Spiders.
Let’s talk about spiders for a moment. My kids are deathly afraid of them, my son clearly tuning out my husband when he reminds him to “take care of Emma and Mama, and kill spiders” before leaving for work. But inevitably there I am, trying desperately to put on my bravest face while my children hide in the corner from that ahwful (that’s Emma’s new word) daddy long legs just minding its own business on the other side of the room. And of course I tell them the poor spider is going for a little swim in the toilet when I dispose of it there in its toilet paper grave but Luke informs me he will look for the spider next time we’re at the beach, where clearly all spiders end up at the end of their ride down the toilet. Good luck with that, Luke.
Someday I plan to ask God why in the world he created spiders?
Well unlike spiders you don’t have to be afraid of menu planning and cooking this week! I’ve got you covered!
Enjoy!
Dinner #1:
Almond Chicken and Haricots Vert with Shallots
Prep and Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Total: $5.21 for the chicken + $3.24 for the green beans
Dinner #2:
Falafel Pitas with a Simple Salad
Prep and Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total: $3.95 for the falafel pitas + estimated $2.00 for a side salad
Dinner #3:
Chicken Cacciatore with Polenta, with a Simple Salad
Prep and Cooking Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Total: $7.95 for the chicken and polenta+estimated $2.00 for a side salad
Dinner #4:
Roasted Salmon with a Blackberry Jalapeno Butter and Roasted Cauliflower
Prep and Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Total: $13.75 for the salmon + $1.88 for the cauliflower
Dinner #5:
Pasta with Sausage, Broccoli and Asiago with a Simple Salad
Prep and Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Total: $8.00 for the pasta + estimated $2.00 for the salad
Dinner #6:
Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup and Cornbread
Prep and Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Total: $9.07 for the soup + estimated $2.00 for the cornbread
Total for 6 nights of dinners: $61.05! That’s about $2.18 per serving.
Shopping List (items you likely don’t already have in your pantry):
Meat
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (I look for around $1.99/lb)
- 3-4 pound fryer chicken, cut (I look for around $1.99/lb)
- 2 pounds salmon (I look for around $4.99/b)
- 1 pound italian sausage (I buy chicken sausage for around $2.99/lb)
Produce/Herbs
- 1 pound haricots vert
- 3 shallots
- 1 bunch italian parsley
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 teaspoon rosemary (I prefer fresh, but wouldn’t pay for it since it’s like a weed around here)
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 head garlic
- 1 avocado
- 1 lemon
- 1 cucumber
- lettuce (for salads)
- tomato
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 heads broccoli
- 1 1/2 cup blackberries (sub dried cherries if you can’t get your hands on fresh blackberries)
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 2 onions
- 1 bell pepper (any color)
- 1 pound mushrooms
Pantry
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas
- 2 whole wheat pitas
- 2 1/2 cups red wine
- 2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 pound pasta (fusilli or rigatoni)
- 4 anchovy fillets (optional, for pasta)
- 8 corn tortillas
- 6 cups chicken stock
- cornbread
Dairy/Eggs
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 2 cups milk
- 2 sticks butter
- 1/4 cup asiago cheese
- shredded jack cheese for topping on soup
