Week 3 2015 Menu

Hi everyone! Hope yall got to take advantage of the long weekend!

We did a lot of house things - looked at appliances and tiles. Have to start making decisions which is very exciting. Other than that, very low key weekend. We saw Paddington with the girls on Saturday. Nicole Kidman terrified them but the movie was cute.

Here's what we have on the menu this week!

Monday: White Fish Special (recipe below! Don't think I've posted this before.)
Tuesday: Beth's Korean Beef. Mitch is in town and will have dinner with us!
Wednesday: I'm out for a work event, so probably some leftovers or chicken nuggets for the girls.
Thursday: Basil Chicken Curry an oldie but a goodie.
Friday: Chili (I usually just wing the recipe, but my trick is to add corn tortillas to dissolve in the chili. It's amazing.)
Saturday: CHEAT DAY. World is our oyster. TBD.

What do yall have going on??


White Fish Special (adapted from Kobe Restaurant in Houston)

Any white fish - I use Tilapia
4 egg whites
2 tablespoons cornstarch
*Mix egg whites and cornstarch. Marinate the fish and egg white/cornstarch mixture for some time. I've done as little as 10 minutes while I'm prepping something else or as much as a few hours.
* Add oil to a skillet. Cook fish about 4 minutes per side. You're essentially frying the fish. Once the fish is cooked, set aside and use the same skillet for the sauce.

For the sauce:
1/2 stick of butter
2 sliced or diced jalapenos
fresh grated ginger (I keep mine in the freezer and just grate as needed)
1/2 c of soy sauce
*Brown the butter in the skillet, picking up any bits of fish. It'll start to foam and become brown and smell nutty. Throw in the jalapenos. Add soy sauce and the mixture should boil rapidly and reduce some. Stir in the grated ginger (I usually grate the ginger directly into the skillet). The sauce should be really dark - almost black looking. Put the fish back in the skillet to coat well with the sauce or plate the fish and spoon the sauce on top.

Week 50 Menu! 50!

I can't believe it's almost the New Year, but more importantly it's almost Christmassss!! We leave for Nicragua in almost a week (who's counting!?) and will be there through New Years and I'm so excited to get out of the cold.

This weekend was supa busy - our company holiday party was on Friday. Started drinking at 11am, stopped at 8pm. I'm still hurting. Then Saturday was our friends' annual Kissmas party so more drinks. Today we had brunch with Santa - Annelise would have none of the Italian Santa. Tonight we tried to go to Zoolights but the traffic/parking was so bad we bailed. We'll go again sometime this week when it's less crowded.

Amelia asked for a dog and a pink dress. Annelise just hung on to me for dear life.

I've had a lot of after work holiday events (one last week involved a shopping spree at a high end cosmetics/beauty store- um yes!), and I'm supposed to have more this week though I might cancel. This is what I have going on this week for food:

Sunday: Irish Beef Stew with mashed potatoes
Monday: Roasted Chicken in walnut sauce
Tuesday: Whiteboy Tacos
Wednesday: Meatloaf meatballs
Thursday: Leftovers for Will and the girls, I'm going out with a friend.
Friday: Out for a friend's bday - hopefully not too late of a night!
Saturday: Shrimp Scampi

What do yall have going on?? xo

Week 40 Menu

Hi everyone! Hope yall had a good weekend. We had a really great time. Friday night we did a movie + pizza night. We watched The Nightmare Before Christmas and the girls loved it. We ate pizza on the floor while watching the movie. They were riveted. Scared at times, but nothing too bad.

Saturday we had Bubbles and ballet class, then went to a deli to get sandwiches and matzo ball soup. The girls also got haircuts.

Sunday we went to Ikea to look at kitchen layouts and then to Fall Fest at Amelia's school. Bouncy Houses, huge slides, face painting and ice cream. It was a great time - below was the post-fun bathtime.

Here's what we have going on this week:

Sunday: Brisket, veggies, and beans. Dad sent these beans- they were sooo good.
Monday: Shrimp Scampi
Tuesday: Korean Beef with rice and broccoli
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Braised French Onion Chicken
Friday: Out

What do you have going on? xo

Week 31 menu @ The Mirshaks

Hi everyone, hope you had a good weekend! We had Will's dad visiting. He took the girls to the zoo on Saturday and Will and I went to a movie. We saw A Man Most Wanted. Really good and Philip Seymour Hoffman's last movie.

