Menu Plan 1/22 - 1/27

Tuesday: Hamburger "Steak" with Sauteed Onions & Roasted Beets

Wednesday: Crispy Mustard Chicken w/ Sweet Potato Fries & Sauteed Gai Choi Cabbage

Thursday: Roast Italian Sausage, Swiss Chard & Cherry Tomato Pasta

Friday: Cauliflower & Olive Gratin with Lamb Meatballs

Saturday: Ham, Collard Greens, & Cheese Grits

Sunday: Build Your Own Chalupas

Lunch: Quinoa & Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Freeze: Turnip Puff
Breakfast: Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

Menu Plan 1/12 - 1/18

Saturday: Roast Salmon Filets + Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts + Sweet Potato Oven Fries

Sunday: Spice Rubbed Pork Loin + Roasted Golden Beets + Sauteed Spinach + Rice (doubled)

Monday: Crockpot Pork Fried Rice + Pineapple

Tuesday: Crockpot Chili + Steamed Broccoli + Orange Smiles

Wednesday: Spaghetti and Meatballs + Carrots + Salad

Thursday: Shepherds Pie + Baked Apples

Breakfast: No-Bake Breakfast Cookies

Lunch: Ranch-Chicken & Bacon Pasta Salad

Blueberry Pecan Pork Chops

4 medium pork chops (boneless)
blueberry preserves
1 t lemon juice
1 t balsamic vinegar
1/2 t sage
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
small handful of pecans, crushed
salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. Place about 2 t of blueberry preserves on each pork chop.  Sprinkle with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and spices.  Use a spoon to spread the preserves on the pork.
3.  Top with crushed pecans.  Spray or drizzle with a little bit of olive oil.
4. Bake for 25 minutes.

Serve with thinly sliced tomatoes sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and a pinch of sea salt.

Menu Plan 5/23 - 5/27

Monday:  Oatmeal, Sausage & Fruit

Tuesday:  Antipasto Pasta Salad

Wednesday:  Chicken Tikka Masala & Broccoli

Thursday:  Meatballs, Quinoa Pilaf, Roast Veggies

Friday:  Turkey Burgers, Mango Salsa, Sweet Potato Fries

Menu Plan 5/15 - 5/19

Sunday:  Risotto with Bacon, Mushrooms, and Asparagus

Monday:  Grilled Vegetable & Chicken Salad with Fresh Bread

Tuesday:  Pasta & Meatballs with Salad

Wednesday:  Chicken Fingers, Fries, & Corn on the Cob

Thursday:  Hamburger Steaks with Sauteed Portobello Mushrooms and Herbs & Roast Potatoes

Sausage, Goat Cheese, and Arugula Focaccia

While DS is have his gluten-free pizza (w/ tomato sauce and pepperoni) and DD is having her frozen pizza margarita, DH & I are having something a bit more grown-up.

Sausage, Goat Cheese, and Arugula Focaccia
1 round of focaccia (store-bought kind with some herbs baked on top)
2 links Italian chicken tomato sausage
couple of yellow tomatoes, sliced
2 c arugula
2-4 oz goat cheese
olive oil 
lemon juice
thinly sliced sweet yellow onion
Preheat oven to 450.

Drizzle some olive oil on the chicken sausages and roast in the oven til cooked (20-25 min).  Slice or dice.

Brush the focaccia with olive oil.  Layer on the sliced tomatoes and onions.  Top with sausage. Crumble goat cheese over the top.

Bake for about 12 minutes.

Toss the arugula with 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice and about a tablespoon of olive oil. Place a handful of arugula on top of the pizza slices.

