Weekly Menu Planning - October 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 October. 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.

October in MN is the month of big swings, temperature-wise. This year is forecast to start with 80-degree summer-like heat. And a 1980’s Halloween blizzard with feet of snow is still in our collective memory. My continued pantry-clearing plan for the month goal is to use up the pasta collection with pasta salads the next few warm days, a soup or 2 weekly and stuffed shells later this month. I’m also looking forward to the first baked acorn squash of the season

The September 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 “like” 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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Since it’s almost October I’ll be the first to post!

Hello everyone from another lovely day in Ottawa. The weather continues to be unseasonably warm and sunny. It’s clouding over a bit right now but I hope the sun comes out at least part of the weekend since I would like to squeeze in some time for sitting in the park reading. I don’t have a balcony but there are lots of parks in Ottawa and I won’t be able to sit outside for much longer. Tomorrow is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which is a statutory holiday, and since it falls on the weekend we will get Monday off. The holiday is part of a call to action as a result of a Truth and Reconciliation commission. The calls to action are a chance for Canadians to reconcile with Indigenous Canadians. I was hoping to observe the day tomorrow by taking in some First Nations related activities that are cultural in nature but the best I could come up with is to visit the Canadian Galleries at the National Gallery of Canada. On to my menus for this week for a singleton in Ottawa, Canada:

Today: I managed to score some pork bone soup at one of the Korean grocery stores I shop at. Both places sell mostly grocery items but they have some prepared meals as well. I love pork bone soup but I’m not sure why it is so hard to find… The usual salad for dinner.

Saturday: Off to the gallery for the afternoon. Risotto for dinner.

Sunday: I am hoping to spend the afternoon in a park with my book, some lemonade, and a beach blanket. I will have a basa fillet poached in a homemade tomato sauce, green beans and corn on the cob on the side. I will be making Martha Stewart’s basic red sauce.

Monday: One of our movie theaters is showing a matinée of Oppenheimer so depending on the start time I may go see it. Apparently it’s three hours long so if it’s a later start time I may pass. Marinated kale salad for dinner.

Tuesday: Stir fried lo mein noodles with pork chop.

Wednesday: Pizza lunch at work to raise funds for our workplace charitable campaign. My colleagues were give three different choices of pizza and when asked which type they would like one person said “yes” and other picked something that wasn’t on the list. ~sigh~ Martini for dinner. Kale salad on the side.

Thursday: Pasta with tomato sauce with pearl onions and green beans and corn on the cob on the side.

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Hi, all! Cooking for 2 in Chattanooga, where it’s fall by night and summer by day…

Breakfast: Sticky buns from Silver Palate
Saturday, September 30: Fish with pepper and pumpkin seed salsa, maybe tortilla chips?
Sunday: St. Louis-style BBQ pork steaks, German potato salad, green beans, brownies
Monday: Pasta with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella
Tuesday: Pizza and trivia
Wednesday: Roasted squash salad with turmeric tahini from Family
Thursday: Spicy autumn veggie burgers from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
Friday: Dinner snacks and s’mores at a campfire concert at a local nature reserve

Have a good week, everyone! Happy cooking!

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Cooking for one at the Jersey Shore. My stomach is better this week and I’m trying to use up some stuff already on hand.

Friday: Skinnytaste’s Spinach Tortellini en Brodo https://www.skinnytaste.com/spinach-tortellini-en-brodo/ I’ve made this like 4 times in the past month. I’m seriously amazed at how tasty it is.
Saturday: Cook’s Illustrated Broccoli Cheese soup https://www.food.com/recipe/broccoli-cheese-soup-atk-487132
Sunday: shrimp ceviche with tortilla chips. It may be fall but I can pretend its summer.
Monday: baked ziti with leftover Carmine’s bolognese sauce from the freezer
Tuesday: Monday leftovers
Wednesday: shrimp scampi over linguine, sauteed zucchini
Thursday: homemade crab cakes with jalapeno mayo (from Pati’s Mexican Table), Gulf-style white rice (Bayless’ Mexican Everyday)

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This all sounds delicious!

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That legendary Halloween Blizzard was in 1991… sort of “the 1980’s”, right?

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This should be a slightly less busy week, for which I am grateful.

For two adults in San Diego:

Breakfasts: Hmm… I purchased TJs new frozen double chocolate croissants, so I’ll probably give those a try. For research, of course.

S: (tonight) takeout - green chile beef and bean burrito

Su: Creamy gnocchi soup with chicken and veggies - soup/salad

M: TJs lemon zest ravioli, garlicky spinach, crab, seasoned breadcrumbs. -seafood

T: Leftover chicken, gravy, stuffing, creamed spinach

W: French toast topped with berries, served with bacon

Th: Something inspired by https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024469-tomato-cheddar-toasts with salad - vegetarian

F: Carnitas tacos with guacamole, cheese, and salsa

Have a good week!

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Hi everyone,

I was away for five days last week, and now Lulu is away (debate event), so not as much cooking going on as usual. I had a wonderful time seeing family and friends. Here is what I did manage to cook:

9/18: za’atar chicken and fattoush, Nigella recipe. Long time family favorite, and still great.

