Weekly Menu Plan Week 10 is all about beating the heat by grilling All the Things! In addition to a fab steak salad and fancy-dancy hot dogs, we’re serving up grilled pineapple, vegetables, and shrimp on the barbie!
Wow! What a week! After a combined 28 hours of soccer camp over 4 days this week, I am so ready for the weekend! I had a ton of fun running the drills with the kids this week. Their energy and excitement is infectious! Playing with my soccer kids is always a good time, punctuated with a healthy dose of humility. I love watching them grow as players and as people, all the while keeping me humble because, man! Those kids are getting seriously hard to keep up with. They’re so fast! I’m just going to go ahead and blame the heat for my lack of speed on the field this week, ‘mkay?
I’ll be honest and say that there were a few times that I thought I was going to die, but in the very best way. I fell into bed each night with the best kind of physical exhaustion, so I’ve slept like a rock. Knowing that it would be a busy week, I was glad to have prepped the meals from Weekly Menu Plan Week 9 ahead of time, so cooking dinner was easy to do practically in my sleep.
This week will bring new excitement–I’ll share more about that later in the week. Follow me on Instagram to see my shenanigans on Instagram Stories next week! For now, I’m happy to share next week’s easy dinners that won’t heat up the house because the Weekly Menu Plan Week 10 is all about cold comfort and grilling!
I’m still thinking about that Light Chicken Muffaletta that I recently shared. My girl Jenni/Pastry Chef Online just proves that we are kindred in the kitchen because she’s serving up her North Carolina Muffaletta on Monday. Hers is basically a classic Italian antipasti served on bread for more tidy consumption. Although muffaletta are usually served cold, Jenni also includes bonus instructions to wrap the whole deal in foil to toast it on the grill.
Sandwich aside, she shares a fascinating story about a famous clothier that launched a gourmet food line from the bar in his clothing shop. Yes, you read that correctly! Now click on over to read the rest of the story! (*polite nod to Paul Harvey for the phrase.)
As a general rule, I’m not a huge fan of hot dogs for 3/4 of the year. However, I can’t resist a hot dog grilled to a good, smokey char in the summer time–especially when said dog is adorned with crazy-good toppings. Susan/Girl in the Little Red Kitchen brings just that with her BLAT Hot Dogs. We’re talking a grilled hot dog wrapped in bacon and topped with lettuce, avocado, and tomato for an easy, summery dinner. That’s my kind of hot dog!
On Wednesday, Sarah/The Chef Next Door classes up the week with her Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie with Chimichurri Sauce. Shrimp is so simple to grill. The chimichurri sauce is basically a parsley pesto which amps up the flavor tremendously. Because gah-lick! She also tells the story of her childhood pen pal from Australia that inspired the “barbie” recipe, so it’s like…totally authentic. Ish. 😉
The Dinner Divas must be in story telling mode this week, because Cheryl/Pook’s Pantry shares her Spanish Grilled Tomato and Garlic Bread and the inspiration she found in Barcelona along with it. The grilled bread is coated in fresh tomato pulp and garlic, just like the bread she noshed on in Barcelona. I’m all about making a meal of really great bread, but you do you. Make Cheryl’s take on pa am tomaquet a meal in itself, or the perfect accompaniment to mixed grilled fajitas or a simple ratatouille vegetable stew. Be sure to browse her gorgeous photos of the location that inspired the recipe.
I welcome the weekend with my favorite-ist favorite Steak Salad with Chive Yogurt Dressing. Tender grilled steak atop a bed of greens, seasonal vegetables, and a flavorful yogurt dressing with lime, garlic, and chives. Even my salad-is-not-dinner Bacon Slayer loves this salad for dinner! This is one summer favorite that I make again and again because we can’t seem to get enough of it.
Jenni/Pastry Chef Online is back to round out the week with her Grilled (Greek Style) Gazpacho. Grilling the vegetables caramelizes the natural sugars and adds a smokey depth to the stew. This gazpacho is practically begging to be served alongside Wednesday’s Grilled Tomato and Garlic Bread! Just do it.
Sarah/The Chef Next Door is back with a dessert that you’ll want to serve all summer long. Her Grilled Pineapple with Vanilla Sorbet is sweet, simple, and made with only 5 ingredients. Smokey grilled pineapple topped with a light and fresh vanilla bean sorbet. I plan to serve this sorbet with all the seasonal fruits this summer.
What dish are you most excited about in the Weekly Menu Plan Week 10?
I’m most excited about the dessert this week…surprise! Although, the grilled tomato and garlic bread is definitely a close second.
Come back next week for fun twists on Red, White, and Blue dishes to take us into the holiday week. I promise that all of the food contains beautiful, naturally occurring colors.
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