Weekly Menu Planning - May 2024

Cooking Discussions Cooking, Cookbooks, Ingredients
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Happy Monday all! We have a moderate week, temperature wise, on deck. Cooking for two in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Summer semester hasn’t started yet so Matthew has a bit of a break from work until then. Counting down til our upcoming time off together.

Monday 05/13 (today)- Quesabirria Tacos, sides are undecided. Corn? Rice? Black beans? None? Who knows…

Tuesday 05/14- Smoked knockwurst with sauerkraut on potato buns. Tator tots on the side.

Wednesday 05/15- Best friend dinner night. Bestie is about halfway through her second trimester and has been dealing with stomach issues her whole pregnancy so we will leave this night open and then decide based on how she is feeling that day.

Thursday 05/16- Breakfast for dinner; pancakes, sausage, some kind of fruit

Friday 05/17- We have chicken thighs in the freezer so I’m thinking about doing something with those. I made fried chicken a few weeks ago and found a recipe for adobo fried chicken so I may try that out. If so, I will serve with rice and some kind of green (probably bok choy).

I hope all the people who mother those around them were celebrated over the weekend by those you care for. Whether it is biological or bonus or fur children, friends, siblings, niblings, or anyone else; they are lucky to have your love and care.

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Still barely planning but revisiting some recipes and making sandwiches on Aldi Ciabatta rolls. We have had meatball sandwiches with meatballs from Christmas eve and shaved steak sandwiches using a recipe I found here several years ago. It involves cream of mushroom soup and powdered gravy mix and is much better than it sounds. I revived my standard stuffed zucchini and promptly burned it but my dh actually like slightly burned food.
We also ate alot of bagged salads and I made corn fritters for a vegetable side
Here is my meatless dish of the week

Not very successful link sorry
Hungry Onion doesnt let me use my IPAD but does like my primitive Kindle Fire which also has a tiny keyboard.

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Hi everyone!

Fell off a bit with meals out and travel. Had a very successful weekend of eats (plus wonderful friends & family time) in the Boston area.

Back to trying to plan better, not only so I eat more intentionally and healthfully, but also so my fridge doesn’t look like a train wreck :joy:

Trying to jog my memory about things I had previously planned or prepped or frozen so I can use them up.

I was inspired last week to try some new Turkish recipes for Turkish Cusine-OTQ, some of which ended up in the freezer before my trip, so I’ll eat my way through them soon.

-– Izmir Kofte (using ground turkey) inspired by a neighborhood restaurant version + rice + green veg tbd (maybe more Fasulye). Used this recipe for inspiration.

— Shortcut Gozleme with spinach & feta, using extra filling and handmade tortillas from last week. Like a giant spanakopita! But with more filling.

-– Curry Chicken Noodle Soup in quest of something intensely flavored like the Teochow version
I ate recently. I sprouted roots on my lemongrass since I bought it for this :flushed:

— Bengali Mustard Salmon + Spinach Dal + chapatis & rice

-– Viet Garlic Umami Noodles with mixed mushrooms (king oyster, shiitake, and black) + Sichuan-style stir-fried Chinese cauliflower

— Simple Chicken Curry + tbd veg (leftover cauliflower or turkish green beans) + chapatis & rice

-– Miso black cod that I marinated and froze a while back + tbd salad or green veg + rice

— Thai Larb using ground turkey + tbd salad or green veg + rice

— Shortcut Eriste (Turkish pasta) with spiced lamb (turkey) and garlic yogurt + tbd salad or green veg. Similar to this recipe but the version I like at a place near me doesn’t use tomato.

— Scallop Brown Butter Nigiri (copycat for a restaurant sushi dish I’m sort of obsessed with at the moment) + tbd veg.

Hope everyone’s having a good week!

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Those gozleme look amazing.

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They were tasty and so easy bec of the cheat of using fresh tortillas!

I sautéed down a bag of frozen spinach with onion, garlic, turkish chilli flakes, and nutmeg, plus s&p. I mixed in feta separately for each portion, but if you’re making several, you can add it to the whole lot. (You can mix in some melty cheese too, if you like.)

First time I tried to seal them, second time I just made them like a quesadilla. Less fussy and tastes the same.

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I need to do this. Lulu loves spanikopita (who doesn’t??) and quesadillas (ditto), so this seems like a slam dunk. LLD might take some convincing, but he’s currently out of town.

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Next time I would make up the whole batch and freeze them in halves. They have made for an easy lunch or snack. I had half for breakfast today.

