Menu Plan for January 10, 2011

Doesn't it seem like the best laid plans come apart as soon as you make them?   It seems that this as been the case since one of my resolutions was to be better about planning our menus and posting the new recipes we have been trying.  Well both have already fallen by the wayside.  Between the home renovations (at least the new bamboo floors are finally done), our dog (who thinks she needs to oversee the renovations) and work, things have been busier than I planned.  And if you are going to post recipes, it helps to actually remember to take photos of the dishes before they are consumed.  Yeah, I haven't been too good about that part.  So I have about six or seven recipes that could be blogged but, yup you guessed it, no photos. 

All that being said, we have a plan for this week.  Yay!!  It isn't particularly ambitious but there are a couple of new things or variations on some of our favorites. 

Sunday: 
Monday:  Parmesan coated salmon
Tuesday:  FITF since Mr. Gooch has class
Wednesday:  Beef meatballs (this time mixed with cheese tortellinis)
Thursday:  FITF since Mr. Gooch has class
Friday:  Crock pot roast
Saturday:  Oregano chicken (from Easy Cooking with 5 Ingredients by Barbara C. Jones)

If you need help with your menu plan, visit www.orgjunkie.com to see what others have planned.

Menu Plan for December 20

It is like deja vu all over again with this week's menu plan.  Needless to say, we totally didn't stick to the menu plan.  Between needing to work late one night (blech), Mr. Gooch's exams (and related studying), a trip to the auto shop (transmission work...boo!) and an all around busy week, we didn't cook much in the evenings last week.  I think we cooked only twice, once the taco pasta and once with a fab salad concocted by Mr. Gooch (posting to come shortly).

But on the positive side, that means that we still have all the fixings for this week's menu in the freezer and the recipes already picked out so prep will be kept to a minimum. 

One nice thing about this week's recipes is that they utilize marinades so you can actually mix the marinade the night before and just throw them on the grill, Griddler, or Foreman Grill when you get home.  This helps to keep cooking time to a minimum. 

So for this week we have on the menu

Monday:  WW Chicken Breast Peruvian (modified from this recipe)
Tuesday:  WW Honey Teriyaki Salmon

Wednesday:  Tri-Tip on the Grill using this preparation
Thursday: Forage in the Fridge
Friday:  Christmas Eve Party at Mom & Dad Gooch's house
Saturday:  Leftovers from Christmas Eve party

Don't forget to head over to www.orgjunkie.com to see what others have planned for the week.

Menu Plan for the week of December 12

With the holiday coming and all the tasty treats we know we will be eating, this week we thought we would incorporate some Weight Watchers recipes into the menu plan.

Sunday:  Chinese with my parents
Monday:  Stovetop Taco Pasta
Tuesday:  WW Honey Teriyaki Salmon
Wednesday:  WW Zesty Chicken Noodle Casserole
Thursday:  Tri-Tip on the Grill using this preparation
Friday:  WW Chicken Breast Peruvian (modified from this recipe)
Saturday:  Forage in the Fridge 

Visit www.orgjunkie.com to see what others are planning for their menus this week.

Mr. Gooch Cooks - A Super Salad

This last week Mr. Gooch surprised me with having dinner ready when I got home from work.  While that was wonderful all in its own, it was the salad that made it absolutely memorable.

Who knew that apples, bacon, romaine and smokey seasoned ranch could combine for such tastiness?   I mean, I am a firm believer that bacon makes everything better, but in this case, it is definitely true.

The sweetness of the apples, along with the saltiness of the bacon, added to the cool romaine and the slight smokey heat of the dressing combine to make a salad worth making again and again.

Ingredients
3 pieces of bacon
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped, washed and dried
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1 teaspoon Northwood Fire seasoning
1 apple cored and sliced into 4 slices lengthwise
1/4 cup cashews, chopped

Directions
Combine ranch and Northwoods fire in a small bowl, set aside.
Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp.  Set aside to cool.
Place apple slices in skillet with bacon fat, cooking for about 1 minute on each side. Set aside to cool.
Wipe out skillet and place cashews, toasting lightly.  Set aside to cool.
Chop bacon and apples into small pieces.
In a large bowl, combine romaine, apples, bacon and dressing, tossing lightly.
Once tossed, add cashews.
Serve.

Menu Plan for November 21

It is the week of Thanksgiving, and that means an abbreviated dinner menu.  We have two Thanksgiving dinners to prepare for, one hosted by us and one hosted by Mr. Gooch's mother.  We also may be having some friends over for dinner on Wednesday. 

With that, here is our week's menu plan.

