Weekly Menu for June 13-17, 2005

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Welcome to the menu for June 13-17! In order to make the best use of Menus 4 Moms, before beginning the Menu please read the Menus 4 Moms plan basics and the Busy Cooks Pyramid as Menus 4 Moms will be based on these items each week.

The weekly menu for this week includes a delicious ratatouille, a stove top chicken and pasta dish, Thai cuisine, fajitas, and cheeseburger soup. Enjoy the weekly menu!

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Menu for June 13-17, 2005

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Monday - Recipes

Ratatouille
Whole Grain Bread
Fruit salad

 

Tuesday - Recipes

Summertime Chicken Orecchiette
Salad
Crusty Bread with Olive Oil and Parmesan Cheese for Dipping

 

Wednesday - Recipes

Fajitas
Refried beans
Chili chip strips

 

Thursday - Recipes

Cheeseburger Soup
Apple slices
Whole Grain Bread

 

Friday - Recipes

Thai Noodles with Vegetables and Peanut Sauce

 

Grocery List

This week's Grocery List can be downloaded here:

Grocery List for June 13-17, 2005 -PDF

Grocery List for June 13-17, 2005 -Shopping List Format

 

 

Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday:

1. This is an extremely healthy dish and paired with whole wheat bread and fruit salad you get a meal packed full of vitamins and nutrients.
   
   
2. I love this recipe served with feta cheese on top. Leftovers keep well.
   
   
3. If you made dried black beans and froze some bags, thaw a bag for Wednesday's refried beans. If you haven't done this, there are instructions for making them from scratch linked in Wednesday's notes.

  Ratatuoille

• 1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (about 3 medium) or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained*
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares
• 1 large red bell pepper or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares
• 3 medium zucchini, sliced
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 3 Tbs dried basil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed through a press
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 (6.00 ounces) can tomato paste
• 1 (5.50 ounces) can pitted ripe olives, drained and chopped coarsely
• 3 Tbs chopped fresh basil (I have omitted)
• Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients except tomatato paste, olives, and basil in slow cooker. Mix well and cook on high for 3 hours. Add tomato paste, olives, and basil, mixing well. May be served hot, cold, or room temperature.

Whole Grain Bread

  Fruit Salad

Chop your favorite fruits and serve mixed in a bowl, with or without fruit dressing. Strawberries and bananas are on the grocery list since it is time for strawberry picking; feel free to change this to your favorites.

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

1. Tonight's recipe calls for orecchiette pasta but if you cannot find this type, use medium shells.
   
   
2. If you have never tried dipping your bread in a shallow dish of olive oil with seasonings, do try it. Tonight we are flavoring the olive oil with Parmesan cheese, but you can change it to balsamic vinegar or fresh pesto and it is delicious.
   
   
3. If you have chicken in your freezer, use that for tonight's dish. If you don't, either boil or grill several pounds of chicken for the freezer and tonight's meal. The grocery list will have the chicken included so you can stock your freezer. If you already have some, get only enough for Wednesday's fajitas.

  Summertime Chicken Orecchiette

• 1 (16 oz) package Pasta LaBella Orecchiette
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup yellow pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup scallions
• 3 cups cooked and cubed chicken meat
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (I usually use 2-3 tsp. dried)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 oz. feta cheese (the kind that is flavored with basil works great)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place hot pasta in mixing bowl. Pour olive oil and balsalmic vinegar over pasta. Add tomatoes, bell peppers, scallions, and chicken. Toss well. Add basil, salt, pepper, feta, and Parmesan cheese. Toss well and serve immediately.

Salad

Crusty Bread with Olive Oil and Parmesan Cheese for Dipping

 

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

1. Tonight's Chili Chip Strips recipe is from Jamie. Thanks, Jamie!
   
   
2. Fajitas are easy to make and can be done on the grill (preferable) or in a large fry pan. Start marinating the meat and vegetables in the morning.
   
   
3. We are using a bag of the black turtle beans that you cooked last week. If you didn't make them last week, you can either use canned black beans (drained) or prepare a bag of dried beans according to last week's directions.
   
   
4. The grocery list includes flour tortillas, but I am including a recipe if you would like to make your own. They are easy and if you own a grain mill they are good made with whole wheat flour.

