3 week meal prep

From SharePoint to slow-cooking… this blog is certainly a mishmash of topics!

I just attempted my first three-week menu-planning one-day-prep-cooking and I’ve survived! Menu-planning is a personal thing to me – even though there’s tons of plans out there, I always want to tweak them with things that our family will actually eat. But hey, I’ll throw this out there, in case you find some of the recipes and techniques helpful.

Here’s what I’ve got:

The menu

Week 1: (slightly more intensive cooking because it’s a holiday week!)

• Sunday – shopping and prep day! Good day for takeout!
• Monday – Slow cooker ham, mashed cauliflower, sautéed spinach
• Tuesday – Stuffed cabbage rolls, cauliflower “rice,” rice (for kids)
• Wednesday – pasties
• Thursday (Thanksgiving potluck) – pretzel bites
• Friday (Thanksgiving potluck) – pumpkin pie, Texas roadhouse rolls
• Saturday – leftovers

Week 2: (back to work… quick dinners and slow-cooker meals!)

• Sunday (potluck) – Arkansas green beans
• Monday – Korean beef over cauliflower “rice” (with regular rice for kids)
• Tuesday – Toasted sesame ginger salmon, bok choy
• Wednesday – Slow cooker white bean soup with ham, fresh salad
• Thursday – Slow cooker pulled pork, Hawaiian rolls, fresh salad
• Friday – leftovers
• Saturday – dinner with friends

Week 3: (even more slow-cooker and already-prepped meals!)

• Sunday: Slow cooker Hawaiian style short ribs, steamed broccoli, cauliflower “rice”, rice (for kids)
• Monday: leftovers or eat out
• Tuesday: Slow cooker balsamic chicken with veggies, “cauliflower” rice (with regular rice for kids)
• Wednesday: Pasties
• Thursday: Slow cooker red lentil coconut soup
• Friday: Slow cooker beef and tomato stew
• Saturday: leftovers

(Extra in the freezer: Slow cooker kalua pork, several servings of broccoli)

Keep going past the jump for full shopping list and plan… as well as some tips on how to make your own menu plan.

Picking out the recipes and making the weekly (or three-weekly) schedule is what takes me the longest. I am not very efficient as I click and browse through recipes, drooling over the pictures, trying to think of side dishes that will match, trying to think about what I’m in the “mood” for and what our kids will eat, too. So this is definitely an area that I can improve in! That took me a good part of an evening and a morning.

Once I had my schedule, though, I pulled up a new Word document and started typing. What I ended up with is essentially what you’ll see below. I made three sections of the document – one for the shopping list, one for the vegetable prep, one for the slow cooker prep, and one for the daily menu plan. I copied and pasted recipes into the document. For each recipe, I noted what ingredients I’d have to buy and added them to the shopping list section — obviously if a different recipe had the same ingredients, I’d just increase the amount. Then, I noted what prep I’d have to do to vegetables – chopping, peeling, etc. – and noted those in the veggie prep section. For slow-cooker recipes, the bulk of the recipe went into the slow cooker prep section, and I noted anything else I’d have to buy or do in the daily menu section. For cooked meals, I put the recipe in the daily menu section.

I’m not doing a great job at describing this, so how about I just get to the lists and plan stuff?

One note – I’m trying to do the slow carb diet,

Shopping list

(note – there are a few fresh items to buy each week, noted below in the daily menu section)

