Saturday Menu Post

Meet Todd.  Todd is my brother-in-law on the left.  We call Todd the gentle giant because he is one of the nicest guys I know.  Todd, however, does not do anything small.  Todd is a big guy.  He wrestled heavy weight through college.  He works for the rail road.  He has a firm handshake and when he hugs you, he might accidentally crack your back.  When Todd goes grocery shopping, he always comes home with a mass supply of groceries usually complete with several large cuts of meat to stock his caveman like deep freeze.  I think if there were ever in a nuclear fall-out, I would want to be sheltered with Erin and Todd.

On our last visit to Iowa, Todd came home with two 10 pound pork tenderloins.  He graciously gave one to us.  This week, I plan on thawing the meat and cutting it into sections we can actually consume.  I plan on using some for my Chipotle Pork Tenderloin and then re-freezing the rest.  And because we can't seem to eat enough Mexican food, we will be dining vegetarian with veggie fajitas.  Later in the week, I will experiment with a lemon-basil dressing recipe courtesy of Cooking Light.  For the weekend, I hope to make a simple roast chicken with risotto and asparagus.  Simple spring cooking!

Sunday 4/15        Chipotle Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Salad

Monday 4/16       Left-overs

Tuesday 4/17      Veggie Fajitas with Spanish Rice

Wednesday 4/18  Left-overs

Thursday 4/19      Chickpea Quinoa Salad with Lemon-Basil Dressing

Friday 4/20 or      Roasted Chicken with Lemon Risotto and Asparagus
Saturday 4/21

What you will need:

1-2 pounds pork tenderloin
1 whole chicken
2 red bell peppers
1-2 lemons
1 bunch asparagus
1 red onion
1 yellow or white onion
1 head garlic
1 bag spinach
1 bag baby carrots
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1 pound sweet potatoes
Fresh basil
Corn tortillas
1 can black beans
1 can chickpeas
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 can chipotle peppers
1 box instant brown rice
1 box arborio rice
1 bag quinoa
2 boxes reduced sodium chicken broth
1 canister Parmesan cheese
1 bag frozen corn
1 bag frozen peas
1 container fat-free sour cream
1 bag 2% shredded cheddar cheese

Pantry items you will need:

Honey
Dijon mustard
White wine vinegar
Olive oil
Chili powder
Salt
Black pepper