Monday Menus

Alas, another Monday and menus to prepare.  This is probably the most brain-intensive part of my week but it is so worth it to take the mystery out of the question, “What’s for dinner?”  Personally, I do not assign a recipe to a certain day simply because I do not know what I want to eat or what my day will be like.  That being said, I do take a couple of things into consideration:

• Is there produce in my refrigerator that is about to be food for the garbage bin?
• Is there dairy or dressing about to expire?
• Has there been a package of meat in the freezer for over three months?

These are the things I cook earlier in the week.

And, to avoid the “UGH! It’s still frozen?!?!” quandary that has happened more than once in our home, I take everything that can be refrigerated from the freezer on Sunday or Monday morning.  I have also been known to cook two meals in one night and stick one in the fridge or if I am prepping an ingredient that I will also need later in the week, I go ahead and do enough for that meal too.

So, what are we eating this week?

1) Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad
This recipe is based on the Everyday Food recipe you can find HERE but has been adapted to my personal taste.

Cook 2 cups brown rice according to package directions. It does not matter whether it is instant or not. Just choose what works best for you. (They use bulgur instead of rice but it is expensive and difficult to find.) Place the cooked rice into a bowl and add the following:

• 1 roasted red pepper, chopped
• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and fried
• 1 cup baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried basil

Drizzle with olive oil and toss.  Salt and pepper to taste.

2) Sausage, Peppers and Potatoes
Still trying to find new ways to cook this stash of Italian Sausage. I found this recipe HERE.

3) Vegetable Beef Soup, Biscuits
This is a frequent meal in our house but it is not what you are thinking. After every meal, I put the leftover vegetables and rice, no matter what or how little is left, into a gallon-sized freezer bag. When the bag is full, I place it into a large stockpot with a can of tomatoes, tomato soup or tomato sauce. I also add chicken stock or water with beef bullion. Then, toss in about 1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves or basil and some browned ground beef. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until you are ready to eat. The longer it simmers, the better it tastes.

4) Pork Carnitas, Black Bean Salsa, Guacamole
This recipe comes from page 147 of Family Feasts for $75 a Week. Sorry! I could not find it online but I promise that this cookbook is worth the investment.

If you need a recipe for Guacamole, try THIS ONE and you can find the Black Bean Salsa recipe HERE.

5) Chicken Cacciatore, Frozen Veggie
My doctor asked me if I was watching my carb intake. I said, “Absolutely! I eat as many as possible!” I am a pasta loving girl and this recipe from page 156 of Family Feasts for $75 a Week promises to make me very happy. I searched but this one is not available online either.

6) Cheesy Corn and Potato Chowder
ICK! Once again, I have listed a recipe that I cannot find online but the good news is that if you have purchased Family Feasts for $75 a Week, you can find it on page 192!