Marin Mama’s Weekly Dinner Menu for April 26th

Weekly dinner menu for April 26th

Don’t those cookies and brownies look amazing?  Those brownies are my absolute favorite brownies in the world, hence the name, Robert’s absolute best brownies! They’re rich, fudgey and basically a chocolate lovers dream.  Those chocolate chip cookies are the bomb, seriously, they’re the best chocolate chip cookies!  Try one of them, or try them both, and you will be a happy camper, that is, if you like sweets! I made both of the above desserts as a thank you to to one of my favorite corporate catering clients for their business this past year. I walked in with a full container of sweets for all of my gals, and left with an empty container and a very happy client! That’s the way Marin mama likes to do business, it’s all about making the clients happy!

It’s been a busy week for me as I’m winding down with Paradise Foods, as they’re being acquired by Nugget Market today!  Yikes!  It’s bittersweet because I’ve grown this catering business immensely this past year, met so many wonderful people, and now I’m having to say goodbye!  I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do next, but it’s time to start a new chapter in my book of life, and I’m excited, a bit nervous, but ready to go out on my own and see what I can create!  I’m going to be sure to share my journey with you all!

This week was one of those weeks where the kids just came home from school with friends galore. My house felt like Marin mama’s after school care most afternoons, but for those that know me, know that I adore a house full of kids, so I loved every minute of it!  I love the happy and crazy energy that kids bring to a house. I love the laughter and believe it or not, all of the noise. I’m pretty lucky because my kid’s really have some amazing friends!  I had to scramble and make a last-minute dinner Wednesday to feed these 5 adorable kiddos below.  Zoe’s two friends popped in for dinner, as well as Eli’s bud, so I knew a dinner of cheesy baked tortellini and roasted broccoli would fill this gang up, and it did!  I seriously love all of these kiddos!

Happy kids around table of food

Besides baking up sweets galore and cheesy entries, I did manage to eat healthy at lunch time! Avocados are super tasty and ripe right now, so I toasted up some Ezekiel bread, took half of an avocado and smashed it onto the bread with a fork, and then topped it with some coarse sea salt and raw sunflower seeds. It was so easy and super tasty. I loved the crunch the sunflowers gave to the sandwich.

Avocado Toast

I also made up a new kale salad for lunch this week that was Zoe approved.  It’s not my typical kale salad, as there isn’t any lemon in the dressing. The salad has a spicy ginger dressing topped with this super crunchy and tasty seed brittle! Yum!

Kale salad with spicy ginger dressing
I also made a batch of my favorite quinoa cakes! I was craving them after an Instagram follower made them up and shared her photo with me. These are cheesy, but they’re made with quinoa, so I don’t feel too guilty eating them!

Quinoa cakes

Ok, I’m off to watch Eli’s baseball game, GO GIANTS, so here’s my weekly menu

Sunday night dinner

Buffalo apple burgers with sage-jalepeno pesto and 5-minute roasted Brussels sprouts and chocolate oreo ice cream. Sunday night’s are busy nights, as Zoe for has dance for 3 hours till 5:45, so I love a recipe that I can prep and make ahead while she’s at dance, so when I get her home at 6:00, everything is ready to go and all I have to do is cook it up.  I make the burger patties and pesto earlier in the afternoon, then cover and refrigerate till dinner. I chop up the Brussels right before I get Zoe at dance, so they’re ready to go as well. I know Brussels are not in season right now, but I found a bag of tiny Brussels at Whole Foods yesterday, and they were calling to me. I love roasted Brussels, and my kids love them as well. This meal once it’s all prepped, takes about 10 minutes or less to cook up. It looks fancy and complicated with that beautiful jalapeño pesto, but it’s so easy and so good!  The kids and I are HUGE burger fans!

Buffalo apple burger with jalapeno pesto

Quick and easy roasted brussels sprouts

Chocolate oreo ice cream

Monday night dinner

Meatless Monday! Quinoa cakes and cauliflower soup. You know what’s adorable?  I made up these quinoa cakes last week for lunch and Eli told me that he loves those cakes, especially paired with my cauliflower soup.  He said, “mom, I would love it if you would make your quinoa cakes and cauliflower soup for dinner next week.” Ok, how adorable is that?  I mean a 10 year old boy requesting quinoa cakes and cauliflower soup, what mother would say no to that!   I’m going to prep/make the cakes on Sunday and then just fry them up on Monday.  I LOVE this soup because it’s a 5 ingredient soup that literally takes 30 minutes to whip up.  Easy peasy meatless Monday dinner. Gotta love that!

