Printer-friendly Weekly Menu Plan

This is an authentic Japanese fried rice recipe and is delicious. I took cooking lessons when I lived in Japan and this is one of the recipes we learned. Calrose rice is not the same as white rice. Look for it with the white rice in your grocery store.
You may not have heard of tamari. It is a premium soy sauce that has the wonderful rich flavor of soy sauce but does not taste as salty. It can be quite expensive at health food stores, but the Food Lion in my area carries it for $.99/bottle. It is definitely worth trying; it is all we use except for marinades that require large quantities of soy sauce.
Cook your rice at least an hour before you plan to start your fried rice. It works better if it is still slightly warm when you fry it.
Edamame are soy beans salted and boiled in the pod. They are a popular Japanese snack that is sold frozen. If your local grocer, health food store, or oriental food store sells them, definitely give them a try. They are very popular with children since they are a finger food and kids like popping the beans from the pod into their mouths. If you can't find them, serve Snow Peas with dip.

Fried Rice

Calrose rice, cooked (about 2-3 cups)
1 egg
1 onion, chopped
frozen peas and carrots, thawed
corn if you like it
meat (optional, not on grocery list)
soy sauce or tamari

Cook calrose rice according to directions. Heat some oil in wok or deep fry pan (I use about a tablespoon) and scramble one egg in it. Remove egg and add some more oil (I add about 3 tbsp) to the pan, heating. Add chopped onion, some thawed peas & carrots (and corn if you like), and anything else you like in your rice. We sometimes add leftover chicken or baby shrimp (saute it first if it is raw). When the onions are tender, add the rice and add soy sauce to taste and stir with a big flat wooden spoon or large cooking chopsticks, if you have them (mine are about 18" long). Add the cooked egg near the end of cooking time and stir well. When the rice is heated through and a bit crispy, it is ready to serve.

Edamame

Boil 1 bag of frozen edamame in salted water until they float. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water, and sprinkle with coarse salt. Serve at room temperature by holding the pod to your mouth and squeezing until the beans pop into your mouth. Discard the pod.

Watermelon Slices

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

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.

Grilled Sausage and Onions on Buns

2 lbs. Kielbasa or other sausage
2 sweet onions, sliced
6 hoagie rolls or sub rolls
6 provolone cheese slices (optional)
1 jar roasted sweet red peppers
condiments as you prefer

Grill sausages and onions until sausage is hot and onions are tender and translucent. Split rolls and toast or grill until light brown. Slice sausage into bun-length sections. Make sandwiches by spreading each roll with mayonnaise or mustard if desired. Place a length of sausage, a piece of cheese, onions, and roasted red bell peppers on each roll. Serve warm.

Quick Stovetop Vegetables

1 can cut corn, drained
2 cans diced tomatoes and green chiles (you may want to just use diced tomatoes for kids)
1 can black beans
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen okra (not breaded)
Adobo or garlic salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients except cheese and heat in a saucepan until bubbly. Serve topped with shredded cheese.

Roasted Sticky Chicken

1 large chicken -- (roasting)
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. 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

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

After dinner when your chicken has cooled, pick the rest of the meat off of the bones. Set aside 2 cups of meat for tomorrow's soup and freeze the remaining chicken in dated freezer bags for later use in casseroles and soups. Return the skin and bones to the crockpot and add 2 quarts of water. You may add chopped onions if you wish (including the ones that were in the cavity). Cook on low overnight for a wonderful broth. In the morning, strain the broth and refrigerate it. By dinnertime, the fat should have floated to the top and you can remove it.

Roast Sticky Chicken

Chicken from yesterday, rubbed with spices
1 cup onion, chopped

When ready to roast chicken, stuff cavity with onions, and place in crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours. 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.

Peas and Carrots

Add a tsp. of butter and a tsp. of sugar to frozen vegetables for more flavor.

Dinner Rolls

Fruit of Your Choice

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

Use the broth you made last night as a base for tonight's soup. If you did not make any, you can use 4 cans of chicken broth.
Today we are cleaning out the refrigerator! We are making Chicken Vegetable Soup so any leftover vegetables that you have in your refrigerator or freezer (you know those freezer bags of frozen vegetables that only have 1/2 cup or so left - use them tonight!) should go into tonight's soup.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

2 cups chicken (from last night)
Broth from last night or 4 cans chicken broth
1 cup onion -- chopped (you should have this in your freezer)
12 oz. frozen mixed vegetables plus any leftover vegetables you have in your refrigerator that will be good in the soup
1 cup cheddar cheese (optional)
Adobo seasoning or garlic salt
Salt and pepper to taste
tarragon, marjoram, basil, or other herb that your family likes

Combine all ingredients except cheese and heat for 15-20 minutes. About 30 minutes before serving, add cheddar cheese to soup. If you like some carbohydrates in your soup, add 1-2 cups of cooked rice or pasta.

Sourdough Bread

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.

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

Margherita Pizza was first created for Queen Margherita of Italy in 1889 by Raffaele Esposito and is made so that it reflects the colors of the Italian flag.
I recommend periodically making a double (or triple) pizza dough recipe in your bread machine or large mixer and freezing the extra dough for an easy lunch or dinner another day. The Urban Homemaker has a double pizza dough recipe that is very good. It has variations for garlic, herbed, or seeded dough.
If you are using a bread machine to make dough, time it so that it is ready just before you want to cook the pizza. If you are using a frozen pizza dough, be sure to allow enough time for it to thaw. I like to thaw it for several hours in the refrigerator.
Make your pie early in the day or the night before so it has time to freeze.

Margherita Pizza

Prepared pizza crust
28 oz. spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
2-3 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pesto or chopped fresh basil*
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Thinly slice 2-3 small tomatoes and layer them on a baked pizza crust that has been spread with pizza/spaghetti sauce and sprinkled with both cheeses. Drizzle with 1/4 cup pesto (or sprinkle with fresh chopped basil leaves) and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes.

Salad

Chocolate Delight Pie

8 oz. Baker's German sweet chocolate
1/2 cup milk
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. sugar
8 oz. tub frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 chocolate wafer crumb crust

Heat all but 3 squares of the chocolate with 1/4 of the milk. You can do this in the microwave (on high for 1-2 min.) or in a double boiler. Stir until completely melted. Beat in cream cheese, sugar, and remaining milk. Gently stir in whipped topping until smooth. Spoon into crust. Freeze until firm. Remove from freezer and let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature until pie can be cut easily.

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