• Ziplock freezer bags – quart and gallon
• Veggies
  • 2+ heads of cauliflower (if you are doing mashed cauliflower and cauliflower rice for no-carb)
  • 1 head cabbage
  • 2 small turnips
  • 2 small potatoes
  • Lots of broccoli (to freeze and use for sides)
  • 6 carrots
  • 2 zucchini
  • 1 yellow squash
  • 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange bell pepper (bought the six-pack at Costco and saved the other half for snacks)
  • 2 red onions
  • 5 yellow onions
  • 2 heads garlic
  • 6” chunk of ginger
  • Celery
  • Jalapeno or Serrano pepper
  • Parsley
• Bakery/bread
  • Hawaiian rolls (big pack from Costco)
• Bulk goods
  • 2 c red lentils
  • 1 lb. dried white beans
  • 1 cup dried chickpeas
• Canned
  • 1 small can tomato sauce
  • 1 small can diced tomatoes
  • 1 small can tomato paste
  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can chicken broth
  • Ketchup
  • 1 can coconut milk
• Dairy/deli
  • Grated parmesan cheese (our food co-op sells them in packets of about a cup each)
• Frozen
  • 4 bags frozen green beans
• Meat
  • 5-7 lb bone-in ham
  • 2 lb beef chuck roast
  • 2 lb beef short ribs
  • ~8 lb pork butt or shoulder roast
  • 6+ boneless chicken thighs (I added extra chicken and used 12)
  • 12 pieces bacon
  • 1 ½ lb salmon
• Other/pantry
  • Barbecue sauce for pulled pork
  • Mesquite liquid smoke
  • Rice
  • Vodka
  • Egg
  • Shortening
  • Gravy packets or canned gravy for pasties
  • Butter
  • Flour
  • Active dry yeast
  • Sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Honey
  • Chili sauce or Sriracha
  • Worchestershire sauce
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Rice vinegar
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Sesame oil
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Cinnamon
  • Curry powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Paprika
  • Sesame seeds
  • Thyme

Veggie prep

First, get out 9 gallon sized ziplock bags and label them with the following (including the instructions):

• Ham and bean soup – Add 6 c water and cook 8 hours
• Pasties
• Pulled pork – 8 hrs in crock pot
• Kalua pork – 16 hrs in crock pot
• Balsamic chicken – 8 hrs in crock pot
• Green beans – Thaw and bake 350 40 min
• Red lentil soup – Add 7 c water and 1 can coconut milk and 15 oz can chickpeas. Cook 6 hrs. Add 1 tbsp lime juice. Serve w/ lime juice and cilantro.
• Beef tomato stew – Add 1 c chicken broth. Cook 6 hrs in crock pot. Top with 6 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
• Short ribs – Slow cooker 4 hours. Add 3 cups 1-inch-cubed pineapple >> last hour. Chopped scallion greens, for serving

You will also need quart-sized ziplock bags for other miscellaneous veggies that will be stored in the freezer. Also, get out two storage containers for storing the prepped ingredients that you will be using in the next few days.

Now, pull out your knife, cutting board, food processor with grater attachment (or grater), microplane grater (or ginger grater), and… go! As you prep the veggies, just dump them into the appropriate bag (or container as specified below).

• Cut ½ cauliflower into chunks to steam and mash > Put into storage container and store in fridge for tomorrow
• Grate rest of cauliflower in food processor
  • Reserve 3 T for stuffed cabbage rolls > Put into a storage container with other cabbage roll ingredients for Tuesday
  • Freeze the rest in quart-sized freezer bags – each bag should hold enough for serving your family at one meal if made into cauliflower rice
• Chop onions FINELY (did this in food processor – came out kind of watery but it was fast!)
  • ½ c > stuffed cabbage rolls
  • 1 > pasties
  • 1 >  bean/ham soup
  • 2 >  pulled pork
  • 1 > red lentil soup
• Carrots
  • Grate 2 >> pasties
  • Grate 3 Tbsp > cabbage rolls
  • Chop the rest > beef stew
• Chop turnip, potatoes > pasties (small dice)
• Celery – small dice
  • 3 stalks > beef stew
  • freeze rest for later
• red onions
  • cut 2 in 1” wedges > short ribs
  • slice 1 into rings > balsamic chicken
• 2 zucchinis, sliced into bite-sized pieces  > balsamic chicken
• 2 yellow squash, sliced into bite-sized pieces  > balsamic chicken
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped  > balsamic chicken
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped  > balsamic chicken
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped ½ dice > lentil soup
• Deseed and chop jalapeno > lentil soup
• Garlic
  • 1 head garlic, peeled, cloves intact  > balsamic chicken
  • Smash 4 garlic cloves > short ribs
  • Smash 3 garlic cloves > beef tomato stew
  • Chop 2 > lentil soup
  • Peel 5 garlic cloves > kalua pork
• Ginger
  • 2” piece fresh ginger thinly sliced > short ribs
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger (2” piece) > lentil soup
  • Reserve the remaining ginger for salmon dish
• Chop parsley
  • 2 T > stuffed cabbage rolls
  • 1/3 cup > beef tomato stew
  • Freeze rest in a ziplock bag, you can use it for meatloaf, meatballs, or other recipes that require parsley
• Cut up broccoli and freeze in dinner-sized packets in quart bags to use for side dishes
• Chop and cook 12 slices bacon – not too crispy, drain > green beans

Bag prep

You can do a lot of this while the bacon is cooking. (Italicized text is the stuff that should already be in the bag after your veggie prep.)

