We have snow this morning, our second proper snow of the season. The check-up I thought was scheduled for today is, in fact, scheduled for tomorrow. Which means my grocery shopping is now also moved to tomorrow. Most significantly, my child is back in school. I am hoping that everything goes as well as possible and that the kids are all in school for a good long time. See how breezy I am? SO BREEZY.
Dinners for the Week of January 10-January 16
- Sheet Pan Teriyaki Salmon and Green Beans: I wonder if I could substitute a chicken breast for my husband, who’s not wild about salmon? This was indeed good, and I indeed made a chicken breast for my husband.
- Roasted Garlic Balsamic Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts: I am going to attempt to combine these two recipes into a sheet pan dinner. Do the recipes recommend different temperatures? Yes. Am I still going to do it? Yes, I am. P.S. I almost never pan-sear anything before I put it in the oven. An extra dish to wash? Grease splatter all over my stove? No thank you. Works out just fine.
- Spicy Fish Taco Bowls: My husband suggested fish tacos recently, and this is an old favorite that we haven’t eaten in awhile. Plus, as everyone knows, if you put a taco in a bowl it tastes just as good. I will obviously omit the cherry tomatoes from the mango pico.
- Sesame Soy Chicken Bowls: Two bowls in one week?!?! Yes, folks, I am going there. This recipe is new to me, but it sounds yummy.
- Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken with Broccoli and Hasselback Sweet Potatoes: I really don’t think my air fryer is big enough to hold chicken and broccoli at the same time… but maybe I could roast the broccoli? Or maybe I will just steam it as I usually do? Let’s leave it for Future Me to sort out. I also reserve the right to forget completely about the Hasselback sweet potatoes. But they look so intriguing!
- Lentil Soup: This is an Ina Garten recipe and everything she touches is magic, so I kind of want to try it out. Our current weather is IDEAL lentil soup weather. Maybe I will make a loaf of miracle no-knead bread as well. Maybe not. I am breezy. This lentil soup was a disappointment. It required a LOT of chopping, even though I bought pre-chopped mirepoix from Trader Joe’s. And it just didn’t taste like anything. I tried some of the modifications suggested in the comments, like adding a parmesan rind for a long time and adding some paprika. Nothing really helped. It was warm and hearty though and it made one million bowls worth of soup, so I will be eating it for A While. The very best it tasted was when you slathered a slice of warm sourdough in butter and dipped it into the soup. Then it was very good.
That’s enough meals for the week. I’m going to try to wrap my mind around this “found time” I have today, and make a cup of tea and try to focus on revisions (which, so far, involve a lot of writing, not that I need ANY EXTRA WORDS). Maybe I’ll do some laundry. Look at me being so breezy.
How breezy are you today? Are you as breezy as I am?
I am definitely going to do my best to try to be as breezy as you, that’s for sure!
I might try that lentil soup recipe. It’s vegetarian and gluten free, so it ticks all the bases for a cozy winter meal. I wonder if it would be filling enough? I mean, lentils are filling, right? I can’t serve it with bread, but maybe I could serve it with a quick quesadilla? I don’t know. I feel like I’m taking an easy, breezy meal and making it a lot of work. I clearly need to be more breezy!
Lentils are SO filling. And quesadillas are super quick. You are still being breezy, I can tell.
I AM SO BREEZY
I’m breezier than I THOUGHT I would be. I was so, so down about the start to online learning, but it has gone so much better than the last time. Now we’re only in Day 1 (hopefully only of 5), but the kids are older and I just feel calmer about it this time around. I’m hoping that feeling lasts because it is about to get SO cold where we live and it’s going to be a lot of time inside. Right now it’s well below freezing and icy but my 7-year old is playing soccer in the driveway (which is only slightly treacherous with ice).
Can I come over for dinner? Seriously. These meals just all sound so good. Man I love food, but have definitely been trying to take things extra easy with the meals lately. Tonight is leftovers of a lentil soup I made over the weekend (Smoky Chickpea Lentil Soup): https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/smoky-chickpea-red-lentil-vegetable-soup.html
I love this soup and I bought pre-shredded carrot on sale, so it was so quick to make! Leftovers also freeze well. I always add extra smoked paprika and this time chopped up a bunch of fresh cilantro (and my husband added Mike’s Hot Honey to his).
I actually bought a BOXED lasagne to bake from frozen which I have never done and it made me giddy. We love lasagne but making one from scratch is just…not in my wheelhouse right now. That is for supper tomorrow night and I’m already feeling breezy about that one. Hopefully it is good, but even if it tastes like cardboard, it will be cardboard I did not have to prepare (I’m sure it will not – it’s a store brand we all love and the ingredient list is pretty clean…and it was on this incredible sale of $5.99 for 1 KG of lasagne).
Totally trying to be breezy! Instead of lentil soup I made a southern staple recently, chicken & dumplings (dumplin’s). Tried them in the crock pot for the first time ever — first time I’ve ever made them, period, I mean. They turned out pretty yummy! It’s the perfect weather for soups and cozy foods, even without snow!
How can he not be wild about salmon?! Asks this particular picky eater…
According to The Husband, if you MUST; switch out the salmon for chicken thighs instead of breasts – they will stay moist in the oven. Just remove the skin before serving.
The parmesan chicken sounds amazing!
Breezy? Me? Not lately…but I shall strive to be more breezy tomorrow.
SO BREEZY, SUZANNE, EVERYTHING IS BREEZY *sob*
We had some very disappointing news yesterday, which in the grand scheme of things is a mere blip. But you know what, for a teenager it’s not a blip, it’s everything. So I’m navigating that. And also making the chicken shawarma (and falafel for me) on the weekend that YOU recommended once upon a time. I always think “Suzanne!” when I make it.
Oh, Nicole, I am sorry to hear about the disappointing news. Hoping that time proves it was a blessing after all, or at least that the disappointment doesn’t linger.
Not very breezy, honestly. I’m sad Noah’s leaving in a few days and afraid he’ll come right back at the same time, which seem contradictory, but there you have it.
We have a new air fryer and Beth and North have been experimenting with it. North made doughnut holes and Beth may make kale chips today. It’s the yin and yang of the air fryer, I guess.
😂 Yes it totally is the yin and yang of the air fryer. Love it. Hoping that Noah’s departure is less sad than anticipated
I love lentil soup. That is all.