Well, as you’ll see below, only two meals to report from last week. It was a bit of a chaotic week, between a few stressful days at work and of course, Omaha beer week. Consequently, we got takeout and/or didn’t eat a real dinner more nights than usual. But that’s okay. Starting this meals series was partly about accountability to ourselves and partly about sharing ideas with others, but also about keeping it real. In our social media-driven world where it constantly seems like everyone but you has their shit together, sometimes it’s refreshing to know you’re not the only one having popcorn and wine for dinner…again. So, if anyone out there has ever thought that we have it all figured out and get dinner on the table seven nights a week, let me assure you: sometimes we just have popcorn and wine for dinner. And lots of other times we get burritos, because burritos.

For me, cooking and meal planning have always been in sort of a love-hate battle. I like feeling prepared for the week, I like saving money, and I generally enjoy the cooking process. But taking a week off every now and then, whether it’s intentional or not, can feel like such a relief. I’ve always been a big believer that if you cut yourself a little slack, you’re naturally going to feel and be more successful because you’ve built in a little wiggle room for slipping up. Last week it was so nice to just focus on work and get pizza or burritos or make popcorn and just totally zone out once we were home for the night. But true to form, this week I’m craving real meals and some time spent in the kitchen again.

We’ve made this recipe from Dinner: A Love Story several times on both the grill and in the oven, and it always turns out well. It’s easy enough for a weeknight meal but is also one of those dishes that tastes so much better than the effort it requires, so it would also work well for a dinner party. We didn’t have any veggies around this night, so I sliced up an apple and sautéed it in a couple tablespoons of butter until softened. Pork and apples are such a great combo, so the veggies were hardly missed. The couscous was from a box, but it does the trick. The pork reheats really well, too, in a low oven or (in a pinch, or at work) in the microwave.

This was actually our first time having trout, and I have to admit I was skeptical at first. We got it in our CSA, so I was determined not to let it go to waste, but was expecting it to be very “fishy.” I was sorely mistaken, as this turned out to be one of the fastest and tastiest fish dishes I’ve ever had. We seared the fillets for a couple of minutes on each side, then peeled the skin off, and served alongside a steamed (yep, in the microwave) bag of broccoli and cauliflower. Super healthy and quick, and reminds me that we need to pick up fish for weeknight dinners more often.

this week: This week we’re trying out a new roasted chicken recipe, and might try again on the brisket tacos, since we never got around to them last week. I have an extra pizza dough in the freezer, so that might make its way into the lineup as well.

What have you all been cooking lately? What do you do on weeks/days when you’re just not feelin’ it?