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Dinner Divas: Week 16 – One Pot Wonders

Dinner Divas | One Pot Wonders
One Pot dinners are the busy weekday’s salvation.   We are quickly approaching “Back to School” and we’re here to help get dinner on the table quickly and without too many pots and pans to clean up afterwards.

How it works:  Every Friday morning, a new meal plan will show up in your email.  It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras.  Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc. The Dinner Divas weekly menu plans will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare.   Getting the weekly menu delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead.   I’d love to hear from you & see your creations!  Post a pic using #DinnerDivas and tag @pookspantry!   I hope this weekly menu plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time. 

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Dinner Divas: Week 15 – 30 Minute Meals

30 Minute Meals
30 minute meals.  When I ask my people on Facebook what they’d like to see more of, that is the Number One Request.  I get it, we are all busy and tired.  The thought of standing in the kitchen for an hour after a long work day doesn’t appeal to many people.  This week, the Dinner Divas have put together a week’s worth of 30 minute meals.  

How it works:  Every Friday morning, a new meal plan will show up in your email.  It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras.  Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc. The Dinner Divas weekly menu plans will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare.   Getting the weekly menu delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead.  I’d love to hear from you & see your creations!  Post a pic using #DinnerDivas and tag @pookspantry!   I hope this weekly menu plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time. 

30 MINUTE MEALS

First up this week is Pastry Chef Online’s Pasta with easy Creamy Marinara (or Vodka) Sauce.  This is the perfect way to ease into the week.  Check out the secret ingredient in her sauce!

Next is this amazing Korean BBQ Rice Bowl from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen.  This is exactly what I crave after a long day.   A few minutes the night before to prepare a marinade and the rest comes together in a snap. Bring on those spicy flavors and pickles!

The following day brings us to midweek with One Pan Greek Beef Pasta from The Chef Next Door.  I love the flavors in this filling one pan meal!

Next is my Queso Fundido Chicken.  Although it might be about 35 minutes from start to finish, I hope you’ll forgive the 5 minutes over the time limit because it’s worth it! Pull out some leftover rice or veggies that are hiding in the fridge and your meal is complete.

Last, but certainly not least is 15 minute Weeknight Pasta from Comfortably Domestic.  This is a great recipe to have in your back pocket for those nights when you have very little time or energy.

Finally, we’ve come to the end of the week and that means dessert.  This week, we have two incredible sweets to fulfill that craving.

 
This Salted Caramel Turtle Fudge Swirl Ice Cream is my sweet tooth’s dream.  Pastry Chef Online is an ice cream genius.

The last dessert this week are Mini Walnut Cinnamon Buns.  These would be a perfect weekend treat, thanks to the Chef Next Door!

Thank you for joining us this week! We hope these 30 minute meals help make the week a little easier… one meal at a time.

The Dinner Divas


 

Cheese Stuffed Queso Fundido Chicken

queso fundido chicken
Queso Fundido is one of my favorite splurge foods when we go out. It is gooey, melted cheese with caramelized onions and strips of roasted poblano peppers.  Queso Fundido is literally “melted cheese” and has many variations, but my favorite is the traditional onions and poblano peppers.   We eat chicken a few times a week and I’m always thinking of ways to change up the rotation.  This dish combines a dinner staple with a restaurant favorite.

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Dinner Divas Weekly Menu Plan: Week 8

Dinner Divas

Dinner Divas is back!  Can you believe it’s already the second week of June?!  I can not.  The weeks are FLYING by and I feel like I need to press “pause” so I can catch up.   Although it isn’t officially summer, it is in full swing here.  Summer in Florida means rain and lots of it.  I can’t complain though, because it’s better than three feet of snow in January.

How it works:  Every Friday morning, a new meal plan will show up in your email.  It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras.  Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc.   The Dinner Divas weekly menu plans will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare.   Getting the weekly menu delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead.  We’ve got so much good stuff this week!  I’d love to hear from you & see your creations!  Post a pic using #DinnerDivas and tag @pookspantry!   I hope this weekly menu plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time. 

