Weekly Menu - Week 14

These days, I get too many "moi, je n'aime pas ça" from my daughter and "moi, va pas aimer" from my son. Of course, if one starts saying that he/she does not like what I bring to the table, the other one is very likely to jump and say the same. And obviously,  I don't like it when they say something like that. While I totally accept that their tastes might be different from mine and that tastes evolve over time, I just don't accept them making a statement BEFORE even taking one bite. It's part of our table etiquette and I really mean it (like using a napkin, not putting one's elbows on the table, etc...)
When I cook dinner (they bring their lunch to school during the week), I naturellement try to serve something they'll like. I am not in for a fight over food. However, I am also trying to introduce them to new dishes, so, of course, I am going to serve them things they have not been exposed to before or have been but in a different way. They might not like it the first time. They might not like it the second time. Even the third time.... but no matter what, they have to try it first before they affirm "je n'aime pas ça". Because, truth be told, most of the time, they'll like it.
Planning the meal for the week is a way for me to balance the easy-no-fight dishes (like socca) with the a-little-bit-more-difficult ones (like gratin de choux-fleur). It enables me to choose the evenings to serve one dish rather than another. It's easier to have them eat something they really like on a school night (when they are tired and we are on a schedule to put them to bed early) and keep the more challenging dishes for Friday evening or the week-end (that way, I tell them that they won't have it in their lunchbox the next day! And if we are having our weekly apéritif, I can always bribe them (yeah, I do that too!!). Bonne Cuisine!

WEEKLY MENU - WEEK 14

	Day	Suggested Menu
	Monday	Stuffed Tomatoes with Quinoa Plain Yogurt with Chestnut Spread Fresh Fruits
	Tuesday	Socca With Caramelized Onions with Green Salad Crème Renversée au Caramel a l'Orange
	Wednesday	Zucchini - Fennel Soup with Polenta Croutons Homemade Plain Yogurt with honey Fresh Fruits
	Thursday	Tuna Curry with Yellow Squash Over Rice Pommes au Four (Baked Apples)
	Friday	Gratin of Baked Fall Vegetables Homemade Plain Yogurt with dark brown sugar Fresh Fruits

Game Plan:

Sunday Evening:

• Make the Tomates Farcies (Stuffed Tomatoes) on Sunday evening. It will save you a lot of time for Monday
• If you are making your own yogurt, make your weekly batch on Sunday evening. 

Monday Evening:

• You only have to re-heat the Tomates Farcies and cook some quinoa (15mn)
• Make Crème Renversée on Monday. The longer the crèmes rest in the fridge, the better. If you re-heat the Tomates Farcies in the oven, then you don't have to re-heat your oven for the Tomates Farcies.

Tuesday Evening:

• You have to make the Socca. If you are serving it with caramelized onions, then make the Socca batter and then while it rests, cook the onions. It takes a while for them to caramelize.

Wednesday Evening:

• You have to make the Zucchini - Fennel soup and the Polenta Croutons
• Start with making the Polenta. The Croutons need to rest a little bit in the fridge before you bake them in the oven. While they are in the fridge, make the soup

Thursday Evening:

• You have to make the Tuna Curry, cook the rice and bake the apples in the oven.
• Start with the apples. One they are in the oven, make the curry
• While the curry is on the stove, you can make the rice.

Friday Evening:

• It's Friday! Enjoy! 
• You only have to make the Gratin. It requires a little bit of work to peel all the vegetables but worth it!