Weekly Menu for July 18-22, 2005

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Welcome to the menu for July 18-22! In order to make the best use of Menus 4 Moms, before beginning the Menu please read the Menus 4 Moms plan basics and the Busy Cooks Pyramid as Menus 4 Moms will be based on these items each week. If you have questions, please check the FAQ page.

The menu for this week includes spaghetti with Bolognese sauce, eye of round roast, chicken divan, fajitas, and ratatouille.

Enjoy the weekly menu!

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Menu for July 18-22, 2005

This week's menu has lots of produce, so if you have a local farmer's market you might want to go on Saturday and stock up on local produce instead of shopping for produce at the grocer.

If you have questions or suggestions for other moms using the menus, you now have a place to post! The Menus 4 Moms Yahoo group is to discuss the menus and recipes, ask for help, make suggestions, and meet other moms using the menus. If you want to keep up with updates & corrections to the menus but don't want the higher volume of mail, please join and set your preferences to Special Notices only. I will send out all corrections as Special Notices so you will only receive those.

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Monday - Recipes

Spaghetti with Bolognese sauce
Garlic toast
Spinach salad

 

Tuesday - Recipes

Eye of Round Roast
Rice
Broccoli casserole
Cooked apple slices (or homemade applesauce)

 

Wednesday - Recipes

Chicken Divan
Twice baked potatoes
Corn on the cob

 

Thursday - Recipes

Quesadillas
Mexican salad
Spanish rice

 

Friday - Recipes

Ratatouille
Homemade bread

 

 

Grocery List

This week's Grocery List can be downloaded here:

Grocery List for July 18-22, 2005 - PDF

Shopping List Software format (download shopping list free Windows software)

 

Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday:

1. Tonight is an easy meal of spaghetti. If you still have some Bolognese sauce in the freezer from several weeks ago, go ahead and use that. If you don't, you can either use your favorite sauce or make a batch of the Bolognese sauce (I promise you won't be disappointed!). Be sure to add the ingredients to your grocery list if you are not using sauce from the freezer.
   
2. You should have some leftover pasta which can be used tomorrow for breakfast or lunch. Melt some butter (2 tbsp.) in a fry pan, add the cold spaghetti, and season with salt and pepper. Cook covered on medium heat until pasta looks light brown and crispy, then flip it over (a messy process but just do the best you can with the largest spatula you have). Cook covered until second side is about 5 minutes from being done and add shredded cheddar cheese (1/2 - 1 cup). Cover and cook until cheese it melted. Yum!
   

  Spaghetti with Bolognese sauce

• 1 lb. spaghetti
• Bolognese sauce (from freezer, thawed and heated)
• Parmesan cheese for topping

Cook spaghetti according to instructions and serve with sauce and Parmesan cheese.

  Garlic cheese toast

• 1 loaf of French bread
• Pam™ olive oil spray
• Italian blend cheese, shredded
• Garlic salt or Adobo*

Slice bread and lay flat on a cookie sheet. Spray each slice with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with garlic salt or Adobo. Sprinkle with shredded cheese blend. Bake at 350° until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

  Spinach salad

• Bag baby spinach greens
• shredded carrots
• chopped bell pepper, red or green*
• sunflower seeds
• raisins
• croutons
• salad dressing

Wash spinach and place in salad bowl. Top with remaining items and serve with salad dressing of your choice.

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

1. The roast we are going to make today is not the most common cut, but it makes the best gravy you have ever tasted. When I visit my grandmother's house, she always makes this and serves the gravy over rice. This cut of beef does not have a lot of fat, so do not overcook it or it will get dried out. The leftovers are wonderful as a hot roast beef sandwich with gravy. If you have extra meat after sandwiches, freeze it for use in soups or casseroles later. You can use shredded roast in almost all recipes that call for cooked ground beef.
   
2. The broccoli casserole can be prepared early in the day and baked later.
   
3. If you want to serve cold applesauce instead of hot apples, don't forget to prepare your apples in the morning so they will have time to chill before dinner.

  Eye of round roast

• 3-4 lb. eye of round roast
• salt
• pepper
• oil

Preheat oven to 325°. Salt and pepper the outside of the roast on all sides. If you have a dutch oven that can be used on the stovetop and in the oven that would be best. If you don't you will need to transfer the roast to an oven-safe pan before baking. Heat enough oil to barely cover the bottom of a dutch oven large enough to hold roast. Brown roast on all sides in oil. Cover pan and place in preheated oven for 1-1/2 hours. Check for tenderness after about an hour and continue cooking until roast is done all the way through and tender. Add a little water if the juices dry out.  

Remove roast from oven and place on stovetop. Carefully add 1/2-3/4 cup hot water to pan (water hitting hot drippings may splatter). Remove roast from pan and place on a platter for slicing. Mix about 2 Tbsp. flour with 3 Tbsp. hot water in a jar with a lid, shaking until flour is dissolved. Add this to the juices in the pan to create gravy. Slice roast and serve with rice and gravy.

