Weekly Menu Planning - September 2022

Adjusting Fri onwards for my Chinatown shopping spree:

Fri - Braised pork belly bao / lotus buns + sautéed snow pea leaves

Sat - Out, or chow fun with roast pork and king oyster mushrooms, and baby bok choy

Sun - BBQ ribs with egg and scallion fried rice, snow pea leaves, and bok choy

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Hi, all! Cooking for 2 in Chattanooga, where the desire to cook still doesn’t fully match the energy level, though I got through most of last week’s plans…Let’s see how far I get with this one:

Breakfast: Pumpkin oatmeal: there’s a tiny chill in the air, after all!
Saturday, September 10: Snacky dinner, with pan-fried halloumi, green beans, and some kind of fun flatbread
Sunday: Cheesy chicken and broccoli bake from Cook’s Country; pear crumble
Monday: Pasta with sausage cream sauce and peas
Tuesday: Scrounge/takeout
Wednesday: Spicy lentil stew, a recipe clipped from Sunset back in the 90s
Thursday: TBD
Friday: Also TBD. If we’re feeling better, maybe we’ll go out and celebrate our short-lived immunity?

Hope back to school has gone well for you to whom that applies. Have a good week, and happy cooking!

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That pumpkin oatmeal looks great, but the draining of the pumpkin is off-putting to me (one more dirty dish, etc.). Do you think it’s a necessary step?

What I ended up doing, because I was using frozen pumpkin that didn’t thaw in the fridge overnight, was cooking down the pumpkin in a saucepan and then mixing everything together in the pan–you can melt the butter and toast the spices with the pumpkin. I added some dried cranberries. I have a diminished sense of taste right now, but I think it’s good :slight_smile:

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Cooking for one at the Jersey Shore.

Saturday: crab cakes with jalapeno aioli https://patijinich.com/crab-cakes-with-jalapeno-aioli-2/ , leftover steamed corn/baby carrots/asparagus
Sunday: spaghetti and meatball soup https://www.skinnytaste.com/meatball-and-spaghetti-soup-5-ww-pts/
Monday: chicken milanese, brown rice, steamed broccoli
Tuesday: leftover spaghetti and meatball soup
Wednesday: leftover chicken milanese, brown rice, steamed broccoli
Thursday: skirt steak with jalapeno butter, cauliflower rice, Moroccan carrots https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/katie-lee/moroccan-carrots-3416044
Friday: homemade pan pizza

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I’m glad you are feeling better enough to cook…sounds like you are cooking a lot! May you and and your husband get back to full health soon.

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

Sun: chicken pot pie with cornmeal biscuits (NYT)

Mon: copycat PF Chang’s spicy chicken (originally from Epicurious, link broken though) because I have pineapple juice left from last week. Rice, steamed broccoli.

Tues: pilgrim meatloaf (Rachael Ray), cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes

Weds: IP spaghetti and meatballs (Melissa Clark), salad

Thurs: tilapia (cooking method tbd - probably something simple in parchment?), and orzo with spinach and feta (NYT)

Fri: we’re back to dinnertime soccer practices, so probably pizza…

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Week looks great, especially those crabcakes!

Do you have a recipe you like for pan pizza?

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I know you weren’t asking me :laughing: but I like these Serious Eats recipes, http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/01/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe.html (more Chicago-style) and http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/07/basic-square-pan-pizza-dough-recipe-sicilian-recipe.html (sheet pan)

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I’ve never made the SE Square Pan version, but that Foolproof version I’ve been making for over a decade. It truly is a never-fail, fool-proof recipe for a relatively fast and tasty pizza.

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I have about 8 different pizza doughs/styles that I rotate between… never too many!

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Or pans. I was ogling some of the Lloyds pans today. I have the 10"x14" Detroit pan. The 8"x10" in that same style is calling to me, as is the 14"x14" Grandma style.

:neutral_face:

I need a bigger house.

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I still think San Diegans should get a break on housing costs for weather like this.

For two adults in San Diego:

This week’s breakfasts: May just make TJs frozen chocolate croissants, so I can bake them in the morning when the temp is cooler, but I’m not awake enough to actually make anything. :joy:

S: takeout - Empanadas. My husband and I got the new bivalent Covid boosters on Friday. I chose a grocery store pharmacy (10% off coupon on groceries for getting vaxxed!) near a good bakery and a place to get empanadas. Loaded up for the weekend in case we had side effects. We did not have any (haven’t reacted to any of the Covid jabs, honestly), but we ate well!

Su (tonight): Sausage gravy over cheddar scallion scones from the aforementioned bakery, watermelon on the side.

M: Finishing the empanadas.

T: TJs Cacio e pepe gnocchi with Caesar salad - vegetarian

W: Beef and veggie stirfry with noodles

Th: Crab cakes (purchased) with veggie curry - seafood

F: Dinner out with the man, at a place with a lovely patio.

Have a good week!

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Was it you who’s already using the under-the-bed storage space for large specialty baking pans, like Bundt cake pans? We had pet cats for so many years that I’d discarded the idea of “under furniture” storage, but now looking around my house is “bigger”.

