Menu - Week of September 21, 2009

Good dairy products, that's what I'm talking about...

I have discovered Greek yogurt and I cannot get enough of it. It is delicious! So delicious, in fact, that even my very picky 9-year-old eater loves it. He enjoys it because he can flavor it however he likes. He adds vanilla and a little bit of sugar and can eat the whole container in one sitting. Our local HEB has several brands and I have tried two and I honestly cannot tell the difference so at this point, I am getting the least expensive brand: Stony Field Farms Greek Yogurt, 16 oz. for $3.29. I eat it for breakfast with berries and nuts. It is so different from regular watery, sugary yogurt and so much better for you! I love it. I am also enjoying using goat cheese in salads. It makes the dressing silky and tastes delicious. It's kind of expensive, but it's worth it.

Ok, so here is what I am thinking for this week:

• Monday - Picadillo con Papas (ground beef with potatoes stew), Rice, Refried Beans, Goat Cheese Salad with Craisins, Grapes
• Tuesday - Bean and Cheese Quesadillas, leftover Rice, Steamed Veggies, Apple Slices
• Wednesday - Steak Fajita Tacos on corn tortillas with Cilantro, Onion, and Salsa; Veggies with Dip, Grapes
• Thursday - Mom's Night Out; will probably make some quick pasta for the kids and David
• Friday - Potluck Dinner with Friends: Grilled Beef Short Ribs and Chicken Breasts, Salads, Mexican Martinis.
• Saturday - Leftovers
• Sunday - Borracho Bean Soup, Rice, and Fruit

Provecho!

Menu - Week of August 24, 2009

That was a long break. With end of school year activities and a busy summer, cooking plans and menus went out the window, but now that the kids are back to school (well, most of them--Daniel is home sick on the first day of school!), it's time to start planning again. I have been mostly diligent about sticking to $100 food budget for the week. My new goal is to go down to $80 per week. I know it's do-able. Here's my plan for this week:

• Monday - Ground beef tacos, Mexican rice, watermelon slices, cucumber and carrots with dip
• Tuesday - Pork Chops, Apple Slices, Broccoli with dip, Panzanella Salad
• Wednesday - Pollo en Salsa con calabaza y elote (chicken in Mexican sauce with squash and corn), Mexican rice, canteloupe, garden salad
• Thursday - Grilled Chicken, Couscous, Iceberg Wedge with Buttermilk Herb Dressing
• Friday - Sushi (Mac and Cheese for the kids)
• Saturday - Kung Pao Chicken, Canteloupe
• Sunday - Steak, baked potatoes, Strawberry-Walnut-Goat Cheese Salad.

Provecho.

Menu - Week of March 30, 2009

I was digging through the freezer last night looking for something sweet to eat and it gave me a chance to do a quick inventory.  This is what I found:  several packages of frozen veggies, a bag of frozen shrimp, and a bag of frozen chicken thighs.  The shrimp and chicken inspired me to make a paella this week and to keep with the Spanish theme, I am going to make green pea soup like my grandma used to make and torta de papa. It's really time to be eating gazpacho, but my husband is not a big fan.... Here's the full menu:

• Monday - Paella, Spinach Salad, Canteloupe, Cucumbers and Carrots with Dip
  
• Tuesday - Dinner at PTA meeting (Potluck Tostadas)
  
• Wednesday - Green Pea Soup, Crusty Bread, Strawberries, Spinach Salad
  
• Thursday - Leftovers, Watermelon
  
• Friday - Dinner at Ball Park where we will be watching Daniel's baseball game.
  
• Saturday - Camping Food!  Steak, burgers, and hot dogs with all the fixins'.
  
• Sunday - Torta de Papa, Salad, Orange Wedges, Red Peppers, Carrots with Dip
  

Recipes forthcoming...

Menu - Week of March 23, 2009

Just returned from vacation and am enjoying planning menus again.  This week, as usual, is super hectic with baseball practices, gymnastics, and PTA meetings.  I am planning to make one big meal during the week and eat leftovers the next night.  It's a lot simpler that way and I love being outdoors in this great weather with the kids.  If I don't have to cook dinner, it stretches the amount of time we can be outside. 

• Monday - Chicken with Corn and Squash, Rice, Baby Spinach Salad, Pineapple
  
• Tuesday - Leftovers, Strawberries
  
• Wednesday - Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Watermelon
  
• Thursday - Pasta with Marinara Sauce, Salad, Grapes
  
• Friday - Sushi, Watermelon
  
• Saturday - I'm going to be in Houston for my sister's bachelorette party.
  
• Sunday - Steak, Grilled Asparagus, Baked Potatoes, Ice Cream Sundaes!
  

Enjoy!

