Thanksgiving Week

I know I haven't been keeping up with posting our menus, we have been eating, but not such great stuff, so here is the plan for this week.
Monday: Italian Beef Potpie - spicy ground beef topped with parmesean biscuts
Tuesday: Garlic Braised chicken, Green Beans, Fettuccine
Wednesday: Chicken, Feta and Pistachio Salad, French Bread, Soup
Thursday: Thanksgiving! Because it is just the four of us, we are exmerimenting with new ideas and blending them with old favorites. This year our menu is looking like this: Turducken ( a turkey, stuffed with a boneless chicken, stuffed with a boneless duck and filled with anduille stuffing), Orange Fruit Salad, Texas Roadhouse Rolls, Aspargus, US Navy Cheese pie. The menu may change once the kids realize they can have whatever they want.
Friday: Leftovers from Thursday!
Saturday: Steak and Fries with a Caesar Salad
Sunday is always fend for yourself!

Week Ending October 12

Monday: Pork Loin Roast on red potatoes, apple and fennel with steamed asparagus
Tuesday: Rib eye steaks with Blue Cheese Sauce, Roasted Red Potatoes and Asparagus
Asparagus is on sale and is great steamed and sprinkled with lemon, salt and butter and we all love it.
Wednesday: Lobster Mac and Cheese, Salad
Thursday: Teriyaki Chicken with Orange Sauce - We didn't make this last week so I have all the ingredients.
Friday: Sandwiches and Salad
Arugula Salad with Figs, Pine Nuts and Radicchio
2 T olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground salt and pepper
1 bunch arugula
1/2 head radicchio cut into strips
1/2 lb fresh figs, stemmed and quartered
1/4 C pine nuts, toasted
Wisk together oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add leaves, fruit and nuts, toss to coat.
Everyday Food Magazine
Saturday: Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Sunday: Fend for yourself

Week Ending October 5

Monday: Copy of Olive Garden's Toscana Soup and Breadsticks
Tuesday: French Onion Pork Chop Skillet
4 boneless pork chops
2 Onions thinly sliced
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 Pkg Chicken flavored stuffing mix
1 1/2 C Hot water
1 C Gruyere (or other Swiss) cheese
In large skillet, warm 1T oil on med-high heat. Add chops and onions and cook 10 minutes or until chops are cooked, stirring onions occasionally and turning chops after 5 min. Transfer chops to plate and keep warm. Continue cooking onions 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add Worcestershire sauce and mix well. Reduce heat to low and return chops to skillet. Spoon onions over chops. In med bowl mix stuffing mix with water and spoon around edge of skillet. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Wednesday: Fish and Chips
Thursday: Crockpot -Teriyaki Chicken with Orange Sauce
1 lb skinless, bonelsss chicken breast or thighs
1 16 oz package frozen asian style vegetables
2 T quick cooking tapioca
3/4 C Chicken broth
3 T Orange Marmalade
2 T Teriyaki sauce
1 t Dry mustard
1/2 t Ground ginger
2 C Hot cooked brown rice
Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces and set aside. Place vegetables into crockpot and sprinkle with tapioca stir to combine. Place chicken on top of vegtable mix. In small bowl combine broth, marmalade, teriyaki sauce, mustard and ginger. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook 4-5 hours on low or 2-2 1/2 hours on high. Serve with hot cooked rice.
Friday: Kid's night to cook
Saturday: Take Out Pizza
Sunday: Mark's Birthday - Surf and Turf with baked potatoes and German Chocolate Cake

Week Ending September 28

Well, it is just Mark and I most of this week, so the food will be better. The kids will be home for the weekend and I will be cooking for four.

Tuesday: Chicken with Dijon Vin Blanc Sauce, Couscous with Peas
Couscous is a quick cooking grain, just boil water add the couscous and literally it is done. I add peas to give it a bit more body and incorporate a vegetable into the meal.
Wednesday: A good local restaurant will be cooking
Thursday: Bacon-Wrapped Scallops, Parmesan Risotto
1 lb. fresh sea scallops (the lg. variety)
1 lb. sliced good quality bacon
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
2 tbsp. olive oil
Fresh pepper
Long toothpicks or skewers
Mix olive oil, lemon juice and pepper in small bowl. Pour over scallops and marinate in refrigerator for about an hour. Wrap each scallop with 1/2 strip of bacon. Keep together with toothpick or put 3-4 on each skewer. Place on broiler pan. Broil in oven until golden brown and bacon is done to desired crispness.
Friday: Chicken Pot Pie
I use puff pastry for the crust, a nice change from traditional pie crust.
Saturday: Steak and Tater Tots, Salad
Tater tots are even better than fries with steak.
Sunday: Fend for yourself
We have leftovers - use them!

