Dinner Meal Plan: Week of 10/27/2014

This week's meal plan! Enojy!

Monday:

Oriental Chicken Salad

Tuesday:

Zuppa Toscana (Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup)

No Knead Bread

Wednesday:

Leftovers

Thursday:

Zucchini Fritters

Garden Salad

Friday:

Mummy Hot Dogs (Happy Halloween!)


What are you having this week?

Dinner Meal Plan: Week of 10/5/2014 (With Recipes)

I don't know if this will be helpful for anyone, but I usually spend an hour or so each Sunday or Monday planning 3-4 meals for the week (depending on what leftovers we already have and what each recipe yields) and then buy all of the groceries I need for the week.  I look at the grocery store's weekly ad, but don't always choose to buy from it.  I usually plan to make something with leftovers at the beginning of the week for lunches.  This week is a little different, because we made two pizzas today and can have leftover pizza and fruit for lunches early this week.  I also try to plan quick or slow cooker meals for the days I'm working so that we can eat soon after we get home (dinner is usually at 5:30 at my house!).

I looked through my refrigerator and freezer to help me plan meals this week.  I saw that I have some eggs that need to be used up.  I also stumbled upon some game bird in the freezer (Chukar).  I can usually find a lot of, um... inspiration (?) this way.

Sunday/Monday Prep:

• I often buy a head of Romaine (or "green lettuce" as my grocery store calls it) and wash and chop it on the day I buy it.  I store it in a gallon storage bag with a paper towel and I try to have as much air in the bag as I can.  It's 99 cents per head of lettuce, which is way cheaper than a bag, and it lasts quite a bit longer.
• Wash, prep, and portion fruit &/or veggies in small containers to grab for lunches
• Homemade yogurt cups in small containers:  1 serving greek yogurt, chia seed jam scooped on top (to taste, depends on how sweet it is)

Monday:

Chukar Piccata, Angel Hair Pasta, Green Salad
(note: Chukar is a game bird.  Chicken is typical in this recipe)

Tuesday:

Cobb Salad (lettuce, chopped ham/turkey, hard boiled egg, shredded cheddar, red peppers, avocado, shredded carrots, green onion, olives, bacon, ranch dressing)

Wednesday:

Slow Cooker Pasta Bake (I won't use a recipe, but something like this, probably with broccoli & cauliflower)

Thursday:

Leftovers

Friday:

Irish Beef Stew (Slow Cooker)


What are you having this week?

Recipe: Strawberry/Blackberry Chia Seed Jam (Or How to Dye Your Wooden Spoon in 15 Minutes)

Pinterest is one of the coolest inventions of this century. I find the most interesting things while browsing--things I never would have thought of otherwise! A more recent discovery was Chia seed jam. Now, historically, I have not been a jam person. "I'll take a PB&J, please, hold the J." It's usually very sweet, contains no recognizable fruit, and has a strange consistency (I get freaked out by things that hold their shape when they come out of their container). BUT, this recipe had Chia seeds in it, and if you don't know, they have this strange property where when they're exposed to water, they swell and form a gelatinous outer layer. This makes them incredibly cool (in a science experiment-y kind of way) aaaaaand perfect for instant jam!

Now, as far as I know, you shouldn't try to can this recipe. It's more of a freezer-jam-style recipe (although I haven't frozen it yet, so I don't know how well that would work). Contact your local Extension Agent before you try canning this to make sure it's safe.

I stuck pretty close to the original recipe, but then again, that's easy to do when there's only four ingredients! And it's hard to mess up when there's only four ingredients!  And there's no worry about the perfect sugar/pectin ratio.  I'm pretty sure this jam will set every time.  Every. Time.  (Can I get a Hallelujah?)  Oh yes, aaaaaaaand it tastes like REAL FRUIT!  (Hallelujah!)

Strawberry/Blackberry Chia Seed Jam

By the Spares

Adapted from Magical Blueberry Vanilla Chia Seed Jam by Oh She Glows

16 oz. Fresh Strawberries, chopped in 1/4" pieces
12 oz. Fresh Blackberries
1/4 to 1/3 c. Sugar (depending on the sweetness of your berries)
2 T. Chia Seeds

Combine fruit and sugar in a medium pot on medium heat.  Smash berries with a wooden spoon and cook until juice comes to a low boil.

Stir in Chia seeds and simmer for 15 minutes, until jam is thick.

