MENU Wed 8/4 to Tue 8/10

What a week! Between the store not having any okra (I wasn't up to another trip to the Farmers' Market with the baby), baby Rosie having a hard time, and my computer having a virus, it was a rough week... life did not go as planned, and that's okay. No ingredients went bad, as I made sure to still use the ones that would be in danger.

Meal planning is meant to help you, not create a burden. I believe in having a dinner plan, but also in the ability to be flexible. If you need to do a different dinner than what you planned, go for it! Just be sure to use up ingredients that would otherwise go bad. Don't give in to take-out when you've had a bad day! Just make something super-easy (like quesadillas) and move on.

Example: Last night, I had chicken defrosted in preparation for Tarragon chicken. I typically have shredded cheese and flatbread around b/c flatbread seems to keep forever and makes nice sandwiches. So we had Super-Easy Quesadillas instead. Ta-daaa! Dinner.

Here's hoping this week goes better!

I chose the "Surprise" box from The Produce Box this week. I received:

 

• Yellow Summer Squash (1.75 lb) - - used in four recipes this week!
• Peaches (1.75 lb)
• 4 ears Corn
• 1 Cantaloupe (at least I think that's what it is)
• 1 Sprite melon
• Salsa (16 oz jar)
• Honey (8 oz jar)

Lunches - I'm going to experiment in making chicken salad with grated summer squash in it. I'll keep you posted on that. Dinah's not a big peach fan, so I'll mostly be enjoying those w/ my lunches.

WED 8/4 - Previously, I froze leftover Cuban Ground Beef Creole and Cuban Black Beans, knowing they would make for great burritos. Tonight, I'll be enacting that plan. I have a few grape tomatoes and a little bit of mint hanging out in the fridge, so I'll also make Roasted Tomatoes with Mint. Give it a try!

THU 8/5 - Off to the Farmers' Market for okra! We'll have Okra with Shrimp, served over rice. Really, I'm making it this time. I'll toss some summer squash in the recipe, too. I'm thinking it will be like a simpler version of Gumbo. Cucumber Salad on the side.

FRI 8/6 - Roasted Chicken Quarters, Fresh Corn Salad, Rosemary Roasties. I'll be working on a new recipe for Fresh Corn Salad, so keep your eyes out for it on justrightmenus.com.

SAT 8/7 -
Lunch: Easy Meatball Subs - frozen meatballs, a couple of rolls, canned sauce, and deli cheese. Done!
Dinner: Pork Stir Fry, using onion, green pepper, carrots, and summer squash as the veggies. Served over brown rice.

SUN 8/8 - 
Breakfast: Chorizo and Eggs, from Simply Recipes.  I picked up some chorizo at the Farmers' Market, and I've been dying to try it!

Dinner: I'm cooking a birthday dinner for my father-in-law. He loves Stuffed Mushrooms, so I'll make them as an appetizer (using the same proportions as this recipe, cut down for 4 people). We'll also have Corn Chowder (my sister owes me the recipe!) and sauteed chicken and summer squash over pasta... One-Ingredient Ice Cream for dessert.

MON 8/9 - I'm going to try Thai-Style Chicken Legs from Smitten Kitchen. Yes, I'm going to use Fish Sauce. No, I've never used it before. Here goes nothing! Served with brown rice and steamed corn.

TUE 8/10 - Chicken Tetrazzini - just defrost and bake! Serve with salad and bread. I'm a big fan of making a big batch of something & freezing the rest for later. It's not much extra work, and it will save you a lot of time for future meals.

What do you do with summer squash? Please share your recipes!

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.  
- - Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

Homemade Salsa

Homemade salsa is one of the great joys of summer!

You can make salsa to be enjoyed fresh, and you can also preserve your own salsa. Fresh salsa is particularly enjoyable - you can mix up your own salsa at home and keep it refrigerated for about a week or in the freezer for up to 2 months (stilltasty.com).

When you're making fresh salsa (not to be canned), you can use whatever recipe you'd like. Personally, I love fresh melon salsas. They make a great use of leftover melon. Just mix together melon, onion, cilantro, garlic, and a bit of lime juice, and you're ready for a snack!

If you've never canned your own salsa before, I highly recommend giving it a try as well.