9/19: toasts with garlicky spinach, havarti, fried egg, and crispy onions. I winged this, family was skeptical, and it was a big hit!

9/20: I left town, but had made a double batch of sausage potato cabbage soup, so family had that for dinner.

9/24: LLD welcomed me home with salmon, roast potatoes, and salad.

9/25: bagels with smoked salmon, etc.

9/26: pasta with cauliflower, garlic, anchovies, and chilies

9/27: chicken mushroom soup with dill and paprika

9/28: big salad with chickpeas, olives, and feta. LLD had hot dogs.

I’m off again this week but only for one night. Heading to DC for dental work with the new guy. He has worked on me before and was very kind, and my old dentist recommended him.

I love this time of year so much. Hope everyone has a wonderful week.

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Looking forward to your research results – is there such a thing as too much chocolate in a croissant?

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Howdy! I hit the half-century mark yesterday! We had a pretty low key weekend (at my request) - we tried to go apple picking, along with everyone else in the greater Boston area, so will try again next weekend. (I’m a little bummed that I have to wait to do some apple-based baking.)

Feeding two adults and a teen…

Sun: out - I picked a new restaurant with a reputation for being very GF-friendly, and it was, but it was LOUD (stupid football game) and the food was just okay. DH told our server it was my birthday so I got cake and a candle, but no singing - win-win!

Mon: sheet pan chicken fajitas

Tues: an early dinner of baked pasta mess using the leftover chicken parm meatballs from last week. We need to be at the middle school by 6:30 for an information session about the spring trip to the national parks of the southwest - DS is excited but there’s a lottery for spots, so odds are low.

Weds: stir-fried pork with ginger, rice, snow peas

Thurs: chili and cornbread

Fri: out with friends to celebrate birthdays (mine plus another friend’s whose is next week)

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Happy birthday!! Would you try the restaurant again on a non-football evening?

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Possibly. I liked the menu (especially the starters) so it’s probably worth another try, just not during a Patriots game!

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I swear, I could not taste the chocolate in the dough by itself, but these did somehow taste more chocolate-y than their chocolate croissants. They’re good!

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Back home, a few days of takeout and cobbling together stuff, but now I’ve taken inventory of the freezer (again - apparently I did this just a few months ago too) to plan a bit.

Not feeling my best, so pandering to favorite flavors and warm things even though it’s unseasonably warm outside.

On my tentative list for the coming week:

  • Wonton soup (using frozen shrimp and pork wontons from Chinatown)
  • Miso salmon (Nobu), sushi rice, garlic spinach
  • Mustard salmon with either khichdi or dal & rice plus roasted butternut squash or cauliflower
  • Garlic noodles with steak (cooked & frozen) & spinach or broccoli slaw
  • Viet lemongrass pork chop (marinated and frozen), broccoli slaw, rice or garlic noodles
  • Brandade or fish cakes or fish pie (attempt to use up a mystery piece of fish from the freezer)
  • Quiche (to use up what’s left of the broccoli or spinach I sauteed a few days ago so I’d have some veg to eat)
  • Steak (sous vided and frozen) and mashed cauliflower

Thinking about baking a small boule and a little cake to satisfy my sweet tooth as well.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

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Welcome back! Hope that means your mom is doing well.

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Greetings, People.

A small birthday celebration this week for my father who’s turning 96. I’ll bake his favorite apple pie, to be served with locally made vanilla ice cream. He says he doesn’t want gifts (outside of a bottle of hand-sanitizer, which he’ll get), but still I’ll wrap up some of his favorite chocolates and Turkish candies.

Otherwise, cooking for two adults in the PNW.

FRI: Hot wings on the charcoal grill. Veggie sticks. Ranch.

SAT: Taco soup to use up some leftovers. I’ll be winging it, but was inspired by a post to WMP by @MidwesternerTT

SUN: Cioppino. Croutons. (Rolled from last week.)

MON: Beef on the grill. Veg. All aspects TBD.

TUE: Project dinner: Ikea Swedish meatballs from scratch. Mashed potatoes. Cucumber-and-onion salad. Lingonberry jam.

WED: Lefotver 15 bean soup from the freezer. Irish soda bread.

THUR: Leftover Swedish meatballs, etc.

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Happy birthday to your dad!

Look forward to hearing how the ikea meatballs turn out - I love them, so I always buy a bag when I’m there, but it’s too far for that to be with any regularity! The potato-broccoli cakes are my other favorite, but they stopped selling those frozen a while ago.

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Thanks @GretchenS - she’s doing much better, but more importantly her confidence is coming back. It was hard to leave, but I’ll be back in a couple of months.

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I’ve made the Ikea meatballs (and cream sauce) a few times. We like them, and keep coming back. I’ve never tasted the ones from the store, so can’t vouch for how similar they are, but given the source of the recipe is Ikea, they must consider it an accurate replica.

My meatballs never come out nicely round, especially when they’re pan fried. Given they all end up in the same place, it doesn’t bother me too much if they come out a bit triangular in shape.

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Glad to hear that about your mom!

I am full of admiration at how intrepidly you approach that long trip. I have been dreading flying across the country twice in a month (Maine to LA for business in early November, then to Phoenix for Thanksgiving which I am probably going to skip, opting to stop over for a weekend in my way back from LA instead).

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