Meals for the Week of August 13, 2012

I'm keeping it short and sweet this week.  It's back to school.  I think parents mostly rejoice in having kids back to the routine, busy for most of the day and the end of what can sometimes be a costly time of year with summer camps and trips all leading up to the frenzy of back to school shopping.  I know I do.  I've spent some time over the past week building a new board on my Pinterest with ideas for packing lunch for school.  I also mentioned in my last post that I had cooked some meals to help with busy school nights and some food like calzones (aka pizza pockets) that can be packed in lunches or for after school snack.  I'm making more of those this week since everyone in my house felt they should eat what I made now and not wait for school.  :)
I also made this Buttermilk Banana Bread this week.  It's really good.  I actually followed the advice of one of the comments on the recipe and made a glaze that I poured all over it when it was still warm.  I've had a different banana bread recipe that I've used for years and a different and healthier banana muffin that I most often make.  But this one might be my new go-to for banana bread.  Just like chocolate chip cookies, banana bread recipes are very personal and highly subjective, you may have one you like and won't be trying another.  But if you want to try or haven't tried before, this one is very easy.  My 6 year old helped me.

Bad iPhone photo, I know.  But cute!

The list of dinner meals is short- just a few ideas to try this week since I was spending time looking at lunch ideas.

Pinterest- Packing Lunch

Meals for the Week of August 13, 2012

Pinterest Board- August 13 Recipes

Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Glaze and Stir Fried Vegetables- Very easy, low fat grilled chicken getting it's flavor from the grill and a sweet reduction of balsamic vinegar.  You can also easy stir fry some veggies with the glaze in a pan on your grill.

Chili Taco Casserole- My kids love this and it's easy to assemble ahead of time and freeze to bake when you want to serve it. 

Classic Baked Ziti- Another recipe you could assemble and freeze to bake later.  Simple and easy.  This recipe includes making the tomato sauce portion, which if you like to use a jarred marinara sauce and want to skip that part of the cooking, feel free to do that.

Grilled Zucchini Pizza Slices- Need zucchini ideas?  Here you go.  Maybe this will get your kids to eat zucchini if they don't already.

Chicken Thighs with Artichoke Hearts- We eat dark meat in my house.  Actually, I tend to keep both boneless breasts and thighs in my freezer.  Thighs are cheaper, they are tasty but I do feel like I buy them more frequently because they are smaller and therefore when I cook some, I'm having to make a lot since everyone tends to eat more than one.  Anyway...this is a great combination of chicken and artichoke hearts with feta cheese.

Easy Green Chili Enchiladas- Open faced enchiladas.  Leave it to The Pioneer Woman to share an easy and no-fuss way to enjoy enchiladas.

Meals for the Week of August 6, 2012

Why does summer have to fly by so quickly?  Didn't I just write a post about making summer-time snacks/lunches for when the kids are home?  Oh yes, I did, it's one of the last times I actually posted something here.  :/  What happens every summer is the my dear hubby works in education and is off during the month of July, so then everyone  in our house is home and my ability to just sit for hours at the computer researching and writing is limited.  I do cook, and this summer I've spent plenty of time on Pinterest courtesy of my iPhone app.  But the other day, I treated my family like a client and spent about 5 hours prepping and cooking some breakfast, snacks and meals because they are heading back to work and school and I wanted to get ahead of the game.  I made some granola, breakfast burritos,  more calzones like I mentioned in a previous post, white chicken enchiladas (on the list this week), a big batch of spaghetti sauce, and I prepped some thin carne asada style steak (except I marinated Filipino style) and put a pork tenderloin in a honey Dijon mustard marinade.  In two short weeks my life returns to controlled chaos of driving to school, Daisy Scouts and soccer practice, plus regular Personal Chef sessions.  Not to mention I must take time to get myself back to attending regular Mama Bootcamp sessions to keep myself healthy and sane.  The added layer to this is my oldest starts high school, so I'm no longer just rushing to get to one school, but two kids to two different schools.  And they are not close to each other.  So I have to get my act together and not just take care of clients, but take some time to plan and cook ahead for us.

I figured I should share some of the kitchen fun I have had this summer.  You can follow me on Instagram, elh1015, to see not just kitchen fun. 

My husband's birthday cake, inspired by Pinterest- chocolate cake, peanut butter buttercream frosting, chopped Reese's peanut butter cups.

Home made cinnamon raisin bread, recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Homemade Tortillas that my oldest and I made.  I'm going to use this recipe in my kid's cooking class this year.

This week I came up with some recipes that are seasonal using veggies that you may find on sale or be enjoying in large quantities from your (or your friend's) garden.  I also have some crock pot recipes that can keep you out of the kitchen as well as keep the house cool.

Meals for the Week of August 6, 2012

Pinterest Board for this week- August 6

Cold Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken- We all liked this in my house and I liked that it was quick to fix and didn't heat up the kitchen too much. 

Healthy baked Chicken Nuggets- I make these for a client on a regular basis; the adults and kids like them.  I always just make a much larger amount than the recipe calls for, after they bake and cool I place them on a plate or sheet pan in the freezer, then after they are frozen, transfer them to a zipper storage bag.  You can just re-heat as needed.  

Easy Grilled Tri Tip- It’s been awhile I think since I shared this recipe, which is my own that was published on All Recipes.  The purpose of this recipe was a quick method for grilling tri tip since it’s sliced and marinated, then grilled.  You could use the marinade on any cut of steak you want. 

