Dinners for January 20 - 25, 2013

This holiday weekend has given us more time than usual to make some dinners with prep times longer than 30 minutes. This week I chose two dinners from Dinner: A Love Story (the book), one that is quick and easy and one that takes little more time.

The turkey chili we made last night was a slam dunk with my 7 year old. When I first said I was making chili earlier in the day, he said he didn't like chili and that it was too spicy. But from the moment I started to sauté the onions and garlic till I added the cinnamon at the end, he was orbiting around me asking when... when... when... could he finally taste what smelled so good. He ate two bowls of chili and declared this the best dinner he's ever had. A quick note, I only added 2 tablespoons of chili powder because I was worried the spice would turn off my kids. It worked great and I think I am going to slowly up the chili powder amount over time.

Sunday: DALS book selection recipe - Turkey chili with homemade cornbread muffins

Monday: Spinach feta quiche with salad

Tuesday: DALS book selection recipe - Apricot mustard chicken, crispy broccoli and mashed potatoes (sorry, no link available)

Wednesday: Roasted salmon and brussel sprouts with barley pilaf

Thursday: Sausage, kale and pasta

Friday: Dinner out with friends

Saturday: TBD

Missing in Action - The Dinner Edition

Sunday: Dinner at a friends house

Monday: Roasted pork chops with kale and farro

Tuesday: Lamb meatballs with pita pockets and yogurt mint sauce

Wednesday: Butternut squash with pine and penne pasta

Thursday: Cobb salad

Friday: Butternut squash and kale pizza

Saturday: TBD

Oh my, where has the time gone? I have been so bad about posting menus, it's almost a shame to be trying again. But this is a new year and a new start, right? I was inspired by the Seven Days, Seven Meals challenge over at Dinner: A Love Story and for the past two weeks I have introduced about five new dinners into our repertoire, including two from this week's menu. Sadly we have not had many hits with this experiment! My kids each ate one lamb meatball and declared it inedible, but the adults inhaled them. The Spicy Black Bean Burgers with jalapenos omitted for the kids were met with a resounding "Um, no thanks!" Same goes for the Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers - they ignored them and ate the sweet potato fries instead. I almost pulled out my cottage cheese trick, but they redeemed themselves by inhaling the Crispy black bean tacos with coleslaw.This has not been an easy ride, folks. Oh well, I love trying new recipes and while all were not winners, we definitely have room to grow around here. Wish us luck. Have you had any success with new recipes lately?

Dinners for September 9-15, 2012

Sunday: Greek Style Shrimp with Feta (DALS Selection of the Week - page 70) with Quinoa and Spinach Pilaf

Monday: 3 Ingredient Tomato Sauce with pasta and garlic bread

Tuesday: Sausage and Peppers with Polenta

Wednesday: Back to School Night

Thursday: Balsamic Orange Chicken with brown rice and broccoli

Friday: TBD

Saturday: TBD

Dinners for August 12 - 18, 2012

This week should be the calm before the storm since school starts next week. However, we have three birthdays within 18 days of each other and as a result we are busier than ever this week with a 3-year-old, a 41-year-old and a 70-year-old all celebrating birthdays.With family commitments, birthdays and appointments all colliding at once, we have a rare only-three-dinners-eaten-at-the-table kind of the week.

To make things easier on myself this week I chose two dinners from the Dinner: A Love Story cookbook. I'll post my review of last week's choice later this week. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the recipes as well.


Sunday: Kale, Sausage and White Bean stew <---- DALS Cook-A-Long selection of the week

Monday: My birthday girl requested "Sammin, a vegahble, bread, an a pupcake." For those not well-versed in preschooler, it translates into "Grilled salmon, steamed broccoli, some nice bread and a cupcake for dessert." Your wish is my command, Colette.

Tuesday: Out with family

Wednesday: Out with family

Thursday: Spinach, tomato and feta frittata <---- BONUS DALS Cook-A-Long selection of the week (p.117)

Friday: Out with family

Saturday: Out with family

Dinners for August 5 - 11, 2012

It took me close to a week after our vacation to get back into the groove of things. I had a menu for last week but I can't even remember where it is or what we ate. Now that we are back into our old routine I was more than happy to go make a menu early Sunday morning while my kids slept and then shop for it that same day the way I usually do. It feels like I got into a rather bad habit of going to the store nearly every day to pick up this or that and it was driving me crazy! Who wants to go to the store every single day? I like to get it done in one day and then not have to think about it for the rest of the week.

