Meal Plan Week 12

Day 1: Lemon Chicken and Lemon-herb lentil salad
Day 2: LO
Day 3: Salmon and Strawberry Spinach Salad
Day 4: Chili and corn bread
Day 5: Chili and corn bread
Day 6: Grilled Cheese and tomato soup, salad
Day 7: Father's Day Feast: Prime Rib, Yorkshire pudding, artichokes

Recipes:

Lemon Chicken:

This is best with chicken that is not skinless/boneless but you can do it with either.

Enough chicken for your family for two nights
Two lemons
Seasoning Salt (msg free)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a baking pan place the chicken. Squeeze the lemon juice over all of the chicken. Sprinkle seasoning salt over each piece of chicken somewhat lightly (you don't want it too salty). Bake until a meal thermometer reads 165, turning the pieces occasionally.

Lentil Salad: Click this link

Salmon, Strawberry, and Spinach Salad:

4 oz smoked salmon
1 pint strawberries
1 bunch spinach
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 red onion thinly sliced
Honey-balsamic vinaigrette: 1 tablespoon honey, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 clove chopped garlic mix everything but the olive oil the stream the olive oil in slowly while beating the vinegar mix quickly. Serve over the salad.

Chili: This is a very mild NOT spicy Chili

1 onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1lb hamburger or ground turkey
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 bottle 32 oz tomato juice
1 can black beans
1 T chili powder
2 t cumin
1/2 t coriander
1 1/2 t beef bouillon
cinnamon, sugar, salt and pepper to taste

Cook onion, red bell pepper and hamburger or ground turkey until meat
is done.  Add the rest of the ingredients, cook on low for 2-3 hours.

Serve with cornbread, cheese, and diced onions. 

Prime Rib and Yorkshire Pudding:

I have to get the recipe from my husbands Mom or click the links to get recipes I found online. :)

For those of you who do not know what Yorkshire Pudding is (as I did not until I had it at my in-laws) it is similar to a dutch baby pancake in look and texture but it is not sweet. It tastes best (in my opinion) with gravy or aux jus. It is tender and slightly chewy. It comes out of the oven all poofy like a dutch baby pancake does. Sometime people make them in a popover style by baking them in cupcake tins instead of a larger baking dish.

Meal Plan Monday: Week 6

Day 1: Ribs with mashed potatoes, asparagus, salad, and bread.
Day 2: Frittata: Frittata recipe maker on finecooking.com
Day 3: Left over ribs in a box (see day two, week one)
Day 4: Left over Frittata in a box
Day 5: Spaghetti and salad (see week two recipes for sauce recipe)
Day 6: Taco Salad
Day 7: Left over spaghetti and salad

Recipes:
If there is a link above it is the link to the recipe.

Mashed potatoes:

Ingredients:
2 pounds yukon gold potatoes cut into chunks
2 shallots thinly sliced
olive oil 
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste

Place the shallots in a frying pan over medium-low heat with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Salt lightly and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until carmel colored. Remove from pan and set aside.
Place the potatoes in a pan of cool salted water so that they are fully covered. Bring to a boil and allow to cook until they are just soft enough to easily poke a fork into them. Drain the water place into a the bowl/pan you want to mash them in (maybe a stand mixer, or handheld mixer, or potato masher is what you use, I use a mixer). Add the butter allowing it to melt. Add in half the shallots and the milk go easy on the milk start with half the milk and add more if you need it later. Mix until you have the texture that you like, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the remaining shallots sprinkled on top.

A Note About the Ribs Glaze:

I love to double the amounts for this and use 1/3 for glazing the ribs and then simmer the remaining 2/3 to use as a drizzle on the ribs/mashed potatoes and as a dip for things later in the week or as a salad dressing.

A not about the spice in the glaze, if you really don't like spicy things you can try putting in half the amount of peppers but you can also try taking the seeds out of the inside of the pepper. These really are not very spicy at all but just in case you are really adverse to it you may want to try this. Also if you really like spice try the above method for all of the sauce and then use it as a glaze, that intensifies all the flavors some.

Taco Salad:

Ingredients:
Lettuce
ground beef/turkey
taco seasoning
corn
olives
onions
tomatoes
black beans
cheese (shredded)
salsa
corn chips
avocado, pit removed, diced
(I like the BBQ glaze from the ribs recipe as a "salad dressing")

Brown the meat adding the taco seasoning according the directions. I like to make sure to find an MSG free kind so I don't get a migraine. Clean and cut all the veggies, open cans, grate cheese and place all into their own bowls or on a serving platter creating a little salad bar that people can choose their own toppings for.  Some people use ranch dressing but I like to just use salsa.

