Greek pasta salad, cheesy turkey, leek and potato gratin, teriyaki glazed pork chops with pineapple salsa, roasted asian salmon fillets.
Has the first half of the year really flown by for anyone else? It's hard to believe that Canada Day is just around the corner, and that it is now officially summer. I'm looking forward to lots of barbecuing, campfires and sunsets.
On the menu - June 23 - June 29, 2019:
Sunday Barbecued Chicken with Greek Pasta Salad and green salad
Sunday seems to be the day for chicken around here lately. Tonight we barbecued skin-on, bone-in thighs over an open fire. They turned out amazing and were seasoned simply with a spice mix. I'm not normally a "skin" person but it was crispy and super good. On the side, we served a Greek Pasta Salad and a green salad. I realize the link above isn't actually for Greek Pasta Salad, but it gives you the basics. That's why I love this recipe - it can so easily be adapted to whatever veggies or dressing you have on hand, or that your people like. Tonight I used Greek dressing and kept things simple with diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, and some orange pepper. I added a little red onion and feta cheese and skipped the olives. I also used penne pasta but really any shape will do. I used an entire box of penne and it served 9 people with seconds for almost everyone. If you've never made pasta salad before, you really can't go wrong with this recipe. It's always a hit, especially with kids or teens.
Monday Leftovers / eat out / takeout
Tuesday Cheesy Turkey, Leek and Potato Gratin and green salad
I've had leeks in my fridge for a couple of weeks in anticipation of making this recipe (I don't recommend that, by the way!), and decided I'd better get them used. From Gina Homolka's "Skinnytaste One and Done", this recipe took a bit longer to cook than I usually like, but it's always a good chance to clean up the kitchen before supper instead of after... Or keep working at my desk, as the case may be. If you're looking for budget-friendly meats, ground turkey is an excellent choice at around $5-6 per pound (at least in this area). I didn't have any frozen carrots, so I just diced my own and made them really small. They were well-cooked at serving time. This dish was really moist and flavourful, and the cheesy potatoes on top were just enough. I know my son will be thrilled to find these leftovers in the fridge later.
Wednesday Teriyaki-Glazed Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa and green beans
I appreciated the reminder from Ali, who posted this recipe (above), to marinate these pork chops for at least 30 minutes ahead of cooking. I need to start making better notes when I'm meal planning (and perhaps actually read the recipe in its entirety before I decide when to make it!) Confession time - I'm not good at that and I almost never read a recipe through before starting it. A bad habit, I know! Usually it works out, but sometimes I regret it. Failing to allow enough time for marinating is definitely one of those times! This recipe comes from "The Skinnytaste Cookbook" by Gina Homolka. The salsa was sweet and the chops were savoury - a great combo. We still don't have a barbecue so I cooked the chops in a frying pan. Gina recommends serving these with Sesame Green Beans from the same cookbook, but the blog post suggested sweet potato wedges. I wasn't feeling "fussy" so I just steamed some green beans on the side.
I might have mentioned that I am cooking my way through Greta Podleski's "Yum & Yummer" cookbook. I mean, why scour the internet for recipes when you can look through her gorgeous cookbook and come up with an amazing meal? It wasn't until I was pulling out ingredients to make supper tonight that I realized I had planned to make two Asian-inspired dishes pretty close together (last night's Teriyaki-Glazed Pork Chops and this one). I was a little concerned about that. I was also a bit concerned that the Roasted Asian Salmon Fillets with Sesame-Ginger Marinade would taste too similar to the Crunchy Asian Slaw (despite Greta's recommendation that they be served together!) Never fear - they are not alike in the slightest. All the crunchy vegetables (love the cilantro and the julienned sugar snap peas especially) soaked up the dressing and tasted completely different than the fish. Just delicious! If you're looking for a different and veggie-filled salad, this is your dish. And it's great with the fish! (Sorry, I couldn't resist).
Friday Leftovers / eat out / takeout
Saturday Tasty Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatiki and Greek Salad
This is one of my favourite recipes when I'm not sure what to make and I don't have a lot of time to get supper on the table. I love to use Hayter's Onion & Parsley Turkey Burgers instead of making my own, and they are so good with the Tzatiki and Greek Salad from the link above. I especially love this recipe because I nearly always have everything to make it on hand.
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