Summer Produce Meals | Meal Plan Menu (8/9/21)
In this week of easy summer dinners, you’ll make a beef Thai salad with mango, tortellini with pesto and chicken (and learn how to make pesto sauce at home with our best pesto recipe!), and grilled teriyaki chicken. We’ll also share one of our favorite egg dinner recipes — Tex-Mex migas!

MONDAY
Thai Steak Salad with Mango, Pickled Onions, and Peanuts
This Thai salad recipe contains the balance of flavors that is characteristic of Thai cuisine: sweet from mango; sour from pickled onions; savory from steak and peanuts; and spicy from red curry paste. The Thai lime dressing you’ll drizzle on top contains a similar balance: brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, and ginger, plus a couple of additional ingredients to round out the flavors. This beef Thai salad is another of our fantastic summer produce meals — it’s fresh, healthy, and full of bell peppers, romaine, cilantro, and mango. Light enough for hot weather, but filling enough to satisfy!
Meal Planning Smarts:
- To reduce food waste, we have you use cilantro for this meal, then use up the bunch for meals later in the week.
- Use fresh ginger in the Thai Lime Dressing, then finish the knob in a sauce for Thursday’s chicken teriyaki recipe.
- Make the Thai Lime Dressing in advance to save time on Monday night.
- Chop up any leftover steak to use in a stir-fry or fried rice.
Diet Variation:
- Use tamari instead of soy sauce in the gluten-free version of this meal.
- Skip the sugar in the pickled onions if you’re making the paleo version, and sub cashews for the peanuts. You’ll also use coconut aminos and honey in the dressing instead of soy sauce and brown sugar.
- The vegetarian version uses tofu instead of steak.

TUESDAY
Pesto Tortellini with Chicken
The easy summer dinners continue with everyone’s favorite: a pesto pasta recipe! We load this tortellini with pesto with broccoli and spinach for a healthier twist on an often heavy meal. Learn how to make pesto sauce with this recipe that’s perfect for using up a large bunch of basil from the farmer’s market or garden, and it’s simple enough that the entire meal will take you just 40 minutes. Not only that, it contains 45 grams of protein thanks to chicken breast, which gets seared to a golden brown before being tossed with all the other ingredients. The dish is finished with a sprinkle of pine nuts and grated parmesan for a gourmet touch.
Meal Planning Smarts:
- We’ll give you our best pesto recipe, or you can save time by buying premade pesto.
- Leftover pesto, chicken, and broccoli florets freeze well, so feel free to make extras to freeze, so you can easily make this meal on a busy weeknight.
Diet Variation:
- You’ll use gluten-free penne and feta in place of the tortellini and parmesan in the gluten-free version of this meal.
- You’ll make a Pesto Chicken Sauté in the paleo version, upping the amount of chicken to make up for the lack of pasta. You’ll also skip the parmesan.
- Skip the chicken and make up for it with a little extra tortellini in the vegetarian version.
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WEDNESDAY
Migas with Black Beans and Eggs
Migas is a Tex-Mex favorite traditionally served for breakfast, but it’s also one of our favorite egg dinner recipes! In this migas recipe, eggs get scrambled with crispy tortilla strips and veggies — we keep it healthy in our version by loading up on bell peppers and onion, along with some jalapeño and garlic for extra flavor. You’ll also add black beans and cheese before folding in salsa and topping the dish with cilantro. Stay cool by serving this meal with a green pineapple smoothie on the side for a meal that tastes decadent but is surprisingly healthy!
Meal Planning Smarts:
- Leftover migas can be used in breakfast tacos or breakfast burritos.
Diet Variation:
- Make sure to buy gluten-free corn tortillas if you’re making the gluten-free version of this meal.
- Paleo cooks will make a Mushroom and Bell Pepper Scramble with the same green smoothie on the side.
- No changes are needed for the vegetarian version of this meal.

THURSDAY
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
This Japanese-inspired chicken teriyaki recipe can be made on the grill or on stovetop; either way, it’s totally delicious! You’ll start with a bed of rice and serve simple chicken tenders on top, cooked on skewers or directly on the grill. The chicken then gets drizzled with homemade teriyaki sauce made with fresh ginger, garlic, and other tasty ingredients. On the side of the grilled teriyaki chicken, you’ll serve seared zucchini spears and corn on the cob, which gets rubbed with butter while warm and then sprinkled with flavorful furikake seasoning. All in all, it’s a fantastic twist on a classic grill meal!
Meal Planning Smarts:
- Furikake is a Japanese seasoning blend made with kelp and dried bonito flakes along with sesame seeds and other flavors.
- Teriyaki sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead of time, so get your Weekend Meal Prep on to make Thursday evening a breeze.
Diet Variation:
- Use tamari instead of regular soy sauce in the gluten-free version of this dinner.
- Skip the rice and corn in the paleo version, and instead serve your chicken with roasted sweet potatoes. You’ll also make a few easy adjustments to the teriyaki sauce.
- Make Grilled Teriyaki Tempeh in the vegetarian version of this meal, and be sure to check the ingredient listing when purchasing furikake to make sure you get a fish-free option!
All meals come with gluten-free, paleo, and vegetarian options, as well as a grocery list and optional weekend prep steps. Join our weekly meal plan service to get the grocery list, dinner steps, and more cooking tips for these 4 simple dinners.