OK, so I was actually working on this for last week and got side tracked. But here it is for you to enjoy for this week. I also hope that you can browse back at older posts and gain meal planning inspiration from those. :-)
I want to take a brief moment to talk about breakfast. There are a lot of breakfast foods that I love, but in spite of that sometimes I get bored or I'm not in the mood to extend the effort to fix myself anything. I have recently discovered a company that makes delicious breakfast cereals and I'm happy they make some of my childhood favorites but they are natural and they make them with using renewable energy. Three Sisters Cereal is based in Minneapolis, MN and I buy it at Whole Foods Market. The cereal comes in cute bags that has less packaging and my favorite cold cereal is the Sweet Wheat, which is a frosted shredded wheat. They also make an instant oatmeal, which I tried recently and my kids love it. Something I love about the oatmeal, is they designed the package so you can use it to measure your water for making it. So simple, but yet so totally clever! It makes it easy for older kids to make it themselves and I just love how they created the packaging to multi-task. We have the brown sugar and maple flavor right now which is delicious, but I plan to try the chocolate soon as I have a certain 5 year old chocoholic who I know that will LOVE it. Next time you are at Whole Foods, check them out.* My local store has had them on sale several times, so I stocked up on multiple packages. I sent one whole bag with my husband to work so that he can just keep it on hand and saves us money so he doesn't eat out.
I also came across this great article from Relish Magazine that I wanted to share- Re-Inventing Breakfast. It has a great little bullet list of ideas for toast, plus a few delicious recipes.
OK, onto the recipes for this week-
No Prep Veggie Lasagna- For those who would rather assemble something from pre-made items, I like the products that come from Trader Joe’s. This lasagna doesn’t require making sauce, sautéing vegetables or boiling noodles. It’s just assembling the dish.
Mini Skillet Meatloaves- Individual sized meatloaves that you can make on a weeknight. You just need a skillet with a lid.
Linguine with Cauliflower and Brown Butter- Fantastic way to eat cauliflower! And the flavor of sage with browned butter is so good!
Corned Beef Hash- It doesn’t have to come from a can, just make a few extra potatoes to use with any little bits of leftover beef.
Sour Cream Noodle Bake- This is an “old school” recipe that you may have had some variation of it growing up. I think it’s a good one for making ahead, or if you need to bring a meal to someone. You can make healthier adaptations; ground turkey instead of beef, brown some veggies like finely diced carrot, celery or orange bell pepper with the meat; use fat free cottage cheese. I don’t recommend a lower fat sour cream though or cheddar cheese, you need those to melt well.
Quick Chicken Tostadas- Super easy and so versatile. This version is perfect for a weeknight. I've shared this before and it's had rave reviews.
Chicken with Artichokes and Angel Hair- This easy recipe has a little photo tutorial, which is nice because the the method of cooking this recipe is very adaptable to making this kind of chicken with lots of other sauces.
Ham and Bean Soup- In case a hearty warm soup is still what you need, this soup is great. It also freezes nicely. I have made it with a ham bone or with just diced ham.
Spring Salad with Strawberries and Creamy Oranage Avocado Dressing- I shared this recipe last spring, I love it. Let’s pretend it’s not raining and there’s no more snow anywhere and it’s actually spring.
Strawberry Balsamic Sauce or Jam- I love, love love this sauce! I’ve also made it as jam. This is a great way to use the not-so-sun-ripened-sweet supermarket strawberries. It’s so simple and a great sauce to pour over ice cream or on your morning yogurt. If you follow the instructions to cook it longer into a jam, then you have your own homemade jam for toast!
Easy Strawberry Jam- Depending on the strawberries you get this may turn out a bit tart. It’s great if you have wonderful naturally sweet strawberries. But it is a great low sugar option for jam.
*Just as FYI- I wasn't paid or compensated by Three Sisters, I just wanted to share the love. :-)
Recipes, cooking tips, articles and information to help you plan your meals. Get the answer to "What's for dinner?"