Quesadilla:

Ingredients:
soft flour tortillas (whole wheat if possible, check for trans fats and beware even "trans fat free" may not really be trans fat free!)

grated mexican blend (or medium cheddar) cheese
the left over meat, beans, corn, onions, olives
any other left overs

Instructions:
place one tortilla in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat. Sprinkle with cheese and add small amounts of the meat, beans, onions, olives, corn, etc over the cheese. Place a second tortilla over the top. Allow to sit with a lid on the pan for about 2 minutes, check to see if the bottom of the tortilla is browned lightly. If it is flip it. Allow to cook until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is browned on the second side.

Serve with avocado, salsa, sour cream/plain yogurt.

Meal Plan Monday: Week 5

This week we needed a couple of good dinners that can be eaten picnic style because we are planning on going to the tulip fields and my son is starting up T-ball which has practices right at our dinner time so we need to have dinner with us to eat after practice. Although I could go the box route and probably will on some nights in the future I am a bit tired of that mix so I decided to work on something a little different.

Day 1: Soy-Mirin Marinated Chicken with onions and asparagus (recipe below).
Day 2: Chinese Chicken Salad (recipe below)
Day 3: Shrimp Fajitas click for recipe
Day 4: Left overs
Day 5: Lemon Crusted Cod with steamed green beans, click link for recipe
Day 6: BBQ Turkey Burgers served with salsa and guacamole
Day 7: Earth Day, Grilled Veggie Pita Wraps with garlic tapanade

Recipes:

Soy-Mirin Marinated Chicken:

Marinade:
1/3 cup Mirin
1/3 cup soy sauce
Dash of sesame oil

Skewers:
Chicken in 1 inch chunks (or whole pieces)
onion cut into large bite size pieces kept in tact so you can skewer them
mushrooms cleaned

Make the marinade and put the ingredients for the skewers into this marinade for at least 30 minutes before cooking time. After marinating put the chicken, onion, and mushrooms onto skewers alternating ingredients. Cook on the barbeque until the meat is cooked through.

Asparagus:
About a pound of asparagus washed and trimmed. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper or add to the marinade. Place in a pan made from aluminum foil and cook watching closely, you just want it to get cooked enough to still have some crunch left probably only about 3 minutes.

You can serve this with brown rice or not. We are going to pack it up and eat it picnic style.

Chinese Chicken Salad:

Ingredients:
2 Chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 head of savoy cabbage or regular cabbage, chopped
3 green onions (scallions), sliced thinly
3/4 cup sliced almonds and 1 package ramon noodles, broken, tossed with 3 tablespoons butter, tossed with seasoned salt (1 teaspoon) and  garlic powder (1 teaspoon) (or the seasoning packet in the ramon) and baked at 250 degrees stirred often and watched closely for browning to begin.

Dressing:
1/2 cups salad dressing oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Add the ingredients to a bowl and just before serving toss with salad dressing to taste.

Turkey Burgers:

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey
2 cloves chopped garlic
salt and pepper
Hamburger buns
cheese to melt on the burger patty
fixings to serve with the burger (use what you like, I like salsa and guacamole, lettuce, and onions but you could use ketchup, mustard, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickles)

Directions:
Mix the ground turkey with the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Form four patties and grill on medium heat until cooked through (Use an instant read meat thermometer to tell).  During the last minute or so add the cheese to melt on the burger and toast the buns if you wish to.

Serve with potato wedge fries and green salad.

Grilled Veggie Sandwiches with Mozzarella:

Tapenade:

1 medium clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar

Mix together and use as a spread on the sandwich. 

Grilled Veggies (make ahead while grilling on day 6):
1 zucchini
1 egg plant
1 red bell pepper
olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt pepper

Thick slice long ways the zucchini, thick slice egg plant (1/4 inch thick), slice the red pepper into about 4 pieces the long way (from stem to the bottom of the pepper). Toss the veggies with olive oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side.  


Assemble the Sandwich:
Place slices of the grilled veggie onto a baguette type sandwich bread, spread a bit of the tapanade onto one side of the bread. Top with fresh mozzarella and toss into the broiler to melt the cheese. Serve with cucumber salad. 


