Meal Plan for week of 6/13

Sunday: Mellow Mushroom for pizza! (we order as usual, but ask for no cheese)
Monday: Fajitas, Mexican rice
Tuesday: Leftover Sausage, roasted red pepper and pea sauce w/ pasta
Wednesday: Quiche
Thursday: Tilapia, harvest grains (from Trader Joes, we love this stuff!), broccoli
Friday: Leftovers or something easy & fast
Saturday: Spanish Style noodles with Chicken and Sausage (From food network), this might change based on what I find at the Farmers Market on Saturday morning!

Meal Plan for week of 4/25

Sunday: Buffalo Chicken Bites, noodles, asparagus (first of the season at the farmers market!!)
Monday: Pizza
Tuesday: Asian BBQ chicken, brown rice, broccoli
Wednesday: Spaghetti & Meatballs
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Festival food at Merlefest!!!!

Menu Plan for week of 4/18

Sunday: Pulled pork, baked beans, tots
Monday: Asian meatloaf, noodles, broccoli
Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken bites
Wednesday: Arroz con Pollo
Thursday: Citrus Pork with Egg Noodles
Friday: Leftovers

Meal Plan for week of 4/11

Sunday: Teriyaki Salmon, brown rice, steamed broccoli
Monday: Oven BBQ Chicken, fries, corn
Tuesday: Pizza Pasta
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: Chicken Marsala, egg noodles, broccoli

Chicken Strips

Adapted from "Cracker Chicken" recipe from Family Fun. Last night I used the end of a box of cereal, EnviroKidz frosted flakes. The directions say to bake the chicken strips for 16-20 minutes, but it really only took about 15 minutes total. I served with roasted baby yukon gold potatoes and candied carrots.

 

Ingredients

• 24 butter crackers, such as Ritz
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 10 small, skinned chicken drumsticks or about 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch-wide strips
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400º. Combine the crackers, Parmesan cheese, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (If you don't have a food processor, you can crush the crackers in a sealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl or a sheet of waxed paper.
   
2. Rinse the chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs, honey, and water until blended. Dip the drumsticks or breast pieces into the egg mixture, then dredge them in the cracker mixture. Place the chicken on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
   
3. Bake drumsticks for 15 minutes, then turn them over and bake for 20 minutes more or until the chicken is tender and the coating golden. Bake chicken strips for 16 to 20 minutes, turning once. Serves 8 to 10.
   

Thai Red Curry Chicken

I'm posting this so I don't forget about it. This may be substituted this week somewhere. Sounds yummy.

Thai Red Curry Chicken

2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks (could also use chicken breast, pork, or tofu)

1 14-oz can coconut milk

1/2-1 cup chicken broth (can be omitted for a veggie recipe, just add another can of coconut milk instead)

3 tbsp fish sauce

1-4 tbsp red curry paste, depending on how spicy you like it

1 can bamboo shoots

2 cups cauliflower florets (frozen or fresh, but if they are frozen they will get pretty mushy by the end of cooking)

Combine the coconut milk, curry paste, and fish sauce until the curry paste is dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low for approximately 6-8 hours.

Throw in some fresh basil right at the very end of cooking, just before you serve.

Menu Plan for week of 3/28

Last week was insane. We had a visit from my mom, grandma and aunt. Plus we had Biscuit's 4th birthday! Lots of fun, lots of activities, lots of eating out. Our stomachs are ready for a return to healthy home cooking. Biscuit started soccer last week, so now I am entering the world of planning meals around practices and games.

Monday: Cracker Chicken
Tuesday: Chicken burritos
Wednesday:  Beef Daube Provencal in the crockpot (fancy schmancy, eh?)
Thursday: undecided
Friday: Buffalo Chicken Bites


I'll be making some curried cauliflower soup for lunches as well. I'll likely be the only one eating that though. Recipe from Mothering magazine.

Beef Daube Provencal

ingredients

2 tsp. olive oil

12 garlic cloves

1 (2 lb.) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2” cubes

1 ½ tsp. salt, divided

½ tsp. freshly ground pepper, divided

1 cup red wine

2 cups chopped carrot

1 ½ cups chopped onion

½ cup less-sodium beef broth

1 Tbsp. tomato paste  

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

dash of ground cloves

1 (14 ½ oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

3 cups cooked medium egg noodles

directions

Cook on high for 5 hours.

Discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles. Yield 6 servings.

Baked Oatmeal

I've been wanting to try this for a long time, and finally did it this morning. Mmmmm.....this tastes like having warm oatmeal cookies for breakfast. I think this recipe can be added to as well. Raisins, cranberries, nuts (if you can have them), apples. Oh, and fresh peaches when they are in season! I added a generous dash of cinnamon this morning. It would be yummy for dessert, too. Super easy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups oats (I used regular old Quaker oats)
• 1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/4 c brown and 1/4 c white. It was honestly pretty sweet so I may adjust that next time. Maybe some agave or maple syrup instead?)
• 1/2 cup milk (I used soy, any milk should do)
• 1/4 cup melted margarine or butter (coconut oil would work, possibly applesauce. I may try that next time.)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 8x8 baking pan
3. Combine all ingredients together.
4. Spread on prepared baking pan.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
6. Immediately spoon into a bowl.
7. Top with warm milk, fresh fruit or brown sugar if desired.

Porcupine Meatballs

This was a big hit with little Mr. Gravy. He ate all of his, then asked for more and ate some of big brothers. It is rare that I follow a recipe exactly, but I did with this one. From Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions

• In a bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Add beef and mix well. shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. In a large skillet, brown meatballs in oil; drain. Combine tomato sauce, water, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce; pour over meatballs. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Meal Plan for week of 3/14

I hit the jackpot at SuperTarget yesterday and got over $40 worth of meat for $19! My freezer is stocked. I got a chicken, 2 packs of chicken thighs (our favorite), a pack of boneless skinless breasts, 4 packs of ground chicken, 2 packs of ground beef, and a huge pack of chicken wings. Can you say score?

