Meal Planning Part 3

This is part 3 of my series on meal planning. Last time I shared two weeks worth of meals, recipes, and a shopping list. This time I'm going to share two more weeks!

 

For the last part of February, here's what we've had:

 

Week 3

Day 1/2: Taco Soup

Day 3/4: Baked Ziti

Day 5/6: Baked Chicken and Veggies

 

Week 4

Day 1/2: Asian Stir Fry

Day 3/4: Red Beans and Rice

Day 5/6: Taco Night

 

Like I mentioned before, I have a lot of things that I keep on hand. Some things that I did not have to buy this time because I already had them were rice, tortillas, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, jar of minced garlic, cajun seasoning, chicken, spices, and veggies (The chicken, tortillas, and veggies, I bought the previous week).

 

Shopping List

Cost: Approximately $40

• 2 lb. ground beef/turkey
• 2 cans black beans
• 3 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can dark kidney beans
• 1 can light kidney beans
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 jar of salsa
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 small container part skim ricotta cheese
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• Ziti pasta
• 1 bag shredded cheese of your choice (used for ziti and taco's)
• Vegetables of your choice
• Soy sauce and Rice wine vinegar
• Frozen corn
 

Recipes

 

Taco Night: You can find this in my Part 2 post

 

Baked Ziti: I use the same process for baked spaghetti found on the Part 2 post, except in between the layers I add a layer of ricotta cheese. This recipe is very versatile and you can add in vegetables, your favorite pasta and sauce, and made totally different meals.

 

Baked Chicken and Veggies: This is one of Dan's favorites. He works out a lot and craves healthy foods [I know, weird! :)]. I place two-three chicken breasts in a small casserole dish and coat with 1 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar (or a favorite vinegarette bottled dressing), salt and pepper, and 1 tsp. garlic. Then throw in vegetables of your choice. I ususally put in frozen broccoli, frozen green beans, and some fresh carrots. Bake at 350 until chicken is cooked through.

 

Asian Stir Fry: Dice 2-3 chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. Cut vegetables that you want to use (my favorites are broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas, and corn) into small pieces. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 c. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp. garlic, and some hot sauce. Start with a large skillet with some olive oil on medium high heat. Add chicken and cook for about 3 minutes. Add in vegetables and sauce. Cook until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice.

 

Red Beans and Rice: This is one of our vegetarian favorites although sometimes I add smoked sausage. I don't claim to know anything about cajun/Louisana cooking or that this is even cajun at all. It would probably be a disgrace down there, but we like it! Saute 1 bell pepper, 1 onion, and 1 tsp. of garlic in a skillet with olive oil until tender. Add in 1 can of diced tomatoes, 2 cans of kidney beans, 2 tbsp. of cajun seasoning, and 1/2 cup of water. Let simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve over brown rice.

 

Taco Soup: In a crock pot combine 1 lb. ground meat, 1 can of black beans, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 cup of frozen corn, 1 cup of water, and 1 package of taco seasoning. Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 hours.

 

This month we spent $150 on groceries total! Using this meal calendar, planning for breakfasts and lunches, shopping only twice, and not going out to eat really made it easy to save lots of money. Next month, I'll share our meal calendar and shopping lists again!

Summer + Kabobs

Well, I have officially been gone since February! I am not exactly sure where the past 6 months have gone. From February until May, I was consumed with graduate school and graduated in May! I'm still pretty stoked about that. From May until June, I was finishing up the school year. And since then I've been traveling the country! What a summer it's been. We've been to Louisiana, Alabama, Philadelphia, California, Delaware, the Florida Keys, and Ft. Lauderdale! Somewhere in there, I also found out that I am pregnant! I am about 18 weeks along now and we are so excited for our first baby to arrive in December! It's been a crazy summer, but so much fun! It's been great having all this time with my husband. He starts a new job this week and we've been so blessed to have so much time together this summer. I'm going to miss him when he starts. I apologize for being gone, but I'm so excited to share some new recipes with you!

With summer in full force, the heat is also in full force. We have been trying to do whatever we can to keep the air conditioning from overworking itself. One thing that really helps is to use the grill instead of the stove and oven. It keeps the heat outside instead of in the kitchen! Some of the most versatile things that I have really grown to love are kabobs. They are so easy and you can really tailor them to what you like.

For these kabobs, you'll need: 2-3 chicken breasts, red and green bell peppers, zucchini squash. For the marinade, you'll need: honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, 1 lemon, salt and pepper.

