Hi friends!
I’m not going to lie, I have been in full hibernation mode with creating content after planning (and now finally pulling off) our backyard wedding reception! A few months ago, Joe and I eloped in Las Vegas, and even though we skipped the traditional wedding, we still wanted to celebrate with our close friends and family. So we invited about 50 people over for a backyard reception, and it ended up being the most perfect night!
We host parties every year, but this one took a lot more time and energy than I expected it to. Between the planning and taking a little time to soak it all in, I’ve been a bit MIA over here. But I’m back and I’m wanting to spice things up! This week I am sharing our dinner round up from last week. These are all simple enough to make as a weekday dinner, utilize all of the yummy summer produce and are most of them are dinners we always make on repeat.
Let me know what you guys think of this format in the comments if you want to see more of these weekly dinner round ups!
This weeks grocery list ⬇️
Produce
4 ears sweet corn
1 zucchini
1 yellow summer squash
3 yellow onions
1 red bell pepper
4 large carrots
4–5 celery ribs
1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
3 large poblano peppers
2 jalapeños
½ shallot
1–2 pounds Brussels sprouts
Shredded purple cabbage, as needed
3 limes
About 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, plus more for the rice and taco topping
1 handful fresh chives
About 1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
About ¼ cup finely chopped fresh oregano
Meat and Seafood
1½ pounds 85/15 ground beef
2 (8-ounce) salmon fillets
2 large sea bass fillets
1 bone-in ribeye, 1–2 inches thick
1 whole chicken, about 3½ pounds
Dairy
Good Culture Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
Cotija cheese or Parmesan
Mexican-style crema
Salted butter
Bread and Grains
White corn tortillas
Jasmine rice
Tostitos Salsa Verde Scoops
Refrigerated and Jarred
Spicy pickled pico de gallo
Staples I Already Had
Hellmann’s mayonnaise
Pickled red onions
Balsamic glaze
Crunchy garlic chili oil
Extra-virgin olive oil
Extra-virgin olive oil spray
Balsamic vinegar
Red wine vinegar
Seasoned rice vinegar
Chicken bouillon powder
McCormick Low-Sodium Mild Taco Seasoning
Trader Joe’s Everything but the Elote Seasoning Blend
Kinder’s Cowboy Butter Seasoning
Old Bay Seasoning
Blackened fish seasoning
Black & Tan seasoning
Fire & Smoke Society Potato Slayer Seasoning
Lawry’s Garlic Salt
Lemon pepper
Chile de árbol powder
Ground sage
Salt
Black pepper
Sugar
Links
This is a spin on the viral sweet potato, ground beef, and elote bowl by another creator on TikTok and Instagram, @icekarim. I’m not going to lie—sometimes cooking three separate elements for dinner is too much, especially on a Monday. That’s why I love using a bag of chips or a loaf of bread as our carb when I want something easy.
Serves: 3–4
Protein: ~40–50g per serving
1½ pounds 85/15 ground beef
1 packet McCormick Low-Sodium Mild Taco Seasoning
4 ears sweet corn
2 tablespoons salted butter
Pinch of sugar
1 cup Good Culture Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
2 tablespoons Hellmann’s mayonnaise
About 2 tablespoons finely minced cilantro
1 jalapeño, finely diced
Juice of ½ lime
About ½ cup grated Cotija cheese—I used Parmesan because that’s what I had, and it was still delicious!
Trader Joe’s Everything but the Elote Seasoning Blend, to taste
Tostitos Salsa Verde Scoops, for serving
Steam the corn. Trim the ends and remove most of the husks, leaving a few thin layers intact. Add the corn to a large stockpot with about 2 inches of simmering water, the butter, and a pinch of sugar. Cover and steam for about 10 minutes, or until the corn is tender, flipping it halfway through if needed.
Remove the husks. Once the corn is cool enough to handle—I like to wear kitchen gloves because it will still be hot—trim off each end with a sharp knife. Peel back the husks and remove the silk. I find that the silk comes off much more easily after the corn has been steamed.
Make the creamy elote mixture. Reserve about ¼–½ cup of the corn-cooking liquid. Add it to a blender with the cottage cheese, mayonnaise, and lime juice, then blend until smooth and creamy.
Cut the corn from the cobs. Place a small bowl upside down inside a larger bowl and stand each ear of corn on top. Slice the kernels from the cobs so they fall neatly into the larger bowl. Add the creamy cottage cheese mixture, cilantro, jalapeño, and Cotija cheese, then stir until well combined.
