Monday, August 29, 2011

Week 27

I've been buying jalepenos like wildfire lately!  I used to always hesitate to put them in salsa and guacamole, but they are normally not very spicy when the veins and seeds are removed.  In my opinion, they just make everything taste better.  We're growing habaneros in our cul-de-sac garden this year and those plants produce a ton of peppers!  How anyone could use that many habaneros is beyond me, but my neighbor is trying to make sure that not one of them goes to waste by making lots of hot sauce.  I'll stick to my jalapenos and serranos thank you very much!


We have friends coming into town over Labor Day weekend, so it should be a light week on our menu as I clean and prepare for the fun. 

This week's menu:
Sunday - Pizza
Monday - Ground turkey tacos, black beans
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Grilled salmon, roasted veggies, white rice (for kids)
Thursday - Thai basil shrimp, leftover rice
Friday - Out to Dinner
Saturday - Barbecued ribs (beef & pork),
Sunday - Out to Dinner?

This is an unusual week for us since it looks like we're not actually eating at home very much.  We have Open House this week for the girls, Orientation meeting for Zach's preschool, I have a consignment sale meeting and our friends come into town on Friday!  I can't wait!

Have a great week!

I'm looking forward to reading your menus!

Sarah

Monday, August 22, 2011

Week 26

So, last week was a total wash!  I don't think I cooked anything I put on my menu if you can believe that!  I ate all of the meat and veggies, but just chose to cook them differently than my menu.  I'm sure you all have those weeks.  Before this blog, I didn't even usually even have a menu!  That's the biggest reason for doing the blog. . . so that I will continue to keep menu planning.  It's much less stressful to have a menu planned, but then decide to change it than it is to have no menu at all.  

Salmon with carrot, zucchini saute and steamed broccoli! 


I'm really enjoying reading your menus!  Only a few people posted last week, but I was very late in putting the blog post up, so I'm hoping to get a better response this week!

Here's the menu:

Sunday - Out to Dinner
Monday - Red sauce with ground turkey, angel hair pasta, zucchini noodles*, roasted asparagus
Tuesday - Chicken stir fry with cabbage and asparagus, white rice
Wednesday - Seared salmon, roasted cauliflower and carrots, couscous
Thursday - Grilled chicken legs, roasted sweet potatoes/white potatoes, broccoli
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Shrimp scampi with lime, roast veggie medley, white rice

*I've mentioned the zucchini noodles before , but I wanted to explain exactly what we do around here to accommodate my husband and his Paleo ways.  I make a pot of pasta for the kids, but I peel a zucchini or two (depending on the size) and I throw away the outside peel.  Then, I keep using the peeler and make long, thin noodle like strips of zucchini and I blanch them quickly in the water after I take the pasta out.  Now, this wouldn't work for a pure gluten-free diet since I'm re-using the water, but it's fine for us and I don't have to wait for the water to re-boil.  I usually just drop them in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes and plate them.  I think that they are delicious and I eat them every time rather than noodles now. 

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Week 25

Forgive me for getting this out quite late, but it's been a busy week around our house.  School started on Monday for Annabelle (3rd Grade) and Emilie (Kindergarten), I was sick this weekend and the consignment sale I help organize opened up registration on Monday!  That last one was the kicker for me as we had some last minute computer glitches to work through, but all is well now and I'm back to my menu!  Here's a link to the website for our sale if you're interested:  www.cccmopssale.com.



My girls adore their teachers, but little Zach is missing his playmates at home.  He doesn't start school until September, so he's going to take awhile to adjust to the changes.  So, for those of you boo-hooing (or woot-wooting) this week as your kids go back to school, I hear you.  It's a big change!

So, let's get on to the menu:

Sunday - Thai Chicken stir fry creation (dual effort from myself and my neighbor, Chris)
Monday - Leftovers
Tuesday - Salmon, roasted cauliflower & carrots, couscous
Wednesday - Baked chicken, asparagus
Thursday - Turkey burgers, roasted sweet potatoes, artichokes
Friday - Out to Dinner
Saturday - Shrimp tacos, black beans, yellow rice

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Week 24

I must say that I've been a bit indulgent about desserts this weekend. . . I made an apple cake on Friday night and a batch of fudgey brownies tonight!  Just irresistible! 



Next week is the last week before school starts for both of my big girls!  Emilie is going to Kindergarten and Annabelle into third grade.  They get to meet their teachers on Thursday and I think we're all looking forward to getting back into the routine of school.  Zach is going to be seriously lonely without his sisters to play with and taunt.  :(

So, here's the menu for this week.  I have to go shopping for sides, so I'll just stick to the main courses:

Sunday - Fish tacos, black beans, white rice, seared bell pepper and onions
Monday - Meatloaf
Tuesday - Baked Chicken with veggies
Wednesday - Turkey burgers
Thursday - Seared Salmon with Emeril seasoning
Friday - Spaghetti with meat sauce, zucchini noodles (Paleo)
Saturday - Chicken tacos

Happy cooking everyone!  Can't wait to see your menus this week!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Thai Basil Shrimp

I make this recipe on a weekly basis and it's Annabelle's standard for shrimp, so I thought it was time to post the recipe.  Annabelle is my picky eater (she's the first, so I'm sure that's my fault).  My mom claims she gets it from me, so I know that she'll grow out of it.  However, it took me 21 years to grow out of it. We'll see how she does. . .



Thai Basil Shrimp (Adapted from 365: No Repeats by Rachel Ray)

Ingredients:
4 tbls. canola oil or olive oil

1/2 head of cabbage, core removed, shredded finely
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
salt and coarse ground pepper
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced (or grated if you prefer)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup low-sodium tamari (aged soy sauce)
3 tbls. honey
20 fresh basil leaves, torn or shredded


Directions:
1. Saute the red peppers and cabbage with olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan on med-high until soft and fragrant.  
2. While the veggies are cooking, clean and dry shrimp, then season with salt and pepper.  Remove the veggies to a plate and 2 tablespoons of oil and add shrimp in a single layer.  You don't want shrimp all on top of one another, but they should have their own space to come into contact with the hot pan.  You want to get a good sear on the shrimp to get the best flavor. For medium size shrimp, I flip them when they just start to turn pink (1-2 minutes), then cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes more.  Now bring the red peppers and cabbage back to the pan.  Add the tamari and honey to form a sauce to glaze the veggies and shrimp.  Throw in the basil and you're done!

Oh man, I love shrimp!  This is right after they are initially seared!

Note - I usually serve this with white rice for the kiddos and I, but Alain uses romaine leaves and puts the concoction in the middle of the leaves like tacos so that he can consider this meal fully Paleo.