What did you eat this week??

Well, I have been too busy to plan farther out than a day or so, sorry to those of you who want to know and try a new item or two.

We have mostly been eating leftovers - cooking for three is harder than two or four.
I did make scampi and it was yummy. I tried reheating foccacia rolls in the microwave with a cup of water and they still tasted stale, so I will stick to fresh rolls or bread when it is the main starch of the meal.

I used a leftover rotisserie chicken to make chicken and dumplings, but we didn't eat together as a family, so I took the broth and chicken and put it in a ziplock in the fridge and I am sure the boys will eat it while I am gone next week. Why, you ask, didn't we eat as a family? Because Mark and Keaton went fishing at about 3:30 and didn't return until 10:30! I did knock out a killer batch of Oatmeal Cookies that have white chocolate ( not really a chocolate, no cocoa mass) chips, craisins, and Macadamia Nuts. They were a little flat because I didn't have any butter crisco and instead used 100% butter. 50% butter flavored crisco helps keep them light at this altitude.

Did I mention I will be gone next week? I am leaving Tuesday to become certified by Dave Ramsey's team as a Financial Counselor and will not be home until Saturday night, so no cooking for me except Monday, since Sunday is always fend for yourself!

I am making a large Pork Shoulder Picnic Roast today for BBQ pork. Super simple and quite tasty.
Pulled Pork
Use a rub on the entire pork shoulder. This can be bought in the spice aisle at the grocery or you can combine spices you like, make sure to include a large amount of brown sugar.
Preheat Oven to 325
In Large dutch oven or other oven safe pot, heat 2 T oil on med high heat and sear roast on all sides. Cover with lid or foil and place in oven for 3-4 hours. The roast needs to reach 160 internally - so no one gets sick! The meat will pull apart easily with two forks.
Combine the meat with BBQ sauce and serve on hamburger buns. Add coleslaw for a Southern style sandwich.
Adapted from Joy of Cooking.

Have a Great Weekend.

Short Week Menu

As we all know, best laid plans sometimes don't happen the way we would like... I plan my meals by the week and sometimes, we just don't eat that many meals (more fend for yourself nights), or we have leftovers. So, I have four planned meals and only need one more meal planned for Saturday night, because Sundays are always Fend for Yourself Night!

Saturday: Shrimp Scampi, Italian Foccacia (leftover from Friday's dinner), Steamed Green Vegetable (whatever looks good at the farmer's market/grocery store)
Shrimp Scampi: Marinate 3/4 - 1 lb Jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined in 2 T olive oil, 2T fresh lemon juice and 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced in Quart Ziplock for 10-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop 2 shallots, 2 large cloves garlic, and 2 T fresh parsley. Remove shrimp from marinade and discard marinade. Heat 2 T olive oil and 1 T butter over med-high heat. Add shrimp and cook stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes til pink and opaque throughout. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the shallots and garlic to pan and cook on med-high heat for 3 minute. Stir in 1 T fresh lemon juice and the chopped parsley. Return the shrimp to pan and cook another minute. Serve immediately.

Week Ending August 31

Monday: Calzones, Salad
Use refrigerated pizza crust, jarred spagetti suace and your favorite toppings to make a pocket full of goodness.

Tuesday: Chicken Fajitas, Refried black beans
I boil the chicken breasts early in the day so I can just reheat it with the onions, pepers and seasoning to make this a super fast supper.

Wednesday: Crockpot - Beef Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
Make enough potatoes to top tomorrow's Shepherd's pie.
Easy Pot roast:
Brown roast on stovetop. Place in Crock pot with 1 Can Cream of Mushroom soup, 1 packet dry Onion Soup Mix and 2 cups of water. Let cook for 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low.

Thursday: Shepherd's Pie
In large skillet, brown ground beef or soy crumbles. Add 1 jar of beef gravy, 1 bag thawed frozen mixed vegetables and simmer until warm. Pour mixture into baking dish and cover with leftover mashed potatoes and place in 350 oven for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are browned and warmed through.

Friday: Soup and sandwich - Minestrone soup with Italian chicken sandwich
Grill chicken breasts and top with 1 slice mozzerella cheese. Serve on store bought Foccacia bread with pesto and roasted red peppers or sun dried tomatoes.

Saturday: Turkey Burgers with Cole Slaw
Use premade burgers, sprinkle with Montreal Chicken Seasoning and bagged slaw mixed with bottled dressing.

