sunday | grilled seasoned chicken with sweet potato frites topped with guacamole
monday | eggplant parmesan and roasted balsamic brussels sprouts (sprouts recipe by Ree Drummond)
tuesday | chicken curry with vegetables (Melisaa d'Arabian)
wednesday | grilled flank steak with roasted yukon potatoes and grilled asparagus
thursday | chicken stew with biscuits (Ina Garten)
friday | naan pizzas served with a mixed green salad
saturday | grilled fish with brown rice and steamed veggie
The above images are from a lunch a pulled together using leftovers from the night before. I used pork tenderloins that I breaded and sauteed for my protein. For my leftover salad, I roughly chopped up the pork tenderloins and sliced some red grapes in half. Layering a plate with a bed of organic baby red and green lettuce, I then scooped up the pork and grapes and laid them over the lettuce. I dusted the top with crumpled aged Irish cheddar. Then, I drizzled a bit of poppyseed dressing over the entire salad. To top it off, I threw a dash of salt and freshly ground pepper on top. Yum!
I'm late with this week's menu. Sorry! However, Sunday and Monday's menu went as planned.
sunday | slow roasted pork made into tacos with beans and rice
monday | pot roast with roasted red potatoes and steamed broccoli
Sunday was very busy for our family. We had a soccer tournament, cheer exhibition and an evening mass so to keep it simple and make my life easy, I pulled out my favorite crockpot Sunday morning with a craving for tacos. I love to roast a whole pork tenderloin in the crockpot. I dump almost a whole jar of salsa verde over top the pork, slip the lid on and walk away. That simple!
The pork tenderloin simmered all day and smelled magnificent when I returned home. At this point the pork is almost ready to be scooped up into corn tacos. First, I use two forks to pull the pork into shreds. The natural juices that formed from roasting all day are absorbed back into the pork.Then I prepare my sides and heat up some corn tortillas in the oven. I slide them right onto the rack in a 350 degree oven for 3 to 4 minutes. To keep the tortillas warm, I layer a cloth napkin on a plate and fold them up.
To make it fun for the kiddos, I line up a variety of bowls with different fixin's. Here's what I usually have... shredded lettuce, diced yellow and red tomatoes, chopped onion & cilantro, homemade salsa, homemade guacamole, sour cream, queso fresco, shredded cheddar. For sides, I serve beans (black beans with diced tomatillos or traditional refried beans) with rice (brown rice - seasoned with cumin, garlic, cilantro, onion and a little stock instead of water to give it more taste). And... I've been cheating and using these organic brown rice bowls from Costco that are microwavable. They are easy to spice up. Love them!
Okay... here's the plan for the rest of the week.
tuesday | naan pizzas with a mixed green salad | create your own pizza with your favorite toppings
wednesday | Chip's Birthday! | shrimp and grits with a mixed green salad
When we visited NOLA last July, Chip fell in love with the Shrimp & Grits so I am going to surprise him with a version of my own. Wish me luck! And I'm going to make something sweet and yummy for dessert. He doesn't love cake so much so I'm still searching for the best dessert recipe. Ideas???
thursday | grilled salmon served over red and green cabbage slaw
friday | grilled cilantro and lime chicken breasts with roasted potatoes and steamed veggies
saturday | out to dinner | catching the washington spirit vs north carolina soccer game
Have an awesome week cooking for yourself or your family. Cheers! xo
my eggplant parmesan recipe (serves 8)
1 eggplant
3 eggs
panko bread crumbs (progresso italian style)
2 jars of marinara sauce (trader joes organic or paul newman's organic)
garlic
fresh italian parsley
mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
slice eggplant into 1/4" rounds. lay flat onto paper towels and dust lightly with salt and leave for about 10 minutes. the salt extracts moisture from the eggplant. pat down the eggplant with another paper towel to absorb water and salt.
break eggs onto plate and whisk. pour panko crumbs onto another plate. now it's assembly line time. dip the eggplant into the egg wash and then into the panko bread crumbs until they all are covered. set aside.
heat pan with 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 canola oil over med high heat (about a 1/2" deep). test your oil by dropping a few bread crumbs into the oil. if it sizzles and bubbles, then you are ready to go. take your time browning the eggplants. i do about four rounds at a time. use the oil twice and then dump and start with a new batch. if you don't, the bread crumbs fall off and into the oil and eventually your oil will turn dark brown. your eggplant will absorb a burnt taste. avoid that by using clean oil with every other batch. layer a plate with paper towels and drain your eggplant to drain excess oil.
