Menu #11

Ah....the last week of the grocery budget.  No wonder I'm early on planning a menu!

Monday: Lasagna leftovers
Tuesday: Mexican Chicken and Beans
Wednesday: Spaghetti & Broccoli
Thursday: Egg & Cheese Bake
Friday: Taco Burgers
Saturday: Ham & Cheesy Potatoes
Sunday: Crepes or Waffles.  Gotta love General Conference Breakfast days!

Recipe #9 Whole Wheat Tortillas

Whole Wheat Tortillas

King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain Baking

2 C white whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbs vegetable oil

2/3 C warm water

Combine the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl.  add oil and mix into flour thoroughly.  Mix in the warm water.  You want the dough to be a little bit softer than white flour tortillas as the grain will absorb the liquid as it sits.  After mixing, let sit covered for 20 minutes.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead a few times and pat into an even disk.  Divide disk into 10-12 pieces and roll each piece into a ball.  Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. 

Flatten with rolling pin into a very thin, flat, round disk about 6-8 inches across. 

Heat a heavy, ungreased griddle over medium-high heat.  Toss a toritlla onto the griddle and let it head on one side for about 1 minute, then use tongs to lift and flip the tortilla about one minute on the other side.  While the first tortilla is baking, roll the second one.  Transfer torillas to plate and keep covered with a paper towel to keep warm. 

Serve while warm for best results.

Recipe #8 Orange Chicken

I've made this a few times, and after a few tweaks of the original recipe (recipezaar) it worked like a charm!  Derek said, "This is really good.  You can keep this one.  NO need to experiment any more."  So, it must have been good!

Here's the Recipe:

Orange Chicken
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
white pepper
oil (for frying)
1/2 cup potato starch, plus
1 tablespoon potato starch (recipe called for cornstarch) 1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon gingerroot, minced (didn't have any, but wished I did)
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red chili pepper
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Orange Sauce  (I would suggest doubling this!)
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 orange, zest of--use caution when zesting the orange.  I found that any white that gets zested in makes this dish very bitter! 

Directions


Place chicken pieces in large bowl.  Stir in egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well.  Stir cornstarch and flour together.  Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat.

Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees.  Add chicken, small batches at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden crisp.  (Do not overcook chicken).

Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside. (I would add that keeping it in a warm oven keeps it warm and toasty!)

Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon oil.  Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant; about 10 seconds.  Add and stir-fry crushed chiles and green onions.  Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds.  Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil.

Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed.  Stir water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and add to chicken.  Heat until sauce is thickened.  Stir in sesame oil and orange zest if desired.  Serve over rice.

 

 

 

I'm trying to avoid most corn products so I tried this. 

 

It worked pretty well.  The only thing I would mention is that it gels up very quickly.  Maybe cool the sauce a bit before adding to sauce.  Also, I would definitely reccommend doubling the recipe for the sauce!  Good luck and enjoy!

Menu #10

Derek suggested that I go back to some of the basics, so I'm going to try and do a little bit of that.

Monday: Black Beans, Asparagus, Applesauce
Tuesday: Chicken nugget salad (Honestly, one of my favorites!)
Wednesday: Chicken Alfredo, Broccoli, Pasta
Thursday: Burritos
Friday: Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
Saturday: Hamburgers on the grill
Sunday: Spinach Lasagana

Menu #9

Okay, so here it is early.  I am particularly excited for Friday's Orange Chicken, which you might have noticed has been on my menu for weeks.  However, since I haven't been shopping much (one car!) I don't have a substitute for cornstarch.  But this time, I can make it because I am buying potato starch.

Monday: Leftover shells
Tuesday: Homemade chicken nuggets, potato wedges, fresh veggies
Wednesday: Burritos, Spanish Rice
Thursday: Eggs & Biscuits
Friday: Orange Chicken...with Potato Starch??   I'll let you know how that goes.
Saturday: Chicken Alfredo Pizza
Sunday: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Veggies

Menu #8

I'm trying to get back on track this week starting on Sunday-Saturday.  I didn't go grocery shopping at all this week which makes sticking to a menu a little bit difficult.  However, I'm going shopping today, so I'm planning my next menu.

So, this is what we ate this week.

Tuesday: Sesame Chicken
Wednesday: Turkey Sandwiches
Thursday:
Friday: Chicken & Spinach Pizza
Saturday: Porcupine Meatballs
Sunday: Spinach Stuffed Shells