Menu Plan 5/7 - 5/13

Saturday:  Pizza Night -- Sausage, Goat Cheese, & Arugula Focaccia

Sunday:  Fish Tacos

Monday:  Thai Shrimp Curry

Tuesday:  Roasted Chicken Sausages + Pumpkin Polenta

Wednesday:  Church dinner

Thursday:  Mimosa Rice

Friday:  Date night

Menu Plan 8/7-8/12

Meatballs w/ French Fries, Peas, & Watermelon

Pancakes or Omelets & Sausage

Crockpot Coq au Vin w/ Pan Fried Polenta

Grilled Chicken w/ Green Beans & Corn on the cob

Peach Salsa Chicken w/ Rice & Broccoli

Crockpot Spareribs w/ Beans & Salad

Menu Plan 3/21-3/25

Baby steps to get back into the menu planning habit here. 

Sunday: Paella with Sauteed Spinach

Monday: Marinated Chicken Skewers with French Fries and Broccoli

Tuesday: CrockPot Ribs with Corn and Green Beans

Wednesday: Fish Tacos with Black Beans and Rice

Thursday:  Leftovers

Menu Plan 1/17-1/23

Sunday:  Tortellini with Olive Oil and Herbs

Monday:  Crispy Mustard Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potato and Green Peas

Tuesday:  Beef Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots (Crockpot)

Wednesday:  Arroz con Pollo (Crockpot) with Green Salad

Thursday:  Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup with Tortilla Chips

Friday:  Pizza
Gluten Free Pizza Dough

Saturday:  Beef with Mushrooms and Noodles & Sugar Snap Peas

Menu Plan 1/2-1/9

Finally back after a week off visiting my parents.  We tried something new this time -- eating dinner in the hotel room rather than trying to find something safe for DS to eat.  It worked pretty well.  The first night going up there we had Kofta and Hummus with Baby Carrots & Bell Peppers and some fruit.  Then on the way back, we had Ham (raided from my parents) w/ Chreesy Mashed Potatos (instant), canned Dill Green Beans, and fruit cocktail. 

Saturday:  Roast Chicken w/ Macaroni & Cheese & Salad
Rotisserie chicken from the grocery + ready made mac & cheese (mac & chreese for DS)...all I could manage after getting home this afternoon from our road trip.

Sunday:  Chicken Tortilla Soup
From a kit....

Monday:  Jambalya
Using up leftover rotisserie chicken

Tuesday:  Beef and Mushrooms w/ Mashed Potatos and Green Beans

Wednesday:  Church dinner

Thursday:  Steaks, Roasted Root Vegetables, and Green Salad
Trying my hand at rutabagas and parsnips again -- omiting the turnips. 

Friday:  Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce

Saturday:  Chicken Tenders, Roasted Carrots, and Oven Fries

Menu Plan 12/20-12/26

Sunday:  Sandwiches and Leftovers
Big Christmas program at the church tonight.  Light dinner.

Monday:  Beef Stew with Carrots, Mushrooms, and Potatoes

Tuesday:  Chicken Cobb Pasta Salad
Not quite sure what sort of dressing I'll do with this, but I think I'll let the kids build their own.  They like it when they get to choose the ingredients.  I'll probably add some extra veggies (like broccoli, bell pepper slices, and carrot matchsticks)

Wednesday:  Kofta/Meatball Kebabs with Quinoa Pilaf, Hummus, and Crudites

Thursday:  White Chicken Chili
We're going to a party in the evening with h'ors d'oeuvres and such, so we'll just have a light dinner.  We used to try and do the fancy Christmas eve dinner with the kids, but this is so much more relaxing. 

Friday:  Dinner with family & leftovers

Saturday:  Traveling

Pork & Pineapple Stirfry

This recipe is hardly authentic, but it is inspired by southeast Asian ingredients and flavor combinations.  I've learned that many southeast Asian cuisines don't rely on soy sauce as much (if at all) as more traditional "Chinese" (at least as presented in the US) recipes.  