Cucumber Salad:
1-1/2 cups seeded and finely diced English cucumber (about 1/2 medium)
1-1/4 cups seeded and finely diced Roma tomatoes (about 3 medium)
3/4 cup crumbled feta 
1/2 cup finely sliced red onion
  2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper


Mix together in a bowl.

Meal Plan Monday

I have decided to try and document our meal plan for the week here. I am doing this for a few reasons. The first is that I have been struggling to come up with meal plans and need something to keep me on track. Second, I am hoping that this will provide a place for me to look back and recall some meal plan ideas for weeks in the future. Third, I am doing this because I am really hoping that some people will comment with great meal ideas of their own at some point. Last, I hope that others will get help with their meal planning.

This is the first week so bear with me while I get the hang of this it might be rough for a while while I get the kinks out.

Here is our planned week:

Day 1: Gypsy Stew (see below for recipe) with homemade no knead rustic bread

Day 2: To go Boxes: Hard boiled egg, cut veggies, hummus, dried fruit and nuts, turkey rolls, sliced apple, cheese stick/slices

Day 3: Chicken and Coconut Green beans

Day 4: Left Over Chicken and Green Beans

Day 5: Left Over Gypsy Stew

Day 6: Pork Carnitas, Salad with avocado, mango, lemon

Day 7: Left over Carnitas, make into tacos, serve with pineapple

Shopping List: (Complete even though I have some of these things)

32 oz broth (chicken or veggie)
2 sweet potatoes or enough squash for 4 cups cubed
1 bunch kale
1 can garbanzo beans
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 bell pepper
2 ribs celery
2 carrots
1 lb green beans
4 limes
2 lemons
whole pineapple
lettuce head
avocado (2)
mango
3 apples
zucchini
sweet whole peas
carrots
broccoli
2 onions
head of garlic
 1 can coconut milk
 tamari
2 1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 inch ginger
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground turmeric
3-4 pounds pork shoulder (with or without bone)
olive oil
Chicken breasts (1 lb)
1 dozen eggs
hummus (or make it, garbanzo beans, garlic, 1 lemon, tahini)
mixed dried fruit and nuts
cheese for slicing/cheese sticks
turkey (good quality lunch meat)
taco shells
salsa
bread flour (I am trying whole wheat)
active dry yeast
salt
Parmesan cheese

Recipes and other directions:

Start making the bread the day before you want to eat it and two hours before eating time to let it rise!!!

Gypsy Soup Recipe:

3 tbsp olive oil or ghee
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet potatoes (peeled) or enough squash, such as butternut (recommended), (peeled) for 3 cups cubed
1 bell pepper, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 carrot, diced
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 inch ginger, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 can garbanzo beans
1 large can diced tomatoes
32 oz broth (chicken or veggie)
water
1-2 tamari (to season)
2-3 cups kale, ribs removed, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 


I recommend chopping the veggies ahead of time.

In a large soup pot add the olive oil, heat on medium, add the diced onion and minced garlic. Add the cubed squash or sweet potato, chopped celery, bell pepper, and carrots. All to soften stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add the spices, minced ginger, diced tomatoes and broth plus enough water to cover the veggies plus an inch. Add the garbanzo beans, season with a pinch of salt. Allow to simmer on low for 1-2 hours. About 20 minutes before eating add the kale and tamari. Other variations include adding a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.

Serve with bread and Parmesan cheese.

To Go Boxes: 

We have these great boxes from Ikea that are great for lunches or dinners to go. You can create sections in them with little dividers. I like to make these and the kids enjoy the choices. I usually add hard boiled eggs, sliced apples, hummus and veggies, dried fruit and nuts, cheese sticks, and rolled up turkey deli meat (a good quality one). We usually do this once a week when I go running and a friend watches the kids but we have to drive a ways to get there. So from now on I am just going to refer to boxes and then link back to this page :)

The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg:
Place the egg into the pot, cover with cool water, 1 teaspoon salt, place on the burner on high heat, bring to a rolling boil, allow to continue to boil for  8 minutes. Remove from the heat dump the water, run cool water over the eggs,

Salad with Avocado, Mango, Lemon 

Clean the lettuce tear into small pieces and put into a salad bowl.  Peel the mango and slice it adding bite sized pieces to the salad. Squeeze the lemon juice on top as the dressing. 
(Alternative dressing, 1/4 c lemon juice, 1 tbsp grainy mustard, clove of garlic minced blend together very well. While whisking stream olive oil in about a 1/3 cup). 
 
Carnitas Left Over Tacos: 

Taco shells (corn or flour)
lettuce
avocado
salsa
Serve with Pineapple slices