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats-Need recipes for using your bounty of garden zucchini?  Here’s a great one.  Lean sausage and part skim mozzarella cheese, filling, but not too fat and heavy. 

Grilled Steak with Tomatoes and Scallions- Simple and easy steak recipe, grilling the tomatoes slightly just to warm and give them a little smoky flavor.

Heirloom Tomato Tart in Parmesan Crust- A lovely way to use the abundance of tomatoes ripening in your garden.  If you wanted this as a side dish to grilled chicken or fish, that would work nicely.  But it can be a main dish with a salad on the side.  You can cut some corners using a pre-made crust if you want and follow the recipe directions for baking it and sprinkling with parmesan cheese.  I highly recommend Trader Joe’s brand, it’s in their freezer section.  But the extra step in the recipe that has you remove some of the tomato juice really helps keep this from being soggy.

Crock Pot Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce- I love that she makes a case for why you should consider the crock pot more when cooking in the summer.  And it’s true, it certainly is easier than heating up the oven or stove or standing over a hot grill.  And this is a delicious shredded pork to serve over rice and with some steamed broccoli.  Perfect. 

Easy Skillet Topped Chili Macaroni- Much better than from a box, this is an easy from scratch recipe for a great kid-friendly meal.  You can use lean beef or ground turkey and whole grain pasta to make it a little lower in fat and higher in fiber. 

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken- This is not one of those crock pot recipes where you leave it all day while at work, but its the sort of thing you could do on a weekend; get it all prepped, set it to cook and come back to it a few hours later. 

White Chicken Enchiladas- Really easy to make, doesn’t use a canned cream of chicken soup and you can freeze either baked to reheat or put in the freezer unbaked and then defrost and bake when you want to eat it. 

Honey Balsamic Green Beans- And here's a side dish for you this week.  I’ve used this combination on other veggies and never thought to use it with green beans.  It’s great! 

Meals for the Week of June 18, 2012

Another school year has come to an end.  For some reason I always think that it's easier when we're out of school to manage breakfast and lunches; in our house there's not the constant rush in the morning and having breakfast meals that is fast and portable and I don't have to pack lunches.  That means needing less food.  WRONG.  Finally, this summer, I feel like I've got a handle on stocking my kitchen for the summer.  It's early so I could still face some challenges, but I thought I would share what I've got started along with some ideas I found and hope to try.

If you are now faced with children at home all day or more often, get organized with snacks and lunch food and make it fun for them.  

• If they are old enough, get sandwich thins bread or bagel thins and use those for making their own toaster oven pizzas.  
• Quesadillas are so quick and versatile.  Keep tortillas and cheese stocked in the fridge.  
• Grill or poach chicken that can be used for topping pizza or in quesadillas or just for eating with some fruit and cheese.   
• We also love to make nachos for lunch.  It’s the perfect use for leftovers from a taco dinner.  Layer the chips and shredded cheese, add leftover meat, beans and rice, more cheese and pop it in the microwave for a few minutes.  It’s nice to take a break from working to sit at the table with the kids sharing a big pile of nachos.
• Make or have older kids make No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls.  A protein packed snack that satisfies the sweet tooth but also provides energy, perfect for late afternoon or before sports.
• Make the Double Grape Slushies.  Or come up with your own slushies.
• Make popsicles- simply puree fruit and juice together.  Save your 8oz yogurt containers to use as popsicle molds.  Pour in the puree, cover with plastic wrap or foil, then poke popsicle sticks through and freeze.

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 November 14, 2011

Sweet Potato Pie with Italian Meringue (recipe is below!)

I know I'm starting right off the bat with a photo of a sinful (but delicious!) pie, it happens to be made with sweet potato, so let's take a minute to talk about the foods that are in season in the fall.

Sweet Potato- Super rich in Vitamin A, good source of Vitamin C and Beta-Carotene.  And apparently with the inclusion of a bit of fat, like a few teaspoons of olive oil, helps increase the intake of the beta-carotene in the sweet potato.  Just oven bake or steam some, mash with the olive oil and season with cinnamon and nutmeg.  Simple and delicious!

Butternut Squash-  As with all winter squash, butternut squash is also rich in Vitamin A and beta-carotene and it's got a good amount of Vitamin C and potassium.  Another interesting thing to note is that there are some good anti-oxidants in winter squash as well as omega-3's.  It's not as high in omega-3's like nuts or fish, but it's a good low-fat source of omega-3's.

Kale- I actually see Kale year round, but I'm in California.  However, my CSA box delivers kale to me right now, so I consider that to be the more accurate season for it.  Kale is like the mother of all green vegetables.  It scores 1000 on the ANDI which is the highest score and means it's the most nutrient dense food.  It has antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients and anti-cancer nutrients.  In other words; Good Stuff.  Other greens like collard also score 1000, so eating these 4 to 5 times a week is ideal to get a healthy serving of all the great nutrients.

I've had a lot of recipes for all of these lately, so I wanted to just give a little nutritional information so you can have an idea of what these yummy foods can do for your health.

This week I included some more recipes you may want to consider for your holiday table.  I also tried to find some more kid-friendly and meatless recipes.

Meals for the Week of November 14, 2011

Burger Sliders- Fun for kids and inexpensive to make.  Use ground turkey instead of beef if you prefer.  Serve with sweet potato fries and a salad.

Baked Southwestern Tilapia- Simple and flavorful, ready in under 15 minutes.

Lemon Garlic Spaghetti- A simple and delicious meatless meal. 

