Easy Weekly Dinner Menu #3: Get Creative.

It’s the weekend again, and you know what that means? Time to go grocery shopping! I can’t wait to push a gigantic car cart around a crowded grocery store, full of groceries and empty of children, while its passengers wander away from me and ask for animal crackers and Sponge Bob macaroni and bubblegum-flavored yogurt. I hope your shopping trip is made easier by using this week’s menu and list.

1. Homemade Pizza – Even chefs in a hurry can make pizza from scratch on a busy night. I found this great recipe for thin pizza crust that only takes about 10 minutes to make, and you can use that time to prepare your toppings. (I do recommend adding 1 tsp. each of dried basil and oregano and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder to the dry ingredients when preparing this dough.) I use jarred pizza sauce and grated mozzarella and parmesan. Of course toppings are a very personal decision, so I’m just going to add “pizza toppings” to the produce and meat sections of this week’s list. Go hog wild. Load it with veggies or serve with a side salad.
2. Standup Tacos – I saw these on Pinterest and thought they looked fun and easy. They made for a right tasty Fiesta Night. Top with your choice of diced tomatoes, finely shredded cabbage, sour cream, and salsa. They weren’t completely different than any other taco/tostada/nacho dish with the same ingredients, but the preassembled factor made for easy serving.
3. Cube Steak over Rice with Green Beans – Who eats cube steak, you ask? I didn’t know either until I tried this recipe. The meat is fork tender, gravy is savory, and it’s pretty hands off cooking. You do have to be home a couple hours while it’s cooking, so it’s not good for a quick weeknight dinner, but you don’t have to pay attention to it. Steam green beans, then toss them with a small pat of butter, lemon pepper, and kosher salt for a quick and healthy side.
4. Chicken and Wild Rice Soup – This soup is great for cold days: Creamy, flavorful, and made for dipping. No Knead Bread is a perfect accompaniment, but a store-bought crusty loaf is good too. This recipe does take about 45 minutes, but most of the time is spent simmering.
5. Steak with Chili Lime Roasted Cauliflower and Couscous – We’re all chefs here, right? In that case, I’m not going to tell you how to cook your steak because I’m sure you already have your favorite method. Want to skip another night of red meat this week? Substitute chicken breasts or fish fillets. This cauliflower is SO good. I didn’t even know I could ever say that about this vegetable. I altered the recipe to use ingredients I always have on hand (regular chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne, ground cumin, and dried cilantro), and I roasted for 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees F to speed up the cooking process. For the couscous, I use boxed seasoned couscous like this, which takes less than 10 minutes to prepare.
6. Salmoniches with Fries – This is a classic in our house, starting years ago when we had a favorite salmon sandwich at a local restaurant that was only served one day a week. Instead of trying to fit that into our schedules, I recreated it at home. I’m really going to make these fries soon and tell you all about them, but this time it’s frozen fries for us again.
7. Sausage and Vegetable Stir Fry over Rice – I love this dish for nights when I’m low on time and energy. In the time it takes to prepare the rice, you can saute your sausage and vegetables. Dinner is on the table in 25 minutes!

Here is your grocery list for the week in doc and pdf formats.

What have been your favorite Weary Chef recipes so far? Which do you hope to see again soon on the menu?