Food Stuffs

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:27:00 +0000

Menu Plan 1/22 - 1/27

Tuesday: Hamburger "Steak" with Sauteed Onions & Roasted Beets

Wednesday: Crispy Mustard Chicken w/ Sweet Potato Fries & Sauteed Gai Choi Cabbage

Thursday: Roast Italian Sausage, Swiss Chard & Cherry Tomato Pasta

Friday: Cauliflower & Olive Gratin with Lamb Meatballs

Saturday: Ham, Collard Greens, & Cheese Grits

Sunday: Build Your Own Chalupas

Lunch: Quinoa & Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Freeze: Turnip Puff
Breakfast: Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 19:53:00 +0000

Menu Plan 1/12 - 1/18

Saturday: Roast Salmon Filets + Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts + Sweet Potato Oven Fries

Sunday: Spice Rubbed Pork Loin + Roasted Golden Beets + Sauteed Spinach + Rice (doubled)

Monday: Crockpot Pork Fried Rice + Pineapple

Tuesday: Crockpot Chili + Steamed Broccoli + Orange Smiles

Wednesday: Spaghetti and Meatballs + Carrots + Salad

Thursday: Shepherds Pie + Baked Apples

Breakfast: No-Bake Breakfast Cookies

Lunch: Ranch-Chicken & Bacon Pasta Salad

Blueberry Pecan Pork Chops

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:38:00 +0000

4 medium pork chops (boneless)
blueberry preserves
1 t lemon juice
1 t balsamic vinegar
1/2 t sage
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
small handful of pecans, crushed
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 325F
Place about 2 t of blueberry preserves on each pork chop. Sprinkle with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and spices. Use a spoon to spread the preserves on the pork.
Top with crushed pecans. Spray or drizzle with a little bit of olive oil.
Bake for 25 minutes.

Serve with thinly sliced tomatoes sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and a pinch of sea salt.

Menu Plan 5/23 - 5/27

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:24:00 +0000

Monday: Oatmeal, Sausage & Fruit

Tuesday: Antipasto Pasta Salad

Wednesday: Chicken Tikka Masala & Broccoli

Thursday: Meatballs, Quinoa Pilaf, Roast Veggies

Friday: Turkey Burgers, Mango Salsa, Sweet Potato Fries

Menu Plan 5/15 - 5/19

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 16 May 2011 01:16:00 +0000

Sunday: Risotto with Bacon, Mushrooms, and Asparagus

Monday: Grilled Vegetable & Chicken Salad with Fresh Bread

Tuesday: Pasta & Meatballs with Salad

Wednesday: Chicken Fingers, Fries, & Corn on the Cob

Thursday: Hamburger Steaks with Sauteed Portobello Mushrooms and Herbs & Roast Potatoes

Sausage, Goat Cheese, and Arugula Focaccia

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 07 May 2011 21:38:00 +0000

While DS is have his gluten-free pizza (w/ tomato sauce and pepperoni) and DD is having her frozen pizza margarita, DH & I are having something a bit more grown-up.

Sausage, Goat Cheese, and Arugula Focaccia
1 round of focaccia (store-bought kind with some herbs baked on top)
2 links Italian chicken tomato sausage
couple of yellow tomatoes, sliced
2 c arugula
2-4 oz goat cheese
olive oil
lemon juice
thinly sliced sweet yellow onion
Preheat oven to 450.

Drizzle some olive oil on the chicken sausages and roast in the oven til cooked (20-25 min). Slice or dice.

Brush the focaccia with olive oil. Layer on the sliced tomatoes and onions. Top with sausage. Crumble goat cheese over the top.

Bake for about 12 minutes.

Toss the arugula with 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice and about a tablespoon of olive oil. Place a handful of arugula on top of the pizza slices.

