April Wrap Up

I've had some hits and misses this month so I thought, "what would happen if I put together one meal plan of all the hits?"  That would result in one crazy good meal plan, that's what!  So this isn't a plan that we followed but it's full of stuff we did eat over the month that made the whole family happy.

April Wrap Up Meal Plan

Noteworthy Breakfasts

Overnight Oats continue to be my absolute favorite breakfast.  This month I've been back and forth between raspberry and peanut butter.  My basic formula is:

1/2 cup Steel Cut Oats

1 cup Almond Milk (I use homemade which I think is of secret ingredient to real fabulous oats).

1.5 Tbsp Chia Seeds

1 tsp Maple Syrup

Peanut Butter: add a generous spoonful of natural Peanut Butter

Raspberry: add frozen raspberries

Blueberry and Almond Overnight Oats

 

I single serve my oats and mix in the add-in's the night before so that they are literally ready to go in the morning.  But you could easily big-batch the basic recipe and add-in the flavors of your choice in the morning.  Also, you may want to adjust the amounts of oats, milk and chia seeds based on how thick/thin you like your oats.  Most recipes call for old-fashioned oats but I much prefer the texture of Steel Cut!

Red Beet Pancakes - I made these on a weekend and Marin was so excited!  She's been asking for them off and on since the last time I made them - for Valentine's Day in 2013!  We had them for Sunday breakfast, leftovers for Monday breakfast and there were two little pancakes left that Marin and I had for a quick snack after work/daycare one day.  These could easily be made ahead of time for a weekday breakfast and pancakes also freeze well and can be reheated right in the toaster!

Cottage Cheese & Vanilla Yogurt with Fruit and Nuts -  I haven't been eating this since I'm still dairy reduced these days but Dave loves this combo.  He eats cottage cheese like I eat oatmeal.  You can totally customize this one with whatever yogurt flavor, fruit/berry and nut combo you like.  It is delicious!

Lunches

This was a month of seriously easy lunches.  We've been on a kick of wraps, hummus and boiled eggs - not necessarily together but together works as well.

Homemade Tortillas - aka, the best thing EVER!

Veggie Wrap with Cheese & Ranch Dressing.  This happened on a weekend.  I had tortillas in the freezer, veggies that needed eating, ranch spice in the cupboard, leftover black beans & cheese... I put everything on the counter and we all came up with something a little different.  My version... tortillas with a generous scoop of ranch dressing, broccoli, orange tomatoes, red peppers and shredded cheese.  It was so good I had the exact same thing the next day.  I made one for Dave too and he agreed, delicious! 

Pork Fried Rice - I love making fried rice for lunch to use up leftover meat and vegetables.  My formula is to saute whatever vegetables I have on hand, add in the cooked rice and shredded meat, add a splash of soya sauce and mix it all up.  At the end I'll sometimes crack in an egg and scramble that in too.

Crispy Bean Tots - So Marin starts school in less than 5 months and I'm going to have to start packing her lunches.  I'm already super excited about this and putting a lot of thought into it.  I came across this recipe and wanted to give it a test drive.  When I taste tested one the night I made them I was less than enthused... found them kind of bland.  But for lunch the next day I dipped them in a little ketchup and thought I found a winner!  I think this will be school lunch approved.

Hard Boiled Egg, Veggies & Dip, Crackers and a slice of Avocado.  I found out one night that Dave didn't need lunch the next day.  I came very close to kicking up my feet and taking the night off but the image of a hard boiled egg came to mind.  And so I got off the couch and put together this almost no effort lunch for myself.  And totally enjoyed it!  This was what started my hard boiled egg craze this month. 

Greek Quinoa Salad - This is nothing new for us, we have it regularly.  I always make extra because if Marin comes anywhere near the kitchen when I'm making this she will make it her bedtime snack and before I know it it's half gone.  This will also be on the school lunch rotation.  It's simply quinoa, tomato, cucumber, feta and some Greek salad dressing.  I add either chickpeas or diced chicken to make it a meal.  If you're a black olive fan (we're not) throw those in too.

