Now that the holidays are over, the relatives have left the building, my wife’s going back to working five-day weeks, and my kids are going back to school, it’s time to get back to regular eating routines that involve quick and easy weeknight meals. Here are a few of my favorites, and are a little off the beaten path from traditional weeknight meals.
Black Bean Tacos
These black bean tacos are a really good alternative if you’re sick of the same taste and texture of hard shell beef tacos. The recipe calls for corn tortillas, but I use the flour/corn tortillas from Trader Joe’s. They crisp up into something pretty incredible after shallow frying them in a skillet. View recipe here.
Turkey Pesto Sliders
Turkey Pesto Sliders from the Annie’s Eats website, are one of the few things I cook, where all my kids scarf them down. They are really simple to make and only involve the following ingredients: slider buns, turkey, provolone, and pesto. Annie’s food photography skills are pretty incredible too, so while you’re there you might want to look around at some of her other pics. View recipe here.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
If you are a fan of PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps, you need to make this recipe immediately. It is a great meal if you’re looking for something low carb. This recipe is unbelievably easy, and really freaking delicious. View recipe here.
Vegetable and Bean Tostadas
This tostada recipe comes from the America’s Test Kitchen cookbook series. The only online reference I could find to it is from their The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook, so if you were making this for your family, you’d need to double or triple the recipe. This recipe is essentially fool-proof, just make sure to mash the pinto beans during cooking. For this recipe I substitute corn tortillas for the big flour ones from Costco, just my personal preference. View recipe here.
Thai Tofu Stew with Zucchini, Red Bell Pepper and Lime
This recipe is a little more involved, not difficult, just more prep work than the others. The coconut milk and ginger smells and tastes incredible. It’s the only thai food dish I make. I serve it over rice noodles. View recipe here.
There are a few of my favorite, but I also get tired of eating and serving the same old things. If you have any suggestions for quick and easy weeknight meals, please eave them below in the comments.
-Pete
