Monday, April 19, 2010

Menu for the week of April 18-24, 2010

Here's my plan for the week.
The Cobble Hill Roast Striped Bass recipe has been on the menu plan for a while--and I intend to actually make it this week. Cooking a whole fish (even with the head already removed) is something I've only done a few times. I love the taste, but it does take some practice to deal with the bones.

Sunday
18
The best and simplest green salad, Shepherd's Pie (Cottage Pie)
Monday
19
Cornbread, Chicken Tournados*, PC Orzo with Beans and goat cheese**
Tuesday
20
Leftover Chili (add hamburger) Serve with leftover cornbread
Wednesday
21
Cobble Hill Roast Striped Bass, Steamed vegetables, Arroz mexicano
Thursday
22
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits, Hamburger soup (Leftovers)
Friday
23
The best and simplest green salad, Blue Ribbon Chicken
Saturday
24
Chicken Quesadillas

* Chicken breasts wrapped in bacon. Great for barbecuing. I get them from my butcher.
** More about PC Orzo with Beans and Goat Cheese can be found here.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Menu for the week of April 3 - 9, 2010

I did an inventory of my pantry again this weekend. It's amazing how tiny bottles of sauces, condiments (OK, some not so tiny), oils and vinegars really start to pile up. I am officially out of red wine vinegar, and this week should run out of white wine and apple cider vinegar. If all goes well I'll even manage to polish off one (of the two) bottles of rice wine vinegar sitting in my pantry. :D

Vinaigrette recipes are simple (thus no links) 3 tablespoons good vinegar, 2 tablespoons good olive oil, a small sprinkling of herbs (preferably fresh) and a good shake of fresh cracked black pepper. I typically make just enough vinaigrette for the salad I'm serving (or enough in a very small container for lunch). I'm trying really hard not to buy any dressing, as it contains too many things that are not good for me. I should try making thousand island dressing myself sometime. There's lots of good recipes for it out there.

The best and simplest green salad is a Mark Bittman recipe (thus again, no link). Well, more a potential list of ingredients. For us, it means - romaine lettuce, baby spinach, a diced bell pepper and occasionally an ounce or two of cheese. Sometimes we add soy or other nuts, and additional greens (red or green radicchio, and other greens as they comes into season). In winter the salad is typically 1/2 iceberg and 1/2 romaine without the spinach and we add a few tablespoons of mixed tinned beans. Now that spring is here I can start buying spring mix and adding a handful of that to the salad to replace some of the romaine.

This week I picked up a small bag of broccoli slaw. I love it. So now I have another use for broccoli stems. The mix is about 3/4 finely julienned broccoli stems (peeled) and 1/4 carrot.

I cleaned the kitchen floor on the weekend (a task that was much-needed, and takes about 3 hours to do properly). The floor is very old, scratched, and covered in something that discolors quickly. The coating is slowly coming off - unevenly and thus makes even a clean floor rather gray in places. But, with that task out of the way I now have to sort through my under-cabinets. I should be getting boxes this week to label Recycle and Give Away. The process will be fairly painful but much-needed. I'll try to take pics.

Snacks this week are: apples (always) and quaker rice crisps (90 calorie pouches).













Saturday
3
Breakfast: 1 feta omelet with whole wheat toast
Lunch: 2 chicken drumsticks, small side salad with homemade vinagrette
Dinner: East Side Mario's out with friends.
Sunday
4
Breakfast: 1 hard boiled egg, 1 pc whole wheat toast, 1 apple
Lunch: Chicken pita wrap with broccoli slaw salad
Dinner: Steak sandwiches with cheese
The best and simplest green salad with homemade Cesar salad dressing
Monday
5
Breakfast: 1 goat-cheese omelet with whole wheat toast
Lunch: Pot noodle with homemade chicken stock & vegetables
Dinner: Arahova Souvlaki take-out (Gyro pitas!)
Tuesday
6
Breakfast: 1 apple, Oatmeal, 1/2 banana
Lunch: Chicken thighs in tomato sauce with rice & green beans
Dinner: Baked potatoes & salad with white wine vinaigrette
BBQ Chicken breasts in homemade barbecue sauce
Desert: Banana Bread
Wednesday
7
Breakfast: Toast & almond butter, 1 apple
Lunch: Chicken thighs in tomato sauce with rice & green beans
Dinner: Cornbread & Hamburger soup (leftovers)
Thursday
8
Breakfast: Toasted cornbread & butter, 1 banana
Lunch: Chicken thighs in BBQ sauce, side salad with homemade vinagrette
Dinner: Soda biscuits & Two Bean Chili
Friday
9
Breakfast: Oatmeal & banana
Lunch: Chicken thighs in BBQ sauce, side salad with homemade vinagrette
Dinner: Buttered noodles & salad with apple cider vinagrette, Cobble Hill Roast Striped Bass