Menu Plan 5/7 - 5/13

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 07 May 2011 20:57:00 +0000

Saturday: Pizza Night -- Sausage, Goat Cheese, & Arugula Focaccia

Sunday: Fish Tacos

Monday: Thai Shrimp Curry

Tuesday: Roasted Chicken Sausages + Pumpkin Polenta

Wednesday: Church dinner

Thursday: Mimosa Rice

Friday: Date night

Menu Plan 8/7-8/12

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 21:02:00 +0000

Meatballs w/ French Fries, Peas, & Watermelon

Pancakes or Omelets & Sausage

Crockpot Coq au Vin w/ Pan Fried Polenta

Grilled Chicken w/ Green Beans & Corn on the cob

Peach Salsa Chicken w/ Rice & Broccoli

Crockpot Spareribs w/ Beans & Salad

Menu Plan 3/21-3/25

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:45:00 +0000

Baby steps to get back into the menu planning habit here.

Sunday: Paella with Sauteed Spinach

Monday: Marinated Chicken Skewers with French Fries and Broccoli

Tuesday: CrockPot Ribs with Corn and Green Beans

Wednesday: Fish Tacos with Black Beans and Rice

Thursday: Leftovers

Menu Plan 1/17-1/23

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:40:00 +0000

Sunday: Tortellini with Olive Oil and Herbs

Monday: Crispy Mustard Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potato and Green Peas

Tuesday: Beef Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots (Crockpot)

Wednesday: Arroz con Pollo (Crockpot) with Green Salad

Thursday: Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup with Tortilla Chips

Friday: Pizza
Gluten Free Pizza Dough

Saturday: Beef with Mushrooms and Noodles & Sugar Snap Peas

Menu Plan 1/2-1/9

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:08:00 +0000

Finally back after a week off visiting my parents. We tried something new this time -- eating dinner in the hotel room rather than trying to find something safe for DS to eat. It worked pretty well. The first night going up there we had Kofta and Hummus with Baby Carrots & Bell Peppers and some fruit. Then on the way back, we had Ham (raided from my parents) w/ Chreesy Mashed Potatos (instant), canned Dill Green Beans, and fruit cocktail.

Saturday: Roast Chicken w/ Macaroni & Cheese & Salad
Rotisserie chicken from the grocery + ready made mac & cheese (mac & chreese for DS)...all I could manage after getting home this afternoon from our road trip.

Sunday: Chicken Tortilla Soup
From a kit....

Monday: Jambalya
Using up leftover rotisserie chicken

Tuesday: Beef and Mushrooms w/ Mashed Potatos and Green Beans

Wednesday: Church dinner

Thursday: Steaks, Roasted Root Vegetables, and Green Salad
Trying my hand at rutabagas and parsnips again -- omiting the turnips.

Friday: Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce

Saturday: Chicken Tenders, Roasted Carrots, and Oven Fries

Menu Plan 12/20-12/26

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Sunday: Sandwiches and Leftovers
Big Christmas program at the church tonight. Light dinner.

Monday: Beef Stew with Carrots, Mushrooms, and Potatoes

Tuesday: Chicken Cobb Pasta Salad
Not quite sure what sort of dressing I'll do with this, but I think I'll let the kids build their own. They like it when they get to choose the ingredients. I'll probably add some extra veggies (like broccoli, bell pepper slices, and carrot matchsticks)

Wednesday: Kofta/Meatball Kebabs with Quinoa Pilaf, Hummus, and Crudites

Thursday: White Chicken Chili
We're going to a party in the evening with h'ors d'oeuvres and such, so we'll just have a light dinner. We used to try and do the fancy Christmas eve dinner with the kids, but this is so much more relaxing.

Friday: Dinner with family & leftovers

Saturday: Traveling

Pork & Pineapple Stirfry

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:44:00 +0000

This recipe is hardly authentic, but it is inspired by southeast Asian ingredients and flavor combinations. I've learned that many southeast Asian cuisines don't rely on soy sauce as much (if at all) as more traditional "Chinese" (at least as presented in the US) recipes.

