Weekly Menu Planning - August 2024

Cooking Discussions Cooking, Cookbooks, Ingredients
21

DC’s bday this week meant Friday night take-out, which lightened my load

Thu, Aug 1
Roasted lemon oregano chicken thighs
Roasted eggplant
Roasted tomato halves topped with cheddar

Fri Aug 2
Take-out from David’s Bistro in London, ON. A welcome change from how I do fish on Friday. :grinning:
Caesar salad
Scallops with corn risotto
Trout with leeks, cream, Pernod, new potatoes
Ahi tuna with green pea risotto
Toasted coconut blancmange with berry coulis
Chocolate mousse with toasted marshmallow cream

Sat, Aug 3:
Deconstructed pork souvlaki, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, first red pepper from the garden, and onions
Egg noodles with raw tomatoes, basil and green onion
Coconut macaroons from a cottage country bakery from last weekend.

Sunday (tonight)
I think I’ll get a take-out pizza and wings for the protein and carbs part.
Roasted parnsips
Bits and Bobs

Monday
Lamb, if I get my butt out the door, now :grinning:. Grocery stores are closed in Ontario tomorrow. It’s our Civic Holiday Monday long weekend this weekend.

Tuesday
Tuna cakes, I think.

11 Likes
22

Have a nice day off tomorrow! It sounds like you had some lovely meals on tap this week.

2 Likes
23

Hmm - I thought brioche buns were more"buttery" than sweet. I’ve only had Aldi’s version, bought on impulse, and they held up well when toasted for hoagie layered sandwiches.

3 Likes
24

Okay, I didn’t do too badly despite hitting that wall, I do think buying the bag of hot dog rolls took the pressure off :sweat_smile:

Actuals:
– Hot dog bun meals (reminder never to buy brioche buns again, too sweet): classic chicken salad, “junglee” (wild) chicken salad with green chillies, onion, cilantro, and scallions plus napa cabbage because there was no butter lettuce to be found, separately pimento cheese (TJs)
– Curry chicken noodle soup to copycat the Teochow restaurant version, starting with chicken legs in the PC for stock. I added noodles (fat rice ones and medium wheat ones) separately for each meal so they didn’t disintegrate, and napa cabbage for vegetable content. Highly recommend!
– Last of the spinach rice (so good, must make again) with sauteed shrimp
– Viet Umami noodles (angel hair) and more shrimp

On the cards:
– Finish those Hot dog buns: faux lobster rolls (using argentinian shrimp) and/or a sauteed shrimp version of @LulusMom1’s salt & pepper shrimp roll (all the aromatics but none of the deep frying), maybe pav bhaji
– Viet Roast Chicken Thighs (for cookbook of the month/quarter) + napa cabbage slaw + rice
– Ven Pongal / Khichdi (for cuisine of the quarter) + tbd roasted veg + papad
– Sushi bowl with spicy ahi tuna tartare and wasabi napa cabbage slaw
– Kheema macaroni aka Indian pasta “bolognese” courtesy all the meat sauce talk (and bec I have sauteed ground turkey to use up in the freezer)

Might also make a riff on this Zucchini Galette to use up a bit of dough from the last one for DOTQ (yes, trying to hit all the OTMs/OTQs for a bit of inspiration and fun :joy:)

Wish you all a delicious week!

16 Likes
25

I think of them as sweet and delicate.

2 Likes
26

We prefer new England style that are baked as a loaf and broken onto individual rolls and toasted or grilled.

3 Likes
27

5g vs 2g sugar, I just checked

3 Likes
28

Wow, college already…

2 Likes
29

Cooking for 2 or 3 in DC VA 'burbs. For the week of 8/4:

SU: Chinese eggplant, Airfryer salmon bites, steamed rice
MO: Tofu Tomato soup from COTM Evergreen, dumplings (from frozen), stir fried bean sprouts with chilies and chives
TU: Chicken/squash enchiladas, refried beans, something green TBD
WE: Roasted veggie panini with optional ham for those who must, Caesar salad
TH: Spaghetti squash casserole, stirfried celery of some sort
FR: Spouse is in charge of pizza night
SA: TBD, depends on what looks beautiful at the farmers market

12 Likes
30

It’s insane.

3 Likes
31

Greetings, People.

The big week arrives – house guests for 10 days starting Saturday. Doing my best to showcase our garden bounty at mealtime.

Feeding 4 adults in the PNW:

FRI: Pan-roasted chicken thighs. Potato and onion kugel. Green beans.

SAT: Toasted focaccia sandwiches with home-smoked salmon, cukes, scallion cream cheese, and pickled onions.

SUN: Two-lemon chicken. Chopped garden salad. Leftover kugel.

MON: Lohikeitto with leeks and peas. Soup crackers.

