BIZZY BAKES

Menu Plan Monday    -   Jul 13, 2015 In an effort to use my cookbooks more, I have pulled out one each week and gathered recipes that appeal to me. It is amazing, how many good recipes can be found in each book.  The result is inspiration and some mighty fine meals. By looking into new authors/chefs, I am also picking up some excellent tips for cooking.  It is interesting how for years, I do something one way, read a line in a cookbook and find a better way. I am a bit heavy on meat, this week, because for nine days, starting Friday, Jews do not meat because it is a time of mourning.  Next week will be lots of pasta, dairy and fish. Sunday - Shabbos Leftovers Monday -  Eggplant  Parmesan    Tuesday - Turkey Pad That Salad - Ellie Krieger Wednesday - Sweet Potato and Turkey Curry   hursday -  Tuna Patties with Pasta   Friday -Turkey  Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Topping       ...

As I discussed, in the previous post, I am cooking from Ellie Krieger's, Comfort Food Fix, this week.  I had this book, marked up, already with recipes, I want to make.  The strangest part of my selection is that those are not the recipes, I am planning to use.  I ended up, picking a whole set of new recipes.  This proves how appealing Ellie's recipes are to me.  I think, I would be happy with almost any of them. Sunday - Spinach Pizza Monday - Chili, Bean & Corn Bread Pie with Zucchini Potato Pancakes Tuesday - Lasagna   Wednesday - Skillet Mac and Cheese  Thursday - Spicy Chicken Fried Rice with Peanuts (I have made this one and it is amazing.) Friday - Sesame Chicken with Broccoli with Autumn Vegetable Curry Menu Plan Monday

It feels good, being back to weekly planning.  In the summer, it does not work, for me but when I am teaching, it makes life a lot easier.  Last week was comfortable, knowing what I was doing and when I was doing it.  I had none of those deer in the headlight looks when I had no clue, what to make for dinner, which was an hour away. This week, I am cooking from Martha Stewart's Living cookbook. It is not easy to select recipes from a book with such variety and multitude of recipes.  I ended up, using code words.  Wednesday is soup night so I checked out Martha's soups.  Tuesday, I cook for Wednesdays with Donna Hay so I chose a Martha salmon. Sunday - Pizza Monday - Gratineed Mac and Cheese with Tomatoes Tuesday - Potato Rosti and Poached Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce Wednesday - Soup Night - Pureed Spinach - Potato Soup  Thursday - Curried Quinoa with Apple and Black Beans Friday - Chicken, Roasted Curried Cauliflower,  Sweet Potato...

The Neelys are new to me, as far as cooking any of their recipes.  I was entitled to a free book in a book club, I belong to and I thought theirs would be fun to have The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook.  The theme of the book is the Neely's entertaining but this does not mean, it is all fancy.  They cover tailgating parties, holiday parties, birthdays, Super Bowl Sunday, to Valentine's Day and everything in between.  Both of them give commentary throughout the book so it is a nice read besides good for eating. You would enjoy reading Pat's Top Ten Party Tips for Guys which the first reads, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."  OK, Gals, don't we love him already? There is a lot of deep frying so I will be doing a great deal of adapting these recipes.  There is Pat's Guide to Deep Frying which explains a lot, if you are going to deep fry. These are the recipes, I plan to make. Sunday - leftover (Baked Chicken, Quinoa and Squash) Mo...

In a way, summer is much more difficult to prepare ahead of time.  It is a lazier time for me.  I am not working and I am not on a schedule.  I have additional time to make dinner and right now, I am not highly motivated.  I do not feel inspired.  I will do my best. Sunday - Cheesy Potato Bake Monday - Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes Tuesday - Huge Tossed Salad with Avocado Wednesday - Asian Noodle Bowl Thursday - Salmon in Strawberry Sauce Friday - Chicken Cutlets - breaded in nuts Saturday - Chulent Linked to Menu Plan Mondays