This week's DALS Cook-A-Long meal is Fried Fish Sandwiches with Zucchini Fries. I love this kind of meal because it's a modified Twofer. I can use the breading from the fries for the fish as well and not have to clean up another plate.  

Sunday: Out with family

Monday: Fried Fish sandwiches with zuchinni fries <------ DALS Cook-A-Long Selection of the Week

Tuesday: Pork stir fry

Wednesday: Shrimp, bacon and corn pasta toss

Thursday: Yogurt-marinated chicken with zucchini fritters

Friday: TBD

Saturday: TBD

Dinners for July 8 - 14, 2012

Our kids are with their grandparents for the week so my menu is all over the place this week. We want to enjoy our nights and leave the dinners flexible for this week. I saw a great slow cooker Chicken Tikka Masala on Pinterest that I am dying to make so that is going to happen for sure. For some reason that I cannot explain, but Indian food in San Francisco is so expensive. Yet over in the East Bay it's affordable. Maybe it's the rent? In any case, maybe this crock pot version will take care of my craving.

I have chosen to make BBQ Ribs on page 239 for this week's Cook-A-Long recipe and will also be making the Barbecue Sauce from page 238 to go along with it. Looking forward to hearing what you make and how it's received by you and your families.

Sunday: Dinner out

Monday: TBD

Tuesday: Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala with yellow rice

Wednesday: Dinner out with friends

Thursday: TBD

Friday: Reunion with the kids - not sure where we'll be, so I am leaving this TBD

Saturday: Barbecue Ribs with Broccoli Slaw and corn on the cob <-- DALS Cook-A-Long meal!

Dinners for June 24 - 30, 2012

Boy does it feel good to be posting my menus again. I missed this kind of blogging because I often forget what I had planned for dinner and have to check my retro datebook to see what is on the menu. I much prefer keeping this here where I can check it on my phone.

I have a backlog of posts as well to get to and I also want to start the Cook-A-Long to the new book, Dinner: A Love Story. More on that later this week.


Sunday: Barbecue Pork Ribs with tomato bread salad

Monday: Spinach Feta Quiche

Tuesday: I am out for the night, so the family will have some turkey bolognese from my stash in the freezer with pasta.

Wednesday: Fish tacos

Thursday: Pesto yogurt marinated chicken with tomato cucumber salad. No link for the chicken - I just combine about 1/3 cup pesto with a 6 oz cup of greek yogurt, add chicken to the bowl and let it marinate while I am at work.

Friday: Camping - more on how scared I am of camping later this month. All I have to bring are S'Mores thank god.

Saturday: TBD

Dinners for June 3-9, 2012

Judging by the links in this post, you'd think this menu was sponsored by Dinner: A Love Story. Speaking of which, anyone interested in joining an online "Cook A-Long" with me when her book comes out on June 5, 2012?

I can create a web ring and we can all cook maybe one dish a week and move along through the book, discussing how our families like the recipes... kind of like a book club with a blog twist. Any interest?



Sunday: Defrosted soup from the freezer after a weekend out of town

Monday: Pork Fried Rice

Tuesday: Chicken with Brussel Sprouts and bacon (see my comment in the post on how I prepared this dish. It's super simple!)

Wednesday: Spaghetti with shrimp and bacon

Thursday: Bean and veggie tacos

Friday: Dinner and a movie date with my soon-to-be 7 year old. If I know my kid he'll request Boulevard Cafe and Madagascar 3 (I'm just going for the popcorn, let's be honest).

Saturday: TBD

Dinners for May 27 - June 2, 2012

For the rest of the United States it is warm and sunny, which makes for perfect grilling weather. But in San Francisco it is cool and foggy (and I wouldn't have it any other way) so it is Beef Stew weather for us. I am a sucker for traditions so we are grilling regardless of the whipping winds and wet fog for this Memorial Day. How about you?


