Weekly Menu Planning - September 2022

That makes me think of this salad, which combines roasted winter squash and Brussels sprouts with a sumac-and-lemon-heavy dressing and fresh herbs. I upped the ratio of sprouts and added roasted chickpeas. The flavors really work well, and the dressing and herbs really make it.

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Greetings, People.

Another dishwasher bites the dust. We have the worst luck with them. Unsure if that’s a because it’s the hardest working appliance in our house, or just luck of the draw, but we’re on our fourth or fifth version in three decades. In any case, the Dishwasher In Chief (DH) is hand-washing until the 27th, and I’m trying to do my bit, minimizing the quantity of measuring cups, teaspoons and whisks utilized (exceptions made for gazpacho). It doesn’t help that we’ve had a burn-ban put into effect which also applies to barbeques (i.e. our kamado), and outdoor grilling is not an option.

On another note, still trying to work down freezer inventory, and this week’s menu is meat-centric.

Cooking for two in the PNW:

FRI: Grace Young’s stir-fried eggs with shrimp and peas. Steamed rice.

SAT: Tsukune chicken and pork meatballs (rolled from last week). Marinated cucumbers. Steamed rice.

SUN: Hamburger soup with garden veg.

MON: Pan-roasted pork chops. Potatoes, homemade applesauce and fresh peas.

TUE: Scallion roast chicken, cooked on top of potato wedges. Chopped veggie salad.

WED: Lamb-zucchini meatballs. Greek salad. Last of the pita from the freezer. Tzatziki.

THUR: Leftover chicken (details TBD).

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Was this good? The recipe sounds delicious.

Silver lining! Also - ours is still going strong after an infection in early May (only know this because of multiple accidental, prolonged exposures with family member suffering “allergies” :roll_eyes:). We are all vaxxed and two of us are boosted.

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Oh, yes - very tasty. I’ve made it several times before. I got the recipe from a fellow poster in the WMP group on CH/HO, just not quite sure from whom.

I love the cinnamon-orange quality to it. Leftovers (if any!) make great tacos.

Serious Eats also did a take on it.

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It’s good. It’s very, very good.

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Our dishwasher died at the beginning of this year, we’re on our 3rd since 1991 and the first one was a cheapo. The first one was replaced in 2008. We had to wait about 5 months for a new one. We really like it - a Kitchen Aid. If you haven’t thought about this, we used our dead dishwasher as a dish rack for our washed dishes/utensils and pans so we kept our counter free of clutter from hand washing them. We have a very tight but efficient galley kitchen.

In the same time frame, our washing machine in a Maytag stacked unit started showing signs of disability. It was several months to get a new stacked replacement. I had nightmares of having to go to a laundromat. I can live without a dishwasher, but not a washing machine. The LP appliance we got is a dream. We didn’t shop around, it’s what our local appliance store could provide - we live so remotely we value service over price and they have a great reputation. Hope you get another dishwasher soon!

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I so feel you on the loss of your dishwasher! In our 17+ years of marriage we are on dishwasher #5 with #6 on order while we are in a temporary apartment during our reno. #5 is hanging out in the garage in case it’s replacement/ upgrade isn’t available on time. And I grew up without a dishwasher so I know the pain but I get very efficient about cooking when my clean up help is broken

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We also have a kitchen aid d/w and really like it. We’ve had it for over 18 years. We’ve had to have the guy come out and replace parts twice (and LLD did so once himself during the pandemic) but it’s still going strong.

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It’s hard to believe it’s the middle of September already. The leaves are just starting to change where I live and the temperature dipped a bit earlier this week so I now have to wear a jacket when I go out. It’s now in the mid to high teens celsius (low to mid 60s farenheit). I went to my first film society screening last night which was very exciting! Both the pre-movie dinner (Reuben sandwich) and movie (Lost Illusions) were very good.