Pork & Pineapple Stirfry (serves 4)
1-2 T oil
3/4 lb of pork loin, cubed
1 sm. yellow onion, sliced
1 sm. green bell pepper, chopped
1 c sliced mushrooms
zest of 1 large lime
juice of 1 large lime (~ 1/4 c)
1 t fish sauce
1 garlic clove, diced
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t salt
1 t honey
1 1/2c fresh pineapple chunks

1. Heat heavy pan over high/ medium-high heat.  Add about half the oil and the onions, peppers, and mushrooms.  Cook til the onions soften (the peppers will be still a little crisp).  Remove from pan and reserve.
2. Add a bit more oil, if needed, and add pork.  Cook til done.  
3. My pork let off a lot of liquid.  I let that sit on the heat for a moment to cook down a bit.  Then I add the sauce ingredients (everything else except the pineapple).  When the garlic starts to become fragrant, add in the vegetables, pork, and pineapple chunks.  Heat through.  

Serve over rice.  Optional garnishes would be peanuts, lime wedges, bean sprouts, etc.  Sriracha or other Asian hot sauce is also a nice touch if you like spicy things. 

Menu Plan 12/12 - 12/19

Menu planning has been a real struggle the last few weeks.  This week is similarly uninspired.  Add to that the fact that DH kindly volunteered to go grocery shopping before I made a list and came back with "stuff".  So I'm going to blame any randomness on that. 

Saturday:  Crispy Beef Tacos w/ Corn
DH discovered a couple brands of "safe" taco shells, so we thought we'd give them a try with the kids.  Normally we do soft tacos or ersatz taco salads.  DD really enjoyed making her own tacos, spooning in sauce and cheese, etc.  DS wasn't so impressed, but he really loves refried beans (Rosarita Vegetarian) so he was happy.

Sunday:  Sandwiches & Leftovers
After a big lunch out, I wasn't in the mood to cook.

Monday: FFYN
This is going to be a crazy night.  DH and I are both helping with a Christmas party from 5-7.  The kids will be in the nursery at church...not sure what any of us are going to eat.  I'll probably just pack something in lunchboxes for the kids that's quick and easy.

Tuesday:  Beef Stroganof over Rice
I may end up tweaking this recipe some more...if the modifications are worth posting, I'll update the original post.

Wednesday:  Carrot Souffle, Green Beans, & Roast Potato Wedges
This veggie dinner consists of things that were bumped from last week's plan when we took the pot roast over to my in-laws and let them fix the sides.  

Thursday:  Chili w/ Corn on the Cob
I was realizing I've never posted my chili recipe.  Maybe if the stars are properly aligned this week, I'll get it linked in here.

Friday:  Pork StirFry

Saturday:  Ranch Chicken Burgers w/ Oven Baked Fries and Broccoli
I did a version of these back in September.  Not quite sure what I'm going to serve them on...maybe DS will just get his sans-bread and the rest of us will have buns.

Menu Plan 12/7-12/12

The Crock-Pot Herb Pork Roast was awesome last week.  The Pumpkin Pudding is a good idea but the kids thought it tasted too healthy.  I'm going to try again modifying it to be a little less virtuous -- and probably involving chocolate! 

The Chicken Souiza was a little disappointing -- good flavors, but I think it lost something with my dairy-free mods.  The cornbread also took much longer to cook than expected (and was too sweet for me), so I'm going to experiment with that.  

Monday:  Butternut Squash Soup w/ Sausages

Tuesday:  Roast Chicken w/ Wild Rice & Cranberry Pilaf & Broccoli

Wednesday:  Dinner out

Thursday:  Quick Paella
Using up leftover roast chicken and sausages to make an easy version of paella.

Friday:  Pot Roast w/ Roast Potatoes and Carrot Souffle
Some tried and true winter winners.

Saturday:  Hot Beef over Mashed Potatoes w/ Green Beans
Another leftover user -- Pot Roast from the night before + some instant mashed potatoes and canned/frozen green beans.

Menu Plan 11/28-12/6

The biggest hit of last week was Friday's dinner.  Meatball Kebabs plus our new favorite recipe -- Oven Baked Fries.  We rounded the meal out with assorted fresh veggies (baby carrots, grape tomatos, olives, and some marinated cucumbers). 

My personal favorite however was the Turkey Curry, but that was much less popular with the under 6 crowd.

We're still eating on our not Thanksgiving turkey so I've got 2 more turkey leftover menus this week.  


