Passionate Homemaking

We are jumping in again at the beginning of our monthly menu plan this week, so I thought I would share our plan over the next four weeks (on Mondays) along with the recipes. Here are the recipes from week 1 of my monthly menu plan.

WEEK 1 DINNERS

Monday – Vietnam Fried Rice (with vegetables)
Tuesday – Chili & Cornbread (add rice or grain), raw vegetables
Wednesday – Parmesan Chicken, quinoa, baked vegi
Thursday -Shepherd’s Pie with grain
Friday – Homemade Pizza, fresh salad
Saturday – Leftovers or Spaghetti

Vietnam Fried Rice

Adapted from More with Less Cookbook

Cook 1 cup of rice or have ready 3 cup leftover rice. I use a combination of rice and quinoa.

Stir fry:

1/4-1/2 lb any cooked or raw meat, cut into thin strips (ground turkey is the best!)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 Tbls. or more soy sauce or Liquid Aminos

Stir-fry until meat is tender and hot, about 1-2 minutes. Add your cooked rice. Stir-fry 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of leftover or frozen vegetables, such as peas, green beans, or carrots. I always use whatever I might have on hand, including brocolli, parsnips, turnips, zuchini, etc.

Just before serving, add 2 eggs, beaten, for added protein.

Simple and tasty!

Parmesan Chicken

I love Parmesan chicken, especially served over quinoa. This is one of my new additions to our recipes lately. I will make my spaghetti recipe early in the week to add to this recipe, serve over pizza and spaghetti later in the week.

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
7 ounces seasoned bread crumbs (make your own with some crusty bread, oregano, and butter – blend together in blender and store in freezer!)
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
12 ounces spaghetti sauce
6 slices Monterey Jack cheese or mozzerella

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Pour beaten eggs into a shallow dish or bowl. In another shallow dish or bowl, mix together the grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Dip chicken breasts into beaten egg, then into bread crumb mixture to coat.
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add coated chicken and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes each side, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
4. Pour tomato sauce into a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Add chicken, then place a slice of Monterey Jack cheese over each breast, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Since I have started serving this over quinoa, you really only need one chicken breast each and we are filled up!

Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce

This comes from my Italian side, as my mother is Italian! She would make this with a pork roast and let it simmer all day. Yum! I normally use ground turkey or Italian sausage if we are lucky! You may add more tomato sauce if you like a more liquid sauce, as this recipe is more thick and chunky, as I like!

1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dried parsley
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 Tbls. olive oil
1-2 lbs ground beef (pork roast, italian sausage or whatever!)
2 large cans diced tomatoes (28 oz each)
1 large can tomato sauce (28 oz)
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup red wine, optional (you can also use dry white wine)

Saute onions, green pepper, garlic, parsley and celery in oil until soft. Add meat and cook until pink is gone. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for several hours, stirring occasionally. Serves 8.