Cook the beef. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, draining any excess grease if needed. Stir in the taco seasoning and add the amount of water indicated on the package. I usually fill the empty seasoning packet with water about 1½ times. Simmer until the beef is evenly coated and the sauce has thickened.
Assemble and serve. Spoon the taco meat into bowls and top with a generous scoop of the elote mixture. Sprinkle with Trader Joe’s Everything but the Elote Seasoning and serve with Tostitos Salsa Verde Scoops for dipping.
Air-fryer salmon has been in my rotation for years. It is one of my most popular recipes of all time—and for good reason. I change the sides depending on what I have available. Sometimes I pair it with cucumber salad and seaweed sheets for an Asian-inspired spin, but this week I kept things simple with roasted summer vegetables and cilantro-lime rice.
Serves: 2
Protein: ~50–55g per serving
2 (8-ounce) salmon fillets
Kinder’s Cowboy Butter Seasoning, to taste
Old Bay Seasoning, to taste
Lawry’s Garlic Salt, to taste
Chile de árbol powder, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil spray
1 zucchini
1 yellow summer squash
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 red bell pepper
2–3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup jasmine rice
1 tablespoon salted butter
Chopped fresh cilantro, to taste
Juice of ½ lime
Salt, to taste
Roast the vegetables. Preheat the oven with a large sheet pan to 425°F. Once the oven is preheated add the zucchini, summer squash, onion, and bell pepper. Spray generously with extra-virgin olive oil, drizzle with the balsamic vinegar, and season generously with Lawry’s Garlic Salt. Toss to coat and roast for about 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and nicely caramelized.
About halfway through cooking, toss the vegetables, move the onions and bell peppers toward the center of the pan, and spread the zucchini and squash around the outside so they can develop more color.
Cook the rice. Prepare the jasmine rice according to the package directions. I used my rice cooker. Once the rice has finished cooking, stir in the butter, chopped cilantro, and lime juice. Taste and season with salt if needed.
Air fry the salmon. Lightly spray both salmon fillets with extra-virgin olive oil. Season with Kinder’s Cowboy Butter Seasoning, Old Bay, Lawry’s Garlic Salt, and a pinch of chile de árbol powder. Air fry at 400°F for 8–10 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Every air fryer cooks a little differently, so start checking it around the 8-minute mark.
Serve. Divide the cilantro-lime rice between two plates and add the roasted vegetables and salmon. Finish with a fresh squeeze of lime over the salmon before serving.
I find it necessary to have a roast chicken in our dinner rotation at least once a month. It takes a little more effort than most of my weeknight meals, with removing the backbone and all, but it’s always worth it. The chicken turns out incredibly tender and juicy, the potatoes soak up all the flavorful drippings, and the leftovers make some of the best lunches the next day.
Serves: 4
Protein: ~40–50g per serving
1 whole chicken, about 3½ pounds
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into wedges
Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
Lawry’s Garlic Salt, to taste
Fire & Smoke Society Potato Slayer Seasoning, to taste
Chile de árbol powder, to taste
Kinder’s Cowboy Butter Seasoning, to taste
4 large carrots, cut on the diagonal
4–5 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 small yellow onions, quartered
About 2 tablespoons salted butter
Ground sage, to taste
Seasoned rice vinegar, to taste
Prepare the chicken and potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the backbone from the chicken and split it into two halves by cutting through the breastbone.
Arrange the potato wedges in a deep 5-quart, 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Drizzle them with olive oil and season generously with garlic salt and Potato Slayer Seasoning. Season both sides of the chicken with garlic salt and Cowboy Butter Seasoning, then place the chicken skin-side up over the potatoes.
Start roasting. Roast the chicken and potatoes for 15 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
Roast the vegetables. Add the carrots, celery, and onions to a separate casserole dish or sheet pan. Dot them with butter and season with ground sage and garlic salt. Place the vegetables in the oven alongside the chicken.
Roast until the vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized, tossing them halfway through cooking and adding a small splash of seasoned rice vinegar when you toss them.
Crisp the potatoes. After the chicken and potatoes have roasted for about 1 hour, or once the potatoes are just barely fork-tender, carefully transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Season lightly with chile de árbol powder and generously with the Potato Slayer Seasoning and garlic salt.
Transfer the potatoes to the air fryer and cook at the highest temperature for 20–30 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until super crispy.
Finish the chicken. While the potatoes crisp, return the chicken to the oven and continue roasting it in the pan juices until the thickest part of the chicken reaches at least 165°F. If the skin begins to brown more than you’d like, loosely tent the chicken with foil.