Sunday Lunch:  Turkey Tacos w/ Cranberry Salsa
My favorite dish at Thanksgiving this year was a raw cranberry relish that one of DH's cousins made.  It had jalapeno, cilantro, diced red bell peppers, onion, and orange juice.  Really a cranberry salsa.  I didn't get the exact recipe, but I think I'll try and replicate it this week. We still have plenty of turkey breast to get rid of.  I'm linking to a recipe that I found online.  The cranberry salsa is a little different, but it can serve as a stand-in until I work out my own recipe.

Sunday Dinner:  Crock-Pot Herb Pork Roast w/ Baked Apples and Roasted Carrots and Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pudding
This pork roast looks excellent.  However, having tried the insert the garlic clove pieces into the roast technique before to mixed results, I'm going to instead microplane the garlic and use it in the rub.  The pumpkin pudding recipe I'm going to make without the protein powder.  I'm thinking it's going to be sort of like Pumpkin Panna Cotta.

Monday:  Pork & Noodle StirFry
I'm going to save a bit of the pork roast to make a stir-fry.  Asian-style sauces are always a bit of a challenge with our dietary restrictions, so I may just have to pull out some ingredients beforehand for DS who will be happy with things plain. 

Tuesday:  Turkey Souiza over Cornbread with Sauteed Greens
I should call this my south by southwest meal.  I'm modifying the turkey recipe -- adding some coconut milk into regular corn for the "creamed corn" and some coconut milk yogurt for the sour cream probably with a little extra lemon juice to give it some tang.  My usual cornbread recipe has eggs and AP flour in it, so I'm going to try a gluten-free recipe I found on recipezaar.

Wednesday: Dinner at Church
They're having very not DS-safe chicken and dumplings, so I'll pack him his own dinner. 

Thursday:  Pumpkin Risotto w/ Grilled Chicken-Apple Sausage & Green Salad
I love risotto and this recipe sounds like fun.  I'll probably use butternut squash unless I can find a pie pumpkin at the store.    

Friday:  Leftovers
I'm going out for a girls' night out!  DH and the kids can clean out the fridge or raid the pantry.

Saturday:  Out
DH and I are going to a party.  The kids will probably just each hotdogs or similar.

Oven Baked Fries

We have been making sweet potato fries for quite awhile but have never really taken the time to work out a technique for classic french fries.  Frozen fries and tater tots are hard to find because almost all of them involve soybean oil.  We used to buy some great frozen fries from Alexia, but our usual source (Costco) hasn't had them in lately.  Plus they're not cheap...this is certainly MUCH cheaper.

We've tried frying a few times, but it's such a mess and I hate the smell of grease.  Blech!  So the oven it is and with a french fry cutter and a rimmed baking sheet with a rack it's pretty easy.

Oven Baked Fries (serves 3-4)
4 small russet potatoes* (4-6" long), peeled
1 T olive oil
1 t kosher salt
herbs/seasoning salt (opt)
*the size that comes in the 5lb bags not the big baking potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 450F.  
2. Cut the potatoes using a french fry cutter (smaller sized squares work better) and place them in a large microwave safe dish.  I usually use an 8" square pyrex.
3. Microwave the potatoes for 5-7 min (depending on the strength of your microwave).  Ours is fairly wimpy so I went with 7.
4. While they're still in the pyrex add the olive oil and seasonings and turn them to coat. 
5. Place a baking rack on a large (9x13+) rimmed baking sheet.
6. Using tongs place the fries on the baking rack in a single layer.  This is a little tedious, but if you do it now you won't have to do any turning later.
7. Bake for 15-20 min. til done.  

That's it.  They're soft on the inside and reasonably crispy on the outside.  It's not like deep-frying but it is a passable substitute.

Kofta/ Meatball Kebabs

Yet another bastardization of a classic ethnic dish.  These are great just plain, or you could thread them along with veggies for a more complete meal.  My kids really like these.

