Weeknight Rescue // September 2019 // Week 35

Today you’ll find something a little different in Weeknight Rescue. I’m sharing five dinners instead of our standard three. That will give you more to choose from (and if you’re up for it, you’ll have all your meals, Monday to Friday, fully covered).

PAPRIKA-SPICED SHRIMP AND CORN SALAD

Let’s do this while the fresh corn is still available. It’s such a simple one-pan meal! If you’re pulling shrimp from the freezer, it defrosts pretty efficiently when immersed in a bowl of water. If you’ve got a ripe avocado on hand, that’s a nice addition on the side when sliced and doused with lemon/lime juice and sprinkled with salt.

WHOLE GRAIN BLUEBERRY BANANA PANCAKES

Here’s a way to put a little fun into back to school season: breakfast for dinner. Why not? I like to serve this nutritious short stack with a scoop of plain Greek yogurt on the side to make the meal heftier and higher in protein. Make a double batch and freeze the extras to be reheated in the toaster at breakfast.

CHEESY TEX MEX SKILLET SUPPER

This is always a crowd pleaser in our house. It’s a mess of Tex Mex flavors done in a single skillet. Serve with this colorful Mexican Slaw on the side for an extra dose of veggies at the table.

WHOLE CHICKEN IN A SLOW COOKER

The slow cooker won’t get you a crackling crispy-skinned bird, but it will be juicy and succulent. Even better, no babysitting the stove, since the slow cooker will do that for you. Serve it with favorite sides, such as this Warm BLT Potato dish or use it as the foundation for this light supper salad

SPAGHETTI AND SPIRALIZED ZUCCHINI WITH LEMONY PESTO

This relies on equal parts spaghetti and spiralized zucchini for a lighter pesto pasta that gets dressed up with a generous squeeze of lemon juice. If you don’t have a spiralizer, try grating the zucchini on the largest holes of a box grater instead. On the side, consider blanched green beans tossed with butter, salt, and pepper or a big salad. Game for dessert? How about a plate of what remains of summer’s best fruits.

NO-BAKE ALMOND BUTTER BARS WITH DARK CHOCOLATE

I discovered these gorgeous bars from the Alternative Baker cookbook last year and have baked many batches since. They’re healthy enough to give a good energy boost and are just the sort of treat that comes in handy for school lunch boxes. 

CARROT MISO GINGER DRESSING

An all-time favorite (and mega healthy) dressing that’s nice to have on hand for making quick salads or to use as a dip for fresh cut veggies.