August 2-8 Mealplan

*Duck Calzones with Cheddar and Cilantro
If I had the ability to buy duck on my budget I believe we would be eating it every week. It is truly one of my favorite meats. With that being said, these calzones won’t be filled with duck meat, they’ll be filled with chicken thighs in a duck sauce. (Duck sauce is like an asian barbecue sauce of sorts, and it has nothing duck related in it) I got the thighs on a ‘gotta get rid of this now’ sale and have everything else I need already in my kitchen. G and I love to make pizza at home, whether we make our own dough or buy it (even the kind in those blue tubes are great in a pinch:). And we really love to take it outside of the box. This one is fantastic, with the duck sauce taking the place of marinara, cheddar cheese in place of mozzerella, and cilantro used instead of basil. I’ll serve a simple green salad with a sesame, ginger dressing on the side.
*Hawaiian Pasta
This idea came to me after I made Rachael Ray’s Melon Prosciutto Pasta that I posted last week. I thought about other fruits and meats that go well together… How about pineapple and Canadian bacon? It sounds delicious in my head, sweet and salty and cheddar-cheesy…I’m going to make this tonight and if you see a recipe posted for it tomorrow then you know it was a winner. If not, then we will never speak of this again.
*Balsamic BBQ Ribs with Mac and Cheese and Roasted Green Beans and Tomatoes
I’ve posted this meal before. It’s delicious. (Babybacks are on a BOGO sale and green beans are just plain cheap.)
*Sweet n Spicy Steaks over Fried Rice
London Broils are also on a BOGO sale. My mom always prepares her london broils in a soy sauce, lime juice and honey marinade. I’ll add some crushed red pepper flakes to give it a little punch and serve it over brown fried rice. (If you marinade your LB’s for a really long time, even overnight, they won’t be so tough.)
*Salmon Avocado Ceviche in Lettuce Wraps
I got a good deal on salmon today and decided to make ceviche with it. We haven’t had it in awhile and it’s one of my favorites. This ceviche will have coconut milk and lime juice as the base. The combination of the smooth coconut milk, silky salmon and luscious avocado is magical.
*Spanakopita Meatballs over Lemony Rice
I’ve made greek meatballs before, stuffing them with feta cheese and oregano, and they were delicious. And I’ve made spanakopita before (my favorite Greek food item), and they were delicious. So I decided to combine the two ideas into one, giant meatball. Each meatball will be a meal, in and of itself – spinach, cheese, meat, yumminess. (I got ground chicken on a great sale today)
*Chicken Ratatouille with Crusty French Bread
I bought a whole chicken today on a ‘gotta get rid of this now’ sale. And got a great deal on some bell peppers, eggplant, portobello mushrooms, tomatoes and zucchini. Those ingredients made me think of ratatouille, the French vegetable stew. I’m not, in any way, shape or form French, so mine will be a loose interpretation. I figured I would cut up the chicken and slowly stew it along side the vegetables…peppers, eggplant, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and potatoes. French baguettes are on BOGO sale and I thought it would be a perfect accompaniment. Comfort in a pot. Now if only my budget would allow me a nice bottle of Côtes-du-Roussillon...