I feel like I’ve done this before. This menu plan. But even if I have it wouldn’t have been exactly like this. There are always new recipes, new tastes, new trends to tempt me when I make a specific menu plan. And always weather considerations once we reach optimum grilling months.
My usual procedure, which I talked about here includes the internet, magazines, cookbooks, my imagination, and whatever else has popped a certain food or flavor onto my radar. However, the routine got derailed after clicking through my Pinterest pins and using the search box on Pinterest for the veggies I have on hand.
My notes after my Pinterest raid seemed sufficient! I had a list filled with recipes for yummy sounding vegetable side dishes. All that was needed was to fill in a simple protein preparation and figure out which day I wanted to place the meal onto.
A check of the weather — we grill all the time, but I *try* to be nice to hubby — shows another veritable spring heat wave. This would be the second one this month. We hit 80-something this past week, which is pretty unusual for May here in rain country.
Requiring myself to put beef on the menu twice a week in order for the two of us to even BEGIN to use up our half a cow this year made it easy to write in “Burgers” on Thursday. 73 degrees that day… we may even eat outside! What other beef is worthy of the BBQ during this welcome-summer weather? Steaks, of course!
Here are the Pinterest links that I am using, or being inspired by:
Fresh peas option 1 and option 2
Beet Greens with Bacon (only with way way more garlic, of course!)
Which reminds me that I also need to use the beets that the greens were attached to! Roasted, cut, sprinkled with balsamic, chilled — my mom and I will enjoy those on hamburger day!
… and then just search “stuffed portobello mushroom” and take your pick! I will be using ricotta seasoned with basil and garlic as I use in lasagna, along with chopped spinach or kale, chunky spaghetti sauce, fresh basil, parmesan, probably some chopped artichoke hearts and possibly some olives… and a slice of provolone to seal it all in! Because, you know? I couldn’t pick just one of those pins that came up!
Then there’s this! A playful approach to picking a recipe that paid off! I took myself to my favorite food blog, having decided to use the first recipe that would work as part of a meal. How could I possibly have been more successful? Especially with my love of fresh veggies, right?
You see that my menu plan, as typical for me, does not include creamy, cheesy, fried, processed offerings. We eat out often enough that I like to keep it light and healthy at home. Or leave the options open for nights where we grab something out of the freezer like… Costco’s breaded chicken tenderloins and top them with Frank’s buffalo wing sauce … or Trader Joe’s frozen Mac and Cheese … or when I just have to have a Marie Calender’s chicken pot pie (addicted!) … or make grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough. Hubby + Costco = plenty of less-than-healthy options ;)
What’s for dinner at your house this week?
Gail
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