February 9, 2009
Menu Plan Monday 2/9
Posted in dinner, Menu Plan Monday at 11:05 am by frugalsophisticate
Last week, Josh and I succumbed to the horrible death virus that is going around. I am still suffering; my ears are plugged up and I can only hear out of one of them. It’s very disconcerting, and I feel just miserable. Monday we had Chicken Caesar salad, Tuesday we had salmon, risotto, and a salad with Gorgonzola cheese and tomatoes. Wednesday Josh made Minestrone soup and I made garlic bread from a loaf of sunflower-seed-flax bread I bought months ago from the day-old rack at Fred Meyer and kept in the freezer. Thursday I made crispy tofu with a peanut-coconut curry sauce and basmati rice. Friday, we wanted something easy, so Josh bought frozen potstickers and edamame from Trader Joes, and I made Asian coleslaw. Saturday, we had buffalo burgers, sweet potato fries, and left-over coleslaw. Sunday we had Chicken Caesar salad again. My grocery bill was astronomical this week, the highest it’s been since I started keeping track. I think it’s because I went shopping when I was sick and run-down and hungry, and I did not want to deny myself anything, so I kept throwing it in the cart!
This week:
1) Pasta with Puttenesca sauce.
2) Chipotle chicken and black bean burritos with rice, assorted fixings.
3) Megadarra (a yummy lentil-rice dish from Egypt that Josh makes).
4) Curry-rubbed tilapia with red potatoes, salad.
5) Crispy tofu stir fry with soyaki sauce, snap peas, broccoli, brown rice.
6) Pizza, salad.
February 2, 2009
Menu Plan Monday 2/2
Posted in dinner, Menu Plan Monday at 11:37 am by frugalsophisticate
Last week, on Monday, we had red lentil soup and Como bread with garlic and olive oil (the bread is from a really good local bakery, and I bought it for half-price off the day-old rack at Fred Meyer). Josh made the soup, and it was very lemony, so I filled up on bread. Tuesday we had the pear-Gorgonzola-walnut-cranberry salad, which is always easy when we’ve both been working. Wednesday, I made a whole roast chicken with risotto and roasted asparagus. I’ve been really into roasting veggies this year, it’s so easy and satisfying. The risotto was Lundberg Farms risotto, bought using double coupons at Safeway, and we really liked it. It’s sort of like macaroni and cheese, but because it’s made using Arborio rice, it’s gluten-free. Thursday, I went to see my friend’s band play after work, and had a sandwich with mushrooms, Gorgonzola, and the leftover roast chicken when I got home, and Josh had pizza. Friday, I had pizza, and Josh ate a snack when he got home from work at 2am(!). Saturday I made pasta with Puttenesca sauce, and Sunday I made eggplant zucchini ratatouille with polenta.
This week:
1) Chicken Caesar salad (held over for many weeks, but we are finally having it tonight).
2) Crispy tofu with veggies and peanut-coconut curry sauce, brown rice.
3) Minestrone soup, sunflower-flax bread.
4) Salmon, risotto, coleslaw.
5) Chipotle chicken and black bean burritos with rice, assorted toppings.
6) Shrimp stir fry with soyaki sauce, veggies, brown rice.
January 26, 2009
Menu Plan Monday 1/26
Posted in dinner, Fish, Menu Plan Monday, Recipes at 12:26 pm by frugalsophisticate
Last week was pretty standard. Tuesday we had chicken sausages and salad, after a long day of Inauguration Day coverage. Wednesday Josh made pasta because I had to work late. Thursday I made black bean/brown rice/corn tortilla bowls (Josh chopped all the condiments, because I was again working late. Friday Josh was working late, and he ate at work, while I had pizza.
Saturday I made tilapia with oven-roasted Brussels sprouts and potatoes. Since I was pressed for time and had used all the Parmesan cheese earlier in the week, I could not make Parmesan-crusted tilapia as I had planned. Instead I rubbed the tilapia with a mixture of garlic, curry powder, cayenne, and olive oil, and quickly pan-fried in more olive oil. When it was done, I squeezed a lemon over it and sprinkled it with fresh cilantro. This dish was a great hit, and accompanied the roasted Brussels sprouts and red potatoes surprisingly well.
Sunday we had a quick dinner of potstickers and edamame while watching a movie.
This week:
1) Red lentil soup, garlic bread.
2) Chicken Caesar salad.
3) Roast chicken, parmesan risotto, coleslaw.
4) Pear walnut cranberry Gorgonzola salad, bread.
5) Eggplant-zucchini ratatouille with polenta.
6) Cauliflower, green beans, and carrots with peanut coconut curry sauce, rice.
January 20, 2009
Menu Plan Monday 1/19
Posted in Menu Plan Monday at 2:15 pm by frugalsophisticate
Last week we stuck pretty close to the plan. Thursday I worked late and and grabbed some fish and chips at the local pub on the way home. We had pizza on Saturday and we didn’t have chicken Caesar; we had a tuna-cannellini bean salad on Sunday instead.
