Meal Plan:  Greek Week
Just in case you missed talking to me last week, I'm trying something new around here.  We love tasty, exotic, fresh, healthy food, but with a busy homeschool and travel schedule, and a mischievous toddler, I feel like I'm always cooking, teaching, nursing, or kissing bo-bos.  Monday is difficult, and impractical to start as Day 1 because it is possible you will need to run out to gather ingredients you may be missing after those last-minute guests showed up on Saturday night(or Sunday after church!).  So Day 1 is Tuesday, not Monday!

I'm using a bean--because beans are healthful and cheap--as the center of each week's meal plan.  Last week, garbanzo beans were the star of the menu.

Monday--clean out the fridge and serve leftovers or soup.  Soup is always good on Mondays, when everyone is tired starting the week.  During the cooler weather, it's a low-stress option because you can throw it together in the morning when you're lucid(right after your first or second cup of coffee) and let it  simmer all day.  After a nice nap for you and the kids you can enjoy a supper that only needs crackers or cheese bread as accompaniment! My favorite (gluten free, of course)cheese bread recipe here.....

Day 1--Set pot of (dry) garbanzo beans(also known as chick peas) on to boil, in the morning with 1-2 TBsp of butter and 1-2 TBsp of red wine(I save the dregs of the bottle to use for cooking beans).  Defrost your meat of choice:  ground beef(Greek meatballs), leg of lamb, or chickens(easy oregano chicken or chicken shawerma).   Supper time:  make a pot of rice, process garbanzo beans into hummus, roast your meat or prepare meatballs and pan fry or bake.  For recipes, just ask and I'll post.

Day 2--Using some of your leftover plain rice, make grape leaves and tahini sauce.  If eating bread, you can prepare sandwiches from any of the meats mentioned above, stuffed with lettuce and tomato and drizzled with the tahini sauce.  Serve hummus  on side, and use grape leaves as side dish. 

Day 3--Using the rest of your leftover rice, or a new pot of rice, make cabbage rolls.  These are very filling, and cheap to make.  The rest of your meat can be served on the side, with the leftover hummus, grape leaves, and tahini sauce for dipping(if you have any chicken left).  Mint sauce is a staple in my fridge, and the good stuff(mentioned in my post on leg of lamb) lasts a LONG time around here....especially since we use it for its flavor, and don't slather it too generously.  Good things can be savored....even kids can learn to be frugal to make something delicious last longer!

Day 4--Your food was so good, you may or may not have random leftovers.   Stir together leftover meat, stuffed grape leaves(chopped into slivers), boiled chickpeas(which you may have leftover from hummus making), green peas out of the freezer, sauteed onions and garlic, and chopped parsley and mint into a pot of fresh rice.  Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, and serve as a "Greek" stir-fry.   

Day 5--Saturday!  Sandwiches or hotdogs or fruit and cheese and salami for lunch, and pizza or breakfast for supper! :)