Save Your Money- Buy Our Groceries: Vol. 19

For the scoop on this series of posts, click here!

THIS WEEK’S MENU

Breakfast

• Pesto Egg McMuffins

Lunch

• Beef, Blue Cheese and Orange Sandwiches

Dinner

• Provençale Chicken

Dessert

• Puffy Cinnamon Orange Oven Pancake

THE GROCERY LIST  (for 2 people)

• 12 english muffins
• 2 dozen eggs
• 1 small jar of pesto
• 20 small crusty rolls or 10 sandwich sized ones
• 5 oranges
• cider vinegar
• 1 bag or bunch baby spinach
• about 24 oz. flank steak
• 6 oz. crumbled blue cheese
• 5 large bone-in chicken breasts
• 4 yellow bell peppers
• 3 16oz. cans cannellini beans
• 1 28oz. can diced italian tomatoes
• 1 % milk

WHAT WE ALREADY HAD AT HOME

• salt
• pepper
• olive oil
• cooking spray
• dried basil
• butter
• cinnamon
• all-purpose flour
• powdered sugar

PREP ON SUNDAY

Flank Steak for Sandwiches

• 24 oz. flank steak
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil or cooking spray

Season steak on both sides with salt and pepper.  Grill steak in a grill pan, on a grill or in an oiled cast iron pan about 8 minutes per side.   Place on a plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 10 minutes.  Slice very thinly across the grain, and store in the fridge for the week.

Dressing for Sandwiches

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• zest of one of your oranges (wrap the orange in plastic wrap after you zest it b/c you’re going to need it!)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Put everything in a small plastic container with a lid and shake to combine.  Store in the fridge for the week.  You will need to give it a shake each day before making your sandwiches.

Provençale Chicken

• 5 large skinned chicken breasts- bone-in
• 4 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 yellow bell peppers, diced
• 3 16oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 28 oz. can italian diced tomatoes, undrained

Place chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Sprinkle with basil, salt and pepper.  Top with everything else.  Cook 8 hours on low.  Store in the fridge for the week.

BREAKFAST- 10 minutes

Pesto Egg McMuffins

• 2 eggs
• 2 english muffins
• 2 tablespoons pesto
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil or cooking spray

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Crack both eggs into the pan.  Toast both english muffins.  When the muffins are toasted, spread each side with some pesto right out of the toaster so it melts into the bread a bit.  Cook your eggs as well done as you like them.  Salt and pepper the eggs.  Top the bottom half of each muffin with an egg and finish off with the other muffin half.  Eat!

LUNCH- 5 minutes

Beef, Blue Cheese and Orange Sandwiches

• 2 regular sized crusty rolls or 4 small ones, sliced in half
• dressing
• 1 cup baby spinach
• blue cheese crumbles
• 1 orange, peel cut off and sliced into segments

Pile the baby spinach on the bottom half of your bread.  Top with beef, sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles and drizzle with dressing.  Pat the orange slices dry with a paper towel and arrange on top.  Finish each sandwich off with the top of the roll and eat immediately or wrap tightly in foil and refridgerate until lunchtime.

DINNER-  5 minutes

Provençale Chicken

• 1 chicken breast, cut in half
• 2 cups of the bean mixture

Divide everything between two plates and reheat.  Enjoy!

DESSERT-  40 minutes

Puffy Cinnamon Orange Oven Pancake

This is ridiculously easy and yummy.  Top it berries or sauteed apples for your next brunch or breakfast or drizzle with chocolate for a rustic dessert!

Preheat oven to 400.

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• zest of half of one of your oranges (wrap up the orange tightly after you zest it so it doesn’t dry out before you use it for your sandwiches)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• powdered sugar

Place butter in the bottom of a 9″ pie dish.  Place in the preheating oven to melt the butter.  While it melts, whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl.  Add flour, zest and cinnamon.  Whisk until just combined.  Take the dish out of the oven and brush the butter up on the sides of the dish and swirl all around.  Pour in the batter and bake 30 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.   Immediately sift powdered sugar over the top and serve.