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Dinner Divas Weekly Menu Plan: Week 3

Dinner Divas - week 3
Welcome Back to Dinner Divas! We have another amazing week of recipes to share with all of you! The weather here has flipped a switch and it is getting hot. We’re already experiencing 90+ degree days, so I’m looking forward to lighter fare and refreshing beverages!  Have a wonderful weekend and make it a delicious day!

This comforting meal is exactly what I’d want to eat while snuggled up on the couch with a movie! It looks so good, and has everything I love!  Gnocchi with Chicken Sausage, Brussels Sprouts and Apples from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen

 

Meatless meals don’t have to be boring!  This Asparagus Carbonara with Horseradish Breadcrumbs from The Wimpy Vegetarian  looks absolutely delicious!  Asparagus is in season now, so it’s the perfect time to make it!

 

Chicken with Mushrooms and Thyme from Pastry Chef Online is one of my favorites!  I make something similar at least once a month here! It’s incredibly delicious and it delivers big flavor without demanding lots of time and effort. That’s a midweek win!

 

I have a meatless meal offering this week – my Soba Noodles with Stir-Fried Vegetables.  So good, you honestly won’t miss the meat.  If you have a carnivore in your house that just can’t live without it, shrimp or chicken works beautifully here.  I’ve even done it with beef or pork. This is a solid recipe with lots of room for variations.

 

This Spring Vegetable Tart from Comfortable Domestic would make a wonderful light dinner or a brilliant brunch.  Cooking for Mom next weekend?  I think you found your recipe.

 

This Spicy Succotash with Bacon and Fava Beans would go perfectly with the Chicken on Wednesday.

 

These Lemon Blueberry Scones from The Chef Next Door could be dessert, afternoon snack, breakfast, etc.  I don’t care when you give them to me as long as I get to eat them.

Thank you for joining Dinner Divas!  We look forward to helping you plan your weekly menus and hope that it makes life easier, one meal at a time!

Brought to you by:

The Dinner Divas

Dinner Divas – Weekly Meal Plan: Week 2

Dinner Divas Weekly Menu Plan - Week 2 | Pook's Pantry
Greetings! Welcome to week 2 of Dinner Divas Weekly Menu Plan!  How it works:  Every Friday morning, a new meal plan will show up in your email.  It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras.  Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc.   The menus will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare.   Getting the meal plan delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead.   I hope this weekly meal plan makes life a little easier… one meal at a time. 

This week, the Dinner Divas put together an amazing meal plan.  We have delicious dinners, a lovely side dish and a beverage!  Spring is in the air and I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be outside enjoying the weather than standing in front of an open fridge at 5:30 wondering what I can pull together that will pass as dinner.   Planning ahead has been a HUGE gamechanger for me and I hope it has for you as well.

DINNER DIVAS – WEEKLY MENU PLAN: WEEK 2

This Meatless Monday meal sounds so delicious, I can hardly wait to have this for dinner!   Mujadara with Roasted Tomatoes and Greens from the Wimpy Vegetarian  is also a perfect side for lamb.

 

Casserole Supreme from Jenni Field’s Pastry Chef Online is the epitome of comfort food to me.  It’s exactly what I think of when I want a “food hug”.

 

Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Sheet Pan Supper from Pook’s Pantry (me!) is one of my “go-to” dinners.  Sometimes, you just need to get dinner done without a sinkful of dirty pots and pans.   Oh, did I mention it’s about a half hour from fridge to table?  Yeah, winner winner chicken dinner.

Bucatini with Spinach Pesto from The Chef Next Door is a great weeknight meal that comes together quickly and is minimal fuss!   This vegetarian dish would also be fantastic with a little grilled chicken on top!

 

Al Pastor Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen  I love my Instant Pot and I’m always looking for more recipes that use it.  Combine that with the fact that these are Whole 30 compliant – JACKPOT!!!  I’m over the moon for these!

And now, for the extras!

This lovely Asparagus Gribiche from The Wimpy Vegetarian would be a wonderful brunch item or side to a Spring menu

 

Homemade Lemonade Concentrate from Comfortably Domestic  is my summer dream come true.  Who doesn’t love lemonade?!  You can make pitchers of lemonade for a fraction of the cost of buying it!

