May 16-20, 2005
Welcome to Menus 4 Moms! In order to make the best use of Menus 4 Moms, before beginning the Menu please read the Menus 4 Moms and the Busy Cooks Pyramid as Menus 4 Moms will be based on these items each week.
This week we are going to use chili that we prepared last week for a Mexican Lasagna, and on Monday we will marinate chicken for a delicious rasted chicken on Tuesday. Wednesday we will have my favorite soup, then Thursday is spaghetti and meatballs. Friday we will finish off the week with chicken in a wonderful basil cream sauce.
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Menu for May 16-20, 2005
Monday - Recipes
Mexican Lasagne
Corn
Spanish Rice
Tuesday - Recipes
Roasted Chicken
Grilled Vegetables
Fruit Salad
Wednesday - Recipes
Spaghetti with Meatballs
Salad
Italian Bread
Thursday - Recipes
Pea Soup
Hard Rolls
Apple Slices
Friday - Recipes
Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce
Greens
Pasta Carbonara
Grocery List
This week's Grocery List can be downloaded here:
Grocery List for May 16-20, 2005 - PDF
About the notes
Each day has notes that explain how to jump into the current menu with alternatives to the planned leftovers from previous weeks. The notes also give alternatives to planned meals for health or convenience. Occasionally menus will include tips on healthy cooking, such as how to cook with whole grains or ways to sneak nutrients into the meals.
Please read the notes for each day as they will make the difference between successful dinners and last minute crises!
Monday Recipes
Notes for Monday:
- Tonight we will use the extra chili we saved from last week's chili meal. If you didn't follow the plan last week, add a large can of chili to your grocery list and use that.
- If you have a large family, use all of the ingredients and make this dish in a 9" by 12" pan. If you have a smaller family, make two 8" by 8" pans and freeze one for later.
- If you have small children, you may wish to put the green chiles on one side of the casserole and not the other to make is less spicy for them.
- If you sauted onions for the freezer last week, use one bag in the Spanish rice. If you didn't you can either saute one onion for tonight's meal or saute a whole bag for the freezer.
- Today we are also going to marinate tomorrow night's roasted chicken. If your chicken for tomorrow is frozen, thaw it in the microwave so we can marinate it.
Roasted Sticky Chicken
- 1 large chicken -- (roasting)
- 1 cup onion -- chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 4 teaspoons salt
In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices. Remove giblets from chicken, clean the cavity well and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin. Place in a re-sealable plastic bag, seal and refrigerate overnight. When ready to roast chicken, stuff cavity with onions, and place in a shallow baking pan. See tomorrow for cooking instructions.
This recipe was originally created by Mimi Hiller of Mimi's Cyber Kitchen, http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/ and this version was actually an adaptation written by Lynn Nelson, former guide of Busy Cooks, http://busycooks.about.com
Mexican Lasagne
- Corn tortillas
- Refried beans (2 cans)
- 3 cups chili (leftover)
- Chopped green onions
- 1-2 cans chopped green chiles (depending on your family's taste)
- Enchilada sauce (1 can green or red)
- 2 cups Mexican cheese blend, shredded
Layer all ingredients in order in a casserole dish (or two if you are going to freeze one). Bake at 350° until bubbly.
Buttered Corn
Spanish Rice
- 1 chopped onion, sauted (from freezer)
- black pepper
- chili powder
- cumin
- Adobo seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
- Olive oil
- 1 can (15 oz.) chicken broth
- 1 cup water
Saute onion in olive oil in a Dutch oven until tender; remove from pan. Add 2 T. olive oil to pan and brown the uncooked rice. Do not burn! Add chicken broth and water (this will sizzle loudly when the liquid meets the hot oil), add seasonings to taste, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes; do not open. When cooked, add onions and any other warmed items you may have on hand that would be good in rice (corn, salsa, Rotel, etc.). Stir gently and serve.
Tuesday Recipes
Notes for Tuesday:
- Please read the safety notes for today's chicken recipe (under NB at the end of the recipe).
- If you made meatballs last week, put one bag in your refrigerator to thaw for tomorrow night.
Roasted Sticky Chicken
- 1 large chicken -- (roasting)
- 1 cup onion -- chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 4 teaspoons salt
In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices. Remove giblets from chicken, clean the cavity well and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin. Place in a re-sealable plastic bag, seal and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to roast chicken, stuff cavity with onions, and place in a shallow baking pan. Roast, uncovered, at 250° F for 5 hours. After the first hour, baste chicken occasionally (every half hour or so) with pan juices. (It may take awhile to have pan juices) The pan juices will start to caramelize on the bottom of pan and the chicken will turn golden brown. If the chicken contains a pop-up thermometer, ignore it. Let chicken rest about 10 minutes before carving.
