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Grocery List

This week's Grocery List can be downloaded here:

Grocery List for April 30 - May 4, 2007 - PDF

Shopping List Software format (download shopping list free Windows software)

Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday:

1. Make the black bean salad ahead of time so it can chill. I have doubled the recipe so that we can have leftover Black Bean Salad with our Tacos on Thursday night. If you aren't planning on having this salad with your tacos, just 1/2 the recipe.
   
   
2. We are going to save 2-3 pieces of chicken (about 1 lb.) from tonight's meal for Thursday's pita pockets. I recommend chilling the breasts whole then slicing them when cold for the pitas as they slice easier that way. (This extra chicken is reflected in the grocery list.)
   
   
3. Also, if you look at Wednesday's Linguini recipe you will see optional chicken. If you prefer meat to vegetarian dishes, cook even more chicken tonight to add to your vegetable linguini on Wednesday. (This extra chicken is NOT reflected in the grocery list. The grocery list will reflect vegetarian on Wednesday, so be sure to add extra chicken to your shopping list if you need it for tonight, or if you don't have any extra chopped chicken in your freezer supply.)
   

  Easy Chicken and Feta Bake

• 3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 tbsp lemon juice, divided
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 pkg. (4 oz.) crumbled Feta Cheese (we like the one seasoned with Basil and Tomato)
• 1/4 cup each finely chopped red pepper and fresh parsley

Arrange chicken in 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. lemon
juice. Season with salt and pepper. Top with feta cheese. Drizzle with
remaining 1 tbsp. lemon juice. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until
cooked through. Sprinkle with red pepper and parsley.

 

Steamed Broccoli (fresh* or frozen)

 

  Black Bean Salad

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

Combine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and sugar. Mix well and combine with remaining ingredients. Toss before serving. Save half of the salad for Thursday night.

 

 

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

1. You should have pre-formed meatballs in your freezer to use tonight. If you don't, you may use a bag of meatballs from your grocer or use the recipe here.
   
   
2. If you cooked the meatballs before you froze them, then just heat the thawed meatballs up in the oil until heated through.
   
   

  Swedish Meatballs

• bag of egg noodles
• raw meatballs (from freezer)
• vegetable oil for frying
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 c. beef broth
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 c. (1/2 pt.) dairy sour cream, room temperature

Start noodles cooking according to package directions. Fry meatballs in oil until done and drain on paper towels. Combine remaining ingredients for sour cream sauce. Fold meatballs into sour cream sauce. Drain noodles when cooked and serve meatballs on cooked noodles.

Egg Noodles

Green Beans* or Green Bean Casserole

• 1 lb. fresh or frozen* green beans
• 1-2 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing or Adobo* (optional)

Wash and steam beans (string if necessary). Melt 1-2 tbsp. butter in a large fry pan and saute beans just until covered with butter and hot. For extra flavor you can add a half packet of Good Seasons Italian dressing (unprepared) or Adobo seasoning.

  Fresh Fruit

 

 

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

1. A jar of Alfredo sauce will make tonight's meal a breeze to prepare.
   
   
2. This dish is a great vegetarian dish, but you can easily add cooked chicken from the freezer if you have meat eaters.
   

 

 Linguini with Vegetables and Sauce

• 28 oz. jar of Alfredo sauce
• 1 lb. box linguini
• 1 1/2 cups chopped chicken from freezer, (optional)
• 1 bag (14 oz.) bag frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots
• 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
• Parmesan Cheese (to taste)

Prepare linguine according to directions, cooking frozen vegetables in with linguini. Drain all and return to pan. Add sauce and chicken and heat. Heat tomatoes in microwave or on stovetop. Serve pasta mixture topped with tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.

 

 

 Garlic Bread

• 1 loaf ciabatta* or Italian bread
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

Slice bread in half length-wise. Mix butter and garlic well. Spread each half with half of the garlic butter mixture and place halves together on baking sheet. Bake at 350° until bread is crusty and butter mixture is bubbly.

Pears

 

 

 

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

1. You can make soft or hard tacos, whichever your family prefers.
   
   
2. Use the leftover Black Bean Salad from Monday night.
   
   
3. Many of you have been looking for ideas for what to serve on the weekends. Think about making extra "fixins" tonight and using the extras to create a big Taco Salad with Tortilla chips this weekend. (This is not on your grocery list...just an idea for the weekend slump.)
   
   
4. Use taco seasoned browned ground beef from your freezer. If you don't already have this in your freezer, be sure to add ground beef and taco seasoning to your grocery list.
   
   
   

 Tacos

• tortillas or taco shells*
• 1 lb. cooked taco seasoned ground beef (from freezer)
• shredded lettuce
• diced tomatoes
• grated cheese
• sour cream
• salsa

Prepare taco meat according to package directions. For softer tacos that don't bread when you bite them, preheat oven to 300°. Fill each taco with meat and grated cheese and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Serve with lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, and salsa.

Mexican Corn

Mix a can of cut corn with a can of Rotel tomatoes and green chiles for a spicier version of canned corn.

Leftover Black Bean Salad

 

Churros

• Pillsbury refrigerated bread sticks* (or homemade bread stick dough that is ready to be baked)
• cinnamon & sugar mixture

This easy recipe is a kid pleaser. Twist the bread sticks by holding each end and twisting in opposite directions. Roll gently in cinnamon and sugar mixture and bake as usual.

 

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

1. Tonight we are using leftover chicken from Monday's Easy Feta Chicken Bake. If you didn't make this, you can use either chicken from the freezer (thawed) or buy some precooked chicken strips from the refrigerated meat section of the grocer.
   
   
2. Save any remaining vegetables for next weeks kabobs and fajitas.
   

 

 Chicken Pita Pockets

• Pita bread (preferably whole wheat for health)
• sliced chicken from Monday (approx. 1 lb. or 2-3 pieces)
• sliced red or green bell pepper
• sliced red onions
• sliced mushrooms
• shredded lettuce
• chopped tomatoes
• sandwich peppers or relish
• mayonnaise or other condiments as preferred

If your pitas are not ready to stuff, prepare them by cutting a sliver off of the widest side. I find that they stuff without cracking if I steam them or heat them in the microwave briefly to soften them. Prepare each pita as preferred using any combination of the above fillings.

 Cole Slaw

• 1 bag prepared cabbage slaw, or homemade shreds
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. vinegar
• 2 tsp. sugar or sugar substitute

Combine last 3 ingredients and refrigerate covered until ready to use. Mix with shredded slaw vegetables just before serving.

 

Sliced Melon

 

 

Ice Cream Sundaes

• Favorite Ice cream flavor (I like vanilla best with sundae toppings)
• Ice cream toppings could include: hot fudge, caramel, coconut, nuts, candy pieces, chocolate chips, strawberry sauce, fresh fruit, etc.
• frozen whipped topping

Have fun letting each family member make their own special one-of-a-kind Sundae.

 

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

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