Weekly Menu Planning June 2023

Cooking Discussions Cooking, Cookbooks, Ingredients
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Let’s use this thread to share concise weekly dinner menus for each week in June It’s helpful if you can include your location and how many people you are feeding. Links to recipes are always appreciated, and sources help. We all know plans can change, so it’s fine (practically expected) when your week gets rearranged from your posted plan. You may choose to report actuals for the prior week to share ideas with others.

Do you have a favorite salad you’re looking forward to enjoying now that summer is officially here? What’s on your grilling menu? Up here in MN, veggie gardens are just being planted (by others, not me…) and most harvests are dreams away. But new-crop produce from Southern states is readily available at my store. My own edible perennials – rhubarb, chives, mint - are ready to be used in small quantities.

The May discussion is still available for reporting the last week and follow-ups.

Reminder – Keep your comments menu / food related. And in the interest of faster viewing times, please use the knife&fork under a comment to indicate you liked it or want to echo what was said by another, rather than posting a separate comment.

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Okay, this menu is still more May than June, but you mentioned salads, so…

I am still digging out from the mountain of grading, but I should have it all done on Monday. I think. I hope.

Starting this week, I’ll be planning at least one dinner salad. When I proposed this to my husband, he responded, “Why do you want to punish me?” :joy: I assured him it’s just for variety and nutrients, not dieting. We’ll see how it goes.

For two adults in San Diego:

This week’s breakfasts: TBD. I have a very early medical test on Tuesday and might spring for a bunch of donuts afterwards. Or, at least a few.

S: (tonight) takeout chicken pot pies. Also a slice of salted caramel apple pie for him, a berry and lemon curd hand pie for me.

Su: Taco salad - leftover taco filling from freezer (ground turkey, onions, peppers, spices), cheese, avocado, ranch, salsa, tortilla chips on a mixture of butter and romaine lettuces - salad

M: Grilled Italian sausage, onions, peppers on rolls, potato salad (purchased)

T: Puff pastry tart with asparagus, shallots, and Boursin cheese with salad- vegetarian

W: BBQ beef (heating up some braised beef and onions from freezer with bbq sauce), baked beans, leftover potato salad

Th: TJ’s spinach tortellini with tuna and spinach in a light cream sauce - seafood

F: TJs orange chicken, veggies, and rice

Have a good week!

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Good afternoon, from a very pleasant day in Greater Manchester. Warm enough for lunch on the patio, if not yet dinner. It’s a public holiday here today. In the times when the UK could claim to be a Christian country, this was called the Whitsun Holiday (and was on the Monday following Whit Sunday). When my mother was a girl, it was a time for religious processions and she always said it was the time when she was bought a new “best dress”. Since 1971, it’s been called the “Late Spring” holiday.

As for dinners:

Thursday - duck stirfry. Details not yet decided (apart from the fact we have a duck breast in the freezer)

Friday - salmon, Jersey Royal spuds, asparagus, hollandaise sauce

Saturday - potted shrimps to start. Slow roast pork shoulder with a leek, apricot & thyme stuffing. Fondant spuds, greens, apple sauce. Eton Mess

Sunday - Chole. Naan bread. Homemade chutneys

Monday - Mutton hotpot. Mutton chops, pearl barley, root veg. Possibly too autumnal but we’ll try and lighten it

Tuesday - Chicken breasts. spuds & veg. Cream sauce (discovered in the freezer and the reason for this meal)

Wednesday - steak pies (farmers market purchase), oven chips, frozen peas.

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In Canada we still celebrate Victoria Day even though Queen Victoria died over 120 years ago. We keep the tradition as an excuse to have a long weekend in May. Ironically I don’t even know when the reigning monarch’s birthday is :slight_smile:

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I noted Victoria Day on an earlier post of yours. I was a tad surprised as it’s not often these days that Vicky Saxe-Coburg is celebrated. We’ve had two other holidays this month - the “Early May” one (the earlier workers “May Day” is no longer in favour) and an extra one for the king’s coronation.

FWIW, Charlie Windsor was born on 14/11. His official ceremonial birthday will continue to be in June, as was his mother’s.

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When I was in university I took a summer course one year which started in May. The professor had just moved here from Scotland and was mortified to hear we still celebrated Victoria Day. “But she’s been dead for a hundred years!” she said.

I am envious of your bank holidays. I believe there was one for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and also for her funeral? Those of us that reside in the colonies have to use their vacation days for that.

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Hi everyone, cooking for two adults and a tween in the Boston burbs.