Glazed Pork Chops- Pork can be very lean and the center cut pork chops are especially lean.  This recipe uses a method where you cook the chops hot and fast, remove them, make a sauce in the pan and then add the chops back in for a few more minutes.  It’s a cooking method you can apply in so many ways.  Fancy, but so easy! 

Quick Chicken Tacos- This comes together really quickly which makes it perfect for a weeknight.  You can either keep some cooked chicken on hand in the freezer (which I often do) or use this recipe next time you have a leftover roasted chicken.

Chicken Tortilla Soup- Very easy to make and also a good meal for making in advance.  If you’d prefer the soup to remain more like a broth and not thickened by tortillas, then don’t add the tortillas in the first step.  Just have tortilla chips to garnish it with.

Curried Cous Cous with Broccoli and Feta- A filling meatless entrée that is packed with fiber and good vitamins.  It can also be a side dish in a smaller portion and perfect to pack for lunch.  I suggest sautéing the onions in a little olive oil to sweeten them if you want to cut down on the strong raw onion flavor.

Butternut Macaroni Casserole- It’s mac and cheese with a fall twist.  But it’s actually a great meatless dish, and it’s not loaded with cream and cheese, it uses coconut milk instead.  Just add a side of green veggies or a salad.  I just shared this recipe in October, but it’s worth sharing again. 

A-Plus Alphabet Soup- A kid-friendly, inexpensive and healthy meal. 

Curried Squash & Chicken Soup- You can control the heat with adding a little of the red curry paste at a time, a little goes a long way.  I found a jar of paste made by Thai Kitchen in the Asian food section of the supermarket.   The recipe is written to serve 2, but you can easily just double it to serve more or to have leftovers for lunch.

Sauteed Kale with Tahini Sauce- Another delicious way to enjoy nutrient rich kale.  She even suggests this as a green veggie side dish for the holidays. 

Butternut Squash Gratin- Delicious for the holiday or any fall meal.  It comes together very easily. 

Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt- This is my own creation, a variation on a recipe I found and decided to try using higher-protein Greek Yogurt.  If you are a fan of All Things Pumpkin, you will enjoy this!

Sweet Potato Pie with Italian Meringue- This is from my sister’s blog.  If you make this for the holidays you will be a rock star.  It’s really good.  It’s different from sweet potato pie recipes that have pumpkin pie spice.  This is pure sweet potato with a hint of orange and topped with fancy marshmallow fluff.

Meals for the Week of November 7, 2011

Issues with lack of Internet waylaid me from posting at the end of last week with meals for the week of October 31st, my apologies for that.  But I come this week bearing gifts.  This week I hosted in my home a cooking session with women from my Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group.  The idea was that they could bring their kids and we could also cook.  So it was a play date and cooking date.  It was a high energy couple of hours but we made 3 different things for 5 families.   We made some recipes I have shared here;  baked rigatoni with sausage, butternut squash and kale, a meatless marina sauce and Parmesan Chicken nuggets which I have listed this week. 

Parmesan Chicken- we froze them unbaked so everyone could take them home to bake when they wanted.

The Parmesan Chicken bakes up so crispy and delicious!

Baked Rigatoni with Sausage, Butternut Squash and Kale

Afterward, I was thinking about how to facilitate more cooking dates like that and I also remembered that long ago I created some templates for weekly meal plans and labels for freezing meals.  So I wanted to share those with you this week and hope that they will come in handy for you.

Freezer labels- Ready to print on Avery 5164 (or equivalent) labels. 

Meal Planning Template- It's an Excel file that you can keep on your computer, fill out and print each week.  It includes breakfast, lunch and dinner which you may find helpful for creating your entire shopping list or helping with planning what to pack for lunch for work or school.

This week we continue with great fall foods using seasonal ingredients and some inexpensive and quick weeknight meals.  I also have two side dishes that you might be interested preparing for the holidays.

Meals for the Week of November 7, 2011

Butternut Squash or Pumpkin Chili- Totally perfect for fall. 

Taco Cupcakes- I love the idea of making mini servings of things in cupcake pans.  These are fun for kids or would be great for a party. 

Spaghetti Squash Marinara with Italian Sausage- Instead of pasta, use delicious spaghetti squash.  You can make the squash in advance and then re-heat and add your favorite pasta sauce.
 
Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Feta and Pine Nuts- Very simple stuffed chicken.  Pine nuts can be pricey but this recipe calls for just a mere 2 tablespoons. If you

Parmesan Chicken- Homemade chicken nuggets breaded with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.  You could also serve them with marinara sauce and cheese.  I highly recommend taking the time to prep a large batch, spread them on a pan and freeze, once frozen they can be transferred to a freezer bag or container, then they can be ready to bake when you want.

Taco Mac- A macaroni casserole with taco seasoned meat and tomatoes.  Yum.

Apple and Cheddar Whole Wheat Quesadillas-This can certainly be a snack, but I consider quesadillas my go-to meal for a busy night.  Have a salad or tomato soup on the side and it’s a complete meal.

Turkey Meatloaf- A tasty and lower fat alternative to traditional beef meatloaf.

Easy Italian Pasta Bake- You can make this ahead to bake later, or if you have pre-cooked ground meat on hand you can use it in this.  It’s healthy with whole wheat pasta and use ground turkey instead of beef to make it even healthier.

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup- Not your usual chicken noodle soup.  Recipe suggests using precooked chicken to speed up the cooking which makes it quick for a week night meal.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos- A bunch of cilantro is so inexpensive and this dish is easy.  She also provides instructions for making it as a freezer meal.