This weekend is shaping up to be a quiet one since I will be doing a fridge and freezer cleanout tomorrow and I plan on spending some quality time with a book on Sunday afternoon. I’ve got a dinner out with a friend pencilled in for tomorrow night and I’m hoping she can make it since we haven’t seen each other in a couple of months. Onto my menu plan for the upcoming week for a solo diner in Ottawa, Canada:

Tonight: take out lunch today is Korean fried chicken so I will have a Greek salad for dinner.

Saturday: potential dinner out with a friend, otherwise a stir fry.

Sunday: Thai green curry with a bassa fillet as the fish component. https://kaynutrition.com/thai-cod-green-curry/

Monday: Peanut butter noodles with cucumbers. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/peanut-butter-noodles-with-cucumbers

Tuesday: chicken gyro salad. https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/05/chicken-gyro-salad/

Wednesday: Hot sesame noodles with scallions and pork. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/hot-sesame-noodles-with-scallions-and-pork

Thursday: the second of two screenings with the film society this month so I will have dinner out before.

Have a nice week everyone!

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Hi, all! Cooking for 2-3 in Chattanooga, where we just got back from a fun afternoon food tour: tacos and fried food and charcuterie and cocktails at 3 pm (alcohol free for me, the driver). Getting the silver lining from catching Covid for sure! Plans for the rest of the week, which involve lots of grilling because the weather is gorgeous:
Breakfast: Dark chocolate chunk muffins (using dried cherries because no sour cherries available)
Saturday, September 17: Green chili chorizo burgers from Cook’s Country; salad
Sunday: Chicken tikka masala; rice; green bean salad; brownies/brownie sundaes
Monday: Lamb burgers in pita from a very old issue of Bon Appétit. Maybe make pita from scratch on Sunday?
Tuesday: Scrounge
Wednesday: Sister arrives to do an IronMan relay with two old family friends. I’m thinking sweet potato and chickpea falafel with more of the pita I might make on Sunday. I’m going to have to think of a veggie, too, I guess…
Thursday: Zucchini pizza; maybe a salad. I’ll have to consult with my sister about what these triathletes want to eat.
Friday: Another food tour with the whole gang; three athletes and three supporters :wink:
Hope you’re all enjoying these first traces of fall! Have a great week, and happy cooking!

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The sweet potato and chickpea falafel sounds brilliant! Please do report back if you make them, as to how they turned out. Did they firm up and cook properly or did they tend to fall apart?
All the best to your sister for her triathlon! As a very nonathletic person, I admire people who can.

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I use Kenji’s recipe on Serious Eats. I find that I have to finish it on the stove to get the bottom of the crust brown enough for my liking but that is probably because this apartment has builder’s grade appliances.

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Hi Everyone,

I ended up getting LLD’s covid. Basically a cold with heavy fatigue. Lulu managed to stay healthy. We’re all well now. We did 2 weeks of carryout, and boy, was I happy to eat my own cooking again at the end of it! Here’s what I’ve made since recovering:

9/9: my take on tiktok pasta, i use boursin, add a little cream. Delicious.

9/10: Lulu had debate, I made a big salad for myself, LLD made himself a steak

9/11: Nigella’s chicken in a pot with lemon and orzo. So homey and perfect for us after all that carryout.

9/12: Nigella’s fish finger bhorta, pickled onions, naan, yogurt. Weird sounding recipe but absolutely fantastic. Going into rotation.

9/13: caprese sandwiches, corn on the cob

9/14: another Nigella, smoky shrimp (recipe calls for squid) and beans over toast, salad

9:15: Lulu forgot to tell me about back to school night for parents. I declared it forage night and everyone survived.

9/16: SK wonton soup with bok choy. I bought locally made dumplings. Dessert was apple crumble bars.

9/17: carryout

Tonight LLD and I are continuing our Old School concert series, going to see Elton John and spending the night in Charlotte. I leave on Tuesday for the west coast where I will see family and friends. Really happy and excited about it. Hope everyone is enjoying this fall weekend!

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Glad you’re feeling better, and excited for you for the upcoming trip!

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Hi, everyone. Cooking for two adults and a tween in the Boston burbs. I impulse-bought Melissa Clark’s new cookbook “Dinner in One” recently, so this week’s plan includes three recipes from it - two well within our comfort zone, and one a bit outside - however, the guys agreed to try it, so… here goes nothing.

