Meal Plan Monday: Week 3

One thing that I have noticed in my meal planning is that I really like to utilize left overs as much as possible. Although I love cooking many days by the time it comes to dinner preparations I am too warn out to do something that takes a long time. The other thing that comes up for me around that time is my children decided that it is time to get wound up which means the easier the better. 

One of the easiest ways to create a faster dinner is by using left overs from a previous night you will see that a lot in this weeks plan. 

Day 1: Roasted whole chicken with roasted vegetables. 
Day 2: Boxes to go: Taco Salad wraps using left over chicken from the   roasted chicken. Using Soft Chicken Taco recipe
Day 3: Sloppy Joes the easy, very veggie version. Salad.
Day 4: Left Over Sloppy Joes
Day 5: Tom Yum soup
Day 6: Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Day 7: Left over Tom Yum soup and Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Recipes:

Roasted Chicken: Adapted from
                                                                   


One whole chicken
Roasting vegetables like carrots, brussel sprouts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions (totaling about 6 cups total)
8 garlic cloves
sprig of rosemary
olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup white wine +1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cube the vegetables into 1/2 inch/1 inch chunks. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the bottom of a dutch oven, add the vegetables and toss to coat with oil. Clean out the chicken set aside the giblets (you can use them for another recipe or toss them). Salt and pepper the outside of the chicken and rub with olive oil. Add the rosemary and garlic to the cavity of the chicken. Set breast side up onto the vegetables. Add the white wine (or chicken broth). Place the pan into the oven and bake until an instant read thermometer reads 165-170 degrees at the thickest part of the thigh. About 1 hour. Move the chicken to a platter and tent with foil allowing to rest for 15-20 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the vegetables stay warm inside while the chicken rests.

Hint: After dinner carve the entire chicken and then use the rest of the bones to make broth. Place in a large pot and cover completely with water plus about an inch. Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer. Allow to simmer for at least 2 hours. Allow to cool down and then pour into a container through a cheese cloth or fine strainer. You can usually get even more meat off the bones at this point which I usually add to the broth and then use to make chicken soup. Refrigerate or freeze depending on when you might use it.

Ingredient Shopping List: 

1 whole chicken 3-4 pounds
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 lb shrimps, medium to large size 
3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
2/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 package, 1 1/3 pounds, ground turkey breast or lean ground turkey red onion
Red bell pepper
Roasting vegetables such as onions, brussel sprouts, yams, potatoes, beets, carrots
Celery (3 ribs)
Carrots 3 large
Head of Garlic
ginger root
1 jalapeno 
4 scallions
1/2 pound shitake mushrooms
2 large ripe avocados
2 limes
1 small yellow onion
2 stocks lemon grass

3 slices fresh galangal root (smashed) or 2 pc dried (I'm risking ginger instead)

3 fresh kaffir lime leaves (I think I will use lime zest and lime juice)

12 thai chili peppers or 2 medium jalapenos

1 small white onion

1 16oz can straw mushrooms

1 small ripe tomato

1 small lime

 Olive oil*
Salt and Pepper*
Rosemary sprig
White wine or chicken broth (1/2 cup)
 Lettuce
Dried cranberries (left over from last week?)
Blue cheese crumbles (left over from last week?)
Salad dressing
Pecans (left over from last week?)
eggs (you need 1)*
cornstarch*
rice wine or dry sherry (you need 2 tablespoons)
oyster sauce 
fish sauce
Thai Chili Paste (nam prik pao)
hoisen sauce
tamarind paste
soy sauce (low sodium)
sesame oil 
2 bundles cellophane noodles
peanut oil (I might try something else like coconut or vegetable oil)
3/4 cup diced water chestnuts
small lettuce leaves for serving chicken wraps
chili paste or hot mustard for serving chicken wraps
1 tsp. chili powder
Scant 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 14-1/2oz. can petite-diced tomatoes
1 can of chipotles en adobo
12 small corn tortillas
6 oz. queso fresco or feta
Grill seasoning blend (recommended: McCormick Montreal Grill Seasoning or Mrs. Dash seasoning for poultry) 
brown sugar*
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce*
1 cup tomato sauce,( 8- ounce) can 
8 crusty sandwich rolls (or burger buns whole wheat)

*Staple item check your cupboards to see if you have this




Here are a couple of links to dutch ovens. 