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Ha ha - yes! That was me. Last year my husband built himself a new shed, and moved his tools from the garage. I inherited his old space, and have since moved my oversized cooking gear out to nicely arranged shelves in the garage (in closed totes). I could probably squeeze in the pizza pans if I decide I must have them. If all else fails, there is a free spot under the bed!

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Actuals for Sep 5 week, cooking for 2 in MN. Where the early Fall menu is highly dependent on the weather forecasts. On some days cold nights/ mornings have us turning on the furnace for a couple of hours (and baking/roasting before lunchtime), and on others hot afternoons require AC (skillet meals, salads). The 7 AM- 7 PM noise & dust from construction on the corner still have us keeping windows closed during the daylight hours.

“My” apple orchard announced they had our family-favorite Ginger Golds harvested, so we took a drive there Saturday to stock up. A stroll through the trees, then relaxed “just be” time in their Adirondack chairs, snacking on an apple turnover while watching the free-range chickens.

Mon: (made Sunday) Pork loin roast w/ Greek seasoning, lemon olive oil & red wine vinegar. “Greek” potatoes – cubed baked in chicken broth/lemon juice/garlic/oregano.
BAKED – Jam Swirl cake from Snacking cakes – Plum jam, cardamom, lemon zest
Tues: Reheat - Pork loin roast “Greek” potatoes, coleslaw, garden cherry tomatoes, fresh peach
Wed: noon - Shrimp & lemon noodles w bacon & pine nuts, peas.
Wed: dinner (Schwans) breaded cod fish strips, deli potato salad, cherry tomatoes. Fresh orange slices, red grapes
Thurs: Pizza (new-to-us and great Drafthaus “9-Ball Special”) and fancy bag salad
Fri: Reheat pizza, salad
Sat: 4 Bean & hamburger hotdish (from freezer - a July gift to future me), whole wheat bread (from orchard), fresh orange slices, bakery marble cake
Sun: Shredded rotisserie chicken (from freezer) over leftover lemony noodles. Salad. Coleslaw. Tomatoes.

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I actually just use a sheet pan - 10x17, I think? - with an edge.

Hi everyone!

Hope there was some rest and some pleasure over the weekend. We have transitioned to cool evenings, which has changed up the food choices in addition to wardrobe!

I’m in a weird mood at the moment where I don’t have much cooking mojo when it comes time to cook, but I’m still shopping for ingredients with excitement.

Had a HO group dinner in Chinatown last week, so I took advantage of the location and bought a few things I can’t get closer to home. Also picked up some bbq meats and prepared foods that I ate my way through, and so now I’m off Chinese food with ingredients left to cook, lol.

Anyway, will try and mix it up a bit and see if I can get my mojo back.

Sat - Too much Chinese food since Thursday, so I went to the store to pick up artichoke hearts and cheese to pivot to italian for dinner — COTM Crisp and Creamy Artichokes + COTM Capellini with Anchovies and Chard (except Gai Lan for the Chard) + Snow pea leaf salad with lemon and parmesan.

Sun - What was intended to be a big warm salad of roasted butternut squash, onions, arugula, and more that I decided to turn into pasta – made a riff of the COTM anchovy pasta and tossed with all the roasted vegetables and arugula, topped with lots of grated pecorino and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds for crunch.

Mon - Out with a friend I had not seen in way too long for Basque food. I was very excited about the restaurant, but the meal was disappointing. And I had a slight allergic reaction, so boo.

Tues - Plan was for COTM Fish Stick [Breaded Fillet] Bhorta but I’m going to skip seafood given the the allergic reaction. Maybe a grilled cheese, since I bought a loaf of bread after what seems like a few years.

Wed - Last minute trip to Boston for an event. Dinner will be whatever nondescript food is served there.

Thurs - Will get back late, so probably something dialed in again, like a sandwich.

Fri - Conference all day, doubt I’ll be in the mood to cook after. Maybe out with friends who are just back from their long summer trip.

Sat - I’m sure I’ll be ready for Chinese or similar again, lol. Chow fun (or maybe Pad See Eew) with some of the vegetables I bought in Chinatown. I found fresh rice noodles and I’m curious to see how they do (because these are packaged - the ones I wanted are sold fresh by the lb, but the store had closed).

Sun - Running out of ideas… Maybe Hoppin John – I have cooked black-eyed peas in the freezer. Or something else — roast chicken has been on mind, and I have a stockpile of pieces in the freezer. Side of arugula salad, if the arugula lasts until then, otherwise I’ll pick up some vegetables.

Have a great week!

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Your Sunday plan for the salad with roasted butternut squash and arugula sounds like my tweak to SK’s squash and farro salad, https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/10/butternut-squash-salad-with-farro-and-pepitas/ - I add arugula (and some extra sherry vinegar) to each serving. This is an easy weekday lunch.

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The last time I made a similar combination I apparently didn’t have greens, so I sautéed shredded Brussels sprouts and used those as the base — I liked the mustardy bite and flavor contrast with the sweetness of the squash a lot. I think I used some pom molasses to pull everything together. Will have to redo soon.

ETA: Found it!

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