Oh, I’m a terrible meal planner but I am trying to do it because the process forces me to think about what I have on hand and build around that. But I’d say I diverge from the plan at least 50% of the time.
For instance, yesterday I took an elderly friend to the grocery store at lunch time. I picked up some thin beef pieces and ended up making a beef broccoli thai basil stir fry for dinner. Broccoli needed using up and thai basil plants are going crazy so win win win. No pic, very rushed dinner before we had to join a zoom call
See, that’s the case for us today. We have tons of Thai basil & cilantro left in the fridge from the salmon curry, but also a bunch of parsley… so I woke up thinking yam nuah or steak with chimichurri. We also have a shmattering of iceberg, a STO cherry tomatoes, mint, red onion… I’m thinking Thai beef salad will win out. Just gotta get tha meatz
I wouldn’t have loved it as written. I could tell from the get-go that it was going to need a flavor boost of some type, whether from fresh herbs, spices, stronger cheese, onions, wine/beer, etc., as well as more tomato paste - hence my additions. My BBQ ribs were heavy on a very flavorful dry rub, so all of those spices and of course the smoke flavor really permeated (and IMO elevated) the dish.
. Not sure why one half didn’t puff up, looks like cherry tomatoes on top. Still crispy, crunchy and unctuous 
