Printer-friendly Weekly Menu Plan | Recipes | Grocery List | May 29 - June2, 2006

If you can make the Beef Burgundy a day or two early and refrigerate it the flavor will intensify. If not, start it in the early afternoon to be ready for dinner. I do this recipe in my slow cooker, and I add the mushrooms at the beginning with the other ingredients.
I have listed substitutes for the red wine in this recipe, but I do not recommending substituting unless absolutely necessary. The red wine is what gives this wonderful dish its depth of flavor.

Beef Burgundy Simplified

2 T. oil
18 small white onions, peeled (or frozen)
3-5 pounds beef chuck, cut in 1 1/2 inch cubes
2 T flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1-2 C. Burgundy or other dry red cooking wine (substitutes)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 Cup beef stock (or canned beef bouillon*)
1- 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 T. chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. thyme
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms
2 T. butter

Lightly brown the onions in the oil and remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Pat meat dry between paper towels and brown it on all sides in the same pot without crowding. You may have to do it in batches. Sprinkle browned meat with flour, salt, and pepper. Add wine, garlic, stock, tomato sauce and herbs. Over heat bring the mixture to a simmer and then cook it, tightly covered for two or more hours or until the meat is fork tender. Add the onions after one hour.

Meanwhile, wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth and trim off stem ends. Quarter mushrooms if large, leave small ones whole. Heat the butter and remaining part of oil in a large skillet and lightly saute the mushrooms for about 4 minutes and set aside.

When done, skim off any fat and add the mushrooms. Voila! Beef burgundy! After cooling, it can be refrigerated or frozen at this point. If the sauce is too thin, combine 2 TB flour with 1/2 Cup water and whisk the mixture into boiling beef burgundy. Serve over egg noodles.

This recipe is courtesy of Marilyn Moll at www.UrbanHomemaker.com.

Egg Noodles

Steamed Broccoli

1 (16 oz.) package frozen broccoli
lemon juice
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Steam or boil broccoli according to instructions. Drain. Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (or more to taste). Toss to distribute evenly and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

If you do not have chicken in the freezer that you can use for Thursday's Chicken Taco Bake, I would put a few extra pieces in the oven with tonight's meal. Do not coat those pieces with dressing mix, but rub them with olive oil and sprinkle with adobo.
Start your beef marinating for tomorrow's kabobs.

Ranch Chicken

2 lbs. chicken pieces, your choice
2 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

Empty Ranch dressing envelopes into a bowl and mix well. You may add bread crumbs to the dressing if you would like more of a coating to your chicken. After rinsing and drying chicken, dredge chicken pieces in the dressing mix. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and place coated chicken in it. Bake 45 minutes at 325° or until done.

Baked Potatoes

Baked potatoes can be easily prepared by cleaning them in the morning and cooking in the slow cooker for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low. If the timing doesn't work for you, just cook them in the microwave before dinner. I prick them with a fork and start with 6 minutes, checking them regularly to see if they are done.

Green Beans

32 oz. can green beans
1/2 stick butter

Combine beans with juices and butter in a pan or small slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Before serving, salt to taste. If liquid cooks down, add water during cooking process.

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

Make a large salad tonight and save half for Friday. Add croutons, bacon bits, sunflower seeds, and any other "crunchies" - as well as the salad dressing - just before serving each night.

Beef Kabobs over Yellow Rice

1-2 lbs. beef kabob meat
3 red or green* bell peppers
8 oz. whole mushrooms
2 onions
1 pkg cherry tomatoes
1 pkg yellow rice, cooked according to directions

Marinade

1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. garlic powder
4 Tbsp. olive oil

Mix marinade ingredients. Pour half of the marinade in a container with the beef. Marinate for several hours.

Wash vegetables and chop into 2x2 pieces (leave mushrooms and cherries whole). Put the other half of the marinade into a container with the vegetables and marinate them for about an hour. Alternate beef and vegetables on kabob skewers and grill until beef is done. Serve over yellow rice.

Salad

Cottage Cheese with Crushed Pineapple

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday: none

Chicken Taco Bake

4 - 8" tortillas
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 lb. cooked chicken, shredded (from freezer or Tuesday)
1 cup water
1 jar queso (cheese) dip
salsa
sour cream

In a skillet, cook together shredded chicken, seasoning packet, and water for 10 minutes or until meat is well-seasoned. Add 1/2 jar of queso dip and stir occasionally until melted. If mixture appears to be drying out, add more water. In a greased 9" pie dish, layer tortilla and 1/4 of meat mixture, repeating 4 times, ending with meat mixture on top. Top with 1/4 jar of queso sauce and bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until heated through and queso is melted. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Corn

Black Bean Salad

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. sugar
2 cups black beans (from freezer, thawed & rinsed, or 1 can, rinsed)
1 cup cut corn, drained
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 Tbsp. dried parsley

Combine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and sugar. Mix well and combine with remaining ingredients. Toss before serving.

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

Use your favorite bread machine recipe for pizza dough and time it so that the dough will be ready when you are ready to make dinner.

Cheeseburger Pizza

Homemade pizza dough
1 lb. ground beef (from freezer)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
8 oz. pizza sauce
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1/2 cup chopped red onion (optional)
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce
Chopped or sliced tomatoes

Prebake pizza dough for 8 minutes. Combine pizza sauce and mustard and spread on crust. Top with beef, cheese, and onions. Bake for 10 minutes at 450° or until crust is done and toppings are hot. Top with lettuce and tomatoes before serving.

Leftover Salad

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