Rest & Relish Meal Plan – October 8 – 14, 2018

Rest & Relish Meal Plan – October 8 – 14, 2018. 

Another week of prepping and planning…hoping this somehow makes life a little easier for us all to eat healthier!

Thanks for following along for another Rest & Relish Meal Plan post. I’m trying to embrace fall and get into the cozy spirit, but the truth is that temps have been in the high 80’s for the past several days in North Carolina. So, my menu this week reflects this transitional weather with “summer-like” dishes earlier in the week and cooler weather dishes towards the end of the week.

So much of what we do in our lives revolves around the weather and meal planning is no exception. I do see that cooler weather is on the horizon in our state. Feel free to alter or switch days around in the Rest & Relish Meal Plan to suit your own weather and scheduling needs!

Rest & Relish Meal Plan – October 8 – 14, 2018

Monday

Grilled Fish Tacos. If you are looking to keep the indoor temperatures down, grilling is always a good idea. Mondays can be tough, so grilling fish is such an easy alternative, as it only takes about 2 to 3 minutes of grilling per side.

We like mahi mahi best for fish tacos, but any mild, white fish will work well. Pile on your favorite toppings (e.g., shredded cabbage, cilantro, sliced green onions, salsa, etc.) and call it a night!

Food Allergy Tip: If you are gluten-free, choose corn tortillas. Otherwise, choose your favorite small (6-inch) tortillas.

Tuesday

Mediterranean Orzo Salad. Tuesdays are busy for us, so I try to either choose a make-ahead dish or something that can be prepared in under 30 minutes. This week I am making my Mediterranean Orzo Salad, as I can prepare it in advance and easily pull it out of the refrigerator at dinnertime.

This salad pairs well with grilled shrimp, chicken or salmon skewers if you prefer the addition of meat or seafood. Most local grocery stores sell prepped skewers if you are in a time crunch.

Food Allergy Tip: If you are gluten-free, choose a rice or corn-based orzo product and omit the feta if dairy-free.

Wednesday

Salmon Niscoise Salad. If you chose salmon skewers last night, it will be so easy to use any leftovers in Wednesday’s dinner! Cold salmon is great flaked over mixed greens and paired with steamed green beans, baby steamed or roasted potatoes, and olives with a light vinaigrette drizzled on top. You should have leftover vinaigrette from the Mediterranean Orzo Salad to pair with this salad as well.

Meal Prep Tip: In addition to using leftover salmon, the beans and potatoes can be cooked and cooled earlier until ready to use. This dish is equally tasty cold, heated or at room temperature depending on your taste.

Thursday

Tangy Southwest Quinoa Bowl. Another great make-ahead and budget-friendly meal! I swear we eat my Tangy Southwest Quinoa Bowl weekly for lunch and/or dinner. If black beans didn’t exist, our family would be in trouble!  Check my full post for kid-friendly tips as well!

Meal Prep Tip: Cook the quinoa earlier in the day or week; rinse and drain the beans earlier; prep your veggies ahead of time. Dinner is on the table in record time with these time-saving tips!

Friday

GF Kid-Friendly & Healthy Chicken Fingers. The hubs and I are headed to a concert this weekend, so the sitter needs an easy meal to serve the kids. Although I usually choose pizza on such nights, we lately have discovered that our daughter may have a gluten sensitivity. Yes, this is the same child that has a lactose-sensitivity as well!

We’ve been experimenting this week with various ingredients and have eliminated gluten from her diet. It seems to have made a difference in her discomfort. She can typically tolerate a tiny bit of dairy, but gluten has been a larger problem as of late.

I found this recipe for Gluten-Free Baked Chicken Fingers that I plan to try, along with a salad and broccoli. I’ll let you know what they think since I don’t eat meat, nor serve it a lot.

Ya’ll…..this meal planning for multiple diets and restrictions is getting real!

Saturday

Cook’s night off. Leftovers or out to dinner.

Sunday

Easy Skillet Refried Bean Dip. Did I mention that our family loves beans? This Easy Skillet Refried Bean Dip is the perfect dish for our family’s easy Sunday night meal. I can see us now scooping it up straight from the skillet while watching football! Alterations for decreased dairy look easy to implement as well.

Check in With Me

I hope everyone has a great week and this meal plan is helpful!

What looks good to you or what would you add? Are there specific types of recipes you would like me to share?

Please pin my meal plan to Pinterest for your reference and tag @restandrelish on Instagram if you make any of my recipes! I would love to see your renditions and hear from you!

Enjoy your week!