Meal Ideas (w/o 7/30)

hannahbananas11

I hope you don't mind me starting this, @mainemama_!

Friends, if you've got a good recipe or meal idea, post it here!

Try to include whether this dish/meal is quick and easy, kid friendly, pantry-heavy (uses primarily ingredients you'd already have in your pantry), more time-intensive, etc!

hannahbananas11

Just noticed that I didn't capitalize the title of this thread OR include the week.


*edit: I can edit the thread title! Fixed!

Anyway, I've gotten a ton of tomatoes in my CSA the last two weeks, so I'm planning to make this dish tonight: https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/07/scalloped-tomatoes-with-croutons/

It looks like a quick dish, using many things that I already have in my pantry or fridge (including that baguette that I forgot to use yesterday and is probably a bit stale today). Plus, the recipe's from Smitten Kitchen, who never leads me astray.

I'm planning to saute some string beans with olive oil and sea salt to serve alongside.

bleucheeznwine

I really crave soup lately, so this week I'm making these two soups. I haven't made either before, so I can't vouch for them specifically, but have made recipes before from both sites and they've worked out well.

https://www.savorytooth.com/instant-pot-salsa-chicken-soup/

https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/instant-pot-slow-cooker-beef-stroganoff-soup/

hannahbananas11

@bleucheeznwine These look great! I've been eyeing Instant Pots for a while now on Amazon. I'm assuming you get a lot of use out of yours?

bleucheeznwine

@Hannahbananas11 yep, I'm pretty much too lazy to cook normally now.

mainemama_

Oh my word, I totally forgot about this! Probably because the first tri everytime I thought of food I would get sick! It is starting to get better now but I'm ready for fall/school to start so I can more on routine with everything including meals. 

BourbonBiscuits

I think we're going to do some soy marinated flank steak tonight with a salad (https://www.skinnytaste.com/soy-marinated-flank-steak/) and maybe some crispy oven roasted potatoes. I've been trying to do more veggies and less carbs now that my MS has subsided, but we'll see how that goes. Last night I got a salad and felt like I was eating grass literally the entire time.

Tomorrow we'll likely do some kind of a stir fry - I like getting a lot of veggies and stir frying them with some soy sauce, garlic, ginger and sesame oil and then topping with frozen potstickers from TJs for a little protein. DS will eat the veggies and would probably like the potstickers too now that I think about it ...

I'm REALLY struggling with creative toddler meals right now. I think he's had mac and cheese and broccoli or alfredo with an avocado for dinner for 2 weeks straight. Peanut butter sandwich and applesauce for lunch every day. Yogurt and a waffle for breakfast. UGH. I usually eat my dinner after he goes down for bedtime (DH usually works dinners), so I rarely have him eat whatever I eat. Although maybe I should just start eating dinner when he does and then he can just have whatever I eat.

madreofdragons

It’s still hot as hades in Oregon so grilling some chicken for teriyaki. 

hannahbananas11

@BourbonBiscuits Will he eat chicken? I love this recipe, and it's pretty quick and kid-friendly (my 3 y.o. niece loves it).
https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/253077/almond-crusted-chicken-fingers/
Edit: I should note that I don't put the tenders on top of the baking rack in the oven (I don't have an oven-safe baking rack). I just put them straight on the foil, and it works fine. Not as crispy on the bottom as you'd get with a rack, but not soggy, either.

kayjay44

@bleucheeznwine - Also craving soup which isn't the easiest in hot as balls weather.

@BourbonBiscuits - My kids eat what we eat or they get a PB&J. We only plan separate meals when we make something spicy.

Most of our meals these days are Trader Joe's frozen meals. It could be better, it could be worse. I have no energy to cook and DH isn't very good at it (and it takes him FOREVER). 

madreofdragons

I have a super picky kid and we do eat a lot of spicy food. Lot of pb and j and mac and cheese. If she didn’t love green beans I’d be more worried. Hopefully “this one” will be a less picky eater.  

BourbonBiscuits

Yeah my kids not super picky, I usually just put him in his high chair with food while I cook so he’s not trying to “help.” I think once Santa brings him his play kitchen he’ll be a little less “helpful” while I cook ...

madreofdragons

Totally why my kid got her first kitchen @BourbonBiscuits

hannahbananas11

So I just failed. Decided that Bagel Bites sounded like a legit dinner since DH won't be home until late, so put some in the microwave and got Netflix all queued up. Don't know how, but they caught fire. So now I'm sitting on my deck as five fans try to blow the smoke out of my kitchen and living room. Bagel Bites are still smoldering in the microwave.
Ordering pizza as I type this.

kayjay44

hannahbananas11 said:

So I just failed. Decided that Bagel Bites sounded like a legit dinner since DH won't be home until late, so put some in the microwave and got Netflix all queued up. Don't know how, but they caught fire. So now I'm sitting on my deck as five fans try to blow the smoke out of my kitchen and living room. Bagel Bites are still smoldering in the microwave.
Ordering pizza as I type this.

This legitimately made me tear up.

hannahbananas11

I'm very glad that I didn't try to cook all of them. It would be so much worse if an entire box was wasted! That and the entire microwave would've probably melted from the inferno...

allthingsgo

@hannahbananas11 ahh! I can’t believe they caught fire. I’m glad you’re getting some pizza!

@madreofdragons my kid is super picky too. The only ‘veggies’ she eats are corn and fries. I make her a smoothie to try to get some healthy foods in her that she won’t touch normally. I’m just grateful she loves fruit at least. I, too, am hoping I don’t have another picky eater. 

BourbonBiscuits

This is very important breaking news fellow soup and carb lovers. And although it is not a recipe, it very much is a meal. 

danixbanani24

Omg this is perfect timing.  Trying to cook more and eat less carbs/take out since feeling better! 

Tonight I am making a dish I basically whipped up myself.  Grilled chicken cutlets with a brush of pesto on top and then I melted mozzarella on top.  I’ll sauté zucchini noodles and tomatoes on the side with more pesto, onions, garlic and a little pepper flake.

here’s one of my fav quick recipes 

https://www.skinnytaste.com/chicken-rollatini-with-prosciutto-and/

My son lives on eggs, cheese, yogurt, pb and j and chicken nuggets.  I buy organic so it’s super healthy right? Lol