Ok... this is going to happen probably all of 1 time - because this just took the whole morning lol!
But I do usually plan recipes and do prep steps on the weekend, to make the week-days easier and more manageable. Also, perhaps by logging them here, I may be able to come back and actually just pick a week and go. (Wishful thinking) Add to the fact, that I love food... reading about it, talking about it, pinning it, eating it... might as well write about it too? (jury is still out... I do write most of this out, but wowo talk about time investment for the whole thing..)
Anyhoo, here is a look into what we do on a weekly basis that helps with time management, healthy eating, less eating out $$, and trying new foods & recipes! When I ask my girls what their favorite things to eat are, they're not sure... because it's rare that I repeat them - I've been working on that (see above). I'd like them to remember some favorites dishes from their childhood!
Week of April 28th
Operation Inundate with Vegetables... Rather than focusing on taking away things that aren't as healthy, I'm continuing the mission this week as well to focus on simply eating more vegetables and whole grains, and naturally edging out those filler foods for an upgrade to our healthy eating.
*If you don't see a a link to a recipe, then scroll down to read details. Also, I'm kind of a casual cook - I eyeball a lot of things. If anyone is actually reading this, and you want more info on something, please feel to message. Please forgive any grammar challenges or run-ons :)
xoxo,
Meg
DINNERS
- Sunday Soup Night - Chicken Noodle, rustic bread, sea-salt roasted roots
- Monday - Healthy Shepherd's Pie
- Tuesday - Dill & Lemon baked Salmon, israeli couscous (trader joes), zesty 3 bean salad (de-zesting for kiddo palates)
- Make it over the Hump Wednesday: Convenient Food Night - "Chicken Tenders", frozen peas & butter noodles (veggie protein meatless tenders found even at Winco. I forget the brand name, but the girls love them more than chicken nuggets - which actually isn't saying much, but they love them :))
- Thursday - Sandwich Night - Ham Cheese Puff Pockets - Insert veggie here
- Friday - Cilantro lime chicken (Crockpot) with rice & baked corn tortilla strips
- Jar Salad of the week - Not happening - Dear Lord, do you see how long this blog post is?
- Favorite book of the week - free kindle download - Eat like a farm girl..maple balsamic dressing - omg I poured this on everything I ate last week. (no joke)
- Clean & Chop weekly veggie picks - Carrots, broccoli, bell peppers (xtra prep step, dice carrots for chicken noodle & shepherd's pie). Use for lunches, snacks, pre-dinner whining prevention snack
- BBQ 2-4 Chicken breast halves with skin (Olive Oil, sea salt, bbq until lovely) - Chop after cooled - Using for soup and lunches during the week.
- Chop root veggies - Carrots, Beets, Potatoes, Red Onion, Sweet Potatoes - Enough for Sunday Night, as well as extra for heating up and eating throughout the week.
- Egg Noodles - Boil large pot of water - Cook whole package (or 2) for Sunday Soup, and butter noodle night.
- If still on a roll make zesty 3 bean salad, otherwise get out of the kitchen!
SUNDAY SOUP NIGHT -
- Chicken Noodle -
BBQ'd chopped chicken
Chopped carrots
Chopped celery
Slice an onion
3 cloves garlic
Italian flat leaf parsley
*update - 4 cups of additional water & chicken boullion (winco has a great boullion that has no MSG, which is hard to find anywhere else!- Add chopped chicken, carrots & celery - cook for about 5-10 minutes. *Add Italian Seasoning & SALT
- Add chicken broth - heat to boiling, then back off to medium low to simmer for as long as you like.
- Add cooked egg noodles, check if you need more salt/seasoning - heat for like 2 minutes, then serve, or you'll have a starch mush soup - been there, done that about 5x - Seriously.
- Roasted Veggies (This is something I make often - everyone eats their favorite roots and ignore the ones they don't like...) *Ina Garten recipe.. I <3 Ina
Prep - Make extra onions and potatoes - potatoes for shepherd pie & onions for Ham puffs
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MONDAY -
- Healthy Shepherd's Pie -
1 cup diced fresh carrots
1 cupFrozen Peas
1 cup Sliced Mushrooms
3 cloves Garlic
1 cup Chopped Kale
1 Onion
1 lb organic Ground beef
1 - 2 cups Veggie broth
Optional - shredded cheddar or nutritional yeast... even a little red wine might be good in the saute-ing step if you want to get all fancy like that.
Directions -
Water and peeled potates to a boil, cook, drain.. smash with large spoon/fork, or mash it! Mix in nutritional yeast for a 'cheesy' flavor.
Saute Beef, garlic, onion wedges in olive oil.
Add rest of veggies for a quick saute, not too mushy!