Pork & Pineapple Stirfry (serves 4)
1-2 T oil
3/4 lb of pork loin, cubed
1 sm. yellow onion, sliced
1 sm. green bell pepper, chopped
1 c sliced mushrooms
zest of 1 large lime
juice of 1 large lime (~ 1/4 c)
1 t fish sauce
1 garlic clove, diced
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t salt
1 t honey
1 1/2c fresh pineapple chunks

Heat heavy pan over high/ medium-high heat. Add about half the oil and the onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Cook til the onions soften (the peppers will be still a little crisp). Remove from pan and reserve.
Add a bit more oil, if needed, and add pork. Cook til done.
My pork let off a lot of liquid. I let that sit on the heat for a moment to cook down a bit. Then I add the sauce ingredients (everything else except the pineapple). When the garlic starts to become fragrant, add in the vegetables, pork, and pineapple chunks. Heat through.

Serve over rice. Optional garnishes would be peanuts, lime wedges, bean sprouts, etc. Sriracha or other Asian hot sauce is also a nice touch if you like spicy things.

Menu Plan 12/12 - 12/19

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:04:00 +0000

Menu planning has been a real struggle the last few weeks. This week is similarly uninspired. Add to that the fact that DH kindly volunteered to go grocery shopping before I made a list and came back with "stuff". So I'm going to blame any randomness on that.

Saturday: Crispy Beef Tacos w/ Corn
DH discovered a couple brands of "safe" taco shells, so we thought we'd give them a try with the kids. Normally we do soft tacos or ersatz taco salads. DD really enjoyed making her own tacos, spooning in sauce and cheese, etc. DS wasn't so impressed, but he really loves refried beans (Rosarita Vegetarian) so he was happy.

Sunday: Sandwiches & Leftovers
After a big lunch out, I wasn't in the mood to cook.

Monday: FFYN
This is going to be a crazy night. DH and I are both helping with a Christmas party from 5-7. The kids will be in the nursery at church...not sure what any of us are going to eat. I'll probably just pack something in lunchboxes for the kids that's quick and easy.

Tuesday: Beef Stroganof over Rice
I may end up tweaking this recipe some more...if the modifications are worth posting, I'll update the original post.

Wednesday: Carrot Souffle, Green Beans, & Roast Potato Wedges
This veggie dinner consists of things that were bumped from last week's plan when we took the pot roast over to my in-laws and let them fix the sides.

Thursday: Chili w/ Corn on the Cob
I was realizing I've never posted my chili recipe. Maybe if the stars are properly aligned this week, I'll get it linked in here.

Friday: Pork StirFry

Saturday: Ranch Chicken Burgers w/ Oven Baked Fries and Broccoli
I did a version of these back in September. Not quite sure what I'm going to serve them on...maybe DS will just get his sans-bread and the rest of us will have buns.

Menu Plan 12/7-12/12

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:14:00 +0000

The Crock-Pot Herb Pork Roast was awesome last week. The Pumpkin Pudding is a good idea but the kids thought it tasted too healthy. I'm going to try again modifying it to be a little less virtuous -- and probably involving chocolate!

The Chicken Souiza was a little disappointing -- good flavors, but I think it lost something with my dairy-free mods. The cornbread also took much longer to cook than expected (and was too sweet for me), so I'm going to experiment with that.

Monday: Butternut Squash Soup w/ Sausages

Tuesday: Roast Chicken w/ Wild Rice & Cranberry Pilaf & Broccoli

Wednesday: Dinner out

Thursday: Quick Paella
Using up leftover roast chicken and sausages to make an easy version of paella.

Friday: Pot Roast w/ Roast Potatoes and Carrot Souffle
Some tried and true winter winners.

Saturday: Hot Beef over Mashed Potatoes w/ Green Beans
Another leftover user -- Pot Roast from the night before + some instant mashed potatoes and canned/frozen green beans.

