Friday, May 18, 2012

May 21 - 25th Meal Plan and Shopping List

A stomach bug derailed my meal plan activities last week, but summer-like weather has inspired my menu for this week. This could be the easiest menu  I have ever done and has a nice balance of ready-made and from scratch ,as well as healthy and not-so healthy, but all very delicicous recipes.

Victoria Day Monday BBQ Party
A perfect day for a BBQ. I love the slider options at the grocery stores these days. Mini burgers and those cute little buns make great kid meals. My husband and I like them too. We look for the lower fat and sodium versions. We usually serve them with roasted potatoes and grilled corn on the cob which my 3 yo loves. We make it fun with pig and dog shaped corn holders that I bought last year. I usually fry onions and mushrooms to top the adult burgers too. This is an easy meal, very little clean up, and offers lots of choices. The main ingredients are burgers, buns, corn, little potatoes and your condiments. If you haven't grilled corn before, you can do it husk on or off. If the husk is on it will turn black and that is ok. If it is off, put the corn on the top rack. 15 minutes should do it either way. Here's a link to give you some detail.
If you google grilled corn on the cob you will find lots of options, even some delicious ones where you pull back the husk, put the butter in and fold the husk back up and wrap in foil. YUM.

Tuesday - Shrimp Saganaki
Here is an easy seafood recipe that we love. Although it seems strange to me, a lot of kids seem to like shrimp, so this is one you can adapt for your kids, or at least serve them the shrimp and crusty bread in a different way if you don't think they will go for the actual recipe.

Wednesday - Sneaky Pesto
I don't know how you feel about pesto two weeks in a row, but this recipe is slightly different and is a way to get greens into your kids if they will try it. I am hoping I can find good basil. I could eat pesto every second day so I am always looking for new ways to do it.
Thursday- Cobb Salad
This salad is known as an "American Classic" it could also be called 'Kitchen Sink Salad' there is something in it for everyone and it is a salad that eats like a meal. Read the ingredients and adjust for your family's tastes and what you can get at the grocery store. My husband loves this.
Friday - Wing Night!
Chicken Wings and Iceberg Lettuce Wedges with dressing of your choice
If you want to go with frozen wings, there are lots of options these days to suit all tastes and diets (except vegetarian of course!) You can also make your own. Here's a recipe if you choose that route, but for me? Frozen wings are easier especially on a Friday. I chose iceberg lettuce as the side because kids love it and it is about as easy a way to do a side salad as is possible. You can add raw carrots and celery to this to make it like a real wing night. We did this one night and it was fun to pretend we had out own wing restaurant. We had ranch, sour cream and blue cheese dips and the grown ups had beer. Extra Bacon from the Cobb Salad would go really well with the ice berg lettuce wedges... chop and sprinkle on top.

Shopping List
I did the shopping list by recipe so you can pick and choose which ones you want to make and mix and match with your own menu. If you like this format let us know.

BBQ Party:
Sliders
Buns
Corn on the Cob
Small potatoes
Condiments and toppings for burgers (your choice)

Saganaki
olive oil and canola oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 plum tomatoes (1 1/4 pounds), coarsely chopped
red pepper
1 1/2 pounds shelled and deveined large shrimp
pitted kalamata olives
fresh dill
Greek feta cheese, crumbled
Crusty bread

Pesto
linguine pasta
2 medium avocados
3 cups baby arugula leaves
basil leaves
lime juice (from 2 large limes)
garlic
Parmesan (4 ounces)
sliced almonds

Cobb Salad
bunch of watercress
fresh chives
head of boston lettuce
head of romaine
3 ripe avocados
small bunch of curly endive
tomato
2 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts (you could sub a precooked roast chicken)
olive oil
red-wine vinegar
grated roquefort (this is blue cheese, so switch it if your kids are not gourmands - I don't think mine would eat this!)
large egg
lean bacon
dijon-style mustard

Wing Night!
Frozen wings or chicken wings and your choice of sauce
Ice berg lettuce
Your choice of creamy dressing and or dip for the vegetables
Carrots
Celery
Beer :)



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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