1. In a medium bowl, mix 2 tbsp. honey, 2 tbsp. vinegar, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. lemon zest, the juice of the lemon (remember to zest before you cut!), and 1 tsp. salt and pepper. Whisk together well.

2. Chop vegetables and meat making sure that all of your pieces are relatively the same size. This is important so that everything cooks evenly.

I chose to use peppers and zucchini because it's what I had from my garden. Onions, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, pineapple, and peaches are also very good on kabobs.

3. Mix your vegetables and meat into the marinade. Obviously, the longer that you let it marinade, the more flavor the food will have. I suggest letting it sit in the marinade in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. (If you're using fish as your protein, and citrus in the marinade, you shouldn't marinade for more than 10-15 minutes, or the fish will cook-- also known in Hispanic food as ceviche!)

4. Place your meat and veggies/fruits on the skewers. I have metal skewers that can be washed and reused. If you are using wooden skewers, you'll want to soak them in water for about 20 minutes before using. That will keep them from burning. Either type of skewer is just fine. When adding the meat and produce, place them closely together so that they barely touching each other.

4. Grill on a hot grill, about 400 degrees. Cook on each side for about 5 minutes or until the meat is done.

5. Remove from grill and enjoy! You can enjoy kabobs by themselves, but if you need something else, they are also good served with rice, quinoa, or another grain. When I made these kabobs, we enjoyed them over a salad. It was delicious!

More ideas for kabobs:

chicken + pineapple and broccoli + citrus marinade

steak + tomatoes and mushrooms + Worcestershire sauce marinade

shrimp kabobs + squash and peppers + spicy marinade

Basic tips:

The basic components of a kabob are a meat, vegetables, fruits, and usually a marinade or dry spices. I do not recommend having more than one type of meat on one kabob, because different meats have different cooking time. If you want steak and chicken, just put them on two separate skewers and it will be fine. Also, a part of any marinade should include some form of oil so that the kabob does not stick to the grill. If you're using dry spices, you should spray the grill with some type of non-stick spray.

I hope that you're staying cool this summer and that you enjoy these kabobs! They are so easy, quick, and helps you keep your house cool during these hot days!

Crockpot Lasagna

I love a good a slow cooker recipe. It is so nice to be able to throw everything in a pot, let it cook for a few hours, and then enjoy supper! I've always made a lot of soups and desserts in the crockpot, but I was looking to make something different. A few years ago, a friend of mine said that she cooked spaghetti in her slow cooker, so I got the idea to make lasagna in the crockpot. It turned out very well and since then, I think I've mastered it and made it about as healthy (and economical) as lasagna can get (minus whole-wheat noodles- can't find lasagna ones ANYWHERE!).

What you'll need:

1.25 lbs. lean (Italian, if you can find it) ground turkey

1 box of oven-ready lasagna noodles

1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese made with 2%

1 15 oz. container of part-skim ricotta cheese

1 c. of shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

Salt and Pepper

This recipe will serve 5-6 people.

1. Begin by browning meat over medium-high heat in a pan on the stove. While that is cooking, in a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, 1 1/4 c. mozzarella, 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, 2 tsp. of Italian seasoning, and a dash of salt and pepper.

2. Once turkey is done cooking, drain away extra liquid. Add in the jar of tomato sauce, reserving about 1/3 c. for the top of the lasagna. Stir together.

3. Get your crockpot and bowl of cheese near the stove for easy assembly. Start by spraying your crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Add in a tiny amount of the meat and sauce mixture to the bottom, just enough to keep the noodles from burning.

4. Begin adding the layers. Start with the noodles. Break the lasagna noodles so that they fit as well as possible in the bottom. The next layer is the meat. Add meat and spread out. Then follow with the ricotta mixture and a sprinkle of the Italian seasoning. You want to keep your layers relatively thin so that the lasagna doesn't fall apart when you put it on a plate.

5. After the cheese, start again with the noodles. Continue with this until you've created 3 full layers. The 3 full layers should hold all of your meat and sauce mixture and all of the ricotta mixture.

6. Top the last layer with one last layer of noodles. Then add the reserved tomato sauce, the rest of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, and one last sprinkle of italian seasoning (in that order) to make a cheesy topping.

7. Cook on high for 1 1/2-2 hours or on low for 3-4 hours.

Cooking in the crockpot always helps me de-stress and relax. I stood in the kitchen for only  about 15 minutes making this meal. I hope that you enjoy a night of (almost) no cooking and this lasagna!

