I’ve written before about how I wish I was a more organized person. I’ve always wanted to be one of those people who goes to the supermarket, like, once a month because they have their meals planned out for the next 30 days, and know exactly what they need to buy. But alas, more often then not, I end up food shopping multiple times a week because I’m totally scattered and have no idea what I’m doing until two hours before dinner.
That’s why I’m very excited to be joining a bunch of terrific bloggers in their Weekly Meal Plan series! Every Sunday, I’ll be posting a roundup of great recipes perfect for the week ahead. The emphasis will be on easy weeknight dinners, but of course there will be some fun drinks, desserts, and snacks thrown into the mix.
I missed weeks 1 & 2 (you can check out some of those meal plans here and here), so I’m jumping right in with week 3.
Ready? Let’s eat!
Chinese Fried Rice with Beef and Vegetables
Fried rice is one of the few “not plain” foods that Owen will eat. Usually, in true three-year-old fashion, no single food should touch any other single food, ever–if macaroni and cheese touches the hot dog, they are both ruined. But he loves fried rice! This is such a comforting easy meal for a Monday night.
Vegan Yogi Bowls
I typically run fix or six miles five mornings a week, but Tuesdays are always one of my days off. Because I didn’t exercise, I like to keep dinner extra healthy. These quinoa bowls with sweet potatoes, chickpeas, avocado, and creamy cashew sauce are perfect!
Honey Walnut Shrimp
Tempura is surprisingly easy to make at home! I love the combination of crispy shrimp, crunchy walnuts, and sweet honey sauce in this recipe. A tip: sometime last year I started buying 1-pound bags of raw frozen shrimp to stash in our freezer. It’s turned out to be such a lifesaver on those days I don’t make it to the store. I highly recommend it.
Artichoke and Olive-Stuffed Portobellos
This is one of my favorite early spring meals: a mixture of artichokes, olives, garlic, and lemon is stuffed inside portobello caps, showered with herbed panko and baked until the filling is hot and the topping is crispy and golden brown. It’s vegan, and you can make the filling up to a week in advance.
Fresh Sautéed Garlic Broccoli Spaghetti
Spaghetti night! On Fridays we usually open a bottle of wine, and I love a good Italian red with a big bowl of pasta.
Slow Cooker Ratatouille with Fried Eggs
Prep this in the morning while your drinking your coffee, and by dinner time, all you have to do is fry up some eggs. Sometimes we spontaneously decide to go out to eat on Saturday nights, which is another reason this ratatouille is a great choice–if we don’t eat it, it tastes even better the next day.
Guinness Beer Bread
Sundays are all about lazy breakfasts. Plus, it’s almost St. Patrick’s Day! This Guinness bread would be awesome with a cheese plate, and leftovers would be great for take-to-work lunches for the week ahead.
