Dashing Dinners, Made Healthy.
After a weekend filled with fun, and many indulgent treats, it was time to get back on track with our meals. And while I’d never banish treats from our balanced lifestyle, there is a time when it’s OK to say, “I think I ate too many doughnuts.” But omg they were so good! Balance. It’s important.
Back to the dinners. Two kinds of meatballs because my mission is to convince you they’re the best, two different salads because we’re focusing on the greens, and a sheet pan dinner for a night that needs it. Shall we discuss?
Let’s begin!
Thai-Inspired Chicken Meatball Soup
Recipe via New York Times Cooking.
For a dinner that was so delicious we could barely speak while slurping (the soup), I must admit a technology mishap post-dinner led to no actual evidence that we made and ate it. 😮 I promise you I took plenty of photos, and edited them so that they showcased the beauty of this wonder of a meal, but technology had other plans. And alas, no photo proof of a dinner I’m aching to make again. And not just for the photographic evidence. ;)
In brief: this dairy-free soup was dotted with mighty meatballs that were ridiculously delicious on their own, but even more awesome when eaten with the broth of the soup.
This dish had major kick from plenty of jalapeños which was awesome, in my opinion, for a cold winter night. The broth included chicken stock and coconut milk, which may very well be my new “base” for all soups going forward.
I love Thai-inspired meals and this one was absolutely excellent. I’m just sorry I don’t have a photo to prove it. However, please take my word and make the meal. I guarantee you’ll love it; even if you don’t bother to take a photo. ;)
Note: the ingredient list included two pounds of ground chicken. We just used one pound that made ten, large meatballs and we were very full. There were leftovers! The broth-to-meatball ratio wouldn’t be quite as ideal (to me) if we had used two pounds of meat.
Vegan Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
For meatless Monday, we opted for all of the greens in the form of a snazzy, scrumptious (kale) salad. This meal was vegan, so it checked off the no-dairy box as well. We aren’t anti-dairy (believe me). We’re just using it in our cooking far less frequently. I love a free cheese sample more than anyone.
Roasted sweet potatoes should be in all salads. They’re a quick-cook, add color and flavor to the meal, and they’re filling! And nutrient-packed. When you’re looking for healthy salad ingredients, add the sweet potatoes. I love that they add such a delicious dimension to a dish that isn’t always super-exciting.
Speaking of filling ingredients, the black beans and avocado were other awesome components. Black beans offer protein, avocado has healthy fat, and together, with that sweet potato, offer plenty of health and flavor to really help out a bowl of kale. Not to mention I like their textures in contrast to the leafy greens and warm, roasted sweet potato.
Finally, this salad had a cashew-cilantro dressing which was fantastic. I’ll say this again and again: make your own salad dressing! It’s so easy using a blender/Vitamix and it’s very quick (and you control the ingredients). Highly recommend!
For a vegan, greens-focused meal, we simply loved it. I’d make this one for friends during a picnic, or a side dish to go with a bigger meal. I may even serve it at a Super Bowl party; there’s always someone seeking a salad.
Chicken and rice Meatballs with Hummus
Calling all meatball maniacs: Make. These. Meatballs. Now. The flavor? Outstanding! The process? Easy! The dinner? Too. Yummy. For. Words. Hmm… that’s happening a lot lately. 😏
These meatballs are naturally gluten free because they use cold, cooked white rice as the binding ingredient. However, I’d argue you could skip the rice, throw in some GF panko, and you’d still have a stellar meatball. However, we followed the recipe and were not bothered by the rice. It just made them a bit heavier than using panko ( I think).
The best part of the meatballs, and the dish overall, was that the flavors went together so beautifully. The hummus (homemade!) was great on its own, but when you dipped the meatball (seasoned with garam Masala) into the hummus, and shoved some of the cucumber and pickle salad (yes, surprisingly awesome) onto your fork, you not only had one gigantic bite of food, but you also had one of the best bites, ever.
I make a lot of bold claims when it comes to meatballs, I can’t help it, but this dinner really stood out to us. Each element was delicious, but all together they shined even brighter. I know! We are talking about meatballs. How exciting can they be? Trust me - very.
We doubled the recipe in anticipation of loving it. I’m glad we did because the leftovers were supreme, too. ;)
Sheet-Pan Italian Sub Dinner
Recipe via New York Times Cooking.
Skip the sub roll. Roast all of this together. Enjoy your dinner. Repeat the next night. Man oh man was this dinner delicious! I didn’t miss the bread one bit, but what I do miss is this meal. It was excellent. And perfect for a weeknight.
We roasted tomatoes, chickpeas, salami, onions, and radicchio all together, with a homemade vinaigrette, and then ta da!
Not too long later we were inhaling this awesome dinner filled with protein and fabulous flavors. And remarking how joyful it was that the dinner really delivered: it did taste like an Italian sub! Without the roll. But at this point in my life, I find rolls to be (almost) useless.
Since my favorite parts of sandwiches and subs are the fillings, why bother with the roll at all? Throw it all in a bowl, add a big dollop of delicious ricotta (or another cheese), and dig in. You won’t miss the bread. I promise.
The flavors of this meal were so yummy; I can’t wait to make it again. And it was naturally gluten free!
Kale Caesar Salad
We closed our cooking week with another salad. Who are we?! Healthy people, apparently. But with the anticipation of many treats and indulgence during the weekend, I knew it would be best to include another green-focused dish at the end of the week. Thankfully, this one included bacon.
This kale Caesar was fairly low-key with minimal ingredients, but plenty of bright flavors. The light, homemade dressing was a great accompaniment to the leafy greens, salty bacon, and snazzy six-minute eggs. Yes, that meant we boiled the eggs for only six minutes which resulted in a “jammy” center. Yum! Try making them that way; I think you’ll like it.
While the recipe said to make a vegan, cashew “cheese” crumble we decided to skip in favor of #easymeals and just sprinkled fresh Parmesan on top instead. I’m sure that fake cheese is great (I hope), but for this night it was fine we made a substitution.
And besides, why use fake cheese if you’re already including real bacon? I’d like to use real everything. No fake versions of anything around here. Especially ingredients. Except, of course, if we made a vegan Caesar. Then that cashew cheese would be everywhere. ;)
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As always, please leave a comment or send us a note with any questions about our meals.
Enjoy!