Menu Plan 11/28-12/6

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:21:00 +0000

The biggest hit of last week was Friday's dinner. Meatball Kebabs plus our new favorite recipe -- Oven Baked Fries. We rounded the meal out with assorted fresh veggies (baby carrots, grape tomatos, olives, and some marinated cucumbers).

My personal favorite however was the Turkey Curry, but that was much less popular with the under 6 crowd.

We're still eating on our not Thanksgiving turkey so I've got 2 more turkey leftover menus this week.

Sunday Lunch: Turkey Tacos w/ Cranberry Salsa
My favorite dish at Thanksgiving this year was a raw cranberry relish that one of DH's cousins made. It had jalapeno, cilantro, diced red bell peppers, onion, and orange juice. Really a cranberry salsa. I didn't get the exact recipe, but I think I'll try and replicate it this week. We still have plenty of turkey breast to get rid of. I'm linking to a recipe that I found online. The cranberry salsa is a little different, but it can serve as a stand-in until I work out my own recipe.

Sunday Dinner: Crock-Pot Herb Pork Roast w/ Baked Apples and Roasted Carrots and Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pudding
This pork roast looks excellent. However, having tried the insert the garlic clove pieces into the roast technique before to mixed results, I'm going to instead microplane the garlic and use it in the rub. The pumpkin pudding recipe I'm going to make without the protein powder. I'm thinking it's going to be sort of like Pumpkin Panna Cotta.

Monday: Pork & Noodle StirFry
I'm going to save a bit of the pork roast to make a stir-fry. Asian-style sauces are always a bit of a challenge with our dietary restrictions, so I may just have to pull out some ingredients beforehand for DS who will be happy with things plain.

Tuesday: Turkey Souiza over Cornbread with Sauteed Greens
I should call this my south by southwest meal. I'm modifying the turkey recipe -- adding some coconut milk into regular corn for the "creamed corn" and some coconut milk yogurt for the sour cream probably with a little extra lemon juice to give it some tang. My usual cornbread recipe has eggs and AP flour in it, so I'm going to try a gluten-free recipe I found on recipezaar.

Wednesday: Dinner at Church
They're having very not DS-safe chicken and dumplings, so I'll pack him his own dinner.

Thursday: Pumpkin Risotto w/ Grilled Chicken-Apple Sausage & Green Salad
I love risotto and this recipe sounds like fun. I'll probably use butternut squash unless I can find a pie pumpkin at the store.

Friday: Leftovers
I'm going out for a girls' night out! DH and the kids can clean out the fridge or raid the pantry.

Saturday: Out
DH and I are going to a party. The kids will probably just each hotdogs or similar.

Oven Baked Fries

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:30:00 +0000

We have been making sweet potato fries for quite awhile but have never really taken the time to work out a technique for classic french fries. Frozen fries and tater tots are hard to find because almost all of them involve soybean oil. We used to buy some great frozen fries from Alexia, but our usual source (Costco) hasn't had them in lately. Plus they're not cheap...this is certainly MUCH cheaper.

We've tried frying a few times, but it's such a mess and I hate the smell of grease. Blech! So the oven it is and with a french fry cutter and a rimmed baking sheet with a rack it's pretty easy.

Oven Baked Fries (serves 3-4)
4 small russet potatoes* (4-6" long), peeled
1 T olive oil
1 t kosher salt
herbs/seasoning salt (opt)
*the size that comes in the 5lb bags not the big baking potatoes

Preheat the oven to 450F.
Cut the potatoes using a french fry cutter (smaller sized squares work better) and place them in a large microwave safe dish. I usually use an 8" square pyrex.
Microwave the potatoes for 5-7 min (depending on the strength of your microwave). Ours is fairly wimpy so I went with 7.
While they're still in the pyrex add the olive oil and seasonings and turn them to coat.
Place a baking rack on a large (9x13+) rimmed baking sheet.
Using tongs place the fries on the baking rack in a single layer. This is a little tedious, but if you do it now you won't have to do any turning later.
Bake for 15-20 min. til done.