Kofta (serves 4)
~1lb ground meat* (I've used beef, turkey, lamb)
1 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t cinnamon
3/4t Hungarian paprika
*These turn out better with slightly fattier meat - 85/15

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a rimmed baking sheet with lightly oiled aluminum foil.
   
2. Place spices in a large bowl and mix well.
3. Add in meat and mix thoroughly.
4. Shape into small approx. 1" meatballs.
5. Thread onto skewers (I've found metal ones work best) and place on the prepared baking pan.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes.  Remove and drain on paper towels for a few minutes.

These are great served over rice or couscous.  Or you could put them in pita with hummus, tahini, or tzatziki.  

Turkey Curry

This was a good enough that I felt I should post it -- an excellent use for leftover turkey breast. 

Turkey Curry (serves 2-3)
1 T olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2-3 c broccoli florets, roughly chopped
1 carrot, shredded (I used a veg. peeler to make thin ribbons)
3/4 lb cubed, cooked turkey breast
2 t red Thai curry paste (was very mild w/ this amount)
1 t Chicken Better Than Bullion
3/4 can light coconut milk

1. Heat olive oil in heavy pan over medium-high heat.  Saute onions til they become translucent.  Chop the other vegetables.
2. Add broccoli and carrots to the pan.  Cover and allow to cook til the broccoli is soft.
3. Add in turkey, curry powder, and bullion.  Heat through.
4. Add coconut milk and stir.  Simmer over low heat (light coconut milk will separate if it boils).  
5. Serve over brown rice.
   

Menu Plan 11/22-11/28

Well, my favorite from last week hands-down was the Chicken Kofta w/ Quinoa Pilaf.  Actually I ended up making them with ground turkey instead.  I'll be doing it again at the end of this week...will post the recipe then.

I've mentioned before that my DS has pretty bad eczema which we've always believed was at least partially related to food sensitivities.  Hence the reason that most everything I make is without dairy or soy.  We've recently decided to take him off eggs and wheat as well.  The eggs aren't really a problem, but I'm still trying to figure out my way around wheat-free baking.   So if anyone has any awesome wheat-free/gluten free muffins/cookies/quick bread/etc. recipes that aren't too complicated I'd love to hear them.  I have xanthan gum and a large bag of Bob's Red Mill gluten-free AP flour. 

Sunday:  Roast Turkey w/ Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Fresh Cranberry Sauce
I hadn't roasted a turkey in quite some time...I forgot just how long they take to defrost & cook.  However, not I've got a huge amount of meat to work with for the rest of the week/ to put in the freezer for later.  I also really love making cranberry sauce....it's always just seemed magical to me that it's so easy. 

Monday:  Creamy Turkey & Mushroom Noodle Casserole
I'm modifying the recipe linked above to include turkey instead of chicken.  It's a nice dairy-free creamy sauce.  Since DS is wheat-free for now, I'll use tapioca starch in lieu of AP flour.

Tuesday:  Crockpot Pork Roast w/ Baked Fruit and Quinoa
Not quite sure yet how I'll season this pork roast.  Quinoa is getting to be very popular with me though -- I especially like it when I make it with chicken broth...it's pretty boring all by itself.  

Wednesday:  Turkey + Veggie Curry w/ Brown Rice
It's been a few weeks since we had a curry...nothing too earth shattering here -- turkey, coconut milk, curry powder/paste, broccoli, carrots, etc.

Thursday:  Leftovers
I'm just assuming that our schedule will be all out of kilter on Thursday even though we're not cooking.  Who knows when/where/what we'll eat.  

Friday:  Taco Night
This is always popular with everyone -- DD because she can try to make an entire meal of nothing but tortilla chips and DS because he LOVES beans and rice (and tortilla chips).  

Saturday:  Meatball Kebabs w/ Rice Pilaf & Roast Carrots
This was so good that I'm going to do it again.  Stay tuned for the "recipe" -- my spice mix really.  I'll be sure to pay better attention when I do it this time.  Hopefully I can replicate it.  Rice with saffron, almonds, golden raisins, and maybe peas plus some carrots roasted with a honey glaze. 

For more menu plans, visit Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.