I feel very blah  this week, in terms of meal planning. It’s so cold. I just want to curl up in a big bowl of spaghetti and meat sauce until spring.

Dinners for the Week of January 29- February 5:

We are rolling over a couple of meals from last week:

• Thai Veggie Quinoa Bowls with Shrimp & Bell Peppers: https://avocadopesto.com/thai-veggie-quinoa-bowl-gluten-free-vegan/#wprm-recipe-container-19442

Note: I made these veggie quinoa bowls as a side a looooooong time ago. And now I am going to attempt to alter the recipe to make it more My-Family-Friendly for a main course. I’m adding shrimp, which I will probably marinate quickly in some lime juice and garlic and paprika, and I am replacing the broccoli with red and green bell peppers. Also, I am going to increase the amount of quinoa so there’s enough to satisfy my husband’s appetite. Also also, I am not including the peanuts.

Follow Up: Well, even though I amped up the veggie quotient and added shrimp, this still felt like a side dish. A GOOD side dish, don’t get me wrong. But my husband, in particular, didn’t feel like it was hearty enough for dinner. He added a big pile of spinach to his, which made it feel more like a salad. But we discussed how to dinner-size it more for next time and came up with these solutions: 1) We will add avocado and edamame to the salad to make it feel meatier. 2) My husband might also add black beans to his portion, which I rejected because I don’t like cold black beans. (He also suggested adding corn, which doesn’t seem like it would “go,” to me, but maybe I’m being overly rigid.) 3) We will add a small amount of honey to the dressing, which had some bitterness. I used this recipe for the shrimp, which was fine, but not so spectacular I’m rushing to do it again.

And:

• Oven Baked Pork Chops with Broccoli: https://www.recipetineats.com/oven-baked-pork-chops-with-potatoes/

Note: This is one of my favorite marinades. Simple and delicious. I will pair it with broccoli.

These are the new meals on the agenda. I am guessing we will end up eating out on Saturday night this week, so I’ve tried not to over-plan.

• Veggie Stir Fry (with Beef for My Husband): https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/veggie-stir-fry/

Note: I’ve made this before, as a side for something else. It was good enough that I want to try it as the main course.

Follow Up: This was good. Definitely a solid stir fry.

• Chickpea Curry: https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/chickpea-curry/

Note: This is a brand new recipe. I bet my husband will want some sort of meat as an accompaniment… Maybe I can roast him a chicken breast to add to his portion. And I will probably throw in some bell peppers leftover from the veggie stir fry to give it some color.

Follow Up: I was super suspicious of this, because I had no idea what it would taste like. It didn’t seem like it was inspired by Indian flavors… but it also didn’t seem particularly Thai… After eating it, I’d say it is somewhere in between-ish, maybe a little more on the Thai side. It reminded me a little of Massaman curry, but my husband disagrees. My husband and I had a little debate about the sauce. We both felt there wasn’t enough (and it was DELICIOUS). But I think if you doubled the sauce, it would be TOO saucy. And you can’t do one-and-a-half portions, because you’d be stuck with a half can of coconut milk and I for one don’t want to waste it or measure it out in the first place. So we decided on halving the chickpeas. Chickpeas, it turns out, are VERY high in calories OMG I did not realize that before putting this on the menu. It’s too bad, because I love chickpeas. Often, as with this recipe, I prefer them to meat of any kind. But if you jack up the veggie quotient, I think you won’t even miss the second can of chickpeas. Lower calorie, better sauce distribution: I think that’s how I would modify this in future.

• Quick Garlic Lime Marinated Pork Chops with Zucchini: https://www.skinnytaste.com/garlic-lime-marinated-pork-chops-6-pts/

Note: This marinade sounds easy and delicious. I will probably sauté the zucchini with a red onion and some minced garlic.

• Hamburgers in the Instant Pot: https://www.simplyhappyfoodie.com/instant-pot-hamburgers/

Note: I am suspicious of this recipe, but I love hamburgers and burgers sound properly festive for eating during the Super Bowl, so we’re going to try them.

Follow Up: THESE WERE SO GOOD. They were super easy, especially because my husband made them. And delicious. I kind of want to eat these every day.

What’s on your menu for the week?