This is my first week, completely free of school, and I hope to play around a bit and make some interesting meals.  The problem, I have, is that I have been collecting so many recipes, I want to make, over the summer, I don't know where to start.  I guess that is good in one way but frustrating, in the other.    Sunday - barbecue with burgers, hot dogs and biryani cakes Monday - Spinach and Cheese Flan (goat cheese) Tuesday - Indian Potato Patties, Southwestern Corn, Zucchini (Veggie Meal) Wednesday - Eggplant Lasagna with huge tossed salad Thursday - Savory Tuna Burgers with Red Rice and Lentils Friday - Spicy Peanut Chicken, Slightly Sweetened Carrots and Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans Linked to Menu Plan Monday

After all the meat, we had today, I want a week with little meat.  I am going for breakfast for dinner, daily. Sunday - Barbecue with chicken, burger and franks Monday - Crustless Broccoli Cheddar Quiche Tuesday - Stuffed French Toast Wednesday - German Apple Pancake Thursday - Sausage and Hash Brown Casserole (I had to have this even though it has meat.) Friday - Sweet and Sour Chicken Saturday - Chulent Linked to O rganization Junkie

In my continued quest to use up the food, in the house, pasta is disappearing and you can see where, in my menus.  The freezer is emptying although, I found some goodies and I am not sure what to do with them. Sunday - Leftovers from the Sabbath Monday - Lemon Fettuccine with Norwegian Salmon Tuesday - Use Up That Pepper Steak dinner Wednesday - Ellie's Savory Chinese Chicken Salad Thursday - Pasta with Tomato and Mozzarella Friday - Honey Pecan Chicken Saturday - Chulent

Sunday - Penne with Spinach Ricotta Monday - Beggar's Linguine Tuesday - Aromatic Beef Stew with Butternut Squash - Ellie Krieger Wednesday - Vegetarian Tacos Thursday - Creamy Soup with Smoked Salmon Friday - Chicken Saturday - Chulent

For those of you, who do not know, about the holiday of Passover, I want to explain why I am starting to use every single bit of food, in the house, from today on.  For Orthodox Jews, Passover is a complete change of eating styles although eating tons of veggies make it less so. We do not eat any food from the five grains, wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and rye.   We also do not eat rice and beans unless one is Sefardic .  I think you can imagine how limiting this is.  No corn either.... I am happy, I love potatoes because we eat grandiose portions of potatoes and eggs and some eat meat to the same degree.  We may not own the food besides not eating it.  As a result, we clear everything out of the house the days, weeks and months before.  I am starting the process now and as I go around and see a particular foodstuff, I mentally add it to the list of ingredients for recipes, in the next month or two.  Passover starts around April 20 th .  My...

On Sunday, I think about the possibilities for dinner, this week.  Since, I am cooking for two, I can go anywhere with the meals.  I have been attempting to incorporate a breakfast for dinner night.  I have an Ellie Krieger night.   Then, it is wide open.  There are times, I make up a recipe and that is the most fun.  The problem is I can rarely share it with you.  Unless I write all the details down, I rely on my photos. I use recipes from your blogs, from magazines, from cookbooks and from other places on the Internet.  This is such an enjoyable experience.  Let's see what should be for this week. Sunday - Corn and Sausage Cakes Monday - Chunky Apple Pancakes Tuesday - Meatballs and Spaghetti Wednesday - Sesame Shrimp Fried Rice with Cabbage   Thursday - Vegetarian West African Soup Photo: Karry Hosford Friday - Sesame Chicken with Spicy Apricot Sauce Saturday - Chulent

I am planning to make Thursday - Breakfast for Dinner Night.  So, look for eggs, pancakes, French Toast and all your favorite foods served on Thursdays. Monday - Mock Seafood Lasagna (Taste of Home) Tuesday - Sesame Salmon Wednesday - Four Cheese Baked Penne Ellie Krieger Thursday -Peach  Sausage Puff Pancake (Taste of Home) Friday - Chicken Salad (Nigella style) Saturday - Chulent (like a stew that cooks for 24 hours)