Mind the salt in the spinach — the feta is always even saltier than I anticipate!

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Good tip, thank you!

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Reporting on the caprese chicken pasta: we liked but it needed some adjustments… (1) poaching the chicken was unnecessarily fiddly, next time I’d roast it or use a rotisserie chicken, (2) it was unclear about whether it was a hot pasta dish or a warm/cold pasta salad - we decided it needed to be hot, and (3) the ratio of oil and vinegar seemed off, next time I’d use equal parts. Also, I used a full 16oz of mozzarella and that was too much - this is a rare occasion when too much cheese is not a good thing!

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Thank for the adjustments.

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Greetings, People.

Last week’s meal plan went off course when we made a camping trip with our trailer to the coast. Mostly an annual event, we thoroughly are enjoying the change in routine and scenery. Walks on the beach and/or National Forest by day, staring into a campfire by night - the prep for meals and snacks was all done in advance. Very relaxing. Back home tomorrow, it’s back to work in the garden: thinning fruit (still), transplanting planting corn and beans, winding down the spinach and asparagus, and checking items off our urgent chore list to make room for the anticipated, two-pronged explosion of strawberries and peas in June.

Cooking for two adults in the PNW.

FRI: Beef on the grill. Asparagus. Creamed spinach (if I have the energy after the drive home).

SAT: Carnitas from the freezer. Pico de gallo. Refries. Tortillas.

SUN: Camerones Zarandeados on the grill. Inspired by a post on the WFD thread (can’t remember who posted – sorry!), I found a recipe from Milkstreet. Will serve with tortillas, and a Mexican-inspired Caesar salad from previous COTM AMA.

MON: Burgers on the grill. Convection-oven fries.

TUE: Melissa Clark’s asparagus strata (with thanks to @lulusmom1 for the reference). I don’t have the book (Dinner in One) but found the recipe on Reddit.

WED: Spinach quiche. Salad greens.

THUR: Chicken and asparagus stir-fry with lemons. Rice.

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Hope the strata works out for you. I went heavy on the cheese and pesto.

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Today is Friday, so it will be fish tonight. Probably Faroe Island Salmon.
Charros (beans), cream of asparagus soup soup.

Saturday
Steak

Sunday, well, it’s Victoria Day weekend, the May Long Weekend in Canada.

Usually, I do pork ribs for Victoria Day or Canada Day, since we aren’t a burger/ hot dog for dinner family.

I might attempt a Victoria Sponge! (Cake)

This was my first Victoria Sponge, Victoria Day Weekend 2021!

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Monday, not sure yet.

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Hello friends. It is now Victoria Day weekend in Ottawa and although the weather has been dreary, it has finally warmed up so I have been going for nice long walks during my lunch hours this week . This weekend also coincides with the last weekend of our Tulip Festival. Canada hosted the Dutch Royal Family during the Second World War so when the war ended they gifted us tulips. The City of Ottawa began hosting a tulip festival in the early 70s and has been hosting it ever since. The biggest draw is seeing the tulip beds at Commissioners Park, about a 20 minute drive southwest of downtown. There are other spots to see the tulips in Ottawa so at some point this weekend I may stroll up to Major’s Hill Park behind the Parliament Buildings to take a look at the tulips there. Apart from the tulips, I may just stay close to home this weekend. My apartment needs a good vacuuming so I may do that tomorrow in addition to some random chores around the house. I don’t have any plans for Sunday or Monday at the moment but sometimes the best plans are to have none. It leaves some wiggle room to do something spontaneous! Onto my menus for this week:

Today: Take out lunch is pork bone soup. The Korean grocery store I go to had some out today so my decision was made the minute I saw it. I love that soup but they don’t have it out very often. I suppose I should learn how to make it. Dinner tonight will be some sliced deli chicken and salad using the spring mix I got in my CSA yesterday.

Saturday: Basa fillet en papillotte using the asparagus from my CSA and a few grocery store cherry tomatoes I have left in the fridge.

Sunday: salmon teriyaki.

Monday: Rice pilaf.

Tuesday: Chicken salad with some snow peas I have left in the fridge, some bean sprouts that I will pick up on the way home from work and I will garnish it with some sesame seeds.

Wednesday: Rice noodle salad with shrimp and asparagus.

Thursday: One of my colleagues is expecting her second child. Just as her son is reaching toddlerhood, she said “This is fun!” and is now expecting her second baby. Mat leave starts soon so we will be having a potluck baby shower for her. I will be taking an artichoke salad.

