Thursday, October 31, 2013

Meal Planning ~ Week 10-27-13

Last week was a blur. I don't even remember what we ate! It was a non-CSA week and there was a mix-up with my Winder Farms order, so I didn't get my organic produce box delivery. As a result, we didn't have much in the fridge or pantry.

This week, we made a trip to Costco for proteins and got our CSA box on Wednesday. A fully stocked kitchen makes my meal plan even more important.

Here is the game plan for the week:

Sunday
  • Brunch - Out with girlfriends
    • Buckwheat pancakes from Early Bird Cafe This is pretty much the only gluten-sensitive item on their entire menu. 
Early Bird Cafe Buckwheat Pancakes
  • Dinner - Argentine BBQ Party at Ariel's
    • Asado steaks chorizo sausages from El Gaucho cooked to perfection by grill master Ariel
    • Choripan My non-NCGS friends ate the chorizo with French bread as a sandwich 
    • Grilled red onions You'd be amazed at how sweet and addicting these are. Just lightly salted and oiled, then grilled over Mesquite coals. 
    • Chimichurri I am known to bring fresh herb sauce to BBQs, especially South American ones. My original inspiration from chimichurri was from this recipe, but I make it so often now I just wing it each time. This time around, I made it with:
      • 3 small bunches flat leaf Italian parsley
      • 3 tbsp dried organic Oregano flakes (fresh dried from my herb garden)
      • 1/4 red wine vinegar
      • 3 cloves organic garlic
      • Juice from 1 lemon
      • A few sprinkles of red pepper flakes
      • Salt & pepper to taste
      • EVOO to desired consistency I like it as a thick dressing; between the viscosity of a paste and a runny mixture.
  • Dessert - Layer Cake Bakery
    • Mini cheesecake with gluten-free graham cracker crust Pretty good
    • Coconut macaroon cookie
My Plate
The Argentine Grill
Layer Cake's GF Cheesecake
Monday
  • Dinner - Cold weather calls for hot noodle soup
    • Rare Steak Pho at Pho House Pho is gluten-free if its made the traditional way with just beef (or pork) and its bones. I called the restaurant ahead to make sure they do not make their broth with any pre-made stock, fish sauce, or soy sauce. Don't add hoisin as it contains wheat. Sriracha is safe. MSG is almost always included at Asian restaurants; it's gluten-free, but doesn't make me feel great sometimes afterwards.
Tuesday
  • Lunch - Using leftover rotisserie chicken and unused celery stalks.  
    • Lemon chicken noodle soup Note: I do not recommend using quinoa pasta in cooking this soup as it doesn't hold up well. Actually, I don't really like quinoa pasta at all.
  • Dinner - Making a gluten-free flour mix from scratch for pastry dough. Detailed post to follow.

Wednesday
  • CSA Pick Up Day Here is a list of what I got
My Pick Up Location
Photo & Recipe by Nick Kindelsperger
Thursday
Photo & Recipe by ratherbeswimmin' 
Friday
Photo & Recipe by Campbell's Kitchen

Saturday 
  • Lunch 
  • Dinner - Attending a wedding at Vibiana. I requested "gluten-free" for my meal. Crossing fingers...
<3 Congratulations to Diana & Marvin! <3
Photo by Adrienne Gunde

Sunday
Salads
  • Red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce 
  • Dressing made with Black Garlic This hot,trending fermented garlic was gifted to be my Frieda's. I just saw it at my local Albertson's. 
    • Balsamic vinegar & Dijon mustard variation recipe
    • Sherry vinegar and shallots variation recipe
Snacks
  • Organic Greek yogurt with Persimmon slices
  • Ricotta cheese, citrus zest, honey, nuts
  • Persimmon chips If there's any leftover
  • Roasted yams
  • Fresh kiwis 
Juice
  • Apple & cucumber, etc.
  • Grapefruit & kale, etc.
Note: I am not making anything with butternut squash this week as it needs time to ripen.

If you have any ideas on how to spruce up my salads with typical lettuces, please comment below!

Enjoy your meals this week.
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jane, not sure where your benchmark is for salads, but what converted me to salads was one part EVOO, one part lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and you mix it with your hands. I then shave some Pecorino cheese (sharper than Parmesean) and put some sauteed mushrooms on top. Light and delicious! I also bust out the truffle oil for special occasions.

October 31, 2013 at 12:26 PM
Succulent Succotash said...

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for your comment. Oooh~ warm mushrooms. That sounds delish. I have a wedge of Percorino in my fridge, so will be definitely shaving some on my salads. Great tip! This will be a good application for my romaine lettuce.

I am actually a big fan of the simple lemon vinaigrette and use it all the time. I got burned out on it so I started integrating other acids like balsamic vinegar, rice wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, and fresh grapefruit or orange juice. Next on my list to buy is sherry vinegar.

October 31, 2013 at 1:57 PM

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