Butternut Squash with Sage-  This is a classic flavor combination. You don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving to make this, give it a try and if you love it, then serve it again for the holiday.

Mashed Potatoes with Brown Butter, Goat Cheese and Sage- If you are open to  trying something new for Thanksgiving instead of basic mashed potatoes, you MUST try these.  THE BEST.  Seriously.  Do it.

Meals for the Week of October 24, 2011

In my most recent cooking class, I had the students in groups making different after school snacks.  I wanted to share the resources I gave them for inspiration.  One was a list of 50 After School Snacks from Food Network Magazine.  In class we did #3, a fruit dip but I had them use Greek Yogurt instead of sour cream.  I also used this article from Parenting- 22 Healthy After School Snacks.  I really liked #16, the graham crackers with cream cheese and strawberry jam.

So this week I have recipes that are a little less Mexican and a bit more Asian inspired.  I also have some good vegetarian meals and a few seafood, which I think I had been lacking lately.  Next week I will start sprinkling in a few holiday side dish and dessert ideas so if you are looking for new recipes for the holidays you can have some time to look them over or try them.

Recipes for the week of October 24, 2011

Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps- The thing about recipes from Cook’s Illustrated is that they have fairly detailed instructions and there is a reason for that.  They have tested the recipe many times and come up with what they believe to be the best results.  Don’t be afraid of their recipes, you will most likely learn a cooking technique that you can then apply to other meals.  So give this healthy recipe a try.

Asian Noodle Bowls with Steak and Snow Peas- Very simple recipe with just a few ingredients.  Most supermarkets have expanded Asian food section so you can find soba noodles there.
 
Tortilla Pie- I like that you can just take this concept and change the ingredients to suit your tastes.  You can easily make this vegetarian with beans and veggies.

Pork Chop Suey- With just 280 calories in a one cup serving, this is a healthy and easy meal for the weeknight.

Easy Shepherds Pie- It’s a very fall kind of comfort meal.  It is very easy and it’s also budget friendly.
 
Mushroom Pie- As the recipe mentions, it’s sort of like a quiche, but it can be a great vegetarian main dish served with a salad or some other kind of green veggies. 

Eggplant Parmesan- A really easy method for making eggplant parmesan without frying the eggplant.  I recommend taking the slices and laying them out on paper towel and then sprinkling them with salt to draw out some of the moisture.  Then blot them with paper towel to remove that moisture.

Cioppino- This seafood stew is a favorite in our house; I’ve been making this recipe for years.  I don’t always follow it exactly, I often omit the wine and just use more chicken broth and I usually don’t include the mussels.  There’s a frozen seafood mix at Trader Joe’s that I like to use and then I add extra shrimp and clams. 

Roasted Vegetables with Polenta- The latest recipe I’ve posted to my other blog.  Very easy and fuss-free.  It can be a side dish, or if you have it over polenta or pasta it's a good vegetarian main dish.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan- Mild tasting tilapia is very thin and quick cooking.  This recipe has a cheesy and flavorful sauce.  It’s really good for a weeknight. 

Meals for the Week of October 17, 2011

My oldest child turns 13 this weekend.  THIRTEEN.  How is this possible?  The other day on Pinterest I saw a funny sign that said "I still think 1990 was 10 years ago".  That is me.  The reason I mention this is that this week my focus has been on getting ready for her Birthday Extravaganza Weekend and not so much in reading and research for the blog.  I did prepare recipes for the meal plan, I just didn't do much in terms of finding you any cool or interesting facts or articles.  What I did do is bake 24 cupcakes and forgot to put the sugar and then rushed out in a  panic to get the kids from school only to pull up and realize it was 2pm, not 3pm.  Stay tuned to the e-mealplanning recipe blog to see how I attempt to re-purpose the unsweetened cupcakes.  So my weekend will be filled with cheese fondue, chocolate fondue, nachos, pound cake with caramel glaze, chocolate cake, spaghetti and vanilla cake with butter cream frosting.  Three different birthday dinners for a special girl turning 13.

The recipes this week inadvertently have a common theme.  Mexican or butternut squash.  Well, there's also a couple of really great soups and a stir fry, but it's fall so there's chili or Mexican stew, or butternut squash lasagna.  But this way you can have a few key ingredients and create multiple different meals from them.  Not to mention many of them can stretch for more than one meal.  Have a great week!

Meals for the Week of October 17, 2011

Mini Deep Dish Pizzas- What an easy and less messy method for having the kids make their own pizza! 

Chicken Tacos- Three different but easy methods for preparing chicken tacos.

Cheesy Taco Pasta- This was inspired by the store bought box mix for pasta and hamburger, but you make it from scratch instead.  Watch the taco seasoning mix you use, sometimes they have added starch or too much sodium I like Pampered Chef’s Southwest Seasoning or Whole Foods offers a seasoning mix in their bulk spices.  Or I provided a recipe for your own seasoning this week.

 
White Bean and Kale Soup with Chicken Sausage- I love this soup and I make it with chicken apple sausage.  You can use spinach if you don’t want to use kale.

Butternut Squash and Macaroni Casserole- Delicious meatless fall casserole that uses coconut milk instead of any heavy cream or cheese.

 
Mexican Taco Stew- It’s really very similar to chili, but you use taco seasoning and the addition of zucchini or summer squash adds green veggie vitamins and fiber.

