Mindylynns Kitchen

July 15, 2009

Menu Planning for the 3rd month of July

Filed under: Menu Planning — Mindy M. @ 2:05 am

Well, I started out with a plan.  And then I decided I was sick and tired of grocery stores so I tossed out that plan.  I want fresh food.  I want to eat healthy.  Ever since I had lea I’ve been feeling like crap.  Well, having a gall bladder stuffed full of blueberry sized stone’s didn’t help, but even after having it removed I haven’t begun to feel better.  SO, off to the farmer’s market, and a healthier life style. 

Our (my four month daughter was along for the ride) loot consisted of:
Basil
Dill
Cilantro
Chard
Beet (one only for the parrots)
baby carrots
a multitude of squash
fingerling potatoes in a variety of colors
lemon cucumbers (my absolute favorites)
and the crowning glory of my veggie treasure trove…Squash blossoms!

So what shall I make…

Smoked Salmon, zucchini & dill Frittata
I purchased a package of cold smoked salmon (also known as lox or nova) from costco, I then divided it up into manageable portions and froze it.  I love it with brie on ritz, but I’ve been meaning to add it to a frittata with fresh dill.  Which I picked up from the farmer’s market so yummo. I’ll also add some zucchini just to round it out.  *tip* add a little bisquick to your frittata egg mixture for a nice texture. 

Mustard Tango Sockeye with Mashed Potatoes
Sear fish, then deglaze the pan with white wine, add lemon zest, a little lemon juice, course ground mustard and chopped fresh dill, maybe a little garlic.  For the mashed potaters…after boiling them in salted water place them back in the empty but warm pan ontop of the burner (which is off now but still warm) and let them sit for a few minutes…this will make your mashed potatoes fulffy.  then smoosh them with a potato masher with sour cream, butter, cheddar cheese (not to much), a little milk and crushed garlic…salt and pepper to taste.  Yet another recipe that my husband prefers to all others…take that all other mashed potato recipes, picky picky food hater kevin loves my mashed potatoes best! 

Ginger crusted pork loin with fingerling potatoes
Costco love…3 vaccuum sealed porkloins for under $15.  I froze them and I’m gonna whip one out, defrost it then roll it in crushed crystalized ginger, paprika, a little garlic and tiny bit of brown sugar.  rotiserie cook it and baste it with apple juice.  toss the fingerling potatoes with olive oil salt and ginger and roast until soft.  try some ginger garlic onion chard. 

Lemon Cucumber Sunomono with shrimp
So Lea and I had lunch at a sushi restaurant, and this salad was so good I wasn’t just seeing stars I was seeing comets.  It was delicious.  So I’ll be making it for kev and me to keep in the fridge. 

Chard rolls
Sushi rice, pine nuts, raisins (preferably golden) maybe some rotiserie chicken.  Good snack possibilites maybe a little feta?  I’m just kind playing with ideas here.  There’s a lot of chard.

Goat cheese, marscapone, basil stuffed squash blossoms over steamed polenta
So as soon as I saw the squash blossoms I just KNEW that I had to stuff them with goat cheese and basil, a little marscapone to cut down on the “tang” of the goat cheese, basil because I love basil and I got a beautiful bunch at the farmer’s market, and some chopped pine nuts for their wonderful texture.  dredged in egg and flour then fried.  Served over polenta, made with milk a wee bit of sugar and some whole corn, just before the corn meal is fully cooked, steam it until the corn meal is soft.  Maybe top with a little cream sauce.

Mindy’s bruschetta & bruschetta salad
So, I want what I want…and what I want is fresh made crostini topped with chevre, sliced tomato, fresh basil, and olive oil and balsalmic vinegar…I still need to go to the local coop and pick up a couple of things tomatoes being one of those things otherwise I’d be eating this RIGHT now.  Also I love a bruschetta salad…spinach, tomato, goat cheese, crumbled miltons crackers or homemade croutons toss with olive oil and balsalmic vinegar.  YUM

 Minestrone/tortilla soup
I know this sounds CRAZY.  But it’s smart…I swear.  Carrots, celery, onion, garlic, sauted and the pan deglazed with chicken stock.  Add three kinds of beans, I like kidney, white bean and black bean or garbanzo (it depends on whats in the pantry) and a bottle of marinara sauce, at this point devinde the soup into two parts.  In the minestrone pot add squash and pasta at the end, and some basil if you got it.  In the tortilla pot, add chicken (I’ll be using chunks from a rotiserie costco chicken), corn & cabbage.  Garnish the tortilla soup with tortilla strips (or tortilla chips if you are feeling lazy) avacado chunks, and sour cream.  Both freeze pretty well, although I prefer to freeze them with out the fresh veggies. 

 Chicken Dumpling Soup
Let’s use the rest of that rotiserie chicken from Costco.  Recipe to follow. Another FAVORITE of my family, of ALL of my family. 

Stuffed mushroom caps
I got a package of baby bellas at costco so let’s stuff ’em with bacon, goat cheese, basil…spinach?

Mushroom Omellete
oooooo….

Smoked Salmon eggs benedict
with fressh dill in the sauce.  goose bumps.  Sounds so good. 

Let’s get cookin’

 

 

 

 

 

 

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