May 25-31 Mealplan

I just got back from the store, where I spent only $29 and saved $29. And yes, I got a cart’s-worth of supplies. Different kinds of meat, produce, dairy, toiletries, pet food, etc. This was a good trip. The menu for this week is…
*Pizza Bolognese
Some of you may have had Pasta Bolognese, which basically means that it’s pasta with a thick, tomato-meat sauce. But I thought it would make a good pizza too. So I’ll top my crust (it’s so easy to make your own) with ricotta, the meaty sauce and finish with some gooey mozzerella. (I always have a fridgeful of different kinds of cheeses whenever they go on sale and I have some pizza dough already prepared in my freezer)
*Parm-Crusted Chicken Breasts topped with a Raw Tomato Basil Sauce, Served with Spinach Cakes
We used to have this meal all the time a few years ago and then somehow forgot all about it. I’ve been making this chicken dish for so long that I don’t remember where the ‘recipe’ came from but all I know is that it’s delicious! You simply grate a ton of Parmagiano Reggiano cheese (I’m sure the domestic Parmesan cheese would work fine too) onto a plate, add some freshly cracked black pepper and fresh lemon zest, then mix. Then press your boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the mixture. Pan-sear in some olive oil and finish off in the oven. And I’ve been making these spinach cakes forever, they’re so good and extremely vitamin packed. My mom used to make what she called ‘Italian Spinach’ when we were kids and it was the inspiration for these cakes. It’s basically thawed, frozen spinach with seasonings, cheese, an egg and some bread crumbs that you form into cakes or patties and pan-sear in a little olive oil. (The chicken breasts are from my freezer and the spinach is a freezer staple of mine)
*Mini Meatloaves and Mom’s Basil-Potato Salad
I’m not sure what kind of meatloaf I’ll be making, but I know we’ll each have our own. (I still have a freezerful of ground meat.) And I absolutely loved this potato salad as a kid. It’s mayonnaise-free (which makes me a very happy girl) so it’s easy to take to picnics. It’s thinly sliced, boiled potatoes mixed with some vinegar, s&p and fresh basil.
*Pickin’ Pork and Chili-Lime Corn on the Cob
You’ve heard me talk about this pork before, it was a staple in my house growing up. So good, so easy…you just let the oven do all the work for you. And I love corn on the cob with anything that resembles barbecue. (I got the pork butt last week on a big sale and corn is in season now so it’s cheap everywhere).
*French Dip Sandwiches and Asparagus with a Roasted Garlic, Tarragon Aioli
I have some cube-steak in my freezer from a while ago so I thought I’d try to make some sandwiches out of it . I think it’ll work beautifully since it’s already a tenderized piece of meat. And I have a baguette in my freezer from lasagna night a few weeks ago (there was an extra one in the pack). Asparagus is also in season right now so most stores are selling it for really cheap. (HT had it for 99c/lb.) Aioli, simply put, is a garlicky mayonnaise. I despise the straight taste of mayonnaise, but I can get down with some fancy aioli.
*Indoor Carpet Picnic
We were going to have a fancy picnic tonight (Sunday) at an outdoor concert. However, due to the weather we decided to stay in. But that’s no reason why we can’t bring it indoors! We do indoor picnics all the time…we lay out a blanket on our living room floor and surround ourselves with fancy cheeses and cured meats, nuts and dried fruit, homemade bread and usually wine (OK, always wine). And my bacon-wrapped dates will probably make an appearance too…
*Pork and Mango Curry
Whenever we cook a pork butt, I either freeze the leftovers for another week or use it in something later on the same week. G loves it when I turn it into Sweet and Sour Pork, but I have a mango that’s been staring at me from my fridge for a little too long, so I decided to invite him to dinner. This will be a Thai curry, probably coconut milk based. We used to go to this Thai-Vietnamese restaurant in Wilmington all the time, and then it just stopped being good. So now we try to mimic the flavors we had there so many years ago. And good Lord, it’ so much cheaper!