Prep ham and bean soup

• 1 grated onion
• Rinse and pick through 1 lb white beans
• salt and pepper
• >> You will add ham tomorrow after dinner, so put this in the fridge.

Prep pasties

• onion
• carrots
• turnip
• potatoes
• >> Freeze

Prep pulled pork

• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 can tomato paste
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 3 teaspoons black pepper
• 5 pounds pork roast, cut into 2 pieces
• >> freeze

Prep kalua pork

• 3 lb pork roast  – stab all over w/ knife.
• 1 tbsp coarse sea salt – rub all over
• 1 tbsp liquid mesquite smoke – drizzle.
• 5 peeled garlic cloves
• >> freeze

Prep balsamic chicken

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I doubled this and used 12)
• 2 zucchinis, sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 2 yellow squash, sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red onion, peeled and sliced into rings
• 1 head garlic, peeled, cloves intact
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• >> freeze

 Prep green beans

• 4 frozen bags, thawed
• 12 slices bacon (cooked and chopped)
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 7 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• >> freeze

Prep beef tomato stew

• 1 large yellow onion, diced small
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
• 3 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 pounds beef chuck, fat trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Coarse salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• >> freeze

Prep short ribs

• 2 red onions, cut into 1-inch wedges, root ends left intact
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut in 3 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups dark-brown sugar
• 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha or other chili sauce
• >> freeze

Prep red lentil soup

In the same skillet that you used to cook the bacon, heat it back up (with the slight coating of bacon grease on it still because I’m lazy), then dump your freezer bag of veggies in it and add the spices.

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper 1/2 inch dice
• 1 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped,
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 can tomato paste
• >> Cook until fragrant (just a few minutes), then put back into ziplock bag.
• 2 cups red split lentils
• >> freeze

Here’s the three-week menu!

Week 1: Monday – Slow cooker ham, mashed cauliflower, sautéed spinach

In the morning:

Crock pot ham

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2010/04/honey-glazed-ham-slow-cooker-recipe.html

• 5-7 pound bone-in ham
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground thyme

Cook 4 hours high.

Before dinner:

Steam cauliflower, puree, mix in parmesan and greek yogurt

Sautee spinach with garlic

After dinner:

• Dice ham (1 lb) and add to white bean soup bag, put in freezer.

Week 2: Tuesday – Stuffed cabbage rolls, rice, cauliflower rice

Start rice in rice cooker (for the kids). Make cabbage rolls (below). While baking, saute cauliflower rice (heat some butter in skillet, add cauliflower rice, saute al-dente, season slightly with sauce)

Stuffed cabbage rolls

http://www.pincookie.com/savory-stuffed-cabbage-rolls/

• 1 medium head cabbage
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 T cauliflower “rice”
• 3 T grated carrot
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley (2 t dried)
• 2 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cups plain tomato sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 T honey
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

Put the head of cabbage in a pot. Cover with water. Remove the cabbage and bring the water to a boil. Turn off the heat. Submerge the whole head of cabbage in the boiling water and cover. Let sit for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown the beef and veggies. Off heat, add salt, pepper, and egg.

When the cabbage is done “cooking”, remove it from the water onto a cookie sheet with sides (to catch any remaining water). Very carefully, remove 12 leaves. Cut the thickest part of center rib out of each leaf, about 1 or 2 inches. There will be a little V in the middle of each leave. Divide the meat filling between the leaves and roll up jelly roll fashion, but tucking in the ends so the filling stays put. Place the rolls in a deep casserole dish.

Pour the tomato sauce, tomato chunks, and honey over the rolls. Cover and bake at 350 for about an hour and a half. Remove the lid, sprinkle with cheese, and bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let set a few minutes before serving.

Week 1: Wednesday – Pasties

Earlier in the day:

Take out ground beef to defrost. Take out pasties bag from freezer and put in fridge.

Make 2 batches of pie dough, reserve some for pumpkin pie. Note – for pasties, divide the pie dough into smaller portions — about 8 per batch of pie dough.

