Hi Everyone!!!! And welcome to the new members of my Weekly Menu!
I hope you enjoyed last week’s menu! I have heard RAVE reviews about the roasted tomato pasta and the zucchini chowder!!! The pasta was sooooo good that it would blow any low-carb diet right out the window! Remember – everything in moderation!
This week we have another great menu using specials and fresh seasonal produce. We kick it off with Stir Fry. My idea of stir fry is to throw whatever you have on hand into the wok and serve it on top of rice. I have a recipe to follow but please use whatever you have on hand. This will save time and money! Soup’s on for Tuesday – yeah I know – it is 90 today but I can eat soup anytime! And it is a fabulous Wedding Soup that uses fresh zucchini!!! I still have too many lying around. We will use up the remaining ground beef from the special and have a taco night on Wednesday. Be sure to make extras so you can have nachos later in the week! Sauteed Tilapia for Thursday night and be ready to use up extra veggies and leftovers fro Friday night with veggie sandwiches and nachos!
Remember - save your receipts each week and at the end of the month tally your savings by using GE specials and coupons and pay yourself!!! Before long, you will have created a nice little slush fund for you and your family.
Don’t forget to check out all of the old coupon fliers that you should be saving - :) - and also the internet. Here are the sites again for those of you that are new: coupons.com and mygrocerydeals.com. When you sign up at coupons.com a nifty toolbar will appear and you will be able to pull down the tab and see which coupons you would like to print. So easy!!!!!
Here is this week’s menu:
MONDAY
Stir Fry – chicken, shrimp, pork, beef, or veggie
Steamed rice – white or brown
Stir Fry
2 T. of Canola Oil, divided
2 cups of fresh broccoli florets
2 cups of chopped zucchini
1 cup sliced red pepper
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup peas - frozen
1 t. of fresh ginger
2 t. of water
1 lb. of shrimp or chicken breast or pork or beef, cut into strips or omit meat to keep it veggie
¼ t. of crushed red pepper – more if you like it HOT
½ cup of chicken broth
2 T. of rice wine vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. of chili-garlic sauce (optional)
2 T. hoisin sauce
2 t. minced garlic
1 t. of cornstarch
Heat 1 T. of oil in a large skillet or Wok over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, carrots, red pepper and ginger to pan and sauté for about one minute. Add the water, cover and cook for about 2 minutes. Add zucchini and peas and stir for about 1 minute. Remove veggies from the pan and keep warm.
Heat remaining 1 T. of oil in the pan. Add the shrimp or meat and crushed red pepper. Cook until the shrimp is pink or the meat is lightly browned, stirring often.
Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ingredients and add to the pan, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Return the veggies to the pan and toss so that everything is evenly coated.
TUESDAY
Wedding Soup
Sliced Olive Oil Bread
Kristen’s Wedding Soup
3 large chicken breasts, with skin and bone
16 cups of chicken stock or broth
salt, pepper and celery seed to taste
Bring chicken stock to a boil. Then add chicken and seasonings. Boil until chicken is fully cooked. Season as you go. Remove chicken when cooked, skin, debone and cut chicken into bite size pieces and set aside until later.
Meatballs:
1 pound of ground beef
2 eggs, slightly beaten
4 T. of bread crumbs (I use Italian style)
¼ cup of parmesan cheese
½ t. of minced garlic
1 t. dried basil
1 t. onion powder
In a large bowl, combine all of the above ingredients for the meatballs. Form small meatballs. Cook over medium heat in 2 T. of olive oil, until cooked or pop them in the oven at 350˚ until done. Remove and drain on paper towels and set aside until later.
10 oz. frozen or fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup ancini de pepe, pastina or orzo
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped carrots
Add pasta to the boiling pot of water after chicken has been removed. Let cook 5 minutes.
Add spinach and simmer 5 more minutes.
Meanwhile saute vegetables in olive oil for about 5 minutes or until tender.
Return cut chicken to broth, add meatballs and vegetables and simmer until ready to serve, at least 5 minutes.
Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
WEDNESDAY
Taco Night
Tacos
Chips and salsa
Refried Beans
Giant Eagle has a special on Ground Beef – you must buy the 3 lb. value pack to realize the special. Depending on the size of your family brown enough ground beef and add your favorite taco seasonings. Usually, one pound of beef will feed a family of four. Don’t be afraid of leftovers – we will use them again!
Freezing tip – if you do not use all of the ground beef and wish to freeze some, be sure you flatten the meat prior to freezing. Think large raw meat pancake. This will save you space in your freezer because you can stack meat nicely and it will save you time defrosting the same for a future meal. Also, consider browning ALL of the meat and freeze only the beef you won’t use for the tacos. Reheating frozen ground beef that has already been browned is quick and easy. Then you can add it to a jar of sauce for a quick meat sauce or for sloppy joes! There are many possibilities!
