Nov. 9-15 Mealplan

I saved $145 today at the grocery store (triple coupon week) and came home with 2 bags worth of things I got for free. It takes a lot of time, but clipping coupons and planning ahead literally pays off! Here’s the plan for this week…(There will probably be a lot of meal repeats for the next several weeks because my brain is so focused on Thanksgiving dinner and holiday parties.)
*Cornish Game Hens, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes and Carrots
Oh how I love these little guys! My birthday dinner as a kid was always cornish game hens and carrots. Always. You mean, I don’t have to share my chicken? Awesome.
*Brown Butter-Seared Scallops over a Whipped Green Pea Risotto
I was inspired by the warmer weather this week and decided to have a non-wintry dish in her honor. I have a bag of scallops in my freezer from a few weeks ago and now I know what their destiny is. The risotto is great – you steam some sweet peas (mine are from the freezer), puree them and fold the mixture into your prepared risotto and the end result is a beautiful pale green. (The same trick works for beets, carrots and sweet potatoes, etc.)
*Apple-Cheddar-Bacon Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries
I actually don’t like bacon on my burgers, I prefer it next to my eggs. But my husband does and we’re a team so… we’ll have ground chicken burger patties, flavored with minced onion and dijon mustard, topped with sliced apples, sharp cheddar cheese and fried bacon. And the roasted sweet potato fries always make an appearance when we have burger night.
*Rigatoni Caprese with Crusty Italian Loaf
I believe our basil plant is about to die so we’ll give it one last hoorah with this meal. Whole wheat rigatoni in a slow cooked, chunky tomato sauce with torn basil and big pieces of fresh mozzarella stirred in at the last minute. G will be cooking this. He makes a mean pasta.
*Dijon-Crusted Pork Tenderloin and Roasted Brussels Sprouts
A great, easy marinade for pork is dijon mustard. It really helps flavor and tenderize the meat. I chop up a bunch of fresh herbs, mix it with a lot of mustard and slather it on the meat to marinate for a couple of hours. Then I add salt right before I sear it on a hot cast iron skillet.
*Steak Enchiladas
G will be cooking this meal as well. He was the executive chef of a Mexican-American restaurant a few years back and is definitely better at this genre than I am. I’m excited.
*Tuna and White Bean Cakes with Orange Broccoli Salad
Another warmer weather meal…My mom makes this party salad/dip with canned tuna and white beans mixed with fresh rosemary and red wine vinegar. It’s really good. So I thought it would make a great ‘cake’. And I’ve never had a broccoli salad that I liked. Hopefully I can change that this week. I’m thinking orange zest, dried cranberries and toasted almonds…
Thanks for listening and Happy Eating, Everyone!