This week, I included a few well-liked dishes from my days traveling in Europe on our menu. A week or so ago, we found a whole section of Polish foods at a grocery store we don't often frequent, and wonder of wonders, they had a white barszcz mix.
For those who haven't traveled to Poland, it's . . . well, it's hard to say exactly, as I've had trouble finding out how to make it myself. It involves smoked sausage (kielbasa, if you will - but every sausage is "kielbasa" in Eastern/Central Europe) and I think a fermented rye base. Sometimes it comes with a halved hard-cooked egg in it. It's unusual and surprisingly delicious.
We're also having butter chicken. I discovered my love for Indian food in Europe, too, where they're way ahead of the curve compared to us when it comes to appreciating ethnic foods. The slaw I'm making alongside uses garlic pickle, a condiment found with the Indian foods in the store that adds strong and delectable flavor to any veggie.
Friday we'll enjoy a vegetarian version of the traditional English breakfast for dinner. We tucked into something similar every morning when we visited Ireland just after I finished college. It keeps you going for a long, long time . . .
Monday
Enchiladas
Refried black beans
Mexican rice
Salad
Tuesday
Hamburgers
Fries
Thousand island slaw
Wednesday
Butter chicken
Rice
Garlic pickle slaw
Thursday
White barszcz with smoked sausage
Whole-wheat rolls
Salad
Friday
Cheesy eggs
Baked beans
Toast triangles
Sliced tomatoes
Saturday
Turkey breast with gravy
Cranberry sauce
Mixed veggies
Mashed potatoes
Cornbread
Salad
Sunday
Chili
Cornbread
Salad
Meals for the Week: Lasagna Frenzy
I had a craving for lasagna this week, though more for the fun of making it than necessarily for the eating of it. I made said lasagna for tonight's dinner, and I learned a lot about the making of this Italian casserole.
I've made it only once before, and after that time I almost swore off lasagna completely. Boiling the noodles before assembling the casserole is a pain . . . no, that's not it. It's storing the cooked noodles in between boiling and assembly that's just annoying. They're sticky and delicate, so stacking is out of the question. Ample counter space was a must.
Anyway, this time I tried flat, no-boil noodles, and they worked beautifully. Next time, I'll make the sauce a little less loose, as they didn't need a whole lot of moisture to cook.
I kept the lasagna on the healthy side by using only half a box of noodles, part-skim mozzarella, and fat-free cottage cheese (on sale!). I also drained off a lot of fat from the meat. Still, I kept my portion small because I know how indulgent a dish this is.
Monday
Lasagna
Salad
Onion rolls
Tuesday
Chicken fried rice
Salad
Wednesday
Sirloin pork chops braised in sauerkraut
Applesauce
Roasted potatoes
Thursday
Lemon chicken soup
Salad
Rolls
Friday
Pasta primavera
Salad
Bread
Saturday
Turkey pepperoni pizza
Salad
Sunday
BLTs
Potato salad
Salad
I've made it only once before, and after that time I almost swore off lasagna completely. Boiling the noodles before assembling the casserole is a pain . . . no, that's not it. It's storing the cooked noodles in between boiling and assembly that's just annoying. They're sticky and delicate, so stacking is out of the question. Ample counter space was a must.
Anyway, this time I tried flat, no-boil noodles, and they worked beautifully. Next time, I'll make the sauce a little less loose, as they didn't need a whole lot of moisture to cook.
I kept the lasagna on the healthy side by using only half a box of noodles, part-skim mozzarella, and fat-free cottage cheese (on sale!). I also drained off a lot of fat from the meat. Still, I kept my portion small because I know how indulgent a dish this is.
Monday
Lasagna
Salad
Onion rolls
Tuesday
Chicken fried rice
Salad
Wednesday
Sirloin pork chops braised in sauerkraut
Applesauce
Roasted potatoes
Thursday
Lemon chicken soup
Salad
Rolls
Friday
Pasta primavera
Salad
Bread
Saturday
Turkey pepperoni pizza
Salad
Sunday
BLTs
Potato salad
Salad
Meals for the Week: The Fast Begins
Lent starts this Wednesday, which means I'll be planning more strictly vegetarian meals this coming month. It's true that fish is permitted on Fridays in Lent - look around for all the fast food fish sandwich promotions right now - but I can't stand any and all seafood. Just the smell turns my stomach.
