We usually start with a protein. We tend to have a protein-of-the-week; get the value pack, usually cook it all at once and eat throughout the week. About half the time it's chicken-cheap, versatile, nutritious, and the other half we alternate depending on what's on sale or what we feel like...we'll do pork or beef usually as a roast (economical and tasty!), bags of frozen salmon or shrimp, sausages, rarely tuna or beef steaks, etc. And sometimes we go vegetarian for a week, too.
Once we pick a protein, we pick a flavor or form factor... If I just want to bake or grill chicken, do I want to citrusy, mustardy, balsamic, glazed, etc. Or we might decide to shred the chicken or pork, then we usually do tacos or bbq sandwiches (shredded chicken also does well on pizza or in pasta--versatile!) Or we might be feeling stir fry, curry, or meatballs. If I look for recipes, it will typically be at this stage ("Shredded chicken" or "mediterranean chicken" or "balsamic glazed salmon" etc)
Then I pick accompanying vegetables that I think work well with the meat/flavor chosen...comes down to personal preference, I don't like bell peppers or broccoli with fish, tomatoes don't make sense with Asian-inspired dishes/flavors, that kind of thing.
Finally, I decide if grains/starches are warranted...We tend toward the low-carb school of "what is healthful?" so I try to treat these as embellishments rather than the main event.
As with most things in life, 80/20 rule applies. Sometimes I/we start with a non-meat ingredient or concept: risotto, tomatillos, beets, pad thai, etc. Sometimes I see a recipe I want to try directly (I recently followed Food52 on fb, they have some interesting ideas).
Some favorites we come back to:
-Tacos or Fajitas (with almost any meat, usually bell peppers b/c bf loves them)
-Curry with any or all of sweet potato, peas, cauliflower, chickpeas, carrots, broccoli stems, kale, paneer, chicken, served with rice or flatbreads
-Zucchini risotto (I use a recipe from food.com)
-Budget bytes cowboy caviar, I also love her quinoa tabbouleh (protip: keep tomatoes and cukes separate)
-Thai/Vietnamese fresh rolls: rice wrappers, shrimp or tofu, rice noodles, lettuce, cukes, carrots, peppers, sprouts, herbs (mint, basil, cilantro, NEVER from conventional supermarket, too $$$), and of course peanut sauce! I use a recipe from chowhound.com
-Rice bowls-my go-to quick meal. 1c sushi or jasmine rice with 1-2 vegetables and a protein (crabsticks/cuke/avocado, salmon/wilted kale/mushroom/omelet, chicken/broccoli/carrots, etc!!)
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