 
Easy Slow Cooker Chili- I really like this recipe for chili in your Crock Pot.  It’s actually not how I would make chili on the stove, but it’s easy to put together and tastes great.  I have made it with or without the beer. 

Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna- The combination of sage and butternut squash are so good!  Definitely use fresh or cooked store-bought noodles, don’t use the no-boil noodles.  Cut your prep time with using pre-cut squash.

Turkey Meatball and Tortellini Soup- With big meatballs and tortellini, this soup can be a meal.  I consider it a pantry/freezer meal, the ingredients are always available in my house and if something isn’t, I just improvise.  Great meal to make ahead or makes a lot for multiple meals.

 
Stir Fried Turkey in Lettuce Wraps- I love this because you can really just create whatever stir fry you want using the flavors you like.  Plus is quick and easy to make and fun to eat. 

Taco Seasoning- If you were ever interested in making your own, this one is easy.

Meals for the Week of October 10, 2011

It’s probably the end of your summer garden, but many people find themselves at this point with lots of produce and needing ideas of what to do with it.  Here’s a video with recipe on making oven dried tomatoes from America's Test Kitchen, who I consider one of the best sources for recipes as well as for the home cook to learn cooking methods.  You can store these tomatoes in oil and use them in all sorts of ways, sort of like sun dried tomatoes.

I found this little blog post with some ideas for what foods are freezable.  I was glad to see that I pretty much do the same as the author of the post.  If you like to shop in bulk, this info is handy for eliminating any waste of perishable items.  You can find that article, here.

This week I have again listed quite a few vegetarian dishes as we enter the second week of my husband eating vegetarian.  So far it’s going pretty good and I wanted to share some of the recipes I’m looking to make.  Plus I included some recipes with great fall flavors like sweet potatoes and butternut squash.
Earlier this week on my other blog, I posted a recipe for a healthy kid snack, No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls.  They are a hit in my house, I am happy to report and actually very easy for older kids to make themselves. 

 Meals for Week of October 10, 2011

Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms- Many stuffed mushroom recipes are gooey and cheese-filled and often intended as an appetizer.  This one has only a little cheese and using large Portobello mushrooms, it can be a main dish. 

Sweet Potato Burritos- A unique twist on bean burritos; mashed sweet potato combined with kidney beans, chili spices and cheese. 
 
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos- Not feeling like burritos?  Try these sweet potato tacos instead. 

Tortellini with Mushroom Sauce- Easy weeknight dish with pre-made tortellini. 

Thai Chicken Salad with Peanuts and Lime- Not actually a Thai recipe, but a yummy main dish salad using the great Thai food combination of peanuts and lime.

Parmesan Chicken- Crispy, from-scratch chicken nuggets that your kids will love. 

Polenta Pizza- Instead of the usual pizza dough, try polenta.  You can make the polenta crust ahead of time and then do your toppings and bake it right before you want to eat.

Spinach Artichoke Pasta- Do you like bubbling hot and creamy spinach and artichoke dip?  This pasta is sort of a spin on that, but not quite so heavy and cheesy.  It can be vegetarian, or add cooked, chopped chicken. 

Baked Rigatoni with Sausage, Butternut Squash and Kale- Make it healthier by looking for a nitrite-free sausage, but this is a complete meal with vitamin rich squash and kale. 

Pan Seared Rib Eye Steak- This is THE BEST way to cook a steak.  Less expensive cuts other than rib eye could be fixed the same way but would benefit from more seasoning such as Montreal Steak seasoning or some garlic powder because they are not as naturally flavorful as a rib eye.

Grilled Zucchini Pizza- Great idea if you need to be low carb or gluten free.  Large slices of zucchini grilled or broiled, then topped with pizza sauce, cheese and whatever you want, then broiled again. 

Fall Salad with Maple Vinaigrette- This recipe can really just serve as inspiration for your own version of a fall salad.  Apples and blue cheese are always great in any salad.

Meals for Week of September 26, 2011

Today is the first day of fall and in some parts of the country it has begun to be cool, although not where I live.  However, football season both college and the NFL have been in full swing so I wanted to share some fun game day recipes you might want to try.
Bacon Wrapped Artichoke Hearts 
Buffalo Chicken Bites 
Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls
Grilled Corn Guacamole

This week I did a little experiment and baked a breakfast cookie.  I wrote about it and shared the recipe on my other blog, e-mealplanning Recipes.  If you are interested in something different for a quick morning breakfast, check them out.

Meals for Week of September 26, 2011

Pappardelle with Corn- Super simple and made with fresh seasonal ingreadients.  We love pappardelle in our house.

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole-  I love this recipe from The Pioneer Woman and my family likes it too.  But she makes no excuses and goes all out with butter and cream.  However, the base for the sauce can be made with milk instead of the cream if you want to lighten it up. 

Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas- What I like about this recipe, is there no frying of tortillas.  Just bake them to get crisp and then they crisp up some more when you broil it with the toppings.  This method can really just be a jumping off point for your own tostada combinations.  And use whatever kind of tortilla you prefer.

Quinoa Stir Fry with Vegetables and Chicken- Quinoa is a fantastic high protein whole grain that is similar in texture to cous cous, but a tiny bit larger.  This is a great, one dish meal that you can really customize to your own tastes.

Lemon Cream sauce Pasta with Peas- This is a good meatless meal that kids will love.  Or if you need to eat it as a side with roasted chicken or fish. 

Baked Ziti- Great for a weeknight, also good to make ahead, like the recipe says, it’s all the elements of lasagna, but much easier to assemble. 

