Menu week 7: Feeding the hungry hordes of teens

Menu planning: Don't give up! Planning menus and grocery shopping are daunting tasks. Every weekend, I dread having to face the week ahead early by thinking about organizing my meals. However, I always end up feeling better about everything once I have tackled the provisioning of my household. Food is very important in my house right now because my teens are very hungry and are really thin. Sports and teenage metabolisms require aggressive feeding schedules!!!

Enjoy these meals. We love them.
Peace,
Julia

Sunday: Moussaka
Salad

Moussaka

2 pounds eggplant
½ cup olive oil
2 large tomatoes(or 2 cans of diced tomatoes)
1 pound ground lamb
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
2 T tomato paste
3 T chopped fresh parsley
½ cup dry white wine

For the sauce
4 T butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups milk
3 ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
4 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
5 3 T toated bread crumbs

Cut the eggplant into ¼ inch slices and layer in a colander sprinkling each layer with plenty of salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse eggplant in several changes of cold water. Squeeze gently with fingers to remove the excess water, than pat them dry on paper towels.

Heat some of the oil in a large frying pan. Sauté the eggplant slices in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Skin tomatoes by blanching in hot water (can also use two cans of diced tomatoes). Chop.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 T of oil in a saucepan. Add onions and lamb. Sauté gently for 5 minutes breaking up lamb with a wooden spoon. Add tomatoes, cinnamon, allspice, tomato paste, parsley wine and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 15 minuets.

Layer eggplant with meat mixture and alternate layers in a shallow ovenproof dish. The last layer should be eggplant.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually blend in the milk. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until thickened. Add the nutmeg, cheese and salt and pepper. Pour the sauce on the eggplant and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden. Serve hot, sprinkled with extra black pepper if desired.

Monday:
Chicken legs grilled
Pilaf
2 cups Uncle Ben’s Rice enriched parboiled rice (I buy mine in a large bag at Smart and Final)
1 stick of Butter
4 cups Chicken broth (homemade or canned)
Vermicelli (broken into 1 inch pieces)

Melt butter in saucepan and add vermicelli. Stir until lightly browned. Add rice and brown the rice for 30-60 seconds in the butter. Add chicken broth and bring
to a brisk boil. Lower heat to very low and cover. Pilaf will be done in about 20 minutes.

Salad

Tuesday:

Tamale Pie
Salad
Refried Beans

Tamale Pie (new recipe)

1 ½ lb. ground turkey
1 chopped onion
1 clove garlic crushed
1 package taco seasoning
Chile powder to taste 1-2 T
½ cup water
1-2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1 can kidney or black beans
1 can corn
1 can chopped green chiles
1 can chopped black olives
1 cup shredded cheese, (Mexican mixture)
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix ( make according to package directions)
1 egg
1 T cumin
1 T dill seed.
1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Sauté turkey and onion. Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper, taco seasoning chile powder and garlic. Simmer until thickens. Add kidney beans, corn and chiles, mix well.
Layer meat mixture in ovenproof casserole dish. Top with olives and cheese. Make Jiffy cornbread add cumin and dill to mix. Layer on top of meat mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until cornbread is puffy and lightly browned on top.

Serve with refried beans.

Wednesday :

Sloppy Joes http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/100544
Carrot and Celery sticks


Thursday:
Artichoke pasta
Salad

Artichoke pasta
2 T butter
¼ cup minced onion
1/2 cup diced tomatoes and liquid
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts in oil (Cara Mia)
1 T basil leaves crumbled
¾ cup whipping cream
1/4 t nutmeg
S & P to taste
1/ lb spaghetti

Melt butter in frying pan add onion and sauté until soft. Stir in tomatoes and break them up. Add artichokes, basil and vcream. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring until artichokes are tender and sauce decreases to 1 ¾ cups. Season with nutmeg salt and pepper.


Friday:
Shredded beef and green chile burros
Sliced tomatoes with balsamic vinegar

Shredded beef

1-2 lb boneless chuck roast
1-2 cans chopped green chiles
1 chopped sautéed onion
6 tomatillos hulled and roasted briefly under the broiler
1 can El Pato sauce (Mexican tomato sauce)
½ cup water
1 can black beans
1 clove crushed garlic
Salt and pepper
8 sprigs of cilantro chopped

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours until meat pulls apart.
Skim fat from meat and broth. Combine remaining broth with shredded beef and serve on warm flour tortillas with shredded cheese and sour cream, cilantro and chopped tomatoes