Menu Plan Monday - Ethnic Market Week!

This Friday we skipped the supermarkets and went to a Mercado and an Asian Market. You can't beat the prices, the variety, the freshness.

I picked up some gorgeous produce. Here's what I have planned for it:

M - tuna patties, rice, cucumber kimchee, romaine/bean sprout/onion salad w/Asian dressing (see below for dressing), clementine oranges

T - spaghetti marinara with smoked sausage, onions & peppers, cesar salad, garlic bread, ambrosia fruit salad

W - panfried ham slices, eggs to order, hash browns, toast, orange wedges

R - beef broccoli with noodles, kimchee, grilled pineapple slices w/cinnamon

F - nachos or tostadas - whatever sounds better at the time - with beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, chips, salsa and guacamole, homemade fruit pops

S - roasted chicken, cilantro-lime rice (see below), mixed vegetables, nectarine-pineapple sorbet

S - chile rellenos (I hope! I've never made them before.) green salad, frijoles, chips/salsa, clementine oranges

OK, so that salad, with the Asian dressing? So, so good, and so simple. For ours, I tear romaine into bite-size pieces, add some washed raw bean sprouts and some green onion tops, slivered. The dressing is as follows:

1T. soy sauce
1 1/2 t. lime juice
1 1/2 t. toasted (dark) sesame oil
1/4 t. sugar

Put all that in a little container, give it a good shake and then put a little of it on the salad that you make. It doesn't take a lot, so don't dump it in all at once unless you have a honkin' huge salad. Once you get the salad tossed to your liking, top it with toasted sesame seeds. Yum!!

This salad would also be great with other veggies - use what you love! Ours may see carrots this week, just for color and added joy.

Cilantro-Lime Rice - it's as easy as it gets, y'all. Cook some rice. Add some lime juice, a little lime zest if you're feeling wild, and some freshly washed chopped cilantro. A pinch of salt is optional. Stir it, and bask in the glory of something delicious and easy all at the same time.

The meals listed above are lunch, because my sweetie pie works nights. Suppers are just Little Bit and me (well, I send lunch with Hubby too) mainly leftovers, with the occasional PBJ thrown in. We have scones, muffins or pancakes from the freezer for some breakfasts, and I think I'll make some oatmeal with applesauce too. We have lots of fresh fruit on hand for breakfasts too, so I think we are set!

So, whatcha cookin' this week?