Easy tuna salad, roasted pork tenderloin with baby bok choy & noodles, spring roll bowl, bbq cheddar meatloaves, roasted cauliflower taco bowl and scalloped potatoes and ham.
I tried something new this week and made a two-week meal plan in order to reduce the number of shopping trips I need to make. I am grateful for my mom next door whose fridge is a lot emptier than mine! She made it possible for me to stock up on some of the additional items I needed, like milk and cheese, that I wouldn't have had room for.
I was kind of nervous to plan for two weeks. Even though I only went to the store about once a week before the pandemic, planning to not go for two weeks was slightly daunting. In the first week's meal plan, I focussed on using fresh items with shorter shelf lives (think tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, berries, etc.), and then in the second week, I will be focussing on using more pantry and freezer items, as well as any fresh items with longer shelf lives (like beets, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, etc.) If you're looking for more suggestions and ideas, Budget Bytes has come up with a great list of long-lasting produce you can stock up on during isolation. Check it out!
On the menu April 5 - 11, 2020:
Sunday Leftovers/takeout
It was only Mom and me for supper tonight, and I just did not feel like cooking. I knew I had a few cans of tuna and I also had some lettuce and spinach that I wanted to use up. This salad was very tasty. I highly recommend the drizzle of olive oil, balsamic glaze, and mayo on top. This is also very adaptable to whatever you have on hand - tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, avocado, beets, carrots, celery, cheese, etc. Just good!
This recipe has been kicking around in my files for several years, but I finally made it tonight. We liked it a lot, although my son's favourite part was the noodles. They went very well in this dish and were a nice change from spaghetti. I added some mushrooms to this dish as well, and they were good, too. The sauce was flavourful but not overpowering.
Wednesday Spring Roll Bowl with Peanut Sauce
Tonight's meatless meal is from Forks Over Knives. We liked it, but don't skimp on the peanut sauce - that was amazing. I didn't have any chopped peanuts for the top, but they would have been a nice addition. I found brown rice noodles in the organic section at Loblaws. Good and different!
Thursday Mini BBQ Cheddar Meatloaves with roasted potatoes and frozen veggies
I may have mentioned before that my son is not a fan of meatloaf, but he loves these. They are yummy and very kid-friendly. I love that they cook so quickly (way faster than regular meatloaf). You can cut up some potatoes in bite-sized pieces, toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them right alongside the meatloaf. Green beans could also be roasted on the same sheet pan. As always, I used Trick's Creek Farm grass-fed organic ground beef and as always, it was super flavourful. The best!
I know I just made this dish about a month ago, but it was so good, I wanted to make it again. It was just as delicious this time around. I'm still a big fan of the Cilantro Lime Ranch, and there is just something so amazing about the taco-seasoned roasted cauliflower. The rest of the family was equally excited about this dish tonight. I highly recommend it as a meatless option.
Saturday Scalloped Potatoes with baked ham, corn and Best Ever Broccoli Salad
I love scalloped potatoes made with a white sauce, and they are especially good when you add grated cheddar cheese to the sauce before baking. I do find that I always need to cook mine for an extra 10 minutes or so beyond what the recipe calls for. We had a small ham in the freezer along with some corn from our Amish neighbours that I froze last summer. It tastes like it was just cut off the cob. Sooo good! I haven't made this broccoli salad since the summer and it was a lovely accompaniment.
#quickandeasymeals #weeknightmeals #mealplanning #eatmoreveggies #iloveveggies #iowagirleats #budgetbytes #forksoverknives #trickscreekfarm
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