Monday, November 3, 2014

The Cherry On Top's Weekly Menu Planner #32

Welcome to another week's worth of delicious, healthy, easy and fast recipes.

As I'm sitting here chowing down on probably THE fastest, healthy meal, an omelette of sorts, I'm getting you prepared for a fabulous week of meals that the entire family will love and benefit from.  So, grab your pen, make your grocery list and get cook'n!

Meatless Monday:  chilli

Of course, it doesn't have to be meatless.  Chill is so awesome for cleaning out your fridge.  What meat have you got?  Pork, beef, chicken or no meat at all?  No problem!  Don't like beans?  No worries!  I make chilli without beans because the rest of the gang really does not like them.  Don't have tomatoes?  Big deal!  Make white chilli. Use carrots mushrooms, onions, garlic...

Things are cooling off, here in Belgium and I've got today's meal already started in my slow cooker.  I joking call myself a lazy cook.  I'm always taking short cuts to move things along quicker as well as save on dishes.  That's why I LOVE a crock pot or slow cooker.  I just put in my ground chicken, chopped onions, garlic and tomatoes and spices.  You can always just chuck it all in the pot before work and turn it on. 

Check out this link for FIVE different chilli recipes, including a vegetarian and the white chilli recipe mentioned.

 chilli recipes

Tuesday:  Italian Lamb Skillet 

Here is this week's recipe card.  I've high lighted all of the ingredients to save space as well as make it an easy reference.  I only ever made this with lamb, but would think a beef substitute would be pretty good, too.  Click on the image and save it to your downloads.


This recipe in not on line.  So, I made you a handy card that you can print out.  I'll be putting these recipe cards on more regularly.  This way you can print them out and keep them all together.  You could also make a couple of copies, bind them up nicely and give them as a gift.  Yay!

Wednesday:  uitsmijter  (out-sm-ay-ter)  a Belgian staple

 uitsmijter recipe

I've actually got a recipe for ya, but it's in Dutch!

It's really easy.  Lay a small pad of butter in the pan, sap it all up with a nice slice of bread (the bread can be older), flip your bread over, lay a slice of cooked ham or bacon over that, then a slice a cheese, gently place a dippy or sunny side up egg over the top and let it warm up just a tad.  Serve with some rucola, onion, tomato or whatever raw veg you prefer on the side.  That's it!

Thursday:  fish, quinoa and spinach

Pick up the family's favourite kind of fish.  Don't buy the frozen, boxed, breaded stuff.  Get fresh fish that hasn't been covered in anything.  It cooks up so much faster, it's far healthier and you can choose to bake, grill or pan fry without using fryer fat. 

Listen, take your thawed or fresh fish fillet, sprinkle over some Old Bay seasoning, Cajun or blackened season or simple salt and pepper.  Heat up a non stick pan, grease it with olive oil or butter, lay your fish in for 3 minutes on each side (depending on thickness) and that's it!  

You'll have to get started on your quinoa way before you get the fish going.  Quinoa does take a bit of time to cook, but it's awesomely delicious and really, really good for you.  Check out this Peruvian recipe with spinach and mushrooms.  I'd leave out the cheese for this one, but you choose!

 quinoa spinach recipe

Fun Food Friday:  Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Awwwe, yeeeah!  This recipe it totally, totally kick'n!  The family goes nuts over these babies and yours will, too!  A few alternative ideas for this recipe.  Are you ready?  Make these babies larger, slap them in a hoagie roll and pour over your blue cheese sauce.  Man!  That's some good eats!

You can always leave out the veggies if you think the family won't like them and serve them up raw as the usual hot wings side.

(I always make my meatballs in a pan, on the stove stop, in some olive oil.  Just continuously turn them and they are done is about 10-12 minutes.)

 recipe

Saturday:  Italian Hoagies

You want to make things really easy on yourself?  Clear off a nice space, layout all of the sandwich fix'ns and have the gang help themselves!  Even the little ones love to make their own sandwiches.

Salami, ham, chicken and cheese all sliced.  Onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, hot peppers, herbs, whatever you want for on top and some olive oil and vinegar to make it all complete.  Grab some fresh rolls on your way back from soccer practice or get the half baked bread and heat it up while you're getting the buffet ready.

Sunday:  German Crock Pot

After a long week and all of the crazy weekend running around, this is the perfect Sunday meal for the family and it's prepped in about 10 minutes.  (Depending on how fast you peel your taters!)

Peel and dice enough potatoes and carrots for your family. I use about 4 good sized one for us 4.  Place them in the bottom of your crock pot.  Then put in your sauerkraut  and place your choice of pork over the top of that.  I've got 2 axa's (pork with the bone and fat), 2 kielbasa style sausages and a pork roast.  (I'm having the in-laws over.)

Turn on your crock pot and let that baby sit and simmer the entire day.  Set the table, bring a big spoon and serve!  That's it!


There is your week's worth of menus.  Healthy, relatively fast and typically family favourites.  Enjoy!














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