This week’s Meal Plan Monday puts salmon, beer can chicken, chili, chicken rice soup, and pork chops on the menu.

If you’ve not been here before you should be warned that I’m not very advanced when it comes to cooking.  So if you are looking for gourmet meals you likely won’t find them here.  The goal for my meal planning is to plan weekly meals using whole foods – less with preservatives, processed, & pre-packaged food.  Also, nutrition is a key component for managing many disease processes.  Cooking at home gives a person more control with portion sizes & content like sodium, sugar, cholesterol, and fat.

When I fix salmon I pick out a fillet big enough to serve at least four and either bake it or grill it -depending on the weather.  I lay it skin side down in the dish or on the grill. I usually keep it pretty plain just sprinkling it with salt and pepper.  I follow the instructions on the package for the baking temperature and time.  For sides I will serve rice and broccoli with cheese

Beer can chicken always goes over well with my family and it’s easy for me.   This week I will serve it with french fries and a steamed California veggie blend.  I don’t really think the beer gives the chicken flavor so much as makes it nice and moist.  Another reason I like beer can chicken is because it leaves me chicken bones to simmer overnight in the crock pot and make chicken stock.  I just take the remains and put it in my crock-pot, cover it with water, and let it cook on low overnight.

For the chicken soup I will turn off the crock-pot the next morning and let my chicken broth cool.  I take the bones out and pull any chicken off and discard the bones.  I’ll take about half of my broth and save it for another meal – either freeze it or put it in the fridge.  Then I take any leftover rice and vegetables from Monday and Tuesday and add them to the crock pot with the remaining broth and all the chicken I picked off the bones. I’ll add a few minced cloves of garlic and some chopped celery, carrots, and onion…  Add some rosemary, oregano, basil, and pepper to taste and let it cook on low.  I like to serve it with crackers or biscuits and a side salad.

I usually have a freezer full of ground deer at my disposal to make into chili. I like venison because it is more lean than beef.  I brown my meat – you can use ground beef or gound turkey if you prefer.  I chop up an onion and add it, chili powder, tomato sauce, kidney beans, and diced tomatoes. Let it simmer for a while.  Done.  We like to eat ours with oyster crackers and shredded cheese.  I like chili nights because leftovers can be used for lunch later in the week or recycled for another night’s dinner as chili spaghetti, walking tacos, or cheese coneys.

For pork chop night I’ll either grill or bake them and serve them with french fries, mixed vegetables, and a side salad.

Grocery List

whole chicken

salmon fillet

2lbs of ground deer, beef, or turkey – whatever you want to make your chili out of

pork chops

celery

carrots

2 onions

rice

oyster crackers

broccoli fresh or frozen

frozen mixed vegetables

frozen california veggie blend

potatoes or a bag of frozen fries – enough for two nights

shredded cheese

rosemary, oregano, basil

flour

butter