OK...this is supposed to be a cooking blog, not a cleaning blog, so I'll get back on topic. The previous week we had some winners! I already mentioned some of the dishes I made, but there were some more good ones! I liked the flavor of the ratatouille with sweet Italian sausage, and the picture on Facebook got great reviews. There was a TON of ratatouille leftover though, and I'm not sure how much I would care for it without the sausage (I am for sure a carnivore).
The roasted chicken turned out great! I wish I could have enjoyed it fresh and hot, but I pulled it out of the oven right when I had to run out the door to a church meeting. But even eating it cold when I got back was good. it was very tender and perfectly cooked.
The minestrone was OK...but, like I said, I'm a meat-lover, so it could have used some browned ground meat in there...I think that would have put it over the top...of course, then it wouldn't have been minestrone soup anymore.
I did not have a chance to make the no noodle lasagna because we ended up having a guest who specially requested my tacos. Any visitor who has a favorite dish that I make, I try to please! :) So, I will be making it this Sunday. I also didn't make the cauliflower crust pizza because my husband went out of town, and I wouldn't want to waste a perfectly good low-carb recipe without him, so I made frozen pizzas instead ;) I moved them onto next week's menu.
The Parmesan chicken bake was good. As my sister suggested, I just eyeballed the ingredients. I did make my own marinara sauce instead of buying premade, and I thought it was pretty tasty. It is a nice alternative to the full-on Parmesan chicken, which takes a lot of effort. This way, you get the same flavors without all the work! I would recommend having extra sauce on hand to pour on top if you are serving this over spaghetti, as traditional Parmesan chicken is served.
The Chicken Paprikash was different. I didn't have the chance to make my own noodles, so I just cooked some egg noodles really quick. I liked the different flavor, and the kids loved the meat too! There was a lot of sauce, so I don't think it needed the extra broth. The sauce would have been good over the leftover noodles (there was no leftover meat), but, alas, I have a super efficient, wonderful husband who poured all that delicious sauce down the drain as he cleaned up from dinner...I guess I really can't complain too much!
Asian lettuce cups are always a big hit in my house. Unfortunately, my grocery store didn't have any fresh ginger, so I used powdered. I also just eyeballed all the ingredients and added as my taste buds seemed fit. I added shredded carrots and it was the perfect splash of color that the dish needed. We topped the lettuce cups (actually, more like a lettuce bowl) with chopped peanuts, scallions, and fried rice noodles. YUM!
Here is the next week's menu:
| Sunday |
| Potatoes Carrots rolls
|
| Monday |
| Crispy Cheddar Chicken (use roasted vegetable ritz and buttermilk) Penne pasta Green beans |
| Tuesday |
| Wednesday |
| Garlic Rice Pilaf (brown rice?) Broccoli |
| Thursday |
| Slow Cooker San Francisco Pork Chops (double sauce) |
| Friday |
| Carne Asada salad/nachos (romaine lettuce, black beans, tomatoes, shredded cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, sour cream, salsa, jalapenos, olives) |
Just a quick note. As you are planning your meals and looking through all the recipe websites and blogs, always read the reviews or comments. I got some great ideas for variations of certain dishes this week that I'm excited to try! I'm especially looking forward to the carne asada salad/nachos, the twice baked mashed potatoes, and the crispy cheddar chicken! YUM!
