Meatball meals

A frozen bag of beef meatballs can really be helpful when it’s 4:30 pm and you have yet to sort out your dinner plans.

Grab some veg from the fridge and you’re on your way…

I got this super random bag of stir fry mixed veggies for cheap on imperfect foods. I realized once it arrived why it was so inexpensive – it was 50% broccoli stalks. Oh well. It was already chopped up, so I was happy to have one step taken care of. Two steps if you consider I didn’t have to bother with rolling meatballs out by hand (legit the worst kitchen chore of all time).

I chopped up squash to bulk up the stir fry and then got some rice going.

I also had leftover slaw, but in an amount that wasn’t substantial enough to do anything real with. But as a component of a rice bowl? Perfect use!

I topped it all with a bit of miso dressing and voila!

A nutritious dinner – albeit somewhat random.

Honestly, who cares anymore. I’ve now come to the realization that my kids don’t care about “traditional” pairings. V dips her grapes in hummus and P thinks mayo is the answer to every problem ever so who am I to disagree?

And then a week later…I did it again. My pandemic recommendation is keep meatballs in your freezer at all times. And sign up for a CSA (or delivery grocery service).

[If you want $15 off your first box of farmfreshtoyou use the code: ELIS5262)

Oh and if you can, plant stuff to grow on your own. Our cilantro lasted a week in the 110 degree heat, but the basil has been going strong. My herb ladder is the closest thing I have to a garden right now.

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This rice bowl used up the last of everything in the bottom of the veggie bin, including chard, snap peas, and broccoli, which I sautéed in a mix of tamari, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and fish sauce.

I was inspired by a Vietnamese nuoc cham kind of sauce. I love the bright acidity of the rice vinegar and fish sauce.

To serve, I topped the rice with meatballs, sautéed veggies, basil, mint and peanuts.

Did I mention the mint that I transplanted (from a friends yard!) has totally thrived in my herb ladder? That stuff is resilient AF. The kids don’t love mint, so I only added it to the adult portions.

I’ve been really into bowls lately, so I got two bowl themed cookbooks from the library last month. One of them was stellar, so I may ask for it for my birthday. Of course it’s by America’s Test Kitchen. They can do no wrong in my opinion.

[Side note: major props to the yolo county library for successfully tackling contactless library pick-ups because that has single-handedly saved us all from going completely crazy. Otherwise I would have likely spent $$$$$ on books these past few months. I’ve been tracking Pattycakes’ reading this summer and he is on his 85th chapter book. Since June.]