Meal Planning, step 2

Once I have my list of meal ideas in front of me, I get a calendar and look to see if there is anything I need to plan around.  Then I use my list to start filling in a meal for each day.  I have a very basic system that I like to follow:

• Sunday, my husband is home so I plan a more time consuming, family meal, because I have help with the kids.   
• Monday, I try to plan something easy because I never seem to be organized on Mondays.... 
• I try to plan larger meals with leftovers early in the week so we all have something for lunches
• Friday I tend to plan "eat out" sort of foods like pizza or tacos.  No real reason, I just got in the habit of doing it...  
• When planning, I try to get one of each meat type during the week, as well as a pasta dish and a veggie based dish, then fill in the rest with whatever seems to work.  I just make sure we aren't having the same type of meal (ie. chicken) several days in a row.  Some people like to plan it so that each day is a certain type of meal, like Monday is vegetarian, Tuesday is chicken, etc.  If that makes it easier on you, do it!  It just doesn't work for me.  
• I don't usually plan side dishes (I'm kind of lazy like that).  There are certain things that I always do specific sides with (Apricot chicken is always sushi rice and steamed broccoli) for everything else, I just play it by ear that night.  I go with what I have in the garden or pantry, and that works well enough for me.  Most of my sides don't require anything more than basic pantry items, so I have a variety of things to choose from.  If I know I'm craving something specific, then I'll put it on the menu so I make sure I have all the ingredients on hand.  

Remember that you can always change what your planned meal is if the day comes and you just don't have a taste for pork chops, or whatever.  When I change something, I usually pick a different dish using the same main ingredient (pasta, ground beef, etc) or I juggle things around in the week and plan to eat this dish later in the week. And when all else fails, I dig through the freezer for some leftovers... 

My sister found this awesome site with an excel template for making your meal plan.  There are a variety of printable pdf files if you want to hand write a weekly or monthly plan.  If you know how to use excel (even a little) there is a program that where you type in your list of meal ideas and then you can use that list to fill in your calendar.  I just used it tonight and I love it!!  Check it out: http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/meal-planner.html


Here is my plan for the week, just to give you an idea:
Sunday- Roasted chicken, steamed green beans and balsamic rosemary roasted potatoes
Monday- Eggplant parmasean
Tuesday- Pecan crusted pork chops
Wednesday- Alfredo chicken pasta
Thursday- "Jack's" chicken (trying a new recipe...)
Friday- pizza roll
Saturday- grilled sausage
 

Meal planning, step 1

In my house, I HAVE to meal plan.  It's the only way I can make sure we eat dinner every night.  I don't always stick to it 100%, but it helps me have ideas ready so I'm not stuck, mid afternoon, trying to think of something to make.    It also helps me to make sure I have all the ingredients ahead of time for the dishes I want to make.  I usually meal plan for 4-6 weeks at a time. We purchase all of our meat from a local farm and get deliveries every 4-6 weeks, so meal planning makes sure I know what meat I have available to use. 

The first step is to get all of your recipes together and make a list of the dishes you like to eat.  List everything!  Simple dishes, fancy meals, summer dishes, winter dishes, whatever, just write it all down.  You can then look over this list each time you make you meal plan to give you ideas of what to fill in each day.  As you come across new recipes that you like, add them to the list.  I like to organize my list according to food type (chicken, beef, pasta, etc) because it's easier for me when doing the meal plan. 

I finally typed mine up in a nice organized list, instead of the scribbled one that has been hanging on my fridge forever.  Below are a few of the dinners on my list, just to give you some ideas.  You can find a printable version of my full list here. 

whole roasted chicken
apricot chicken
lemon chicken
tacos
stuffed peppers
chili
pecan crusted pork chops
grilled pork chops
grilled sausaged
lasagna
basil pesto pasta
eggplant parmasean
ratatouille
beans and rice
shrimp scampi
grilled salmon
pizza

Get your list together and I'll tell you next time how I go about filling my meal plan in.  

