Menu Plan Monday 4 - Week of August 9

Craving Levity



This is what our family will be eating this week:

Special Notes: I'm taking everything from the "You on a Diet" book. I can't say I've actually done the whole diet / exercise program outlined in the book, but I have given a number of the recipes a stab and they're very good. They're also easy and quick to make. It's funny, but this is one of the best cookbooks I've used, as far as the recipes being well written and consistently producing yummy food. I'm ready for a change and thought I'd give the whole two-week "You on a Diet" thing a spin. We'll see what results I get in energy or weight! The "diet" involves exercise as well, and you have to follow it for breakfast and lunch as well, but I'm just listing the dinners here. 

Monday: Asian Salmon with Brown Rice Pilaf (p. 285, You on a Diet)

Tuesday: Stuffed Whole Wheat Pizza (p. 287, You on a Diet)

Wednesday: Mediterranean Chicken with Tomato, Olives and Herbed White Beans (p. 289, You on a Diet)


Thursday: Royal Pasta Primavera Provençale (p. 290, You on a Diet)

Friday: Apricot Chicken and Green Beans with Almond Slivers (p. 291, You on a Diet)

Saturday: Turkey Tortilla Wraps with Red Baked Potato (p. 292, You on a Diet)

Sunday: Broiled Trout, Orata with Rosemary and Lemon, Rock Aparagus (p. 293 & p. 301, You on a Diet)


Further Inspiration:
Looking for more menu planning ideas? Check out "Meal Plan Monday" on OrgJunkie.com.


Info on Who I Feed:

Our family consists of myself, my husband, our preschool daughter and toddler son. Everyone has different food preferences. I love onions, garlic and peppers and flavors like stir-fries. I'm not fond of meat, but eat it sparingly. I don't ever eat pork (no, not even bacon), lamb, rabbit or veal. I love carbs. My husband is directly opposite - no garlic, onions or peppers, lots of meat. Our children fall in the range between us. 


I try to be budget-minded and healthful, but some weeks are easier than others. Every now and then I get on a diet type of kick. I'm going to label each week's meal plan according to the overall healthfulness of it. 


At the end of the week, I will make notes about whether or not we stuck to the plan, adaptations and how the meal went over.

Lusty Bagel with Cream Cheese and Tomato

One of the reasons I took up gardening a few years ago is that I wanted some certifiably home grown tomatoes to pull ripe and warm off the plant and exalt over on a bagel with cream cheese. This is the essence of summer flavors for me.

My large tomatoes haven't come in quite yet, but we have received a few gorgeous tomatoes in our weekly CSA box. I didn't intend for this tomato to look like it's smiling. I'm a little bummed about that actually because it detracts from the real focus of the photo: look at the amazing deep red of that tomato!!! Look how gorgeous and succulent it is! It's almost like a persimmon, the ways it's just drizzling out of its skin with juiciness. It was simply fantastic.

Thumbs Down on Karam's Garlic Sauce

One issue I have with Sriracha sauce is that is can be rather spicy. Normally I like this, but sometimes I just want full-flavored garlic on my food without the spice. I happened across a garlic sauce on the refrigerator shelves of Whole Foods recently. It was pretty pricey - something like $6 for the bottle, but I'll pay a pretty penny for a truly great condiment.

The sauce is "Karam's Garlic Sauce." It has a simple ingredient list - olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper. The problem I have with it is twofold:

A) it basically tastes like any plain old bottled Caesar salad dressing

and

B) it doesn't hold up when applied to heat - the oil separates.

These two factors combing to make me feel like I'm adding something to a dish that shouldn't be exposed to heat (like salad dressing) and makes me think of mayonnaise that's been sitting around unrefrigerated at some sandwich counter all day. In short, because of the actual texture of the sauce, I can't shake the feeling that I'm eating instant food poisoning.

Apparently there's a cult following behind Karam's sauce and more power to them. I'm sticking with my Sriracha for now and hoping I'll discover the ultimate basic garlic sauce somewhere else.

Recipe: Summer Pasta with Garden Tomatoes and Basil

I have to remember to take a picture of this the next time I make it!

This recipe is very simple and it makes a delicious meal. As with any dish that is simple, you must make sure you are using the most fresh and flavorful ingredients. Right now, we get the tomatoes and basil from our garden.

12 oz penne pasta
2 pints small (cherry ish) tomatoes - washed and whole (minus stems)
1/2 cup chicken broth (can be substituted with vegetable - I use the Trader Joe's broth packets that you add water to)
1 small bunch basil - leaves torn
Shredded parmesan cheese to taste
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Additional Onion / Garlic Sauce if Desired:
3 cloves garlic - roughly minced
1 small white or red onion - sliced thin or thick, depending on your preference
1/4 cup chicken / vegetable broth

Put water on to boil. While water is heating, wash tomatoes and basil. If adding garlic / onion sauce do the following at this point:

1. Slice the onion
2. Pour about 1 tbsp olive oil into a pan
3. Over high heat, add the onions and caramelize it  (start high until well browned, lower to medium to simmer out the sugar)
4. Meanwhile, roughly mince the garlic
5. As onion approaches your desired level of caramelizing, add garlic and lower the temperature until garlic is sauteed
6. toss in broth, stir and simmer for another minute or two
7. Pull off stove and set aside to add to pasta later

BACK TO THE PASTA:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. During last minute, pull out 1 cup boiling water from pot
3. Throw tomatoes into pasta water for last 10 seconds of cooking pasta
4. Drain pasta and tomatoes
5. Return to pot
6. Toss in a little olive oil to prevent sticking
7. Mix reserved pasta water with 1 packet broth mix from Trader Joe's (or bouillon cube)
8. Add broth to pasta & tomatoes*
9. Dish out food
10. Top pasta with torn basil and cheese (the basil wilts easily which is why you add it after plating)

*If you opted for the garlic / onion sauce, add here. If you are like me and are the only one who will eat onions and / or garlic in your family, you can toss your added sauce in after plating.