Sunday:  Carne Asada with peppers and onions (Mr. Gooch's recipe.  Look for a blog post on this one coming as soon as I get my camera fixed.)
Monday: FITF (Forage in the Fridge)
Tuesday:  WW Southern "Fried" Chicken
Wednesday:  Either FITF or Teriyaki marinated tuna steaks using Trader Joe's Marinade (if friends end up coming over to dinner)
Thursday:  Thanksgiving Dinner at our house
          Alton Brown Roasted Turkey
          Roasted Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes (this recipe with roasted garlic added)
          Garlic Knot Rolls
          Cranberry Orange Chuntey with Cumin and Mustard Seeds (we are skipping the fennel seeds)
          Baileys Marbled Cheesecake (using this recipe as a starting off point)
          Mushroom Gravy (brother Gooch is making this one)
Friday: FITF
Saturday:  Thanksgiving at Mr. Gooch's mother's house.  We are bringing a Baileys Marbled Cheesecake.

Look for blog posts on the Thanksgiving recipes in the next few weeks.

Wondering what others are planning for their menus this week at www.orgjunkie.com. 

Menu Plan for the Week of October 17

This week's menu plan is all about comfort food.  It has gotten cool here in Michigan so I seem to want food to warm my insides.

Many of the recipes are repeats of our favorites so we know they are good ones.  Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.


Monday:  Stove Top Taco Pasta
Tuesday:  Rotisserie-style Crockpot chicken with potatoes and carrots
Wednesday:  Dinner salad topped with leftover chicken
Thursday:   Smoked Salmon in a Basil Cream Sauce over Pasta (recipe to be created by Mr. Gooch)
Friday:  Beef Cooked in Red Wine
Saturday:  Leftovers
Extra Recipe: Baked Potato Soup in the crockpot (for lunches)

Menu Plan for the Week of August 22

We were quite good about sticking to our menu plan last week though we did switch some of the days around because someone (that would be me) forgot to put the stuff in the crockpot before leaving for work on Wednesday.  Oops.  

We also skipped the pizza on Friday - deciding instead to head to Chili's for strong air-conditioning (we don't have central air), skillet queso and margaritas and on Saturday night, instead of FITF, Mr. Gooch made a tasty salmon to go on top of a large dinner salad on Saturday.  Look for the that post coming shortly.

Our menu this week is about eating the items we already have in our fridge and freezer.  We got a new fridge last week and when we were cleaning it out (and moving things around), we realized that we didn't have a good handle on what we actually had spread between our kitchen fridge, the basement fridge and the garage freezer.  So other than some fresh veggies, everything on our menu was already in our freezer, fridge or pantry. 

This week's plan is a mix of old favorites and some new recipes, it will be good to get back into the swing of blogging about our new recipes.

Sunday:  Seasoned Steak Perfection with salad, corn on the cob and mashed potatoes
Monday:  Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs with brown rice and corn on the cob
Tuesday:  Seasoned Steak Perfection with salad and steamed veggies.
Wednesday:  Garlic-Lime Pork Chops with Chipotle basmati rice and salad. 
Thursday:  Dinner Salad topped with either leftover beef, chicken or pork. 
Friday:  Late dinner with friends
Saturday:  Celebrating Mr. Gooch's grandmother's birthday

Don't forget to visit www.orgjunkie.com to see what others are planning for their menus this week.

Menu Plan for the Week of August 15

Oh my, are Mr. Gooch and I bushed after a busy weekend.  Between a wedding, buying and unloading more boxes of flooring than I want to think about (55), emptying our fridges to prepare for the delivery of the new one, helping the delivery men make the switcheroo (basement fridge out the door, old kitchen fridge to the basement, new fridge into the kitchen), plus all the regular weekend stuff like laundry and cleaning - we are bushed.


So this week's menu is an easy one so we can have time to start pulling up carpet, removing tack strips and pulling off baseboard to prepare for the laying of the flooring in those 55 boxes. 

Hope your week is less hectic than ours. 

Sunday:  Leftover Panera Bread sandwiches
Monday:  Stove Top Taco Pasta
Tuesday:  Chicken Teriyaki with brown rice and steamed veggies (using a fab marinade from Trader Joe's)
Wednesday:  Smokey Beef Brisket
Thursday:  Orange Chicken with Pot Sitckers with white rice
Friday:  Pizza
Saturday:  FITF (Forage in the Fridge)

Don't forget to check out other menu plans at www.orgjunkie.com.

We Are Back - with a Menu Plan!

Sorry for the radio silence over the last few months. There have been some big doings here at Casa Gooch and we have fallen so far off the menu planning, cooking new recipes and blogging wagons that I am not sure what the wagon even looks like anymore.