Carolina Barbecue Pulled Pork- Delicious Carolina style bbq (which means tart with cider vinegar) made in your crock pot!  The key is the liquid smoke, which is easy to find in grocery stores.  This will make a lot so it’s perfect to serve a crowd for weekend football or make it on a weeknight and have leftovers that can be re-done in another meal or eat as sandwiches again.  

Rotisserie Chicken Paprikash- This recipes takes a store bought roasted chicken and spices it up with a peppery sauce.

Cayenne Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa- An easy avocado and lime salsa to eat with spicy chicken breasts.  And it’s just ¼ teaspoon of cayenne to rub on 4 chicken breasts, so it’s not too much heat and you can always reduce that if you need to.  Be sure to wash your hands well after touching the cayenne. 

Side Dishes
Tomato Salad with Crushed Croutons- Such a beautiful and simple dish to use those beautiful garden tomatoes that you probably have an abundance of.
Parmesan Roasted Potatoes- Easy and delicious.  Great side dish with grilled anything. 

Meals for Week of September 19, 2011

School may have only just started within the last few weeks, but with packing lunch every day it seems like it becomes boring or a challenge within a couple days. I wanted to pass along some recipes that might help spark new ideas.  

Turkey Caesar Sandwich- The recipe calls for creating a mayo spread that is like Caesar dressing. Easy, but you could also mix a little bottled dressing with mayo.  

Taco Turkey Wraps- Sour cream mixed with taco seasonings serve as a spread with deli turkey, add some tomato, avocado and lettuce to add some additional good protein and vitamins.  

Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Peanuts- You can make this on a Sunday and have several servings packed in your lunch throughout the week.

Here's a few links to blogs and photos with more lunch box inspiration for you.  

Happy Little Bento- Full of cute bento-style lunches that are healthy and fun for kids. There are recipes too for some of the things she makes.  
Easy Lunch Boxes-- I use these and I love them. I've shared the link many times. Here is their photo gallery with over 100 photos of lunches.  

Meals for the Week of September 19, 2011  

Broccoli and Pork Stir Fry- I tend to always go to chicken, beef or shrimp for a stir fry, but pork is tasty and this recipe is easy. Plus it's perfect to make more so you have leftovers to pack in lunches.  

Polenta Pizza- I really love polenta, it's very easy to make and it's a nice change to pour your spaghetti sauce over instead of pasta. It's also something you can make extra of one night to have with your favorite pasta sauce, then save to use for this recipe.  

Coconut Peanut Sauce Beef- Love this recipe, the sauce is so good! Substitute chicken if you prefer.  

Pineapple Chicken Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette- Easy to prep the night before or morning of and a good way to use leftover or pre-cooked chicken.  

Easy One Pot Mac and Cheese- Delicious creamy pasta, kid-approved, filling for a main dish along with salad or a vegetable side dish.  

Flank Steak Stir Fry with Asparagus and Red Pepper- You can easily substitute chicken instead of the flank steak.  

Pork Chops with Mustard Crust- Seems upscale, but it’s rather simple with just 5 ingredients. Read the comments on this recipe for a lot of great suggestions for substitutions/variations.  

Tomato Pie- another very simple recipe for tomato pie. She calls it “pizza meets cheesy bread in a pie crust.” I've made this twice in the last month and it's such a great way to use up your garden tomatoes. Its important to be sure and drain the tomatoes so the pie crust doesn’t get soggy.  

Roquefort Pear Salad- Add pears to any salad with a vinaigrette and a cheese like feta, Parmesan or any kind of blue cheese. The combination is so good! For this recipe you can make short cuts by using a bottled red wine vinaigrette dressing and candied pecans.

Meals for the Week of June 20, 2011

I thought I would expand a little more on summertime lunches/snacks from last week's post.  If you are now faced with children at home all day or more often, get organized with snacks and lunch food and make it fun for them.

• If they are old enough, get those sandwich thins bread or bagel thins and use those for making their own toaster oven pizzas.
• Quesadillas are so quick and versatile.  Keep tortillas stocked in the fridge.  
• Grill or poach chicken that can be used for topping pizza or in quesadillas or just for eating with some fruit and cheese.  
• I also love to make nachos for lunch.  It’s the perfect use for leftovers from a taco dinner.  Layer the chips and shredded cheese, add leftover meat, beans and rice, more cheese and pop it in the microwave for a few minutes.  It’s nice to take a break from working to sit at the table with the kids sharing a big pile of nachos.
• Make the Double Grape Slushies listed in the menu this week.  Or come up with your own slushies.
• Make popsicles- simply puree fruit and juice together.  Save your 8oz yogurt containers to use as popsicle molds.  Pour in the puree, cover with plastic wrap or foil, then poke popsicle sticks through and freeze.

It's been awhile, so I thought I should remind everyone about ziplist.com.  This is the web-based and smart phone shopping list application.  I think it's the best shopping list tool around.  I love that I can sit at my computer, go through online recipes when planning meals and as I choose things, I can just click and add the recipe to my ziplist.  It automatically syncs with the app on my phone, so when I'm out shopping, my list is always available.  You can also easily text your list to someone else, or what do what I did and had my husband download the app for his phone and gave him the login and password so he can view the lists too.
They have recently added in a coupon feature on the website and they have a bunch of checklists for all sorts of shopping situations like weekly shopping, low fat, high fiber, holidays, pantry, etc.  You can use those lists to pre-populate your own lists.  Very cool!