I have a few work outings this week, so I did a ton of cooking over the weekend to have leftovers for Will and the girls. Below is what we have going on:

Saturday: Moroccan chicken with couscous and caprese salad
Sunday: Spaghetti and bolognese sauce. I generally wing this recipe.
Monday: White Boy tacos
Tuesday: Leftovers for the family; I'm going to Embeya
Wednesday: Lou's Chicken Marbella 
Thursday: Leftovers for the family; I'm going to Nico Osteria
Friday: Garlic Butter Shrimp and Quinoa
Saturday: Out with Eli and Sal who are visiting from Minneapolis!! I'll be making a reservation soon.

What are yall up to??

xo

Week 29 Menus @ The Mirshaks

Hello! I'm so excited for this week because it's a short week!! Leaving for Houston on Thursday night with Annelise. Will and Amelia join us on Friday. I have a feeling Amelia is not going to take well to being left behind. Not only is she already fighting me on it ('But last time we went all together on the airplane!'), but she has also been a big mamma's girl lately so Will might have an interesting time traveling with her on his own. We'll see!

Given that, this week's menu is light, so here's what we have going on:

Sunday: Spicy scallops and couscous That recipe was awesome- really recommend it! Girls loved it. Annelise stole a scallop from my plate when I wasn't looking. I also made this basic vegetable soup for the girls to eat throughout the week. I used to have that for dinner all the time when I was living in Paris. Hope the girls eat it!
Monday: Spaghetti and meatballs. Will's out of town, so something easy and brainless :)
Tuesday: White boy tacos (just ground meat- turkey, beef, or bison) with seasoning and beans. Low brow.
Wednesday: Shepherd's pie
Thursday - Monday: Houston for dad's birthday!! Can't wait to see everyone!

Hope everyone is doing well! xo

Week 26 Menu + Fish nuggets

Hi everyone, hope you had a good weekend! I didn't do anything but I'm exhausted for some reason. Here is our menu for the week. What are yall up to?

Sunday: Fish nuggets with green beans (recipe below)
Monday: Chicken Enchiladas
Tuesday: Shepherd's Pie
Wednesday: I don't know yet... either leftovers, take out, or burgers :)
Thursday - Sunday: Minneapolis for the 4th with the Taveras!!

***********************

Fish Nuggets
*This was supposed to be White Fish Special, but Sunday came and I didn't have anything planned for the girls and I didn't want them to starve. This came out awesome though. Totally made it up on the fly.

2 filets of Tilapia
3 egg whites
Panko bread crumbs
Grated Parmesan cheese
Garlic salt

Cut up the fish into bite sized pieces
Combine panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and garlic salt
Dredge the fish in egg whites and toss in bread crumb mixture
Cook in oven at 425* for 25 minutes (I didn't have to flip because the pieces were really small, but perhaps consider flipping if they are bigger pieces)

It was ridiculously easy and delicious. I made a salad and ate the fish nuggets on top of the salad with the cilantro dressing.

Thai mussels

I made these Thai mussels again last night. They're so good!! Add some toasted bread to soak up the sauce afterwards. Ah.mazing!!!

·         2-3 pounds mussels (de-beard) 

·         1/3 fresh lime juice

·         1 (13.5oz) can light coconut milk

·         1 1/2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste

·         1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic

·         1 Tbsp Asian fish sauce

·         1 Tbsp white sugar

·         2 cups fresh cilantro chopped

·         1/3 cup dry white wine (optional)

1). Scrub mussels well and remove beards.

2). Combine lime juice, coconut milk, curry paste, garlic, fish sauce, and sugar (wine – optional) over high heat, stirring. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes.

3). Add mussels, tossing to combine.

4). Cook mussels, covered, stirring occasionally, until opened, about 5 to 8 minutes. (Discard any unopened mussels.)

5). Chop cilantro and toss with mussels.

*Variations:

- Add shrimp, I did head on shrimp that were really good

- Add lemongrass and discard after

- Add sliced thai chilies for extra spice

Weekly Menu- 7.13.13

Heyyy! I speak to all of yall on the regular so I know it's been a crazy crazy few months for all of us. I wanted to send out a quick list of what we have going on this week. We've been cooking consistently with the exception of the monthly pizza run and random ordering in. With the new job, I want to get in the habit of bringing my lunch in at least 3 times a week. With that in mind... here's this week!