That's it. They're soft on the inside and reasonably crispy on the outside. It's not like deep-frying but it is a passable substitute.

Kofta/ Meatball Kebabs

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:14:00 +0000

Yet another bastardization of a classic ethnic dish. These are great just plain, or you could thread them along with veggies for a more complete meal. My kids really like these.

Kofta (serves 4)
~1lb ground meat* (I've used beef, turkey, lamb)
1 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t cinnamon
3/4t Hungarian paprika
*These turn out better with slightly fattier meat - 85/15

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a rimmed baking sheet with lightly oiled aluminum foil.
Place spices in a large bowl and mix well.
Add in meat and mix thoroughly.
Shape into small approx. 1" meatballs.
Thread onto skewers (I've found metal ones work best) and place on the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels for a few minutes.

These are great served over rice or couscous. Or you could put them in pita with hummus, tahini, or tzatziki.

Turkey Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:54:00 +0000

This was a good enough that I felt I should post it -- an excellent use for leftover turkey breast.

Turkey Curry (serves 2-3)
1 T olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2-3 c broccoli florets, roughly chopped
1 carrot, shredded (I used a veg. peeler to make thin ribbons)
3/4 lb cubed, cooked turkey breast
2 t red Thai curry paste (was very mild w/ this amount)
1 t Chicken Better Than Bullion
3/4 can light coconut milk

Heat olive oil in heavy pan over medium-high heat. Saute onions til they become translucent. Chop the other vegetables.
Add broccoli and carrots to the pan. Cover and allow to cook til the broccoli is soft.
Add in turkey, curry powder, and bullion. Heat through.
Add coconut milk and stir. Simmer over low heat (light coconut milk will separate if it boils).
Serve over brown rice.

Menu Plan 11/22-11/28

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:31:00 +0000

Well, my favorite from last week hands-down was the Chicken Kofta w/ Quinoa Pilaf. Actually I ended up making them with ground turkey instead. I'll be doing it again at the end of this week...will post the recipe then.

I've mentioned before that my DS has pretty bad eczema which we've always believed was at least partially related to food sensitivities. Hence the reason that most everything I make is without dairy or soy. We've recently decided to take him off eggs and wheat as well. The eggs aren't really a problem, but I'm still trying to figure out my way around wheat-free baking. So if anyone has any awesome wheat-free/gluten free muffins/cookies/quick bread/etc. recipes that aren't too complicated I'd love to hear them. I have xanthan gum and a large bag of Bob's Red Mill gluten-free AP flour.

Sunday: Roast Turkey w/ Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Fresh Cranberry Sauce
I hadn't roasted a turkey in quite some time...I forgot just how long they take to defrost & cook. However, not I've got a huge amount of meat to work with for the rest of the week/ to put in the freezer for later. I also really love making cranberry sauce....it's always just seemed magical to me that it's so easy.

Monday: Creamy Turkey & Mushroom Noodle Casserole
I'm modifying the recipe linked above to include turkey instead of chicken. It's a nice dairy-free creamy sauce. Since DS is wheat-free for now, I'll use tapioca starch in lieu of AP flour.

Tuesday: Crockpot Pork Roast w/ Baked Fruit and Quinoa
Not quite sure yet how I'll season this pork roast. Quinoa is getting to be very popular with me though -- I especially like it when I make it with chicken broth...it's pretty boring all by itself.

Wednesday: Turkey + Veggie Curry w/ Brown Rice
It's been a few weeks since we had a curry...nothing too earth shattering here -- turkey, coconut milk, curry powder/paste, broccoli, carrots, etc.

Thursday: Leftovers
I'm just assuming that our schedule will be all out of kilter on Thursday even though we're not cooking. Who knows when/where/what we'll eat.

Friday: Taco Night
This is always popular with everyone -- DD because she can try to make an entire meal of nothing but tortilla chips and DS because he LOVES beans and rice (and tortilla chips).

