Meals for the Week of February 20, 2012

So my apologies for the lack of posts the last couple weeks.  Life is way out of balance.  Funny thing is, I sort or planned for that and cooked several meals ahead of time which made that element of life very easy when I was in the middle of a super busy week.  But other things kept me from being at my computer researching recipes and writing.  I hate that.  I do try to check in on the Facebook Page now and then with a quick post to share a link or a photo.
I have quite a few new recipes to share this week and I hope you like them.  It's a smattering of everything; crock pot, make ahead/freezable, kid-friendly, healthy, comfort food, and a few "ethnic" dishes too.  I also wanted to share a simple and healthy smoothie recipe and a kid-friendly snack.  Leave a comment when you try something and let me know how it went.

Meals for the Week of February 20, 2012

  
C-Splosion Smoothie- An all fruit and no dairy smoothie with tons of vitamin c and antioxidants.

Pizzadillas- This could certainly be a very kid-friendly dinner along with salad or raw veggies and dip, but it’s great for after school.

Shrimp and Grits- Simple, delicious Southern food. 

Baked Ziti- Perfect meal for a crowd if you need it for a potluck or it can last for more than one meal in a week. 

Crock Pot Italian Style Penne- This is a very low calorie, low fat dish with kidney beans instead of meat for good fiber and protein.  I love the suggestion that it’s the sort of dish you put in the crock pot 1 or 2 hours before dinner, so if you have a busy evening with practices/meetings/errands (like I always do), you throw it together before you leave and it’s ready when you get home.  If you wanted meat, I suggest cook some ground meat in a pan, then adding it in when you layer the ingredients. 

Slow Cooker Flank Steak Fajitas- Tender and juicy and uses no seasoning mixes, just clean eating spices and veggies.

Cheeseburger Pizza- Incredibly easy, kid-friendly mini-pizzas.  Use lean ground beef or ground turkey.  Just add a salad and dinner is ready!

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream- Very easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes.  Chipotle chilis in adobo sauce are spicy, so add a little at a time when making the sauce.  Leftover chilis can be stored in the fridge for quite awhile or frozen.

Butter Chicken- This Indian dish can be made with ingredients that you might already have on hand.  It’s easy and delicious.  Get coriander and cardamom where you can purchase bulk spices, this way you can just buy what you need unless you plan to always have it available.

Moroccan Spiced Grilled Chicken- Prepare the marinade the night before or in the morning and you will have tender, juicy chicken with wonderful spices.  You can grill it outdoors or use a stove top grill pan.

Spaghetti Pie- I like the description that it’s the flavors of lasagna without all the fuss.  Super easy to make ahead and leave unbaked or bake and r-heat. 

Meals for the Week of January 30, 2012

So we're coming into the "big game" weekend, Super Bowl Sunday, or for many people it's all about the food and the commercials, who cares about the football game.  I wanted to share a few recipes this week that you might be interested to make for the game whether you are hosting people or need to bring something over.  Some of my suggestions I have in a blog post over  on the Mama Bootcamp website.  Each week Mama Bootcamp has a challenge and week #5 is a challenge to keep it healthy when eating and watching the game.    So besides those recipes, here is one more that you might like-  Loaded Skinny Turkey Nachos- I suggest instead of using a low fat bean dip as listed in the recipe, just mix the turkey meat with beans.  I will also leave you with one dessert that would be fun to bring to a party- Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats. 

Meals for the Week of January 30, 2012

Pecan Crusted Trout- I don’t know that I have ever listed a trout recipe here.  I’m usually a shrimp, salmon or tilapia person, but I grew up eating trout.  The crunchy, nutty crust is great.  But you could use this on any fish for that matter. 

Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions-  An easy pasta sauce.  No garlic, no seasonings.  The key is good tomatoes and the butter makes it rich.  Don’t be too worried about the butter, if you’re only eating a 1 cup or even a little less than one cup of sauce, it’s under 200 calories.  Have it over whole wheat pasta for good added fiber.
Pasta with Butternut Squash and Pecans- I like to take this up a notch with a little browned butter, because it tastes so good with the squash.  However, the olive oil is healthier. 

Low Fat Baked Ziti with Spinach- Comes together quickly on a weeknight or you can make it in advance. 

Slow Cooker Rosemary Pot Roast- This recipe includes something I really try to avoid; canned cream soup.  I’m not totally against them, I grew up with canned soup and various casseroles created from canned soup.  I do like that this one lists the low fat and low sodium kind, which is a good option. 

Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema- This is a recipe using baked, not fried fish and you can easily substitute shrimp if you prefer.  Serve it with a creamy and tangy cilantro sauce. 

Chicken Parmesan with Easy Marinara sauce-  This is a low carb chicken parmesan as it’s not breaded like the traditional recipe, it’s just coated with some grated parmesan cheese.   I also include a simple marinara sauce to use with it, but you can always use your favorite store bought sauce. 

BBQ Beef Casserole-  This is spicy and sweet with jalapenos and barbecue sauce, topped with a cornbread crust.  But it’s very simple to throw together and you can control the heat by using more or less jalapenos.  The recipe calls for a Jiffy brand cornbread mix, my suggestion is to use Marie Calendar’s low fat mix instead. 

Parmesan Rosemary Chicken- The method used in this recipe is one of my favorite ways to cook; diced up chicken, cooked hot and fast in a pan, then you deglaze the pan and make a sauce (in this case a gravy).  Very simple and delicious.  

Meals for the Week of January 23, 2012

Although many parts of the country have had typical January/winter weather, here in Northern California, we have had very cold nights, but beautiful, days of sunshine.  Until finally this week we have received the desperately needed rain and snow.  So this week I've got a lot of comfort food recipes for you.  Several are still low calorie and healthy and I have quite a few quick cooking or crock pot recipes.
Have a great week!!

Meals for the Week of January 23, 2012

Lemon and Herb Crock Pot Roasted Chicken- Super easy and very flavorful. 

 

Slow Cooker Spinach and Chicken- Just 4 ingredients dumped into a slow cooker and it’s done.  Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese when you serve it. 

Low Carb Italian Bake- This is sort of like lasagna without the noodles, adjust the ingredients to use what you like for the vegetables. 
 

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole- This actually relies on a roux to create a thick and creamy sauce and not actual cream.  I make it using fat free milk instead of the whole milk called for in the recipes and it’s just fine. 
 

Chicken Enchilada Soup- This is basically all the flavors of enchiladas in the form or soup.  And it can be made in the crock pot which makes it super easy. 

White Cheddar Chicken Pasta- Make a nice little cheese sauce from scratch and toss with cooked chicken.  Yum! 

Penne with Cannellini Beans- A very quick to fix meatless meal, you can make changes to suit your taste, I suggest using Italian style tomatoes that come already seasoned.  

Buffalo Chicken Tacos- Looking for something different to have while watching football playoffs?  Try these tacos. 

Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese- This is pretty indulgent, but you can actually make it with fat free evaporated milk if you want.  I use this recipe in my cooking class at my kids’ school because I think it’s important for them to learn to make a dish they probably love from scratch instead of from a processed package. 

Salsa Chicken Soup- A change from your usual chicken soup- this one comes together in 30 minutes and you can make it spicier depending on the salsa you use.