Notes:
1. Store in an airtight container.  Lasts 1 week in the fridge.
2. I like to enjoy this on buttered toast or stirred into plain Greek yogurt! (Hallelujah!)
3. I found a big bag of Chia seeds at my local organic food supply store.

Recipe: Brisket Tacos

The first time I had a Brisket Taco was in Dallas on the recommendation of our friends (I think it was this place).  Handsome and I had never even heard of such a thing (and we consider ourselves pretty well-versed on Mexican/Tex-Mex/Kans-Mex food, since we live in the same town as so many REAL Mexicans).  They.  Were.  Amazing.  It's like all of the things I love about brisket and about Mexican food rolled into one, juicy taco!

We go classic when we eat these at home.  Warm tortillas slathered with sour cream, pile the meat high, scatter chopped cilantro, some salsa or purple onion, squeeze a lime on top and it's go-time.  Honestly, though, this meat's pretty great in a regular sort of taco, too.  It reminds me a lot of Chipotle's Barbacoa, but a little less spicy.  However you decide to eat it, just get-going and make it, because it's tasty!

Brisket Tacos
by The Spares

3-4 lb. Brisket*
6 Chipotle Peppers (from canned Chipotles in Adobo sauce)
1-3 T. Adobo Sauce (from can)
4 c. Beef Broth
6 cloves Garlic, peeled
2 T. Cumin
2 t. Oregano
Salt & Pepper

Optional:  Heat smoker to 250 degrees F with your favorite wood--my husband likes to use Walnut.  Liberally salt and pepper both sides of the brisket and smoke for 2 hours (we're not trying to cook it here, just get some smoke flavor).

Combine peppers, Adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, oregano and 3 T. broth in a food processor.  Process until smooth and set aside.

At this point you can use a slow cooker or your oven.  If using your oven, preheat to 300 degrees F.

Place (smoked) brisket in a slow cooker insert or roasting pan.  Spread Chipotle sauce on top of brisket and pour broth around the sides.  If using oven, cover roasting pan tightly with foil.  For both oven and slow cooker, cook on low for 8-10 hours, until brisket shreds easily with a fork.

Remove brisket from pan onto a large platter or cutting board.  Shred with two forks (be careful, it's hot!).  Moisten the shredded meat with some of the sauce.  You probably need to use at least half of the juices.  For a spicier taco, reduce pan juices by boiling them in a pot on the stove for 10-20 minutes, and use all of the juices to moisten the meat.

Serve on warm tortillas with sour cream, cilantro, diced purple onion, homemade salsa, and a squeeze of lime juice!

*I can usually buy a half brisket (8-12 lb) at the local packing plant and save half for later.  This freezes very well, so don't worry if you can only find a large piece of brisket.

The Window

In my apartment this summer we have this great big window in the kitchen/dining room.  Sometimes I don't even turn on the kitchen light so that the sun can flood in.

In college, we barely had windows in our rooms (and we kept them covered so the creepers next door couldn't see in).  I missed the soft glow in the mornings and evenings.

Last weekend while driving home, I decided to stop at the new home and garden store.  I came home with a purple sage plant, the prettiest herb I could find, since I wanted it to be functional as well as beautiful.  Unfortunately, I forgot the little guy at home, so our big, welcoming window is bare for another week.

Some days I get the urge to create something and to try to do something a different way than it's been done before.  Sipping my hot tea and gazing out of our window this morning, I got an idea.  I've made sun tea before.  In fact, my roommate has made it a couple of times already this summer, out on the front porch.

I don't have any big containers, but staring out that window, I got the idea to try and make little jars of sun tea.  It looked so pretty on the window that I decided to share it with you.  And, when I added a little ice, it was delicious. 

The best part is... there's still another glass for tomorrow.

Italian Cookies

It's a good day, friend.  I discovered a new favorite recipe--Biscotti (click for the recipe)--and it was really easy!  I split the batch in half and made one cranberry-almond and one chocolate toffee.  It turned out quite delicious (mom even liked it), and it's going to be a great treat to bring to grandma's next week since she loves coffee and Italian food!  Here's a few photos I took of my creation...

 

First you bake the dough in loaves, then you slice it into the traditional long shape--perfect for dunking into coffee!

You have to bake each slice to dry it out and get the crunchy cookie you're used to.

(See my camera reflected?)

Yum!  Finished cranberry almond biscotti.