Menu Plan Monday

I'm finishing up the recipes from the "Saving Dinner the Low-Carb Way" Summer Week Two this week (Monday-Wed). This weekend I fixed Monte Cristo Sandwiches (recipe based on This Baked Monte Cristo Sandwiches but I made them in the Electric Skillet. Hubby loved them - I thought they were ok. But I knew they wouldn't be a favorite of mine - you see, I don't like soggy bread - so I don't like French Toast or bread pudding. As I was making it, hubby came up and looked at it and realized it was like stuffed French Toast. "I just realized you're not going to like it. I'm sorry." Isn't he sweet? I just smiled and told him it was ok. I make him French Toast occasionally just because I love him anyway. :) Anyway, next time I'll make his like the French Toast and mine like grilled cheese, I'll like it better that way at least.

I made Fake NC-Style Pork BBQ to take to MiL's on Sunday along with homemade coleslaw. I threw a pork butt (it was short-dated and marked down to $1.49/lb) into the crockpot with some sliced onions on the bottom, some Penzey's BBQ 3000 (I got it free when I visited the store with the coupon from their catalog) and a bit of cider vinegar and let it cook for about 12 hours. I let it cool and shredded it, then put it into a container with some Vinegar sauce and when we went to MiL's I reheated it and put it on Martin's Potato buns (our fave hamburger buns). The Carolinas have 3 different style BBQ sauces, the vinegar ones (Eastern North Carolina), the mustard ones (South Carolina) and ones that have a bit of ketchup in them (Western North Carolina). This is the Eastern Style- Vinegary and is used more as a finishing sauce - put on at the end. I don't believe in putting coleslaw on the BBQ unless the BBQ itself has no taste. :) My BBQ was good enough - just missing the smoke.

Here's the recipe for the Vinegar Sauce-

Eastern North Carolina Style Sauce:
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp cayenne pepper or paprika
2 tsp black pepper

Mix all ingredients until sugar and salt have melted (can warm until it does also). Let sit overnight. If you want something that is less vinegary (and a bit more Western) add 1/2 cup ketchup and make sure to store in the fridge.



My menu plan for this week: (For more menu ideas visit I'm an Organizing Junkie

Monday: Pork Chops & Squash
Tues: Taco Salad
Wednesday: Stuffed Red Peppers
Thurs: Salmon Burgers
Friday: Chez JJ Pizza (Homemade Pizza) (hubby will be happy to see this return)