Menu Planning Monday

Something about the really cold weather makes me crave not just soup but specifically beef based soup.  Any other time of the year and a beef soup is the last thing I want.   Our big score for the past week is Cheese and black bean quesadillas.  Froggy is now a super fan.  All I have to do is mashup some cooked black beans and put that on the tortilla before the cheese and cook as usual.  I cook is extra slow that her vegan cheese melts before the tortilla burns.  With this addition I think I may actually have enough different food stuffs that she reliably eats to make a rotating lunch schedule for her so that I can stop thinking about it every day.

Sunday - Homemade pasta sauce, gnocci, salad and garlic bread (missed last week)
Monday - baked marinated chicken served over quinoa and broccoli
Tuesday - Curried Turkey Couscous Pie (recipe from One Dish Dinners) with mango chutney
Wednesday-dinner at the pool - sandwiches, cutup fruit and cookies
Thursday - pizza (using leftover sauce) and salad
Friday -  Challah, Herbed Beef Pinwheels(recipe below), sweet potatoes, green beans, chocolate rasberry torte

Herbed Beef Pinwheels

·         1 ½ lb flank steak

·         2 medium leeks sliced

·         2 cloves garlic

·         3 TBS snipped fresh basil

·         2 Yukon Gold cut into eights

·         1 lg onion cut into wedges

·         14 oz diced tomatoes with basil oregano and garlic

1.       Score meat by making shallow diagonal cuts at 1” intervals in a diamond pattern on both sides.  Flatten meat to a 12x8 rectangle.  Set aside

2.       Saute leeks and garlic until tender. Stir in basil and remove from heat.  Spread leek mixture evenly on top of the meat.  Starting at short end of meat, tightly roll up meat into a spiral. Tie four evenly spaced strings around meat.  (STOP HERE IF DOING AHEAD OF TIME- REFIGERATE UNTIL READY TO COOK). 

3.       Brown meat on all sides.  Place meat in a 2qt rectangular baking dish.  Arrange veggies around meat.  Pour undrained tomatoes over  beef and veggies.  Bake uncovered at 350 for 1 ¼ hr. 

4.       Transfer meat to cutting board.  Remove strings.  Slice into serving size pieces.  Serve with veggies.