Menu-Planning Monday | January 13

Here is what is cooking this week...

Monday
Chicken and bean soup, served with Trader Joe's cibatta bread for dipping
Putting some variations onto this recipe, but following it for the most part.

Tuesday
Leftovers of aforementioned soup.

Wednesday
Baked salmon served with kale and cheese grits
Baking my salmon per these instructions,
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F for fillets or 350 degrees F for a dressed fish. You can bake the fillets at a lower temperature, if desired, but remember to increase the cooking time. Bake salmon fillets or steaks, uncovered, for 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness. For a dressed salmon, bake for 6 to 9 minutes per 8 ounces of fish. To test for doneness, insert a fork into the salmon and gently twist. The salmon is done as soon as it begins to flake. Be sure to test at the minimum baking time. When done, the salmon will be opaque with milky-white juices.  (side note, that is the nastiest sounding sentence ever--opaque with milky-white juices??!!  Excuse me while I go vomit.)


Thursday
Easy One-Skillet Lasagna with any leftover kale and green beans


Friday
Leftovers of one-skillet lasagna.

I love menu planning.  Do you love menu planing?  I usually sit down in front of pinterest and/or my recipe binder, and flip through till we find something that looks good.  I acknowledge I could do a better job of finding sales to plan my  menu...but I don't.  Usually the only guiding factors in making the menu are making at least two meals that will have sufficient quantities for leftovers, and one "stand-alone" meal where leftovers are not likely.  Soup usually shows up at least once every week, and I usually make a pot of it on Sunday afternoons, so as I like to say, "it has time to think about itself" and good get and tasty (aka the flavors have more time to marry) before serving it on a Monday night.  Tuesday nights are PACKED, so leftovers are essential.