Early Thanksgiving Tradition Part I

Dan and I love Thanksgiving. We love the time with family and all the food that we get to enjoy. Every year, we normally cook a small Thanksgiving dinner for ourselves to test out new recipes and practice our specialities to get ready for the real thing. I've cooked our Thanksgiving meal for Dan's family for the past 3 years, so this has become quite a tradition for us. It's a sweet time to cook together, without the hurry or other people, and just enjoy each other's company. We also usually try to make it as healthy as possible. Over the next few posts, I'll share with you some of our recipes for the holidays.

In this post, I'll share how to cook a delicious Thanksgiving bird. When we cook our little early Thanksgiving dinner, we don't cook turkey. We normally cook a chicken instead, mainly because you can buy them much smaller- since its just the two of us. This recipe could (and will at our Thanksgiving) be used on a turkey. The recipe will just need to be doubled (or tripled, depending on the size of your turkey).

What you need:

1. Chicken or Turkey

2. Balsamic Vinegar

3. 3 Bay Leaves

4. 3 Lemons

5. 2 tbsp. Rosemary

6. 1 tbsp. each of salt and pepper

7. An extra set of hands for seasoning the bird :)

 

 1. Remove any giblets or neck from the inside of the bird. Drain out any excess liquid and pat dry.
2. Sprinkly half of the salt and pepper inside the chicken/turkey. Pour in about 2 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar. Cut the lemon into quarters and place inside of bird along with bay leaves. Make sure the inside is completely full.

Note: You can not taste the vinegar. It acts as a great tenderizer, without the added calories or chemicals.

3. On the outside, use your fingers to separate the skin from the meat, being careful not to tear it. Inside of the skin, pour in about 2 tsp. of balsamic vinegar,  1 tsp. of salt and pepper, and about 2 tsp. of rosemary.
4. Use vinegar, remaining rosemary, and remaining salt and pepper to coat the outside, both top and bottom.

5. Place in a roasting pan (allows the drippings to fall away; makes for a healthier version). Tightly wrap the pan with foil.

To cook poultry, the rule is to cook it for 20 minutes per pound on 350 degrees. For example, this chicken weighed 4.81 pounds, so 20 x 4.81 is  96.2 minutes. Because I cook it for 15 minutes on 425 degrees, I can take off a few minutes (no more than 15). Cook your bird for the majority of the time at 350 degrees. For the last 15 minutes, remove the foil and cook at 425 degrees. I cooked this chicken for 1 hour, 15 minutes on 350 with foil, and then 15 minutes without foil on 425. Whatever your cooking time ends up being, make sure that when you're done, the juices from between the leg and the breast run clear.

 6. Remove from oven and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the bird and assures that you will have a really moist chicken or turkey all the way through.

Make sure you save the drippings in the roasting pan for gravy! In the next post, I'll show you how to make amazing, fool-proof gravy.

The BEST (quick) breakfast!

Well, I've completely failed at blogging over the past few months! Life, i.e. working 50+ hours weekly, taking graduate courses, and other life happenings, took over for a while. Things are beginning to slow down a bit and I have tons of recipes that I hope to share over the next few months.

Like I mentioned above, I lead a busy life- like I'm sure many of you. However, I like to take a few minutes in the morning to enjoy breakfast. I leave home for work at 6:15 am, but I don't eat lunch until 12:50. I'm always trying to find new things to eat for breakfast that will hold me over until lunch time. This breakfast is super simple and easy. It's also very healthy and fillling.

 I'm not even going to call this a recipe, because its really not. It's simply one piece of whole wheat toast, spread with 2 tsp. of all natural peanut butter. Top the toast with sliced banana and drizzle with 1 tsp. of honey.

The star of this breakfast is really this honey. I love the Savannah Bee Company and this orange blossom honey is amazing.

You could also mix it up, and top your toast with sliced pear, which is equally delicious.

Hope you enjoy!

Salmon Cakes

This recipe is very near and dear to my heart. My mom made "salmon patties" at least once a week when I was little. She always had macaroni and cheese and green beans to go along with them. This was the first meal that I learned to make of my mom's and now we enjoy it at our house often. Not only is it delicious, it's really healthy and good for you. Salmon is one of the best things you can eat. 

For this recipe, you'll need:

3 cans of salmon

1/2 c. corn meal

1/4 c. flour

1/2 medium bell pepper

3 tbsp. chopped red onion

1 clove of garlic

1 egg

salt and pepper

oil for the pan

I use boneless, skinless salmon. The bones and skin are really good for you and are tender. If you want to include them, go ahead! It'll only make it better for you.

