My sweet niece and nephew arrived last week and we have been having so much fun spending time with them. It’s amazing how having people in town really makes you think outside of the box when it comes to things to do. For example, we decided to head to the beach at 5:30 on a Friday evening. It was the most fun we’ve had at the beach all summer. Why have I not thought to do this before? It wasn’t too hot, less people – the perfect time to be there. Our crew also spent a good bit of time at the farmers market where I loaded up on pickled veggies, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and sweet corn. I can’t wait to share what I made with most of the ingredients above. Stay tuned!! This weeks meal plan is full of really simple, quick meals as my time in the kitchen was significantly reduced with all we had going on. Happy, Healthy Eating Friends!
MEAL PLAN FOR THE WEEK OF 7/21
Sunday, July 21st – Pasta with Peas, Pancetta and Goat Cheese – The Modern Proper strikes again. You should have most of the ingredients for this decadent dish in your pantry with a few exceptions: pancetta, whole milk and chives. Both of my girls approved of this recipe – of course Regs pushed the peas to the side but I’m still counting that as a win.
Monday, July 22nd – Hoisin Glazed Pork Chops with Baked Okra – I adore jarred hoisin. There are a number of homemade options that are fabulous but “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I recommend always keeping a jar of this stuff in your fridge. You can use it on anything – pork, chicken, shrimp. The options are endless. Serve with Grilled Okra. Recipe below:
Grilled Okra
What You Need:
- 1lb of fresh okra
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
What You Do:
- Pre-heat the oven to 425°
- Rinse okra and pat dry. Trim ends
- At this point you can cut your okra into 1/2 inch pieces, or leave whole. I like to do a little of both. Drizzle okra with olive oil and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. If you are looking for more spice, sprinkle with cayenne!
- Bake for 15 minutes, until okra begins to brown.
- Serve immediately
Tuesday, July 23rd – Cajun Skillet – If you only plan to make one of the recipes from this week’s meal plan, make this one. I was blown away by this guy. A few quick tweaks – I pre-boiled the carrots and potatoes for about ten minutes. KID TIP – My kids didn’t find the Cajun spice to be too much but keep that in mind if your kids are spice adverse. Add the Cajun seasoning after you’ve lifted up their plates!
Wednesday, July 24th – Mexican Coleslaw with Rotisserie Chicken – I’m not a huge coleslaw fan. The mayo concoction used on most is just not my cup of. It always appears watery and sad. But, fear not. I’ve come up with a low calorie twist on this mayo heavy classic.
Mexican Coleslaw with Rotisserie Chicken (Adapted from Spicy Southern Kitchen)
What You Need:
- 3/4 cup of non-fat greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup of light sour cream
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1/2 packet of taco seasoning
- 1 bag of coleslaw mix
- 1/2 cup of black beans, rinsed & drained
- 1/2 cup of uncooked corn, fresh, cut straight off cob ( about 2 ears)
- 1/2 cup diced red pepper
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
- jarred jalapenos, to taste
- Cholula hot sauce, to taste
- 2 cups of cooked chicken, I used rotisserie
- Avocado
What You Do:
- Mix the greek yogurt, sour cream, lime juice and taco seasoning together. Set aside
- Combine coleslaw mix, beans, corn, red pepper, red onion, cilantro, jalapenos and cooked chicken in a large bowl.
- Add greek yogurt mixture and stir to combine.
- Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Prior to serving, top with hot sauce and avocado
KID TIP – Use the leftover black beans, corn and rotisserie chicken to build a taco bowl. I will top with some shredded cheddar, sour cream and mild salsa.
Thursday, July 25th – The BEST Chicken Burgers ( Ava said so) – The juiciest, most flavorful chicken burger I’ve ever tasted. Top with avocado and call it a day.
What You Need:
- 1lb ground chicken
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup of basil mayo ( 1/4 cup of light mayo mixed with a 1/4 cup of chopped, fresh, basil)
- 2 tsp horseradish
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
What You Do:
- Mix ground chicken with cheese, basil mayo, horseradish, salt and pepper.
- Form round shape patties – about a 1/2 cup of the mixture per patty.
- Spray pan with cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook patties for about 4 – 5 minutes. Flip, cook for another 4 minutes or until cooked thru.
Friday, July 26th – Quinoa Skillet with Chicken and Garden Veggies – This recipe calls for bell peppers, zucchini and broccoli but use what you have on hand. Just a simple staple that will come together quickly and fill your family.
Hayley | The Simple Supper says
This whole meal plan looks amazing! I’m so glad that your family loved my Cajun Sausage Skillet!
Dining with the Duffys says
Thank you for creating such an insanely delicious recipe!!!!!!
Dining with the Duffys says
Hi Hayley,
Thank you so much for reaching out! I was running around like a crazy person yesterday and didn’t have a chance to fully respond to your kind message. I am so inspired by all of the talent in the space and am very excited to start to grow my site and share and create recipes!
To give you a little background, I started Dinner With the Duffys about one year ago after meal planning and home shopping for myself and my family all while working full time. I had heard time and time again, from friends and family, that they’d love to do what I do with our weekly meals and it’s kind of taken on a life of its own and I’m having so much fun with it. It’s a whole new world for me and I feel like I have so much to learn as I navigate through collaborations, working with brands, what to post, when to post, etc… This new blogging venture has been amazing in opening up new doors and meeting fellow creatives with a passion for food but to be honest, the day-to-day can sometimes be isolating and of course there is no training involved so I’m trying to learn as I go. I’ve definitely made some contacts from attending events and just through commenting on Instagram and blogs, but it would be amazing to connect with someone like yourself who has had so much success with it all.
I hope I’m not coming across too strongly but, I just love following you and thought since we are in the same area perhaps you would be open to messaging/chatting about this business and your experience.
Thanks so much for your time and let me know if you’re interested in meeting!
Kelly