After a much-needed vacation, indulging on poke, shave ice and anything with pineapple, I'm trying to be more disciplined and get back to meal planning. This week's menu is inspired by my recent binge watching of David Chang's Ugly Delicious on Netflix. It's Asia vs. Italy this week. The winner? Us, of course ;)


SUNDAY: CHINESE PORK DUMPLINGS
After watching David Chang explore the world of stuffed pasta in the season finale of Ugly Delicious, I have been craving dumplings like crazy. I don't think anyone will complain when I make these dumplings (using ground pork instead).


MONDAY: LINGUINE WITH CAULIFLOWER, GARLIC AND BREAD CRUMBS
This dish from Food and Wine is super easy to make, plus my boys love this Meatless Monday dish. I love it because it is a great pantry staple dish. And have I mentioned how much I love cauliflower?


TUESDAY: KATSUDON JAPANESE PORK CUTLET AND EGG RICE BOWL
I'm excited to try this dish from The Works of Life this week. Pork cutlets, eggs, over rice? What's not to like? H/t to Cool Mom Eats. P.S. Make extra rice for Thursday's Fried Rice!


WEDNESDAY: PASTA WITH SAUSAGE, ROSEMARY AND TOMATOES
Umdaddy requested this meal this week. This is the perfect weeknight dish. I can whip this up quickly (I've made it so often I don't need a recipe), and it's comfort in a bowl. Plus I'll make extra for leftovers for lunch the next day.


THURSDAY: FRIED RICE
This is a great end-of-the-week meal as I look to clean out the fridge. I'll use the leftover rice from Tuesday's dinner for this dish. This is another meal I don't use a recipe for. My secret is Chinese sausage from DePasquale's. This flavorful, sweet sausage really makes this dish. The "Fried Rice" episode of Ugly Delicious also hit home the most for me as David Chang explores the history of  Chinese-American cuisine.


FRIDAY: TURKEY BURGERS
Ending the week All-American with our go-to turkey burger recipe from Martha Stewart. I love to serve this with a side of Baked Sweet Potato Fries from ChopChop Magazine. So easy and delicious.

Have a great week!

I have been trying loads of new recipes lately, I think partly due to the arrival of spring plus I needed something to shake things up from the winter rotation of soups and comfort food. Here's a menu plan for 5 delicious dinners for this week - or any week really. If your family is anything like mine, this will be the best week ever. 

Monday: Pasta with Peas, Bacon, and Ricotta - From Dinner: The Playbook, this easy-to-whip-up meal will surely please even the pickiest eater of the bunch. Cook 1 lb tubular pasta according to directions. Add 3-4 tbs of ricotta to a large bowl and toss cooked pasta with ricotta. Next, fry up 1/2 pound of bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels. Add 1/4 chopped onion and one 10-oz package of frozen peas to the pan and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped bacon back to the pan with the peas and onion. Then toss mixture onto pasta. Season with salt, pepper and grated parmesan. 

Tuesday: Miso-Glazed Fish with Rice and Spinach - Another winner from Dinner: The Playbook, this simple and fast cooking meal is now a family favorite. I substituted salmon with Mahi Mahi and served it with sautéed spinach and white rice. Healthy and delicious! Click here for the recipe.

Wednesday: Braised Adobo Pork Tacos - Okay, another recipe from Dinner: A Love Story. I admit it. I'm obsessed with all the recipes from Jenny Rosenstrach. They are just so good and easy. She suggests making this with polenta (which I'm sure is amazing). I ended up cooking this in a slow cooker and and we made tacos with this. You will die of happiness if you make this. Click here for the recipe.

Thursday: Burgers with Fruity Slaw and Sweet Potato Fries -  What's not to love about this meal? Tasty burgers, a simple slaw with kid-friendly fruit and healthy oven-baked sweet potato fries. This menu comes from ChopChop: The Fun Cooking Magazine for Families spring issue. This issue has four other great family dinners you have to try. 

Friday: Taiwanese Meat Sauce Over Rice with Baby Bok Choy - My family goes crazy for a good rice bowl. When I saw this recipe from Jennifer Che of Tiny Urban Kitchen in the Boston Globe, I just knew my brood would love it. Simple meat sauce is packed with umami as it's cooked with dried mushrooms and asian flavors. We completed this dish with a hard boiled egg and stir-fried baby bok choy. I can't wait to make this again. Click here for the recipe!  

Have a good week!

Meals on our family vacation this summer have featured quintessential New England fare: fresh seafood and farm stand veggies and fruit. Meals have been no-fuss, no-muss - just the way I like it when I'm on vacation. Sure I have more time to meal plan and cook without the daily distractions of home. But that just cuts into time at the beach and naps!

So here's a simple side dish that will make you feel as if you're on a tropical vacation thanks to Alton Brown. Make yourself a fruity drink with an umbrella and you're at your beach-side cabana.


Tropical Mash
Adapted from Alton Brown, "I'm Just Here for the Food."

INGREDIENTS:
4 small sweet potatoes, perforated in several places with a fork or knife
1 large banana, perforated
1 cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons butter
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook potatoes until soft (Alton calls for grilling them over indirect heat for an hour. I was short on time so cooked in the microwave and finished in the oven).
2. Grill the banana over direct heat until the peel is black and the inside is very soft. Let the potatoes and banana cool.
3. In a small saucepan, heat coconut milk and butter. Peel the skin from the potatoes and the banana and put them in a mixing blow. Pour in some of the coconut milk and mash the potato and banana, adding liquid as needed. Season with salt and pepper. 

The Good: Easy to prepare with few ingredients. The boys loved this and asked for more.

The Bad: The mash did not come out as smooth as I would have liked. Will try grilling the potatoes or roasting in oven longer.

Grade: B+. A sweet (but heavy) side dish perfect for the summer.