Friday, March 25, 2011

As with most weeks in my house, the menu cannot always be followed. So there are several repeats each week, but I want to use those groceries that I already have. Also I am on a kick...well life change...to throw out as little food as possible. I feel like doing a menu really helps me do that.
Sunday: Chinese Chicken Salads

Monday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches with coleslaw

Tuesday: Tamales

Wednesday: Spicy Lemon Shrimp Pasta

Thursday: Chicken Enchiladas

Friday: Tuna over biscuits

Recipes

Chinese Chicken Salads:
Layer shredded lettuce and napa cabbage. Top with chow mein noodles, slivered almonds, mandarin oranges, scallions, shredded carrots and shredded chicken. Top with your favorite oriental dressing. We use "feast from the east, all natural sesame dressing" I get it at costco.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with coleslaw
Top toasted sesame bun with shredded pork mixed with small amount of BBQ sauce, then top with cole slaw. Serve with french fries or tots.

Cole Slaw:
Mix together shredded cabbage and carrot. Toss with mixture of 1/2 c mayo, 2t apple vinegar, 1T sugar and 1-2T milk and lots of pepper, and a little salt to taste. I don't usually measure any of this out, so I am guesstimating the amounts, use this as a base and adjust as needed.

Tamales
My mom makes these from scratch, but they have yummy ones at trader joes. I haven't asked for the recipe for fear that I won't like what is in the masa mix, pretty sure lard is one of the ingredients. But if anyone really wants it, I will suck it up and ask her. So I have a batch in my freezer. We will serve these with beans and rice. For the beans just heat canned refried beans in a small saucepan with about 1/4-1/2c water, depending on how thick you like them. Cooke regular white rice but sub about 1/4 of the water amount for your favorite salsa when you are cooking it. This is my super easy spanish rice.

Spicy Lemon Shrimp Pasta
1 lb shrimp, deveined and peeled
3/4 lb linguine
1 lemon zested
juice from 1-2 lemons, depending on how juicy they are, at least 1/4 c
1/4 white wine
1/4-1/2t red pepper flakes
1 shallot diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 c fresh parsley chopped
In large pot boil water, then add salt and pasta. While the pasta is going, melt butter and oil in large saucepan over med heat. Add shallot, about 3 minutes, then add garlic and red pepper flakes, 1 minute. Add wine, lemon zest and juice. Let simmer about 2 minutes. Add shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes per side, until they are all nice and pink. Then add parsley and cooked pasta directly to saucepan and toss together.

Chicken Enchiladas
1 c shredded chicken
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c sour cream
1 can cream of chicken/mushroom soup
large handful of sliced olives
one small can green chilies
corn or flour tortillas
red or green enchilada sauce, type is your choice (a super easy/spicy one is a can of el pato mixed with a small can of tomato sauce)
shredded cheddar cheese
Mix first 6 ingredients together and add a couple large spoonfuls of the sauce to enhance the flavor. Fill tortillas with desired amount of filling, sprinkle with cheese then roll up and layer in baking dish that has a small amount of sauce coating the bottom. Top each layer with additional cheese and sauce. I like a single layer, so this will make a couple pans. The filling actually freezes really well, so if it is just a simple dinner I make one single layer pan and freeze the rest, then then next time I want to make it, ta..da.. easy!

Tuna over biscuits: a classic catholic lent friday meal. We didn't use to use the egg, but I want to try it. Also, we use toast when we don't have time for biscuits.

Biscuits

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup butter

3/4 to 1/2 cup milk

Creamed Tuna Sauce

1/4 C. butter

4 tbsp flour

1 C. Milk (can add more)

1 can tuna

3-4 boiled eggs, cut up

1 C. frozen peas

2 t worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Biscuits: Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter. Slowly add milk and mix. Dough will be slightly sticky. Roll out until 1/3” thick. Cut into biscuits (can use a glass to cut out), and place on an ungreased baking pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 11 to 12 minutes. Yields 16 biscuits

Creamed Tuna Sauce: Melt butter and add milk. Slowly add flour while mixing to create a white sauce. Add tuna, eggs and peas. Salt and pepper and w. sauce to taste. Heat through and serve over biscuits.

shopping list
cabbage, napa and reg.
carrots
shallots
scallions
lemons
parsley
garlic
frozen peas
eggs
pulled pork
shrimp
chicken
canned tuna
canned black beans
sour cream
cheddar cheese
milk
olives
cream of...soup
tortillas
enchilada sauce
linguine
sesame buns
chow mein noodles
almonds

Monday, March 21, 2011

Week 3/21-26

So I am doing a day-by-day meal plan for a while, as to keep my husband updated on the day to day plans...


Monday: Green Chili Chowder

Tuesday: Tacos Night (at the neighbors house, bring lettuce, tomato and cheese)

Wednesday: Spaghetti with mixed veggies

Thursday: Chinese Chicken Salads

Friday: Spicy Lemon Shrimp Pasta with side veggie


Recipes:


Green Chili Chowder

Refer to post from 2/20/11 for recipe


Spaghetti:

Seriously...boil water, add salt, cook noodles. Top with cooked meat mixed with sauce. Refer to post from 2/5/11 for meat sauce recipe. Then top with shredded parmesan cheese

Chinese Chicken Salads

Place half shredded napa cabbage and half shredded lettuce on plate and top with desired amount of shredded chicken, sliced scallions, shredded carrots, slivered almonds, mandarin oranges and chow mein noodles. Then toss with favorite chinese dressing.

Spicy Lemon Shrimp Pasta


Shallot finely diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 T butter and 1 T olive oil

1-2 lemons, at least 1/2 c juice and zest of one lemon

1/4-1/2 t red pepper flakes

1/4-1/2 c chopped fresh italian parsley

1/4c white wine

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined.

3/4 lb linguine

Boil water to cook linguine, and add salt to boiling water before tossing in linguine to cook. In seperate saucepan melt 2 T butter and oil over med-high heat, add shallot. Cook 2 minutes and add garlic and red pepper flakes, 30 seconds. Add wine, lemon juice and zest at simmer over med heat 2 minutes. Add shrimp, turning once until mostly pink, toss in parsley. Add Cooked pasta to shrimp pan and mix all together.

Shopping List:

Shrimp
shallot
garlic
Potatoes
Carrots
Napa Cabbage
Green onion
Side veggie (brussel sprouts or broccoli)
lettuce
tomatoes
lemons
parsley
Fire roasted green chilies
Mandarin oranges
Chicken stock
white wine
1/2 and 1/2
Pasta (spaghetti and linguine)
Premade meatsauce in freezer, or buy spaghetti sauce and 1lb sausage
almonds
chow mein noodles