menu plan interrupted

This week's menu hit a snag Wednesday when we decided to finally install tile in the kitchen. A friend who installs flooring for a living had offered to help us, but his work load wasn't allowing him any free time. As with any DIY project a two day project turned into four days and the kitchen was out of commission for most of that time. I thought about pulling some things to put in the crock pot, but with limited access to the sink, (I refuse to wash dishes in the same bathtub where people wash their feet) I opted for take out or eating out.
We microwaved leftovers, the kids were thrilled that we got to order pizza, we had Mexican food (Snapper a la Vercruzana for me) and Chinese take out.
Laying tile is a ridiculous amount of work, but I love the finished product. I can't wait to cook a meal in my "new" kitchen!

Menu January 3 - 9

The "No Shopping Challenge" last week went very well. The challenge was made much easier because I came down with a horrible cold and didn't feel like going anywhere and we had a huge snowstorm so driving didn't seem like a good idea, either. The only exceptions to last week's plan was a substitution of ham and bean soup from the freezer on one of the days I felt horrible, and a lunch at the Chinese food place while D and I were running errands.
I probably could have made it through another week without shopping, but the menu choices would have been limited and somewhat bland since I ran out of carrots, celery and onions. The basis of this week's plan was still things I had on hand, but augmented with a few items from the store. My total grocery spending this week was just under $50

Menu
Monday:
B - Cereal
L - Leftovers
D - Chicken Tamale Casserole (with leftover roast chicken)

Tuesday:
B - Rice Pudding
L - Sandwiches
D - Mac-n-Cheese with Salmon Patties

Wednesday:
B - Cinnamon Rolls
L - Sandwiches
D - Roasted Beef, Mushroom, and Barley Soup, French Bread

Thursday:
B - Cereal
L - Soup
D - Bistro Braised Chicken, Salad

Friday:
B - Eggs and Toast
L - Homemade Pizza
D - Tuna Noodle Casserole made with bechamel sauce

Saturday:
B - French Toast
L - Leftovers
D - BBQ Pork Sandwiches (from uncured pork shank, leftovers to be frozen for future meals,)
Au Gratin Potatoes

Sunday:
B - Pancakes
L/D Green Chile and Quesadillas

Salmon Patties are a family favorite. The recipe I use is my great-grandmother's. The copy I have is in her handwriting. It has all of the hallmarks of a depression era recipe: a few, inexpensive ingredients, high protein, and with stretch to make a lot by adding more crackers.
Combine one can of salmon, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk and enough crackers to make them thick enough to form patties, salt and pepper to taste. Adding onions are a great addition.
My grandmother scooped a couple of spoonfuls of saved bacon grease into the pan to fry these, I use a couple tablespoons of peanut oil. If there are any leftovers, they are great in sandwiches the next day.

What are your favorite family recipes?

See Laura at the Organizing Junkie for more menu plans.

Menu Plan Dec 27 thru Jan 2 No Shopping Challenge

I hope everyone had a joyous Christmas. We enjoyed spending time with our family and eating way too much!
School is out until January 10, so I will be at home. I've decided to challenge myself to use only what I have on hand for meal planning for the next two weeks. I will need to pick up milk and eggs and I ran out of garlic powder during the holidays ,and while I could live without it, I'd rather not.
I did an inventory of my freezer and pantry and it appears I may have more stuff than the grocery store! In the pantry, I have lots of pasta, beans and rice and canned tomatoes. I also have a broad selection of Asian staples. I have a huge addiction to Pacific Ocean Asian Market in Denver, and usually spend a small fortune there every time I visit. The freezer is well stocked with chicken. I'm down to mostly roasts and round steaks left from my beef, and a few odd cuts of pork and pork sausage. I also have 1 turkey and assorted frozen vegetables. I have plenty of potatoes and onions, as well as some apples and squash. In the fridge, I have some root vegetables, celery, mushrooms, cabbage, assorted cheeses and plenty of condiments like mustard, ketchup, horseradish, salsa, etc.
Since the kids will be home all week, I have included breakfast, lunch and dinner in my meal plan this week. We will be butchering more chicken this week so I planned a couple of quick, but hardy breakfast and lunches. It looks like the weather will be quite cold on the days we will be out at the ranch.

