Three easy dinner ideas

To make this super yummy pesto number, you need gnocchi, kale, and pesto.  That’s it.  Fancy cheese or roasted nuts are optional.  I had both on hand and didn’t need either though since the pesto was so rich and flavorful.

For the kiddos bowls, I roasted cauli in lieu of kale and added white beans.

Saute saute saute.

Add the pesto.

This was the almond pistachio version (that I made in bulk last month).   I added olive oil to thin it out a touch, but I do love me some chunky nutty pesto, so not too much.

DEEEEELISH.

Kyle did most of the legwork on this next meal…

Have you ever heard of the ribeye cap cut of meat?

My friend has been raving about it forever, so when I saw three on sale I pounced.

So Kyle grilled us up some steaks, while I roasted potatoes and make a Caesar.  I wish I had more than one potato, but at least it was a huge one. This is one of those meals that I barely pulled together at the end of the grocery shopping cycle.

The Caesar was about as simple as it gets with romaine and kale massaged in tessemae’s creamy Caesar, but I think that’s fine when it’s a side dish.

It feels like a meal you’d get at a steak restaurant.

The kids were definitely begging (BEGGING!!) for more of everything (but we were all out!).

Can you blame them though?? I wanted more too.  Next time I’m buying 4 potatoes because carb shortages can really derail an exceptional meal.  Luckily they are easy to please with food, so after P had his milk dose, I offered them some fruit and they were happy campers.

Ok last dish up is meatballs with tomato rice.

I know what you’re thinking…MORE TOMATO SAUCE?!!?  WTF Elise let’s get some new material.

And to that I say, ok, but have you ever tried cooking rice in your instant pot like this?

Just like the start of my marinara recipes, I sautéed shallots in olive oil with garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper, and oregano, before adding tomatoes.  Then I sautéed the tomatoes until they started to burst.

And added the rice.

I kept in on the saute setting and used the rice to scrape off the browned bits and let the rice toast a bit.  Then I added some broth and popped the lid on, set it, and let it do it’s thing while I tackled the meatballs.

I baked the meatballs to make things easier on myself.  It’s faster and more hands off.

In order to get dinner on the table asap I did the quick release, but because I don’t like the way the steam goes everywhere I threw a towel over the top.  So much better!  Steam escapes and I don’t have to worry about burning myself or ruining the cabinets or cleaning all the splatter that covers the countertops.

Beautifully fluffy rich and creamy rice.

FYI this is how creative you have to get when you don’t have anymore pasta in the house.  Everyone loved it though, so who cares that it’s a little outside the box.

And that’s all I’ve got for you!

 

 

And that’s all I’ve got for you right now!