 

  White or brown* rice, prepared according to instructions

  Broccoli casserole

• 1 16 oz. bag frozen chopped broccoli, cooked
• 1 T. dried minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. marjoram
• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 tsp. chicken bouillon
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in large sauce pan. Add flour and stir for one minute. Add milk slowly and beat with a whisk. Add chicken bouillon, spices, onion, and Parmesan cheese. Mix with cooked broccoli and put in a greased casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°.

 

  Cooked apple slices

• 5 Granny Smith apples
• 1/4 cup water
• 1-2 tsp. vanilla
• 1-2 tsp. sugar

Wash, peel, core, and slice apples. Place all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer, stirring occasionally until apples are tender. You may need to add more water if it cooks down. You may either serve these hot as slices or mash them up and serve them as hot or cold applesauce.

 

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

1. If you want to save a little money, you can double the broccoli and half the chicken in the Chicken Divan recipe.
   
2. Today's twice baked potatoes can be done any number of ways. Here is a basic recipe for cream cheese and bacon stuffed potatoes but don't feel limited to this recipe. Use what your family likes.

  Chicken Divan

• 4 cups chicken, cut up (from freezer)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 16 oz. pkg. frozen chopped broccoli, cooked
• 1 small bag Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix

Heat soup and cheese until melted. Remove from heat. Add mayonnaise, lemon juice, and curry. Mix well. In a 9x12 casserole dish layer all of broccoli, then all of chicken, then all of soup and cheese mixture. Cover with stuffing mix. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

 

  Twice-baked Potatoes

• 12 large baking potatoes (we will use 6 of them next week for loaded baked potatoes, just store them in your pantry)
• your choice of stuffing (some ideas are chive and sour cream, cheddar cheese and bacon, a variety of cheeses) mixed with milk or cream

Although you may use this basic recipe, don't feel married to it. You can use any ingredient you like. First, prick 6 of the potatoes with a fork and bake in the oven at 425° for an hour or in the microwave for 6-10 minutes on high until tender. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Save the other 6 potatoes for next week.

Cut a slice off the top of each potato and carefully scoop out the insides, leaving just enough inside so that the skin doesn't collapse. Mix the potato centers with your choice of stuffing and milk or cream until it has the consistency of mashed potatoes. Spoon mixture back inside potato skins and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Place under broiler until bubbly (watch carefully!).

 

  Fresh fruit

 

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

1. Tonight's dinner is flexible in that you can easily prepare several different kinds of quesadillas to please all of the picky eaters in your family. Optional fillings include chicken, sauteed veggies, beef, shrimp, or any number of other options with cheese. Because the salad and rice are filling you do not have to worry about preparing a large number of quesadillas.
   
2. If your family are big eaters, you may wish to double the rice recipe.

  Quesadillas

• 8 tortillas (preferably whole wheat)
• 4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• chicken (optional, from freezer)
• olive oil spray
• sour cream for garnish
• salsa for garnish

Spray one side of each of 4 tortillas and place sprayed side down on a baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese on each tortilla. If using chicken, place on top of cheese. Spray one side of each of the remaining tortillas and place sprayed side up on the first 4 tortillas with cheese. Bake at 350° until tortillas are crisp but not burned and cheese is bubbly. Cut with a pizza cutter into wedges (8 pieces per quesadilla is a good size) and serve with sour cream and salsa.

  Spanish rice

• 1 chopped onion, sauted (from freezer)
• black pepper
• chili powder
• cumin
• Adobo seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked white or brown* rice
• Olive oil
• 1 can (15 oz.) chicken broth
• 1 cup water

Saute onion in olive oil in a Dutch oven until tender; remove from pan. Add 2 T. olive oil to pan and brown the uncooked rice. Do not burn! Add chicken broth and water (this will sizzle loudly when the liquid meets the hot oil), add seasonings to taste, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes; do not open. When cooked, add onions and any other warmed items you may have on hand that would be good in rice (corn, salsa, Rotel, etc.). Stir gently and serve.

 

  Mexican salad

• variety of lettuces, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 can black olives, drained
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 bottle ranch salad dressing

Combine all fresh ingredients and serve with ranch dressing.

 

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

1. Today's dinner is a great way to take advantage of summer produce. Visit your local farmer's market to pick up fresh, locally grown veggies for this meal . I was skeptical about this dish at first, but after preparing it I was sold. It is delicious when served with crumbled feta cheese on top.
   
2. The ratatouille uses two onions but I have put a bag on the list. Saute the rest and stock your freezer.

  Ratatouille

• 1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes* (about 3 medium) or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares
• 1 large red bell pepper or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares
• 3 medium zucchini, sliced
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 3 Tbs dried basil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed through a press
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 (6.00 ounces) can tomato paste
• 1 (5.50 ounces) can pitted ripe olives, drained and chopped coarsely
• 3 Tbs chopped fresh basil (I have omitted)
• Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients except tomatato paste, olives, and basil in slow cooker. Mix well and cook on high for 3 hours. Add tomato paste, olives, and basil, mixing well. May be served hot, cold, or room temperature.

  Homemade bread

Use your bread machine's recipe for fresh bread. If your machine offers a timer, use it to have your bread ready at the same time as your ratatouille.

* Indicates that of the options listed, this item is the one on the grocery list.