Another week of dinners: Salmon, Chicken, Lasagna

Alright, it IS a challenge.  Though we have stopped eating gourmet, we have not yet descended into the realm of Campbell's soup casseroles.  Nothing against Campbell's soups or casseroles for that matter, it's just that I always imagined there would be time and energy for daily fresh shopping and hours of cooking.  After all, that's what used to relax me.  

Nowadays there is no rest for the proverbial weary.  I have been so tired all the time, that I actually went to my doctor and started a whole work-up for a variety of conditions.  As it turns out, I'm just tired from getting up early and doing a lot.  And just as I'm finding out that I have too much to do, my band is supposed to debut at a street festival on Saturday. Though we're playing a short set of covers, we still have to rehearse every day this week.  

Thank goodness we were too tired to dine out this weekend.  My husband procured dinners for us from our local favorite joints.  So we ate several incarnations of left-over chicken this evening.  Tomorrow I will shop for food.  I will probably just get staples for the week such as eggs, milk, chocolate milk, lemonade, yogurt smoothies, fruit and veggies.  We will probably run out or order in rather than cook dinners.  If I were to cook, I would need the following:

Shopping List/Pantry:

Salmon filets

Whole Chicken

Ground white turkey meat

carrots, celery, onion, garlic

yukon gold potatoes

crushed tomatoes in a can

parsley, thyme, bay leaves, basil, oregano, paprika

peppercorns, red pepper flakes

lemon

milk

flour

fresh lasagna pasta

mozzarella and parmesan cheese

olive oil

buttermilk

White wine

Chinese Black Rice

Salad greens

Vegetables for steaming, such as broccoli, asparagus, green beans.

Menu:  Salmon with Forbidden Rice; Baked Chicken Breasts with Roasted potatoes; Chicken Stew, Turkey Lasagna

Day One:  prep as below, and make Salmon with Forbidden Rice

Day Two:  Peel potatoes, cut in quarters, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic (optional) and spread on a cookie sheet covered by aluminum foil or parchment paper.  Then remove chicken breasts from marinade, roll into a mixture of equal parts bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, place on another cook sheet, also protected by parchment paper or foil.  Bake both sheets in a 375 degree oven for half hour or 45 minutes until chicken is cooked (internal temp 165 degrees).

Day Three:  Follow recipe for Chicken Stew blogged in April

Day Four:  Recipe to follow for turkey lasagna

Day One Prep:  Make turkey meat sauce for lasagna.  Separate chicken into breast filets and thighs and legs.  Soak chicken breasts in buttermilk.

Turkey Meat Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pound ground turkey

1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil on medium high heat, then add onions.  Cook until translucent, then add garlic and cook one minute longer.  Add the ground turkey, pinch of salt and pepper, mix and brown the meat.  Add tomatoes and herbs, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, until turkey is cooked through and the sauce thickens.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Cool completely, cover well and refrigerate.

Buttermilk Marinade

2 cups buttermilk

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional) 

Combine all ingredients, and place in a glass dish.  Drop chicken breasts into the marinade.  They should be covered completely.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Salmon Filet 

Sprinkle filets with lemon juice, salt, pepper and pepper flakes.  Allow to sit while the oven heats to 375 degrees.  Bake for 12 - 15 minutes to desired doneness.  Meanwhile cook rice according to instructions that come with it.  Steam your favorite vegetables or serve with a green salad.