Saturday: Meatball Kebabs w/ Rice Pilaf & Roast Carrots
This was so good that I'm going to do it again. Stay tuned for the "recipe" -- my spice mix really. I'll be sure to pay better attention when I do it this time. Hopefully I can replicate it. Rice with saffron, almonds, golden raisins, and maybe peas plus some carrots roasted with a honey glaze.

For more menu plans, visit Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.

Menu Plan 11/15-11/21

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:53:00 +0000

Another week of doing a pretty good job sticking with the plan. The Chicken Tikka Masala was excellent and even better the second day. Substituting the So Delicious coconut milk yogurt in the marinade worked great. Also enjoyed the Chocolate Chip Cookie "Pie" DH and the kids made me for my birthday -- another dairy & soy free dessert for those of you in the market for such things.

Sorry for the lack of linked recipes this week. It's another week of pretty simple stuff...kind of makes for boring reading though, I know. I'll try and post the pea soup recipe soon though. It's good and kind of a different take on pea soup.

Also sorry for mistakenly posting that I was serving White Chicken Chili this week on Laura's MPM link. That'll teach me to just press submit after updating the hyperlink. That was two weeks ago, but I linked it again just in case someone came particularly looking for that.

Sunday: Dinner out
One of DD's friends from school had us over for a cook-out. Gorgeous weather -- love San Antonio in the fall!

Monday: Soup & Sandwiches
Leftover green pea soup with BLTs sandwiches.

Tuesday: Roasted Apple Sausages and Squash
Butternut squash, sliced bell peppers, and sweet onions roasted with Aidells Chicken Apple sausages.

Wednesday: Bacon-Wrapped Fillets, Roast Potatoes, & Salad
These were on special a few weeks back -- $2.99/twin pack...they've been hiding out in the freezer since then.

Thursday: Chicken Kofta, Quinoa Pilaf, and Crudites
DH suggested this one...a chance to try out our fun new metal skewers. Middle-eastern inspired chicken meatballs with a quinoa pilaf. Olives, hummus (Tribe's brand is safe), and maybe some cucumbers and carrots.

Friday: Chicken Fingers w/ Baked Zucchini Chips and Corn
The kids' favorite -- oven baked chicken fingers. Since DS is eliminating wheat, I'm going to try out some tortilla crumbs I found....hopefully they'll crisp nicely. Then I'm going to try my hand at some zucchini chips -- thin sliced, toss in a ziploc with olive oil and some salt -- bake in a single layer at 425.

Saturday: Roast Turkey w/ Cranberry Sauce and Sweet Potatoes
We love Thanksgiving food and since we're not hosting the family dinner this year, DH wants to be sure to have his fair share of leftovers. So we're going to roast our own turkey. Look for lots of turkey leftover recipes next week.

Want more menus -- check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.

Chocolate Chip Cookie "Pie"

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:06:00 +0000

This is another vegan recipe that I've adopted as my own. I've found that vegan recipes are a great way to find dairy-free recipes...then you just have to sub out any soy products.

This dessert is most like a really large cookie that's served in wedges like a pie. Enjoy Life makes soy-free chocolate chips.

Chocolate Chip Cookie "Pie" (Serves 8-10)

3/4 c whole wheat four
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t cocoa powder
1/2 c sugar
1 c oats (old-fashioned/quick)
1/2 c chocolate chips/chunks
3 T oil
1/4 c applesauce
1/4 c milk/milk substitute
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F
Combine dry ingredients (flour through chocolate chips).
Mix wet ingredients (oil through vanilla).
Combine together and spread evenly in a round glass dish.
Bake 15-20 minutes.

Menu Plan 11/8-11/14

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:20:00 +0000

Last week went pretty well. I only bumped one meal because we had dinner with my in-laws one night. I think my favorite meal from last week was the White Chicken Chili although really everything turned out well.

I'm not feeling especially inspired this week, so there's lots of simple stuff or old standbys this week.