• You can have great-tasting salsa all year long, at an affordable price, too! If you make it year after year, you'll more than recover the cost of your materials. 
• Homemade salsa is an appreciated gift, especially in the dead of winter, when fresh tomatoes have passed from memory.

 

Warning - 
Use Approved Canning Recipes & Instructions

It is very important to note that not just any recipe may be canned. Use a recipe found at the National Center for Home Food Preservation (approved by the USDA) or from a site like Ball.

Botulism, a type of food poisoning, is caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This bacteria grows quite happily in an oxygen-free environment... like jars of canned low-acid foods. To keep from getting sick, you must be sure to follow proper canning instructions and use laboratory-tested recipes.

Acidic foods (pH less than 4.6) can be preserved in a boiling-water-bath canner. Low acid foods (pH greater than 4.6) must be preserved in a pressure canner.

Tomatoes are on the border between high- and low-acid content.

Vinegar or lemon juice is added to salsa recipes to increase the acidity, allowing the salsa to be canned with a boiling-water canner. But you must have the right balance of high- and low-acid foods and vinegar/juice. This is why you should use an approved recipe.

One more time, for good measure: Use an approved, tested recipe. Grandma's salsa recipe is great - but enjoy that one fresh, then freeze leftovers.


Supplies

In addition to the standard kitchen items you'll use in making the salsa (knives, cutting boards, an 8-quart pot to cook the salsa in, a large spoon, etc.), you'll need these canning items:

• Boiling Water Cannner (or a really big stock pot) preferably with a Wire Heat Diffuser in the bottom - this keeps the jars from sitting directly on the bottom of the pot, too.
• Jar Lifter
• Funnel
• Mason Jars, Sealing Lids, and Rings (pint size)

Check yard sales and your local craigslist - I saw multiple canners listed for $10. You should also ask around - I happened to mention to my mother that I wanted to start canning, and she found materials in her attic for me.

For step-by-step canning instructions, check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
 

Fresh Ingredients

Roma tomatoes (also known as paste tomatoes) work best for canning. As you can see in the photo, the roma tomatoes (on the left) have less seeds and liquid inside than the regular slicing tomatoes (on the right). Ask around - you may be able to buy them in bulk from a local farmer - - or get some from a friend with an over-active garden!


For all your ingredients, choose items in good condition - they don't have to be pretty, though! They can be misshapen, just not damaged. They should be firm and ripe, free of bad spots and mold.

Check out your local farmers market for a variety of peppers!  I used mostly Anaheim and Poblano, with a couple jalapenos and banana peppers, too.

Be sure to use gloves when handling hot peppers.

Roasting the peppers adds great flavor to the salsa. Just put them on the grill or under the broiler, then peel the peppers and remove the seeds and stems.


Great Fresh Salsa Recipes

• Fresh Melon Salsa
• Fresh Peach Mango Salsa
• Fresh Tomato Salsa

Safe Canned Salsa Recipes

• Hot Chile Salsa
• Mango Salsa 
• Tomato Salsa with Paste Tomatoes
• Salsa Verde 

Friday Flashback:Plan Your Meals!

Newer readers of Meals with the McRackans may not have been exposed to the older articles, so I thought I would highlight this one from January 2009 on the benefits of meal planning. Even if your life is not so predictable that you can plan dinner every night, just planning a few meals a week can really make a difference! 


Benefits of Meal Planning:

• Healthy Mind – no more last-minute stress of what to make
• Healthy Meals – plan healthy meals and avoid last-minute unhealthy options
• Healthy Bank Account – keep your grocery budget down by not buying what you aren’t going to use


Healthy Mind

Frequently, I’ve heard complaints of the mental stress that comes on the drive home, rushing to figure out what to make for dinner. Then, just when you have it figured out, you get home to find an ingredient missing. Planning meals means you don’t have to worry anymore – just drive home, decompress from your day, and then start making dinner, never having worried about what to make.

Healthy Meals

Planning meals allows for healthier choices. Unfortunately, the easiest last-minute dinner choices are not typically healthy choices. Pizza, mac and cheese, hot dogs, pre-packaged meals, frozen dinners, and take-out are easy as can be … and they will work against your weight loss plans!

