Monthly meal planning - June

June is a little weird because we're having guests and I have some traveling to do and the way the weeks fall on my calendar I'm planning for five weeks instead of four. I'm not going to freak out if things don't work out as planned, and I'm barely planning anything for the end of the month because travel and then coming home is rough and I'm not sure if I'll feel like cooking. If I know we're facing a busy time I make sure that I stock our freezer with a few Trader Joe's meals. Cheaper, easier and quicker than take out, and they'll hold if we magically manage to cook a real meal instead.



Recipes this month - 

Sweet potato bolognese - again, no real recipe. It's just 1/2 lb ground beef, 1/2 lb hot sausage, 1 jar marinara and 2 large sweet potatoes that have been spiralized. (spiralizer post is here)

Brown rice noodle and vegetable bowl - no recipe, I just stir fry a bunch of veggies with some ginger and garlic and the extra firm tofu from Trader Joe's (it has the best texture!) and toss with some Soyaki marinade (also from TJ's) and the cooked noodles. 

Rainbow power salad with roasted chickpeas - nice spiralizer recipe that I tried out last month. 

Red lentils and spinach in masala sauce - the winner of the red lentil recipe showdown last month.  

Spicy shrimp with pesto zucchini noodles - spiralizer recipe that I tried out and loooved last month. 

Spiced butternut squash salad with lentils and goat cheese - one of my favorite recipes lately and it makes a great work lunch. I always toss the arugula lightly with some balsamic dressing. I still use this basic recipe and almost always have a jar of it in the fridge. Lately I've been adding a shallot in there, along with garlic and whatever herbs I have on hand. If I'm packing it for work, I put the lentils, butternut squash and goat cheese at the bottom of a large container, then put plenty of arugula on top and pack a small container of dressing to toss it with right before eating. 

Sweet potato dirty rice - easy, satisfying recipe. I get spicy andouille sausage from Whole Foods and I usually add more peppers than the recipe calls for.

Broccoli rabe with spicy Italian sausage and zucchini noodles - new to me recipe that I've been meaning to try out for a while.

Chicken tikka masala + saag - New to me recipe recommended by a reader. I love the quick and easy chicken tikka masala recipe that I've used in the past, but this one looks extra delicious.