Sunday: Cuban Pork, Black Beans, & Yellow Rice w/ Mangoes
This one got bumped from last week. Pork marinated in lime and cilantro.

Monday: Pork Tacos with Baked Apples
Trying to keep it simple on our busiest nights -- using pre-prepared pork from the grocery store.

Tuesday: Grilled Chicken, Tater Tots, and Roasted Broccoli
Boring but pretty easy -- and hopefully pleasing to the kids. I like how roasted broccoli is just a little crunchy. Tater tots can be tough to find soy-free...the Cascadian organic brand are what I get usually.

Wednesday: Chicken Tikka Masala with Basmati Rice and Curried Cauliflower
I'll be using coconut milk products in lieu of the dairy.

Thursday: Pizza
The kids have been asking for pizza again. I'm thinking of making some pesto to jazz up the pizza for the adults.

Friday: Out
DH and I are going out to celebrate my birthday!

Saturday: Potato Skins with Green Pea Soup
This is going to be an interesting experiment. I'm thinking of topping the potato skins wtih bacon and goat cheese. The soup is one I haven't made in a long time. It uses frozen green peas instead of dried split peas. Much fresher flavor with lemon and mint accents. I'll post the recipes later this week.

Check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com for more menus and recipes.

White Chicken Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:43:00 +0000

White Chicken Chili (Serves 4)
1/2 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 T cumin
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1 t salt
1 c chicken broth
1/2 c jarred tomatillo salsa or 12-15 tomatillos, quartered
2 cans (or 4-5c) white beans, drained but not rinsed

Combine chicken, spices, broth, and salsa/tomatillos in a crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours til chicken shreds easily.
About an hour before serving time, add in beans.
Serve with extra salsa or a splash of Tabasco-style hot sauce.

For more crockpot recipes, checkout Crockpot Wednesdays @ Dining With Debbie

Menu Plan 10/31-11/7

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:36:00 +0000

Last week actually turned out pretty well as far as following the plan goes. My favorite meal from last week as Pot Roast w/ Carrot Souffle. I also served some Rosemary Yukon Gold potato wedges alongside. The Kale Chips were interesting...I might try the concept again with some other veggies.

Saturday: Mustard-Maple Salmon w/ Sauteed Spinach & Quinoa
I left this TBD on last week's menu. Wild-caught Coho salmon is on sale this week. I like to sautee my spinach with some garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar. I think the quinoa will be pretty straightforward...cooked in broth.

Sunday: Hot Dogs/Sausages & Chips w/ Fruit Salad
There's a block party at church this afternoon where they'll be serving hot dogs. However since DS's eczema has been bad lately, we're keeping a pretty tight reign on eating out with him. I'm thinking we'll bring our own "safe" food and go have a picnic dinner afterward.

Monday: White Chili w/ Cornbread
I'm thinking the slow cooker for this one -- boneless, skinless chicken thighs, with white beans of some sort and jarred salsa verde. Maybe I'll mix some mexi-corn into the cornbread for variety.

Tuesday: Shepherd's Pie
Another quick and easy one. I may cheat with instant mashed potatoes if I'm pressed for time. The plain ones are safe.

Wednesday: Dinner out
Food allergies are a real pain to deal with at restaurants...so again I'll be packing in dinner for DS -- safe tortillas, refried beans, and maybe some chicken.

Thursday: Apricot-Salsa Chicken w/ Rice & Broccoli
This is a super-simple recipe -- chicken breast + equal parts salsa & apricot/peach preserves. I've seen variations on this all over the place. It work well as a "dump chicken" recipe for the freezer. Depending on the texture you want, I've used chicken thighs and done a long slow cook to make them fall apart. I'm going to double this to take to another family.

Friday: Cuban Pork, Black Beans, & Yellow Rice w/ Mangoes
I'm basing this dish on this recipe. I'll be using "fresh" beans and homemade yellow rice.

Saturday: Potato Gnocchi/ Spinach & Cheese Ravioli w/ Salad

For more recipes, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.