Sun (yesterday): out for burgers, heartburn for all. In a burst of adventure, DS had lettuce on his! He didn’t love it but he ate it. Yay for trying new things! We had a lengthy conversation about salad and different types of dressing (and the purpose of salad dressing) - he wants to try the carrot-ginger dressing served at Japanese restaurants, so it’s on the grocery list for today.

Mon: last week’s meatballs turned into subs for DH and DS, on leftover polenta for me. Green beans. Also making a quinoa salad with pistachios and apricots for my lunches this week.

Tues: turkey cutlets, corn pancakes, and a shredded carrot/parsnip dish that was in Amanda Hester’s book about meeting her husband, Cooking for Mr. Latte.

Weds: pork souvlaki (using a recipe I usually make with chicken) - tomato salad and tzatziki

Thurs: tbd, I’m supposed to go out for dinner with the oft-rescheduled friend, will feed the guys leftovers if dinner actually happens

Fri: sesame cashew chicken (NYT) with rice and broccoli

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This sounds so appealing to me, unseasonal or not!

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I see versions of this posted here and they always sound so delicious, but I have yet to make it for myself!

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Such a simple way to make a dinner that seems special.

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Greetings, People.

Lots of fresh veggies around means a lot of stir-fry and salad. On review, it seems like a lot of rice towards the end of the week – maybe I’ll sub some of that with noodles. In any case, fast and light to compliment the gorgeous weather we’re having. Not too hot – not too cold … everything is juuust riiiight.

Cooking for two adults in the beautiful PNW:

FRI: Chive crepes with smoked steelhead. Green salad.

SAT: Pasta with bacon and kale. Green beans.

SUN: Spicy lemony chicken on green salad. Baguette.

MON: Some version of halibut with potatoes and veg. TBD.

TUE: Beef and broccoli stir-fry. Rice.

WED: Chicken and asparagus stir-fry. Rice.

THUR: If the snow peas are in, Moo Goo Gai Pan. Otherwise, leftover ispanak from the from the freezer.

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Truman - yay, indeed, for trying new things! I use a recipe for “Japanese restaurant style” carrot ginger dressing that’s very good, and here’s the link:

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Thank you so much - this looks perfect, and a great workaround as the grocery store was out of their version!

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Truman - You’re welcome, enjoy! I’ve found some good recipes and interesting techniques on pickledplum - oven baked chicken katsu is a favorite. Toasting panko stove top for breading - who knew!!! Now also use that for fish and more……

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A little over a week ago we were getting frost warnings and the last couple of days we’ve been getting heat warnings. Funny how the temperature can go from one extreme to another in such a short period of time. Menus this week rely on stove top cooking or no cooking at all even though the temperatures are expected to go down within the next day or two. It will take a few days for my apartment to cool off though so I plan on using as little heat as possible. Festival season is now underway so this weekend on tap is ribfest, an Asian festival, and Doors Open Ottawa. The only one I really plan on taking in is ribfest. I am tired of living the life of a miser waiting for my employer to dock my pay from when we are on strike last April so I will throw caution to the wind and buy ribs and enjoy them. My boss mentioned that he thinks our employer may be waiting until our new collective agreement has been ratified and we get our back pay before docking our pay so for now the uncertainty continues. I got my strike pay though! My meals for the upcoming week for a solo diner in Ottawa are as follows:

Today: We had a send-off lunch for our admin assistant. My fish burger was really good! I will have the usual salad for dinner.

Saturday: Possibly attending Doors Open Ottawa. A lot of buildings that are normally closed to the public open for this one weekend. I’ve been going every year since it started 20 years ago so I’m not sure if there are any buildings I haven’t been to yet. Otherwise a museum visit. I will pop over to ribfest after to buy dinner.

Sunday: I got two bok choys in my CSA this week (quite big ones actually) so one of them is going into spaghettini with sesame bok choy

Monday: The other bok choy. Possibly ginger bok choy soup with noodles.

Tuesday: Beef and asparagus stir fry.

Wednesday: asparagus and sundried tomato risotto. (@Harters no smoked salmon yet since I’m waiting for it to go on sale :slight_smile: )

Thursday: Fried cabbage and noodles using the last of the pre-CSA veggies in my fridge. Now to work on the freezer.

Have a nice week everyone and I hope you are managing to stay cool.