i add minced garlic, salt, pepper, slap your mama seasoning and fresh italian parsley chopped finely into my marinara to give it a little kick. then... using a 9x13 baking dish, spray your dish with a little olive oil (helps with cleanup later) and then layer about a 1/3 of the marinara sauce onto the bottom of the dish. start layering your eggplant rounds into the lake of marinara. pour another 1/3 of the marnina onto the eggplant and top with shredded mozzarella and parmesan. dust with roughly chopped italian parsley bits.
bake in the oven at 350 covered tightly with foil for 30 minutes. remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes or longer until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. serve with a side of pasta, salad and garlic bread sticks. heat up the remaining marinara sauce as a dipping sauce for the bread sticks.
enjoy!
week 11 | weekly menu
sunday | grilled chicken breasts with lemon, grilled asparagus and roasted yukon potatoes
monday | chicken enchilades with beans and rice
tuesday | grilled salmon with brown rice and steamed broccoli
wednesday | crockpot | pork tenderloin slow roasted to make pork tacos with the fixings
thursday | cajun shrimp over grits with a mixed green salad
friday | lent friendly meal | fish tacos with cabbage and black beans
saturday | thai noodles with chicken and fresh veggies
every sunday morning i follow a routine. sleep in a bit (maybe 8 am if I'm lucky). have coffee in bed. read my favorite blogs. look through cookbooks. watch food network or the cooking channel. make a menu for the week. write out my grocery list. write in my journal - ideas or goals. look over my calendar. plan for the week.
some of these things i'm doing simultaneously. it's all about multi-tasking! my sunday morning may seem lazy as i linger in bed, but i'm actually quite busy and productive.
i bought two new cookbooks recently.
a year in my kitchen | i scored this awesome find at marshalls's for $5.50. << another great reason to shop marshalls. >> okay, so i'm in love with this cookbook. i love the author's writing, the photography and the recipes look delicious. i'm trying one recipe out this week. baked eggplants.
barefoot contessa foolproof | i love everything about ina garten. matter of fact, i'd love to meet her one day. she reminds me a little of my mom in appearance. she is so calming to watch and listen to. i tape her show everyday and when i'm stressed, i watch one of her episodes while cooking, while reading, just sitting and vegging. i love her effortless and simple approach to cooking. and her recipes are the BEST! i have a few of her cookbooks, and i've tried many of the recipes. they are truly yummy and they really work. you know what i mean about really work! right? anyhoo... here's what i've planned for this week's menu.
sunday
gumbo over steamed jasmine rice | paula deen's gumbo recipe
monday
leftover gumbo and rice. yum! the gumbo is even better the next day.
tuesday
pan seared salmon with brown rice and broccoli
wednesday
grilled ribeye steaks with mixed green salad
thursday
baked eggplants with mixed green salad, beets and feta | a year in my kitchen page 115
friday (LENT - meatless fridays)
penne alla vecchia bettola with arugula salad, heirloom tomatoes and garlic bread | barefoot contessa foolproof page 158
saturday
crockpot meal - corned beef with cabbage and potatoes
sunday
foolproof bbq ribs with homemade slaw and baked beans | barefoot contessa foolproof page 141
here's a peek of the gumbo. this IS the best gumbo recipe ever. it's easy and very tasty. i've made this over and over since 2009. it's a great crowd pleaser too.
and just because i didn't post anything valentine's day related, here's a cupcake for us to enjoy! store bought from sam's club. every month i donate cupcakes for the school's cupcake sale (every 3rd friday). i've found sam's club to have the best cupcakes. 30 cupcakes decorated beautifully for $13.98. so much easier than baking them myself. though i've done that too.
SUNDAY
brunch | french toast bread pudding with berries
Super Bowl snacks | salsa, guacamole with organic blue corn chips
dinner | curry chicken salad sandwiches with sweet potato frites
MONDAY
dinner | tequila lime chicken, brown rice & quinoa with steamed broccoli
TUESDAY
dinner | pan seared tilapia, jasmine rice with mixed green salad
WEDNESDAY
dinner | pot roast with carrots and baby gold potatoes
THURSDAY
dinner | grilled chicken with feta and beets over arugula
FRIDAY
dinner | naan pizza night (create your own pizza) with mixed green salad
SATURDAY
breakfast | pancakes with berries and a side of bacon and scrambled eggs
lunch | tomato, basil and mozzarella panini
dinner | grilled flank steak tacos with black beans and rice
RECIPE FEATURE
Ina Garten's French Toast Bread Pudding (with a cinnamon twist!)
I sliced the challah loaf into bite size pieces and I added a tablespoon of ground cinnamon to the pudding mixture. The recipe is very easy to make and everyone loved it; however, it takes a long time in the oven. 45 minutes covered with foil and then anther 45 minutes uncovered. Worth the wait! I served the french toast pudding with fresh strawberries and blueberries (sorry forgot the photo) and maple syrup.
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