On The Menu Week of May 12th

Need some mealtime inspiration? On The Menu for the Week of May 12th features 36 fresh and flavorful recipes your whole family will enjoy!

From easy main dishes and tasty sides to vibrant salads, homemade breads, and tempting spring desserts—there’s something here to satisfy every craving this week.

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bee nappkin ring on a spring place setting

I’ve been stocking up on tender asparagus, sweet Carolina strawberries, and crisp salad greens from our local farmer’s market lately—there’s just nothing like cooking with in-season ingredients! They’re fresher, tastier, and make every dish feel a little more special. ????????

Bobby and I also planted our raised garden beds this past weekend with spinach and a variety of herbs. If you’ve never tried container gardening, I highly recommend it—it’s easy, low-maintenance, and practically weed-free! One of my favorite little joys is stepping outside to snip fresh herbs for dinner or cut flowers for the table.

If you’re curious about growing your own, check out Herb Container Gardening: The Ultimate Guide—it’s full of simple tips to get you started.

Ready to get cooking? Let’s dive into this week’s fresh and flavorful menu plan…

At our home, I do the prep work, and Bobby handles the grilling. And we grill a lot!

Kabobs are a great, easy meal. The secret to great grilled kabobs is finding food that grills to a perfect doneness all at the same time. What’s not to love about chicken, pineapple, and bacon? Yummy!

Thanks, Jenna from Recipe Diaries!

Before I grill any chicken, I brine it for 6-8 hours. Here’s an easy brine that makes the chicken taste incredibly juicy and delicious: In a large ziplock-type bag, add 2 cups buttermilk, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt, two crushed garlic cloves, and a few dashes of hot sauce. Close the bag and squish with your hands to mix. Add chicken and refrigerate for a couple of hours. When you are ready to cook the chicken, pat it dry. This brine recipe is a keeper!

Bobby is grilling the asparagus on the grill, too! I toss the asparagus in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and when they are done, squeeze fresh lemon juice over them.

Easy dinner!

On The Menu May 9th- CHICKEN KABOBS — image

Bacon, Pineapple Chicken Kabobs

Roasted Asparagus

Healthy Strawberry Shortcake

If you make one thing on the menu this week, it should be the rice. It’s my grandmother, Nani’s recipe. It’s incredibly easy and absolutely delicious!

I planted a huge fresh thyme plant in my herb garden yesterday, so I’ll be using it to make these sweetly intensified carrots!

Honey Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

Nani’s Sauteed Rice

Organic Roasted Carrots

I love quesadillas! This recipe has so many good-for-you ingredients. Thanks, Slender Kitchen!

On The Menu May 9th- quesadillas — image

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Homemade Refried Beans

Chips and 5 Minute Homemade Salsa

Do you have an air fryer? You should think about one if you don’t. This has really changed how I cook. The food has a wonderful crisp feel and crunch without being fried.

I grew up eating salmon cakes, but these are not your mamma’s salmon cakes at all! They are filled with yummy aromatic veggies and herbs! If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake or pan-fry these salmon cakes. But give them a try!

On The Menu May 9th- the best salmon cakes

Air Fryer Salmon Cake

Crispy Skillet-Fried Potatoes

The Best Coleslaw You Will Ever Eat

I’m quite addicted to my Instant Pot! It’s amazing what one can whip up in it! I make breakfast, lunch, and dinner in my Instant Pot! If you love the convenience of making a meal in one pot and not having to babysit it while it cooks, then you might want to try one too!

Thank you, Bintu from Recipe From A Pantry, for this delicious featured recipe today!

And I’m making my favorite Ramen Salad! It is delicious!!! With the crunch of ramen noodles!

Instant Pot Orange Chicken

Garlic Butter Cauliflower Rice

Ramen Salad

I used to be a slave to the kitchen when company was coming. I’d cook for a week! And clean my house and set an elaborate table. I LOVED this routine.

Then, as I grew wiser (i.e., older), I adopted a much more relaxed approach to company coming. I now make good food that’s easy and fuss-free! I don’t clean the house except for the guest bathroom, and I don’t set a big, elaborate table either. If the weather is nice, we will eat tonight’s dinner outside.

This recipe is easy to prepare and assemble. I’ll make the cucumber salad the day before and prep all the mac and cheese ingredients too! So I just have to put them in the pan and bake before dinner!

The lemon cake is in the freezer, so I will take it out and glaze it.

One thing that is a bit of a splurge is the artichokes. I LOVE artichokes! I’ll serve them on a board of olives, cheeses, and a few other goodies as an appetizer.

Costco Bought Muffins

I’m running out today to get the easy-peasy ingredients for this dairy-free ice cream. My daughter-in-law is gluten intolerant, so she will love this recipe!