Menu: March 18-24
Hi again, I'm back in the kitchen with a full menu for the week. Publix had some good sales this week and I stocked up on meat and some other staples.
Sunday: pork loin chops with pan sauce, orzo, broccoli
Monday: White Bean Stew & Greens, rolls
Tuesday: London Broil, potatoes, asparagus
Wednesday: out
Thursday: Szechuan-Style Tofu with Peanuts, rice
Friday: out
Saturday: big pot o' curry
Sunday's pork chops are sauteed in a pan according to a method that I read about in Cook's Illustrated magazine. Season the meat with salt and pepper and about 1/8 teaspoon sugar per chop to encourage browning. Start the chops over low or medium-low heat, then turn up the burner once you hear a sizzle. Brown on one side, then turn, cover the pan and cook to your desired degree of doneness. They suggested a pan sauce made from a bit of broth, Dijon mustard, chopped fresh sage, and a few tablespoons of butter that are whisked in last off the heat. This is super dreamy over gnocchi but my kid has a visceral reaction to gnocchi so I don't serve them anymore ;-). Orzo makes a good substitute.
I am not a huge kale addict but when the craze first hit, I tried this recipe for a stew of beans, bacon and kale from Family Circle and believe it or not, we all love it (spoiler: it's the bacon). Simple, quick to prepare, warm and filling, this is a great dish for a busy weeknight. Some cornbread or rolls are great for sopping up any broth left in your bowl. Kale is very forgiving if you leave it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for a few days, unlike some veggies that must be used right away.
London broil was on sale at Publix this week. I use a marinade for flank steak that was printed in Cooking Light a while back: 1/4 cup ketchup, 3/4 cup soy sauce ( I usually stop at 1/2 cup), 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil, and chopped green onions. It's pretty tasty. The leftover steak is going into wraps for my lunch this week.
Another oldie but goodie from Cooking Light is Szechuan-Style Tofu with Peanuts. This is my favorite method for cooking tofu: cutting it into cubes and putting it under the broiler. The instructions don't call for it, but I like to press the slabs of tofu for a few minutes before cutting them into cubes. Just put down some paper towels, lay the slabs/slices of tofu in a single layer, then top with more paper towels and a cutting board or baking sheet. Then put a heavy pot on top for a few minutes. It presses the water out and makes your tofu nice and firm. Go ahead and buy the sambal oelek and black bean sauce for this--you will like it so much that it will become a regular on your menu. If you family dislikes mushrooms as much as mine does (bummer) try broccoli instead.
Saturday I will make a giant pot of chicken curry and hope we don't eat it all in one sitting like most of our meals. Leftovers would be nice for lunch on Sunday! UPDATE: my chicken curry technique has evolved somewhat and now results in a much better tasting result, I think. I used to cut the chicken into strips, saute it with some red bell pepper strips, then add the coconut milk and curry paste. Now I heat up the milk and curry paste first, then simmer/poach the boneless chicken breasts in it. I add mixed frozen veggies and peas when the chicken has about 10 minutes to go. I don't stir in the fish sauce until the dish is almost finished. This way the chicken is much more tender and everyone is happy!
Hope you all have a great week and eat lots of healthy food with people you care about!
Sunday: pork loin chops with pan sauce, orzo, broccoli
Monday: White Bean Stew & Greens, rolls
Tuesday: London Broil, potatoes, asparagus
Wednesday: out
Thursday: Szechuan-Style Tofu with Peanuts, rice
Friday: out
Saturday: big pot o' curry
Sunday's pork chops are sauteed in a pan according to a method that I read about in Cook's Illustrated magazine. Season the meat with salt and pepper and about 1/8 teaspoon sugar per chop to encourage browning. Start the chops over low or medium-low heat, then turn up the burner once you hear a sizzle. Brown on one side, then turn, cover the pan and cook to your desired degree of doneness. They suggested a pan sauce made from a bit of broth, Dijon mustard, chopped fresh sage, and a few tablespoons of butter that are whisked in last off the heat. This is super dreamy over gnocchi but my kid has a visceral reaction to gnocchi so I don't serve them anymore ;-). Orzo makes a good substitute.
I am not a huge kale addict but when the craze first hit, I tried this recipe for a stew of beans, bacon and kale from Family Circle and believe it or not, we all love it (spoiler: it's the bacon). Simple, quick to prepare, warm and filling, this is a great dish for a busy weeknight. Some cornbread or rolls are great for sopping up any broth left in your bowl. Kale is very forgiving if you leave it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for a few days, unlike some veggies that must be used right away.
London broil was on sale at Publix this week. I use a marinade for flank steak that was printed in Cooking Light a while back: 1/4 cup ketchup, 3/4 cup soy sauce ( I usually stop at 1/2 cup), 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil, and chopped green onions. It's pretty tasty. The leftover steak is going into wraps for my lunch this week.
Another oldie but goodie from Cooking Light is Szechuan-Style Tofu with Peanuts. This is my favorite method for cooking tofu: cutting it into cubes and putting it under the broiler. The instructions don't call for it, but I like to press the slabs of tofu for a few minutes before cutting them into cubes. Just put down some paper towels, lay the slabs/slices of tofu in a single layer, then top with more paper towels and a cutting board or baking sheet. Then put a heavy pot on top for a few minutes. It presses the water out and makes your tofu nice and firm. Go ahead and buy the sambal oelek and black bean sauce for this--you will like it so much that it will become a regular on your menu. If you family dislikes mushrooms as much as mine does (bummer) try broccoli instead.
Saturday I will make a giant pot of chicken curry and hope we don't eat it all in one sitting like most of our meals. Leftovers would be nice for lunch on Sunday! UPDATE: my chicken curry technique has evolved somewhat and now results in a much better tasting result, I think. I used to cut the chicken into strips, saute it with some red bell pepper strips, then add the coconut milk and curry paste. Now I heat up the milk and curry paste first, then simmer/poach the boneless chicken breasts in it. I add mixed frozen veggies and peas when the chicken has about 10 minutes to go. I don't stir in the fish sauce until the dish is almost finished. This way the chicken is much more tender and everyone is happy!
Hope you all have a great week and eat lots of healthy food with people you care about!
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