Serve. Plate the roast chicken with the crispy potatoes and roasted vegetables, then spoon some of the pan juices over everything before serving.
I honestly don’t cook a lot of seafood outside of salmon and shrimp, but sea bass was on sale this week, and it did not disappoint! It is a pricier fish, so you can also use cod as a more affordable alternative. These tacos turned out incredible and will definitely become part of our regular dinner rotation.
Serves: 4
Protein: ~33–50g protein per serving
2 large sea bass fillets (6-8 ounces each)
Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
Blackened fish seasoning, to taste
8 white corn tortillas
3 large poblano peppers
1 jalapeño
Handful of fresh chives
½ cup Mexican-style crema
½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
½ lime, plus additional lime wedges for serving
Shredded purple cabbage
Fresh cilantro
Spicy pickled pico de gallo or pickled red onions
Roast the peppers. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Add the whole poblano peppers and jalapeño and air fry for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until softened and blackened on all sides.
Transfer the peppers to a covered bowl and allow them to steam for 10 minutes. Peel away the blackened skins, then remove the stems and seeds.
Make the poblano crema. Add the roasted poblanos and jalapeño to a blender with the Mexican-style crema, chives, chicken bouillon powder, and the juice of ½ lime. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, then taste and adjust the lime juice or bouillon as needed.
Prepare the fish. Pat the sea bass dry and cut it into taco-size pieces. Lightly coat the fish with extra-virgin olive oil, then season it generously on all sides with blackened fish seasoning.
Cook the fish. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sea bass and sear for 2–4 minutes per side, depending on its thickness, until deeply browned on the outside and the fish flakes easily in the center.
Warm the tortillas. Warm the white corn tortillas in a dry skillet for 20–30 seconds per side. Transfer them to a tortilla warmer or wrap them in a clean kitchen towel to keep them soft and warm.
Assemble and serve. Fill each warm tortilla with blackened sea bass and spoon the poblano crema over the top. Finish with shredded purple cabbage, fresh cilantro, and spicy pickled pico de gallo or pickled red onions. Serve immediately with lime wedges.
This is a dinner we make every single week right now, partly because I always have so much parsley growing in my garden, but mostly because my husband grills an amazing steak. No notes needed for this one!
Serves: 2–4
Protein: ~22–45g per serving
1 bone-in ribeye, 1–2 inches thick
Black & Tan seasoning, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
About 1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
About ¼ cup finely chopped fresh oregano
½ shallot, finely minced
About 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
About ¼ cup red wine vinegar
Pinch of sugar
Crunchy garlic chili oil, to taste
Lawry’s Garlic Salt, to taste
1–2 pounds whole Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Lawry’s Garlic Salt, to taste
Lemon pepper, to taste
Balsamic glaze, for serving
½ pound Yukon Gold potatoes
Chicken bouillon, for seasoning the cooking water
Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
Chile de árbol powder, to taste
Potato Slayer Seasoning, to taste
Lawry’s Garlic Salt, to taste
Make the chimichurri. Combine the finely chopped parsley, oregano, and shallot with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, a pinch of sugar, crunchy garlic chili oil, and garlic salt. Stir until well combined, then taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Set aside to allow the flavors to develop.
Parboil the potatoes. Cut the Yukon Gold potatoes into bite-size pieces and add them to a large pot with 2–3 inches of water seasoned with chicken bouillon. Bring the water to a boil, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost fork-tender but not completely cooked through or falling apart. Drain well and allow them to steam-dry for a few minutes.
Crisp the potatoes. Toss the parboiled potatoes generously with olive oil, chile de árbol powder, Potato Slayer Seasoning, and garlic salt. Transfer them to the air fryer and cook at the highest temperature for about 25 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until deeply golden and crispy.
Prepare the steak and Brussels sprouts. Preheat the grill to high heat. Lightly coat the ribeye with olive oil and season it generously on all sides with Black & Tan seasoning.
Trim the ends from the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, garlic salt, and lemon pepper.
Grill the Brussels sprouts. Transfer the Brussels sprouts to a grill basket. Grill until tender and lightly charred, tossing occasionally so they cook evenly.
Grill the ribeye. Place the ribeye over high heat and grill until deeply seared on both sides and cooked to your preferred doneness. For medium-rare, remove it from the grill when the center reaches 125–130°F. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing.
Serve. Slice the ribeye away from the bone, then cut it against the grain. Spoon the chimichurri over the steak and serve with the crispy potatoes and grilled Brussels sprouts. Finish the Brussels sprouts with balsamic glaze.
Don’t forget to tag me if you make it!
- Jackie 🤍
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