Thanks for the suggestions on last week’s post about easy weeknight dinners. So many options – I don’t know where to begin! I’ve looked around at Pioneer Woman’s Tasty Kitchen and I follow Annie’s Eats. I’ve bookmarked a few of Annie’s recipes, and I’m finally going to make one this week. Oddly enough, a good friend of ours from college recently moved here and has a ton of back issues of Cooking Light. She loaned me an issue this weekend from last summer featuring tons of tomato recipes (tomatoes are my absolute favorite). She and I are looking forward to swapping magazines back and forth. I’m excited to put these new-to-me sources to use.
I thought I would share my weekly meal plans occasionally, starting with this week. I’m hoping this will help me follow through with cooking a meal every night and not copping out and making a frozen pizza!
MONDAY
Garlic-Marinated Chicken Cutlets with Grilled Potatoes and Asparagus from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, page 116
TUESDAY
Weekly Dinner with K+J
Ever since our close friends from college moved in around the block, we have dinner together every Tuesday or Wednesday, swapping houses every week.
WEDNESDAY
Steak with Grilled Tomatoes and Onions originally from Every Day with Rachael Ray
This recipe is one of our go-to quick dinners that satisfies us both. The original recipe featured a parsley or cilantro based sauce, but I made it once and wasn’t impressed with how it tasted or how long it took to prepare, so we dropped it. Now, Nick grills up a smallish boneless sirloin steak with a bit of salt and pepper. I slice tomatoes (beefsteak, roma, any tomato will work just make the slices thick) and half an onion (for Nick only, I am not a fan of onions). I lightly coat the veggies in olive oil, salt and pepper them and throw them on the grill for a few minutes. In the summer, we add pineapple slices. You could grill up any vegetable you like really. This works great for us because it is so quick – we have a somewhat healthy* dinner in 15-20 minutes with very little prep or clean up. *I know, red meat isn’t super healthy, but Nick is a meat lover. Some weeks we swap out the steak for chicken.
THURSDAY
Tacos using Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken from Annie’s Eats
This chicken recipe suggests overnight marinating, so I will prep it after we get home from dinner at K+J’s.
FRIDAY
Out for dinner and a movie! Nick’s off today.
SATURDAY
Eat out or leftovers.
Saturdays are always up in the air, especially when Nick has them off.
What are you having for dinner this week? Do you plan meals?
My husband and I make the garlic marinated cutlets from Everyday Food and we absolutely love the recipe. Once we used that marinade on kebabs, and served them with grilled peaches. It was super yummy!
We’ve actually had great success with many of the recipes in that cookbook. It’s become a go-to for us.
Twitter: @lauralpotter
I menu plan every week. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite things to do each week. I do menu’s friday-thursday. Each friday morning I wake up a little early and sit down with my coffee and a random selection of cook books. I select recipes I want to try. Then I make a grocery list and do all the shopping friday after work. That way I start the weekend with fresh produce and fun meals to fix. I try and post my menu on my blog each friday.
This week we’re eating:
Tuesday- Slow cooked beef tacos with grilled corn and tomato salad (I’m making these recipes up)
Wednesday- balsamic chicken with cous cous and baby spinach from Ellie Krieger
Thursday- Turkey meatloaf with sour cream and chive smashed potatoes (also ellie krieger) and fresh mustard greens
Happy cooking!