Greek Quinoa Salad

Hummus Wrap, Veggies and Cheese - Tortilla or Pita filled with hummus, veggies and cheddar cheese.  Yummy!  I actually usually pack everything separate for this one and just dip the pita and munch.  I find it easier to eat and pack that way.  It's like being at a party and making a meal out of the appetizers.

Suppers

Slow Cooker Maple and Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin - This met all of my Slow Cooker criteria - 1) Easy to assemble the night before; 2) Can be left for 9 hours unattended; 3) No time-consuming extra steps before serving.  I did thicken the juices as suggested which took about 10 minutes at the end of the day.  I would say this step is optional though because I taste tested using the juices before I thickened and it was still really good. 

Fish in Parchment Packets - this is such an easy, no mess way to cook fish.  Plus it's fun to have your own little packet.  I didn't follow this recipe exactly, but it's a good guide on how to prepare the packets and cooking time.  Just substitute with whatever vegetables and herbs (and they don't have to be fresh) you have on hand.

Panko Crusted Tofu w/ Soy Dipping Sauce - This meal is a huge hit in our house every time!  In fact I think next time I'll use two blocks of tofu.  It's one of the few things Marin always asks for more of.  Note: I omit the chili pepper from the sauce because we're not bit on spicy food.  I usually serve it with a stir-fry and/or rice.

Panko Crusted Tofu

Chicken Skewers with Kale Greek Salad -The chicken was marinated in a yogurt lemon sauce that gave the chicken a really nice flavor.  If you can do this step in the morning it would make for a really quick weeknight meal as well.  I made a Greek Salad using Kale and our favorite homemade Greek salad dressing.  A hit!  Lemon roasted potatoes wouldn't be wrong either.  haha.

Spaghetti w/ Mushrooms, Garlic and Oil - We don't often have pasta for supper but Dave wasn't going to be home for supper on this particular night and I was just in the mood for something really easy.  I find every week needs that one recipe to make on the night that you're just out of steam.  For me that's usually Thursday.  Plus we both really enjoyed this!

BBQ Steak, Baked Potatoes, Sauteed Mushrooms and Arugula Salad with Vegan Parmesan.  Winter is OVER!  Hurrah! And we just bought a new grill so this is what we made to test it out.  Always fabulous, I LOVE this meal!  The steak marinade we use can be found on my Favorites page under 'Salad Dressings and Spice Mixes'.


Since I was only posting one plan for the whole month I added a lot of variety.  Many of these meals could stretch over a couple of days making this a two week meal plan.  Hope some of our favorites become your favorites too!

Now bring on those May flowers!

Sandra

Week 37 - Back to School Series, Part 4: Double Duty Meals

Printable Version of Meal Plan

So if you've been hanging around here you know I often have leftovers for lunch. All of my lunches this week are based on leftovers from the night before... with a little twist to make them not just the same meal two days in a row. The thing I like most about this is that it really forces me to make lunches right after supper.  I mean when supper is done there's really no point in packaging up the leftovers just to take them out again later to repackage them into lunch is there?  Then I finish cleaning the kitchen and I'm done for the night!  Sweet!  I find this especially great in the fall when I want to get in my cozy clothes, curl up, watch new TV and knit.   

Recipe Quick Links

Apple Pie Overnight Oats, Oh She Glows
Fish Tacos, Canadian Living
Corn Tortillas, 100 Days of Real Food
Sticky Chicken, Canadian Family
Kale Salad, Marin Mama Cooks
Potato Chips, Canadian Family
Cold Chicken Noodle Salad, Canadian Living
Re-fried Beans, 100 Days of Real Food
Whole Wheat Tortillas, 100 Days of Real Food
Pumpkin Buns, Today's Parent

 

Week in Review

 

Make Ahead Snack

Pumpkin Buns - These "buns" I would actually consider more of a muffin.  They were quick and easy to make and turned out real moist and mild tasting.  I find a lot of pumpkin recipes call for cinnamon or pumpkin spice but these were just pumpkin and small amount of sugar, nothing too overpowering.  A nice little fall lunchbox treat!

