A Week At A Time – Meal Ideas!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Grab a taco and margarita for me!! I hope you’re having a nice weekend and maybe some of you caught the Kentucky Derby yesterday. It’s always a fun race to watch and the outfits are even better. Next Sunday is Mother’s Day, so I thought I’d kick off this post with a few gift ideas for mom.

Slippers are always on my feet in the kitchen and everywhere around my house, and my Uggs give me style and comfort – I couldn’t live without them. For a wine mom, an automatic wine opener in a necessity. It charges quickly and your bottle is open in seconds without any crumbling of cork pieces in the bottle. A Dutch oven is always a good idea for those who love to cook. They’re super versatile and I use mine endlessly for soups, stews, braises, risotto and so many other things. For the ice cream lover mom, this KitchenAid ice cream bowl, which attaches to your existing mixer. It whips up ice cream in minutes and will surely motivate her to create new flavors. One last gift for the pasta fanatics, Pasta Grannies cookbook is always a favorite with some of the best old-school ways to make fresh pasta.

On Monday, let’s kick the week off with a favorite – Smoky Red Bean, Orzo and Bacon Stew. It’s almost vegetarian with just a bit of bacon for flavor, a true one pot meal. Tuesday is Vegetarian Machaca Breakfast Burritos for a morning full of Mexican flavors. I used Beyond Beef crumbles instead of chorizo to keep things light, and offering a big hit of protein. Wednesday night is my Salt and Pepper Salmon with Lemon Asparagus. The salmon is marinated in a mix of black pepper and ginger for a quick infusion of flavor. I roasted the asparagus with fresh lemons on a sheet pan and seared the salmon quickly on the stove top. Thursday is Golden Beet, Ricotta Salata and Hazelnut Salad for a refreshing dinner or lunch that tastes like spring in a bowl. Friday night means a simple Herby Yogurt Dip to go with cocktails or a good glass of wine. Fresh herbs make such a difference in recipes and this one is super simple to put together, and serve with salty chips. Saturday’s are for baking — Key Lime Pie with Fluffy Meringue. Maybe make one for mom — she’ll love it. Have a tasty week.

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Monday