Menu plan for week of Jan 18/10

When I try to write down a menu plan my mind seems to go blank. Here's another attempt at using what we have without repeating till we're bored.

Monday, January 18

Spanish rice
Green beans

Tuesday, January 19

Potato soup
Cornbread

Wednesday, January 20

Egg salad sandwiches
Baked apples

Thursday, January 21

Spaghetti with marinara sauce
Carrots and celery with ranch dip

Friday, January 22

Fish tacos (directions below)
Cole slaw

Saturday, January 23

Black olive and mushroom pizza
Green salad

Sunday, January 24

Brown beans
Cole slaw or pickles
Cornmeal griddle cakes

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Baja-style Fish Tacos

1/2 cup flour
Beer - start with 1/3 cup and add more as needed for proper consistency, should be like thick paint
Salt and pepper
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 pound fish (whiting, bream, bass, tilapia, any type of firm mild fish)
Oil for frying (I use peanut oil)

Watch the video below of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall as he mixes up this plain beer batter and fries fish and squid. I've been reading his River Cottage cookbooks lately -- they have lots of ideas for using "everything but the squeal."


I serve the fish in a tortilla, preferably corn that's been lightly grilled to heat and soften, and add shredded cabbage or, sometimes, cole slaw. If I'm using plain cabbage I usually make a small batch of chipotle white sauce for a topping and there's always homemade salsa, fresh or canned, depending on the season, too.

Chipotle White Taco Sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 or 2 canned chipotle peppers, mashed

Combine all ingredients, stir to blend.