I hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Fourth of July!  It was somewhat quiet around our neighborhood until around 9:30, when you could hear and see a few firecrackers going off around the community. 

I planned to serve Smoked Kansas City Style Ribs, but decided to go with Grilled Chili-Garlic Flank Steak with Avocado Butter, Hedgehog Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, and Strawberry Fields Salad.  We had our neighbor and dear friend, Barbara, over for dinner and had a plate ready for Dennis, who had to work, who is also a great friend and neighbor.  Have I mentioned how blessed we are to have such wonderful neighbors? 

At some time within the last few weeks, I made Arugula Salad with Peaches, Goat Cheese, and Basil, which turned out to be a flavorful and delicious salad. It has all the elements I like, peppery arugula, sweet peaches, and tangy goat cheese.

Monday

Salmon is on the menu tonight, and I’m trying never-before-made salmon burgers from Half Baked Harvest.  I mean, never before salmon burgers, period!  These sound so good, though: chopped chipotle in adobo sauce for heat, soy for saltiness, honey for sweetness, and plenty of spices for depth of flavor.  Add cheese slices, avocado, and lettuce, then top these burgers off with chipotle mayo – yum! 

The perfect sides for this burger include sweet potato fries from Crunchy Creamy Sweet, which are slightly sweet, crispy, and good for you, too!  To finish the meal, a salad with grapes, avocado, and arugula from Gimme Some Oven, which combines sweet, juicy grapes with creamy avocado and peppery arugula. 

Easy Chipotle Salmon Burgers
Crispy Sweet Potato Fries 
Grape, Avocado, and Arugula Salad

Tuesday

We plan on grilling tonight’s dinner, a recipe from Skinny Taste.  When the evenings are warm, it’s time to grill, set up the fan on the patio, turn on the lights and music, and enjoy the great outdoors.  This chicken sounds fabulous too, with cilantro, lime (oh yes, lime!), seasoning, garlic, and then grilled to perfection. 

Spanish rice pairs well with this grilled chicken, from Bare Feet in the Kitchen – something a little spicy, followed by something cool and fruity. Watermelon is the perfect side to cool things down! 

Cilantro Lime Chicken Breast (Grilled or Air Fryer)
Easy Spanish Rice
Watermelon Slices

Wednesday

Sheet pan dinners are always welcome – practically a meal in one, like a casserole, but even better! 

This recipe starts with baby potatoes that are dredged in olive oil and seasoning, then roasted until just tender.  While the potatoes are roasting, marinate the fish in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, shallots, garlic, lemon zest, and oregano – you get the picture; there’s a lot of goodness here.  And the entire meal is finished off with Feta-Olive Dressing, another great recipe from Half Baked Harvest! 

Serve with a nice peppery salad with a light lemon vinaigrette for the perfect accompaniment for a healthy and delicious meal. 

 

Sheet Pan Mahi Mahi and Potatoes with Feta Olive Dressing
Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Thursday

Pizza is one of my favorite meals, but I’ve never made pizza in a cast-iron skillet before.  I found this recipe in an RV newsletter quite some time back, now’s a good time to make it!  I plan to top it with pepperoni, black olives, maybe some pineapple tidbits, and mushrooms. 

The best side dish with almost any Italian-style meal is salad, and we love a creamy, thick blue cheese dressing.  I have made homemade blue cheese dressing before, but tonight, we’re using store-bought. 

The real star of tonight’s menu is the strawberry ice cream from Half Baked Harvest.  We’ve had many family gatherings with homemade vanilla ice cream, but this is a first with no-churn strawberry.  It’s the perfect ending to a fav meal! 

Cast Iron Skillet Pan Pizza
Garden Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
No Churn Creamy Strawberry Ice Cream

Friday

I can’t wait to sink my teeth into tonight’s dinner from Fool Proof Living.  This recipe is a keeper and one I’ve made before.  I love eggplant, especially when it’s dredged first in beaten egg and then dipped into bread crumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese and seasoning.  Usually at this stage, it’s fried, but in this case, it’s baked to a nice crispiness. 

The casserole is then assembled with marinara on the bottom, nestling the eggplant on top, and topped with more marinara, mozzarella, and Parmesan.  Don’t forget the fresh basil – it’s perfection! 

Serve with a small helping of spaghetti pasta and breadsticks, a recipe from How Sweet Eats.  It’s a meal fit for company, date night, or just because you love Italian! 

Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Spaghetti
Garlic Butter Grilled Breadsticks

Saturday

Lamb chops are singing my tune!  And, in my notes for this recipe, I state to double the Jalapeno Bourbon Sauce – yep, it’s that good!  This recipe from Shared Appetite seasons the chops with Ancho chili powder, brown sugar, garlic powder, oregano, and cumin – I can almost taste it now.  But it’s the sauce that takes this dish to the next level.  So good! 

I plan to let the lamb chops be the star of the show, so I’m serving them atop creamy mashed potatoes and a side of buttered peas!  Nuff said. 

Southwest Ancho Chile Crusted Lamb Chops with Jalapeno Bourbon Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Buttered Peas

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