What to Cook for Dinner this Week
I can’t believe it’s Friday again already. This week flew by at top speed for me. Today is E’s birthday, which means he gets to choose what he wants for breakfast (plain ol’ French toast) and dinner. We’ll follow it up with a bit of a family party on Sunday. Ted, Jen and their kids will come over and I’ll make E’s favorite dinner in the world – his mom’s East African pork curry – and the same dark chocolate birthday cake with peanut butter frosting that I’ve made for him every year since we met. But in the meantime, I still have to plan and shop for next week, as do you, I’m sure. So let’s get on with it, yes?
I’ve been trying to make more “three-part meals,” because E likes them. You know what I mean: a plate that has a meat, a vegetable, and a grain or starch in three separate items (although I think he’d be fine if they were really “two-part meals” with the vegetable portion left out). Personally, I tend to like one-pot meals best, and a lot of international dishes are made in one pot, so I do a lot of those. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do a three-part meal in under an hour. You’ll see some here this week, and probably more often in my weekly menus.
Monday: Pretzel Chicken, 12-Minute Mashed Potatoes, and oven-roasted green beans.
Tuesday: Rustic Spanish Tortilla with Smoked Sausage and Quick Garlic Alioli. A fabulous one-pot meal that comes together much like a frittata. Serve with a green salad.
Wednesday: Butter Chicken. You don’t need an Indian restaurant for great butter chicken. Serve with brown basmati rice.
Thursday: Panko-Crusted Tilapia with Lime and Tomato Salsa. I like to serve this with quinoa or couscous and some steamed or roasted baby broccoli.
Friday: Takeout Night. Also known as Family Night. Takeout. Used bookstore. Ice cream and playtime at Chick fil-A.
Saturday: Spaghetti and Spring Vegetables. We’ll hit the farmers market on Saturday morning, and I’ll use whatever I find. And I’ll probably use fusilli or cavatappi instead of spaghetti. L likes noodles she can grab.
Sunday: Chicken Pot Pie. Ahh, yes. The pot pie. The one we love. We can never go very long without having it.
Weekend Breakfast: Apples and Spice Baked Oatmeal. It’s all but irresistible.
Happy weekend, friends!
