Menu Plan April 12, 2008

Saturday
B: 1 egg, 1 egg white, 2 potato
L: 1 cup tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwhich
D: Whole-wheat Ravioli and tomato sauce with Parmesan and salad for 5

Sunday
B: Cinnamon and strawberry pancakes, 1/2 cup skim milk
L: Tuna wrap with lettuce, radish, and greens.
D: Curried Potato and vegetable soup for 5

Monday
B: 1/3 c raw oatmeal, bananas, cinnamon, 1/2 cup skim milk
L: Soup, small roll, diet coke, small fruit
D: BBQ chicken in mustard sauce, large green salad with soy nuts. Lemon-poppyseed dressing

Tuesday
B: 2/3 cup cereal, 1/2 cup skim milk, strawberries
L: Pasta marinara, diet coke, small fruit
D: BBQ Trout, wild rice, steamed mixed beans

Wednesday
B: 1/2 c light yogurt+flax seed, 1 small fruit, 1/2 c skim milk
L: Wrap (Tuna or leftover meat) with vegetables, yogurt + flax
D: Crockpot pea soup or Chicken parts (for Easy Asian chicken)

Thursday
B: 1/3 c raw oatmeal, bananas, cinnamon, 1/2 cup skim milk
L: Pasta maranara, diet coke, small fruit
D: BBQ Hamburgers with light cheese on whole wheat, with lettuce, tomatoes and mustard

Friday
B: 1/3 c raw oatmeal, bananas, cinnamon, 1/2 cup skim milk
L: Wrap (Tuna or leftover meat) with lots of vegetables, yogurt + flax
D: Dinner out

Snacks:
Goldfish & small fruit
150 ml light yogurt + flax seed
Protein bar
Large fruit
Baked tortilla bits & salsa

Minor edits to what I ate and removed the overly-squashed and ugly table.

Mexican Pie

Taken from a Live Journal’s Recipe Maven post. Posted by neokibo on the 6th of December, 2005. This is a variation on shepherd’s pie. It’s far more flavorful and downright messy to cook.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Modification/Notes
Cilantro is optional, as to some it has an unpleasant taste. Remember to put a baking sheet beneath your casserole dish as Mexican Pie tends to overflow the container. The batter bakes best if the casserole dish remains uncovered.

Mexican cheese is just a pre-shredded mix of cheddar, Monterey jack, bits of jalapeño and often a mild cheese (like Emmentaler). Feel free to make your own. I recommend equal portions of jalapeño-flavored cheese (Havarti, Gouda or even Monterey jack), cheddar and Colby.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons & cups
• Paring knife & cutting board
• Non-stick skillet
• Baking sheet
• Casserole dish

Ingredients
Corn bread batter

1 cup	flour
1 cup	cornmeal
1/4 cup	sugar
3/4 teaspoon	salt
3 teaspoons	baking powder
1/4 cup	oil
2	eggslightly beaten
1 cup	milk
1	jalapeños, minced (optional)
1/2 cup	"Mexican mix" cheeses, shredded (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons	lemon juice

For the meat mixture:

1 to 1.5 pounds	hamburger
2 tablespoons	oil
1 medium	onion, roughly chopped
2-3	garlic cloves, minced
1 can	whole tomatoes, crushed
1 cup	frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 tablespoon	chili powder
1 teaspoon	oregano
1 teaspoon	cumin
½ teaspoon	ground black pepper
	cilantro, roughly chopped
2-3 cups	"Mexican mix" cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F (176° C) degrees. In a medium-hot skillet sauté the onion in oil for 5-7 minutes
2. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
3. Add hamburger, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and fresh cracked pepper and saute until hamburger is browned through.
4. Add corn and crushed tomatoes with juice and cook until warmed.
5. Add cilantro and cheese (as well as optional ingredients as you desire) and mix until incorporated.
6. Pour a thin layer of batter on the bottom of a 2-quart oven-proof casserole dish.
7. Add the meat mixture.
8. Top with corn bread batter.
9. Bake for 30-45 minutes

Crockpot Hamburger Soup

Taken from: Recipe*Zaar. Recipe #133649. Posted by Kittencal; and Shirley Downey. Both recipes had good points to them, so I’ve combined them.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons and cups.
• Paring knife and cutting board.
• Can opener.
• Skillet (to brown the meat).
• Plate with paper towel (to drain the meat).

Modification/Notes
I keep consomme in my freezer whenever I can, store-brought broth can be used instead. Fresh tomatoes can be used, but you’ll have to dip them in boiling water to remove their skins before adding them to the recipe. I prefer to cut up my tomatoes before adding them.