 

Thank you so much for joining us!  I look forward to seeing you here every Friday for more menu plans brought to you by:

The Dinner Divas

 

Pimento Cheese Potato Salad with Fried Chicken Tenders on Potato Biscuits

Pimento Potato Salad
This post is sponsored by Idaho® Potato, thank you for helping to support Pook’s Pantry.  As always, all opinions are my own.

Potato salad gets a spicy makeover when it meets all the components for pimento or pimiento cheese.  Paired with fried chicken tenders on a cheddar dill potato biscuit, it makes the perfect picnic lunch.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite places to go was Greenfield Village.  It’s like stepping back in time.  Everyone is dressed in costume and there are various “shoppes” that make candles, leather goods, etc.  It is also home to the Henry Ford museum, which is wonderful.  All this cool stuff aside, the reason I really loved going there was the chicken.  Seriously.  I’d get my box lunch of chicken and potato salad, go sit on a blanket in the grass and I was happy as a clam.  (Where did this saying come from?  Are clams REALLY happy?!) 

If only the younger me could’ve gotten her hands on this chicken tender biscuit sandwich!  Oh, that would have been one happy little girl! Drizzled with spicy honey, this sandwich is so dang good! The soft biscuit gives way to the crunchy coating on the chicken and then the spicy honey hits your tongue for one incredible bite.  Let’s talk for a minute how we get that coating, shall we?

CHEF’S TIP:

When breading anything, this is the Standard Breading Procedure.  Flour, then egg and lastly breadcrumb.  Place your breaded items on a cooling rack set inside of a sheet pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24.  This helps the breading to stick to whatever you are coating, in this case – chicken,  instead of falling off during cooking.

This would be the PERFECT menu for hanging out in the backyard with some friends.  It also makes a great boxed lunch!  Get a few containers, pack them up and you’re off!  Does your company do picnic lunches for a day retreat?  Wouldn’t this be a better option than a soggy turkey sandwich and a bag of crushed chips?

The spicy honey really make this sandwich go from good to GREAT!  If you don’t like too much spice, you can reduce the amount of chilies or pull them out of the honey sooner so they don’t have a chance to infuse as much heat.

See below?  These containers are PERFECT!

