Back-to-school professional development starts next week, so my schedule just radically changed. Whew, I’m not sure I’m ready for this. I look at this as a trial run for the Fall. We still do not know what type of learning, distance or in-person, we will be doing, so trying to plan is futile. So, I am taking this week as a sort of trial run. How do I feel after Zoom sessions from 8-4 each day? Do I have time to toss something in the crockpot, or throw together a marinade? Contemplating these questions, this week’s menu reflects some simple meals and some plan ahead meals.
We begin on Monday with a California Salad with Italian Grilled Chicken Strips. At lunch, I’ll toss some chicken breast tenders into a bag with about one cup of a good quality Italian Salad Dressing and let them marinade until we get back from the gym at 7:30. The salad consists of mixed greens, avocado, dried apricots, almonds, and goat cheese. You can switch out the dried fruit and cheese for your favorites or whatever you have on hand. My husband will add Blue Cheese to his salad. This meal will quickly come together in the evening. If I remember, I will pick the greens, wash them, and set them out to dry before we leave.
Tuesday is my daughter’s day to cook, and she has chosen Caper Butter Tilapia with roasted potatoes and green beans. Anything with butter is bound to be good. This recipe is a sheet pan meal that makes for a quick clean-up when finished. Wednesday is another late night, so a plan ahead dinner is key to easing my stress. Grilled Pork Chops with Spiced Orange Sauce and a medley of summer squash requires planning ahead but will make it worth it when I come home Wednesday night and can just pull the meal out of the fridge. The Pork Chops need to marinate for at least 6 hours and can marinate for up to 24, so I plan to make the marinade while my daughter cooks dinner on Tuesday, so they are ready to toss on the grill when we get home.
The tilapia I buy comes in a bag of six, so I always have two left. I plan to add the two from Tuesday with the pieces from the previous bag and make Fish Tacos for Thursday. Toppings will include whatever veggies are in the house. Everyone will build his or her own taco. Friday means a break from cooking for me, so happy cheat day.
I let my son pick his favorite dinners for the weekend, and he chose Baked Tacos and Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs. Spaghetti is easy to make, hearty and quick, so this is a good dinner after our Sunday hikes. We usually spend an hour or two hiking at a State Park, so this is a great recovery meal that is easy to make. As always, search Pinterest if you are interested in making any of these meals. My goal for next week is to tweak one of my favorite recipes and share it with everyone.
