3 Easy Meals That Made Me Look Good

And happened to be delicious too

I’m one of those people who sail in and out of moods and modes. Interestingly, not moment by moment, more like months by months, sometimes even years. I’ll quit coffee on a random Tuesday and not touch it again for two years. Or, I’ll pick up a hobby, dive into it head first, sticking with it until I get as good at it as I want to be before I suddenly find myself tracking a different scent unrelated to the former.

I’ve fancied myself a foodie for a spell, spending hours in my kitchen creating feasts for fêtes before suddenly losing all interest in the pursuit and hardly being able to throw together a dinner more exciting than ‘barely passing.’ I thank goodness that I’m blessed to be with a man who loves to cook and is very good at it, which has given me space to stay in this not-so-interested-in-my-kitchen phase.

I’m happy to say that it is this phase from which I find myself slowly emerging.

My peanut gallery (including adult & child) is showing signs of relief, and frankly, so am I. I am actually enjoying it and there is one woman, whom I’ve never met, to thank for it. 

Does anyone else follow What’s Gaby Cooking? Somehow, the food Gods sent her to my IG algorithm last year, and I found my way to her website. I can’t remember the first few dishes I tackled, but they were enough to keep me coming back, and this week, every meal I’ve made has been one of hers. They were fast, easy, and downright delicious. Signs of a previous version of myself — the one who could actually cook, might be seeping through. Thank you, Gaby. 

Here’s what I made, and I’ll add a few notes of very slight changes that I will implement next time to appease our personal palates (for example, Mark likes more garlic than I do, and Atticus doesn’t love spice). 

First up:

HAWAIIAN GARLIC SHRIMP:

(Photo pulled directly from her recipe)

We LOVED this dish. I can see this turning into an every-other-week meal, we loved it that much.

My notes were as follows (PS: I have a spreadsheet of favorite recipes with links & notes. I literally will not remember any of it otherwise. PPS: I have spreadsheets on EVERYTHING. Don’t judge me; this is my hard-earned self-awareness at work. It’s a tool that helps me live.):

• Next time, I will get 1.5 lbs of shrimp so we have leftovers to throw on a salad the next day.

• Two lemons instead of two tablespoons of lemon. That’s a big jump, I know, but we like it lemony.

• Add an extra 1/4 tsp of flour. We like the added crunch.

• Extra Paprika. Because…paprika.

• Next time, I will cut the garlic by half, cook enough shrimp for me and Atticus then do a batch for Mark, adding in remaining garlic. Sounds like more work, but it’s really not since A) they only take a few minutes to cook and B) you don’t want to crowd your pan anyway, lest the shrimp steam, which is not the finish you’re looking for here.

• Cut the cayenne by a teeny bit, so little that I can’t quantify how much less. Just a touch less for my kiddo. He likes a little bite but there’s very a fine line…

• Lastly, next time, I really want to experiment and add some other layers. I’m thinking red pepper, onions and pineapple. I’d likely pre-sauté the onion and peppers separately then add them to the shrimp with the pineapple. We shall see. I will report back.

*Also! Make sure not to burn your garlic. This may or may not be an admission of guilt.

Next up:

SNAP PEA PASTA:

(Photo pulled directly from her recipe)

Not sure if this is true, but it seems like Trader Joe’s carries Organic Sugar Snap Peas year-round which is why I tackled this meal in early December. It was delightful and will surely be added to our rotation.

My notes:

• I used farfalla pasta because I couldn’t find casarecce, her recommendation. Don’t do this. Too heavy. If you can’t find casarecce, I’d say go with penne or fusilli.

• Once again, I’m cutting the garlic by half. It might just be a phase I am in but it felt like a lot to me.

• I didn’t abide by the Land o’Lakes reco, as they are not a brand I buy at home. I just used a good, salted German butter and it was great.

• Next time, I am going to add some prosciutto to the pan for my growing boy. Will try adding it before the peas to see if I can crunch it up a bit. Stay tuned.

Lastly, and our favorite:

CHICKEN PARMESAN MEATBALLS

(Photo pulled directly from her recipe)

OH MY GOD. These were UNREAL and shockingly easy. Weekly rotation vibes, for sure.

My notes:

• Make this perfect recipe x 2 because you will be dreaming about them all night long and will, without a doubt, be craving them the next day. Try them and tell me I’m wrong. SO GOOD.

• I didn’t have dried parsley so just used the real thing and it worked for us.

• I used Trader Joe’s Tomato Basil Marinara. My only complaint is that it’s not organic which I always prefer, but sometimes you’ve got to pick your battles.

K, voilà!

That’s what I cooked this week. The fourth meal was more of a preparation than actual cooking. We did a big platter of veggies, apples, cheese, pita chips (Bristol Farms made) and their seasonal chopped liver. I know it’s weird but I love chopped liver. Plus, a girl (aka menopausal middle-ager) needs her iron.

The other nights, Mark cooked (I will post his best meal and our favorite go-to soon). We also went out, but I can’t recall details because I have a cold and can’t think clearly. So, I’ll leave you with that. If you try any of these, PLEASE do let me know in the comments. It will excite me to no end that I intro’d you to these yummy, EASY meals. If I can make them emerging from my not-so-interested-in-my-kitchen era, you can too. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did. 

Once again, I must bow at the kitchen island of What’s Gaby Cooking. My boys, anyone else I feed, and I, THANK YOU.