There are SO many ways to come up with ideas to add to your recipe files:

• Websites
• Cookbooks
• Pinterest
• Magazines
• Instagram
• Newspaper food sections
• Professional (i.e magazine or cooking show) newsletters (These can be a great source of inspiration; I rarely use the recipes, but entire editorial teams have spent time thinking about what ingredients are fresh and seasonal and are great for cooking now; take advantage of that!)

When you’re looking through your resources, have your clients in mind.  When I go through a stack of cooking magazines, I tear out pages and drop them in piles by client – these clients might like these vegetarian dishes; my Paleos would love this curry, etc.  You can put sticky notes in cookbooks; bookmark web-based recipes (use a tool like EverNote, Delicious, Google Bookmarks, etc); or build Pinterest boards, by client or recipe type (chicken dishes, vegetarian, soups, freezable, fish, etc).

With ideas in hand, I create a list for each client and send them via email. For a client who gets 3 meals prepared, I’ll probably send 6 or 8 ideas.  Not too many, as too many choices can be overwhelming.  But not too few, or they may not have enough to choose from. And always offer to send more if they need them.

I used to dread menu planning in my early days, but now I really enjoy it.  Perhaps back then it felt overwhelming, trying to choose something justright for everyone.  But like anything, it gets a lot easier with practice.  Now it’s one of my favorite parts of my business, because I get to sit and think about what they need, what’s in season, what I like making, how I can help them…it feels really personal and like I’m making a connection with them through nutritious, delicious, nurturing meals – hands down, the best part of being a personal chef.

Got any favorite ways to collect and store recipes and manage your menu planning?  I’d love to hear them!

The post For Personal Chefs: Menu Planning For Clients appeared first on TaylorMade Meals.

On the menu:

**Chicken Parmigiana with Toasted-Garlic Marinara**
Lightly breaded chicken breasts with my signature Toasted-Garlic Marinara Sauce and shredded mozzarella.

**PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef**
Lean flank steak stir-fried with lots of scallions in PF Chang’s signature sweet soy sauce with ginger and garlic.

**Gnocchi with Spinach and Peas**
Tender potato gnocchi in a light cream sauce with baby spinach, peas and fresh lemon.

**Southern Style Cornmeal-Crusted Tilapia**
Fresh tilapia dipped in buttermilk, dusted with cornmeal, paprika and a little cayenne, and pan-fried until crispy and delicious. Served with creamy homestyle Tartar Sauce with sweet pickle relish.

**Shrimp Vera Cruz**
Large shrimp sautéed with garlic, bell peppers, fresh chiles and tomatoes, finished with fresh cilantro.

And a recipe, courtesy of the Internet, that has become very popular with clients:

PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef
Serves 4

• 2 teaspoons veg oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil – more or less
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 bunches green onions – cut into 1″ pieces

Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp. veg oil in med saucepan over med/low heat. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to med and boil the sauce for 2-3 min. or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat.

Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices. Toss the steak pieces in the cornstarch to apply a thin dusting to both sides of each piece. Let the beef sit for about 10 min. so that the cornstarch sticks.

Heat some additional oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. When skillet is very hot – working in batches so as not to crowd the pan – add beef to the oil and saute for 2-4 min. or until well browned. Stir while cooking so it cooks evenly. Remove with a large slotted spoon or tongs to paper towels or a rack over a sheet pan (to let the oil drain).

In the still-hot pan, add all the green onions and stir fry a minute. Return the beef and the sauce, and cook for 1 more minute, tossing to combine.

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