Ingredients

2 lbs	hamburger
2 tablespoons	garlic, minced
1 large	onion, chopped finely
1 (28 ounce) can	tomatoes (undrained)
1 ¾ cups	water
30 ounces	beef consomme, undiluted
1-2 tablespoons	worcestershire sauce
10 ounces	salsa
5-6	carrots, chopped
5-6 stalks	celery, chopped
1-2	bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon	Each: thyme, oregano, rosemary, and basil
	black pepper, to taste
	grated Parmesan cheese, optional, to taste

Instructions

1. Brown the hamburger with the onion and garlic. Drain well.
2. Add in all remaining ingredients except the Parmesan cheese, and turn the crockpot on low for 6 hours (or high for 3).
3. Ladle into serving bowls and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper just before serving.

1960's cookbooks & potato chips

The Irresistible Recipes with Wise potato chips is a tiny cookbook (the images are actual size) that I found at the bottom of a bag of old clippings and cutouts, cookbooks and recipe cards in my closet. I've always meant to put them on the web somewhere.

I always figured I should try to make some of these recipes; but if I did - could I resist not trying to reduce the fat, or change the ingredients? I remember dishes with crumbled chip toppings, but I don't remember my Mother ever putting chips in brownies.

Meal Plan: March 29, 2008

Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thrusday	Friday
White Chili	Chicken stew and buttermilk biscuits (for 4-6)	Soft-shelled beef tacos with salad and homemade salsa	Chicken wings and salad	Mustard chicken and steamed vegetables	White beans and barley with ham (slow cooker recipe)	Horseradish and herb-crusted beef roast, roasted potatoes and mixed romaine salad (for 6)

Saturday
Lunch: Chicken soup (leftovers)
Dinner I was supposed to make this last Friday. Instead I'll load the crockpot and set it to slow cook for the day. It's a chicken-based chili with white beans. It came out OK, but surprisingly bland. My spices aren't dead, but I should have doubled them.

Sunday
Lunch:
Dinner: My guests canceled and I didn't feel like making dinner, so I ended up having a PBJ & a glass of skim milk. But hey - it was a fancy meal. I had the milk in a wine glass.

Monday
Lunch: Vegetarian cassoulet (from the freezer)
Dinner: Chicken wings and salad. Not healthy, but sooo tasty.

Tuesday
Lunch: Adonis' Small Old Fashioned Gyro Platter with salad (no fries, no rice). I went out to dinner with a friend.
Dinner: Soft-shelled beef tacos with salad and homemade salsa. This is one of my favorite meals. I used the Taco mix recipe I posted here previously (made fresh). The spices were a bit strong. The homemade salsa was a quick salsa verde. And I have enough leftovers for a small serving of nachos.

Wednesday
Lunch: Boccacino's Monteray wrap (grilled chicken with cheddar, bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes and their spicy mayonnaises. Served with salsa and a huge green salad. I brought 1/2 of it home for later in the week. It's a delicious sandwhich.
Dinner: Mustard chicken and steamed vegetables. Dreg the chicken in flour, sauté in a mix of 2:1 olive oil to butter. Do not flip often. When both sides are browned, place in a pre-heated oven. To the sauce add: 1/2 cup white wine, allow to boil down by 1/2. Then add 1/2 cup chicken broth, allow again to boil down by 1/2. Stir often. When the mixture will coat the back of a spoon add 1 portion butter, 1 portion dijon mustard. Stir well. Serve over chicken with a side of steamed vegetables.

Thursday
Lunch: Out to Eggspectations with the team.
Dinner: White beans and barley with ham (slow cooker recipe). I found this on RecipeZaar and it picked my interest. The overall recipe was ... missing something. After discussing it with my guests - we settled on tomatoes.

Friday
Lunch: The other 1/2 of the Boccacino's Monteray wrap with a dozen blue organic taco chips (to finish off the salsa that came with the wrap)
Dinner: Horseradish and herb-crusted shoulder roast, roasted potatoes and mixed romaine salad (for 6). The roast is small enough that it should be done by 7pm tonight for dinner. I hope to use the leftover drippings to make beef consumer.

