I find August to be my most unproductive month of the year. January and August, the coldest and the hottest months. By August I feel like making dinner is a chore. It’s hot out and honestly when it’s hot out I’m just not that hungry. The Kids are out with their friends and miss dinners more often, Ninja works later in the summer and I even with all the fresh produce in season, I just don’t feel inspired. This month I menu planned things that were light, that we had tried before, that were easy to make and had bright flavours in hopes that good food would reignite my energy in the kitchen! And it did!
I think it’s important to note that I remake recipes ALL the time. I have favourites and I have recipes that I make so often, I know them by heart and they don’t feel like work to make. This week I made 3 recipes from older posts that we love and are perfect for summer dinners. If you would like to see step by step pictures of how I make those dishes, click on the links below to see the original posts 😊.
While you are creating your weekly menu don’t forget to check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #340: Siren Soup HERE! This week, we attempt to record with the sounds of our neighbourhood Topics: dog smells, Rae & Jerry’s, gazpacho, Sophie & Justin, rally, influencers, other people’s kids, sneaking out, dogs, & country music.
MENU (Feel free to change days up to suit your schedules and your cravings)
Sunday: BBQ Steak with Roasted Potatoes & Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Red Onions
Monday: Vermicelli Salad Bowl
Tuesday: Cheeseburger Salad
Wednesday: Enchilada Zucchini Turkey Meatballs and Rice
Thursday: Cheddar Croque Madame Waffles
Friday: Garlic Butter Chicken with Zucchini and Corn with Mashed Potatoes
Saturday: Tagliatelle with White Wine Corn Sauce
These items are ALWAYS in my pantry or fridge. This tip bares repeating… As soon as I see an item running out it goes on the my shopping list. If they come up on my PC Points list or go on sale, I buy them. We have a second fridge in the garage, so I always have eggs, mayo, soy sauce, etc. on hand. It may take you a while and some money to get this system going but once you do… your wallet will thank you 🙂
Things I need for this week’s menu that I already have in my kitchen (my staple items) are listed below and in red.
Shopping List
1 lb ground beef
2-3 steaks
1 lb chicken breasts skinless, boneless
1 pound ground turkey
9 eggs
4 cups milk
1 1/2 cup marble cheese
1/2 cup Asiago (I have Parmesan, so that’s what I’m going to use)
2 cups butter/margarine
8 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
12 ounces tagliatelle pasta
1 cup white basmati rice
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup peanuts
2 1/4 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup fish sauce
¼ cup sugar
1.4 cup lime juice
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons & 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 tablespoons mayo
BBQ Sauce of your choosing
3 cups red enchilada sauce
2 jalapeño (I had 1)
1 lime
basil
chives
3-4 cups zucchini
1 onion
2 carrots
fresh herbs
2 hamburger buns
2 bell peppers (I bought a bag of 6)
1 cup snap peas
13 cloves garlic (2 heads)
4 Roma tomatoes
I stock up on meat when it’s on sale so I only needed to buy the steak for this week. This is the meat we need at the prices of each.
1 lb ground beef (not extra lean so I’ll make sure I drain!)
$14.27 for 4lbs = $3.56/lb
This week I need 1 lb of ground beef = $3.56
Meat $34.65
Menu $64.47
Lunches & Stock Up $53.50
TOTAL= $152.62
$4.00 UNDER
SUNDAY:
This is a Ninja’s favourite summer dinner by far! Steak, potatoes, a fresh salad, and zero dishes! This dinner is the ultimate, no prep, barbeque dinner! We make potato packets on the regular because they taste delicious and it’s zero mess and clean up! We can get by using 2 steaks, the Kids and I share a large steak and Ninja… eats the rest 😂. This salad was easy to throw together, tasted like summer, and was fresh and light! If you feel like it, toss some feta into the salad for a little something extra!
3-4 tomatoes
1 cucumber
1/3 red onion, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon basil, chopped
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt to taste
Slice the cucumbers, tomatoes and red onions. Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl, top with fresh basil. Add 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and toss the salad gently.
