Monday, February 24, 2014

Meal Plan Monday (2/24-3/1)

I reviewed my meal plan from last week and while it accurately reflects how my meal planning goes, it doesn't reflect what we actually ate.  I think meal planning is important for grocery shopping and it's nice to not have to decide what to eat when you're already hungry.  But there's no point in feeling bad if you don't adhere to the plan.  At least I don't.  So here's my plan for this week. I'm including lunches this week because I feel like that's a place where I could step up on planning.  And I'm struggling with a lunch plan so here's hoping we have enough leftovers not to starve!

Monday
Lunch: Chicken, veggie and couscous bowl
Dinner: Beef stroganoff with egg noodles and roasted asparagus
Tuesday
Lunch: leftover stroganoff
Dinner: Takeout
Wednesday
Lunch:
Dinner: Pork loin rice bowls
Thursday
Lunch: with colleagues
Dinner: Penne with bleu cheese sauce
Friday
Lunch:
Dinner: Creamy tomato basil soup with crostini
Saturday
Lunch:
Dinner: Pesto and chicken white pizza

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Meal Plan "Monday"

I try to make a meal plan every week that will guide my grocery shopping.  Most weeks I do okay, which is fine with me.  Cooking after work seems like a good idea when it's Sunday morning, I have a giant mug of tea and all the time in the world to flip through cookbooks and food blogs for inspiration.  I'm going to start posting my meal plans in hopes that I will be further motivated to cook.  Let's see how it goes?

Dinner Plan 2/17-2/22

Monday: One Pan Coconut Shrimp bowls
Tuesday: takeout (class on Tuesday night = no cooking)
Wednesday: Roasted chicken breast with couscous and spinach/arugula salad
Thursday: Baked potatoes with broccoli cheese soup
Friday: Dinner and a movie?
Saturday: Beef stroganoff

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Shrimp and Cucumber Brunch Salad

Brunch is my JAM! A decadent brunch buffet is one of the best treats I can think of. I happen to be in love with many of the dishes on the Paulo and Bill's brunch buffet, but one of my favorites is a shrimp and cucumber salad that they don't even list on the website. Apparently they don't think as highly of it as I do. This is my spruced up version.

Ingredients:
Shrimp (boiled until just pink and cooked through, then ice bath 'em)
Cucumber, peeled and seeded
Tomato, seeded
Avocado
Yellow bell pepper, roasted and cooled
Baby greens

Dressing:
4-5 tbsp Olive oil
2-3 tbsp Red wine vinegar
1 tsp Honey
1 clove Roasted minced garlic
1/4 tsp Onion salt
1/2 tsp Garlic salt
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Thyme
1/4 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Parsley
1/4 tsp Black pepper
Pinch Red pepper flakes



For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a lidded container, and shake it like crazy. Then chop/cube all of the salad ingredients into about 1/2 inch - 1 inch pieces. I like to chop the greens too so that it mixes in well. Combine everything in a large bowl and coat it in the dressing. Cover and put it in the fridge for about 2 hours (enough time to get really cold and marinate), and then serve cold (in a beautiful hand-painted bowl from Algeria that you got as a Christmas gift).


And I tell you... GOOD GERTY, THIS IS AMAZING. I want to eat this every day. It is crisp and tangy and fresh and freaking awesome. The avocados limit the amount of time that leftovers will stay good, but that just means you have to eat it all faster.