1) Crispy tofu with stir-fried veggies and soyaki sauce on soba noodles (I had my friend Dave over for dinner, and this was a hit).
2) Chicken sausages on whole wheat buns with saurkraut, green salad.
3) Black bean and rice bowls with corn tortillas, tomatoes, avocado, olives, etc.
4) Tilapia with oven-roasted brussell sprouts and red potatoes.
5) Pasta Puttenesca.
6) Chicken Caesar salad.
January 5, 2009
Menu Plan Monday 1/05
Posted in dinner, Menu Plan Monday at 2:12 pm by frugalsophisticate
Last week we stuck pretty close to the plan. We went out for Chinese food on New Year’s Eve, and then went to a party at my friend Jaymee’s house. On New Year’s Day, I made black eyed pea soup. I had to go to three stores to find black eyed peas cause Fred Meyer was out and Whole Foods does not sell them. So much for Whole Foods! Saturday was a leftover day; I had black beans and rice and corn tortillas, and Josh had black eyed pea soup and corn muffins. I still have not made balsamic chicken or pear Gorgonzola walnut salad so they will be reappearing on this week’s menu.
1) Salmon burgers with Asian slaw and spicy sweet potato fries.
2) Red lentil soup, olive bread.
3) Pear Gorgonzola walnut cranberry salad.
4) Balsamic chicken, garlic-dill red potatoes, frozen veggie blend from Trader Joe’s.
5) Pasta with puttenesca sauce.
6) Shrimp stir fry with brown rice, pineapple, soyaki sauce.
December 29, 2008
Menu Plan Monday 12/29
Posted in dinner, Menu Plan Monday at 11:30 am by frugalsophisticate
Wow, three days til 2009. Three more days of smoking in bars here in Portland. Last week, Josh and I pretty much had cabin fever. We were snowed in for the first part of the week, with 14 inches accumulating here. We got out every day, but once it started melting, you had to be a mountain goat to navigate the intersections, which were part snow, part ice, and part swiftly-running stream, with a few deep and lurking puddles scattered here and there.
Monday, Josh made a delicious lentil and rice dish from the Middle Eastern cookbook, and Tuesday he made pasta. Wednesday we ate leftovers with a green salad, and Thursday we ate Christmas dinner at his parent’s house. Friday I got back into the swing of things with a shrimp stir fry, and Saturday I made salmon with oven roasted brussell sprouts and red potatoes. I had never made brussell sprouts before, and they are delicious roasted simply with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Sunday, we made chicken Caesar salad, which was also very good.
1) Potstickers, edamame, Asian coleslaw.
2) Balsamic chicken, spicy sweet potato fries, roasted asparagus.
3) Whole wheat ravioli with red sauce, green salad.
4) Black-eyed pea soup with bacon, corn muffins (New Year’s Day tradition).
5) Black bean and rice bowls with corn tortillas, assorted toppings.
6) Chicken stir fry with broccoli, cauliflower, soyaki sauce, brown rice.
7) Pear, gorgonzola, walnut, cranberry salad.
December 22, 2008
Menu Plan Monday 12/22
Posted in dinner, Menu Plan Monday tagged dinner, Menu Plan Monday at 6:24 pm by frugalsophisticate
It’s been snowing for about a week. We have a foot of snow here in NW Portland. Really makes life interesting. I was able to get everywhere I needed to go. Monday I went to my work Christmas party (which was kind of a fiasco), and Josh made a yummy spinach-lentil soup. We have an irrational love of lentils; we have them almost every week. Tuesday, I made whole wheat cheese ravioli (bought on sale with double coupons at Safeway) with pesto, and a green salad. It was delicious, we stuffed our faces. I only worked 2 hours that day. Wednesday, my dental student canceled my appointment because of finals, which was just fine with me. I was able to work for about 7 hours that day. We had a nice warm dinner of chicken sausages with saurkraut on whole grain buns, with a green salad. I actually forgot what we ate on Thursday, or how long I worked that day. Friday I did not work, because I had to reschedule my dentist appointment for that day. That was the night it really started to snow, I think. We had crispy tofu stir-fry with broccoli and snap peas and peppers and mushrooms, teriyaki sauce and pineapple, over brown rice. It was really good. Saturday we had pizza with green salad. I worked almost a full day on Saturday. Sunday, neither one of us worked and we basically sat around the house staring at each other and wondering what to do. We went to Trader Joe’s. No one was driving and people were skiing and pushing their kids around on snow strollers, which we did not even know existed. A little more snow fell. We watched a cheesy 70′s mystery movie, “The Eyes of Laura Mars”. Josh made a lentil and rice dish.
1) Pear Gorgonzola walnut cranberry salad, leftover lentils and rice.
2) Salmon with sweet potato fries and green salad.
