Weekly Menu Plan

Typically August weather, though many might shake their heads and assure you it isn't in the least August-like.  Well, it is, I've got twelve years of writing about August to prove it!  We've had a nice cool down spell, rain, cloudy skies.  It's all set in to last until at least mid-week next week.  I haven't seen any reports beyond that time.  And typical me, come this cool spell in August, I want soup! 


Vegetable Beef Soup, Corn Bread, Brownies a la Mode
I discovered something with my soup this time.  I'd been saving vegetable juice and bits of leftover vegetables in the freezer. I just added a bit of chopped zucchini and onion and garlic and 1/4 pound ground beef to it (oh and tomatoes).  But here's the discovery part: my soup ended a bit sweet.  It happened last time I made soup, too. I decided this time it must be because the tomatoes, carrots and corn are all a little sweet themselves, even without added sugar in them.  So I poured a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into my soup pot and that tempered the sweetness perfectly and made the soup taste very good indeed.  Balance.  It's a good thing even in the soup pot!

Santa Cruz Chicken, Yellow Rice, Green Salad with Ranch Dressing
I told you I had zucchini to use up! Well this dish used some, too.  I cooked zucchini, onion and garlic together until just slightly browned, removed from pan and put in chicken breasts (Boneless skinless) that I'd seasoned with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Browned those then piled the vegetables back into the pan and clapped on the lid and cooked about 12 minutes over medium low heat.  I added a chopped roasted red pepper to the pan, squeezed about 1/3 of a lime over the pan of food and then topped with shredded Gouda and Romano cheeses.  Gracious that chicken was tasty, juicy and moist and flavorful.
 
I had a bit of the vegetables leftover and some of the rice.  That becomes a leftover makeover later in this week.  And an extra chicken breast half that I sliced up for sandwiches for John's work lunch.

Cheddar Burger Sliders with Onion Relish, Chips, Broccoli and Carrot sticks with Ranch dip
I like now and then to make an onion relish.  It's easy enough.  Slice an onion thinly, and cook in a little butter (or oil) until just tender.  Add salt, pepper, about 1 tsp sugar and 2 tsps vinegar then continue cooking until the sugar and vinegar become a thick sort of glaze over the onions.  This is good on steak, pork loin, too, as well as burgers.

Pot Roast with Vegetables, Broccoli and Apple Salad, Rolls, Blueberry Cobbler
If the weather holds out I want to make a good pot roast dinner, another thing I'm craving now that we've had warm weather for a number of months.  I realized this evening we've not had a Blueberry cobbler yet this summer.  I think it's high time...or perhaps I'll change my mind and make a Blueberry Buckle which is a sort of coffeecake and cobbler all in one.

Black Bean, Corn and Rice Burritos, Green Salad, Peaches
The leftovers from earlier in the week along with some black beans will make up a nice meatless meal.  I bought what I believe is the last peaches from the local shed, so we'll enjoy this very much indeed knowing there won't be any more this summer for us.  It's the one fruit I can and do buy locally and nothing else tastes anything like these 'homegrown' peaches!

Shepherd's Pie, Coleslaw, Rolls
I'll combine some of the leftover roast with some of my leftover vegetable soup(I won't need much meat from the roast with the little bit of ground beef in the soup) and top with mashed potatoes and cheese.  My soup was very thick and not at all soupy, so if need be I'll make gravy from the beef broth to add a little more moisture to this dish.

Grilled Chicken, Squash Casserole, String Beans with Red Potatoes, Sliced Tomatoes
My nod to the end of summer produce in this meal, sigh.  I did so enjoy it but I'm looking forward to the fall vegetables.