I had a 'practice' run of pantry cooking this weekend. I skipped grocery shopping last pay period, saving my money for food for a little trip we took last week. Not replenishing at home was fine...until we had to prepare a company dinner...I made a meal which will appear below in the menu plan, but it was a scraped together affair. Truthfully, I might have made it until grocery day this week if I'd tried, but John was paid early due to the holiday, Publix had some too good to miss sales on items we can't buy at Aldi and when John was called in to cover for the other team due to a holiday presentation at Andersonville, I took advantage of his being gone and went off to pick up the sales items and enough produce to get us through until we go to Aldi later this week. It's amazing how just having lettuce and tomato and an apple or two on hand can feel like a booster shot to the pantry.
Roasted Whole Chicken, Beans and Potatoes, Waldorf Salad, Challah, Peach Cobbler
I knew Katie and her boyfriend would be down to pick up her furniture from the shed. Seemed to me the last thing they were going to do was stop for a meal anywhere along the way, especially knowing that she still had to load her things from her brother's house as well. I was right and they looked very happy to know they'd have a nice hot meal while here.
Katie made the cobbler, using frozen peaches from my freezer. It was very good. Similar, I think, to the one I make, but she had her own recipe and I was too busy to notice how she made it.
This meal was all about using what I had. Apples from the fridge bought two pay periods ago, some awfully wrinkled little potatoes, canned green beans, challah leftover from the Shabat table the night before. But it tasted good and no one would guess how hard I'd had to think to come up with a mix of fresh and canned ingredients to pull it together.
Chicken Tortellini Salad, Challah bread, WW 'Ice Cream' Sandwiches
Today's meal was a leftover makeover dish. And yes, I know I've skipped Sunday's menu...There was none! I made a tomato sandwich for my dinner after I came in.
This is an easy salad to make: I didn't have green onion, so used vidalia onion, a little red (or orange or yellow just for added color and crunch) bell pepper with a Parmesan dressing that you make yourself. Very tasty and served warm-ish not cold. This is the first time I've made a full recipe. We'll have leftovers to eat on grocery day.
Cubed Steak Sandwiches, Chips, Fruit Cocktail
I'll use two of the hamburger buns for the bread and we'll have lettuce and tomato and Vidalia onion on the sandwiches.
Burgers on the Grill, Lettuce/Tomato/Onion/Cheese, Corn on the Cob, Wellesley Fudge Cake
It's Mama's birthday and this is her 'gift'. She loves a good grilled burger.
Tuna Salad Plates, Crisp Crackers, Fresh Fruit
With tomatoes, lettuce, and carrots on hand I think tuna salad is a nice meal for a warm day.
Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce, Steamed Broccoli, Garlic Cheese Toast
I need to look up recipes for other meatless meals to have...but in the meantime this dish is a good way to use up fresh tomatoes. Have I ever mentioned how much I love summer produce? The foods are flooding into our markets here in the South and I have to really limit myself and not overbuy this time of year.
Fresh tomato sauce is a mix of diced tomatoes, a little olive oil, garlic, and parsley (fresh basil if you have it). Let sit on the counter for a few hours so the flavors fully marry, then toss with hot pasta. If you can afford Boccini (fresh baby mozzarella cheeses) they are especially nice in this dish, too. If not, a good grated Parmesan will do.
Taco Pizza, Tossed Salad
I'll assemble the pizza and leave in the fridge, cook after we come in from synagogue. I'll top the warm pizza with crisp shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheddar and some of the homemade enchilada sauce. You could skip the enchilada sauce and make a fresh pico de gallo to top the lettuce instead, with dollops of sour cream on each slice.