THURSDAY
Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon-Caper Sauce
Rice
Tossed Salad
Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon-Caper Sauce (Adapted from Southern Living’s Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites Cookbook)
1 ½ cups of chicken broth
½ cup of fresh lemon juice – about 3 lemons
1 T. of capers
2 T. of butter, divided
2 t. of olive oil
4 – 6 oz. Tilapia fillets
½ t. of salt
½ t. of pepper
½ cup of flour
Combine chicken broth, lemon juice and capers and set aside. Melt 1 T. of butter with the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Dredge fillets in flour. Add fillets to pan and cook 3 minutes on each side until the fish begins to flake apart with a fork. Remove from the skillet and cover and keep warm.
Add broth mixture to the skillet stirring to loosen the browned bits. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced to about ½ cup. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining T. of butter. Spoon sauce over the fillets.
FRIDAY
Roasted Veggie Sandwich
Chips
Or
Nachos
Roasted Veggie Sandwich
1 sliced zucchini squash
1 sliced summer squash
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 small box sliced mushrooms
1 sliced red bell pepper
1 small sliced onion
2 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Favorite bun or bread
Favorite Cheese – provolone, mozzarella, or goat
Dressing – Italian or Balsamic
Toss all the veggies together with the oil and salt and pepper. Roast on a cookie sheet at 450˚ for about 20 minutes, turning once mid-way through. Put them in the upper half of the oven so they get a little brown on top.
Once the veggies are removed from the oven, place the bun or bread topped with cheese under the broiler until the cheese melts and the bread is toasted.
Assemble sandwiches and drizzle with the dressing.
*** Kid Tip *** If your kiddos won’t like a veggie sandwich, take the leftovers from taco night and make nachos!
Nachos
Tortilla chips
Leftover taco meat, refried beans, cheddar cheese.
Toppings: salsa, olives, jalapenos, sour cream, green onions
Spread tortilla chips onto a cookie sheet. Reheat taco meat and beans in the microwave. Layer the beef and beans on top of the chips. Load it up with cheddar cheese. Place the cookie sheet in a 400˚ oven until heated through and cheese has melted. To serve, plate up the nachos and have everyone add their own toppings!
And now for the shopping list. As always, double check your pantry, fridge and freezer to see if you already have any of the items listed below. This will reduce your spending and create less waste!
Shopping/Checklist
Produce
Fresh Broccoli – GE special $.99
Tossed salad – GE special on bagged salad $.99
2 or 3 Zucchini
Yellow squash
Mushrooms – GE special $.99
2 Red peppers
Carrots
Ginger
Garlic
2 Onions
3 lemons
Deli
Parmesan cheese – GE special on DiGiorno Cups
Olive oil bread or Italian bread
Bread or buns for veggie sandwich – Sausage rolls on special
Spices/Oils/Vinegars/Condiments
Canola Oil
Olive oil
Flour
Crushed red pepper
Chicken broth – at least 20 cups
Cornstarch
Salt and pepper
Celery seed
Basil
Onion powder
Italian or Balsamic dressing for veggie sandwich
Canned Goods/Ethinic Foods/Dry Goods
Rice wine vinegar
Soy sauce
Chili-garlic sauce
Hoisin sauce
Rice – white or brown
Ancini De Pepe pasta – or other small pasta for soup – GE special on San Girogio
Taco seasonings and shells and sauce and salsa – GE special on Ortega products and Mc Cormick seasonings
Refried Beans
Capers
Seafood/Meat Case/Butcher
Shrimp or meat for stir fry – whatever you want
Tilapia – 4 filets – GE special
3 large chicken breasts with skin and bone
Ground beef – 3 lb. value pack on special at GE
Frozen Foods
Peas
Box of frozen chopped spinach
Dairy
Eggs
Tortillas – if making soft tacos – GE special on GE brand OR coupon in Sunday paper for Mission Tortillas
Cheddar cheese – for tacos – GE special
Butter
Favorite cheese for veggie sandwich
Sour cream for tacos and nachos
Bread
Bread crumbs – Italian seasoned
Misc.
Tortilla chips
Chips
Thanks again to everyone who has passed on my menu! I really appreciate it and am grateful that you are enjoying the recipes and the savings! I am happy to add anyone so keep passing it on!
Follow the plan so you can save time, money, and a few calories! Remember – cooking our own food is healthier than ordering in and eating out any day!!! Your family, wallet and waistline will thank you! :)
I hope you all enjoy your week, the recipes and the savings!
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