The menu plan for week #30 contained some family favorites as well as new recipes. It also, as always, became a week in flux.
On Tuesday we were invited to our son’s newly acquired home for a spaghetti dinner and a tour. They have just moved out of their rental, out of their storage spaces, and out of our house. It was a lovely evening of delicious comfort food, family time, and a glimpse of a work in progress.
Wednesday was a snow day once again for the grand girls (no school) and we spent the day with them helping unpack boxes and organize their rooms. By the time we returned home I was modifying my dinner plan since it was late and we were tired. Of course. I had made Andrea’s pulled pork on Tuesday. Perfect for a quick dinner. I warmed the pork and set aside a dinner sized portion adding barbecue sauce. We enjoyed pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, and chips and dip (a belated tribute to my mom on her birthday).
Thursday night became Greek burger night. We have added Jan’s Greek burger recipe to our family favorites.
I have made these burgers several times now and we totally enjoy them. I have adapted the recipe slightly by adding Greek oregano, lots of fresh dill, and lemon to the mix. It is healthy and filling. We enjoy them with a slice of sweet onion or tzitzi sauce. This time I slid them into pita pockets. Yum. It was also the first time I have grilled them inside (lots of snow in the courtyard). I did have some issues with sticking so I would suggest a spray of oil on the grill pan. Tonight I served the burgers with a big salad and we were good to go.
Friday night we planned to attend Wine Night, a monthly East Beach get together meet and greet. Everyone brings a bottle of wine and dessert or appetizer to share. The theme was Mediterranean. We had a light dinner beforehand, since snacking would be later. I made the Pioneer Woman’s Slow Cooker Mexican Soup. I was generous with the chipotle and it was quite spicy, but really delicious, and so easy! A definite hit.
Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup : Ree Drummond : Food Network
Ingredients 3 boneless, skinless whole chicken breasts 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper One 28-ounce can whole or diced tomatoes, with juice 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (more if you like the soup more liquid) One 15-ounce can black beans, drained
By the way, I tried a new Feta Spread to take to the gathering and it is worth sharing. It was quick, easy, and very tasty. I served the spread with pita chips and used a hollowed out pepper to hold the spread, so that I didn’t need to worry about collecting a serving piece after the gathering.
GREEK FETA AND OLIVE SPREAD
- In a food processor, place the feta cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and oregano. Using the pulse setting, blend the mixture until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Blend in the olives by hand or with a spoon. Refrigerate until serving.
Saturday evening we had a family favorite. In fact every time I make sausage and peppers we ask ourselves why we don’t make it more often. This hearty and satisfying meal with a Ceasar salad is always perfect.
Roasted Sausage, Potatoes and Peppers
Italian sausage, potatoes, bell peppers and onions oven-roasted with fresh rosemary in an olive oil and parmesan cheese dressing. Yes, I’m still on a roasting binge. No, the end is not near. One of the many things I love about roasting is the oven does most of the work!
On Sunday I decided to use the first of the fabulous wild caught Salmon filets gifted to us by our daughter and son in law. After researching several recipes, I decided to use my tried and true method. I will post that recipe along with Andrea’s pulled pork on a separate blog. The salmon was absolutely delicious by the way.
Monday was a Cook Once/Eat Twice meal. We still had 2 Greek Burgers and since I spent nearly the entire day cleaning, I decided to heat the burgers. Once again I slid them in pita pockets and served them with Ina Garten’s Greek Salad (a favorite of ours). ( In fact I use this dressing frequently. ) and Bouyourdi. (another family favorite!)
Greek Salad : Ina Garten : Food Network
Total Time: 50 min Prep: 20 min Inactive: 30 min Yield: 6 servings Level: Easy Total Time: 50 min Prep: 20 min Inactive: 30 min Yield: 6 servings Level: Easy Ingredients 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick 1 red bell pepper, large-diced 1 yellow bell pepper, large-diced
We have come full circle to Tuesday. A full day for me with house cleaning and grocery shopping. A Cook Once/Eat Twice meal was appreciated after a busy day, but required a twist. Pulled pork street tacos were planned, but Andrea’s Pulled Pork did not have the flavor profile required for the taste I wanted. After a quick google search I found a recipe from the Neelys. Obviously this recipe was for cooking the pork and mine was already cooked. I simply used their recipe as a guideline and used the same spices, honey, orange and lime. By making these seasonings to my pulled pork, I gained just the flavor I had in mind. In addition, I made the cole slaw included in their recipe post. I served the street tacos with condiments and the slaw along with the Mexican Chicken Soup first prepared on Friday. This meal in no way resembled “left-overs.” It was surprisingly great Tex Mex fare.
Pat’s Pulled Pork Tacos : Patrick and Gina Neely : Food Network
Ingredients 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 (3 1/2-pound) boneless pork butt, cut into 3-inch chunks 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered 4 cloves garlic, smashed 1 cup chicken stock 1 small can
The Week #30 menu plan was adapted due to changes in commitments. The planned bean with bacon soup and the chicken paprika simply didn’t happen. It’s all about flexibility. They will appear in the meal rotation at a later time.
All in all this was a very successful week of eating requiring relative ease of preparation and totally enjoyable meals.
On to week #31!
