Ratatouille, ginger pork with mushrooms, potato salad, zucchini hummus noodles and a salad plate
I find that summer always goes by so quickly. Here we are already in July! We're trying hard to hang onto every last bit and really be present in all of the beautiful moments.
I may have mentioned that I love sunsets, and I find it fascinating that no two are ever the same, even though they may have been photographed from nearly the exact same spot.
This week on the meal plan, I made use of my slow cooker a bit more, and also tried some new summery salads. I hope you enjoy them as you soak up the sunshine and try to keep your kitchen cool!
On the menu June 28 - July 4, 2020:
Sunday Slow-Cooked Ratatouille with pasta, garlic bread and green salad
This is a fantastic way to use summer veggies and it tastes great over pasta or rice. We didn't find that it made quite 10 servings as the recipe states, but it definitely made 6 or 7. This Ratatouille was very flavourful and we all loved it. If your family doesn't like eggplant, not to worry. I don't think they'll even be able to tell it's in there. P.S. Do not skip the black olives - they are awesome in this dish and really add great flavour!
Monday Bacon Caprese Salad
It's hard to go wrong with the beautiful flavours of mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and basil. Add in some bacon, and wow! This recipe is a summer favourite around here. To avoid cooking altogether, buy pre-cooked bacon or make your own on a day when it's cooler outside and freeze it to use later. This salad is light, fresh and so pretty!
This was very good, and I was really surprised that even my son loved it. As I've mentioned before, he really isn't a fan of pork, but he actually requested leftovers of this meal. I haven't used water chestnuts in cooking very often but they were tasty in this dish. The Broccoli Sesame Noodles use ingredients that I wouldn't normally think of combining, but they were excellent. If you buy Udon noodles from the refrigerated section of your grocery store, I would recommend rinsing them before serving. (Scroll down in the above-linked recipe to find the noodle recipe.) As Jessica Fisher suggests, this meal came together in under 30 minutes and didn't use the oven - perfect for a warm summer evening. From her "Good Cheap Eats Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less" cookbook.
Wednesday Awesome Potato Salad with honey garlic sausage and kale slaw
It just wouldn't be summer without a creamy potato salad. This is a simple potato salad recipe that's always good. I cooked some potatoes the night before so that they could chill in the fridge tossed with some salt and pepper and a little oil and vinegar. (That's a trick my dad's mom always used). Sometimes I find that the onion in potato salad gets strong on the second day, so I added the remaining ingredients today. I've also had good luck using Vidalia onions, rather than regular yellow onions. This was really tasty served alongside the sausage and kale slaw.
Thursday Leftovers / takeout
Friday Creamy Zucchini Noodles with roasted chicken
This was surprisingly delicious and was still very good the next day. The dressing didn't separate at all and the noodles maintained some crunch. I recently bought a giant basil plant, so I was happy to have a reason to use some of it. Give this a try! It's tasty, cool and would pair well with so many main dishes. I served it with a purchased rotisserie chicken tonight.
Saturday Salad Plate
Tonight I served up a collection of salads left over from the last few days. This is definitely a summer fave around here. You can use any combination of salads you have on hand (or even some purchased ones). Add cold meat of your choosing and a fresh bun or baguette and dinner is served. It's a crowd-pleaser every time. A good rule of thumb is to have at least one carb-based salad, one salad with a mayo-based dressing, and one with a vinaigrette. You can definitely have more than one of each but it's best if they each have a different flavour. (For example, I wouldn't serve a standard coleslaw with Best Ever Broccoli Salad because they are too similar.) Serve and enjoy!
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