Potato Salad, how I love thee…

Pimento Cheese Potato Salad with Fried Chicken Tenders on Cheddar Dill Potato Biscuits
Serves 8
Potato Salad gets a spicy makeover with all the flavors of pimento cheese. It's paired with fried chicken tenders on a cheddar dill potato biscuit for a perfect picnic lunch.
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Prep Time
2 hr 30 min
Cook Time
45 min
Prep Time
2 hr 30 min
Cook Time
45 min
For the Pimento Cheese Potato Salad
  1. • 2 pounds Idaho® Russet potatoes (I used Norkotah), peeled and diced into 1” pieces
  2. • 1 ½ cups shredded habanero cheddar cheese, or other spicy cheddar
  3. • 1 cup mayonnaise
  4. • 2 tablespoons diced pimento peppers
  5. • 3 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
  6. • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  7. • 2 teaspoons dried mustard
  8. • 2 tablespoons grated onion
  9. • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  10. • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  11. • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Fried Chicken Tenders
  1. • 16 chicken tenderloins
  2. • 1 ½ cups All-Purpose flour
  3. • 3 large eggs, beaten
  4. • 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  5. • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (Japanese style breadcrumb)
  6. • 1 teaspoon salt
  7. • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  8. • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  9. • 2 cups buttermilk + 3 sprigs rosemary for soaking
  10. • 3 cups canola oil for frying
Spicy Honey
  1. • 1 cup honey
  2. • 2 red chili peppers (such as Thai chilies)
Potato Cheddar Dill Biscuits
  1. • 1 - 3.4 oz. package Honest Earth® buttery home-style instant potatoes
  2. • 7 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 ½ cups)
  3. • 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
  4. • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  5. • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  6. • 2 large eggs + 1 yolk
  7. • ½ cup light cream + 2 tablespoons for brushing on top
  8. • 1 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter, diced
  9. • 1 tablespoon dill
  10. • ½ cup grated extra-sharp cheddar
For the Potato Salad
  1. Fill a large pot with cold water and add potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for approximately 12 – 15 minutes, or until “fork tender”.
  2. While potatoes are boiling, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. When potatoes are cooked, remove from heat and drain. Lay out on a baking sheet for faster cooling and to allow them to dry a bit before adding to mayonnaise mixture.
  4. When potatoes have cooled to room temperature, toss them in the mayonnaise mixture and grate a few tablespoons of cheese on top.
For the Chicken and Honey
  1. Place chicken tenders in buttermilk & rosemary and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Remove chicken from buttermilk, pat dry and set aside. Discard buttermilk.
  3. In a food processor, pulse both breadcrumbs together until uniform in consistency.
  4. In three separate bowls, set up breading station: In the first bowl - flour, salt, pepper and paprika. In the second bowl - eggs and in the last bowl – the breadcrumbs.
  5. Whisk the ingredients together in the first bowl and then dip the chicken tenders into the flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour, then dip in egg and lastly in the breadcrumb mixture.
  6. Lay on a cooling rack set inside of a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight before frying. This helps the coating to set.
  7. Heat oil over medium – high heat. Fry each tender for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
  8. In a small saucepan, combine honey and chilies over low heat. Let it barely come to a simmer, you do not want it to boil. Let chilies infuse honey for about one hour, then remove chili peppers if desired. Drizzle spicy honey over chicken tenders for sweet heat.
For the Biscuits
  1. Preheat oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl: combine cream, eggs and yolk. Whisk to combine thoroughly. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment: Combine flour and diced butter and let mixer run until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 4 – 5 minutes. Add instant potatoes, baking powder, dill, cheddar, salt and pepper. Mix for a few seconds until it is combined.
  4. Pour cream mixture into bowl of mixer and mix until just combined, do not overmix. Remove bowl from mixer and with a rubber spatula, fold dough from bottom of bowl to the top to make sure all of the flour mixture has been incorporated.
  5. Using a 3 ½ - 4 ounce scoop, portion 8 biscuits onto the sheet pan.
  6. Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with coarse sea salt, if desired.
  7. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, cool on pan for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Pook's Pantry https://www.pookspantry.com/
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Pimento Potato Salad, Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tender with Spicy Honey on a Cheddar Dill Potato Biscuit | Pook's Pantry

Weekly Meal Plan – Dinner Divas : Week 1

week one meal planThis week is the kick-off to something new around here.  I’ve collaborated with a few of my favorite blogger gals to bring you a week’s worth of dinner ideas!  How it works:  Every Friday morning, a new meal plan will show up in your email.  It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras.  Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc.   The menus will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare.   Getting the meal plan delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead.  With all the springtime activities and summer break right around the corner, I hope this weekly meal plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time. 

Weekly Meal Plan – Week One

One Pot Chicken and Spinach Pasta with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce – Pook’s Pantry

Chicken and Spinach Pasta with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce - weekly meal plan

Skillet Pork Marsala with Roasted Asparagus – The Chef Next Door

Chicken Bahn Mi Vegetable and Rice Bowl – Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

Crispy Black Bean Burritos – Comfortably Domenstic

Low Carb Chicken Fajita Lunch Bowls – Pook’s Pantry

Smashed Roasted Beets with Pesto and Goat Cheese – The Wimpy Vegetarian

Summer Salad with Roasted Apple Vinaigrette – Pastry Chef Online

Thank you so much for joining us!  We look forward to seeing you here every Friday for more weekly meal plans!

 

Chicken Fajita Lunch Bowls – Low Carb

Chicken fajita for lunch? Don’t mind if I do!  Tired of sandwiches or sad-looking lunches? These chicken fajita lunch bowls will have you looking forward to your lunch hour again.  They are also LOW CARB  (I’m here to help a girl out).  A bit of light chopping and grilling makes this meal feel like you had lunch at your favorite Tex-Mex place, but with half the calorie count.

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Meal Prep Mediterranean Chicken Bowls

Meal prep can be the difference between staying on track with healthy eating choices or going off the rails and finding yourself ordering a Mc whatever through a speaker in the drive-through.   Dedicating a few extra minutes on weekends to set up your meals for the week is time well spent.  Whether it be lunches, dinners or both – planning ahead is essential.

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