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Hi, all! Cooking for 2 back in Chattanooga. Vancouver was great and we had some lovely meals, but I came back with some kind of bug (2 family members tested positive for Covid), so even though summer weather has started, I’m feeling like comfort food.
Breakfast: Baked oatmeal to atone for all the lovely pastries we ate on vacation
Saturday, June 3 (today): Baked Greek-style beans from Milk Street. I got some fancy Ortiz tuna on sale, so lunches might be cold leftover beans with tuna…
Sunday: A Japanese-American recipe (back issue of Bon Appetit) for cola-braised pork; white rice. I need to stock up on veggies. Mexican chocolate ice cream for dessert if I remember to freeze the insert today…
Monday: Work calendar is packed; leftovers it is.
Tuesday: Potato soup with fried shallots on top
Wednesday/Thursday: TBD
Friday: Chana masala and rice

Hope you all have an enjoyable first week of June! Happy cooking!

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Hope you feel much better soon!

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Submitted grades! Now preparing for a busier-than-usual summer.

For two adults in San Diego:

This week’s breakfasts: Today, I made the oatmeal chocolate chip cake from SNACKING CAKES. I topped it with TJs almond butter granola.

S: (tonight) takeout pizza

Su: Italian chopped salad - salami, feta, tomato, chick peas, cucumber, croutons on romaine, garlic bread - salad

M: TJs chicken shawarma thighs, with cucumber/tomato/feta salad, hummus, and bread

T: Avocado toast topped with fried eggs, served with salad - vegetarian

W: Piroshky from freezer for dinner before outreach event

Th: TJs lobster ravioli with garlicky spinach and Boursin - seafood

F: Shawarma tacos - chicken, hummus, onions, peppers, hot sauce on flour tortillas.

Have a good week!

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Sunday’s chopped salad is calling my name! What dressing are you planning? I have lasagna from the freezer defrosting for my crowd but hot cheesy pasta isn’t working for me when it’s over 90

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Hello to everyone from the very warm and a bit muggy Twin Cities of MN where the forecasted pop up showers/storms are doing an excellent job of avoiding our parched lawn/weeds- when the creeping Charlie is looking sad you know you are in trouble! Getting ready for the transition into summer with school almost finished and GAH! I was hoping to be able to go back to work this summer but that’s not looking promising right now. . . Actuals and plans for 2 adults and an emerging 7th grader and 3rd grader (SOB!) Also need to save on food as must purchase new clothing for the growing beings Thankfully short shorts are “in”?

Fri 26: No school day. My parents visiting with their truck so lots of brush and stuff hauling. Both kiddos skated back to back. Red sauce from freezer with pasta, salad

Sat 27: My parents here. Caved to parent pressure and let them buy take out pizza-they like a local chain and my energy level was low. In exchange I gave them the costco sized sugar free metamucil. Also, my dad is awesome and loves painting so he finished up some detail work in Mr Autumm’s office.

Sun 28: Grilled lemongrass chicken- loosely based on the bahn mi cookbook recipe but I haven’t unpacked that yet so best memory with google supplementing. Lipton noodles and sauce packet and salad

Mon 29: Over to friends’ home where we haven’t all been together in over 4 years. The kids are all so big and my heart was soooo happy being together with old friends- Mr Autumm’s college friends- I’m the only non Ole in the bunch- she was diagnosed with breast cancer in winter 2020 so lockdown was very serious. Pot luck- I provided desserts (fudgy oatmeal bars and cheesecake cupcakes). Leftovers at home to top off the kiddo’s tanks after many laughs

Tues 30: Assorted leftovers to rescue containers and make room in fridge for groceries

Weds 31: Sautéed shrimp tacos with avocado and black beans. Not sure what happened but both girls were happy with this?

Thurs 1: Pulled pork sandwiches (meat from freezer) reheated with apricot preserves and ginger in attempt to replicate my friend’s meal from earlier this week. I loved it, Mr Autumm is silly and doesn’t care for ginger- or more likely it wasn’t straight up bbq pulled pork. Coleslaw and crudite

Fri 2: Both kiddos skated back to back. Had lasagna defrosting from freezer and I was just not feeling it. Quesadillas with guac, I had an improvised pulled pork wrap (I don’t care for quesadillas)

Sat 3: Grilled burgers, roasted broccoli on the grill. coleslaw, watermelon chunks

Sun 4: Mr Autumm has a meeting. Lasagna from the freezer in shifts for them, might do @dustchicks Italian chopped salad or variation for me. So not feeling warm cheesy pasta when it’s been 90+

Mon 5: not sure if we skate or not- summer schedule transition- grr- probably freezer dive with side of green beans

Tues 6: No commitments so far! Some halibut has been lingering in the freezer, baby potatoes. Zucchini fritters?

Take care everyone and enjoy new and old friends! Hugs to all!

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