Menu Plan Monday

Mmm. Tonight I watched "The Queen" with a couple of friends, and for the occasion I made a chocolate mint pudding. I'll have to post a recipe link to it tomorrow; it was scrumptious. (And the movie was good too.)

But now it is time for Menu Plan Monday, thanks to Org Junkie! Visit her to browse more menus.

Here's what we're having (I hope) this week:

Monday: Sausage, Apple and Cheddar Bread Pudding
Tuesday: freezer meal
Wednesday: African Chickpea and Spinach Soup & cornbread
Thursday: Asian Spaghetti
Friday: dinner at folks
Saturday: pasta w/ ham & Rosemary & Garlic White Sauce and broccoli normandy (Rosemary and Garlic White Sauce adapted from this recipe)


I do recommend the above white sauce, if you want something more interesting than alfredo for your pasta. It's pretty easy to make, and the rosemary-infused milk makes it special. (Totally easy too, you just use the microwave.)

Check back for pictures of the linked recipes! (And check this week's back posts for pictures of last week's - the baked tomatoes and the Indian Chicken Casserole turned out really well!)

-Jessica

p.s. Sadly, I didn't make the Better-than-ever Beef Enchiladas on Thursday because, well, my mother-in-law offered to buy us dinner. (Okay, not so sad!) But since I had the beef defrosted, I cooked it up anyway, and froze it, and am thinking about making it on Sunday night, if it turns out that my weekly dinner with my girlfriends is at my place (I think it is). So, I'm still planning on making that one, it was just replaced with taquitos and powdered donuts this week (um, the kids picked the menu? oh, okay, we did . . . powdered donuts are SOOOOO good.) :D

Baked Eggs in Tomato Cups: Vegetarian Times

I made this simple recipe from Vegetarian Times tonight, and we ate it on buttered toast.

The verdict? Yummy! This is one of those simple dishes that goes on the "perfect for a Saturday night" list. You know, things with few ingredients, that are easy to throw together from stuff you might have around the house, but that are still healthy and taste good.

Together with the whole wheat bread, it was pretty filling too. I can see us having this a lot this summer, once the tomato plants start bearing. All and all, an elegant take on eggs and toast.

-Jess

alterations:
-I only made half the recipe. Does that count as an alteration? Oh, by the by, we used oregano as our "dried herb" of choice.

Indian Spiced Chicken: Real Simple

So, Wednesday night, I made this recipe from Real Simple magazine.

Mmmmm. Now don't get me wrong, we really enjoyed it on Wednesday night, but it was even better Thursday at lunch. It's one of those recipes. (Which kinda surprised me, because those recipes, in my experience, usually involve tomatoes, and this didn't.)

I'm certainly going to make it again, but next time I think I'll add a bit more liquid. There was enough to cook everything (including the rice), but the dish wasn't saucy at all, and I think it'd be better if it was. The flavors, however, I don't think can be improved upon.

Oh, except for the one improvement I already made. :D I substituted cut-up dried apricots for the golden raisins, and I think it was a good move.

So, this one? I recommend. Also, with the phyllo dough topping, it looks very impressive at the table. It'd be a good company dish, if you're looking for one.

Also, don't give into the temptation to leave out ingrediants. This is a slightly expensive dish, with the toasted almonds and all, but the toasted almonds, phyllo dough and apricots really make it something special. Personally, I toasted my own almonds (bought cheap at our ranch market) and discovered, after buying the phyllo dough, that the package contained enough to make this dish six or seven times over. And I'm pretty sure that, like pie crust, you can freeze phyllo dough to use later. So I did, and I think that makes this a much more reasonably priced meal. Especially if you buy your chicken on sale. :D

-Jess


alterations:
-I cut the chicken up in smaller pieces than the recipe asked for.
-Apricots for raisins, as mentioned above.
-I tried a Cooking Light trick of spraying the phyllo dough with cooking spray, rather than brushing it with butter. Next time, I'm just going to go with the butter. I wasn't impressed with the slightly burned flavor that the cooking spray gave the dough.

Menu Plan Monday

Hopefully, I'll get pictures of all the linked recipes (with reviews of how the recipes turned out!) up during the week. Check back on Thursday and thereafter!

