The three simple rules of menu planning are of the following
Rule #1: Always Check the calendar before making a menu plan. What nights do I have more/less time to cook? And are there any nights that require grab-and-go meals?
Rule #2: Know your limits. This goes hand-in hand with rile #1, because clearly you are limited by what is going on in your calendar for the week.
Rule #3: No more than one recipe that requires active, hands-on cooking is allowed on a given night! If I'm sauteing chicken or pork chops, the vegetable will not require much actual cooking.
Hope this helps!