  Fajitas

• 1 lb. of chicken breast* (raw, sliced), beef (raw, sliced), shrimp, or a combination of the three
• 1 jar Teriyaki sauce
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• Guacamole (opt.)
• Sour Cream (opt.)
• Salsa
• Flour Tortillas, from the store* or homemade

Mix onion, pepper, and meat in a shallow dish and cover with teriyaki sauce. Marinate for several hours. Grill or pan fry. Serve with tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. Each person assembles their own fajitas by putting meat/vegetable mixture and topping with their choice of condiments, rolling up the tortilla and eating by hand. Be careful not to overload the tortilla.

  Refried Beans

• Black turtle beans from freezer
• cumin
• Adobo or garlic salt
• olive oil
• 1 can red enchilada sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mash 4 cups of beans, adding enough liquid to make beans mushy and soft. Heat 2 T. olive oil in a fry pan and add mashed beans and spices to taste. Stir until hot and bubbly. Heat enchilada sauce in a sauce pan and serve beans topped with enchilada sauce and shredded cheddar cheese.

  Chili Chip Strips

• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 Tbs. Grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 small soft corn or flour tortillas

Line a toaster oven tray with foil. Preheat the oven to medium broil. Mix all ingredients except tortillas. Fold each tortilla in half and cut the tortillas into 4 or 5 strips. Add to the other ingredients. Toss the strips with the spice mixture. Put the strips on the foil lined tray broil for 4 minutes. WATCH carefully because they burn easily! Let cool for 5 minutes.

  Homemade Tortillas

• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups water

Mix all ingredients. Form into golf ball size balls. Roll out flat into a circle. Cook on each side in a dry non-stick pan until starting to brown. DO NOT OVERCOOK. The tortillas cook quickly and it is easy to burn them if you turn away.

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

1. If you still have browned ground beef in the freezer, use a pound of that and mark the ground beef off of your grocery list. If you want to brown beef for tonight and the freezer, I have put 5 lbs. of beef on the list to cook and freeze.

  Cheeseburger Soup

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 3/4 C. chopped onion
• 3/4 C. shredded carrots
• 3/4 C. diced celery
• 3 T. butter or oil
• 3 C. chicken broth
• 4 C. diced potatoes
• 1/4 C. flour
• 8 oz. Velvetta cheese
• 1 1/2 C. milk
• 1 t. basil
• 1/4 C. sour cream
• salt and pepper

In a stock pot, brown beef, drain, rinse with hot water, and set aside. Saute onion, carrots, celery and basil in same pan about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and add broth, potatoes and beef. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream. Serve.

Apple slices

Whole grain bread

 

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

1. Tonight's dish is a meal in itself. If you feel like you need to have more than one dish, add a salad with a ginger dressing.
   
   
2. You will find the rice noodles in the ethnic section of the grocery store. If you can't find rice noodles, I would serve this dish on brown rice.
   
   
3. Ginger is a root that is found in the produce department. Ask the produce employee for help if you can't find it.
   
   
4. Juliennned vegetables are ones that have been slivered thinly.
   
   
5. The peanut sauce makes a lot and you may or may not use it all. The leftovers can be used as a dip for veggie roll-ups for lunches.

  Thai Noodles with Vegetables and Peanut Sauce

• 8 oz. dried rice noodles
• 1 1/2 cups carrots, julienned
• 1 1/2 cups red bell peppers, julienned
• 1 1/2 cups green onion, chopped
• olive oil
• 2 cups peanut sauce (see recipe below)
• toasted pine nuts or peanuts (for garnish, opt.)

Prepare the peanut sauce (below) and leave to warm on the stove. Start preparing rice noodles according to package directions. Saute vegetables in non-stick pan until tender. Drain noodles. Serve with vegetables on noodles and peanut sauce on top of all. I recommend serving plates individually instead of putting it all on one dish as it is harder to serve from one dish.

  Peanut Sauce

• 2 T. Thai chili paste (opt. if you don't have it)
• 2-3 T. honey
• 1 T. vinegar
• 3 tsp. soy sauce
• 2 T. finely minced ginger (peel first)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
• 1 cup water or more

Heat chili paste, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a saucepan on low. Heat, stirring constantly, until blended. Add peanut butter in thirds, mixing well after each third is added. Simmer until hot. Keep warm until use or store in refrigerator for later.

Thai Noodles with Vegetables and Peanut Sauce is adapted from The Healthy Gourmet by Cherie Calbom.

* Indicates that of the options listed, this item is the one on the grocery list.

 

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