Korean Turkey Bowl. The recipe is actually a beef bowl, but we don’t really eat beef (unless I crave it like I did on my birthday, but that’s a once a year thing), so we used the ground turkey we had. I think the marinade was still delicious with the turkey. Also, I made a side of kale with some Korean spices; it was the perfect accompaniment for the dish. When we need something quick, which seems to be the type of recipes I go for these days, I’m turning to this one.

Slow Cooker Pork Ramen.  YES!!! Make this! It’s fast and easy, and sooooo delicious! I used a lean pork loin, instead of the pork shoulder, and it was still quite flavorful. I had been craving Asian style noodles and this hit the right spot. Everyone was a fan and kept going back for more. We added some cabbage for more eggies, and I also made a spicy paste to put in our soup (you know we need to have that spice!), but other than, I think the recipe is bomb dot com as it is. Make it. You’ll love it. Thankfully, we live near an Asian market, so fresh ramen noodles make this dish especially wonderful.

Week of 11/16 – 11/20
Monday: Ramen Soup
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Spaghetti
Thursday: Pistachio and Rosemary Pizza
Friday: Ahi Tuna

With the sun gone by dinnertime, the wonderful natural light is gone so you get that weird yellowy picture. Ben’s been working more late nights again, so the girls and I have been having more dinners without him lately. I try to go to my parents on some of those nights, so I get some back up and get to spend time with my mom and dad (and sister).

I’m so excited that it’s almost time to stuff ourselves silly with turkey and pumpkin pie. We have lots of family coming into town this year, so this Thanksgiving will be extra busy!

Crunchy Turkey Tacos. I know crunchy shell tacos aren’t authentic Mexican food, but I like it anyway. It’s how I grew up eating tacos, so it reminds me of my childhood. The first time Ben made me tacos, while we were dating, he made them with soft corn tortillas. I thought it was so strange. Well, I later learn that the crunchy shell isn’t authentic Mexican food at all. I’m used to soft corn tortillas now, but I love the crunchy shell from time to time.

Week of 11/3 – 11/7
Monday: Sushi
Tuesday: Spicy Pork Enchiladas
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Kimchi Udon
Friday: Ceviche

What’s on your meal plan this week?
 

Shrimp Tacos with Guacamole. My mom made the shrimp and I turned them into tacos. My mom always makes the best food, so when we go over for dinner, we love bringing home leftovers to make more dinners at home.

Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice Paper Shell. I made this for our anniversary dinner. I have the recipe to share with you next week!

Hainanese Chicken Rice. Ben and I have been craving this since we had it in Singapore. Ben even ate it twice while we were there. I used this recipe as a guide, but changed things slightly to make it healthier. I used chicken breasts, didn’t use chicken fats, and lessened the amount of oil. I also used brown rice instead of white, and it still held some of the good flavor. I think what help makes it is the pandan leaf in the broth, and the side of chili sauce. Oh that chili sauce is so spicy and delicious! I will definitely making this a lot. The whole family loved it!

What have you been cooking lately? Do you like trying new recipes or do you pretty much stick with tried and true favorites when in the kitchen?

Tilapia Ceviche on Crispy Wontons. We eat this almost every Friday night. It’s Ben’s most favorite thing to eat and I put in like 8 habaneros, so to say it’s spicy is an understatement. This particular batch had so much fire that I had sweat on my cheeks and nose (and I never sweat), but I still kept on eating because it’s just that good (and we love spicy that much!).

Week of 4/28 – 3/3
Monday: Homemade pizza
Tuesday: Seafood Pasta
Wednesday: Honey-Lime Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Corn Tacos
Thursday: I’m going to make enough Wednesday, to have some for Thursday
Friday: Sushi night

This week was totally different from our norm since I flew in late Monday night, then Ben worked late Tuesday, Wednesday was a quick dinner because we wanted to work in the garden, and then Thursday was kind of like our Friday, since Ben didn’t work Friday. We also didn’t have Dinner Club this week because our friends are off in Hawaii, so I only officially cooked once this week. I did make the girls a meal on Tuesday night, but it was one of those quick-whip-whatever-is-lying-around-in-the-fridge kind of thing. What’s your normal meal planning look like?

Spicy Thai Noodle Curry. This was supposed to be this, but I added more veggies than the recipe called for and it didn’t come out a soup! Oh well! It didn’t come out looking too great either, but it was delicious, and the only ones who didn’t like it were True and Glow. True seems to be our most finicky eater. I want to try this again, but make sure it comes out a soup. Ben was loving it and indulging until he realized I didn’t use whole wheat noodles. Next time, I’ll be sure to use buckwheat, so it will be a little more guilt-free.

Mackerel & Sesame Leaf. My BFF and her mama have some of the greatest recipes up their sleeves and I feel lucky they teach me their ways, and then I can share them right back to you! Don’t you worry, there will be a recipe for this.

Week of 2/10 – 2/14
Monday: Spaghetti and meatballs
Tuesday: Bossam (We just had it, but it’s so good so we want more!)
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Sushi night… oh yeah!!!

We’ve been so much better at eating veggies throughout the day and figuring out ways to incorporate it in at night, so while the veggie dish isn’t always listed here, it’s been happening. What do you do to make sure your family is getting their needed fruits and vegetables throughout the day?

Chicken Enchiladas. This is one of our faves (you can do a search for it here and can see I’ve made it plenty of times). I can now pretty much make this without having to look at the recipe. Brave isn’t much of a meat eater, so I made her a batch of cheese enchiladas. According to her, they were quite yummy too.

Crab Cakes and Lemon Aioli. Just realized I had this is the last family meal post, but we liked it so much, that I was itching to try it again. The first time was with canned crab meat (non-refrigerated) and it was good. This time, I got some refrigerated lump crab meat and it came out a lot better. I didn’t use hot sauce, but made two batches, one with 1 tbsp cayenne and one without. I also used a whole bundle of chopped parsley instead of the measly tablespoon the recipe calls for. Another change is that I lightly pan-fry instead of using a 1/2 cup of oil like the recipe suggests. True is allergic so she got a personal pan pizza that night; I want to try it next time with a batch of imitation crab just for her.

Week of 10/14 – 10/18
Monday: Spaghetti
Tuesday: Fish Tacos
Wednesday: Spring Minestrone with Chicken Meatballs
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Pizza/Sushi

We’ve been having our dinner clubs almost weekly and it’s about 10-12 of us. I’d love to hear some of your go-to meals for large groups! It’s been such a blessing to have this time with our friends (and new friends) who join us. Sharing meals together is pretty much always guaranteed to be filled with lots of laughs and encouragement!