¼ cup fish sauce
¼ cup sugar
⅓ cup water
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon carrot, shredded
1/4 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 package rice vermicelli noodles
1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 cucumber, julienned
2 carrots, peeled & julienned
1/2 romaine heart (light crunchy part), shredded
12-16 spring rolls
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 tablespoons mayo
2 tablespoons BBQ Sauce
2 hamburger buns
1/4 cup butter
1 head lettuce, torn
1 cup cheese, shredded
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
3 dill pickle, cubed
1/2 red onion, sliced
Brown meat in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain.
Take off heat and add ketchup, mustards, mayo and barbecue sauce to the meat and stir to combine.
Keep warm.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over low heat, then add the hamburger bun cubes and toss to coat. Toast the croutons in the skillet over low heat for about 10 -12 minutes, adding 1 tablespoon of butter every couple of minutes. You may need more, you want the croutons to be nice and buttery.
Pile lettuce on a plate. Pile on a good quantity of the meat mixture, then top with lots of cheese, diced tomato, chunks of pickles and slices of red onion. Then sprinkle warm croutons all around the plate.
Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup shredded zucchini (squeeze out ALL excess moisture with a paper towel)
1 egg
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup onion, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded, diced and separated
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cobs corn, cooked and cut off cob
2 cans red enchilada sauce
1 cup basmati rice
½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Garnish: chives and cilantro
In a large bowl, add the ground turkey, shredded zucchini, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, cilantro, 1/2 jalapeño, garlic, cumin and salt and pepper. Use clean hands to mix and form into 16 golf ball sized meatballs.
Place a large deep skillet over medium heat and add in olive oil. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, 5-6 minutes total. When meatballs are done browning, transfer to a plate and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add in the other half of the jalapeño pepper, bell pepper and corn. Saute for a minute, then add in the enchilada sauce and chicken stock. Bring sauce to a simmer, then fold in the rice, making sure it is evenly distributed. Add the browned meatballs on top. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until rice is soft.
Remove lid and sprinkle cheese on top. Cover, cook for 2 more minutes to melt cheese. Garnish with cilantro and chives.
adapted from Cooking with Carlee
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup deli ham, diced
2 cups white cheddar cheese, shredded & separated
8 slices deli ham
6 eggs, poached or fried to your desired doneness
chives
In a small saucepan or skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in 4 tablespoons of flour and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in the milk a little at a time to ensure you don’t have lumps. Once all of the milk is added, continue to cook and stir until the béchamel is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cups of flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in the eggs, milk and melted 1/4 cup of butter until just combined. Fold in the diced ham and 1 cup of cheese.
Put about 3/4 cup of batter onto the surface. Close and cook until golden brown.
FRIDAY:
Adapted from Julia’s Album
2 tablespoons oil
2 zucchini medium, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
3 cobs corn, cooked
1 lb chicken breasts skinless, boneless, sliced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium heat in the same, cast-iron skillet. Add the chicken in one layer and cook, undisturbed, for about 4 minutes.
Flip the chicken strips over, add minced garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes. Lower the heat to low, add lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook for another 2 minutes or more, frequently stirring, until the chicken is cooked through but not overcooked and the garlic has softened.
Add cooked sliced zucchini and cooked corn kernels to the same skillet with cooked chicken.
2 ears corn
5 tablespoons margarine
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup snap peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
12 ounces tagliatelle pasta
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 small bunch chives, chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
Torn basil, for topping
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the corn and cook until slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with tongs reserving the boiling water. Let the corn cool slightly, then cut off the kernels.
Melt 2 tablespoons margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, the peppers, the peas and 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook until the veggies soften, about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the corn water as per the directions on the box.
Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Add the chicken broth and corn kernels to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
Add the pasta to the skillet; add the chives, the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss to combine, adding the reserved cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Top with more cheese and basil.
2 thoughts on “August: A Week Long Menu Plan on a Budget”
Your meal plan sounds wonderful for this week. I love the cucumber and tomato salad idea, and it looks so bright and yummy! Also, these pictures look like a blast! Thank you for visiting Tell It To Me Tuesday!
Oh wow wow wow, so much fun times had by all.
Thank you for sharing your links with us at #273 SSPS Linky. See you again next week.