Menu - Week of March 9, 2009

We had a great weekend full of activity and fun and I didn't have to cook on Saturday.  I packed a picnic lunch that we ate in the shade on the lawn of a beautiful building at Explore UT.  Dinner on Saturday was so easy because Alexia let us have the leftover enchiladas suizas from the potluck on Friday evening.  They are delicious!!!!  Then Sunday, I didn't feel like chicken so I had steak.  I felt like grilling but at the last minute I just broiled them.  They came out very good.  So am recycling the Savory Chicken recipe for this week.

This week is another marathon week of school volunteering so again the meals have to be easy and quick.  Here's what I am thinking:

• Monday - Savory Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, Pineapple
  
• Tuesday - Leftovers, Mangoes
  
• Wednesday - Tortilla Soup (will post recipe when I get it from my friend), Carrots and Cucumber with Dip, Strawberries
  
• Thursday - Leftovers, Grapes
  
• Friday -  My brother is in town for a game and we are packing for our trip to the Grand Canyon so we will make hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill.
  
• Saturday and Sunday -  On vacation!
  

Have a great week!

Menu - Week of March 2, 2009

I love March in Texas!  This weather is so crazy. Hot one day.  Cold the next.  You can have a day with a high temperature of 80 and it will still be 39 degrees at night.  That type of weather makes it hard to plan a menu.   I don't like to eat heavy food when it's hot out and I don't like to eat salad or something too light when it's cold out.   This week in preparation to make a menu, I have looked through the pantry and freezer and found that I have frozen chicken, frozen shrimp, frozen cooked salmon, and lots of noodles, plus magnificent leftovers from last night's cookout.  We also have two nights that we won't be home for dinner.  I have to make do with what is in the house already because my husband went to the grocery store this weekend and used up all my grocery money budgeted for the week already. 

Here is what I am thinking for this week:

• Monday - Hamburgers (from cookout leftovers), Beans, Canteloupe, and Grapes
  
• Tuesday - Hot dogs (from cookout leftovers), Carrots with dip, Pineapple
  
• Wednesday - Fish Tacos (with the frozen cooked salmon), Pico de Gallo, Rice, Edamame
  
• Thursday - PTA Meeting - Dinner at the meeting.
  
• Friday - Mexican Dinner Night at a friend's house; I am bringing shrimp ceviche and rice pudding.  I will make extra rice to stir-fry it for dinner tomorrow.
  
• Saturday - We are going to be at Explore UT all day so we need something quick for dinner.  Stir-fry rice, Cauliflower, Apple Slices
  
• Sunday -  Savory Chicken Sunday Supper, Steamed Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Carrots, Mangos
  

Pico de Gallo

This is a type of chunky salsa that is usually served over fajitas and fish tacos.   

1 tomato, cored, seeded, and diced

1/2 an onion,  diced 

1 serrano pepper, minced (seeded, if you don't like it hot)

1/2 small bunch of cilantro, chopped

juice of 3 limes

salt to taste

Mix all in glass bowl.  Let sit for a 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Savory Chicken Sunday Supper (from 365 Easy One-Dish Meals)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut into pieces, skinned

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 large red potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (you can use whatever potatoes you have in your pantry)

1/2 cup long grain rice

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon  marjoram

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven, heat oil until hot over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain off any fat.

2. Add onion, garlic, green pepper, and carrots.  Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft, 2-3 minutes.

3. Stir in potatoes, rice, broth, marjoram, salt, and pepper.  Heat to boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until rice and potatoes are tender, 20-25 minutes.  Let stand covered, 5 minutes, before serving.

Enjoy!

Mexican Night

A friend has invited us to a potluck Mexican night.  Well, it's not really a potluck since we all picked what to make from the list of menu items.  I am bringing shrimp ceviche and rice pudding. My mom makes the best rice pudding.  She boils the rice with cinnamon stick and then adds evaporated milk, condensed milk, more cinnamon, and raisins.  It's delicious!

The shrimp ceviche recipe is a concoction I put together based on various recipes I read and following my grandma's advice about what ingredients complement fish and shrimp.  My grandmother used to own a seafood restaurant in Veracruz, Mexico.  This dish tastes best if made the night before and left to marinade in its own juices.  Here's the recipe:

Shrimp Ceviche

1 lb. cooked, peeled shrimp

6 plum tomatoes, seeded, and diced

1 medium-size onion, diced

1 serrano pepper, minced

1/2 a bunch cilantro, chopped

juice of 10 limes

1 tablespoon olive oil

dash of dried oregano

dash of tabasco sauce

salt to taste

Combine everything in glass bowl (or any non-reactive bowl).  Let sit over night or at least 4 hours.  Serve with avocado slices and hardy crackers.   You can also take a cup of this shrimp ceviche and add ketchup and tabasco sauce to make a tasty shrimp cocktail.  Enjoy!