Monday Menu August 13th

I missed out on planning a menu last week mainly due to being out of town for most of the week! So now we are home and getting ready to start school. I am homeschooling Sophia for Kindergarten this year and have my lesson plans done for the next few weeks and now I have my menu done for the week too. So here we go....

BREAKFAST

1) Cereal
Toast w/ peanut butter

2) Pancakes
Milk

3) Apricot Brown Rice Cereal
Cinnamon Toast
Juice

4) Oatmeal
Juice

5) Bagels & Cream Cheese
Yogurt w/ fruit

6) French Toast Sticks
Yogurt
Juice

7) Cinnamon Snails
Fresh Fruit
Milk

LUNCH

1) Grilled Cheese & Apple Sandwich
Pickles
Grapes
Chips

2) Tuna Salad in Pita Bread
Cucumber Sticks
Carrot Sticks w/ ranch dip
Wheat Thins

3) Veggie Quesadillas (green chile, tomato, green onion, cilantro)
w/ homemade guacamole
Grapes

4) Peanutty Apple Sandwiches
Chips

5) Chile bowls w/ corn chips & green onions

DINNER

1) BBQ –Hamburgers
Fruit Salad
Potato Salad
Maple Baked Beans
Smores

2) Tuscan White Bean Soup
Green Salad
Homemade Bread

3) Falafel Wraps (see recipe below)
Couscous Pilaf (see recipe below)

4) Tacos
Sliced Fruit

5) Ravioli Pasta
Steamed Green Beans
Homemade Bread

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Falafel Wraps by Mcdougall

In the past I have always made baked falafel in pita bread, and added all the toppings separately, similar to how you would layer the toppings on a burger. My daughter, Heather, recently experimented with combining all the ingredients together in a bowl, and then wrapping it all up in a large tortilla. This is so delicious that I'm sure we will never go back to our old way of eating falafel. This combination works well either stuffed into pita or wrapped up in a tortilla. This is a richer food because of the tahini sauce. However, this may also be made with hummus instead of tahini, which would be much lower in fat content, but still delicious!

Preparation Time: 30 minutes (need baked falafel)
Cooking Time: none
Servings: 6-8

Tahini Sauce:
1 cup roasted tahini
¾ cup water
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (optional)
dash sea salt

Combine all ingredients listed above in a food processor and process until smooth. Place in a bowl.

Add:
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup cucumber, chopped
3 chopped green onions
1 cup chopped lettuce
3 cups chunked baked falafel (see hints below)

Mix the vegetables and falafel into the tahini sauce. Stuff into pita halves, or place a line of the mixture down the center of a tortilla, roll up and eat.

Hints: The easiest way to make the baked falafel is to purchase the falafel mix sold in the bulk section of most natural food stores and also in packages in some supermarkets. The dry powder is mixed with water, allowed to rest for about 10 minutes, then formed into patties that resemble burgers. The directions tell you to fry in oil, but the falafel should be placed on a dry non-stick griddle and cooked about 5 minutes on each side, until browned. They may also be baked in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes on each side, until browned. To reduce the fat content of the tahini slightly, be sure to pour off all the oil from the top of the jar before using. Other vegetables may be added to the sauce as desired. A chopped avocado is one nice addition.

Couscous Pilaf w/ almonds

1 tablespoon unsalted butter or canola oil

2 Cloves of crushed Garlic

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

3 1/3 cups broth or water

teaspoon salt (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper

1 boxes (10 ounces each) couscous

½ cup of slivered almonds

½ cup of golden raisins

Warm the butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and parsley; cook for several minutes. Add the broth, salt (if using) and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil. Pour in the couscous, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Before serving, fluff the couscous lightly with a fork. Stir in almonds and raisins. Preparation and cooking time: 10 minutes.