Menu Planning Monday: Thievery!

It's the beginning of a new week, and I'm looking forward to having some more time to spend in the kitchen and at home! For my birthday I got a lot of super neat things that I plan on making the most of in the coming weeks and months! But the thing that I got that I'm thieving from today? CABLE TELEVISION! Oh my dear, sweet Jesus! The Cooking Channel and Food Network have been in HEAVY rotation when the television is on! I am absolutely smitten with Rachael Ray's "Week in a Day." I've wanted to play with prepping a week's worth of food for a while now, and she gives you five great ideas to work with. This very morning, we were lounging around watching Ms. Ray and her theme for the week was "Bold Thinking." Every single recipe sounded soooo tasty that I decided to scrap the half baked plans I had for MPM today and just steal these!

THANK YOU RACHAEL!

I have no official pictures, but I do have a link! How yummy does this menu sound? RR's Bold Thinking Menu Plan

1. Southern Style Italian Short Ribs - (6/13) I was a short rib newbie, but it was beyond easy! I've lived and learned, and I am so ready to make them again! I know which cut I should be getting, and I am all about the yummy flavor! I ended up making about 2/3rds of the full recipe, but I sure did use the full bottle of wine! Beef + Red Wine = Amazing!

Coming out of the oven, the ribs still on the bone, the onion and fennel still quartered!

This recipe started off with broiling the meat in the oven and creating the sauce on the stovetop. I don't own a dutch oven, but my Le Creuset pan did the trick today! Hooray! Martin took care of trimming the meat and de-boning the meat while I spruced up the sauce. For the first time EVER I added unnecessary garnish just so that it would look pretty for the picture - what do you think of my efforts?

Fresh Baked Bread, parsley, fennel frons, lemon zest, and freshly grated pecorino! 

2. Veal Paprikash with Four Cheese Polenta - I'm absolutely in love with polenta, so I'm all about making more ASAP!

3. Deconstructed Arrabbiata - We haven't had a good pasta day in a while - it's time!

4. (Turmeric and Cumin Chicken on RR's Menu, made a substitute!) Lentils with Chia Seeds - (6/12) I've had this on my menu for weeks now, and I finally decided to make it! Oh, so good! Martin is a meat and potato man, and he loved this vegetarian main too! DO make the brown rice, it really adds something to this dish!

Red lentils really add a hearty flavor in this dish!

5. Beef & Broccoli - Chinese takeout style at home! Woohoo!

I don't own a dutch oven, and two of the recipes call for one, so I'm not sure what to do about that. Seeing as we don't actually need to make portions for four, I might cut them in half and use my Le Crueset pan instead. Anyone have any other ideas for this? I do have a big stock pot, but it certainly isn't cast iron or enamel! I'm not in a position to run out at buy one right now, so I have to make do somehow! Ideas are totally welcome! :)

Sorry this is not a very colorful post! I'll take pictures as I make them and edit them in, how about that!