Happy Sunday, friends. I’m writing from a personal place today as my Uncle passed away, unexpectedly, late last week. We are grateful God took him in his sleep and his passing was peaceful. But, loss is never easy and it can be difficult to find the rainbow thru the rain. I’m sharing this news as my posts will most definitely be limited this coming week as I will be spending lots of time with family. Please comment, share and tag me in your Instagram pictures. I would love to cook thru you this week!!!
MEAL PLAN FOR THE WEEK OF 7/28
Sunday, July 28th – Pickle Brined Chicken with my Couscous, Tomato, Burrata & Fresh Corn Salad – If I had to pick a perfect summer Sunday meal, this might just be it. I was curious about pickle brining and this recipe caught my eye. The addition of Old Bay seasoning is spot on. I recommend grilling your chicken, and if you have a charcoal grill, even better. Y’all know I’m a thigh girl but breasts will do just fine.
Couscous, Tomato, Mozzarella & Fresh Corn Salad
What You Need:
- 5 ounces of Arugula ( I use Organic Girl)
- 2 ears of fresh corn
- 3 tomatoes, sliced ( I use a mixture of yellow & red)
- 1 ( 8 ounce) ball of burrata – if you can’t find burrata, sub fresh mozzarella
- 5 ounces of pearled basil & herb couscous, cooked ( I use Near East)
- Balsamic Vinegar for drizzling
What You Do:
- Cook the couscous according to directions. Let cool slightly.
- Cut the corn kernels from the cob
- Toss the uncooked corn (yes, uncooked – summer corn is best uncooked, trust me!) with the arugula. Place in a large serving bowl.
- Gently slice the burrata ( or mozzarella) and place over corn, arugula mix. Do the same with the tomatoes.
- Sprinkle in the cooked couscous. Toss to combine.
- Drizzle with balsamic and serve
Monday, July 29th – Buffalo Shrimp Salad – This recipe actually calls to be wrapped but y’all know how I feel about lettuce wraps – great idea, but more of a pain than it’s worth. I just chopped romaine and served this as a salad. Definitely make the blue cheese – it’s amazing and light. You can absolutely sub chicken if you aren’t a seafood lover. KID TIP – My girls aren’t huge hot sauce fans so I pulled some shrimp out, prior to tossing. I served their shrimp with raw veggies and the blue cheese dip!
Tuesday, July 30th – One Pot BBQ Chicken Quinoa – I was a little skeptical about this guy as bbq sauce can be really sweet. But, it was so good and the kids loved it. Comes together in no time PLUS, it’s a one pan wonder.
Wednesday, July 31st – Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken – Hopefully you didn’t pack up your crockpot for the summer. There are so many light, crockpot options for the hotter months like this easy, healthier, version of Kung Pao Chicken. KID TIP – skip the chili peppers and just sprinkle your serving with red pepper flakes!
Thursday, August 1st – Healthy, Pesto Baked Rigatoni – It’s officially August and I’m officially depressed. I have been putting off everything school related until August but here we are. My girls will be back in the classroom in T-minus 18 days. Ahhh…. OK, back to food. A few tweaks to this recipe to make life even easier – use store bought pesto and toss in some rotisserie chicken to “beef” it up!
Friday, August 2nd – Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce – My plan was to give a review of my Prime Day Purchase – my new instant pot – but life happens. I will share my review next week BUT, you should know this instant pot spaghetti was a huge hit. Stovetop option here too. Picture above doesn’t do this super simple, lightened up, dish justice.
Happy, Healthy Eating Friends.
XO ~ Kelly D.
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