You don’t have to become a chef – many healthy meals are easy to make, too. It’s really about making small changes, choosing healthier options. And having a plan enables these choices, because you’re not pressed at the last minute. Steam, broil, or bake your foods – don’t fry. Use fresh ingredients. Choose lean meat. Drain off the fat. Opt for light dressing instead of regular. But most importantly, have a plan. Take the time to choose healthy meals for the week, then stick to that plan.


Healthy Bank Account

You’ve probably heard it said, “Never go to the grocery store hungry.” Well, I’ll add another rule, “Never go to the grocery store without a plan.” We’ve all been there – slimy, scary produce in the refrigerator, bought and never used. Or meat defrosted and then forgotten. Deli meat/cheese you never used up before it went bad. If you plan your meals, these kinds of events will happen less, guaranteed.

Maybe you already use a grocery list – good for you! That’s a great step to take. Just be sure what’s on the list is really what you’ll need – and then stick to it. Don’t purchase perishable items that aren’t part of the plan. And don’t purchase unhealthy snacks! This will help you toward a healthier body and a healthier account balance.


Another Benefit of Planning

Have you ever had a recipe call for just one tablespoon of tomato paste, just a bit of cream, a single stalk of celery, or just a portion of any fresh vegetable? What do you do with the rest of it? Some items can be frozen for future use, but not all. When you make your menu plan, you can plan multiple meals using that same ingredient so none goes to waste.


What if my Plans Change?

If you frequently have to change your plans, causing you to not have dinner at home, be sure to plan at least one meal per week that can drop off the menu without repercussions.

For example, have a pasta meal planned at least one night per week. I think the easiest “droppable” meal is pasta; the unused dry pasta & jar/can of sauce will keep for another week just fine. What about the meat? Well, hopefully you'll know the night before not to take it out of the freezer. If it's still fresh, just go ahead and freeze it. 


Need Ideas?

There’s many websites dedicated to helping you find new recipes. My own site, justrightmenus.com, has a category for “easily removed from the menu” as well as for "easy," “healthy,” and many other categories of recipes. Feel free to add your own recipes to the site, too!



If you have meal-planning advice to share, just leave a comment so others may benefit from your experience.


This article was originally posted January 30, 2009. 

MENU Thu 7/29 - Tue 8/3

Loving the Summer Produce!

Only another day or so of my sister and her boyfriend being in town, then it's back to regularly scheduled life. I will miss them!! They are, however, leaving me with a fabulous recipe for corn chowder (I'll share it in a future post).

In this week's delivery from The Produce Box, I received:

• 6 peaches
• 4 large tomatoes
• Personal watermelon
• 5 ears of corn
• 24oz bottle Muscadine grape cider

The newsletter that comes with The Produce Box contains great recipes, using (of course!) produce that's in season. All those recipes can be found on Just Right Menus, updated weekly. This week's new recipes will be posted by tomorrow morning... I got my box and newsletter late today, so I'm a bit behind!

Please share any peach tea recipes you have - I'm experimenting!




Here's the Week's Menu:

THU 7/29 - Appetizer: Fresh Melon Salsa. Puerco Pibil, boiled red potatoes (sliced thinly to serve). 

FRI 7/30 - Okra and Shrimp, which is made with fresh tomatoes, too; serve with hot, steaming white rice and cucumber-tomato salad on the side. I'll be making lots of extra rice, because stir-fried rice is best made with leftover rice. 

SAT 7/31 -
Lunch: Shrimp Salsa Salad. 
Dinner: We're trying out ready-made ribs from Harris Teeter (grocery store); they come with a high recommendation. I think the rotisserie chicken available from most grocery stores is a good option for a low-cost takeout meal, too. With the ribs, we'll have Skillet Corn Bread Pudding, and leftover cucumber-tomato salad (which I think is better on the second day anyway). I can't resist it - I'm also making Tomato Pie. 

SUN 8/1 - Polynesian Chicken served with fried rice (made using leftover rice from Friday). 

MON 8/2 - Salmon with Caper Relish, wild rice mix (to which I'll add some nuts and canned oranges), Steamed Corn. 

TUE 8/3 - Tarragon-Crusted Chicken (TOH 2/Spring08/7), macaroni salad, and Zucchini Carpaccio. 


When one has tasted watermelon, he knows what the angels eat.
  - - Mark Twain