This week I’m keeping it really simple. I’m not going to lie and say if I can make all this for dinner, so can you… but I think what’s better is that if I can get my husband to make all this, anyone can do it. That is not a slam on my husband at all. In fact, he does 99% of the cooking in our house. Yep, I plan and shop. But since he gets home before I do, he has dinner started by the time the kids and I get home.
We’ve both been just crazy busy at work lately, so if I can plan any home cooked meals that he’ll make without suggesting take-out I call it a success. One of these weeks though, just for fun, I’m not going to plan or shop for meals. I want to see if it affects our weekly budget if we get “healthy” take-out every night. Plus I’m sure we’ll appreciate the home cooked meals more after a week of that.
Now on to this week:
HERE’S HOW WE DO IT:
Turkey Brie Panini on Ciabatta – We had this not too long ago but it’s so good I was craving it again. Plus we can use the brie for Charcuterie (cheese, salami and bread) night. Anyway, this is just a ciabatta roll, chutney or pepper jelly on one side, turkey, then brie. Grill on the (affiliate link) George Foreman for just a few minutes. Throw together a little side salad of slices of tomato and you’ve got a delicious meal.
Baked Panko Chicken Tenders w/Roasted Root Veggies – We get the chicken tenders already cut. Soak them in a little bit of milk. Roll them around in some panko. This next step is important… when they’re laying on the cookie sheet spray them with pan spray (I like the coconut oil spray). That makes them crispy. Spread your root veggies out on the same pan (we use the pre-cut ones in the freezer at Trader Joe’s). Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.
Asian Peanut Pork Chops w/Peas and Rice – I have some Peanut Dressing left over from the Asian Chicken Chopped Salad. So I’ll marinate the pork chops (or cutlets) in that, then grill the pork. Just simmer some peas and toss with a little butter, salt and pepper. And it’s so not cost effective, but we use the frozen cook-in-bag rice from Trader Joe’s. It’s so fast and cooks perfectly every time. Again, just add a little butter, salt and pepper.
Cheese, Salami and Baguette – Slice up some tomato to go along with it and you’ve got all the food groups covered. Believe it or not this is actually something every member of our household will eat.
Pretzel Bagel Pizzas – It seems like we always have leftover ingredients, including marinara sauce of some sort. These help mix up the monotony of pizza. We just slice the bagels in half, spread marinara over, cover in shredded cheese, then whatever toppings everyone wants. I usually want broccoli if we have it, and this week we’ll use some of the leftover salami as well. Also, to save some energy, we just bake these in the toaster oven. 420 for 15 minutes or so.
Cauliflower Veggie Fried Rice – Get the recipe here.
Roasted Broccoli, Tomato, Pinenut Penne – Really easy and really flavorful. Put some chopped broccoli florettes, tomato wedges, and pinenuts on a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper, Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Meanwhile cook some whole wheat penne. Save 1/2 cup of the pasta water when you drain it. And when the veggies are done, stir everything together with some olive oil and Parmesan. Squeeze some fresh lemon at then end for brightness.
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