TUE: Smoked tri-tip. Irish champ. Green beans.

WED: TBD

THUR: TBD

I’ll be baking focaccia and Swedish rye to accompany various morning and mid-day meals. I also made two batches of crackers - oyster for soup and Knackebrod - but I got distracted and scorched the latter, and don’t know if I’ll have a time for a do-over.

Breakfasts will feature yogurt with garden berries and muesli, crepes, smoked salmon, breakfast sausages, hard boiled eggs, and gazpacho.

Sweet treats to include chocolate scones, sour cherry crumble, carrot cake, and something blueberry – most likely pie. If I’ve time and they’ve an appetite (I suspect they do - they’re 20 years younger than us), I might also make cinnamon morning buns and/or a chocolate rye. I’ve a very recent batch of RLB’s blueberry ice cream in the freezer for the occasion, but I’m not sure it is up to snuff (I had trouble with the canister underperforming) – will taste-test on Friday.

To pull off this week’s planned meals, I think I need only to buy some good yogurt (too busy to make homemade), a chicken, and a couple of lemons. Outside of that, it’s the freezer, pantry, and garden to the rescue.

18 Likes
32

Lucky guests!

8 Likes
33

Yes indeed, lucky guests! Hopefully you have time to relax and enjoy their company!

4 Likes
34

It has finally cooled down in Ottawa, Canada but it has been raining steadily since I got up this morning. This is the tail end of Debbie and we will supposedly get an entire month of rain in one day. On to my menus for this week:

Today: Take out lunch day. Today is the day I decided I wanted Korean food for lunch :upside_down_face: There is a Korean grocery store about a 15 minute walk from my apartment but the rain started really coming down not long after I left and part of my walk there involves going through a couple of intersections with poor drainage (read: huge puddles) but I made it there and back without getting splashed - yay! My fried chicken was really good. Dinner tonight will be corn salad with tomatoes and feta.

Saturday: Leftover ribs and mac 'n cheese from last week’s ribfest.

Sunday: I will be going to an early afternoon screening of a cat videofest so I will be having popcorn for lunch. I probably won’t be terribly hungry by dinnertime so I will have a shrimp salad for dinner.

Monday: Kale salad and salmon.

Tuesday: Rice pilaf.

Wednesday: Ratatouille.

Thursday: Fettuccine al pesto, veggies tbd.

I hope everybody is staying dry this week

14 Likes
35

Hello to everyone from the surprisingly cool Twin Cities of MN where they weather folks told us we can enjoy this September like weather for a while thanks to Debby. It’s been nice having the windows open and I will put up in allergy eyes for some fresh air.

I’ve been all over the place with menus and meals and activities and CSA abundance complicated by the new to Big kid orthodontic diet and Mr Autumm’s low fiber/pre colonoscopy diet. I’m trying to be less refined carbs and little one is going through a picky phase which might be related to her ADHD medication.

Actuals and plans for 2 adults and 2 growing girls:

Weds 7: A summer tradition around here: the first of the season BLT Wednesdays

Thurs 8: Frozen ravioli with store bought pesto. Assorted crudite

Fri 9: Tonight! Take out pizza and ice cream cause little one passed (Barely!) her skating test today. Pizza is a low fiber food

Sat 10: Chicken on the grill flavor TBD. CSA potatoes, assorted crudités for those of us who eat fiber. Our cherry tomatoes are going crazy

Sun 11: Mr Autumm gets clear liquids. Instead of the gallon of Go Litely, he gets pills and a big water cup. The girls and I are going to be avoiding him and some form of ladies night after a day outing TBD

Mon 12: A super busy day where I will be in full on taxi mode between band camp, procedure responsible adulting, swimming, skating but no tennis cause that is at the time of band camp. I have a board meeting at dinner time, i’m guessing he won’t be hungry so see what the girls decide on. I might make “the cheese meal” bentos

Tues 13: Our 19th wedding anniversary and CSA pick up Would like to do something special but see how things go. The shrimp instead of lobster rolls mentioned upthread sound appealing to me

Weds 14: Skating. BLT wednesday

Thurs 15: The band concert I thought was at noon is now at 630 so plans to get big kiddo to her grandparents for the weekend are going to happen

Take care everyone- Stay dry and hydrated!

16 Likes
36

wow, you are doing great with planning, the weather, and numerous other challenges! Adjusting to changing circumstances all around.

Best wishes to your family!

5 Likes
37

BLT Wednesday sounds really good!

3 Likes
38

Okay so other than the soufflé and dining out, my plan was a bust. But we ate well inspired by many HO posts this week.

4 Likes
39

Was your week a bit less stressful because you knew what dish you intentionally were NOT making each night? Grin.

1 Like
40

My shopping lists suffer a similar fate. Freedom.

2 Likes