Cook’s Illustrated pie dough

http://www.thedeliciouslife.com/pumpkin-pie-recipe-cooks-illustrated/

One batch:

• 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
• 1/4 cup cold vodka
• 1/4 cup cold water

Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

An hour and a half before dinner, make pasties. Freeze half of them, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil.

Pasties

http://www.sneakerbeaker.com/stuff/recipes/recipes.asp?ID=45

• 2 turnip, chopped
• 2 potato, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• salt, pepper
• gravy

Combine meat, vegetables, and salt and pepper to taste. Roll out pie dough into rounds. Divide filling, fold pie dough in half and crimp sides. Bake 45-60 minutes at 375 degrees until tops are golden brown. Use a light-colored baking pan if possible so the bottoms don’t burn. Serve with gravy.

Sometime during the day or night:

Make pumpkin puree.

Pumpkin puree

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pumpkin-puree-recipe/index.html

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice a small piece of skin off the one side of the pumpkin so when laid on its side, the pumpkin will lay flat without rolling. Remove the stem and split the pumpkin in half from top to bottom, using a large cleaver and a mallet. Scoop out the seeds and fiber. Cut the fibers with kitchen shears if necessary. Reserve seeds for another use.

Sprinkle the flesh with kosher salt and lay the halves, flesh side down, on a parchment paper-lined half sheet pan. Roast until a paring knife can be easily inserted and removed from the pumpkin, 30 to 45 minutes. Test in several places to ensure doneness.

Cool the pumpkin for 1 hour. Using a large spoon, remove the roasted flesh of the pumpkin from the skin to the bowl of a food processor. Process until the flesh is smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Week 1: Thursday – Pretzel bites

Morning: Make bread dough (4 c flour, 1 package yeast, 1 3/4 c warm water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 tbsp olive oil – throw in Kitchenaid and mix, allow to at room temp until doubled.)

Pretzel bites

http://www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com/?p=932

• Bread dough
• Grated parmesan
• Melted butter

Cut and divide bread dough into small bite-sized pieces, form into small balls. Place dough bites on greased sheets. Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and let dough rise until double in size. (about 35-45 minutes) Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil.  When dough has risen, plop about 10 pieces into the boiling water, tossing gently for about 45 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon, and place bites on paper towels to drain slightly.  Move bites to greased baking sheets, and bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until done and golden brown.

Brush bites with melted butter, sprinkle with Kosher or Sea Salt, garlic and toss in Parmesan cheese.

Week 1: Friday – Pumpkin Pie and rolls

Pumpkin pie

http://www.eaglebrand.com/recipes/details/?recipeid=3929

• 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin (about 2 cups)
• 1 (14 oz.) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

HEAT oven to 425°F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust.

BAKE 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1-inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired.

Texas roadhouse rolls

http://agodlyheritage.org/recipe-of-the-week-texas-roadhouse-rolls-cinnamon-butter

• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 (1/4 oz. each) packages active dry yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 T. sugar
• 1 c. milk + 1/4 c. water, warmed
• 1 large egg slightly beaten
• 1/4 c. butter + 2 T butter, melted

Place 2 cups flour in a large bowl.  Add yeast, salt, and sugar.

In another bowl (I used a large glass measuring cup), combine water, milk, and egg.  Stir. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; pour milk mixture into the well.

Mix by hand, approx 150 strokes, frequently scraping bottom and sides of bowl.

Add 1/4c. melted butter & stir to incorporate.

Add remaining flour, 1/3 cup at a time, and stir after each addition.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Set dough in a warm, draft free place such as an oven with a pan of the hottest tap water on the rack below.

Allow batter to rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour.

Coat 12 cup muffin pan with butter, shortening, or spray.  Make sure to do this liberally. I made 18 rolls, not 12.

Punch down batter with spoon.  Dough will be VERY sticky.  I’d recommend not using your hands. I sprayed down two spoons with non-stick spray.

Drop by spoonfuls into muffin tins. Keep in mind rolls should double in size. Brush rolls with  1 T. of melted butter.

Let rise for another 30 minutes in a warm place; rolls should double in size.

Bake rolls on middle rack for 16-18 minutes at 400 degrees. After removing rolls, brush top with remaining melted butter.

Cinnamon Butter

• 1 stick butter
• 4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. white sugar

Beat ingredients together until smooth. Cover and refrigerate. Enjoy!