And . . . here's what we're eating (I hope!) this week:

Monday: Tortilla Soup w/ grapes
Tuesday: freezer meal w/ fruit
Wednesday: Indian Spiced Chicken (follow the link - doesn't that look yummy?)
Thursday: Better-Than-Ever Beef Enchiladas
Friday: dinner at folks'
Saturday: Baked Eggs in Tomato Cups w/ buttered toast

I don't (sadly) remember where I got this tortilla soup recipe (Emily?) but oh my, it's good. Here it is, but for my sake, do wear gloves (or at least wrap your hands in ziplock bags) before you chop the jalapenos.

-juice from one lime
-3/4 lb. chicken
-2 t. chili powder
-2 t. oil
-8 cloves garlic, minced
-1 can (14 1/2 oz.) jalapeno-flavored diced tomatoes
-2 jalapenos, minced (and seeded)
-3 c. chicken broth
-cheddar cheese
-tortilla chips or toasted corn tortilla strips
-optional: avocado and cilantro for garnishes

1) Drizzle lime juice and sprinkle 1 t. chili poder over chicken. Bake. (Um, till done through.) Cool. Shred.
2) Cook garlic, jalapeno and 1 t. chili poder in oil for 1 min. Add tomatoes (with juice), broth and 1 c. water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10 minutes, covered.
3) To serve: divide chicken & tortilla pieces amongst four bowls. Divide broth, top with cheese and garnish if desired.

For more great menu ideas, visit Org Junkie here.

So what are you all making this week?

-Jess

Asian-Style Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes: Family Circle

This was . . . well, it was okay. Not great. A bit too citrusy for my taste, and the yams seemed to have a very bland flavor that did not go well with the rest of the rather flavorful stew. Not bad though. I wouldn't say "don't make it". Just a bit unexciting.

-Jess

alterations:
-yams instead of sweet potatoes. I think. I tend to get them mixed up.
-I used beef ribs, boiled with the soup, instead of chunks of beef. After the meat cooked, I took it off the bones, chopped it up, and put it back in. I think this did add a bit to the not-so-stellar flavor of the stew (made it too greasy). If you make it, take their suggestion about the meat, and it'll probably be pretty good.
-I put in extra ginger. 'Cause we like ginger hereabouts.

Pumpkin Bean Soup: Better Homes and Gardens

Pumpkin, white beans, sage and coconut milk. Yeah, I wouldn't've put them all together in a recipe either. But, oh my goodness, such a treat for the tongue!

You can find the Pumpkin-Bean Soup recipe here. It turns out very creamy and rich, and I personally really liked their suggestion of serving it with lime slices (though we used lemon), because the tart citrus taste cuts through some of the creaminess in a very pleasant way. My husband liked it better without the lemon juice though.

And, perhaps most importantly, both the kids ate it. :D

-Jess

Alterations:
-served with lemon slices instead of lime
-soaked and cooked white beans in place of canned cannellini beans

Menu Plan Monday

Yep, I fell off the wagon with blog-posting here. Mostly because my husband (hi, love!) stole our camara in order to take pretty pictures on his walk to work, and without pictures of the meals I was making, I got uninspired about posting.

But it's a new week and a new menu! Here's to more posts in the next seven days.

Speaking of the next seven days, here's what we're having here at Print to Plate:

Monday: Pumpkin-bean soup with oatmeal muffins and broiled grapefruit*
Tuesday: freezer meal & canned fruit
Wednesday: Asian-style Beef Stew With Yams, with cornbread
Thursday: Yummy Pasta Salad and canned fruit
Friday: dinner at folks
Saturday: Vietnamese Fried Rice (from the More With Less Cookbook)
Sunday: after-church picnic: crackers and cheese

*to broil grapefruit for a side dish: turn on broiler. Cut grapefruits in half and put them on cookie sheets, cut side up. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Stick under broiler for about two minutes (check often, they can burn quickly!). Take out when brown sugar is melted, and top of fruit is just beginning to brown. Serve. (These are really yummy, and if you time it right, the top will be brown, sweet and crispy, and the bottom still cool and juicy.)

Might look a little strange, but it tastes delicious. And as sides go, it's super-easy.

Happy eatin' folks!
-Jessica