Meals for Week of March 7, 2011

 As I near the end of my pregnancy, I'm waiting for the nesting to kick in.  So far, nothing.  In general I feel fine, outside of the usual discomfort of being heavy, the extra effort of pumping more blood, and having your lungs and bladder squished.  But this leads me to laying down more than sitting.  And sitting up at my computer is not so comfortable, which is why I've been sporadic with posting. But yet why haven't I started to wash laundry, cook extra meals and clean the house?  I seem to be waiting for some physiological need to do these things instead of just knowing that I should do them.  Hopefully I will get it in gear and get our house ready for this new addition.

I want to share an article I had on the previous e-mealplanning website, which I have now archived in the other blog.  It's a great little piece written by my sister, a professional chef, about the delicious artichoke.  I thought it was a good time to pull this out since we'll soon see them in abundance this spring.
All About Artichokes

This week I put together a list of meals that sort of hints at spring with warmer weather, but still included a few recipes that hit the spot on a cold or rainy evening.
 

 Meals for the Week of March 7, 2011

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole- There are many versions of a baked spaghetti casserole.  This one is a little rich, but you can make a flour and milk based sauce with fat free milk instead of the half and half listed in the recipe. 

Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions- Love this simple recipe.  But good quality canned tomatoes are a must.

Panade (Baked Soup)- Love this idea and I plan to make this very soon.  Perfect for this lingering winter weather.  She provides several soup recipe ideas or you can use your favorite hearty or creamy soup. 

Seared Chicken Salad with Green Beans, Almonds and Dried Cherries- If you need/want to eat lighter and healthier, this main dish salad is a good choice.  Strawberries are back in season so you could have fresh sliced strawberries if you want.  You can make the chicken in advance and prep the other parts of the salad. 

Panko Crusted Fish Sticks- This is very easy and cooks in the oven in just 15 minutes.  Panko crumbs make things so crispy without frying.

Chicken Taco Pizza- I love the idea of this.  Follow the recipe, or just use it for inspiration.  Traditional homemade pizza is always great, but unique variations like this are fun too.  Especially if you have leftovers from a taco dinner!

Crockpot Pasta Fagioli- Similar to a minestrone soup, this contains ground beef and it is a sort of copycat of a soup available at The Olive Garden.  The recipe can easily be vegetarian by omitting the meat and using vegetable stock instead of beef.

Ham and Broccoli Pasta- This is a no recipe recipe.  Basically just directions, it’s item #7 on the list. 

Pan Fried London Broil Steak- London broil is actually a method of cooking steak, although many meat supermarket departments label the typical cut used as London broil.  It’s an inexpensive cut that is large and 1 can serve a family.  This is a super easy and tasty method of making it. 

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

Snack
Spinach and Feta Hummus- What an incredible snack!  Great protein along with the healthy spinach greens.  Serve it with vegetables and this could be a lunch meal.