions for skillet cornbread on the packaging and it turned out perfect. [A tablespoon of butter in the hot pan may have had something to do with it.] I have used the chili mix many times before. It is ready in 25 minutes. You simply add water and tomato paste.
PS. We had takeout for meal 5. I live in the real world too!
{Photo credit: 1. Randy Mayor 2. Kate Sears 3. love & lemons}
Monkey bread could be the best food on earth. No joke. What could be better than ooey gooey cinnamon bread straight out of the oven? That’s right, nothing!
Since I could eat the whole bundt pan on my own, I have deemed it a “special occasion” only food. Mother’s Day is right around the corner and this would be perfect if you are hosting brunch for a crowd or cuddling in bed with your kids. You do the prep work the night before and simply enjoy the goodness in the morning. {You could even hand the recipe to your husband and have him make it with the kids!}
Ingredients:
20-30 Frozen Rhodes Classic Dinner Rolls {Found in the frozen section of the supermarket.}
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butterscotch pudding mix (dry)
2 Tbls. Cinnamon
1/2 cup butter (1stick) melted
1. Grease bundt pan and add frozen rolls. Mix dry ingredients and sprinkle over rolls. Pour melted butter over the top.
2. Cover with a damp cloth and turn out the lights!
3. The rolls will rise over night.
4. Bake 350 for 25-30 min. Let cool for 5 minutes, then turn the bread onto a large serving plate.
This week included leftovers and a kid chosen meal. Not everything is gourmet in this house. I hope you have a great week ahead and can find at least one meal to make for dinner. I made two recipes from America’s Test Kitchen magazines. Unfortunately, they don’t allow you to access recipes online unless you have a paid subscription. I had to type the recipes, thus the long post today:
Meal 1:: Weeknight Turkey Bolognese (recipe after the jump) This was a great recipe but very much a Sunday meal. Took over 40 minutes, which I consider too long for a weeknight. There were tons of leftovers, so this will give you one additional meal during the week.
Meal 2:: Italian Cobb Salad I posted about this salad earlier this week. Great for a night when you are making dinner at 8pm.
Meal 3:: Mom’s Famous Sliders Not really famous, except with my family. I add low sodium soy sauce and Lawry’s seasoning to the ground beef. This recipe’s high note is to serve the sliders on King’s Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls. Who can resist?
Meal 4:: Chicken with Butter Beans and Chorizo (recipe after the jump) This one skillet meal is easy and tasty. I used chicken chorizo from Whole Foods, but any link sausage would probably work.
Weeknight Turkey Bolognese 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 onion, but into 1 inch pieces 2 oz of pancetta, cut into 1 inch pieces 1/2 cup diced cremini mushrooms 1 anchovy fillet, rinsed 1 (28oz) can whole tomatoes 1 teaspoon sugar 1 garlic clove, minced 1 pound lean ground turkey 1 1/2 cups 2% low-fat milk 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/2 cup dry white wine
1. Pulse carrots and onion in food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to bowl. Process pancetta, mushrooms, and anchovy until finely chopped. Transfer to bowl. Pulse tomatoes with their juice until smooth.
2. In Dutch oven melt butter or heat oil. Add pancetta mixture and cook until brown. Stir in carrot mixture and 1 teaspoon of salt, cover and cook until softened.
3. Stir in garlic and turkey. Brown for 1 minute. Stir in milk and simmer until nearly evaporated (18-20 minutes)
4. Stir in tomato paste and wine. Simmer until nearly evaporated. Stir in tomatoes and simmer.
Serve over cooked pasta. Our absolute favorite gluten-free pasta is Schar. I used the spaghetti for this Bolognese.
Chicken with Butter Beans and Chorizo 1 1/2 pounds of chicken tenderloins 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, halved and sliced thin 8 oz chorizo sausage, cut into 1/4 inch rounds 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 (16oz) cans butter beans, drained and rinsed 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned. Transfer to plate.
2. Add remaining oil, onion and chorizo to skillet and cook until onion is soft. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes, broth and butter beans and cook until slightly thickened.
3. Return chicken to pan and any accumulated juice and simmer until chicken is cooked through. Stir in parsley and serve.
In the next few hours every mom will be asking herself the very same question, “What is for dinner?”. If your schedule is as hectic as ours this week, sometimes a quick and easy salad is the answer. How about an Italian Cobb Salad?
a quick list of ingredients:
Romaine lettuce
Basil
Grape tomatoes
Rotiseerie chicken from the deli
Gorgonzola cheese
Pancetta
Eggs [hard boiled]
Olive Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Easy dressing: 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 T red wine vinegar. Whisk in some of the cheese to add an extra flavor boost.
Crisp the pancetta on the stove for about 5 minutes. Also saute the grape tomatoes until the skins are wilted. Build your salad in a large bowl. Pour dressing on top.
Dinner is served. Happy Wednesday! [It feels like it should be Friday.]
You can also check out my weekly plan for more meal ideas.
Our week was crazy busy! Although I had my plan for dinners, obtaining the groceries to make the planned meals is essential. I will have to do a better job next week because I was a mad woman on 3 of the nights trying to hustle to the store between drop offs and pick ups. In the spirit of full disclosure and keeping it real, one night I resorted to chicken salad sandwiches. So here it is. Hope you find at least one meal for next week!
Meal 1:: Posole I had never used pork tenderloin in stew or soup before. It was a great change of pace.
Meal 2:: Spicy Turkey Meatloaf I sauteed the onions, mushrooms and garlic and mixed the meatloaf in the afternoon. After dropping off Little Man at baseball, I ran home and put it in the oven. This was a super tasty meatloaf and the seasoned ketchup topping was a great addition.
Meal 3:: Shrimp Tacos My dear husband loves these tacos. {I have made them before.} He voted this is as his favorite meal this week. You can easily make the slaw ahead of time. This meal comes together in a matter of minutes.
Meal 4:: Yep. Quick and easy. Don’t judge.
Chicken Salad Diced chicken breast [I used a rotisserie chicken from the deli.] Red seedless grapes -sliced in half 2-3 Celery stalks-diced into bite size pieces Pecan pieces- [If you are an overachiever you could toast them in the oven for 3-5 minutes] 1/4 cup of Poppy seed salad dressing [I used Newman’s Own.]
Combine all ingredients and chill. Serve on bread or rolls of your choice.
Meal 5:: Beef with Snow Peas I do want to try this recipe because it sounds delicious. [If you make it, let me know how it is!] However, I totally cheated. If you want to “fake” it like me…..I cut flank steak super thin, used a bottle of marinade, sauteed snow peas and green onions with the steak, and served it over quinoa.
