I am back, at least for the moment. I’m just going to get this out there: I could have to leave pretty much anytime. No, I don’t want to talk about it, really, but if posts stop again, keep checking. I’ll be back, it just might take a little while.
This also impacts our menu plan, of course. What’s below is what we hope will happen, but we’ve also got meals in the freezer if I have to leave on short notice: Indian curry, various soups and casseroles, some Ethiopian stuff, etc. But, hopefully, all will continue to go well and this is what we’ll be eating this week.
Breakfasts: I know I don’t usually start with breakfasts, but I figured I’d change it up a bit. We’re back to doing fermented and slow-cooked oats, eggs, toast with almond/peanut butter, coconut milk yogurt, and mixed grain muesli-style homemade cereals. I also finally got my hands on some Amaranth, and am hoping to do some popped Amaranth and nut granola.
Lunches: Leftovers, various sandwiches on homemade bread, homemade hot pockets, and I’ll be doing 10 minute lunches again, too!
Dinners:
Saturday: Thai Drunken Noodles with Tofu. There’s no alcohol in these. The name, or so I am told, comes from the heat, which is supposed to make you want more beer. We didn’t drink beer with these, but I definitely see their point. On the other hand, they were so good we couldn’t stop eating. Seriously, we almost made ourselves sick on them. This was a recipe trial for me, as I wanted to test it out before I put it on my client’s menus, and it was a total win. The leftovers are amazing, too!
Sunday: Fideua. An ISpanish paella-style dish. I use this recipe, but I don’t make use the soy sausage. “Not meat” has far too many chemicals in it for me to consider using it, and it’s also expensive (nothing like paying for crappy fillers!). If I want to make it totally vegetarian, I just leave out the sausage and put in sausage spices with another source of protein, like cannellini beans or Twin Oaks tofu.
Monday: Chinese Orange Beef and Broccoli over Rice. I’m also making this recipe for my clients. It’s fabulous, and since it doesn’t take all day, it’s great for me to put together on Mondays, which are typically my very, very long day of work. Grass-fed beef makes this amazing.
Tuesday: Crockpot Haggis! Okay, so it’s not real haggis, but it’s the best we’re gonna do here in the US. Ours will use sausage and ground beef, no lamb (since I am allergic). The basic recipe is from one of my favorite websites, and if you haven’t checked out Stephanie’s fabulous blog, you really should. Anyone who says they don’t have time to cook at home can probably find the time using her crockpot meals, which she both makes and reviews (honestly, which is a refreshing change). Tuesdays and Wednesdays are Thadd’s days to cook, but the reality is there’s never a great day for him to cook because his schedule is crazy. So, he’s using the crockpot now, too!
Wednesday: Chicken Makhani over basmati rice, with spinach. Indian cuisine often works really well in the slow cooker, and this is no exception. There’s nothing special that makes this work, just us a traditional chicken makhani recipe and put it all in the crockpot. When you get home from work, school, or whatever, you kitchen is going to smell like your favorite Indian restaurant!
Thursday: Sandwiches and tomato soup. We’re using up our tomatoes from the garden for this homemade soup, and Thadd’s baking on Tuesday, so we’ll have bread, too.
Friday: Korean Bulgogi. We were supposed to have this last week, but it didn’t happen. I think we ended up just not eating that night or something. It was a long, crappy, stressful week and any night that didn’t end up in me waking up with screaming heebeegeebees was a bonus. So, we’re doing it this week.
Saturday: Chili and cornbread. We’re hosing a thing of sorts on Saturday, and we’ll be providing food. I make a killer chili, and it doesn’t break that bank. It’s also easy, makes piles, and can sit in a crockpot and say warm until folks are hungry.
Sunday: Leftovers. We should have plenty, so we’ll eat some, and some will get put in the freezer.
I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that we eat a lot of “ethnic’ (i.e., not Americana-style) foods. Aside from the fact that we both just plain like foods from other cultures, we also do it because they’re often very budget-friendly. Most other cultures do not load up on meat like Americans do, using it instead for flavoring and accents. This might look like a meat-heavy menu, but it’s not. The meat in most of these dishes is fairly minimal, which allows us to eat really excellent quality meat on a budget. If you’re struggling to make ends meet, consider trying out some new cuisine’s to add some variety to your menu and hopefully help keep your costs down.
- On the Menu: August 22-27 (eclecticedibles.wordpress.com)
- On the Menu: August 15-21 (eclecticedibles.wordpress.com)
