Weeknight Meal Planner: 7/03/17 

If ground turkey is a staple protein in your kitchen, try ground chicken—the blend of light breast and rich thigh meat is just as flavorful and quick-cooking. A cast-iron skillet helps with browning, but any large skillet will do. True to most stir-frying techniques, we separate the tough stems of the bok choy from the tender leaves and cook them first so that everything has just the right doneness. One large bok choy can stand in for the baby ones; be sure to trim off the wide, fibrous ends and cut the stems into thin slices.

We upgraded the classic pepper and cheese pasta dish with chunks of supple Maine lobster for an incredible dinner-for-two. Meaning, “date night” needs to happen at home this week. Of course, this dish is easily doubled if you’re serving more than two. 

Since the grill will be hot this week, throw a few merinated sirloin steaks on the fire. Slice the steak and arrange it with an easy zippy salad filled with an umami flavors. Get a refreshing punch from the mint and red onions toss in the salad.   

The salsa combines sweetness from watermelon; acid from tomatoes and lime; a bit of heat from the chile; and a pop of herbal freshness from cilantro and mint. It pairs particularly well with red snapper and would be lovely with most any mild white fish. To get the fish skin good and crisp, be sure to forgo a nonstick skillet in favor of a stainless-steel or cast-iron one; reach for a 12-inch skillet (or larger) so the fish doesn't get overcrowded--or cook in 2 batches if using a smaller pan.

Slab bacon lets you get a thicker dice than presliced bacon that will hold its own in the pasta; if it's hard for you to find, just use thick-cut sliced bacon. Peppery watercress wilts well yet maintains a little crunch. Arugula would also work.

Take one bite of this chocolatey, decadent “clean eating” dessert, you might not believe that it’s raw, vegan, gluten-free andpaleo… but low and behold, you don’t need excessive sugar or other processed ingredients to make a next-level dessert. Easy to prep, and filled with rich chocolate-hazelnut flavor, this vegan dessert is perfect for anyone following a special diet or simply trying to clean their eating habits up a bit. Serve it for a special occasion, or just as a “treat yo-self” indulgence—since there’s no need to crank up the oven, it’s especially ideal to satisfy a summertime sweet tooth.