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Weekday dinner inspiration: Middle Eastern Steak Pitas and more

 
Published June 10, 2013

Mon | Meatless meal

Here's another suggestion from meatless-meal devotee Bea Dreier of Tampa: Poached Eggs on English Muffins with sauteed spinach or arugula salad made with toasted sliced almonds and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, olive oil and a squeeze over all plus salt and pepper to taste. Toast the muffins first or even substitute sturdier bagels.

Tues | The big salad

Light and tasty Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salads are a welcome dinner when the weather is hot, hot, hot. Oh, and humid. Thread peeled shrimp on skewers and brush with olive oil mixed with dried Italian herbs. Grill for a few minutes on each side. Load up plates with dressed salad and top with shrimp skewers. I count big, crunchy croutons as my carb.

Wed | Rotisserie chicken

Chicken and Bowtie Pasta starts with the shredded breast meat from a rotisserie chicken. (Save dark meat for another use.) Prepare pasta according to package directions. While it's cooking, saute half a diced onion and a rib of celery in a bit of olive oil. Add ½ cup chicken broth and 1 can condensed celery soup. Stir to loosen and heat through, then add 1 to 2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Let cheese melt and add cooked, drained pasta and shredded chicken. Heat through, top with chopped fresh parsley and serve. Make a green salad full of veggies.

Thurs | Pita please

Pumpkin pie spice? In a savory dish? Yes, when it's Middle Eastern Steak Pitas (recipe below) and the marinade for the flank steak is a mixture of sweet and savory seasonings. The recipe calls for the steak to be cooked in a cast-iron skillet but you could also grill it. Serve with a rice pilaf.

Fri | No meat Friday, too.

Black Bean Tacos With Feta and Slaw is a Stir Crazy favorite and starts with canned black beans heated with ground cumin. To shredded cabbage, add lime juice, olive oil and hot sauce. Stuff soft or hard taco shells with the bean mixture, feta cheese, cabbage and chopped scallions. Hot sauce optional. Serve with rice and fresh fruit.

Janet K. Keeler can be reached at jkeeler@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8586. Follow her on Twitter at @roadeats.