Sunday: Buffalo/Teriyaki chicken wings, tater tots, carrot fries
Monday: Porcupine meatballs, buttered noodles
Tuesday: Stir fry
Wednesday: Something Irish. Stew perhaps? Or corned beef & cabbage in the slow cooker?

Stuffed Shells

I made Italian Stuffed Shells inspired by this post on $5 Dinners. I can't make recipes without adding my own tweaks. It is just the way I am. So I added some finely diced peppers because I had them on hand, as well as some nutritional yeast. I halved the recipe as well since I do not have an extra freezer, therefore no room for a gazillion leftovers. I wish! I'd be a happy woman, but that is a whole other story.

So I made the filling with my tweaks. But then I goofed. Anyone who attempts to make dinner every night with a preschooler and toddler underfoot will understand. I forgot to add the egg to the meat mixture. So while it ended up tasty and all, I have a feeling it would have been better if that egg had made it into the mix to bind it all together. Also, I think it needed more sauce on the bottom, or maybe over the top of the shells. If you are adding cheese I can see it working with a smaller amount of sauce, but without cheese you need more.

I thought they were tasty, but B&G were not too keen on them. B did not want to touch the spinach, even though I tried to convince him it was special Jedi spinach from Dagobah. Ha! That did not fool him. It came close. I'll have to work on my Jedi Mommy mind tricks.

Taquitos!!

Tacos are total kid food, right? Right. We eat tacos all the time, but when Biscuits was little he had a hard time eating one without it falling apart all over the place. (or coming unrolled if we had soft tacos) Enter the taquito. These are perfect for little hands. Because they are rolled and then baked they stay together without unrolling. This recipe is easily adaptable, too. Cheese can be added. Replace the meat with beans for a vegetarian option, or add some peppers or corn if you like. I like to make them with ground turkey, but ground beef is good as well. We like ours dipped in Tofutti Better than Sour Cream and salsa. Adapted from Family Fun.

I made these last night and remembered just how big of a hit they are around here.

Taquitos

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing on the taquitos
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 10 (6-inch) flour tortillas 

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400º. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the beef and use a wooden spoon or a spatula to break it up while it cooks, until it is no longer red, about 3 minutes. Stir in salsa, chili powder, cumin, and the salt and pepper. Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
   
   
2. Place the tortillas on a plate and cover them with damp paper towels. Microwave them until warm and pliable, about 45 seconds. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the beef mixture, spreading it to an inch from the edges.
   
   
3. Roll up the tortillas and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet with the seam sides down. Brush the taquitos lightly with vegetable oil, then bake them until the filling is heated through and the tortillas are lightly browned, about 8 to 12 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.
   

Meal Plan for week of 2/28

Sunday: Tacos
Monday: Lemon Pork Tenderloin
Tuesday: Dairy Free Chicken & Rice casserole From Must Follow Recipes (can't wait to try this!)
Wednesday: Sweet & Sour Chicken From $5 Dinners
Thursday: Italian Stuffed Shells From $5 Dinners
Friday: Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

My pantry is so stocked right now that my shopping list is minimal this week. If I can avoid impulse buys I should have a seriously low grocery bill.

Inspiration from the Farmers Market

I met up with a friend at the Farmers Market this morning. After living here for a year, I finally made it there on a winter morning when there is nothing in season. I did find some half price local Italian sausage, so I got a couple of packages. I also got a huge bag of apples, and my friend inspired us to give Kale a try. I have never cooked with Kale! So now I am on the hunt for something to do with it. Maybe a soup with some of the sausage. Tonight we are going to have a seriously budget friendly dinner of pasta with Italian sausage and red sauce. It breaks down like this:
box of pasta: FREE after coupon
jar of sauce: FREE after coupon
onion: $.17
Italian sausage: $1.50

You can't beat a meal for a family of four that costs $1.67 TOTAL. I like it.

Bistro Braised Chicken

In my house a successful attempt at a new recipe is determined by the reaction of the boys. This meal was eaten by both of them, without a complaint or even "What is this, mom??" And it had PRUNES in it. Yes, prunes. Shh! Don't tell my kids!

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  butter, divided (I used dairy free margarine)
• 8  (4-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, skinned (I used boneless)
• 1  cup  thinly sliced carrot
• 3/4  cup  chopped onion
• 1/2  cup  thinly sliced celery
• 8  pitted dried plums, chopped
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 1/4  teaspoon  dried sage (I substituted rosemary since we did not have sage)
• 2  teaspoons  Dijon mustard
• 1  (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4  cup  water
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  black pepper
• 4  cups  hot cooked egg noodles

Preparation

1. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes, browning on both sides. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
2. Add remaining 2 teaspoons butter to pan; swirl until butter melts. Add carrot, onion, celery, and dried plums; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently. Stir in thyme and sage; cook 30 seconds. Stir in mustard. Add broth and 3/4 cup water, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a simmer.
3. Return chicken to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 35 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until sauce is reduced by half (about 10 minutes). Stir in salt and pepper. Serve over noodles.

Meal Plan Monday

It is a pork week thanks to Harris Teeter & Super Double coupons.

Monday: Korean style pork tenderloin, basmati rice, snap peas w/ red peppers
Tuesday: Bistro braised chicken, egg noodles
Wednesday: Beef & Barley soup
Thursday: Lemon pork tenderloin
Friday: Pork Fried Rice (with leftover pork from Monday)

I will also be baking some zucchini bread, and trying a new recipe for sweet potato breakfast bars.