Basic Weekly Menu Plan

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Get the meal makeovers, nutrition data and point values for the menus.

 

Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday:

1. You may have to request that your butcher cut tonight's pork chops for you to make sure they are thick enough.
   
   
   
   

Stuffed Pork Chops

• 4-6 boneless thick pork loin chops
• 8 oz. crumbled blue cheese
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 tsp. dried chives
• adobo seasoning (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)

Using a sharp knife, cut a slit into each pork chop to make a pocket, taking care not to cut all the way through. Mix together cheese, bacon, and chives. Divide cheese filling into loose balls equal to the number of pork chops you are cooking. Stuff each pork chop with the ball of cheese filling and secure opening with a toothpick. Sprinkle lightly with adobo and pepper on both sides of chops. Bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes or until done. These can also be baked in the microwave.

 Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

• 2 bunches fresh asparagus
• 1 lb. bacon

Half each slice of bacon lengthwise. Wrap a piece of bacon around each asparagus spear. Lightly spray the top of a broiler pan with cooking spray. Lay all bacon-wrapped spears side by side on broiler pan and bake in oven at 350°F for about 40 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

 

 

 

 Cooked Apples

• 6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 2 T. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 T. water

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until apples are tender. Serve hot or cold.

 

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

1. Tonight's taco dish will go together quickly using taco seasoned ground beef from your freezer. Just thaw your taco meat in the microwave and follow the recipe below. If you do not have taco seasoned ground beef in your freezer, but you have browned ground beef in your freezer, just thaw it, reheat in a skillet and add taco seasoning to the reheated meat according to the package directions. If you do not have any cooked ground beef in your freezer, be sure to add ground beef and taco seasoning to your grocery list.
   
   
2. For the Corn Salad I didn't have enough ground coriander when I tried this recipe but it still needed something. I grow fresh basil so I finely chopped about 1 1/2 tbsp. of my fresh basil and added that in. I know some of you say you are not so clever in the kitchen and need exact directions and measurements so I challenge you to get a little creative and if you think a recipe isn't quite there on the taste, try adding a little something. You might surprise yourself and your family! And then when you come up with a new masterpiece, tell us about it on our Yahoo Group!
   
   
3. Save your remaining Lemon Vinaigrette for your green beans on Wednesday.
   
   
   
   
   

 Taco Crescent Bake

• 1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls
• 2 cups crushed tortilla chips, divided
• 1 lb. taco seasoned ground beef, browned (from freezer)
• 1 container sour cream (8oz.)
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (4 oz.)

Unroll crescent dough into a rectangle; press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 13 in x 9 in x 2 in baking dish. Seal seams and perforations. Sprinkle with 1 cup of crushed chips; set aside. In the microwave, heat up your taco seasoned ground beef. Spoon over chips. Top with sour cream, cheese and remaining chips. Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.

 

Corn Salad

• 1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen corn
• 1 medium red pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander (or fresh basil instead-see note above)
• salt
• pepper
• 1/3 cup Lemon Vinaigrette (see recipe below)
  
  

Lemon Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed from about 1 lemon* or bottled lemon juice)
• 1/4 cup vinegar (I used white-wine vinegar)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 cup olive oil (the extra virgin light tasting is best for this recipe)

Mix first 5 ingredients in a small bowl or jar thoroughly until sugar and salt have dissolved. Add olive oil and stir until combined. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks in airtight container.

Thaw frozen corn kernels. Pat corn dry. Toss together in a bowl, corn, bell peppers, coriander, (basil if you want to try a little something extra...see note above) and vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Fresh Oranges or Clementines

 

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

1. This would be a good time to replenish your freezer supply of onions and bell peppers so you will find extra of both on your shopping list.
   
   
2. Use leftover Lemon Vinaigrette from Tuesday for the green bean recipe.

Black Beans and Rice

• 1 onion, sauteed (cook a whole bag and freeze the extra)
• 1 green bell pepper, sauteed (from freezer)
• 2 cups black beans* (from freezer) or 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup salsa
• salt and pepper
• white or brown* rice (enough for your family)

Combine all ingredients except rice in a skillet. Cover and let simmer while preparing rice. Add water if necessary. Serve beans over rice when rice is ready.

 

Lemon Green Beans

• 1 pkg. (28-30 oz.) frozen green beans* or about 1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans with ends removed and beans snapped
• ¼ cup Lemon Vinaigrette (see recipe on Tuesday under Corn Salad)

Cook green beans according to package directions. Drain. Place in bowl and season with salt, pepper and vinaigrette. Toss to coat.

 

 

 

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

1. Some of you have been requesting more vegetarian meals. This would be a great meal to leave out the beef and just add more veggies. Try adding pieces of squash, sweet potatoes, etc. The grocery list will reflect the menu as you see it below, but try adding your own favorites and post to the Yahoo Group and let us know what you tried.
   
   
2. We are making extra meat and vegetables tonight so that we can use the leftovers to make fajitas next week, so don't eat your leftover meat and vegetables.
   
   
3. If you would rather not have rice two nights in a row, substitute couscous instead of the yellow rice.

 

 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.

 

Steamed Broccoli

Pineapple with Yogurt

 

 

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

1. Use the chicken we prepared for the freezer last week for this salad. If you did not make extra chicken, be sure to add chicken to your grocery list.
   
   
2. This recipe came from my neighbor, Jennifer Stephens, via her friend, Bethany Lyle. Thanks so much to both of you for sharing this "have again" or in my family's case "have over and over again".
   
   
3. This makes a LOT of salad.  My family of 5 usually eats on it for several days. 
   
   
4. Keep the lettuce separate and add it in right before eating.  If the lettuce sits in the salad for too long it will get soggy.
   
   
   

Chicken Pasta Salad

• 5 cups chicken (about 3 breasts), cooked and cubed from freezer
• 2 cups grape halves
• 2 cups chopped lettuce
• 12 oz. spiral pasta, cooked and drained
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced and quartered
• 3 green onions, diced (optional)

Toss together in a bowl. 

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar (I sometimes use plain white vinegar if that’s all I have)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. dried chopped onion
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. parsley

Mix all ingredients in a sealable container and shake well.  Pour over the salad and mix in. 

Bread of Your Choice

 

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

This week's Grocery List can be downloaded here:

Grocery List for May 18-22, 2009 - PDF

Grocery List for May 18-22 , 2009 - TXT (for PDAs or text editing)

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