Sunday: Dill Salmon with couscous (woot Lou!) with roasted broccoli
Monday: Poblano and Mushroom tacos (woot Beth!)
Tuesday: Braised French Onion Chicken with french bread
Wednesday: Shrimp in red salsa
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Probably order in because Will has class and...
Saturday-Sunday: We're off to the Hassberger's lake house! I'll make some banana bread or pound cake since we'll be arriving early Saturday morning.

Lunches: sandwiches, this salad, and possible leftovers.

What have yall been doing? Anything interesting and new?

Weekly Menu - 10.28.12

Hello! Things have finally slowed down at work and, this might be blasphemous, I think I have Sandy to thank for that. I really need this downtime because I'm feeling uber pregnant. We've made such great progress on the house in the last few weeks. Amelia's room is done! At least with the painting. Now I have to find/make/but probably find curtains, and a few more decorating touches and we'll be done-done! Finally hung up some pictures downstairs, and I have some goodies coming from various online retailers to make the downstairs more cozy. Feels good to make progress.

On the cooking front, been doing tons of that. Including some Halloween Funfetti cake- Will and I bought dueling frostings and had a frost off. I won. By 'I', I mean that the way-too-sugary orange Halloween frosting won over 'his' fancy buttercream frosting. Boo-ya.

Here's what's on the menu starting with last night- Will cooked. What can't the man do? He paints rooms, adds decorative trim, changes light fixtures, makes and fixes holes in walls. And he cooks.

Sunday: Will made Chili - was really good! Tasted a lot like the Wendy's one, which is awesome.

Monday: Leftovers. Will's in class until late. Tons in the fridge and zero motivation.

Tuesday: Dijon Roasted White Fish. Saw this recipe on Barefoot Contessa the other day. Only perpetuates my love for cooking things with dijon mustard.

Wednesday: Halloween party! Going to a friend's block party for early trick or treating and pizza. Will's in NYC (provided Sandy doesn't interfere).

Thursday: Fish Tacos for Taco Thursdays. Combining a couple of recipes, but the cole slaw from here.

Friday: Beth's Pistachio Chicken! I can't wait to try this. Except that I accidentally bought pistachios with the shell. Whoops. Have to go back to the store.

Saturday: Moroccan Chicken. Made this a few week ago and it was so easy and delicious.

Louise, hope you're staying safe!! Can you do a post on all the different canned food recipes you're going to make??

Wonky Weekly Menu

Hellooo! I'm posting early. Primarily because I didn't even try on this week's menu. Travel always mucks things up. Also, though since the move, I've been doing my grocery at the end of the week which I don't love. So this week, I'm shopping for a week and a half to get me back on schedule. Shopping done. God bless Peapod. Groceries arrive on Saturday morning and here is the menu for Saturday - Saturday. This will get me back so that next time I can post my menu Sunday- Saturday.

Don't even talk to me about the gym. It's not happening.

Friday: Dinner out to Black Bull with the Rhineharts!
Saturday: Foil packet tacos with sweet potatoes and black beans
Sunday: BBQ Salmon with roasted broccoli and pasta
Monday: Spaghetti and Meatballs (I'm trying to add in one brainless, super cheap meal. Gets cost down and doesn't feel like I'm cooking everyday of the week)
Tuesday: Lime-Soy Chicken with rice
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Honey Mustard Chicken with baked fries
Friday: Turkey Chili
Saturday: Out

Friday/Saturday might be flip-flopped.

Stay tuned for the review of the World's Best Chicken recipe.... spoiler alert- it wasn't.

I bregrudgingly present: my weekly menu

This week, looking at food online just isn't interesting. I'm totally uninspired and feel like eating mac and cheese all week long. Which reminds me. Lou - you owe us your mac and cheese recipe!

I'm forcing myself though because we're just coming off of a weekend out and about, and are going to be traveling a lot in April. Need to save calories and money by eating in. So, blah blah blah, here's the menu.

By the way- We should have a Sunday night report card. I guess first we need goals and objectives. Ok, my goal this week is to cook/eat-in 6 times and go to the gym 4 times. I'll announce my grades on Sunday. What do yall think??(Right before hitting publish, I revised my gym goal down from 5 to 4. No judging.)

