Menu Plans 8-11-25
I have a couple of recipes I plan to publish soon, one of which is this Caramelized Peach and Fried Goat Cheese Salad. This salad has so many flavors that will burst in your mouth. Caramelized grilled peaches and goat cheese slices that are breaded and fried are served atop fresh salad greens with dried cranberries and toasted pistachio nuts.
Monday
We had out-of-town family visiting this past week, which has been great. I love catching up on each other’s lives and spending hours chatting, cooking, eating, and showing them our part of the country. They are leaving for home this afternoon, and we plan to make the most of our last day together. Tonight, it’ll be a simple supper: Subway sandwiches.
We’ll no doubt eat in front of the TV, binge-watching something, and relax.
| Subway Sandwiches Chips |
Tuesday
I’m hoping the weather is nice for grilling chicken. From the Recipe Critic, the chicken is marinated in a mixture of balsamic vinegar, EVOO, honey, garlic, Dijon, and seasoning for several hours. Cook the chicken in your favorite cooking method.
While the grill is heating and the chicken is cooking, a simple side of baked potatoes with the works is in order. We’ll grill zucchini slices when the chicken is almost done by drizzling with EVOO and seasoning for a complete meal.
| Balsamic Chicken Marinade Baked Potatoes Grilled Zucchini Slices |
Wednesday
I have artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes in the fridge, so when I came upon this recipe from Julia’s Album, I must try it! Tomatoes and artichokes, along with capers and garlic, are sautéed for a couple of minutes, and then fresh spinach is added to the mix. Add cooked store-bought ravioli, which is later seasoned and served with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese for a dish that says ‘date night,’ only it’s Wednesday!
This dish is perfect with a side of garlic toast to sop up any remaining juices, and perhaps a glass of wine. Break out the candles – no, just kidding!
Thursday
We’ve made this sweet and sour chicken recipe from The Recipe Critic before, and it’s not only easy but delicious. A win-win in my book! The chicken is dredged in cornstarch and then dipped into beaten egg before it’s browned in a heated canola oil. The chicken is then finished in the oven, covered in a sauce made with sugar, ketchup, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and seasoning.
To complete the meal, serve the chicken over steamed rice and have a salad of fresh greens, candied almonds, mandarin oranges, and dress with sweet ‘n sour dressing. Perfection.
| Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken Steamed Rice Garden Salad w/ Mandarin Oranges & Sweet ‘N Sour Dressing |
Friday
It’s Friday night! Even though we’re retired – ahem, no one ever really retires; I still look forward to Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. I guess it’s just ingrained after years of schedules – like that doesn’t happen anymore. Anyway, back to tonight’s menu – I can’t wait for this date night dinner. Tender, flaky flounder is stuffed with delicate crab, which sounds like we’re dining out, but this recipe from Skinny Taste is made at home.
The stuffing consists of delicate crab, zucchini, fresh corn, herbs, lemon zest, an egg, and breadcrumbs to bind the mixture. The fillets are then layered with the filling, rolled, and placed in a baking dish. One thing I plan to do differently is brown the rolls for color first. The remaining crab stuffing is topped on the rolls, and then everything is baked. Don’t forget to serve this delicacy with fresh lemon wedges.
I don’t want to upstage or compete with the main entrée, so it’s a simple garden salad and dinner rolls that will complement the meal.
| Crab Stuffed Flounder Garden Salad w/ Tomatoes, Croutons & Italian Dressing Dinner Rolls |
Saturday
The ginger glaze for tonight’s dinner is one that I LOVE! I always double the glaze ingredients because it’s that good! From the Food Charlatan, this Asian-inspired pork recipe is the bomb, as my friend would say. The pork is first rubbed with a mixture of spices before being slow-cooked to perfection. Just before it’s finished, place water, brown sugar, cornstarch, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan to heat up. Once thickened, add fresh ginger to the mix – yum! Add some glaze to the pork tenderloin and broil to caramelize.
I like adding sweet potatoes when serving pork, and tonight, I thought twice-baked sweet potatoes would be the perfect side, along with steamed broccoli.
| Asian Pork Tenderloin with Ginger Glaze (Slow Cooker) Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes Steamed Broccoli |