Sun: meatball sub sandwiches on garlic bread (MC), salad

Mon: crispy spicy lamb with greens and avocado (MC) but not spicy, with turkey, and avocado only for DH; flatbreads on the side

Tues: breaded chicken cutlets, baked potatoes

Weds: cheesy baked pasta with tomato, sausage, and ricotta (MC)

Thurs: tbd, maybe leftovers

Fri and Sat: the guys are going to Columbus for a football game, so I’ve got the weekend to myself!

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Cooking for 1 at the Jersey Shore

Sunday: Shredded pork in ancho-orange sauce (Pati’s Mexican Table recipe) in a flour tortilla, green salad
Monday: Spaghetti and homemade meatballs in homemade sauce, green salad
Tuesday: Shrimp burgers by Emeril Lagasse on a bun with leftover jalapeno aoili from a Pati Jinich crab cake recipe.
Wednesday: leftover shrimp burger
Thursday: leftover spaghetti and meatballs from Monday
Friday: Pati Jinich’s creamy poblano mahi mahi with the Gulf Coast white rice from Mexican Everyday

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On the menu this week: convenience and comfort.

For two adults in San Diego:

This week’s breakfasts: Tired and busy, so it might be purchased bagels and cream cheese this week. Or I might work up the gumption to make chocolate cake.

S: Patio dining at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Su (tonight): TJ’s southwestern salad mix, with chicken and garlic bread.

M: Fried potatoes, topped with spiced ground turkey, cheese, guacamole.

T: Finishing up the ground turkey by riffing on the “egg roll in a bowl” idea, with rice.

W: TJ’s gorgonzola gnocchi with spinach and peas - vegetarian

Th: Linguine in white wine clam sauce, with spinach - seafood

F: Fresh tomato sauce with chicken Italian sausage and cheese on garlic bread

Have a good week!

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Actuals for Sept 12 week, cooking for 2 in MN. Where some specialty frozen food delivery (Schwans) got shoe-horned into the freezer and I decided to get serious about using up what’s been accumulating in there. I was doing well until the grocery ad showed up with BOGO BS/SL chicken breasts. Sigh. And I baked (then froze) cookies, since my husband wistfully mentioned it’s been a while since his favorite Oatmeal Raisin ones were around.

A very good friend is a quilter who, since she retired from Project Manager work role, does a running monthly “status report” of yards of fabric added to stash, and yards of fabric used; she didn’t have a starting count of yards of fabric on-hand. Grin. I felt like that this week with my “cubic feet of freezer space utilized” challenge.

Mon: Oven beef teriyaki, brown rice (commercial), veg medley (broccoli/red pepper/mushrooms)
(used up stew meat, rice, miscellaneous frozen veg)
Tues : Cod, peas, salad, skillet Mac & cheese (recipe from Best skillet recipes cookbook, Americas Test Kitchen (used up cod, some frozen peas)
Wed : “Peking Pork” with Scotch and Scallions (onions) and Hoisin Sauce. Serve over rice. Side of Mac & cheese, apple slices, p.217 Radically Simple, Rosanne Gold (used up a 4 pound pork roast).
Thurs: BAKED oatmeal raisin cookies (husband’s favorite, most of which got frozen) also BAKED apple pie – from frozen-in-2021 components: Haralson apple filling, “Emily Hilliard” crust. It was awesome.
Mac & cheese with deli ham added, bag salad, red grapes
Fri: Chicken (one of the BOGO packages), rice, corn cut from cob (and frozen in 2021)
Sat : Peking Pork in a bun (from frozen), red grapes
Sun: “Cheater” chicken tortellini soup (canned broth, frozen cheese tortellini, frozen mixed vegetables, cooked chicken), naan bread
BAKED cake mix cookies w/ pumpkin, walnuts, butterscotch chips, cinnamon & nutmeg (most of these got frozen)

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Your quilting friend sounds like my stepmother, with her never-ending supply of fabric.

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