NB: Food safety guidelines do not recommend baking chicken at a temperature this low. Please understand that it is safer to bake chicken at 350° and you may wish to use this safer temperature for less time. Also, I use a roasting bag to prepare this chicken. It cuts down the mess and tastes moist and wonderful.
This recipe was originally created by Mimi Hiller of Mimi's Cyber Kitchen, http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/ and this version was actually an adaptation written by Lynn Nelson, former guide of Busy Cooks, http://busycooks.about.com
Brussels Sprouts with Cream Sauce
- 2 c. frozen brussels sprouts
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. chopped onion (from freezer)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp. flour
- 1/2 c. milk
- 1 tsp. dry white wine
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
Cook brussels sprouts according to package directions but without salt.
Meanwhile, in small saucepan over low heat, or in double boiler, melt butter. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes or until soft. Add flour and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Gradually add milk, wine and pepper; cook until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted. If sauce becomes too thick, add additional 1-2 tablespoons skim milk. Drain brussels sprouts; pour sauce over sprouts. Makes 4 servings. Fat 4 grams. Cholesterol 2 milligrams.
Reprinted from Cooks.com.
Fruit Salad
Your favorite combination of canned or fresh fruit. I suggest grapes, banana, apple, and pineapple (these are on your grocery list). Serve with sweetened yogurt mixed with softened cream cheese.
Wednesday Recipes:
- Tonight we are using the Marinara Sauce from last week that we saved and the frozen meatballs that we made. If you are just joining us, you may use canned spaghetti sauce and frozen meatballs. Be sure to add them to your grocery list if you need to.
- If your chicken for Saturday is frozen, put it in the refrigerator to thaw today.
Spaghetti with Meatballs
- Marinara sauce from last week
- 1 bag thawed meatballs from last week
- Spaghetti
Boil your spaghetti according to package directions. Heat sauce and meatballs. Serve sauce with meatballs on spaghetti and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Salad with dressing
Your choice. Try a different type of greens for a change. Baby spinach is excellent. Leaf lettuces are more nutritious than iceberg lettuce. Adding sunflower seeds and grated carrots is a good way to sneak in nutrients.
Italian bread
Thursday Recipes
Notes for Thursday: none
Pea Soup
- 2 cans chicken broth
- 1 12oz. package frozen peas (or one bag dried peas, cooked according to directions)
- 1 t. tarragon
- 1 t. salt
- 1 t. pepper
- 1 T. butter
- 1 T. flour
- 2 T. lemon juice
- 1/4 cup milk
Blend broth, peas, and spices in blender. In a large pan, melt butter and stir in flour to make a paste. Add blender contents and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add milk and lemon juice. Stir well and serve.
Adapted from Mom's Best Pea Soup by Jonni McCoy in Miserly Moms.
Hard Rolls
Heat and serve with butter.
Apple Slices
Friday Recipes
Notes for Friday: none
Chicken With Basil Cream Sauce
- 1/4 C. milk
- 1/4 C. dry bread crumbs
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 T. butter or margarine
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1/2 C. chicken broth
- 1 C. heavy whipping cream
- 1 4-oz. jar diced pimientos, drained
- 1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 C. minced fresh basil (or 1 t. dried)
- 1/8 t. pepper
- 1 t. cornstarch
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place milk and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip chicken in milk, then coat with bread crumbs. In skillet over medium heat, brown chicken on both sides in butter and olive oil. Remove and place in preheated oven to keep warm.
Add broth to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir to loosen browned bits from pan bottom. Stir in whipping cream and pimientos, boil and stir for 1 minute. Reduce heat. Stir in Parmesan, basil and pepper and cook until heated through. Mix cornstarch with extra chicken broth and stir into skillet if needed to thicken sauce. Pour over chicken.
Source: Dunbars Pimientos ad
Greens
Cook your favorite greens tonight, either from fresh or canned. We love Glory brand collard greens. Other types you might try are kale, spinach, or turnip greens.
Pasta Carbonara
- 8 oz. cooked, drained, rinsed linguini (if long, break into pieces before cooking)
- 1 jar real bacon bits or 8 slices bacon*, cooked
- 1 bunch sliced green onions & 1/2 tops
- 4 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
- 2/3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 2/3 c. cream, room temperature
- 2 tsp. dry parsley flakes
- Salt & pepper to taste
If cooking bacon from scratch, in fry pan brown bacon pieces. Otherwise, heat a little vegetable oil and add onion and mushrooms, saute until soft. In bowl beat eggs, add other ingredients and mix and set aside.
To fry pan with bacon, onions and mushrooms and add rinsed, cooked noodles; heat. Just before serving, remove from heat and add bowl of egg mixture to hot noodle mixture and mix. Serve immediately.