Argue all you want that fresh fish doesn't smell. It just doesn't smell to you. I don't even like the smell of the ocean.
Besides, it always seemed strange to me that I was expected to not call chicken "meat" (it's poultry!), except as far as the "no meat on Fridays" tradition went. In that case, my childhood definition of meat, food from a dead animal, applied, except in the case of fish. Frankly, I didn't see why fish got a pass. I thought my parents were joking at first.
I don't have much problem coming up with vegetarian options. The hardest part is simply remembering to avoid using minor things like chicken broth in soup.
Monday
Bacon omelet sandwiches with cheese
Tater tots
Orange wedges
Tuesday
Meatloaf
Boiled potatoes
Salad
Wednesday
Vegetarian black bean soup
Rolls
Salad
Thursday
Pasta salad
Friday
Veggie burgers
Fries
Saturday
Beef fajitas
Rice pilaf
Sunday
No plan yet. New month, new grocery budget . . .
Argue all you want that fresh fish doesn't smell. It just doesn't smell to you. I don't even like the smell of the ocean.
Besides, it always seemed strange to me that I was expected to not call chicken "meat" (it's poultry!), except as far as the "no meat on Fridays" tradition went. In that case, my childhood definition of meat, food from a dead animal, applied, except in the case of fish. Frankly, I didn't see why fish got a pass. I thought my parents were joking at first.
I don't have much problem coming up with vegetarian options. The hardest part is simply remembering to avoid using minor things like chicken broth in soup.
Monday
Bacon omelet sandwiches with cheese
Tater tots
Orange wedges
Tuesday
Meatloaf
Boiled potatoes
Salad
Wednesday
Vegetarian black bean soup
Rolls
Salad
Thursday
Pasta salad
Friday
Veggie burgers
Fries
Saturday
Beef fajitas
Rice pilaf
Sunday
No plan yet. New month, new grocery budget . . .
Meals for the Week: Cooking From the Pantry
I have a large amount of food stocked up now that it's mid-month, which means it's time to stop stocking up for the month. It's tough to turn away from the great deals on products we use regularly, but if I don't keep myself from buying ahead for at least a couple weeks each month I'll end up spending more than I should. After all, what's the point of "saving" when I'm just going to spend more?
Using what I have on hand (basics like chicken breasts and pasta as well as long-lasting pantry items like mayonnaise and hot sauce), I can create enough meals for the next two weeks. That is, with the addition of a little fresh produce for salads.
Monday
Hamburgers
Fries
Salad
Tuesday
Buffalo chicken tacos with blue cheese
Frozen veggies
Salad
Wednesday
Baked potato soup
Rolls
Salad
Thursday
Sandwiches
Creamy tomato soup
Salad
Friday
Bacon and onion pizza
Salad
Saturday
Baked chicken schnitzel
Frozen veggies
Chicken rice
Salad
Sunday
Annie’s Favorite Pasta
Rolls
Salad
Using what I have on hand (basics like chicken breasts and pasta as well as long-lasting pantry items like mayonnaise and hot sauce), I can create enough meals for the next two weeks. That is, with the addition of a little fresh produce for salads.
Monday
Hamburgers
Fries
Salad
Tuesday
Buffalo chicken tacos with blue cheese
Frozen veggies
Salad
Wednesday
Baked potato soup
Rolls
Salad
Thursday
Sandwiches
Creamy tomato soup
Salad
Friday
Bacon and onion pizza
Salad
Saturday
Baked chicken schnitzel
Frozen veggies
Chicken rice
Salad
Sunday
Annie’s Favorite Pasta
Rolls
Salad
Meals for the Week: Joy of Cooking Edition
I've been pouring over my 75th-anniversary copy of Joy of Cooking lately, marking off classic recipes I'd like to try. To me, there seems to be a surprising amount of convenience-food cooking in Joy, but I grew up with the 90s edition in the house rather than the classic version. Our Joy had a culinary-school pedigree that the new version tries to disavow.
