I just looked up and it’s the last week of September, not quite sure how we got here! Anyone feel the same? Hurricane Harvey threw off the month big time and Houstonians are scrambling to catch up. Piles of sheetrock, torn out flooring and ruined furniture still cling to lawns, and meal trains are still delivering dinners to ease loads, but we’re slowly getting back our mojo. Here is our meal plan this week. Stay tuned for some seriously delicious new recipes coming to the blog soon. Please let me know if there’s a recipe you’d like to see on the site this fall, just leave a comment below!
MONDAY
Arugula, basil and avocado pesto with Trader Joe’s quinoa and brown rice pasta. Arugula and basil are growing like crazy in our garden and need to be eaten up. Roasted sweet potato wedges tossed with olive oil and dusted with a little paprika and pink Himalayan salt will be the perfect side.
TUESDAY
I’m heading to Roundtop for the day and need dinner ready to feed the troops when I get home. We’ll have Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot and shortcut Borracho beans in the Instant Pot. I’m a little obsessed with my new Instant Pot — you can sauté directly in the Instant Pot, and after your item is cooked the machine automatically switches to “keep warm” mode. I’m planning to shred the chicken and set out a make-your-own taco bar with avocado, cilantro, pico de gallo, cheese, and corn tortillas. If I have time Monday, I’ll make a batch of my husband’s favorite La Taqueria Green Sauce, which is also fantastic on scrambled eggs the next morning.
WEDNESDAY
Quick, pan sautéed spiralized zucchini (in olive oil and crushed garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes) topped with lamb meatballs. Here’s a good tutorial for cooking spiralized zucchini if you need it. My youngest has been asking for mashed potatoes, so I plan to make a super simple version from the New York Times. If you’re not sure about lamb meatballs, I highly suggest you give them a try! But, if you just can’t do it, here’s a good basic beef meatball recipe from Bon Appetit. Make a double recipe and freeze half the meatballs, it will make for an easy dinner down the road.
THURSDAY
Simple roasted fish with lemon and white wine — I’ll use the blueprint from my roasted salmon recipe, but change it up with whatever fish looks fresh (probably halibut). I’ve been craving my favorite kale and Brussels sprout salad, but planning to toss in cubed Pink Lady apples. We’ll have roasted rainbow carrots on the side. Trader Joe’s usually carries organic rainbow carrots: I cut about 6-8 carrots into coins and toss them with peeled and quartered shallots, olive oil and sea salt. Sometimes I add a tablespoon of maple syrup to sweeten them up and a dash of paprika. Roast on a parchment paper-lined sheetpan in a single layer; 425 degrees for about 15 minutes.
FRIDAY
Baked chicken tenders (I make my own breadcrumbs with toasted gluten-free bread, but you can use panko or your favorite store bought breadcrumbs), with jalapeño ranch for dipping and cut raw celery sticks.
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