Monday, March 21, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Meals for Week of February 21, 2011
I apologize for not posting the last few weeks. But I'm back with some good recipes and some interesting articles. I also wanted to let you know that I've been working on a seperate blog, e-mealplanning Recipes, where I'll be posting my own recipes or existing recipes I've made and adapted.
First, did you happen to catch the recent episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show about going vegan? It was really interesting and I liked that it was balanced with Kathy Freston who is considered an expert on vegan food but also included Michael Pollan, talking about being more aware of where your food comes from and Lisa Ling's tour of the Cargill beef operation which showed how beef is slaughtered. After it aired I had made a mental note to call my good friend Allison with Get Natured, who I look to as a personal healthy eating and vegan resource, as well as being the Food Coach for my favorite Mama Bootcamp. But low and behold, she wrote about it on her blog! So I share that with you in hopes that it gets you thinking about being more informed about where your food comes from.
Get Natured thoughts on Oprah's Vegan Challenge
In keeping with the healthy eating topic, I wanted to share something with you that I recently learned about myself. And I credit that to forgetting my shopping bags at home one day and having to use paper bags at Whole Foods. Their bags currently have some interesting information about the ANDI scores printed on them. What is an ANDI score? It's the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index and gives a score of 1 to 1000 for the nutrient content of food. The more dense the food is with nutrients, the higher the score. I was pleased that there are some foods that I personally like and try to eat frequently in the top 10. And it's no surprise that those high scoring foods are leafy greens.
I'm not very good at taking vitamins and supplements. I'm trying to remember to take my prenatals, but that's often hit and miss. I'd much rather just get what I need from the food I eat. And even then, I'm not always doing the best job. But, I'm trying. I've really grown to love kale and I'm cooking with it more. I've always loved Brussel sprouts and I'm so happy to see they are high on the list. So take a look at the list and see if you are consuming these foods and if not, trying working them into your meals more.
Top Ten ANDI Scores
Meals for the Week of February 21, 2011
Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili- I know I’ve shared chili recipes here before, but I think this one will appeal to those who really want to keep it simple. Dried beans are inexpensive, this recipe doesn’t require any pre-soaking or boiling of them and there’s no need to brown the meat first either.
Chicken Tacos- I have three different options for cooking chicken to use in tacos. Each one is pretty easy, but provide you some options based on your time or how much effort you want to make.
Broccoli Beef- Very quick and authentic broccoli beef recipe. There are a few “special” Asian ingredients, but I consider them staples in any pantry if you plan to cook any Asian food.
Coconut Chicken Stir Fry- A great change of flavors from the more common soy sauce or teriyaki. It’s Thai inspired with coconut milk and lime juice. And if you prefer, skip the fish sauce that is called for in the recipe, it does contribute to the depth of the flavor, but if you don’t have it and don’t like the sound of it, then don’t bother to add it.
Skillet Lasagna- I’m actually not sure why this is called skillet lasagna, although I’ve seen many versions of this recipe over the years. This one is really quick and easy and you can make changes like adding other veggies or different ground meat if you want.
Chicken Marsala- I would classify this dish as “fancy” and great to serve company, but it’s also very easy and cooks quickly. I really love the taste of the marsala wine sauce.
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.
Thai Shrimp and Carrot Salad- I would do as the recipe recommends and serve over rice noodles. Its a very light and simple dish.
Healthy Bean Soup with Kale- I have previously shared a white bean and kale soup with chicken sausage, this is a vegetarian version with just beans, veggies and kale. It’s sort of Italian style like a minestrone soup, it would be great with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and some garlic bread.
Side Dishes/Dessert
Apple and Kale Saute- I love when I can find a great way to use apples in a savory dish. And to combine it with kale makes it all the better.