I don't care much either way, honestly. Some days, I feel strongly the importance of using natural ingredients, and those days I stock my freezer with homemade rolls and meatballs. Other days, when I just would rather not devote two hours to making dinner from scratch, I feel grateful for frozen fries and canned creamy soup.
Monday
Whole-grain pancakes
Turkey breakfast sausage
Navel, Cara Cara, and blood oranges
Baked tater tots
Tuesday
Turkey meatball soup
Rolls
Salad
Wednesday
Crepes with chicken, apples, and blue cheese (a Joy recipe)
Frozen veggie mix
Salad
Thursday
Beef tacos
Mexican rice
Black and kidney bean salad
Friday
Sandwiches
Crinkle fries
Salad
Saturday (Valentine's Day)
Rib steak
Potatoes au gratin
Creamed corn
Rolls
Caesar salad
Sunday
Creamed chicken and broccoli over rice
Salad
I don't care much either way, honestly. Some days, I feel strongly the importance of using natural ingredients, and those days I stock my freezer with homemade rolls and meatballs. Other days, when I just would rather not devote two hours to making dinner from scratch, I feel grateful for frozen fries and canned creamy soup.
Monday
Whole-grain pancakes
Turkey breakfast sausage
Navel, Cara Cara, and blood oranges
Baked tater tots
Tuesday
Turkey meatball soup
Rolls
Salad
Wednesday
Crepes with chicken, apples, and blue cheese (a Joy recipe)
Frozen veggie mix
Salad
Thursday
Beef tacos
Mexican rice
Black and kidney bean salad
Friday
Sandwiches
Crinkle fries
Salad
Saturday (Valentine's Day)
Rib steak
Potatoes au gratin
Creamed corn
Rolls
Caesar salad
Sunday
Creamed chicken and broccoli over rice
Salad
Fixed Links for the Numbers Template
Oops.
Apparently, the links for my Numbers meal planning templates were sending up errors. Thanks to the folks who let me know!
The links are now updated and should allow you to download the ZIP files. Visit the Numbers meal planner post to download them.
Apparently, the links for my Numbers meal planning templates were sending up errors. Thanks to the folks who let me know!
The links are now updated and should allow you to download the ZIP files. Visit the Numbers meal planner post to download them.
Monday Meal Planning: Second Tuesday Edition
I've built up a big store of sale meats in the freezer, so it's time to stop frequenting the firesale section of the meat department, I think.
I'm making a concerted effort still to use what I have so I can continue buying just sale items (aside from produce). The tough part is thinking up recipes that don't require just one or two more items. That's how spending sneaks up on me.
Monday
Tofu stir-fry
Rice
Egg drop soup
Tuesday
Pot roast
Carrots and onions
Mashed potatoes
Salad
Wednesday
Macaroni and cheese
Veggie mix
Salad
Thursday
Chicken and rice soup
Rolls
Salad
Friday
Tomoto-garlic pizza
Salad
Saturday
Deconstructed lasagna
Garlic bread
Salad
Sunday
Baked salsa and bean frittata
Sweet potato fries
Salad
I'm making a concerted effort still to use what I have so I can continue buying just sale items (aside from produce). The tough part is thinking up recipes that don't require just one or two more items. That's how spending sneaks up on me.
Monday
Tofu stir-fry
Rice
Egg drop soup
Tuesday
Pot roast
Carrots and onions
Mashed potatoes
Salad
Wednesday
Macaroni and cheese
Veggie mix
Salad
Thursday
Chicken and rice soup
Rolls
Salad
Friday
Tomoto-garlic pizza
Salad
Saturday
Deconstructed lasagna
Garlic bread
Salad
Sunday
Baked salsa and bean frittata
Sweet potato fries
Salad
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