October 4-10 Mealplan

The Fall weather is finally here (at least for the time being) and I am super excited about it. Goodbye shorts and sweat, hello boots and all things snuggly! Just a little heads up: You will be seeing a lot of slow cooked things, stews, laurel and sage leaves, and anything pumpkin during the next several weeks or possibly months so I hope you’re ready for it! Here’s what we’re doing this week…
*Whole Roasted Chicken, Roasted Broccoli and Rice ‘n’ Chez
We never got to the ‘rice ‘n’ chez’ from last week’s meal plan so I decided to roll it over and make it a side to some roasted chicken. The broccoli I got on sale will help make the plate look a little less beige.
*Lemon-Thyme Shrimp and Scallops over Greek Orzo
East coast shrimp and sea scallops were on sale this past week and I had to get them. Scallops make me think of my Daddy. He can’t resist anything scallop on a menu. So I wrote this meal in his honor. I’ll pan-sear the shrimp and scallops, then make a little sauce out of garlic, lemon, thyme and white wine. The orzo will have feta, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and onions and serve as a great bed to the saucy seafood.
*Cabernet Braised Short Ribs over Cream Cheese Polenta
G and I look forward to the Fall season just so we can eat short ribs. They’re a big favorite in our house. I got a great deal on some this week and now they sit in my freezer until I need them. It’s essential to eat braised short ribs with something that can sop up the yummy juices. We have them a lot with mashed potatoes but I think polenta will help add a little extra something to the dish.
*Apple-Brandy Chicken Thighs, Roasted Green Beans and Pumpkin Gratin
I have a bottle of brandy in our bar that I keep forgetting about. It has such a wonderful flavor and I love what it can do to a sauce, especially a sweet one. So the chicken thighs in my freezer will have a great time bathing in a sweet and savory sauce made of red apples and brandy. And the perfect accompaniment to the chicken will be a pureed pumpkin gratin with sage and asiago cheese. I also have some green beans from last week that I’m starting to feel sorry for. Those will be roasted with a little salt and pepper and olive oil.
*Red, White and Green Gnocchi
Spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, garlic, and the end of summer’s garden tomatoes; all tossed with some gnocchi. Yum.
*Chicken Fajitas
I have chicken breasts in the freezer that I’ll season with cumin and chili powder, then saute with hot and sweet peppers, fresh corn and onions. We’ll have them with sour cream, grated jack cheese and warm whole wheat tortillas.
*Pineapple Pork Burgers with Tangerine-Chili Onion Rings
I always keep bulk sausage in the freezer. I use it for breakfast, meatballs, stuffings, all sorts of things. This week I’ll use it to make burgers out of. Each burger will be topped with a roasted pineapple ring and a thick slice of extra sharp cheddar cheese. The onion ring batter will have a bit of tangerine zest and chili powder and the rings will be baked.
Happy Eating Everyone!