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 (brrrr) is the time for hearty stews and oven-baked casseroles for me. And prime time to appreciate the fresh batch of winter squash - acorn and butternut are at the top of my list of favorites. Are you hosting parties for watching sports? What are your favorite Halloween party food ideas?
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
Checking in from the Department of No News is Good News. Cooking for two adults in the PNW:
FRI: New England style fish chowder. I use an ancient Cook’s Illustrated recipe, but this one comes close. I’ll be using halibut this week, and my additions always include dry sherry, Worcestershire, tabasco, and (secret ingredient) dashi. Crackers or biscuits to go with.
SAT: Old school hard-shell tacos with meat and onions – I have some ground chicken and pork in the freezer to use up. Homemade taco seasoning.
SUN: An end to the outdoor grilling ban - yay! Steak on the grill. Leftover mac and cheese. Veg TBD.
MON: Wings on the grill. Crudites. Homemade ranch.
TUE: Pan-roasted top sirloin steaks. Roasted potatoes. Roasted carrots. Chimichurri over everything.
WED: A repeat of the salmon burgers (gift link). Convection-oven fries.
I am now settling in after nearly a week in Montreal. I came back to Ottawa on Sunday afternoon although I still had Monday off to get myself sorted. I did my laundry when I got home on Sunday then Monday was spent running errands and otherwise getting ready for the week ahead albeit short. I don’t have any actuals to report since I peered inside my fridge on Monday morning and placed the most perishable veggies near the front of the fridge and threw together lunches and dinners with what I had. It’s not my favourite way of doing things since my meals tend to be hastily thrown together and not as tasty or as varied as if I had planned in advance. I picked up my CSA yesterday and got a double order of vegetables since I missed last week so my fridge is bursting with produce. And I am working from a plan now so my meals this week will be much more enjoyable so this is my meal plan for this week:
Today: Chicken pesto pasta from the nearby deli. I lived dangerously and bought an Italian soda to have with it since their sodas seem to be popular so I thought I’d try the lemon flavoured one and it is quite tasty. It’s basically lemonade with bubbles but thoroughly enjoyable. Dinner tonight will be a romaine salad with roasted peppers and tomatoes and toasted walnuts and black olives if I remember to put them in. My fridge is full so things can get lost in there…
Saturday: I will be staying at home today to work on a cleaning project so I plan on having a very small serving of beef ribs that have been languishing in the freezer for ages. I am getting tired of looking at them so time to face the music. I am planning on making them tonight if I’m not too tired. If I am, then I may get take-out.
Sunday: Grocery shopping for missing ingredients for dishes this week. Salmon salad with tomatoes, peppers and mint will be on the menu for dinner tonight.
Monday: It’s a statutory holiday in Canada today for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. I will probably stay at home to get some much needed rest. I will have fried cabbage and noodles for dinner.
Hi, all! Cooking for 2 in Chattanooga, where we seem to have dodged the worst of Hélène so far, knock wood. I hope those of you in its path are OK, especially thinking about LLM.
Plans for the coming week:
Breakfast: Granola scones
Saturday, September 28: Dal with butternut squash from Simple (Diana Henry)
Sunday: Volunteering at Ironman all day; I hope to fix a rice bowl for my mid-day break so I won’t subsist entirely on mediocre pizza…
Monday: Pasta with mushrooms and pancetta; tomato/avocado salad
Tuesday: Scrounge
Wednesday: Smoked salmon frittata, broccoli salad
Thursday/Friday: TBD
Hope everyone has a good weekend. Happy cooking!
Thanks for thinking of me! Chapel Hill did get hit, but nowhere near as bad as the western part of the state. There was a tornado warning this morning. I am visiting Lulu for Parents Weekend (and boy, was I sweating worrying about whether the flight would get out this morning!). A few of my friends lost power for a few hours. What a storm.
I’m glad you got out to Lulu’s parents weekend today! My mom in Raleigh east of Chapel Hill said this afternoon they had not seen much of anything, while my sister in Asheville in western NC is under watch for flooding.
This seems to be one that hit the western parts of eastern coastal states and the eastern parts of further western SE states harder, if that makes sense. Mbcrawd, I think you are in south eastern Tennessee, and I hope your area is OK. This looks like one scary storm.