Pumpkin Bun

Monday

Apple Pie Overnight Oats - So you may have noticed I'm a bit of a fan of the overnight oats.  I'm also a big fan of Oh She Glows so when I saw this post for Apple Chia Jam Overnight Oats I had to try... it sure made my Monday morning!!  This was overnight oats meets the fall.  It was a bit like having apple pie for breakfast, hence I'm referring to this as "Apple Pie Overnight Oats".  I used homemade almond milk (another favorite Oh She Glow's recipe) but I used Steel Cut Oats instead of rolled oats.  I did finally try the rolled oats and as suspected I was not a fan of the texture.

Squash Soup - I'm sure this was inspired by a recipe I saw at one point but I wouldn't remember where.  I made a batch of this soup on the weekend instead of the curry I had been intending to make.  I wanted to use up leftover squash and also stock my freezer with some soup for easy lunch options in the weeks ahead.  I roasted the squash first and I have to say it looked and tasted so delicious coming out of the oven it almost didn't make it in the soup.  I'll estimate it was 2lbs of diced squash.  While the squash was roasting I heated some oil in a large pot and sauteed a chopped onion and 2 chopped apples with curry powder (~1T), garam masala(~1t) and cumin (~1t).  When the onion was translucent I added chicken broth (~2 cups) and the squash and simmered until all the veggies were super soft.  Then I pureed the soup using a hand blender and stirred in a can of coconut milk.  Yummy!

Fish Tacos - I actually tried a slightly different version than the one I'm linking here but this one is still my fave.  The recipe I followed used green apple in the salsa instead of mango, which given the time of year you might prefer.  I also made corn tortillas which pretty much have to be made fresh, but they are super easy to make and if you have the time are definitely worth the effort!!

Corn Tortillas

Tuesday

Fish Lettuce Roll-ups - The extra fish and apple salsa were rolled up in lettuce leaves for lunch.  My original plan was to use rice wrappers but I went with the lettuce leaves thinking they'd be easier to work with.   In the end they didn't stay together that well so I'd recommend the rice wrappers for a more portable lunch.  I mixed sour cream with a little regular jarred salsa for dipping.  Messy but good.

Sticky Chicken w/ Kale Salad and Potato Chips - Loved, loved and loved.  This chicken was super easy to make and really tasty.  A winner!  I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and marinated them the night before.  I put 2 extra pieces on without the marinade to use in tomorrow's lunch.  And this kale salad is old news around here but I happened to find a different variety of kale I wanted to try.  Around here you usually find "curly" kale but I finally found the variety that has a flatter darker leaf.  It was a bit better, although I wouldn't turn down a bowl made with the curly kale either.  I also made potato chips which were a big hit with Marin!  I skipped the rosemary but that does sound delicious.  I don't have a mandolin slicer (hmmm.... perhaps Santa is listening again??) but was able to slice the potatoes thin enough with a sharp knife.

Wednesday

Cold Chicken Noodle Salad - Meh.  Didn't love this.  My last few attempts at salad with vermicelli noodles have not been overly successful.  The noodles are always too chewy.  Perhaps the package was open too long?  Anyone know the secret to cooking vermicelli?

Steak, Grilled Veggie and Goat Cheese Salad -  Stretching grilling season out as long as I can!!  It was a beautiful day so we did the steak and a mix of peppers on the grill.  That was layered on top of lettuce with cherry tomatoes, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.

Thursday

Goat Cheese and Grilled Veggie Omelettes - Goat cheese and grilled veggies automatically make me think of omelettes.  The veggies were leftover from supper so this was a really quick lunch to prepare.   Not sure why I've never thought to pack omelettes for lunch before??  I had it with a Pumpkin Bun and Coffee. 