The Mister and I had gotten new jobs but our schedules totally did not connect which meant no meals together (boo hiss). So we each found another (better) job with (better) more regular schedules so we have been slowly working our way to a regular dining schedule since we actually are together in the evenings.

The summer heat has meant mainly grilling basics like chicken and brats which aren't really blogworthy. That and just being out and about for summer related activities means not much cooking at home.

We also had a freezer and a pantry that were in total organizational disarray so we really had no idea what we even had available so we did end up making plenty of calls to the local pizza place (I am positive they recognize our number by now) since that was easier than trying to dig through the chaos.

But now that things are settling in, back to being organized and cooling off a bit, we are back.

This week, to get back in the swing we are making some of our favorite dishes. But in the coming weeks, we will have new or improved recipes.

Sunday: Pizza (from our local place)
Monday: Teriyaki chicken on the grill (using Trader Joe's fabulous marinade), steamed veggies and brown rice
Tuesday: Sate chicken stir-fry with tri-colored peppers and brown rice
Wednesday: BBQ Salmon with steamed veggies and brown rice
Thursday: Crockpot Chicken with potatoes and carrots
Friday: Picnic at a local concert venue (Still working on the menu).
Saturday: Seasoned Steak Perfection, with roasted potatoes and corn on the cob

One big change in our menu planning is our usual "Forage in the Frige" or FITF is gone for the most part. Now that Mr. Gooch and I have access to microwaves at work, leftovers have become lunch. Now I just need to get more containers for our lunches.

Menu Plan for the week of February 21

Sorry about my absence over the last couple of weeks.  We have been pretty busy in Casa Gooch.  Mr. Gooch has been taking studying and taking mid terms, I have been working on odds and ends around the house and we have been eating with my folks or on the fly a ton. 

However, Mr. Gooch is on Spring Break this week and it is his long week at home so I am back on the wagon this week. 

Sunday:  Breakfast for Dinner aka Pancakes
Monday:  Soy-Marinated Chicken (a new recipe for us)
Tuesday:  Beef Meatballs in Marinara over Pasta
Wednesday:  Smokey Crockpot Brisket
Thursday:  Leftovers
Friday:  Stovetop Taco Pasta
Saturday: Leftovers

Bonus Recipe:  Chicken Stew (a recipe I have been muddling over in my head for a couple of weeks so I am goig to try to see if it works)

Balsamic Roasted Potatoes - A Tasty Twist on the Usual Potato Roast

I have said before, I love potatoes.  I think it is in my DNA (being part Irish and all).  So when I saw this recipe for Balsamic Roasted Potatoes, I just knew I had to try it.  You see, along with my love of the tuber, I am developing a deep abiding love for balsamic vinegar. 

Just one more reason why this food blogging is a great thing, it exposes you to flavors and spices you may not have experienced before.  Balsamic vinegar falls into this category.  I don't think I had ever had it before two years ago.  But then again, two years ago, I only had four recipes in my cooking repitoire (and one of those was for Tollhouse cookies). 

Back to the potatoes, I liked them...alot.  Mr. Gooch...not as much.  I do think that next time I make them, I will add some rosemary to the mix.  I just didn't think the thyme had enough punch to hold up against the balsamic. 

Balsamic Roasted Potatoes
(Source:  Proceed with Caution)
Ingredients
1.5 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cut into small pieces
3/4 C chicken broth
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and fresh grond pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In an 8-inch square baking dish, combine potatoes, broth, vinegar, garlic, thyme; season with salt and pepper.
Bake until potatoes are tender and liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 1 1/4 hours, tossing twice.

Menu Plan for the Week of January 31

Last week we did quite well in our menu plan.

We made the Beef Meatballs in Homemade Marinara over Rigatoni and Mr. Gooch made us a tasty Cucumber & Pepper Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette.   We also enjoyed a tasty Steak on the Grill, even though it was about 10 degrees outside.  It just gave us an excuse to build a fire to combat the opening and closing of the slider door (and to have s'more for dessert).

We did not get to the Baked Potato Soup in the Crockpot or the Stovetop Taco Pasta so those will go back on the menu for this week.

Check in with us next Sunday to see how we did in following this week's plan.

Sunday:  Out to dinner with my parents after a show
Monday:  Crispy Baked Rosemary-Garlic Chicken  with Balsamic Roasted Potatoes (new recipes for us)
Tuesday:  Stovetop Taco Pasta
Wednesday:  Chicken Chile Verde (new recipe for us)
Thursday:  Forage in the Fridge
Friday:  Forage in the Fridge
Saturday:  Salmon with Lemon Ginger Sauce (new recipe for us)

Bonus Recipe:  Baked Potato Soup in the Crockpot

Make sure to visit http://www.orgjunkie.com/ to see what others are planning for their week's menu.