Menu Plan Monday

I love reading other people's lists, and I've really been enjoying reading menus that people are posting through Menu Plan Monday, so I've decided to join in. Here's what's on the table this week:

Monday: Gemelli with white beans, artichoke hearts and spinach

Tuesday: Sausage, tomatoes and rice, served with cornbread (a great, easy meal)

Wednesday: Spaghetti pie

Thursday: Leftover spaghetti pie

Friday: Black bean quesadillas

Saturday: Pizza (homemade for me and the man; Domino's for the kids)


Because everyone needs a fast meal, I'll share the Sausage and Rice recipe. You'll need:

8 oz. kielbasa-style sausage, pre-cooked (I usually get turkey sausage to cut down on fat)
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups cooked rice (brown rice if you've got the time)
1 onion
1-2 cloves garlic
olive oil

Because I prefer brown rice, a lot of times I'll cook it beforehand, say, in the morning while I'm puttering around, and then stir it in with the sausage and tomatoes to heat it up before serving. Otherwise, start cooking white rice as you're chopping everything up.

So: chop up your onion and garlic (whole onion if you're an onion lover; half if the kids and the man tend to pick out what they find to be excessive amounts of onion). Saute the onion until it's clear, then throw in the garlic and cook it for a minute or so. Next, slice your sausage ((I usually halve it lengthwise, then cut into 1/4" slices) and throw it in with the other stuff. Even though the sausage is cooked, I like to brown it a bit, just to get the skin a little bit crackly if at all possible.

Next, dump in the tomatoes, juice and all. Add a little salt, a little pepper to taste, and some oregano if you want to get fancy about it. Heat everything through. When the rice is done cooking, mix that in with the sausage and tomatoes. That's it! Dinner's done in fifteen minutes.

I usually serve this with broccoli. Cornbread is good, too (I get the Jiffy brand mix, which is now a startling fifty-nine cents, up from a quarter just a few years ago).