Valentine’s Day is Thursday and I haven’t even dragged my decorations out of the attic yet. I’m all for festive holiday decor, but the effort! The effort, ya,ll! I don’t want to get them down and put them back up. You with me? Or are you a crafty Martha Stewart-type who has had origami hearts on display since Feb 1? Anywayyyyy. Since Valentine’s Day is Thursday, it also means it’s a school night. I’m making my favorite easy dinner that feels fancy (see below). Have a great week and I hope you are filled up with the love of family and friends.
SUNDAY
The Grammy’s are tonight. I’m not super interested, but my kids want to watch. Whenever there’s an awards show, we drag a little wooden table in front of the TV and set up an ottoman as seating. Everyone eats dinner glued to the show and analyses important fashion-related issues. It’s a very rare thing for us to eat in front of the TV, so it feels like a treat. Tonight we’re getting takeout because of a specific request for soup dumplings (that I don’t intend to make). Happy year of the Pig! If you’re cooking, and you too are craving tangy Asian flavors, you could make this easy Lo Mein from Damn Delicious or the noodles I made a couple weeks ago, with tons of veggies and lots of heat.
MONDAY
Meatless Monday is here and we need something low-carb and healthy. I’ll make a big batch of my arugula, basil and avocado pesto. The avocado adds creaminess if you’re opting to leave out the Parmesan. If you have kale or spinach on hand, you can use that instead of arugula. I’ll serve mine over spaghetti squash and mix in some whole wheat spaghetti for kiddos. My family likes spaghetti squash but they like pasta even better, so sometimes I’ll stir together a 50-50 combination of spaghetti squash and pasta to camouflage the veggie quotient.
TUESDAY
There’s a speaker at our school tonight, so I’m leaving taco fixings in the Instant Pot. Use my recipe for taco seasoning and use ground grassfed beef or dark ground turkey. To make ground taco meat in the Instant Pot, set it to the sauté function. Heat a tablespoon of avocado oil and sauté 1 cup chopped onion. Stir and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add 1 pound ground meat and stir until it starts to brown and break into chunks. Add 1-2 tablespoons taco seasoning and 1 cup red salsa of your choice. Stir to combine. If you want extra vegetables, add 1 cup riced cauliflower and stir to combine. Seal the lid and set on high manual for 15 minutes. Quick release the pressure and serve with your favorite taco supplies. If the meat clumps up while cooking in the Instant Pot, break it up with a potato masher or pastry blender.
WEDNESDAY
I have a private group coming for a cooking class today. We’ll cook some recent recipe favorites that would work as a perfect dinner party menu. Email me if you’d like to be added to our cooking class newsletter. Or melissa@smartinthekitchen.com will get you added! Tonight we’re having super quick sheet pan sausage and peppers. I add broccoli to the pan, and sometimes zucchini or other veggies that need to be used up. Use a cooked sausage, I like Teton Waters Ranch or Pederson’s. Serve with grainy mustard and sauerkraut. Make a baked potato if you want or need something starchy on the side.
THURSDAY
Houston locals: Tune in to NBC today to watch me make a quick Valentine’s dinner for Courtney Zavala and Derrick Shore on HoustonLife! Keep your fingers crossed for me, I’m a little nervous to cook everything from start to finish in real time on live TV. Eek!!!
Valentine’s Day! We’re making my simple roasted salmon and serving it with a side of chermoula. Make Bon Appetit’s perfectly roasted potatoes and a big green salad. You could keep it simple with mixed greens and super simple salad dressing or make spinach salad with pesto and peas. For dessert, assemble a fruit crisp, either apple or berry, in the morning. Or make my favorite flourless chocolate cake, which is grain-free and delicious.
FRIDAY
Something easy and stress-free! I’m throwing meat in the slow cooker for French Dip Sandwiches and calling it a day.
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