Week 2: Sunday – green beans

Take out to thaw in the morning. Bake before going to potluck.

Shopping list for the week:

• 2 bunches green onions
• 1 medium head bok choy
• salad fixings: lettuce, cucumber, beets, radish, etc.

Prep for the week:

• Cook beets, peel, slice, store in fridge.

Week 2: Monday – Korean beef over cauliflower rice, rice

Make rice

Make cauliflower rice

Chop 1 bunch green onions, mince garlic, mince ginger

Korean beef

http://elizabethbryant.blogspot.com/2010/05/korean-beef.html

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 – 1/2 cup brown sugar (I like it sweet so I usually do closer to 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use low-sodium)
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (to desired spiciness)
salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown hamburger with garlic in the sesame oil. Drain most of the fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over steamed rice and top with green onions.

Week 2: Tuesday – salmon and bok choy

(If you want, make rice to go with this meal.)

Prep: Chop green onions (use four for recipe, freeze rest in a ziplock bag). Grate the rest of the 2″ piece of ginger. Peel and grate garlic. Prep salmon for marinating. While marinating, make the glaze and chop the bok choy. While salmon is broiling, saute the bok choy.

Toasted sesame ginger salmon

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/03/toasted-sesame-ginger-salmon/

• 1 1/2 pounds raw salmon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 4 green onions, sliced

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack over top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl or baking dish, combine olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vinegar, brown sugar and whisk well until combined. Add salmon to the dish or place everything in a ziplock bag, then refrigerate and marinate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the broiler in your oven. (Or preheat your grill, etc if you prefer to use something else.)

Remove salmon with kitchen tongs and place directly on the wire rack. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper, then place directly under the broiler. Cook for 10-12 minutes, depending on the salmon’s thickness (our’s was just about an inch thick), until opaque and easily flakable with a fork. You can flip the salmon halfway through cooking if desired. (Cook bok choy.)

Remove and serve immediately, with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds, green onions and the glaze below.

Sesame Ginger Honey Glaze

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over salmon.

Bok choy

http://www.sneakerbeaker.com/stuff/recipes/recipes.asp?ID=69

• 1 medium head bok choy (1 ½ – 1 ¾ pounds)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

Prep the bok choy: Cut off the bottom inch of the head of bok choy, then slice away the green leafy part from the white stalk. Cut the white stalks in half lengthwise, then chop into thin slices. Chop the leaves into thin slices (keep them separate). Mix soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Heat oil until almost smoking. Saute the white parts until lightly browned. Add garlic, cook until fragrant, add the greens and soy sauce mixture, cook until wilted.

Take out bean/ham soup to thaw.

Week 2: Wednesday – Slow cooker white bean soup w/ ham, salad

Put soup in slow cooker.

Prep salad stuff.

• Cucumber
• Lettuce
• Beets
• Radish
• etc.

Take out pulled pork

Week 2: Thursday – Slow cooker pulled pork, Hawaiian rolls, salad

Put pork in slow cooker

Pull out Hawaiian rolls to defrost

Serve w/ barbecue sauce (optional)

Prep salad stuff

• Cucumber
• Lettuce
• Beets
• Radish
• etc

Week 2: Saturday

Pull out short ribs to defrost

Week 3: Sunday – Short ribs, broccoli, rice, cauliflower rice

Put ribs in slow cooker

Shoppping list:

• 1 bunch green onions
• 2 limes
• Cilantro
• Greek yogurt (1 regular small container)

Chop green onions and get out pineapple.

Make rice and cauliflower rice.

Steam broccoli.

Week 3: Monday

Take out balsamic chicken with veggies

Week 3: Tuesday –  Balsamic chicken with veggies

Put in crock pot.

Warm up rice.

Week 3: Wednesday – Pasties

Bake pasties (straight from freezer) 375 degrees for one hour, or until warm and browned.

Soak and cook chickpeas for tomorrow. Take out red lentil soup to thaw.

Week 3: Thursday – Red lentil coconut soup

Put in crock pot.

• Slice 1 lime, squeeze 1 lime
• Chop cilantro

Take out beef and tomato stew to thaw.

Week 3: Friday – Beef and tomato stew

Note – make or buy fresh bread to serve with stew

Put in crock pot.

Top with greek yogurt.

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