Monday:
Bake French loaves
B - Fresh Fruit Salad (leftover from Christmas morning)
L - White Chicken Chili (from soup mix)
D - Chicken and Mushroom Lasagna with Garlic Toast

Tuesday:
B - Apple Cider Oatmeal
L - Chicken Salad Sandwiches
D - Stir Fried Pork with Napa Cabbage, Potsickers, and Rice (substituting pork ribs)

Wednesday:
Bake sandwich bread, make noodles
B - Biscuits and Gravy
L - Tuna Melts
D - Swiss Steak, Mashed Potatoes

Thursday:
Butchering Day
B - Rice Pudding
L- Turkey Noodle Soup (soup from freezer with homemade noodles added)
D- Macaroni and Cheese with Salmon Patties

Friday:
Butcher Day II
B - Eggs Poached in Milk on Toast
L - Leftover Mac-n-Cheese
D - Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Onions

Saturday:
B - Pancakes
L/D BBQ Pork Shoulder we will be taking to our oldest son's housewarming party

Sunday:
B - Eggs, Sausage, Fried Potatoes
L/D Football = Munchies All Day

How many meals could you cook before you needed to visit the grocery store?

Visit the organizing junkie for more MPM menus and recipes.

Finals Finally Over!

I have been super busy since Thanksgiving working on final projects, writing final papers and studying for final exams, and at last, it's over; for this semester at least. We did try to stay to a menu plan for the most part. Thanksgiving provided lots of great leftovers to work with. We enjoyed turkey noodle soup, hot turkey sandwiches and turkey ala king. We also cooked a prime rib roast that made several appearances in the menu.

When things are really busy, I fall back on items that are quick and use few ingredients. If the ingredients are not expensive that makes those recipes even better. Linguine with Clams is one of our family favorites.

I start by sauteing one or two shallots in olive oil. Next I add a dash of crushed red peppers and fresh ground pepper along with a can of chopped clams. Cook just long enough to heat the clams through. Toss with cooked linguine. If the sauce seems dry, you can add a little pasta water. Salad and garlic toast round out the meal

Lately, I've been putting together my list and menu with speed foremost in my mind rather than planning for frugality. As Christmas break approaches, I really need to take the time to do a complete freezer and pantry inventory and use more of the items I have on hand. I'll add that to my "to do" list.

Even though the week is halfway over I'm still posting this week's menu.

Monday: Baked Tortellini using leftover pasta sauce and Italian sausage

Tuesday: Turkey and Bacon Panini with Sweet Potato Fries

Wednesday: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, and Veggies.

Thursday: Mac-n-Cheese with Ham and Peas

Friday: Grilled Chicken, Rice Pilaf, and Salad

Saturday: Ham, Cheesy Potatoes

Sunday: Cajun Beans and Rice

Bolognese Sauce plus Menu November 15-21

We've had our first significant snow of the year, which always makes me want to cook hearty meals that heat the kitchen and make the whole house smell delicious. Bolognese sauce is one of my favorite "cook big and freeze" sauces to make. I always try to make big batches of soups and stews so I can freeze the leftovers for a last minute meal, but bolognese lends itself to so many meals;spaghetti; lasagna;baked pasta casseroles. The prep work is minimal. Most of the time involved is occasional stirring while the sauce simmers for several hours.

I use a Martha Stewart recipe that I have had great success with. I start with 2 slices of bacon in a large stockpot, I cook them on low to medium heat so they render their fat without getting to crispy.


When the bacon has rendered most of its fat, I add the vegetables: 1 whole onion diced, several carrots, 1 or 2 stalks of celery and 6 to 8 cloves of minced garlic. I take this opportunity to add extra vegetables because any meal my kids eat huge helpings of without picking out the vegies, I view as a tremendous accomplishment.

