What’s on sale, in fridge, freezer basis for week’s meals
Earlier this year, a story in IN Food featured several devout menu planners, those who wouldn’t dream of going grocery shopping or starting another week without a well-thought out plan for meals. Here’s a look at another menu planner who responded to our request for menus.
Edie Dunlap’s menu is based on what’s on sale at the grocery store, what’s in her freezer and “what is getting old in my refrigerator.” The Spokane resident said she’s been planning meals for years, and now that she cooks only for herself and her husband, she said she enjoys finding creative uses for leftovers.
For example, with a good stash of leftover Easter ham, Dunlap rattled off a dozen ideas she came up with including Toasted Ham and Cheese on Rye with Mustard, Chicken Kiev, Egg Florentine, Pea Salad with Ham and Cheddar, and an hors d’oeurve she made recently featuring thin slices of ham spread with cream cheese and topped with pickled asparagus.
Unlike many menu planners who focus only on dinner, Dunlap plans all three meals, which are packed with fresh fruits and vegetables. She uses fresh herbs from her greenhouse to liven up dishes, and she makes homemade jams and jellies when fruits are in season.
When she found green peppers, spinach, mushrooms, Yukon Gold potatoes, oranges, bananas, grapefruit, cherry tomatoes and apples on sale for great prices she created this menu.
Breakfast typically consists of fresh fruit and either cereal, pancakes or waffles. Lunch and dinner follow:
Day 1
Lunch: Orange or Pear and Cottage Salad garnished with strips of green pepper, carrot sticks, cucumber slices and banana bread
Dinner: Oven-roasted chicken with fresh tarragon, candied sweet potatoes, fresh fruit salad with walnuts, green vegetable, homemade biscuits and homemade raspberry jam.
Day 2
Breakfast: orange slices, sausage, waffles, syrup
Lunch: Chicken quesadilla with lettuce, tomato and sour cream
Dinner: Bacon-wrapped filet steak, baked Yukon Gold potatoes with sour cream, bacon bits and chives, garlic bread and a tossed salad with bleu cheese dressing. She notes that she bakes two extra potatoes to use for dinner the next day.
Day 3
Lunch: Caesar salad with leftover chicken breast slices and leftover biscuit with honey
Dinner: Mahi Mahi grilled with fresh lemon wedges, steamed asparagus or bok choy with lemon and butter, restuffed baked potatoe, citrus fruit salad.
Day 4
Lunch: Liverwurst or tuna sandwiches, spinach salad, chips
Dinner: Pork chops baked on top of homemade escalloped potatoes, cranberry-orange relish, Waldorf Salad with pecans and banana slices.
Day 5
Lunch: Broccoli, chicken, cheese, mushroom soup, mayonnaise casserole
Dinner: Homemade chili topped with avocado, green onion, grated cheddar cheese, corn chips
Day 6
Lunch: Grilled ham or tuna sandwich, tomatoes, green pepper strips, carrot sticks
Dinner: Green peppers stuffed with meatloaf, noodles with butter or spaghetti sauce and Boboli bread. She notes that she makes a large enough meat loaf and freezes the extra for another day.
Day 7
Lunch: Chili and layered salad
Dinner: Leftover escalloped potatoes made into clam chowder by adding milk and clams, baked apples with walnuts and brown sugar.
Dunlap shared her Egg Florentine recipe, which uses the Blender Hollandaise Sauce from “Joy of Cooking.”
Egg Florentine
From Edie Dunlap
Set a lightly toasted English muffin on a bed of spinach. Top with a slice of ham and a poached egg. Spoon hollandaise sauce over.
Blender Hollandaise
From “Joy of Cooking”
Have ready in blender, 3 egg yolks, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, a pinch of cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon salt. In microwave-safe bowl, heat to bubbling (but not brown) ½ cup butter. In a steady stream, pour butter into blender (this should take about 30 seconds). Cover and blend on high for 3 seconds. Pour onto serving plates or in a serving dish.
Yield: About 1 cup
Approximate nutrition per 1/4 Hollandaise recipe: 250 calories, 26.8 grams fat (15.5 grams saturated, 96 percent fat calories), 2.3 grams protein, less than 1 gram carbohydrate, no fiber, 385 milligrams sodium.