Menu Plan Monday on Tuesday

Ok this menu planning thing is obviously not very easy for me. Not the actual planning, just the following through part. But, here are two things that are keeping me going: 1)Grocery shopping is a breeze. My list is usually less than 10 items. I'm not roaming around the store buying things we don't need or have room for. We're not big snackers anyway so we kind of just stick to the basic items we need for meals. 2) Most importantly, I'm not making the same boring chicken dish EVERY NIGHT. So here goes it for this week. I also love those Steamables. I think we have like 20 packages in our freezer. There's so much variety- so easy, convenient and healthy.
This a lot of cooking this week!

Monday: Rudy's!

Tuesday: Garlic Panko Chicken Strips (margarine instead of butter), steamables, mashed potatoes

Wednesday: Chey's Char Chicken Tacos, Spanish rice, pinto beans (Mimi made and left us some!!!)

Thursday: Insalata Blu salad with Steak*

Friday: Ginger Chile-Garlic Venison, brown rice, Steamables
(For this I combine fresh grated Ginger w Chile Garlic sauce and marinate the deer meat in a ziploc. Slice venison very thin and cook in a very hot pan for 30 seconds or less, flipping it constantly.)

Saturday: BBQ Chicken Pizza, salad

Sunday: Gaylie's Lasagna, salad


Insalata Blu Salad w/ Steak
Ok this is combination of two yummy salads from Macaroni Grill. Billy loves Blu Cheese and I love steak on my salad so I combined them! Gaylie (Mamama) has been known to be a HUGE fan of the Insalata Blu salad although she sometimes goes for the Parmesan- Crusted Chicken Salad (2 die 4.) Gaylie and I have had so many fun lunches together at Macaroni Grill!

1/2 head romaine cut into bite size pieces
3 cups baby arugula
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (easy for Billy to pick out.)
4 ounces fresh Blu Cheese (not in the container, get the kind you crumble from a block= same $)
Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Salt and coarse ground pepper
1 lb. steak such as New York Strip, rib-eye, or filet migon pan fried or grilled)

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, arugula, dried tomatoes, walnuts and half the crumbled cheese. Toss the salad with enough Vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange salad on a platter. Cut the steaks crosswise into thin slices. Arrange the steak slices atop the salad and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Drizzle more vinaigrette over steak slices and serve.

Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 T fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
Coarse or fresh ground pepper
1 cup olive oil

Mix all ingredients except oil in a blender. Then, gradually blend in the oil. Makes 1 2/3 cups.