Wednesday FPU Graduation Cake

I will be graduating a number of students from a 13-week class called Financial Peace University and decided to celebrate we should have cake. This is what I am making. The name is Spanish for three milks since it contains whole milk, evaporated and sweetened condensed milks. It is best if prepared a day in advance and can be served topped with fresh fruit in addition to the whipped cream. It has been a hit in the past with guests and is relatively easy to make.

Enjoy!

Tres Leches Cake

6 large eggs, separated
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
3 cups heavy cream, divided
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Position rack in bottom 1/3 of oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease and flour a 13 by 9-inch baking pan, I use Baker’s Joy spray.

In large bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sugar with the mixer running, beating until stiff peaks form.

Add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each egg is added. In a small mixing bowl, sift together the 2 cups flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the batter in stages, alternating with the whole milk, beginning and ending with the flour. (Do this quickly so that the batter does not lose its volume.) Add 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and 2 cups of the heavy cream. Cover and blend on high for 45 seconds.

Remove 1 1/2 cups of the milk mixture, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve the cake.

Pour 1/2 of the remaining milk mixture over the warm cake.

When the cake has soaked up most of the liquid, pour the remaining half of the milk mixture over the cake, and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, beat the remaining cup of heavy cream in the electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the confectioners' sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla, and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled cake.

Serve the cake with the reserved chilled milk sauce

Week ending August 24

Monday: Teriyaki Salmon on Mirin Cucumber Salad with Brown Rice
Teriyaki Salmon
1 cup thin soy sauce
Juice and zest of 2 oranges
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
Combine all but sesame seeds and salmon in a saucepan. Bring to boil and slowly simmer until a syrupy consistency is achieved, about a 50 percent reduction. Let cool completely.
Add sesame seeds and salmon and marinate for 1 hour. Remove salmon from marinade and bring sauce to a boil. On a hot grill, cook salmon for about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Occasionally, brush the salmon with the teriyaki sauce.
Mirin Cucumber Salad
1/2 tablespoon wasabi powder
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup canola oil S
alt and white pepper to taste
2 large English cucumbers, julienned
Sesame seeds, for garnish
Make a paste with the wasabi and mirin. Whisk in vinegar and sugar. Whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the cucumbers with enough vinaigrette to coat completely. Lay grilled salmon on top of small pile of salad. Garnish with sesame seeds. (Source: Ming Tsai Food Network)

Serve with instant brown rice. Quick dinner with a few new ingredients.

Tuesday: Beef Tenderloin with Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Steamed Green Beans
Use a premarinated beef tenderloin which cooks quickly on grill, in oven, or in skillet if sliced into medallions first. Cook and mash potatoes with a clove of garlic for a hint of garlic flavor. Butter and salt is all the beans need.

Wednesday: Take Out Pizza with Wings and Salad
Your favorite pizza, bagged salad and dressings. This is a graduation party for my latest Financial Peace University Class!

Thursday (crockpot): Italian Sausage Lasagna with Steamed Fresh Yellow Squash
Basically make the fillings for lasagna and layer them ( no water, uncooked noodles) in the crockpot for 5-7 hours. Steam squash and add salt to taste.

Friday: BBQ Chicken on grill with Fresh Sweet Corn
Classic chicken on the grill, brush with bottled sauce a few minutes before the meat is finished cooking. Cook corn in boiling water for 10 minutes or so, butter and salt creates that summer taste. Add lime to your butter or squirt on the corn for a south of the boarder variation.

Saturday: Steak with Parmesean,Garlic Risotto and Caesar Salad
Grill steak after rubbing it with some Montreal Steak Seasoning. Bagged salad mix or just romaine, parmesean cheese, crutons and dressing. For the risotto, just follow the directions on the bag of rice, a laddle and patience is needed but the payoff is great!

Sunday: Fend for yourself it is my day off!

Why Feed Your Family?

In the years of perfecting being a stay at home mom, I have discovered that dinnertime can be both stressful and rewarding. My experience is that I like to cook, I just don't want to think about what I am making and I don't want to be halfway through a recipe and not have that one unique ingredient. I am also adamant about eating together as a family - without interruption most nights of the week.

To that end, I am most comfortable making a weekly menu based upon family activities, committments, and the ingredients that are on sale or in season. I like to try new recipes so each week I incorporate something we have never eaten, never prepared at home, or a new variation on an old favorite into the mix. We rarely eat the same things in a month or more of menus, but I can get routine with broad categories, like soup and sandwhich night,crockpot night, or potpie night.

This blog is a journal of my menus and recipes in hope that others will find it useful and streamline their nightly challenges. I am cooking now for two adults and a small, but growing boy and we are fairly adventurous in our culinary experiences. I will also post dinner party menus and recipes as I host them.

Thanks for reading and feel free to add comments, recipes and ideas.
ChefCaitlin