We started this week with a ridiculously easy Shrimp Vodka Pasta dish that tasted divine and took virtually no time at all..seriously. With so few ingredients I really did not know what to expect but we were both pleasantly surprised and had a hard time not going back for more after we cleaned our plates. We then moved on to the good ole standby, Meatloaf.
Who doesn't like a little meatloaf in their lives? Our version adds a layer of cheese and is served with mashed potatoes, brown gravy (from the little packets in the spice aisle), and a green veggie (we are partial to frozen peas...is it weird how much we love peas?). Just like Mom makes it...yum! Before you get lost reminiscing of stiffly slow dancing at your 8th grade social to "I'd do anything for love", let's give the vegetarians in the crowd a little love with our third meal: Chipotle Bean Burritos.
In general, we try to eat a meatless meal at least 1 night a week and a fish meal at least 1 night a week. If we can work in more fish/beans/veggies and less meat, we do. We love our meat though so it doesn't always work out. With that in mind, we also tried this Spring Pasta (vegetarian) recipe but were not totally enamored with it (I am including the link to the actual recipe from Cooking Light). They warned that the pasta soaks up the sauce quickly and it definitely does. If you are feeling experimental, give it a go - and if you make some adjustments that knock it out of the park for you - please share!! Maybe make more sauce to balance out the absorbancy of the noodles? Instead, I would replace that meal with the solid comfort food style Tuna Noodle Casserole. I love this recipe - pretty easy and tasty. Finally, we rounded out the week (and all those meatless/fish-centric dishes) with some Parmesan and Sage Crusted Pork Chops, served with a side of grits and some veggies. We tried using bone-in pork chops instead of the pork loin chops but would recommend going with the loin chops if you have the option. In summary, these are the recipes that graced our table this week:
Shrimp Vodka Pasta
Meatloaf
Bean Burritos
Spring Pasta or Tuna Noodle Casserole
Parmesan and Sage Crusted Pork Chops
Depending on how heartily your family eats, you could easily end up with some leftovers from these meals for lunches or maybe to fill in on a night where cooking is just not an option. Don't forget that freezing leftovers makes for a quick dinner on nights when you don't have more than a few minutes to pull together some food (I like the option of re-heating leftovers when Flick is traveling and I am on both baby and dog duty). I hope you enjoy these meals as much as we do!
