The Week’s Menu for December 22, 2013
This past week was all about food in my family.
Since “Celebrating Christmas” turned into “Celebrating the Lord’s Birth” on another date in our fellowship some time ago this week is more about resting and getting some things done.
This week is also my birthday so I’m supposed to be picking something to get myself. I do that each year. Usually it’s food related such as my KitchenAid, or my Food Processor, or my marble rolling pin which America’s Test Kitchen does not approve of but I’ve loved it for over 20 years. I keep it in a low cupboard so as not to have any unforeseen accidents with it. My daughter never found it when she was small enough to do any damage thank the Lord.
This past Sunday was the first in my family’s Home Masterchef Kitchen. We really love watching the bootleg copies of the UK Professional version (on youtube) and it has sparked a new love for fine dining (which we admittedly know nothing about). So in an extreme mimic of the show the three of us are cooking for each other in an allotted time. Dinner and dessert although the Sweet Peanut, being only 8, only has to come up with dessert.
Yesterday was my day. Dinner and dessert in 90 minutes. I begged for more time and they upped it to 150 minutes. This was my menu…
Dinner:
Chicken Roulade with spinach, parmesan and bacon. (my bacon was on the outside. I used this recipe as a template)
Dessert:
Pistachio Cake (I translated the pistachio cake into US measurements and substititued a few ingredients)
Chocolate Mousse (you have to be a member to see the recipe I used but
How did it come out? I have to say everything was DELICIOUS! I was pleasantly surprised! Really. I thought for sure it would bland. Or I would totally mess up the flavors. Because I HAD improvised on a few of the recipes. But nope! It was really yummy! I mean like well seasoned (they always say that on MC) and tender. I did good!
I was also surprised at how fast the time went! Now I know how the contestants feel when they plop in the chairs at the end of their cooking sprees. I was all energy until done. Then I just plopped!
The chicken was very flavorful and not dry. I used no seasonings as the bacon and the parmesan were enough. I didn’t really have a recipe for the chicken roulade and totally winged it but I will need to do some more research on getting it wrapped right etc.
The potato fondants were too yummy! I kept wondering how would this work? I mean it’s just a potato right? Not! I was creamy inside and full of the flavor of the chicken stock but not the consistency of a baked potato. Now I know why Michel Roux is such a stickler for getting this right.
Now I’ve linked to a few of the recipes I used up above but I did do my own take on them. So keep that in mind.
For this week’s menu…
Monday: Salmon Quiche (This is from leftover salmon we had last Sunday. I froze it in packets for just such an occasion)
Tuesday: Chicken Stir Fry
Wednesday: Lamb Gyros (I have a lump of leftover lamb roast in the freezer)
Thursday: Bean Soup
Friday: Beef Quesadillas (last week was turkey)
What’s on your menu?
- Find more menus to inspire you at Organized Junkie.
- Need a menu plan printable? Visit our kitchen printables page for that and more.
- Menu Planning articles
- I use menu planning pages from What Shall We Eat? It is the next installment of the Well Kept Home series. Vintage tips, pretty checklists and forms and modern day advice to help you get it together in the kitchen. Buy it here