 Saute the onion, pepper, and garlic until tender in a small skillet.

Drain salmon from liquid. Carefully separate salmon, being careful not to break up the pieces. Add cornmeal,  flour, a beaten egg, and cooled sauteed vegetables. The only way to mix this is to use your hands! Mix together being sure not break up the salmon.

Form into patties. They should be able 3-4 inches across and about 1 1/2 inches thick. They may not stick together very well when wet, but they will once one side gets cooked. Cook in a pan with 2 tsp. heated olive oil.  Allow to cook on one side for about 4 minutes. Flip and cook another 4 minutes.

This recipe is so easy, quick, and healthy. It is the perfect week night meal. I hope you enjoy one of my favorite childhood meals.

Pumpkin Bread

After a long, hot summer, fall always seems so refreshing. The bright blue skies, chilly mornings, and changing leaves are so wonderful after being scorched for months. One of my favorite things to do in the fall is bake. I love for the house to be filled with the smells of pumpkin and spices. This is my recipe for pumpkin bread. It is about as healthy as it gets when it comes to bread! It is sure to make your house smell heavenly and it tastes as good as it smells!

 

What you'll need:

15 oz. can of plain pumpkin

1/4 c. oil (I use Smart Balance, but you can use vegetable or canola too)

1/3 c. water

1 egg + 1 egg white

1 c. sugar

1 3/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. pecans

 1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spice, and salt together. In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin, sugar, eggs, vanilla, water, and oil together.

  

2. Add the 1/3 of the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Add another third of the wet into the dry and mix again. And repeat again so that all of the ingredients are in one bowl now. Mix just until combined. Gently stir in the pecans.

3. Put mixture into a greased loaf pan. The size doesn't matter too much, it'll just vary your cooking time. This silicone pan was a 7 x 3. Fill mixture about 3/4 of the way to the top. If you have extra mixture, pop it in a muffin tin and have a few muffins!

4. Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes (cooking time will vary if using a different size pan) or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Hope you have the smells of fall running through your house soon.

Super Easy (and Delicious) Chili!

Recently I was watching Master Chef and one of the contestants was called "stupid" for trying to make chili in an hour. But really, not many people have 5 hours to let chili simmer. And, who doesn't love a big pot of chili? The way the aroma fills the house is intoxicating. Chili is one of my husband's favorite foods. He could eat it everyday. Now, don't get me wrong. I love chili, but I find it really hard to eat when it's 100 degree outside. However, the past few nights its been cooling off a little more than normal. So this Monday night, after coming home late because of Open House at work, the cool air hit me and I knew what I had to make! My hubby has been craving my chili and I knew that this was the perfect night to do it before it gets too hot again! 

This chili is very tasty, but most important very, very easy. As I mentioned, I made this after Open House at school and after working 14 hours!

Here's what you'll need:

1 medium bell pepper

1 medium red onion

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 lb. ground beef (or turkey)

1 package of chili seasoning

1 large can of crushed tomatoes

1 regular can of diced tomatoes

1 regular can of chili beans

Salt and pepper

 Chop your onion and bell pepper and begin cooking in the pot in about 1 tbsp. of olive oil. You can use whatever color bell pepper that you like. We had red and yellow from our garden that were delicious, but green would be just as good. Add dash of salt and pepper. At the very end, about 1 minute before the next step- add chopped garlic.

 The rest of the ingredients you need. When I went to the store last, the garlic didn't look too hot, so I got the jarred kind. One tsp. = one garlic clove. Super easy!

 After the vegetables are tender, add the ground meat. Cook until mostly brown and then add the package of seasoning. Mix well and continue to cook for about 2 minutes.

 Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and chili beans. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Of course, the longer you simmer, the better it gets!

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, cornbread, etc.

Did I mention- if you use lean beef or turkey- this meal is also a VERY healthy meal?! 

Once the weather cools down more, there will be lots of chili simmering away at our house. I hope that you find this recipe as easy as I do!

Sloppy Joes - Makeover!

Sloppy joes have been one of my favorite foods since I was a child. My mom made them really often. When I started cooking, I tried out a few new recipes and fell in love with one. It was made with lots of ketchup, which is full of sugar, so... a couple of years ago, I decided to make it over so that it would be healthier. My original recipe came from Tyler Florence's Ultimate Sloppy Joe. I tweaked a few things and this is my recipe for healthy sloppy joes!