Sunday: Crock Pot Beef Stew

Monday: Yogurt-marinated chicken on the grill with vegetables and Rice and black bean salad

Tuesday: Chicken, Kale and Sweet Potato Hash (adapted from this Everyday Food recipe)

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Roasted salmon with green beans

Friday: Dinner out

Saturday: TBD

Dinners for May 20-27, 2012

This week's menu was inspired by son's request for three ingredients to be use in our dinners this week: Sausage, Rice and Mashed Potatoes. I like how he neglected to mention kale as if he didn't hear my public declaration that it will be a permanent menu fixture till we make a dent in our garden.

Sunday: Turkey meatloaves with mashed potatoes and sauteed kale w/ almonds and red onion

Monday: Fish cakes (use up those leftover mashed potatoes) with roasted sweet potatoes and kale


Tuesday: I'm out for the night - Chef's (Dad's) choice: Sausage, kale and pasta toss


Wednesday: Dinner with family from out of town (Hello, Wisconsin!)

Thursday: Chicken teriyaki with Gwyneth Paltrow's Green Rice


Friday: Movie night - Pizza? Indian?


Saturday: TBD

Dinners for May 13 - 19, 2012

Sunday: Grilled steak, sauteed fava beans and bread

Monday: School fundraiser dinner

Tuesday: Roasted chicken with strawberry surprise salad

Wednesday: Pasta with carmelized onions, spinach and parmesan

Thursday: Dad is on his own with the kids = chef's choice!

Friday: Homemade pizza

Saturday: TBD

Dinners for May 6-12, 2012

I am going to start keeping our Saturday 'TBD' because by the end of the week, both my mind and the veggie drawer are empty. Something comes together but it all depends on weather, spontaneous plans and our mood. 

Sunday: Grilled chicken with orzo cucumber salad

Monday: Black bean tostadas with corn relish (I love this relish because it gets better with time so I make it the night before)

Tuesday: Pollo ala Cacciatore

Wednesday: Dinner out with family - my birthday!

Thursday: Pork chard hash (I subbed in pork tenderloin)

Friday: TBD

Saturday: TBD

Dinners for April 29 - May 5, 2012

Sunday:  Game of Thrones potluck with friends (I brought cheese tortellini tossed with peas, butter and parm for the kids and a side of sautéed carrots and sugar snap peas in a honey glaze)

Monday: Grilled sausages with Panzanella salad (half this recipe)

Tuesday:  Turkey burgers and sweet potato fries

Wednesday: Pesto Pasta

Thursday: Roasted salmon with yogurt mustard dill sauce and green beans

Friday: Homemade pizza

Saturday: TBD - It's a busy day with soccer games and tennis matches

Dinners for April 15-21, 2012

It's a busy week for us, so this isn't one of my best menu's. But I'm excited to try Tortilla soup after all these years of reading about it and I know that my kids will inhale at least three of these dinners with no problem.


 Sunday: Crock Pot Chicken, steamed artichokes, spinach salad and bread

Monday: Roasted trout with quinoa, feta and cucumbers (original recipe uses tilapia, but I was in the mood for trout)

Tuesday: Chicken tortilla soup (using leftover chicken from Sunday's dinner)

Wednesday: Busy night with family, so something easy from the freezer

Thursday: Spaghetti with shrimp and bacon

Friday: Movie night - TBD

Saturday: Out with friends

Dinners for April 8-14, 2012

Sunday: Easter dinner with family

Monday: Ricotta and chard omelette with leftover scalloped potatoes

Tuesday: Pork chops with apples and sauerkraut and green beans

Wednesday: Pasta with sausage and crispy broccoli

Thursday: Chicken orzo soup from the freezer, bread, salad

Friday: Out with friends

Saturday: Movie night - homemade pizza?

Dinners for April 1 - 7, 2012

Sunday: Roast chicken with cauliflower and carrots

Monday: Chicken fried rice (using leftover chicken from Sunday's dinner <-- that's a Twofer!)