Other Ideas:
You can easily add leftover meats to this dish and completely change the flavor. I often make extra to use as a hold over a few days later with a meat as a "fresh" leftover meal.

A New Love: Sriracha

A few years ago I was wandering the aisles of a grocery store and another customer asked me if I knew where the "rooster sauce" was. I had no idea what she was talking about. The then launched into a lengthy explanation of how much she and her 5 year old daughter loved this sauce and put it on everything. It was spicy and full of garlic and it sounded divine. The woman told me how it was usually found in the Asian section of a grocery store and that it had a rooster on it.

Time went by and I forgot about it until one day I spotted some of this mysterious sauce, just as she'd declared, in the Asian section with a rooster on it. The sauce is called "Sriracha" and the brand is Huy Fong. It's an American-made sauce that's based on an old standby from Thailand. It has been the most amazing addition to my culinary arsenal.

Warning: Always Shake the Bottle!!!
It's actually not that spicy, or rather, the spiciness and garlic flavors are pretty well balanced when you first open the bottle. It's critical, however, that you shake the bottle every time prior to squeezing sauce out of it or you'll end up with less garlic and more heat. I actually had to toss out about 1/4 of a bottle once because it got too spicy.

Another Warning: Be Sure You're Getting the Real Thing!
The greatest variant of Sriracha I've found is the Huy Fong version. Sadly, when you have an enviable product, people like to copy it and apparently this holds true for Sriracha. Yes, that's right... along with Chanel, Gucci and two dollar bills, there's a quick market for counterfeit Sriracha out there. Learn about how to get the genuine article here.
 
What to Eat Sriracha With
I hit the golden ticket the first time I tried the Sriracha - I used it as a condiment for a plain old cheese quesadilla and it was AMAZING. A friend of mine told me it goes great with "sweet" flavors. I wonder if it would be good with mango, and I intend to find out when I try this recipe for Grilled Chicken with a Mango Sriracha Glaze.

I eat boiled eggs with Sriracha a lot too, and it really perks up anything you would normally eat either hot sauce or ketchup with. In fact, it's really easy to combine Sriracha with ketchup and / or mayo / sour cream to create a great dipping sauce.

My love affair with Sriracha is only just beginning and I can already tell this is going to be a lifelong fascination. Please share any thoughts you have about good Sriracha recipes! 

Menu Plan Monday 3 - Week of August 2

Feeding Hungry Athletes


This is what our family will be eating this week:

Special Notes: This week my husband will be out on Tuesday night, so I get to prepare a simple meal that he usually isn't fond of. On Saturday, he's riding a century on his bike (100 miles... like a marathon for cyclists), so I really want to carb and protein-load him afterward. In addition, we belong to a CSA, which we pick up our food from on Wednesdays. This last week's box had a fair amount of beets and potatoes, which I'm going to need to use ASAP. Finally, our pear tree is booming... I think on Saturday I'll plan to make pear-based pierogies for Sunday. We're off to a family gathering on Sunday, so it would be nice to show up with something in-hand. 

Monday: Apricot Chickenwith Green Beans and Almonds (p. 291 You on a Diet)

Tuesday: Summer Pasta with Garden Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan

Wednesday: Rosemary Shallot Pork Tenderloin with Fig-Balsamic Compote by Gabi Moskowitz over at Broke Ass Gourmet, served with roasted potatoes and beets

Thursday: Taco Thursday with Ground Turkey

Friday: Asian Steak and Noodles (p. 48 The Working Mom's Fast & Easy One-Pot Cooking)

Saturday: Pasta with Sausage Spaghetti Sauce

Sunday: Leftovers, Gabi Moskowitz's Sweet Potato and Pear Pierogies with Chilies (after a Mid-Day Family Meal at Sister-in-Law's)


Further Inspiration:
Looking for more menu planning ideas? Check out "Meal Plan Monday" on OrgJunkie.com.

Info on Who I Feed:

Our family consists of myself, my husband, our preschool daughter and toddler son. Everyone has different food preferences. I love onions, garlic and peppers and flavors like stir-fries. I'm not fond of meat, but eat it sparingly. I don't ever eat pork (no, not even bacon), lamb, rabbit or veal. I love carbs. My husband is directly opposite - no garlic, onions or peppers, lots of meat. Our children fall in the range between us. 


I try to be budget-minded and healthful, but some weeks are easier than others. Every now and then I get on a diet type of kick. I'm going to label each week's meal plan according to the overall healthfulness of it. 


At the end of the week, I will make notes about whether or not we stuck to the plan, adaptations and how the meal went over.