Monday - Recipes

Frozen Ravioli with Spaghetti Sauce
Salad
Italian Bread

 

Tuesday - Recipes

Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie
Zucchini and Tomatoes
Cottage Cheese with Pineapple Chunks

 

Wednesday - Recipes

Pesto over Angel Hair Pasta
Homemade Bread
Roasted Red Pepper Salad

 

Thursday - Recipes

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Italian Bread dipped in Olive Oil with Pesto
Broccoli Casserole

 

Friday - Recipes

Mexican Dip with Tortillas or Tortilla Chips
Corn on the Cob
Veggie Sticks and Dip

 

Grocery List

This week's Grocery List can be downloaded here:

Grocery List for September 5-9, 2005 - PDF

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

 

Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday:

1. Tonight we are using the leftover spaghetti sauce from last week. If you do not have any, you can make some using this spaghetti sauce recipe.

  Frozen Ravioli with Spaghetti Sauce

Cook one bag of your choice of frozen ravioli according to the directions. While it is cooking, heat your leftover spaghetti sauce from last week. Serve over ravioli and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

  Salad

  Italian Bread

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

1. Today's chicken recipe is from Lisa H. from the test group for Menus 4 Moms. Thanks, Lisa!

Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie

• 1 2/3 cup frozen mixed vegetable thawed
• 1 1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken (from freezer)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 cup biscuit mix
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg

Combine vegetables, chicken, soup and thyme.  Pour into a 9 inch pie pan.  Combine biscuit mix, milk and egg. Pour over top. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes.  Prep time for this is short - not more than 10 minutes!

 

  Zucchini and Tomatoes

• Olive oil
• 1 small zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 small onion, sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
• 1-2 Tbsp. water, as necessary
• 2 small tomatoes (or 1 large tomato), cut into wedges
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese

Saute onion and zucchini in olive oil. Add water if needed. When vegetables are starting to get tender, add tomatoes and seasonings. Serve warm sprinkled with Parmesan Cheese. (You may serve this over pasta if you wish.)

  Pineapple chunks served over Cottage Cheese

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

1. Tonight we are making an easy and delicious pesto sauce. If you can get fresh basil at your local farmer's market or from a friend who grows it, do! If not, look for it in little plastic packages in the produce section of the grocery store.
   
2. For taste, be sure to use either shredded Parmesan cheese (available in a bag from Sargento and others) or get a block and grate it yourself. Do not use the pre-grated stuff in the green canister!
   
3. Make the Roasted Red Pepper Salad in the morning and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before ready to serve.

  Homemade Pesto with Angel Hair Pasta

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup light olive oil
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. pine nuts
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 lb. angel hair pasta, prepared according to instructions

In a food processor (preferred) or blender, blend the basil and olive oil on medium speed. Add remaining ingredients except pasta and process, scraping the sides. Save 1/2 cup in the refrigerator for tomorrow night and mix the rest with the hot angel hair pasta. Never heat pesto!

  Roasted Red Pepper Salad

• 2 jars roasted red bell peppers
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 T. Balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 6 T. olive oil

Cut peppers into 1" strips and put in a bowl. Mince garlic (or press). In a small dish, combine garlic, vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Stir until salt dissolves. Add oil and mix. Pour over peppers, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Bring to room temperature before serving and season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

 Homemade Bread

Make a loaf of bread (preferably whole wheat) in your bread maker using your favorite recipe. Time it so that it is ready at dinner time and serve warm with real butter.

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

1. If you have access to Puff Pastry dough, use that for the chicken dish. I can't find it anymore so I am going to use low-fat crescent rolls.
   
2. We are using the reserved pesto to make a dipping sauce for the bread tonight. Although the pesto has been refrigerated, we do not want to heat it up. Just set it on the counter to bring it to room temperature. True pesto is never heated.
   
3. If you want to bake a ham and use it for tonight's meal and use it for this weekend and for sandwiches, freeze the rest for use later. Otherwise, just buy diced ham as I have it on the grocery list.

 Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

• 2 cans refrigerated low-fat crescent dinner rolls
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped (from freezer)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked ham, chopped
• 1 cup (4oz package) Swiss cheese, grated
• 1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients except crescent rolls. Separate dough into 8 rectangles; firmly press perforations to seal well. Evenly divide mixture between rectangles. Pull up corners of rectangles to center and twist. Pinch edges to seal. Place on a cookie sheet lined with foil (for easy clean up) and sprayed with olive oil spray. Brush with egg. Cook for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

 

  Italian Bread dipped in Olive Oil with Pesto sauce

• 1 loaf Italian bread
• 1/2 cup pesto (from last night), room temperature
• olive oil

Warm bread in oven and slice. Combine pesto with enough olive oil to make a dipping sauce that will stick to the bread. Use either a community bowl to dip or give each person a shallow bowl/dish to dip their bread into.

  Broccoli Casserole

• 1 16 oz. bag frozen chopped broccoli, cooked
• 1 T. dried minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. marjoram
• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 tsp. chicken bouillon
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in large sauce pan. Add flour and stir for one minute. Add milk slowly and beat with a whisk. Add chicken bouillon, spices, onion, and Parmesan cheese. Mix with cooked broccoli and put in a greased casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°.

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

1. For quick preparation, make the dip in the morning and refrigerate until you are ready to bake it. Chop the veggies in the morning and place in a baggie in the refrigerator, and clean the corn. At dinner time all you will have to do is heat the dip in the oven, boil the corn, and set out the veggie sticks.
   
2. Use beans from the freezer to make homemade refried beans, and use cooked ground beef from the freezer.

  Mexican Layer Dip

Recipe is here. Serve with tortillas or tortilla chips.

 Corn on the Cob

  Veggie Sticks and Dip

Use your choice of carrots, red/yellow/green bell peppers, celery, broccoli florets, cauliflower, raw mushrooms, etc. Spciy Ranch dip is a good choice with this meal.

 

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