Hoping you enjoy Parents Weekend, LLM! Please report back on any food findings.
Yes, Christina, how are you and Asheville? From what I can find on the web, power and cell phone outages, low water pressure, and probably no internet. I hope you are your family are safe!
There was an extremely devastating flood in the Asheville area in July 1916, caused by two back-to-back hurricanes. Now again. It sounds really bad and there’s no cell phone or internet or power with many people missing and many water plants closed. Hoping for Christina and her neighbors…and my 70 year old sister, who lives 15 miles from Asheville.
Hi, friends. Feeding 3 in the Boston burbs, at least for part of the week.
Sun: out to dinner [see Tues]
Mon: I have some buttermilk to use up, and DS has been craving fried chicken - but I hate frying (plus our cleaners come tomorrow morning…) so it will be oven-fried. Cheddar biscuits on the side. Apple-fennel salad (I think it’s an Epicurious recipe?), or peas for Mr. I don’t eat salad.
Tues: I’m turning 30! I’m also turning 21! hence, the Sunday night out to dinner. Actual birthday dinner will be steak tips, baked potatoes, and garlic spinach.
Weds: I have a 6pm meeting (Australia…) so DH has been informed that he is on kitchen duty: old school tacos and refried beans.
Thurs: pasta with meat sauce - using up the bolognese from last week + extra diced tomatoes added from… something else I made last week but don’t remember now, but I had to open a big can since I didn’t have a small can. So, tomato-y bolognese.
Fri: we have an evening flight to Columbus, OH - guys are going to the football game on Saturday, I’m spending the day with my SIL and her 6-month-old grandson. Food is all tbd.
Cooking for one and trying to use up what’s in the freezer.
Sun: merguez, mashed potatoes, roasted tomatoes, peas
Mon: chicken green bean curry situation over rice
Tues: mini shepherds pie using lamb qeema with kale and leftover mashed potato (inspired by @jammy keema cottage pie awhile back)
Wed: beef and broccoli stir fry over rice
Thurs: sizzling steak fried rice, using some of the velveted beef and leftover rice from the night before
Fri: tbd, maybe fish
ETA @ChristinaM sure hope you are OK, I know you said you live on a hill but still worried. If you are OK I know you are out helping those less fortunate.
Hi everyone! Not much to report this week. LLD flew off to the Canary Islands on Tuesday for a week of biking, then I spent the weekend with Lulu for parents weekend. In the midst of that I had a day of feeling crummy, and a day where nothing went to plan. It’s been a mixed bag! But it was fantastic seeing Lulu and meeting some of her new friends, and we had a fun trip to King Arthur Flour, where we decided we should take a class together (whether she joins me or not, I will definitely do it!). LLD gets back late this coming Wednesday. My solo beanapalooza has been a little sad for various reasons. He may be force fed delicious bean meals over the next month to make up for it.
Mon: last meal before LLD’s trip, made brown butter scallops with parsley and lemon (Dinner in French), with salad and rolls. I overcooked the scallops a bit, but it was still absolutely delicious.
Tues: smoky white beans and cauliflower with aioli (I dream of dinner). So good!
Wed: this day all my plans went upside down. I had planned to take myself out for sushi but decided to go with cheesy black beans (NYT) but something was off about it this time. I feel like maybe the salsa verde had gone bad.
Thurs: woke up nauseous (last night’s dinner? A bug?), canceled plans and stayed home, pasta with butter to calm my stomach.
Fri: flew to see Lulu! Took her and her roommate out for dinner
Sat: more Lulu. Woohoo!
Sun: flew home. No energy. Scrounged for dinner. I am determined that the next two solo dinners will be fun!
Sounds like a wonderful visit with Lulu! That King Arthur store in Norwich, Vermont, is fantastic, and there is a large farmers market nearby. King Arthur is going to do pop-up stores in Boston and Fairfax, VA, and I’m really looking forward to shopping closer to home.
The store was so much fun. And I popped my head into one of the classrooms and told some of the students how jealous I was. Beautiful spot, and amazing looking pastries for sale. We had a lunch date so we didn’t get anything. Better planning next time!
hence, the Sunday night out to dinner. Actual birthday dinner will be steak tips, baked potatoes, and garlic spinach.