Meal Plan: March 22, 2008

Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thrusday	Friday
Roast turkey (unstuffed) au jus with roast potatoes	Roast turkey (stuffed), baked turnip, green beans, mashed potatoes	Meat loaf and steamed green beans and carrots	Cheeseburgers, all dressed	Chicken soup	Wings	Dinner out

Saturday
Lunch: Split pea soup
Dinner: Roast turkey (unstuffed) au jus with roast potatoes
I don't often roast a turkey; and I blame a sudden fit of madness for trying it on Saturday. I spent all afternoon making chicken broth then most of the evening finishing off a turkey that caused so much steam my fire alarm went off twice. It was, however, succulent and very delicious.

Sunday
Lunch: Late brunch of eggs and toast.
Dinner: We went over to a sibling's house and had the traditional holiday meal (TM). It was, as per usual, so much better than mine. I did, however, feel better when I walked in and noticed her fire alarm was disconnected.

Monday
Lunch: Turkey wraps
Dinner: I made meatloaf a few weeks back and froze a double-serving. I reheated them and served them with green beans and carrots. It was a quick and tasty meal.

Tuesday
Lunch: Out with a friend.
Dinner: Cheeseburgers, all dressed. I had something else planned but by the time I got home I had completely forgotten what it was supposed to be. The hamburger was thawed, so that's what I made. BTW we don't normally eat so much hamburger but (a) it was on sale, and (b) after two days of turkey, we needed a break from poultry in general.

Wednesday
Lunch: Vegetarian cassoulet (from the freezer)
Dinner: With friends coming over, a fridge full of broth and poultry, and rainy weather on the forecast -- making Chicken soup seems perfectly reasonable to me. Besides, I need a couple of servings for future lunches as my freezer's getting low on ready-meals.
The soup was well appreciated and not just because I added lots of ginger and garlic to the fennel, carrots, celery and onion I usually add; but I'm sure it helped.

Thursday
Lunch: Chicken soup (from last night), and whole wheat crackers
Dinner: Southewestern chicken. No, not really. I wimped out and had boxed-frozen medium-spice buffalo wings. Yes, I know they were bad for me. I had them with a side of air-popped popcorn and a big glass of milk (not for the health, but just to scrape the spice out of my mouth. The wings were good, but I am a spice-wimp. I did cook up the white kidney beans though (soaked them overnight and then put them in the crockpot to cook with a big handfull of dried sage leaves and enough water to cover).

Friday
Lunch: Vegetarian cassoulet, the last of it.
Dinner: Out -- no clue where, it's his choice (although I suspect we'll be going to one of the rotissery restaurants in Montreal. Rotissery chicken is a really big thing here -- every restaurant seems to offer it; but only one or two do it right (note to self - review the restaurant and the meal).

- Updated Friday, 28-Mar-2008 with Thursday and Friday info. Added a More tag.

Easy Asian Grilled Drumsticks

Taken from RecipeZaar Posted by Kittencal. The sauce is sufficient for 10 drumsticks, but can easily be doubled.

Version: 2.0	Preparation time: 10 minutes + 8 hours marinade time.
Serves: 5 (2 pc each)	Cooking time: 35-45 minutes.

Equipment:

• Mixing bowl and wire wisk
• Measuring cups and spoons.
• Cutting board and knife.
• Barbecue or baking sheet lined with tinfoil.
• Tongs.

Notes:
This is a great recipe. I halved the amount of honey, and chili flakes and it was still good. I've removed the oil, salt, and lemon juice from the original recipe due to health concerns. This works well with legs with thighs, as well as drumsticks.
Unless I'm barbecuing, I skin the legs before cooking, and divide the thigh from the leg at the joint before marinating. If using boneless, skinless chicken breasts - I suggest pan frying as the cooking time is very different.

This meal goes great with a large salad or a steamed vegetable side-dish.

Ingredients

1/4 cup	sodium reduced soy sauce
1/3 cup	lemon juice
1/4 cup	honey
1/4 cup	sesame oil
2 tablespoons	garlic, crushed and finely diced
2 tablespoons	ginger, crushed and finelydiced
2 teaspoons	chili flakes (optional)
	black pepper
10	chicken drumsticks, or other parts.

Instructions

1. In a bowl whisk together the first 8 ingredients.
2. Place the chicken parts in one or more large resealable bags.
3. Pour the marinade into the bag(s) and seal; turn to coat evenly.
4. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours, turning occasionally.
5. Set grill to medium heat, or oven to 375 F.
6. Remove the chicken and discard the marinade.
7. Place the chicken on the grill (if a barbecue) or on a baking sheet.
8. Grill or bake, turning chicken until crispy and golden brown and the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
9. Turn once (if baking) or often (if on a barbecue)
10. If baking - turn the oven to broil for a few minutes at the end to crisp the skin.