Add in some vegetable broth to get some good moisture
Pour into baking dish (whatever will fit best - pie plate, 9x9 square baker)
Top with smashed/mashed potatoes
Cover 3/4 of the pie with 1 cup shredded cheddar, the other 1/4 with some nutritional yeast
Bake 350 for 30 minutes - wa.la -
- Healthy, casual recipe that's a good throw it in, cook it & call it good (ie; it's not a souffle people - easy peazy)
- It's even easier if you cook the mashed potatoes for another meal, double it up and save some for this meal.
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TUESDAY -
- Filet of salmon - season with dried or fresh dill, butter/fake butter, sea salt, and layer on top with lemon slices. Bake @ 350 until done (about 30 min)
- Israeli couscous - Cook from TJ's - Or make a rice pilaf etc...
- Zesty 3 bean - Excited to try this (new recipe disclaimer)
WEDNESDAY -
No directions necessary - heat and eat party people ;)
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THURSDAY - *Disclaimer.. have made variations, but this is new - I've used pie crust with this before, but wanted to try puff pastry because - HELLO it's puff pastry)
Ham Puffs
1 package puff pastry (Put in fridge to thaw in the morning!)
Prepared Ham cubes - Look for the kind that are 'preservative/nitrate free' - a little bit healthier ham
Cheddar cheese - Sharp if you want to get fancy, otherwise medium cheddar it up
1 cup Chopped Kale - Loving that some stores now have bags of chopped, clean kale - thank you!
Onions (from roasted roots)
Dijon Mustard
Lay out the 2 sheets of puff pastry, roll it a bit ... if you want?!
Cut with pizza cutter into 8 equal square/rectangles
Spread dijon on both sheets,
On 1 sheet - add ham, cheddar, (..or don't my dairy free people), cooked onions, chopped kale. Season with salt, place other sheet squares on top of the layered ones (does this make sense?), and then seal them together with a fork - so fancy on a Thursday lol.
xtra step - which I will not be doing - egg white wash - couple egg whites in a bowl, baste on top for pretty-brown appearance - woowoo :)
Bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes (not sure about this - read puff box directions, and watch these so they don't burn - that would be sad.
INSERT VEGGIE - Whatcha got in that fridge - Use it before it goes bad!! Slice some bell peppers for an easy option.
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FRIDAY -
- Crock it and Cocktail - Whoop it's Friday, throw it in in the morning, make some rice after work - call it good!
- Baked Corn Tortilla strips - 350
Use spray olive oil to get them sticky, so that when you sprinkle with salt - it sticks. kind of mix them around - it's ok if some overlap, but in general - let's not do that.
Throw in oven - and watch them - usually done in about 10 minutes - brown, cruncy, but not dark brown - have burnt multiple times to figure out I need to camp at the oven for these ;-).
I usually make a few batches - they're healthy, addicting and should go good with this dinner on the side or on top for foo foo garnish.
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Grocery List -
Heading to Freddy' today... probably jump by Winco during the week for random items needed that are way less expensive there.
Feel free to print, cross out what you already have, or don't want - i don't have staple items on this list...
Produce -
- Bag of avocados
- Bag of carrots 5lb - snacks, roasted roots, chicken noodle - carrot city this week apparently
- Celery
- Bag of onions
- Bag of potatoes
- Apples
- Grapes
- Other fruit that's on sale
- 4 limes
- 2 lemons
- Bunch of cilantro
- Bag or bunch of kale
- 16oz of mushrooms
- Broccoli
- 3 bell peppers (Love our bells)
- 2 red onions
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 3 beets
- Turnips (If good price for roasted roots)
Breads -
- 2 loaves Dave's
- 1 Sindawg
- Corn tortillas
- Rustic bread for soup night (YUM)
Protein -
- 1 lb organic ground beef
- 2-4 chicken breast halves with skin on (Don't have to eat the skin, but cooking with it is good flavor)
- Packaged ham cubes
- 1 lb organic chicken breast tenders
- Salmon Filet
Freezer -
- Puff pastry
- Peas
- Bag of shelled edamame
- Corn
- Hippy freezer for 'chicken tenders' & tofutti sour cream
Dried Goods -
- 2 boxes veggie broth
- 2 boxes chicken broth
- Z bars
- Tortilla chips
- Bag of Egg Noodles
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can kidney beans
- 3 cans of garbanzos (during the week snack with avocado cubes, cilantro and lime juice.. toss and eat all week)
- Triscuits
- Cheezits
- Nutritional Yeast - Tastes better than it sounds
Dairy -
- 1/2 gallon organic valley milk (we know the cows)
- Block of tillamook
- package of string cheese
- Dozen eggs (why do I always think eggs are dairy?)
Lava Lamp bulbs -
Dishwash detergent
Whatever else sucks me in while at the store :-)
