Menu for the week of February 19

Hi everybody,

A new job, snow storms, and a busy husband interrupted my meal planning for the last two weeks. While I did make some of the recipes, I made them on alternate days and made modified version if I didn't have the right groceries. But this is what I have noticed about meal planning: it is flexible. The groceries for one dish can be used in others and the day you make the meal doesn't really matter.

Anyway, down to business, this week I am offering some more of my favourite recipes chosen for health, ease, and deliciousness!

As always I have included some weekend prep to help things along for the week.

Menu plan February 19 - 24, 2012

Sunday
Make this Pizza dough on the weekend and you will thank yourself. Your kids can help so you can make it a family activity too. It is fast and easy. This recipe makes enough for 6-8 pizzas or 3-4 pizzas and 4 calzones. Freeze the dough. This week we'll be using it for the Wednesday Calzone recipes. The rest you can save for another time. Pizza dough

The other Sunday prep recipe is Chicken and sweet potato tajine. You have a choice here, you can make it Sunday and eat it for Sunday dinner with leftovers on Monday or have it for Monday only. And don't panic when you see the recipe, I use chicken thighs, bonesless and skinless to replace the whole chicken. I find it way easier, but feel free to do it according to the recipe.

Monday ~ My aren't you fabulous! You did this on Sunday, so you can just heat and eat your tajine! Boil your potaotes for tomorrow's soup tonight if you like.

Tuesday - Potato Leek Soup (We love lots of crusty bread with ours and a squirt of lemon juice)

Wednesday - Calzones  - Don't worry about the pizza stone in the instructions. I made these without one. I have since bought one and swear by it, but you don't need it. This is a Jamie Oliver recipe from Jamie at Home, but when I looked for it online - Voila, Martha Stewart. Which is great, because that site makes creating a grocery list a breeze. I also stuffed mine with PC meatballs last time to make them a bit more substantial. I microwaved them and then put them in with the rest of the ingredients, so I added those to the grocery list as an option.

Thursday ~ Broccoli Ginger Beef with rice, your kids may not like the ginger kick, so try two frying pans, one with ginger and one without or lessen the amount. Although as someone funny once said, you should be able to get your kids to eat Chinese food, because I am pretty sure there are kids in China.

Friday ~ Open faced burgers : these were so good I wanted to put them into rotation again.


Grocery list:

Produce:
1 head garlic
1 medium leek
4-6 medium potatoes for mashing
1 pound assorted mushrooms, such as portobello, chanterelle, shittake, enoki, and cremini, cleaned and chopped
10 ounces white mushrooms,
1 plum tomato
2 large tomatoes
1 large yellow onion
1 medium red onion
8 sprigs fresh thyme
11 ounces spinach leaves
4-inch fresh red chili
dried hot red pepper flakes
broccoli 1 head or more if you are serving more than 2
fresh gingerroot
3/4 pound sweet potatoes (2-3 med)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Bread & Baked Goods
sourdough bread
crusty bread to accompany leek soup

Condiments, Dressings & Oils
1 cup Tomato Sauce
red-wine vinegar
olive oil
oriental sesame oil
vegetable oil
soy sauce

Meats
1 pound ground beef
One  4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces or equivalent boneless, skinless chicken thighs
boneless sirloin 3/4 pound or more if you are serving more than 2 people
frozen meatballs (optional)


Canned Foods, Soups & Mixes
1 large tetra packs low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 large tetra pack beef broth

Dairy
2 ounces fontina cheese, cut into 4 slices
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn

Baking & Cooking
7 cups flour
2 packets of quick rise yeast
cornstarch
salt
sugar
ground ginger
ground cinnamon

Dried Pantry Items
cooked rice

Wine
medium-dry sherry or scotch (optional)
you can add your own drinking wine here too J



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