Meal Plan for the Week of January 24th

Last night, I complained to Twitter that I had nothing for this week's meal plan. Nothing. But my Twitter friends stepped up and TADA! We now have a meal plan!

Meal One: Chana Punjabi

I'm going to be honest and say that I've never met a chickpea dish I didn't like. I've also never had Chana Punjabi before, but I'm drooling over this photo and the description of the dish. Plus it's cheap AND meatless? BONUS POINTS. Thanks to Hannah Brown for this recipe!

Meal Two: Cold Peanut Noodles with Chicken and Cucumber

For the sauce:

• 1 Tablespoon Garlic, Minced
• 1 Tablespoon Ginger, Minced
• 2 Tablespoons Cilantro, Chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• ½ cups Creamy Peanut Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 4 Tablespoons White Wine
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
  
  For the Assembled Dish:
• 2 whole Bonless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cubed And Cooked
• 3 packages Top Ramen Noodles, Or Like Noodles, 3 Ounce Packages
• 1 whole Cucumber, Peeled, Halved And Deseeded
• 2 whole Green Onions, Thinly Sliced
• Salt And Pepper

Sauce –
When ginger, garlic, cilantro have been chopped, place these ingredients along with veggie oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, white wine and honey into a blender and puree together thoroughly. This may require a stop, scrape and begin again action, so just make sure it’s all incorporated nicely. Set aside.

Chicken –
In a frying pan, saute cubed chicken until cooked through, adding salt and pepper if you wish. Drain juices away and set aside.

Pasta –
Cook according to package directions, and when done drain away water and rinse with cold water until the noodles have stopped cooking. Toss with a little additional oil if needed to keep them from sticking together.

Cucumber –
When peeled, halve and scoop seeds out with a spoon. Slice thinly to look like half moon shapes.

In a large bowl, toss about half of the peanut sauce with the noodles until all coated. Add in chicken as well and toss again. Serve on plate, topping with cucumbers, sliced green onions and any additional sauce you may want.

Meal Three: Baked Potato Soup and Crusty French Bread

Becky says this is supposedly a copycat recipe for a Panera soup. Copycat or not, it looks delish!

6 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper
8 oz cream cheese, cubed
4 slices bacon cooked & crumbled

Boil potatoes, broth, and spices until tender. Mash up some potatoes to release starches.

When potatoes are ready, turn heat down to low and add cheese.  Cook, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted. Serve with bacon as garnish and some fresh, crusty bread for dipping.

Meal Four: Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage


I have been wanting to make gnocchi for months now. This recipe has finally convinced me to try it.

Meal Five: Grilled Chicken and Pinapple Quesadillas

I make no secret of my vast love for Ree. She has so many wonderful and tasty meals. But this one? This one is one of my top three favorites. And it's hands-down my favorite quesadilla of all time. I live in Texas, y'all. I know quesadillas. Trust me on this one.

{Photo credits: thewednesdaychef.com, tastykitchen.com, loveandoliveoil.com, thepioneerwoman.com/cooking}

Comments

[Megan @ Mama Bub]

You are my idol. I want to make each and every one of these dishes.

[Sharon]

Ooh - thanks for the soup recipe! I'll definitely be trying that this weekend. I tend to make big meals when I have days off so that I can use it for lunches throughout the week. Sounds delicious!

[Caitlin]

YUM! I am loving the meal planning, and hope you like the chick peas!!

[dragonfly]

I made the soup last night and it was DELICIOUS! The only change I made was to make it with vegetable stock and omit the bacon. Thanks for the recipe.