Meals for the Week of June 20, 2011

Orzo with Chicken, Corn and Green Beans

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Breasts- A Dijon mustard and crushed pretzel coating for baked chicken is a great flavor combination.  You can slice and serve on top a salad for a great summer meal.

Crockpot Polenta Lasagna- This vegan lasagna is super easy in the crock pot and although it’s sort of a cold weather comfort food, it actually keeps your kitchen cool in the summer by keeping the oven off.  If you don’t want or need it to be vegan, make your own changes like using shredded cheese and a meat sauce if you want.

Buttermilk & Herb Marinated Chicken- If you don’t want to buy a carton of buttermilk that will not get used up, there is powdered buttermilk sold where you find powdered milk.

Grilled Turkey Meatloaf- This is a basic meatloaf recipe with instructions for cooking it on the grill.  If you have your own favorite meatloaf recipe, use that instead and then follow the directions to grill it.

Barbequed Turkey with Mustard Sauce- I like that this recipe uses inexpensive turkey legs and thighs.  It also uses a rather simple sauce that is sweet and tangy and goes perfect with the grilled turkey.

Quick Poached Salmon with Dill Mustard Sauce- Tender poached salmon and a no cook sauce.  You can substitute the wine in the poaching liquid with vegetable broth if you prefer.

Thai Beef with Chilies and Basil over Coconut Rice- Very quick cooking using ground beef and you can easily substitute ground turkey if you wanted.    

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream Sauce- The sauce calls for just a little bit of chipotle from a small can. You can stick the rest in the freezer for future use. 

Easy Grilled Tri Tip- This is my recipe I submitted to Allrecipes.com years ago.  I share it here at this time of year.  It’s great for bbq parties because you can buy a couple of tri tips and it serves a crowd.  It’s an affordable way to have something a little more “upscale” instead of the typical burgers and hot dogs.  Or you prepare this and ask your guests to bring sides and drinks and it’s all done!

Orzo with Chicken, Corn and Green Beans- Great weeknight meal you can make with leftover roasted or grilled chicken.

Grill Roasted Artichoke Leaves- This is delicious!  You take the loose leaves from an artichoke, wrap them in a foil packet with salt, pepper, olive oil and butter and place it on indirect heat on a grill to steam/roast giving you tender leaves in a butter sauce.  YUM! 

Strawberry Panzanella- This fantastic strawberry and bread salad is perfect for summer and I highly recommend you try it.  It’s also great to bring to a summer potluck. 

Double Grape Slushies- Healthy and refreshing for the hot weather and something that the kids can help make!

Meals for the Week of June 13, 2011

Even though school is out for most and there’s less packing of lunches, you might still need to pack a lunch for work or maybe for day camp, summer outings to the beach or ball games.  Here’s a few recipes and suggestions that are a nice change from packing leftovers, especially for those who can’t heat up their lunch.
During this time of year, when grilling chicken, I try to make at least one extra.  One of the recipes listed this week provides quantities to ensure extra chicken.  Here are a few uses for that leftover:

• Slicing to include in a salad
• Shred it up, mix with a little mayo, Dijon mustard, a dollop of Major Grey’s chutney, season with salt and pepper and you have filling for a chicken salad sandwich.  
• Slice thin and make a sandwich with lettuce, avocado and tomato.

Turkey Caesar Sandwich- The recipe calls for creating a mayo spread that is like Caesar dressing.  Easy, but you could also mix a little bottled dressing with mayo.
And here’s a slightly different take with a healthy Chicken Caesar Wrap
Taco Turkey Wraps- Sour cream mixed with taco seasonings serve as a spread with deli turkey, add some tomato, avocado and lettuce to add some additional good protein and vitamins. 
Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Peanuts- You can make this on a Sunday and have several servings packed in your lunch throughout the week. 

This week I’ve listed a couple of recipes using skewers on the grill.  Wooden skewers are convenient, but in my opinion not always easy because you need to remember to soak them in water to avoid burning on the grill.  If you plan the meals ahead (ahem, as you should be) that’s fine if you remember to soak them and if you’re making skewers for a party, then wooden is the way to go.  But I highly suggest investing in some metal skewers so you can always use them when cooking for the family.  I have an inexpensive set listed in the e-mealplanning store.

Meals for Week of June 13, 2011

Lemon Dill Chicken Skewers- Alice from the Savory Sweet Life stumbled upon a happy accident with this super quick recipe for chicken skewers.  You can adapt these for the oven broiler or your stovetop broiler pan.  You could even save yourself time and just use chicken breast tenders not on a skewer if you wanted.

Grilled Chicken Pineapple Quesadillas- So good!  Perfect as an appetizer at parties, when cut into triangles, but one or two whole ones are filling as a meal.  Fix a salad or grill some veggies while you grill the chicken and pineapple.  It’s also economical, using just 2 chicken breasts, you get quite a few slices and needs just 4 or 5 slices in each quesadilla. 

Grilled Salmon Steaks with Mustard Sauce- I love grilled salmon, it tastes delicious with just simply seasoned with salt and pepper.  But this recipe gives you a lovely sauce to serve it with.

Simple Grilled Tilapia- Very fast and easy method for grilling tilapia which is a great mild tasting white fish.  It’s very versatile.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta- Meatless but filling, using whole grain pasta, a little cheese and roasted veggies.  This can be just as good with grilled vegetables.

Cheeseburger Joes- Super easy, kid friendly, versatile, try cheddar or Swiss cheese instead of American and ground turkey instead of beef.

