What We Ate Last Week

I hesitate posting pictures of food on Instagram because inevitably, I get asked how/what/where by lots of you. And then I have the crippling anxiety that comes along with posting a recipe here on the blog. It requires pretty pictures (you don’t want to eat food that looks unappetizing). And usually, I have to turn my “pinch of this and a dash of that” into actual measurements. It’s a whole thing.

So this week I made a conscious effort to record everything that went on in the Thueson kitchen so you wouldn’t miss out!

Here’s What’s We Ate For dinner:

Monday: Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken

My kids said this was better than any Chinese food place they’ve eaten at! They loved it! It is more time consuming than other recipes we’ve tried. But totally worth the effort it requires! This recipe is by one of my friends, Kristyn. She has an amazing blog where she shares a ton of recipes and other fun stuff! But this Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken is a family favorite!

PHOTO COURTESY OF LILUNA

Tuesday: Gluten-Free Egg Fried Rice

You’ve seen me make this a time or two. And for good reason! This is THE MOST DELICIOUS meal and it ticks all the boxes. It’s got protein, veggies, yummy flavors, and it easily made in minutes. The trick? Using pre-cooked rice from the grocery store. Our favorite is from Trader Joes but any 90-second rice works! And you can make it with white or brown rice (whatever your family prefers).

SHOP ALL MY KITCHEN FAVORITES

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We eat this as a meal all the time. Put lots of egg in it to up the protein! And you can get creative with the veggies. Take out what your family doesn’t love or add some of your own favorites. But throwing in a mixed bag of frozen veggies makes it quick!

Wednesday: Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup is also a quick and easy meal that can be made in a slow-cooker, pressure cooker, or right on your stove top. I love using my Le Crueset for this to help develop the flavors. And this is one of those meals that is better the next day – so yummy!

If you do make this, don’t be afraid to get creative. This is easily made gluten-free by switching out the noodles and I have specific instructions to make sure your soup doesn’t break down overnight!

Thursday: Sloppy Joes

My family loved this recipe from Amber’s Kitchen! This recipe calls for tomato soup. But tomato soup is kind of hard to find GF! Instead, I use a can of tomato sauce to make it GF and so can you! It’s a 10-minute meal and a total crowd-pleaser. I’ve even done it without onions and it was just as good. Just add some onion powder to it.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMBERSKITCHEN

She lists  “Homemade” chili sauce and cautions not to substitute so we didn’t! I found it at Walmart and Harmmons in my town. She also mentions you can find it on Amazon if you’re desperate! And I recommend checking her comments for other places it can be found.

Friday: Flank Steak, Potato Salad, Corn on the Cob

Our last meal was one that we just made up and one you can readily do at home. We bought flank steak for the first time and seasoned it with Traeger beef rub. If you don’t have a grill, flank steak can be cooked on the stovetop and finished off in the oven.

A few things to note about flank steak:

• It’s thin and tough – so you need to tenderize. It’s easy to do this by pounding it out, making small incisions with a pairing knife, and using an acidic marinade. You want to let it sit in its marinade for at least an hour! Costco potato salad & corn on the cob.
• Eat it thinly sliced and cut against the grain for maximum tenderness
• The magic happens once it’s cooked. After cooking 4-5 minutes per side (internal thermometer should read 130-135 degrees F for medium-rare or around 145 degrees for medium), remove the steak from the stovetop or grill to a cutting board or plate and tent! Allow your steak to rest for 10-15 minutes. DON’T SKIP THIS STEP!

We paired this meal with potato salad from Costco and some corn on the cob. This meal was so tasty and really back to basics.

SOMETHING WE MADE ALL WEEK: Mom’s Knotted Rolls

These rolls are courtesy of Scarlett from Made it. Ate it. Loved it. And the verdict is in: my family loves these rolls! Even though I didn’t get to eat them, we made them multiple times this week and both versions (dinner roll and orange roll) are available via her website!

We made both these rolls and orange rolls this week.

Let me know if these menus are helpful in the comments below! If so, I’ll keep sharing!

Xx Tara