Menu Plan Monday...

This morning I woke up...and it was Monday. 

I'm not a Monday-hater by default because - let's face it - every day is Monday for mothers of multitudes.  But today I'm a little worn down with extra duties, so I thought it'd be fun and change-of-pace to jump on board with Menu Plan Monday.

Via my gal Jada at Food. Fun. Family.  She is a master.

 So here we go!

• Monday:  Pepperoni/Mushroom/Onion/Spinach Pizza with Green Salad.

• Tuesday:  Whole-wheat Linguine with Alfredo Sauce, Chicken, Bacon & Steamed Broccoli.

• Wednesday:  Crockpot Chili with ground turkey (technically made the day before to allow flavors to meld, which means I need to soak my pinto & kidney beans tonight) & Whole-wheat Cornbread.

• Thursday:  Chicken Tikka Masala.  Oh, yes.  Thank you, Jamie Oliver for making this not only possible, but probable.  And thank you, mom, for the cookbook on my birthday last month.

• Friday:  Barbeque Beef on Homemade Sandwich Rolls with Steamed Veggies.

• Sunday:  Pork Loin or Beef Roast in the traditional English "Sunday Roast" style with roast potatoes, Yorkshire Pud' and all the trimmings as described in Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution" cookbook.  Most of the players for this meal I could already do, but the Roast Potatoes have alluded me for years. I'm anticipating impressing my visiting British relatives.  Hopefully.

I haven't allowed for the desserts I'll likely make, but that can be a future post...and I've skipped a day to allow for leftovers and/or mental lapse on my part with all the projects I have going at the mo'.  ;-)

 Here's a brief recap of what we ate last week:

• Monday:  Homemade Pizza & Salad.

• Tuesday:  Black Beans & Brown Rice with Chicken Fingers and Corn.

• Wednesday:  Whole-wheat Spaghetti with Homemade Bolognese Sauce and Peas.

• Thursday:  Mexican Casserole (corn tortillas, pinto beans, ground turkey, tomato sauce, corn, cheese) and Green Salad.

• Friday:  Leftovers.

• Saturday:  Even more Leftovers.

• Sunday:  Tuna Salad on wholegrain crackers, Steamed Broccoli, Popcorn, and Grapes.  (It's what happens when mom and dad are both working on joint and separate deadlines all weekend.)

So what about you?  What're you cooking up this week?  I always suggest trying for something new and fabulous or zany and plan a couple of additional meals with similar ingredients.  Makes for simpler (and cheaper!) grocery shopping.

What happened when I wanted Chicken Tortilla Soup...

So I tried my hand at Chicken Tortilla Soup in the kitchen the other night.  The motivation for this particular dish was that I brought home a package of corn tortillas by mistake recently.  We always get flour.  Always.  But it was the end of a Costco-shop, I was tired from running errands up in the city with 4 tinies, and, I trusted that the kid I asked to grab them was paying attention.  (ha)

The Dude and I weren't disappointed, we thought corn tortillas made a nice change to our once-in-awhile quesadilla lunches (or dinners).  But the tinies were not impressed.  So here I am, stuck with a Costco-sized package of corn tortillas.  I mean, one can only eat so many quesadillas and maintain one's delicate figure (and their love of cheese!).

Two Mexican casseroles and numerous force-fed quesadilla meals later...

My thoughts wandered again to Chicken Tortilla Soup.  That lovely soup which conjures up "everything satisfying & delicious" emotions.  But I was dubious to try it.  Pretty much every recipe I've ever seen is either:  1) so durn complex that I feel hopelessly bullied into never attempting, or, 2) made by dumping numerous canned goods into a pot and heating (which cooking method I'm saving for the End of the World, you know, when we're all living in bomb shelters).  It's silly really, because when I'd been married only a few years, I ran across the Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread Cookbook.  I bought it, and studied it thoroughly before launching my soup-making legacy.  It's changed my perspective on beans, soups, and even created an unbreakable marital bond.  I am confident in my husband's stickability and committment to our marriage because I make him soups!

But I digress...

My attempt was not only successful, it was inspired.  Mostly by perusing 8 different recipes on AllRecipes.  *cough*  I wasn't satisfied with any of them, so set out with a firm step to make my own version.  It's a thick-ish soup, not watery (because Tortilla Soup should never be watery!), but there is no masa or floating used-to-be-corn-tortilla mush (because that's just gross).  And so it is - with no small amount of pride - that I now introduce you to:

*The* Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 (froz.) chicken breasts

Cook at a medium boil in a saucepan of salted water with a tsp. of vinegar (to reduce foaming).

2-4 tbsp. oil
1 onion, slivered
5 cloves garlic, pressed

Meanwhile, saute the above ingredients in a dutch oven/soup pot, until onions begin to brown. Then, add:

1/3 c. short-grain brown rice
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin powder
1 tbsp. oregano
ground black pepper to taste

Continue to saute until rice is toasted (a few minutes). Add about 6 cups of boiling water, and simmer on medium-low for about 30 minutes, while the chicken continues to cook separately. (Not too much water! You can always add more later, if necessary.) Then, add:

1-2 cans Rotel tomatoes – OR – 
1-2 cans of crushed or diced tomatoes & 1-2 small cans of chopped green chiles
2 cups cooked beans (preferably: pintos, kidneys, or reds – if using canned beans, drain & rinse)
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 chicken bouillion cube

When chicken is tender, remove to a separate plate and shred. Add to the simmering soup pot along with:

1-2 cups frozen corn

Cover and simmer until corn is tender. At that point, do a taste test, and add more oregano, cumin, black pepper, chili powder (and, cayenne?) to taste. I don’t remember adding any additional salt!

Top with these Homemade Tortilla Chips:

Stack 4-6 corn tortillas and cut pie-style into 8 wedges. Arrange close together on a stone (or baking sheet covered with foil), spray sparingly with Pam and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake at 400F for 8-10 minutes.



This soup was brilliant.  Legen-dary, even.  And although I am a cheese freak (hem), I didn’t add any cheese on top because I'm a firm believer that a good soup should be able to stand alone.  (But being cheeseless also serves to make the soup cheaper to cook, and cuts out some fat.)

The Dude and I meted out equal portions for leftovers-lunch today, each casting extremely suspicious looks at the other's bowl.  It was that good...