Are you starting to menu plan for next week? TM can help! Each week, we’ll feature a post from a Mennonite talking about how they think about food choices, faith and what they are cooking at their house this week. 

This first post comes from Glen Guyton, Chief Operating Officer for Mennonite Church USA. 

It has been the norm that I do most of the cooking at our home, since I work from home and I also feel a little guilty because of my heavy travel schedule. Cooking is a way for me to reconnect with my family and to also prove, to myself, that I am pulling my weight.

Monday we are eating brisket. I live in Texas where beef barbecue is king and brisket is king of kings in the realm of Texas beef. Normally, brisket is slow-smoked for hours, but during the week I have to confess I go to the local H.E.B. (pretty much our only real grocery store in San Antonio) and get the pre-cooked version. It is very tasty and it saves tons of time and money. Raw briskets typically come in one size: huge. Buttered egg noodles and a baked sweet potato round off this meal for us.

Tuesday’s selection was a special request from my son. I have no idea why, but he wanted chicken and waffles. I am always down with breakfast food. So chicken and waffles it is, with a little thick-sliced peppered bacon. We prefer Krusteaz Belgian waffle mix. I add a dash of cinnamon and a ½ tsp lemon extract to the batter. It adds a nice aroma and finish to the waffles. For my chicken I buy a family pack of wings, section them and brine them overnight. I like the keep the chicken breading simple by using cornstarch. Sometimes I bake the wings, but the fried version is so much more tasty.

Wednesday is my daughter’s favorite. When she was little, she did not always want “chicken on the bone,” as she called it. She preferred “cut up chicken.” We dice chicken breasts into one-inch cubes, throw on some Lawry’s seasoned salt and sauté with olive oil until golden brown. We serve this meal with buttered white rice. Our favorite veggies are Brussels sprouts, green beans, asparagus and broccoli. 90% of our meals will have one of this veggies. Typically we roast these with olive oil, kosher salt and cracked pepper. Sometimes I will sauté the green beans with butter, kosher salt, and garlic.

Thursday is when I do my magic with leftovers to create a bourbon chicken. Leftover white rice is great to make fried rice. I like it simple without all the mixed veggies. One secret to make the rice extra tasty is to add a teaspoon of ground ginger power and a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce to taste. The ginger powder really is the secret. I take the leftover chicken breast sauté it until golden brown, then I add about a ¼ cup of bourbon let it cook down, then add, 3 tbsps. of honey, and 2 tbsps. of soy sauce. This makes a great sauce to serve with the fried rice. I don’t really use a lot of recipes for my weekly meals. I experiment a lot with flavors and see how the family reacts. This version of bourbon chicken kind of came to me by accident, but the family really love it.

Friday is pasta day because my son normally has cross-country meets on Saturday morning. I use a store bought sauce like Ragu and I add about a tablespoon of BBQ sauce to kick it up a bit. Typically we serve it with angel hair pasta and homemade meatballs. My family loves pasta, but I normally eat mine with spaghetti squash to reduce my carb hit. The microwave makes cooking the spaghetti squash quick and easy; plus it has a nice little crunch if you don’t overcook it.

So that is what we are eating this week. These meals are quick and worry free for any busy family.