Here's what you'll need:

2 lbs ground turkey (this is 98% fat free)

Bell Pepper

1/2 medium red onion

1 clove of garlic

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

3/4 c. ketchup

1/6 c. mustard

3 tbsp. tomato paste

Salt and Pepper

Chop your onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Heat a skillet with about 1 tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat. 

 Cook your onions, pepper, and garlic until tender.

 Add ground turkey and begin to cook. While it's cooking, use your spatula to break the meat up into small pieces. Cook until turkey is cooked all the way through.

 Add ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and tomato paste. Make sure all ingredients are stirred together well. Cook for 5 minutes. After 5  minutes, add red wine vinegar and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

 Serve on a bun and enjoy! Almost any meal can be made-over to be healthy- even sloppy joes!

Is there any meal that you have made-over to be healthier?

Tomato Basil Soup

I mentioned a few days ago that I love basil. This is a recipe for tomato basil soup. It's a lot like a normal tomato soup, but with a little something extra special! This is a dish that I make a TON of during the summer and then freeze it. It is perfect all year long. 

For this recipe, you'll need:

About 15 pounds of regular tomatoes (Use this blog post to prepare them)

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1/2 c. chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1/2 c. basil

2 tbsp. 1% milk

2 tbsp. olive oil- divided

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 small red onion

1 garlic clove

 While your regular tomatoes are cooking away, you need to prepare your cherry tomatoes. Also, start sauteing chopped onion and garlic together over medium heat.

 Cut each tomato in half. 

 Place on a baking sheet, toss with salt and pepper, and 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Roast on 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

 Give your basil a rough chop. No need to be too meticulous here, because you'll be blending it later. Add cherry tomatoes, cooked onion and garlic, bay leaf, basil, chicken stock, and salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.

 Add everything to the blender and blend until smooth. 

 You can make this as smooth or chunky as you like (you may not even want to blend it). I like mine pretty smooth, but with some texture. If you like that, leave about 1 1/2 cups of soup in the pot and don't blend it. Once you have your soup to the texture that you like, add back to the pot. Add milk and olive oil, stir well, and continue cooking for 10 more minutes. 

Serve with a grilled cheese or garlic bread. I hope you enjoy this soup as much as I do!

Lemon-Pesto

One of my favorite things about summer is being able to grow basil. I really enjoy making tomato-basil soup (I'll share in a few days) and pesto. If you have ever made pesto or even seen it packaged, you know that it has a ton of oil in it. This recipe is actually my mother in law's and it's perfect. She's been making it for years- before healthy was trendy! It is a little more creamy because of the lack of oil-- but equally delicious.

What you need:

3 cups of fresh basil

1 garlic clove

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. Pine Nuts

Juice of 2 lemons

Salt and pepper

 Use only the greenest leaves of basil. 

 A few years ago, you could only find them at specialty food stores, but this summer I was able to find them at Walmart and Food Lion. They are a little pricey, so keep them in the freezer while you aren't using them.

 Put everything in the blender and blend until smooth. If it seems a little thick, add a little more lemon juice or olive oil to thin it out.

 And now you have fresh pesto. You can put it on pasta, chicken, sandwiches, and salads. You can also freeze it in plastic bags and enjoy the fresh-summery pesto in January! Here is a little bit of info about that. Whether you're eating it now or in January- hope you enjoy!

Chicken Tenders

 I love Chicken Tenders. When I go out to a restaurant and can't decide what to order, I will usually just get chicken tenders! They are always good. However, they are not always good for you. In order to quench my craving for the fried deliciousness, I started making them at home! I use panko bread crumbs to make them extra crispy- without the frying! They are much better for you and equally tasty! 

What you'll need to make about 10-12 chicken tenders:

Chicken tenders or chicken breasts cut into strips. 

1 cup corn meal

2 eggs

2 cups Panko bread crumbs

Grill seasoning (if your grill seasoning has salt in it, don't add extra)

Salt

Three dishes (shown below)

 Set up your stations. In the first plate, add the cornmeal. In the second, crack and whisk the eggs. In the third, add panko bread crumbs. Springle 1 1/2 tsp. of grill seasoning in cornmeal and 1 tsp. grill seasoning in panko. Add 1 tsp. of salt to cornmeal. 

 Take each chicken tender and go through each bowl- starting with cornmeal, then eggs, and then the panko bread crumbs. After the cornmeal and eggs, shake off any excess. Make sure the panko break crumbs completely cover each chicken tender.

 Place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick olive oil. Make sure they are not touching. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, take out and flip over. Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!