This week’s menu plan comes to your rescue for Easter with a baked chicken and gravy recipe so delicious that you’ll want to serve it to company, but so easy you’ll feel like you had the day off!
Bump up your veggies with a springtime pasta primavera, and if the weather has been nice enough to dig out the BBQ, there’s recipes for that as well.
| MONDAY |
Foccacia
Spring is here, and what better way to celebrate than with a delicious, spring vegetable filled pasta dish? I used whole wheat pasta but you can substitute any kind you wish, and change up the veggies to what your family loves.
| TUESDAY |
Raw veggies and dip
Oven baked fries
Moist, full of flavor and just the right amount of spice, these are amazing burgers to have on hand. Try topping with grilled pineapple rights for a tropical feel! You can make the patties ahead and freeze them, all ready to take out and throw on the grill on a day when you are too busy to cook.
| WEDNESDAY |
Crockpot Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Mashed Yukon Gold potatoes
This will be the easiest roast chicken with gravy dinner you have ever made. Simply plop it all in the slow cooker, turn it on, and enjoy when it’s finished! It’s perfect for company and if you are looking for something yummy but easy on you to make for Easter, this is the way to go.
| THURSDAY |
Mandarine artichoke salad with poppy seed dressing
A West Coast twist on tacos, these are fast and easy. You can microwave the salmon but I prefer to bake it in the oven to keep it moist, but not mushy. Set it out with a variety of toppings and let everyone build their own!
| FRIDAY |
I love kebabs. Maybe it’s the presentation, or that the bits of meat are so flavorful and tender from being marinated and quickly cooked.
I think it’s also how easy it is to change up for family members who want chicken or pork instead.
These kebabs were similar to the Korean marinated beef I made awhile ago, but I imagine if they were cooked on a BBQ, they would be delectable.
- 1 sirloin tip marinating steak (1 lb), fat trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- Marinade:
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp each minced fresh ginger and soy sauce
- 2 tsp rice or cider vinegar
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- dash hot pepper sauce
Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the beef; stir to coat well. Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour, but preferably 12 hours.
Thread beef cubes onto skewers, making sure to leave a teeny bit of space between each piece of meat, and brush with marinade.
If you are cooking them on a BBQ, place them on a grill over medium high heat and close the lid. Turn them about 3 times and cook until they are just pink in the middle. In an oven, I placed them on a foil lined broiler pan and grilled them under my broiler.
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet until they are just golden, then sprinkle over the finshed kebabs.
Makes 4 servings.