Shrimp Tacos with Fresh Pineapple Salsa- I love that this uses cooked baby shrimp, it makes it so easy, you can have your kids help you make this.  If you marinate them overnight as well as make the salsa, dinner time is just assembling the tacos.  It’s a no-cook recipe, perfect for kids to help and also great to fix on a hot evening.

Garlic Marinated Chicken Cutlets with Grilled Potatoes- Chicken breasts pounded thin into cutlets are incredible quick cooking, making for an easy weeknight grilled meal.  Marinating keeps them tender.  The key to this meal is the timing- get the potatoes on the grill first and while they cook you can get everything else ready, grilling the chicken last.  Note:  This recipe is designed to make extras and includes links to the other recipes to use leftovers for.  Scale back the quantity of chicken and potatoes if you don’t want that or keep the quantities as listed and use the leftovers however you want.

West Coast Grilled Vegetable Pizza- it’s like having a salad served on top grilled pizza dough.  Very versatile recipe.

Greek Burger- This recipe apparently originated from Weight Watchers, it’s a super easy turkey burger with feta cheese that you serve stuffed in a pita.

Orange and Thyme Grilled Shrimp- If you haven’t cooked with thyme, you must.  It’s a fantastic herb.  Citrus is always great with shellfish and orange is a nice change from the old standby of lemon. 

Strawberry Applesauce- Its really quite easy to make homemade applesauce.  If you have an apple peeler and corer then the prep is even easier.  This is great to have for breakfast or to pack in a lunch.

Meals for Week of January 24, 2011

So we've reached a point in the school year where packing lunches and snacks are becoming a challenge.  Mostly because my 12 year old is getting picky and bored.  My biggest challenge with her is having variety and keeping her from costing me a fortune in food.  Unfortunately her palate is solely designed for expensive junky snack foods.  I take responsibility for that in some part because in her early years I often took the easy way and had too many "kid friendly" processed foods.  In spite of always cooking and mostly from scratch, it was always a quick kid meal (like frozen chicken nuggets) or simple pasta for her and then all sorts of various crackers and such in the pantry.  So it's a long road to recovery and getting her to try and like healthier options.
One source of inspiration for me is the Easy Lunch Boxes website.  I wrote about them back in the fall when I purchased them.  The site has a photo gallery of lunches packed in the boxes; there are tons of photos and lots of great ideas.

Then I went back through some of my old e-mealplanning newsletters because I know I had referenced articles or written up tips and ideas before but I clearly had not been putting them to use in my house.  So this week I want to share this quick list of ideas that are flexible for breakfast, lunch or a snack.

• Control what is in your child’s oatmeal instead of the pre-flavored kind- make plain oatmeal and mix in apple sauce and cinnamon yourself.
• Mash some banana with crunchy peanut or almond butter, spread on a whole wheat tortilla and sprinkle with chopped apple.  Roll it up and you have a great snack or breakfast on the go.
• Toast bagels or English muffins, spread a little cream cheese and top with sliced strawberries or bananas
• Mix-ins for apple sauce: add some crunch to regular apple sauce like sliced almonds, granola or cereal like Chex, oat squares or Life.  Add a sprinkle of cinnamon or a pumpkin pie spice blend for additional flavor.
• Microwave a tablespoon or two of peanut butter to make it thin, drizzle it over thin slices of apple.  Top it with other slices fruit, or nuts or shredded coconut.  It’s like sweet, fruity nachos!

Please share any of your ideas with me, I need them!

Meals for the Week of January 24, 2011

Italian Chicken Soup- This is quite quick to make and very tasty.  I made it with boneless chicken breasts, which made it a little less labor intensive and it still had a good taste.  If you’re looking for something different than the usual chicken soup, give this a try.  Not to mention it’s very low calorie. 

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.

Shrimp Tacos- A nice change from regular beef or turkey tacos and the lime tastes so good with the shrimp.   You can save time if you want and use your own favorite pico de gallo; Costco and Trader Joe’s sell good mango versions.

Beef Stew with Noodles- The key to this recipe is to cut the meat into small pieces which allows it to cook quicker.  Stew meat you find in the store will be cut in larger cubes and would need more cooking time to get tender, so cut them into smaller pieces.

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.

Easy Skillet Cheese Topped Chili Macaroni- Very inexpensive dish, not many ingredients and you could keep these items on hand to make any variation of this dish anytime.  Lighten it up using ground turkey and whole wheat pasta.

Green Bean, Ham and Cheese Frittata- This is traditionally a breakfast or brunch item but I believe this is the sort of meal you can fix when you’re low on groceries or trying to stretch your food budget.  Add a salad or tomato soup for additional veggies and to make it a little more filling. 

Crock Pot Taco Soup- There are A LOT of variations of taco soup recipes- I share this one because it’s really easy to throw together, it does use seasoning mixes which as I’ve said before I’m not always a fan of, you just need to be aware of the extra additives and sodium content.

Orzo with Chicken Corn and Green Beans- This can be a great cold lunch salad, but you could eat it hot too.  It’s perfect for using leftover chicken and leftover veggies if you wanted to.  Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese when serving or toss in some crumbled feta. 


Side Dishes
Spinach Salad with Almonds and Kumquats- This winter salad is a great source of all kinds of “super foods”.  Besides tasting great, citrus aids in the absorption of iron from the spinach.  If you can’t easily find kumquats, use the little Clementine oranges that are in season right now.

Garlicky Greens- Very simple method for making quick, sautéed greens of your choice; spinach, chard or kale.