3) Shrimp stir fry with red curry sauce, broccoli, peppers, carrots, mushrooms, brown rice.
4) Balsamic chicken with garlic and dill potatoes, roasted brussell sprouts.
5) Potstickers, edamame, Asian coleslaw.
6) Pasta with puttenesca sauce, whole wheat pasta.
I haven’t posted my grocery lists because we have been spending so much at the grocery store. We’ve been eating lots of frozen pizza and drinking apple cider like there is no tomorrow. I do get some deals but nothing really outstanding this week.
December 15, 2008
Menu Plan Monday 12/15
Posted in dinner, Menu Plan Monday tagged dinner, Menu Plan Monday at 12:38 pm by frugalsophisticate
The winter is hard because things come up which derail the schedule. This weekend we had a snow and ice storm that has made it rather hard to get around. My work is slowing down. Last week I went home early a few times, which is not unusual for the end of the quarter, but I was not able to work Sunday afternoon and we do not have a shift scheduled for Monday at all. On top of this, I had to cancel a dentist appointment that was scheduled for Monday, due to the adverse weather conditions. I have dentist appointments for Wednesday and Friday instead, which are days I would have liked to work. I hate having everything uncertain and up in the air like that, but I am trying to be flexible and patient. I will probably have to get unemployment for a few weeks over the holidays… Another petty inconvenience…
Last week, we had spinach lasagna on Monday and pear-Gorgonzola-walnut-cranberry salad on Tuesday. I made minestrone soup on Wednesday, but we had toast instead of corn muffins (note to self: when adding pasta to soup, only add a small amount, otherwise the pasta will blow up and totally take over your soup, giving you vegetable-noodle stew or something). Thursday we had potstickers and edamame, but I forgot to make the coleslaw. Friday we had salmon burgers with the Asian coleslaw and spicy sweet potato fries. Saturday, Josh worked until after midnight, and I ate a frozen pepperoni pizza. Sunday Josh had leftover pasta and I had cheese and crackers, because I didn’t feel like cooking at all after a depressing day dealing with snow and shopping at the mall.
1) Crispy tofu with snow peas, broccoli, brown rice.
2) Chicken sausages with whole wheat buns, saurkraut, green salad
3) Brown lentil/spinach/lemon soup, flaxseed-sunflower seed bread.
4) Ravioli with pesto, green salad.
5) Roast chicken, garlic dill new potatoes, asparagus.
December 8, 2008
Menu Plan Monday 12/8
Posted in dinner, Menu Plan Monday tagged dinner, Menu Plan Monday at 1:49 pm by frugalsophisticate
Last week I hit almost all the meals on the plan. Monday we did have lentil soup and Ak-Mak crackers with feta cheese. Tuesday Josh made pasta, Wednesday I made balsamic chicken with roasted asparagus and Asian coleslaw, Thursday we had butternut squash soup and whole wheat crackers. Friday, I didn’t want to cook so we had delicious little pizzas with a cornmeal crust from Trader Joe’s, with a big green salad. Saturday I made the shrimp stir fry with red curry sauce, and Sunday I made chicken fajitas and a Spanish rice mix from a bag.
This week, I am finally making the spinach lasagna, and I am having some people over. I’m kind of nervous because I have never had more than one person over for dinner before, and tonight I am having 2 or 3. We don’t entertain a whole lot, Josh and I.
1) Spinach lasagna.
2) Pear, gorgonzola, walnut, cranberry salad.
3) Minestrone soup, corn muffins.
4) Potstickers, edamame, Asian coleslaw.
5) Crispy tofu with peanut sauce, veggies, brown rice.
6) Chicken sausages, whole wheat buns, sweet potato fries, salad.
7) Butternut squash or cheese ravioli with pesto, salad.
December 1, 2008
Menu Plan Monday 12/01
Posted in dinner, Menu Plan Monday tagged dinner, Menu Plan Monday at 12:18 pm by frugalsophisticate
We stuck pretty close to the plan last week. Tuesday we had salmon, spicy sweet potato fries, and a green salad with tomatoes and Gorgonzola. Wednesday we had pasta. Thursday was. of course, turkey sandwiches, and they were delicious on pumpernickel bread, with cranberry sauce, cream cheese, and sprouts. Friday was tuna-cannellini bean salad, and Saturday we had turkey sandwiches again. Sunday I made crispy tofu stir-fry with cashews and veggies.
Today, I feel my menu is all disjointed. We have a lot of food in the house, but of course, we seem to be missing some integral items. Plus, it seems a little soup-heavy, cause I did not make soup last week, yet have a different soup on the menu this week.
1) Red lentil soup, Ak-Mak crackers.
2) Balsamic chicken, roasted asparagus, Asian coleslaw.
3) Butternut squash soup, spinach salad.
4) Pasta with puttenesca sauce.
5) Chicken fajitas with Spanish rice.
6) Shrimp stir-fry with red curry sauce, brown rice.
7) Spinach lasagna.
