Menu planning and a recipe

I haven't done this in a while as we've been in a bit of a rut it seems.

Here's what's on the dock and what we've already had since it is Wednesday.  I shop for 2 weeks out--so it's for the next 2 weeks almost. When I do my fill in shop next week I will decide on the weekends meals for that week.

Sun: got in late so we picked up a $5 pizza from Little Caesar's

Mon: leftover chili from our freezer

Tues: tomato soup and sandwiches (grilled cheese for C and grilled roast beef w/horesradish coleslaw for me and Scott)

Wed: chicken with polenta (excited to try this recipe tonight)

Thurs: leftovers (we are seriously buckling down on this)

Fri: Pasta Carbonara

Sat: Pork Nachos (from leftover pork bbq in our freezer)

Sun: leftovers of the pasta

Mon: baked chicken thighs, broccoli crunch, and sweet potatoes

Tues: Pork tacos (still using up the bbq in all of the containers--I made a whole pork loin when I made it originally)

Wed: surprise (I always seem to plan for too many, so I'm including a wild card spot for extra leftover clean up)

Thurs: Ground turkey rigatoni with salad

Fri: Chicken Noodle soup (leftover from our freezer--can you see a theme?)

Remember that tomato soup on my menu for last night?  I made semi-homemade cream of tomato soup and it was delicioso.  Even C thought so. Here's what I did.  Sorry I don't have specific liquid or spice measurements--just go with your tastes.  Don't make it taste too much like chili or marinara sauce!

1-2 T olive oil
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 large cans fire roasted tomatoes (you could buy diced tomatoes and roast yourself w/olive oil in the broiler though)
1 bay leaf
1 t italian seasoning--more if necessary
1 T hot sauce--more if necessary
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 t chipotle pepper (ground)
1/ 2 t chili powder
1 t garlic powder
1 t thyme
1/2 t crushed red pepper
salt and pepper
chicken broth (I would guess about 8-12 oz total
fat free half and half (I would guess 1/2-1 c) (use whatever milk or cream you like though)

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot.  Saute the carrot, celery, and onions with some salt and pepper in the oil until soft.  Add the tomatoes.  Let it come to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes--stirring frequently to keep from sticking to the bottom.  Add your bay leaf and some salt and pepper.  Add chicken broth as it thickens until you get a soupier texture--but not too much liquid.  Add all seasonings. Keep simmering as long as you like, but at least 20 minutes or so.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 15 minutes or so. Here I used an immersion blender to puree my ingredients--you need to let it cool a bit though--I live on the wild side and only let it cool 5 minutes--I burned myself of course.  You can do all of this ahead if you need to and refrigerate at this point or keep going to get ready to serve.

Bring soup back to heat, add more the cream and more chicken broth is necessary and adjust your seasonings to taste.


I served with roast beef and havarti on Hawaiian sandwich rolls.  I heated the insides of the bread in my electric skillet w/ a little light butter.  Then I put the roast beef, havarti, and spicy mustard on.  I closed it all up and browned the outsides.  As soon as I pulled them off the heat I added the spicy horseradish coleslaw. 

For the coleslaw I just used horseradish, mayonaiise, spicy mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to get a taste I liked.