This week was more on the improv side. I either ate out during plans or made something last minute with what I had on hand. My only planned meal was Monday night, which I had been craving after making hummus last week.
Fattoush with Grilled Chicken and Couscous
Jackson’s Lebanese family has a wonderful salad dressing that makes a fantastic marinade that pairs great with hummus. It’s very acidic, so I don’t marinate the chicken with the dressing for more than 5-6 hours. It’s a preference ratio of lemon juice to olive oil with salt, pepper, sumac, garlic, and mint. It’s wildly refreshing and a favorite of ours year round.
The Fattoush is classic; roughly chopped green bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, onion. Couscous is prepared according to the package with some additional seasonings. Chicken was “grilled” on a grill pan, since it was in the single digits temperature wise outside.
Tamales and Rice
A local food vendor in our area sells tamales by the dozen. I ordered a dozen regular and a dozen spicy and froze them for easy meals.
I love making my own arroz rojo, but I took the easy, non-authentic route and used a box of Spanish rice. A crime I’m not proud of.
I usually like to have rice and/or beans with tamales at dinner time to make it a more full meal. Though I’ve been known to eat a tamale or two for breakfast and/or lunch from time to time!
Shrimp & Grits
This was the first week I’ve ever made grits before! I had been craving them breakfast style, just with butter and black pepper, so I added a container to my last pickup order.
I was thinking of how I could use up the red onion, bell pepper, and andouille sausage I had in the fridge when it struck me; I have grits and frozen shrimp already in the house.
This recipe creates a nice white-wine based sauce. I wish it was a bit richer, so I think I would use less liquid next time. The cheesy grits were delicious. I would absolutely make them again, but probably with more cheese. I only had a handful of sharp cheddar snacking cheese sticks, so I couldn’t add more without going to the store.
It turned out way better than I was expecting honestly. I had low expectations since I had to substitute the milk, cheese, and onion. I was also using frozen, rather than fresh shrimp. But it worked out great!
I would love to make this again but I’d probably try out a different recipe that has a thicker sauce.
Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Bagel Sandwich
With a thin spreading of cream cheese on the top bagel. I love onion bagels but I am slow to eat a pack since my cravings change day to day. I really like fridge (or even freezer) bagels that last longer, like Lender’s Bagels. My mom recently told me that her mom used to regularly keep Lender’s Bagels in their fridge growing up. I love the small, little connections I still find with my grandparents even after their passing.
I also am a huge fan of frozen sausage patties. I don’t always want meat with breakfast, but the frozen patties are convenient when I do. Plus, I’m never making more than one or two at a time so it helps reduce the food waste in my home.
I love this meal because it only takes one pan (plus toaster oven or toaster… unless you have the patience to toast your bagel before doing the rest).
I’ll cook the sausage first in my non-stick skillet. After I flip the patty over, I crack my egg into the other side of the pan. I’ll crack the yolk and season it, then flip it once it’s almost cooked through. Then I’ll throw a piece of cheese on top of the cooked egg, spread some cream cheese on my top bagel piece, and assemble! I do tend to pat the sausage dry before assembling.
My Favorite Shrimp Tacos
This was a very Mexican cuisine heavy week for me. I had dinner at my college town’s Mexican restaurant with a friend on Wednesday and then my favorite taco truck was at our local brewery on Friday.
I am obsessed with the taco truck’s shrimp tacos. They are spicy but cool, rich but light. Everything I could ever want in a taco. Jackson and I also tried their steak quesadilla for the first time. It was delicious, but I think it’d be even better with their birria or al pastor, rather than steak. These bites paired great with a champagne-inspired IPA.
Unfortunately that’s all I have for this week. I was at a lovely outing on Saturday, enjoying wine in a plastic igloo and eating charcuterie. Today I had a local Pho place that opened recently. Both instances my phone did not eat first.
I’ve been craving beef stew, so that will be on the docket next week! I’m going to make the version that includes my mom’s drop noodles. Please reach out or leave a comment if you have any questions, tips, or requests! I always need help coming up with menus for the week.
Love, Maggie
Maggie's Kitchen 