Weekly Menu - Week 11

I have not done much cooking lately... but I have eaten a lot!  Being in Paris and having grand-parents willing to take care of their grand-children (merci!!!), I have been able to see a few friends and relatives. My social schedule looks like a professional one, except better because I am on vacation! I go from one breakfast to a lunch to a dinner with a drink in-between when possible! And yet, I never manage to see all the people I'd love to. It's the frustrating part of any too-rare trip "home", malheureusement! However, it's wonderful to be able to spend time with friends and relatives and always a treat to share a meal with them. Not necessarily a traditional three-or-four-courses meal in a restaurant; after a week, it would not be sustainable! Besides, just a nice homemade salad makes me happy, especially in good company! But yes, I have a hard time saying never say no to  macarons or good cheese!
One evening, though, I offered to cook for my parents and asked them what they would love to have. Here are the few items we had: homemade hummus and socca.  I also made a gluten-free crumble for dessert on another occasion as well as a batch of Granola. My parents enjoyed all of it very much and it was fun to share new ingredients (chickpea flour, rice flour, tahini,) with them. I'll cook more for all of us when I leave Paris in a few days but true enough, I am more interested in cooking/eating all the traditional French food we don't easily (read: at all or at outrageous prices) find in Philadelphia! Stay tune, you might be in for really interesting dishes. Bonne Cuisine!

Weekly Menu - Week 11

	Day	Suggested Menu
	Monday	Shredded carrots Veal, Cilantro and Ricotta Meatballs with baked potatoes Homemade Plain Yogurt with Chestnut Spread Fresh Fruits
	Tuesday	Tabbouleh with Green salad Petites Crèmes Express au Café
	Wednesday	Mustard-breaded Turkey Breast with green beans Homemade Plain Yogurt with honey Fresh Fruits
	Thursday	Seafood salad with Avocado, Tomatoes and Grapefruit Homemade Plain Yogurt with homemade Granola
	Friday	Guacamole Swiss Cheese Soufflé with green salad Homemade Plain Yogurt with dark brown sugar Fresh Fruits

Game Plan:

Sunday Evening:

• Make the Granola on Sunday evening. It requires very limited prep time but has to bake in the oven for about 45 minutes. Just make sure that you don't eat all of it before Thursday evening! It's so good. It's also a perfect foodie gift if you need one this week!
• If you are making your own yogurt, make your weekly batch on Sunday evening. 

Monday Evening:

• You have to prepare the meatballs, the potatoes and the shredded carrots tonight. Start by pealing the potatoes and put them to boil/cook.
• While they are cooking, prepare the meatballs.
• Last but not least, while the meatballs are cooking in the oven, prepare the shredded carrots. Children generally love to help shredding carrots if they are old enough to help with the food processor.

Tuesday Evening:

• You have to make the whole dinner. No need to panic.
• Start by making the Petites Crèmes Express au Café. They are ridiculously easy to make but need to chill a little bit before serving them. If you had time to make them during the day, even better.
• Cook the cousous/bulgur/cracked wheat you are going to use for the Tabbouleh as early as possible as well so that it has time to chill.
• While everything is chilling in the fridge, finish making the Tabbouleh

Wednesday Evening:

• You only have to make the Breaded-Turkey breast.
• While they are cooking in the oven, prepare the green beans.
• If you have not made the Granola on Sunday, make it on Wednesday evening. You oven will be already hot. You can have dinner while the granola is in the oven.

Thursday Evening:

• You only have to make the seafood salad. How easy is that?
• If you have not-so-great-but-still-eatable avocados, don't discard them, you'll use them for the Guacamole on Friday.

Friday Evening:

• Relax, the week is over!
• You have to make the Swiss Cheese Soufflé and the Guacamole. If you are having a drink before dinner, make the guacamole first so that you can have some while the Soufflé is in the oven.
• If you are just going to start the Guacamole as an appetizer, start with the Swiss Cheese Soufflé and while the Souffle is in the oven, make the Guacamole and serve it either as an appetizer.