Weeknight Dinners: April 23-28

SUNDAY

It’s gorgeous in Houston, cool and crisp with a full blue sky. A good grill night for sure. Since I already have pre-marinated carne asada from Trader Joe’s, I’ll just doctor it up with some fresh lime juice. It wakes up the flavor and makes it taste brighter. I’ll let it sit at room temperature while the grill heats up, then grill it for about 5 minutes a side. Add some red and yellow peppers and thick red onion slices to the grill to chop up and for tacos.

MONDAY

I have a couple meetings today, and my oldest is getting braces on for the first time. We’ll have something soft for dinner, I’m thinking Asian chicken zoodle soup from Heather Cristo’s website. You could always add some gluten free noodles or brown rice instead of the zoodles. To make it even easier to prep, use the meat from a rotisserie chicken.

TUESDAY

We have a choir concert Tuesday night. It’s that time of year: performances, playoffs, and birthday parties. Dinner in the slow cooker for sure! I’ll make a big batch of bolognese early in the day and keep it warm in the slow cooker. We’ll have it with a side of cauliflower rice and gluten free noodles for the kiddos.

WEDNESDAY

Our baby turns 9! She wants to celebrate at her favorite neighborhood Italian place, and if you live on the west side of Houston I’m sure you can guess. I think it’s her birthday pick because the waiters will sing to her in Italian. If we were eating at home tonight, I would make her weeknight lasagna since it’s one of her favorites.

THURSDAY

I’m teaching a private cooking class during the day, and heading to a charity wine dinner for Small Steps at night. The kiddos will have whole chicken in the crock pot for dinner, with sweet potato fries and a simple green salad on the side. I’ll ask one of the kids to be in charge of making the salad. My kids are more likely to eat salad if they’re testing out the kitchen skills of a sibling.

FRIDAY

We have a dance performance for our oldest, and it’s the end of a busy week. We’ll use up leftover chicken for a free-for-all leftover night of taco bowls or salad. Or maybe we’ll just stop for fajitas on the way home.