It’s time for part two of my recent eats round up (here’s part one, breakfast and lunch). I have 14 dinners and 4 desserts for you in this post. Lots of good dinner ideas here and one ice cream flavor that you absolutely must try.

DINNER

This was a very delicious and healthy dinner that was ready quickly using things I had in the freezer. I defrosted a tuna steak from ALDI, seared and sliced it. I served it over a bag of Trader Joe’s riced cauliflower stir fry to which I added extra frozen edamame and some coconut aminos. I finished off the dish with avocado and sriracha.

I’ve been buying this riced cauliflower stir fry from Trader Joe’s for well over five years now. It’s a freezer staple for a fast, tasty and healthy dinner. I also like to cook it with ground chicken and a scrambled egg. Yum, yum!

My dad’s shrimp and grits + a side salad. This is an indulgent but divine dish and I savored every bite. Cannot tell you the last time I had shrimp and grits but I can confidently say the next time will be soon! I grew up a big fan of grits and I don’t eat them nearly as often these days. I need to keep a bag at home and bring them back into the rotation. I know my dad has this recipe written down so let me know if y’all are interested.

Baked chicken thighs, sautéed green cabbage and brown rice with butter. Chicken and rice is one of my most favorite simple comfort food dinners, and everyone in my family loves cabbage (except Finn, haha).

Another chicken and rice dinner that I made when my mom was visiting Charlotte. Baked chicken thighs, steamed broccoli and yellow rice. I put a dollop of hummus on my rice and served the chicken over it.

Spaghetti and a side salad. My mom made the spaghetti sauce and I made the salads. Every now and then I like to put cheddar cheese on my spaghetti instead of parmesan. So good.

Here’s another spaghetti dinner at home in Charlotte. This is my favorite sauce recipe and I almost always have some in the freezer. This is one of Finn’s favorite dinners. I went with the cheesy cheddar topping again.

Chicken pot pie and a side salad. This is a staple family dinner for us.

Seafood feast with Finn at Stewby’s. I had grilled snapper, green beans, fried okra, hushpuppies and seafood gumbo. Finn had fish, french fries and hushpuppies. He said to me after he finished eating his last hushpuppy, “I should have asked that woman for for more of these!”

And now I’m sitting here thinking what a weird food name “hushpuppy” is after I just typed it out four times above.

Baked sweet potato topped with roasted brussel sprouts and mushrooms, sautéed chicken sausage, cheese and hummus.

Maple soy baked salmon, corn on the cob and a side salad. I made this for dinner for my mom one night when she said salmon sounded good for dinner. This is the very simple salmon marinade recipe that I used.

We also had a taco night! I couldn’t decided between tacos or taco salad so I had both! I used a taco kit to make traditional ground beef tacos and then served them with guacamole, shredded romaine, sour cream, cilantro, salsa, yellow rice and black beans. Making this dinner again soon because it was so easy and delicious. I need more tacos in my life.

Pine nut couscous topped with steamed broccoli, hummus, tzatziki, feta and air fried falafel. I finally cooked the frozen falafel that I found at ALDI and really liked it!

I made my one tomato pie of the season and it was a bit of a disappointment. I tried a different recipe and it just didn’t turn out the way that I hoped. Oh well!

Took myself out for a sushi dinner after we wrapped up teacher training for the day while I was in Tennessee a couple of weeks ago. The roll on the left was quite the creation: crab, cucumber, cream cheese and avocado topped with crispy fried shrimp, sweet and tangy Thai sauce, sesame seeds, cilantro and tobiko. There was a whole fried shrimp on each piece of sushi. There was a lot going on but it was good.

DESSERT

RUN to the grocery store to get this Brambleberry Crisp flavor of Jeni’s Ice Cream. It is 100% worth the price tag. It’s oven-toasted oat streusel and a sweet-tart brambleberry jam layered throughout vanilla ice cream. It’s officially my favorite ice cream flavor of the summer.

I also tried this Haagen-Dazs Summer Berry Cake Pop ice cream.

“We swirl velvety strawberry ice cream with sweet cream ice cream, add perfect, fluffy cake pieces and then finish with a tangy raspberry sauce. Dig in, we know one nibble won’t be enough.”

Sad to say, this one was not a winner. I went back to Jeni’s. 🙂

Cupcakes from my favorite shop in Kingsport. I got strawberry, blackberry, red velvet and chocolate peanut butter. I took the chocolate peanut butter home to Finn because he loves Reese’s.

Lastly, here’s one of my favorite “lunch desserts” when I have fresh sourdough on hand. Toasted (or untoasted if it’s super fresh and just sliced) sourdough with salted butter and jam. I’ve been spoiled lately to have homemade ginger blueberry jam that a friend’s mother made. It’s amazing!

And that brings us up to speed! It’s been a pretty great few weeks of eating around here and looking forward to more to come.

QUESTIONS

Do you have a favorite salmon marinade or preparation?

What ice cream flavor have you been loving this summer? 

Tacos…hard or soft? Tacos or taco salad?