Cinnamon Cookies- These are pretty much like a Snickerdoodle. The recipe is slightly different than most traditional snickerdoodle cookies recipes and it’s a smaller batch. The dough should be refrigerated for a couple hours before rolling into balls and coating in cinnamon and sugar. So I like just having it made in advance because then you can just pop some in the oven when you need.
First, did you happen to catch the recent episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show about going vegan? It was really interesting and I liked that it was balanced with Kathy Freston who is considered an expert on vegan food but also included Michael Pollan, talking about being more aware of where your food comes from and Lisa Ling's tour of the Cargill beef operation which showed how beef is slaughtered. After it aired I had made a mental note to call my good friend Allison with Get Natured, who I look to as a personal healthy eating and vegan resource, as well as being the Food Coach for my favorite Mama Bootcamp. But low and behold, she wrote about it on her blog! So I share that with you in hopes that it gets you thinking about being more informed about where your food comes from.
Get Natured thoughts on Oprah's Vegan Challenge
In keeping with the healthy eating topic, I wanted to share something with you that I recently learned about myself. And I credit that to forgetting my shopping bags at home one day and having to use paper bags at Whole Foods. Their bags currently have some interesting information about the ANDI scores printed on them. What is an ANDI score? It's the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index and gives a score of 1 to 1000 for the nutrient content of food. The more dense the food is with nutrients, the higher the score. I was pleased that there are some foods that I personally like and try to eat frequently in the top 10. And it's no surprise that those high scoring foods are leafy greens.
I'm not very good at taking vitamins and supplements. I'm trying to remember to take my prenatals, but that's often hit and miss. I'd much rather just get what I need from the food I eat. And even then, I'm not always doing the best job. But, I'm trying. I've really grown to love kale and I'm cooking with it more. I've always loved Brussel sprouts and I'm so happy to see they are high on the list. So take a look at the list and see if you are consuming these foods and if not, trying working them into your meals more.
Top Ten ANDI Scores
Meals for the Week of February 21, 2011
Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili- I know I’ve shared chili recipes here before, but I think this one will appeal to those who really want to keep it simple. Dried beans are inexpensive, this recipe doesn’t require any pre-soaking or boiling of them and there’s no need to brown the meat first either.
Chicken Tacos- I have three different options for cooking chicken to use in tacos. Each one is pretty easy, but provide you some options based on your time or how much effort you want to make.
Broccoli Beef- Very quick and authentic broccoli beef recipe. There are a few “special” Asian ingredients, but I consider them staples in any pantry if you plan to cook any Asian food.
Coconut Chicken Stir Fry- A great change of flavors from the more common soy sauce or teriyaki. It’s Thai inspired with coconut milk and lime juice. And if you prefer, skip the fish sauce that is called for in the recipe, it does contribute to the depth of the flavor, but if you don’t have it and don’t like the sound of it, then don’t bother to add it.
Skillet Lasagna- I’m actually not sure why this is called skillet lasagna, although I’ve seen many versions of this recipe over the years. This one is really quick and easy and you can make changes like adding other veggies or different ground meat if you want.
Chicken Marsala- I would classify this dish as “fancy” and great to serve company, but it’s also very easy and cooks quickly. I really love the taste of the marsala wine sauce.
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.
Thai Shrimp and Carrot Salad- I would do as the recipe recommends and serve over rice noodles. Its a very light and simple dish.
Healthy Bean Soup with Kale- I have previously shared a white bean and kale soup with chicken sausage, this is a vegetarian version with just beans, veggies and kale. It’s sort of Italian style like a minestrone soup, it would be great with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and some garlic bread.
Side Dishes/Dessert
Apple and Kale Saute- I love when I can find a great way to use apples in a savory dish. And to combine it with kale makes it all the better.
Cinnamon Cookies- These are pretty much like a Snickerdoodle. The recipe is slightly different than most traditional snickerdoodle cookies recipes and it’s a smaller batch. The dough should be refrigerated for a couple hours before rolling into balls and coating in cinnamon and sugar. So I like just having it made in advance because then you can just pop some in the oven when you need.
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