Tuesday: Hoisin salmon with broccoli and roasted potatoes (Source: Time for Dinner cookbook)

Wednesday: Grilled sausages and rainbow salad

Thursday: Leftovers tossed with cheese tortellini

Friday: Passover Seder at a friends house

Saturday: Turkey burgers and sweet potato fries

Dinners for March 18 - 24, 2012

Sunday: Family dinner party at Mom's house

Monday: Roasted salmon with brussel sprouts and parmesan quinoa

Tuesday: Mini meatloaves with broccoli and mashed potatoes

Wednesday: Chicken orzo soup with bread

Thursday: Veggie strata with hashbrowns

Friday: Dinner out

Saturday: Dinner with family

Anatomy of a Menu

Sometimes when friends ask me about how I put together a dinner menu for the week their eyes glaze over when I babble on for more than a minute. I think they were hoping for a quick, simple explanation to it all and there is, but it may not sound like it at first.

It took a few years to find a dinner groove with my first child and then the whole system had to be tinkered with in 2009 when my daughter was born. I needed to change our dinners to suit a new eater and I found the easiest way to do that was to make dinners that could be segmented for picky little people. I also kept in mind that while I may be easing a new eater into the routine, I still needed to make dinners that I want to eat, as in, "This had better be worth my time to make as well as eat."

Over the years I have collected a little library of reliable books, magazines and blogs to use in my menu planning. 

My menu arsenal

On any given Saturday or Sunday, I look at our calendar for the coming week and see what evening commitments we have and note it on the menu. Then I flip through my library for inspiration to cobble together dinners for the rest of the week.

These are my favorite resources:

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Dinner a Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach (Jenny graciously sent me a galley copy of her book and let me tell you, it is worth every penny, so pre-order it now! What can I say? Being an early, gushing fan has its perks.)
Everyday Food magazines (more on my collection here)
Sunset Weeknight dinners (2005 edition, co-edited by my friend, Emma Bland Smith)
Sunset Fast & Fresh
Time for Dinner by the Cookie editors
Real Simple magazine

With these wonderful resources at my disposal, I keep a few basic guidelines in place.

1) I try to do most of my shopping on Sunday, but I supplement with extras from Trader Joe's during the week. I am very fortunate to work two blocks from TJ's so I go there during the week for extra's on my lunch break.

2) To avoid repeats, I organize the menu by the main dish. So in a given week we'll have one or two poultry dinners, one pasta dinner, one vegetarian dinner, one soup dinner, and one get-out-of-jail-free dinner (aka the frozen something or dinner out) and then I find recipes to fit into those parameters. I believe this kind of thinking comes from my mother and my grandmother, but then again she would never approve of having chicken twice in one week. C'est un scandale!

3) The seafood chosen for a dinner during the week will always be made by Monday or Tuesday. This is almost always amended by frozen shrimp, which is a must-have in our freezer due to my shrimp-loving son.

4) On Sundays I typically put more time into what I make, mainly because I have the time! I try to make it a little more special than my usual 30-minute-dinner-wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am type of meal. Even better if I can do double duty and get something else ready for later in the week, especially if I have a twofer in mind. This particular week I roasted a butternut squash to be used in soup for the next day.

So as you can see this is not rocket science. It may seem too rigid for some, but for me it's just how I like to do my dinners. I like a plan, but I like it be flexible and as a result, I rarely encounter rotting vegetables in the fridge. An extra bonus is that we eat pretty good leftovers the next day at work.

What else can I say?

"I love it when a plan comes together."

Dinners for February 26 - March 3, 2012

Sunday: Dinner with friends for an Oscar Party

Monday: Lentil Veggie Soup

Tuesday: Chicken with artichokes and angel hair pasta

Wednesday: Shrimp Fried Rice

Thursday: Chicken tacos (from the stash in the freezer)

Friday: Homemade pizza

Saturday: Kids with grandparents for the night!

Dinners for February 19-25, 2012

Sunday: Dinner at a friends house

Monday: Friends at our house for dinner: Roast pork, brussel sprouts, salad

Tuesday: Sausage, broccoli and pasta toss

Wednesday: Cornmeal crusted fish sticks with rainbow salad

Thursday: Roasted zucchini and tomato pasta

Friday: Spinach feta quiche (making two of these - one for a friend with a new baby and one for us)

Saturday: Black bean and cheese quesadillas, avocado and tomato salad