This week’s menu is largely based on food we already had on hand. For example, the leftover peanut sauce in our fridge happens to go smashingly with Salad Rolls (which I conveniently had most of the ingredients for) or the phyllo for the mini-quiches awaits its next use, or the rice from Dragon Bowl (the recipe is coming) transforms into excellent fried rice.
Aside from clearing out our cupboards, we have been scrutinizing our budget. Planning our meals has helped me to use the food in our fridge and freezer wisely. There was a time when the homemade peanut sauce would have languished in our fridge until it was thrown out or the phyllo would have gotten freezer burn because it ended up under the things we use most often.
To add to our budget considerations, we have sourced a few staples like excellent quality whole chickens at a bulk discount (hence the weekly roast chicken). The plan, however, sometime goes off the track. Last week I tried to thaw a frozen chicken quickly and forgot about it on my counter for the better part of the day (no more thawing on the counter…) When I returned home and realized what I had done, I honestly gave serious thought as to whether or not I should cook the chicken for my family. Cooler heads prevailed and the chicken saw my garbage can instead of my roaster. In my travels about appropriate temperature of meat and best practices when thawing meat, I came across this handy website which will help when preparing this week’s chicken:
http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/eating-nutrition/healthy-eating-saine-alimentation/safety-salubrite/tips-conseils/food-steps-precautions-aliments-eng.php#a4
Menu Plan November 7 – 13
Saturday – Tacos
Sunday – Family dinner out
Monday – Salad Rolls
Tuesday – Pizza
Wednesday – Burgers, Roasted Mini Potatoes, Carrot and Zucchini Saute
Thursday – Mini Quiche, Salad and Raw Veggies
Friday – Roasted Chicken, Rice, Broccoli and Carrots
Grocery List
Pizza Sauce
Onion
Tomato
Peppers
Cucumbers
Mushrooms
Olives
Extra Lean Ground Beef
Mini-potatoes
Lettuce
Cheese (pizza)
Veggie boullion
Bananas
Pears
Kiwi
Berries
Cottage Cheese
Milk
Chocolate Milk
Greek Yogurt
Ham
Tofu