Quinoa cakes

Cauliflower soup

Tuesday night dinner

Zoe has a fundraiser for school at the Counter, so we’re going out for an early dinner!  It’s the perfect night to eat out because Zoe has dance and Eli has a soccer clinic, so I will be racing around getting them to and from each activity, so I’m happy to have a night off from the kitchen.

Wednesday night dinner

Cilantro lime chicken tacos with mango avocado salsa and baby kale salad with a lemon vinaigrette.  This is another make-ahead meal. I marinate the chicken in the morning and make the salsa up while the chicken is cooking on the grill. The salsa is easy, fresh and delicious, and only takes 5 minutes to whip up.  I still have to post the baby kale salad. I promise I will do it soon! I’m just trying to perfect the roasted garbanzo beans.

Cilantro lime chicken taco

Bably kale salad

Thursday night dinner

Leftover night! I’m making quesadillas with the leftover chicken. I just top them with a fresh batch of mango avocado salsa and some sour cream. The kids love and devour these quesadillas. I will serve these up with a simple mixed greens salad with creamy mustard vinagrette.

Leftover chicken quesadilla

Creamy mustard vinegarette

Friday night dinner

TGIF!  It’s Marin mama’s night off (second night off this week)!  I have my last big catering event for Paradise Foods, so I’m hoping to sneak in some beef tenderloin before I hit Zoe’s school drama production!

By the way, have any of you had a chance to make up this peanut butter chocolate chip granola that I posted this week?  I’m making up a fresh batch this week, so if any of you are local and want a sample, let me know!  I will deliver!

Amanda, I will be sure to drop off a mason jar to your house!

Peanut butter chocolate chip granola

I wanted to close with this hilarious picture of Eli. When Eli’s not busy with play dates, baseball or school, you can find him in the den with his headset on playing X-Box with his peeps. Boys, gotta love them!

Eli playing video game

Have a blissful week everyone and thanks so much for your comments and emails last week!  I really appreciate the feedback, as it’s super helpful to know what you’re interested in seeing on the blog. I’m going to have more time now to focus on the blog, so I’m going to tweak the weekly menu a bit, and definitely add more recipe posts! So keep reading and I will keep posting!

With love Jackie
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8 thoughts on “Marin Mama’s Weekly Dinner Menu for April 26th”

  1. I just discovered your blog and am so happy I did. I have tried the banh mi and 2 kale recipes, all three a big hit! I am a vegetarian but am so happy to have discovered your site!

    1. Hi Ali! Yay! I’m so happy you discovered my blog as well, and that you found some recipes that you love! Yippee! Thanks for saying hi! 🙂 xoxo, Jacquelyn

  2. Gloria Monacelli

    Thinking of you as you transition to a new chapter!! I’m sure you will find a perfect fit!
    I think I’ll have an avocado sandwich for lunch…yum!!!

    1. Hi Gloria! You’re awesome, and I appreciate your support and the fact that you’ve been a loyal reader for sometime! Thanks! I hope you enjoy that avocado sandwich 🙂 xoxo, Jacquelyn

  3. Hi there!

    Do you know if it would work out to bake the quinoa cakes instead of fry them? I have 2 small kids running under my feet constantly, and throwing them in the oven would be much easier!

    1. Hi Nicole! I totally get how it is with two little ones running all over the house. I think that’s why I didn’t cook too much when Zoe was little 🙂 So kudos to you for being a cooking mama 🙂

      I honestly haven’t tried baking them, as I love how crispy and crunchy they get on the outside. It really makes them a hit! I don’t know how they will come out or taste being baked in an oven. You could always try putting a bit of oil in a hot cast iron skillet or hot pre-baked baking sheet and then baking them in a 400 degree oven till they brown on the bottom (20 minutes) and then 5-10 more for the other side? The sides of the cakes won’t get all crispy like they do when they are fried though. You can also try making my quinoa patties, as they can be baked, but they’re not kid approved like my quinoa cakes. http://www.marinmamacooks.com/2012/11/quinoa-patties/

      Ok, let me know if you give baking them a try, and if you do, how they taste! Thanks Nicole 🙂 xoxo, Jacquelyn

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