Week 7 Meal Plan

I've been struggling to keep my old budget before moving to Seattle, but this week was the closest to hitting my goal that I've ever come! $57, so waahoo! If I have bought cheaper cheese, or not bought large quantities of soy sauce, sugar and brown sugar. I hope everybody likes this weekend meal selections.


Protein:
4 Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs
Breaded Chicken Tenders
2 pounds ground pork
1 pound regular tofu (medium firmness)
1 14-Ounce Package Extra Firm Tofu
1 Slice Bacon  
2 (2-pounds) racks pork spare ribs

Veggies:
12 Cloves Garlic
4 Scallion
1 Ounce Pea Tips
1 Bunch Garlic Chives
1 Pound Sweet Potatoes
 ½ Pound Baby Bok Choy
5 1-Inch Piece Ginger
3 Zucchini  squash
1 Bunch Collard Greens
1 Red Onion
Asparagus
1/2 cup minced shallots   

Fruit:
2 Black Plantains
1 Lime

Carbs:
¾ Pound Fresh Ramen Noodles

Dairy:
2 Tablespoons Butter
Mozzarella

Spice:
Basil
1 Bunch Cilantro
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 chile de arbol
2 tablespoons paprika
1 Tablespoon Jerk Tofu Spice Blend (Ground Cinnamon, Ground Cardamom, Dried Oregano, Smoked Paprika, Ground Ginger, Dried Lemon Peel, Light Brown Sugar & Ground Cayenne Pepper)
½ Teaspoon Pork Mazemen Spice Blend (Black Sesame Seeds, White Sesame Seeds, Kibbled Nori & Smoked Paprika)

Extras:
1 jar tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons Pork Demi-Glace
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
¼ Cup White Miso Paste
3 Tbsp tapioca starch (can substitute cornstarch)
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese salted black beans (fermented black beans, also called Chinese black beans)
1 Tbsp chili bean paste
3 Tbsp stock (chicken broth)
ground Szechuan pepper
2 Tablespoons Mirin
¼ Cup Coconut Milk Powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup whiskey
2 tablespoons tamarind paste
2 tablespoons ketchup

Recipes:

 IF you ever wanted to see what our lazy meals look like, here it is! Frozen chicken patties, store sauce and freshmaz! We slice the zucchinis into noodle shapes and its simple and yummy.

IF you don't want to cheat, here is a more authentic Chicken Parmesan recipe.

Miso Honey Roasted Chicken with Sesame Bok Choy Baby Sweet Potatoes

I often worry when cooking with miso that the flavor will overpower everything, so even while eating and enjoying it, I feared C would notice and say something. Throw that fear out the window for him, he loved it and I did think it was a good meal although not exactly my preferred flavor profile. The honey did manage to show through the miso and I liked the fresh nature of the veggies. I used Yah Choy, instead of Bok Choy - because last week I used them in a recipe and loved them. After two weeks in a row I think I'll go back to Bok Choy in future recipes, but its always exciting to learn new vegetables and flavors. I added a splash of mirin to the veggies to raise the sweetness.

Mapo Tofu with Zuchini and Chorizo

So C was craving chorizo and I wanted to make Chinese, so the compromise was chorizo breakfast omelet and the rest of the meat would be used in dinner. I put it in with the Mapo Tufu recipe and it added a nice spice to the dish. I also have left over zucchini from the zucchini noodles I made with the chicken Parm, so I chopped up the leftover veggie and added it with the recipes recommended vegetables. I felt that it needed more black bean sauce, so towards the end I added an extra couple spoonfuls.

Baked Jerk tofu Smashed Plantains with Garlic Ginger Collard Greens

I was so nervous about this recipe because all the ingredients were out of my comfort zone and it was so damn delicious. The plantains you BOIL to cook, how weird! And the Baked tofu puffed up in the over and really resembled more cake then tofu (OMG we are going to make it again as dessert or breakfast). The collard were tasty too! I highly recommend this meal. C says that he'd skip the time juice garnish next time, but I liked it personally.

 

Triple Pork Ramen with Roasted Garlic Pea Tips

This meal I ended up making with some left over fried tofu and bacon, instead of using the pork medley this recipe calls for. Park of this decision was that I used all the ground pork in the Mapo Tofu, an energetic mistake.  We really liked this recipe. C wished it had more broth, so I recommend making twice as much as they say for a more soup feel. The only change we made was C added some Satay sauce because he wanted more heat. That definitely changes the flavor and I think I prefer the broth without, but both are tasty! We were also happy to buy some rice seasoning that was a blend of seaweed flakes and sesame seeds. I couldn't find the Pea Tips, so I substituted Yah Choy.

Sweet Temptation Ribs Tamarind Glazed Spare Ribs Recipe 

Wah, I can't believe I forgot to snap a picture of this meal! You have to do the dry rub marinade for 24 hours before cooking and then you make a whiskey sauce that you brush it with while it bakes. I guess I had higher hopes for the glaze. The whiskey sauce was tasty, but not better then Jack Daniels premade sauce, so save money and buy the store stuff in my opinion. I plated it with baked asparagus and it was ok.

Continue on to Week 8...