Basil Pesto

This summer I have become addicted to anything with basil, garlic and tomatoes.  I tried pesto for the first time and I LOVE it!  It's fresh, flavorful and quick to make.  When I make up a batch of it, I freeze the leftovers in an ice cube tray, so come winter, I will still be able to have my yummy pesto!  

First off, ask your husband to get you some basil while he's out tending to the garden (or pick some up from the store or farmer's market)

Traditionally, pesto has pine nuts in it.  I don't often have pine nuts in the house, so I used walnuts instead. 

Place your fresh basil, chopped garlic, nuts and grated Parmesan cheese in the food processor and puree.  Drizzle in the olive oil while it's running, then add salt and pepper to taste. 

Cook the pasta of your choice and drain.  Add some pesto and enjoy!  I also added a handful of fresh diced tomatoes to mine, but I knew my husband and son wouldn't eat them, so I left theirs plain. 

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe  http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/

• Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.
Yield: Makes 1 cup.

Ratatouille

 I watched Rachael Ray make ratatouille several years ago on her show and I had to try.  It's a simple, yet delicious dish, and it uses a lot of vegetables that we grow in our garden.  


I should probably point out that I am not a photographer, so bear with me while I learn to photograph food ;)

You start off by sauteing  your onion and garlic in a pan until soft.  The recipe says to add in jarred roasted red peppers, but I roasted one I had from the garden, so I didn't saute it in the pan with the rest of it. After it is all cooked, put the onion, garlic and red pepper in the food processor and puree it, along with some tomato sauce. 

Then you slice your green and yellow zucchini, eggplant and potato.  The recipe called for yukon golds, but I only had russet, so that's what I used. 

Spread your red pepper sauce in the bottom of your pan

 

 

And layer your vegetables on top of it.  You can try to make it look all pretty, I just try to mix them up so I don't have an entire row of one vegetable...  Sprinkle with thyme leaves, salt and pepper, and some olive oil. 

 

Cut a piece of parchment paper to put over the pan, then bake it for about 45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.. 

I personally like to eat mine with goat cheese on it, but I have a weird obsession for roasted red peppers and goat cheese....

Ratatouille  http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/ratatouille/

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus additional for drizzling
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 2 jarred whole roasted red peppers, chopped
• 1 small (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
• 2 small green squash, thinly sliced
• 2 small eggplant, thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 small Yukon Gold potatoes or a handful of baby Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
• 3 to 4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed 

Yields: 4-6 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the onion, garlic and roasted peppers to the pan and cook until the onions begin to get tender, 4-5 minutes.

Set up a food processor or blender and add the contents of the pan to the machine. Add in the tomato sauce and puree everything up (it should be about the consistency of thin tomato sauce). Season with salt and pepper and pour it out into the bottom of a casserole dish or sauté pan.

Swirl your dish around so that the bottom is evenly coated with sauce then arrange your veggies on top in a spiral pattern, alternating each veggie type, until you've filled the pan.

Sprinkle the thyme leaves over the top along with some salt, pepper, and a drizzle of EVOO. Cut a piece of parchment paper into a round the size of the pan (if you're not feeling artsy-craftsy, you can also use a square sheet of paper: Cut four slits in from the corners towards the center of the sheet – this will lay over the top of the dish just fine too). Lay it over the top and place the whole pan into the oven. Bake the ratatouille until the veggies are tender, about 45 minutes.

Serve the ratatouille with some crusty bread alongside.

getting started...

I'm often surprised how many people find it difficult to cook daily meals for their family.  We never ate out much as kids so it's just natural to me that we cook family dinners.  My husband and I are very careful about the quality of food we're feeding our family, so by making the food ourselves, we know where it came from, what is in it, and how it was prepared.  We've rarely found a restaurant  whose food tastes as good as homemade and there's no way of knowing what's really in the food.  I don't often cook anything fancy, just simple, home style meals; the kind of food my husband and I grew up with.  I'm hoping that by sharing our dinners, meal plans and the foods we regularly eat, I can help at least one person to feel more confident in the kitchen and to better feed their family.  So, this is all about how to eat like a Cook!