February 15-21 Mealplan

Happy Valentines Day, Everyone! I sit on the couch, glass of champagne in hand, while my husband works on our fondue lunch. Breakfast and cocktails in bed, followed by tulips and truffles began my day and I can only imagine what he has planned for this evening. So, as I cannot say what tonight’s dinner will be, I can reveal what my plan is for the week to come…
($55 spent, $64 saved)
*Rosemary-Dijon Crusted Pork Loin with Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese Crumbles
A bunch of beautiful purple beets were my extravagant purchase of the week and I already have the goat cheese (I buy it whenever it’s on sale. it’s my fave) and pork loin on hand. These flavors blend so wonderfully on their own, there’s really nothing for me to do! And in case you weren’t aware, the beet greens are edible and very tasty so please don’t throw them away. They’re delicious sauteed with some olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt.
*Grilled Yogurt Chicken, Curried Cauliflower and Roasted Carrots with Honey, Feta and Parsley
My mom made yogurt chicken a lot when I was little and I really like doing it for my family now.
Marinating any protein in plain yogurt and spices really tenderizes the meat and adds so much flavor. The curried cauliflower is not my idea, it’s something my ex-boss, Suzanne Goin used to do (or possibly still does…) in her restaurant, A.O.C. Cauliflower florets and onion slices are marinated in a yellow curry spice mixture and olive oil, then roasted until tender and toasty. And for another side, roasted sweet carrots are flavored with a bit of cumin and honey, then tossed with fresh parsley and feta cheese.
*Pork Tenderloin en Croute with Roasted Asparagus
I still have several cans of cranberry sauce in my pantry from all the Thanksgiving sales. They’re a great thing to use all year round, so I always try to have at least one can on hand. It’s a beautiful thing to blend with dijon mustard for sandwiches and it makes a great sauce for meats when you melt it down. But in this case I’ll spread some on a sheet of puff pastry with some dijon and swiss cheese, then place a seasoned pork tenderloin on top and roll it all up until the dough is tightly sealed. Then I’ll bake it until the pastry is golden brown. This is such a rich meat that all it needs it a simple side of roasted asparagus to complete the plate.
*Chicken Meatloaf with Balsamic Onion Jam, Gorgonzola Gnocchi and Sauteed Spinach
I try to keep ground meat in my freezer at all times so I can always whip up a quick meatloaf, chili, or bolognese. I’ve posted a non-recipe for Italian Meatloaf before and I’m thinking I’ll make something similar to that this time. And I’ve also posted a non-recipe for the gorgonzola gnocchi before. It’s heavenly.
*Honey-Thyme Chicken Cutlets over Lemon Risotto with Sweat Peas
I love risotto any way I can get it. It’s so comforting, I could just eat it on it’s own but I think it will be extra yummy with a lot of lemon zest and served under some crispy chicken cutlets that have a hint of thyme and honey in the coating.
*Basil-Almond Pesto and Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Roulade with Lemon- Rosemary White Beans and Spinach
More chicken! (I have a lot of boneless, skinless breasts in the freezer from a previous sale). This meal came to me because I have some leftover pesto from last night’s dinner. We had pasta and I served some homemade Italian bread on the side with some pesto for dipping. I always try to keep a jar or two of roasted red peppers on hand, and figured the two flavors would go well rolled inside a chicken breast. And one of the easiest side dishes to make when you have nothing ‘fresh’ on hand is this white bean dish. We grow rosemary at our house so I always use fresh, but dried would work just fine. All you do is saute some garlic and rosemary in olive oil and add a can of white beans (Great Northern or Cannellini). The addition of lemon zest and fresh spinach leaves make it that much better.
-If you choose to celebrate this holiday, I hope you do it well and if you don’t, I hope you have a happy Sunday! But however you spend your day…Happy Eating, Everyone!