Mon- Cauliflower Soup and leftover Coconut-Basil Chicken Curry
Tues- Spicy Orange Chicken
Wed- Fajitas. I haven't made these in years, but used to all the time in college. I'll post the recipe after I make them.
Thurs- Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Greek sauce and pita
Friday- Baked Shrimp in tomato and feta sauce

Weekly Menus - Week of 2/27

Hey hey hey! I was cheated out of a real weekend. I was in DC, and weather delays didn't put me back in Chicago until around 11pm on Friday. Amelia was sick all day Saturday and Sunday and only now is starting to look better. All led to a pretty restless weekend. I demand a re-do!

Anyway, the bar is set pretty low this week for my kitchen. Will is traveling so between that and class, I'll wing it most nights. Below is what I have going on though:

Monday - Leftover Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower soup
Tuesday - Winging it. Probably Veggie Burgers
Wednesday - Chicken Sausage and Peppers Pasta Bake (an oldie, but a goodie)
Thursday - Winging it. Probably leftover pasta bake
Friday - Homemade Tilapia Fish sticks
Saturday - Date Night! Going to The Publican with Will. Can't wait!

Weekly Menu. Off to a bad start.

Hellooooo! Hope everyone had good weekends! This week is already off to an unproductive start. No gym, no cooking, no leaving the apartment except to get bagels. I think I need a juice cleanse. Anyway, provided the rest of the week makes a turn for the better... this is my food plan! I like posting because during weeks that I'm in a rut I can look back at these menus for inspiration.

Monday: Delivery from the Chicken Hut. Ridiculously good and fast rotisserie chicken. Will and I sit at the table and don't speak for 10 minutes while we devour an entire bird.
Tuesday: Valenduck! Dinner out for our annual Peking duck feast at Sun Wah BBQ
Wednesday: Salmon and Brussel Sprouts. I'm trying to eat more salmon. I've heard it's good for your skin, but I'm starting to feel boring.
Thursday: Spicy Stewed Beef with Cheddar Grits. I never made this this weekend, so I gotta do it. Looks so good and I don't want the ingredients to go bad. Nothing overcooks my grits more than letting food go to waste. (See what I did there?)
Friday: Dinner out with my friend Julie! Can't wait.
Saturday: Zuppa Toscana
Sunday: Spaghetti and Meatballs. The frozen kind from Costco.

Your turn! xo

Must. Make. These.

These will be made tomorrow. It's the first Friday of Lent, and I hadn't accounted for Lent in my weekly menu. So, here comes another audible!

Homemade Fish Sticks!!

Healthy Homemade Fish Sticks from How Sweet It Is

Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce Recipe Review

Good morning! I'm not 100% awake yet. Totally faking it until my coffee kicks it! In the meantime, I'll write about tilapia :)

On to the recipe. This was awesome- the flavors were spot on and exactly what I wanted out of it. Spicy, sweet, super flavorful. A couple of things to note:

- The end product didn't really look like the above picture, but that didn't take away from the flavor at all. It was delicious.
- Next time, I would only use 1/2 a can of coconut milk and just adjust the seasoning as I go. It made a ton of sauce- not that I complained, it's delicious sauce. But we tossed out more than half at the end of it.
- I served this with mashed potatoes. For some reason, white fish with mashed potatoes is super comfort for me. Supa comfort. But I think serving with rice would make for a more authentic Thai dish if you're going for that sort of thing.

Definitely put it on your menu if you've got some frozen tilapia fillets to use up or if you find another white fish that's on sale.

Mussels (or Clams) Marinara di Amore

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded
• 8 ounces linguini pasta
• 1 lemon - cut into wedges, for garnish

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil and saute garlic until transparent.
2. Add tomatoes, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes to skillet; reduce heat to low to simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and reserve.
4. Add wine and mussels to skillet; cover and increase heat to high for 3 to 5 minutes or until mussel shells are open.
5. Pour over hot pasta, sprinkle with parsley and squeeze lemon wedge over all. Garnish with remaining lemon and serve.

Nutritional info:
Amount Per Serving Calories: 304 | Total Fat: 5.4g | Cholesterol: 9mg

Fennel Salmon Pasta

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/salmon-pasta

Use light sour cream instead of regular (obv)