I have heard great things about cast iron, once seasoned great non-stick properties:
                                           

I also know a few people that own Le Creuset and love them:
                                           
 
Hope this is helpful!

What to do With Left Over Smoothie: Zoku Pops Maker Reviewed

After making the smoothie recipe in my last blog you may have been left wondering what you could do with left over smoothie. Well the answer that we have come up with in our household is to make popsicles. We started using the Zoku Pop maker about a year ago when my son got it for his birthday.
                                                              

Here is what you do. Make  sure you keep the Zoku in your freeze all the time that way it is completely ready to use when you want to make a popsicle.  Once the Zoku has been frozen you take it out and add the popsicle sticks. Then you pour any juice or mix to create your very own version of a popsicle. They even have extra tools so that you can make fun designs or do things like make vanilla cream filled orange pops. So to make a smoothie pop just add in enough smoothie to fill to the stop line and allow to sit for about 7 minutes.


At this point you will want to check to see if it is done by looking at it.

If it is solid at the center towards the white stick you can take it out.

Now you get to enjoy it! It is that quick and easy.

Assuming you make three pops in a batch you can start right over and make another batch and then store them in a Zoku pop container.
                                                     




When you are done you can pop the maker back into the freezer again or let it thaw out completely before washing with warm soapy water.


What my kids love about the Zoku maker: it is fast and easy to use so they can easily help and have very quick pops to eat without having to wait over night or all day. They can use their imagination to create designs using different color juice and experiment with what it might look like if they change how they are positioning the pop maker.


What I love about the Zoku maker: it is fast and easy. My kids get to be independent and make decisions about how they each want their pops to look and taste. They get to measure learning math and science. They develop independence and motor skills. When designing their pops they have to use planning and experimentation, we can discuss how an action will cause a reaction and make hypothesis about what those will be. This is a perfect time to talk about liquids and solids and how when something gets really cold it turns from a liquid into a solid. They get to see it happen right before their eyes! It allows for vocabulary building when discussing what they want to put in the pop, how they want it to look, and how they will achieve that. All while making a popsicle. Although this thing is a bit pricy for a pop maker it has been put to good use in our house and I recommend it.

Smoothie Recipe: Calories Count Continued

Last week I let you in on a fun and simple recipe for a high calorie snack for toddlers and young children who really still need to be getting good healthy high calorie foods. My children did not like protein at all and although avocado is great for children neither of mine have ever liked it. One thing both of them have always loved though is a good smoothie and berries.


Smoothies in general are a great snack or even a meal. They can be made to order so easily at home using almost whatever fruits and vegetables juice and milk you can find around the house.When you make them at home you get total control to limit the sugar by using 100% juice and if you need a little added sweetening using honey or agave in small amounts to get the right taste. In our house we need a particularly high calorie count which is what most toddlers need as long as they are nutritious as well.


I figured out that a wonderful way to boost the calorie content of a smoothie is with avocado, the taste blends right in and makes the smoothie very creamy. For added protein I can not adore Greek yogurt enough. In particular the brand Fage has an amazingly high protein content with 7 ounces containing 18 grams! There are a few other things I add to get more protein and calories packed into these smoothies so check out the recipe. I would also like to note that smoothies in general are very forgiving and can be added to or have ingredients changed according to your likes.


You can involve your little ones by allowing them to measure, add ingredients, and if you use a normal blender pressing the buttons on the machine. We use an immersion blender which I love for making smoothies it works so much better than any blender I have ever had but my kids do not get to help so much with the mixing process.
                                               




Here is the recipe:

1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries
1/2 an avacado
7 oz whole milk plain yogurt (I use Greek)
1/4 cup whole milk (or if you really want to add calories 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream)
1 tablespoon ground Flax seed
1 tablespoon wheat germ
2/3 cup 100% juice (we use cran/rasp)
1 tablespoon honey (optonal)


Makes 2 12oz cups


Check back soon for a hint on what to do with left over smoothie.