After the vegies have softened, about 8 minutes, add 2 pounds of ground meat. I typically use ground beef or 1 pound beef an done pound pork. Next add 2 cups of milk. I will admit that the first time I read this recipe I was skeptical. Ignore the texture and smell during this part of the process, it makes a huge difference in the end product. The recipe also calls for a pinch of nutmeg at this time as well. I admit, I use more than a pinch because I love the aromatic quality and the flavor no one can quite put their finger on when they eat the sauce.

After the milk reduces by about half, add 1 cup of dry white wine. Continue stirring occasionally, until the strong wine alcohol vapor cooks away. Add 2 cans of crushed tomatoes or 3 quarts of home canned tomatoes that have been pureed in the food processor. Salt and pepper lightly and let the sauce simmer for several hours stirring occasionally.

MS suggests adding water to keep the sauce thin, but I let it cook to a reasonably thick consistency that I prefer for lasagna (doesn't leave lots of moisture at the bottom of the pan) and when I reheat, I take the frozen sauce and add it directly to a sauce pan with some water in it to keep the frozen sauce from scorching.

The end result is a beautiful, flavorful, simple sauce. I try to keep the freezer well stocked throughout the winter. We often take it ice fishing since it's a wonderful, "stick to your ribs" meal. It's also a great quick meal when life gets crazy!

Our meal plan for this week is fairly easy. I forgot to pull my roast out Saturday, so it will make an appearance in the crockpot Monday. I bought all the vegetables for root vegetable stew, and then made regular stew for my son who just bought a house and his moving crew, so I'll try again this week.

Monday: Carne Guisada, Mexican Rice

Tuesday: Ham & Cheese Puff Tart

Wednesday: Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Vegies

Thursday: Vegetable Stew with Gruyere Crostini
Friday: Linguine with Clam Sauce, Salad, Garlic Toast

Saturday: Pork Roast

Sunday: Not sure yet???

Don't forget to visit Laura at orgjunkie.com for more great ideas.

Pork Rib Ragu

This week I made a Pork Ragu. This recipe is a perfect example of one of my favorite cooking styles: Peasant Food! This style of cooking can be found in almost every cuisine and typically uses the cheapest cuts of meats or leftovers and abundant, inexpensive local ingredients. The list includes British Shepards' Pie, Welsh Rarebit, Japanese Ramen Bowls and French Fromage Fort. The Italians have elevated peasant fare to an art-form with slow cooked meat sauces.

I adapted a Martha Stewart Recipe and used all the leftover odds and ends in my freezer. I had a small package of pork spareribs and some neck bones. To make the recipe in the crockpot, I browned the ribs and set them aside. Then I sauteed the vegetables and reduced them with wine and stored the meat and vegetables separately in the fridge over night and put it all together in the crock pot in the morning. I covered the mixture with water, which was probably too much. My sauce was more broth-like than gravy, I would add less water next time.
Skimming fat from the broth.

Meat pulled from the bones, I also rescued the vegetables from the crockpot.

To finish the sauce, I sauteed more onions in butter and added a couple of tablespoons of flour as a thickener and added the broth.

I served the ragu over pasta. It would be good over potatoes, rice or polenta. This recipe would be easily adapted for beef ribs.

Menu November 8 thru 14

As always, things are busy, I did not post a menu plan last week, but did plan just the same. I made a batch of stew and froze half for a future meal. I also made a big batch of chicken burritos and individually wrapped each one for easy lunchs and dinners.

This week will probably not include must rest and relaxation, but plenty of good eats!

Monday: Shrimp and Corn Chowder, Cheese Quesadillas

Tuesday: Pork Ragu (adapted for the crock pot), Salad

Wednesday: Grilled Pork Chops, Sweet Potato Fries, Salad

Thursday: Clam Chowder (enough to freeze for another meal)

Friday: Deviled Chicken, Green Beans

Saturday: Pork Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Corn

Sunday: Birthday Party with Friends

For menu recipes and menus, visit the Organizing Junkie!