Have a nice weekend whatever you do!

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Hi, all! Cooking for 2 in Chattanooga.

Breakfast: Blueberry coffee cake
Saturday, May 18: Mushroom lasagna, wedge salad, strawberry semifreddo
Sunday: Working Ironman in the afternoon but hope to prep steak and potato pies to have when it’s over.
Monday: It’s a French holiday (I still work for a company based in France), so a light workday with time to make chicken and rice
Tuesday: The salt-oil rice dish I didn’t make this week (made Korean vegetable pancakes instead)
Wednesday-Friday: Lots of running around. Scrounge/out.
Hope all our Canadian friends have a lovely Victoria weekend! Happy cooking!

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I love creamed spinach.

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Nice you see you!

Me too (#lovecreamedspinach).

We have a plethora of spinach right now - peak season. It will be over in week or so.

I didn’t have the energy to deal with it tonight, but have to decide tomorrow what to do with it. Choices include sauteing and freezing, creaming and eating slowly over the next few days, or making a creamed soup for the freezer. I’m leaning towards #2 (creamed and consuming slowly over the week), 'cuz that’s what’s most delicious. A spinach quiche also is in the works this week.

:woman_farmer:

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Actuals for May 13 week, cooking for 2 in MN. Where 3 days of meetings and 3 days of flower-container planting left little time for recreational reading.

Mon - Baked orzo w zucchini, pesto (and added chicken) casserole Lettuce salad, red grapes
Tues: After a half day meeting followed by shopping the garden club’s plant sale - Skillet Chicken /strawberry mix over spinach, Kings Hawaiian roll.
Wed: After planting containers - Salmon, Yukon potatoes, (commercial) spinach souffle, sliced tomatoes, strawberries & fresh pears
Thurs: After planting containers - reheat Orzo casserole w added chicken, more cheese. Kings Hawaiian rolls, strawberries w cake & ice cream
Fri: all day meeting, and dinner for me (OUT), husband Orzo casserole
Sat: after half day meeting - (commercial)Chicken egg rolls, fried rice (brown rice, mixed veg, frozen pepper/onions mix, egg, 5 spice, soy sauce). Sliced mangos, fresh pears.
Sun: (today) Pork Tenderloin roast, Mexican Rice-mix side dish with bell peppers, corn, tomatoes and chili-lime-cumin dressing. Recipe from my friend, in comment below.

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Mexican Mixed-Rice or Quinoa salad
6 servings
Grain – quinoa or rice blend
3/4 cup uncooked / 1 1/2 C cooked - quinoa or rice/rice blend – white/wild rice blend or brown rice

Vegetables
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn – or fresh – cooked slightly per pkg directions for us
1 small (1/2 cup) red onion, chopped (or chopped chives)
1 small (1/2 cup) red bell pepper, chopped (or chopped tomato) – Great w/ either
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained, rinsed
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic

Dressing
1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves or 1 T. dried for us
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup lime juice
½ to 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt, if desired –shaker twice around top of cooked rice blend made w/o salt in water.
Pepper, if desired
Cilantro leaves, if desired - I omit

Prepare grains according to package directions.
Place all dressing ingredients in small bowl; beat with whisk to combine.
Combine cooked grain, vegetables and dressing in large serving bowl, toss lightly. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to blend flavors.
(optional) Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, if desired.

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We have had a pretty crazy and not all that wonderful week. High point was Lulu winning the Spanish award at her school’s senior awards. There were a few low points, one of which was cutting my finger on a can while opening beans for a dinner (good old beanapalooza let me down for a minute) and having to get a tetanus shot. On top of all that, it has rained for most of the week. LLD will be home Wednesday evening, and I will be extremely happy to see him. Here is what we ate:

Sun: Lulu made dinner! Starter was cut up celery with goat cheese, orange, and a drizzle of balsamic. Then pasta with artichokes and capers. A delicious meal!

Mon: beanapalooza starts! Black bean tacos with feta and shredded cabbage.

Tues: a school event (there are gazillion of these last minute things - I don’t remember it being like this in my day), we ate at that.

Wed: cut my finger, we ordered pizza

Thur: smoky beans and cauliflower with aioli

Fri: cleaned out the fridge’s leftovers

Sat: sushi feast out

Sun: making chili. Perfect on another dreary day.

Hope the sun is shining where you are, both literally and metaphorically, and that you have a wonderful week!

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