Menu Plan - Week of September 28

Last week the flexible menu plan worked very well for us. For the one day that I hadn't planned a dinner, we came up with a meal that we liked so much that we're doing something similar this week. I'll post the recipe (well, just the guideline ... I didn't use a recipe or measure anything!) after the menu plan.

My son planned the menus for this week, and also made up a grocery list. (How wonderful is he?!)

Monday: Grilled pork chops with Asian flavors (see below), stir-fried noodles, sugar snap peas

Tuesday: This is a "wing it" day ... no plan yet.

Wednesday: Deli sandwiches (ham and cheese are on sale)

Thursday: Hamburgers with Swiss cheese, fried peppers and onions, oven fries

Friday: Chicken and asparagus stir-fry, rice

Grilled chicken (or pork chops) with Asian flavors: Slice boneless chicken breasts into thin cutlets, then marinate them in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, onion, fresh ginger, and rice vinegar. (I would have added sesame oil, but I ran out.) Cook them in the grill pan. On the side we had noodles stir-fried with the same seasonings; another option would be to stir-fry rice in the same way.

Cost-saving tip: The noodles in the Asian food aisle at my supermarket cost at least twice as much as spaghetti noodles. I used spaghetti, which I cooked in advance and tossed with a bit of canola oil before refrigerating. It may not be completely authentic, but it's as good as what we've had at hibachi restaurants.

For many more menu plans, click the logo at the top of this post for more Menu Plan Monday.