Re-fried Beans on Whole Wheat Tortillas with Cheese, Sour Cream and Guacamole - I made the tortillas the night before and I have to say I'm still blown away that I can make tortillas.  Watching them puff up in the pan is one of the most exciting things ever.  Fresh, warm, chewy tortillas topped with homemade re-fried beans and the fixin's...  I really can't think of anything better.  Except for maybe fresh, warm, chewy tortillas topped with.... well pretty much anything.  And it was on the table within 10 minutes of walking in the door.  AND instead of having to threaten time-outs and no dessert to get Marin to eat, she literally inhaled this and asked for more.  This meal scores a 10 out of 10 in my books!

This is around the time I start to get excited!

The finished product.  Don't they look delicious!?

All loaded up!

I wasn't the only one super excited about this meal.

Friday

Layered Nacho Dip - It's the first thing to go at a pot-luck so why not make a meal out of it??  Use re-fried beans as a base layer and it's a filling (and fun!) lunch.  I served it with a baggie of Blue Corn Tortillas chips.

Grilled Apple & Cheese Sandwiches with Ginger Lime Thyme Jelly - Easy and delicious.

Hello weekend!

Sandra

Week 33 - Freezer Makeover - Before

Printable Version of the Meal Plan

We were out of town last weekend for an overnight getaway with friends.  We had a blast at Upper Clements Park on Saturday and then took our time working our way back into the city on Sunday.  We didn't get home until suppertime and I was Tired (yes, with a capital T) so my plan was to get groceries Monday night.  However, at around 7pm I realized that I was donating blood Monday night... so I literally threw together a meal plan with the help of the awesome September issue of Canadian Living and reluctantly headed out the door to get some grub.

There was no real theme this week, my only goal was to fill our bellies with as little effort as possible.  But by mid-week I started to think about some of the back to school articles I've been reading.  I still have one year before Marin starts school but I've been working at a University pretty much since I left University so to me September is the real New Year... I always get excited for a fresh start!

In particular I was feeling inspired by a post from 100 Days of Real Food re freezable lunches.  I have a confession... I'm 33 weeks into my meal planning resolution but my cupboards, and especially my freezers, are a mess!  I'm not really one to freeze meals in advance or stash leftovers.  Instead I tend to cook my meals fresh and make enough for just the servings I require for that week.  But this whole idea of having a stockpile of things like soups, pizza dough and muffins in my freezer to make at least one easy lunch a week is really appealing!  I mean come on... freezing individual servings of soup in mason jars - brilliant!!  So in the spirit of back to school I'm cleaning out the freezers!  Think of it as my New 'School Year' Resolution. 

 

Freezer Makeover - Before

I can't believe I'm posting this because it's super embarrassing but here are the before pics...

Fridge Freezer - Before

Fridge Freezer Door - Before

Deep Freezer - Before

This project is apparently long overdue!!  I'll post after pictures next week... and now that I've put it out there I really have to follow through!  Eek!

Let's talk about the food...

Lasagna - This is note-worthy because it actually came from the freezer!  Before leaving town last weekend I realized I had 2 pieces of the 'Easiest Lasagna Ever!' frozen.  It was the best feeling in the world to know that I wouldn't have to make lunch on Sunday night.

Orange Chicken Salad - This was one of the life-saving recipes I found in Canadian Living last Sunday night.  Just what we needed after not eating the best for a couple of days.  I used the PC Organic Field Greens with Herbs Mix and added a little feta.  Marin was loving the feta and said excitedly "Mom, I have a great idea!  We can make the cheese crackers and add feta and mix it all together!!!  That's what I'm talking about!".  I think I have a little foodie on my hands.

Orange Chicken Salad

Tomato and Chickpea Salad - Another Canadian Living recipe.  I enjoyed and it was a very easy and packable lunch.

Grilled Steak and Salad - We marinated the steaks (see the Favorites/Salad Dressing & Spice Mix section) and grilled them.  To go with them I did up a foil pack with mushrooms, onions, zucchini and butter and made a super simple salad using the rest of the salad green & herb mix, tossing it with olive oil, lemon juice and honey.   A quick, easy meal that we could eat anytime!

Homemade Tortillas -  I'm (almost) speechless... I made whole wheat tortillas!!  I figured if corn tortillas were easy and worth the extra effort than flour tortillas were probably worth a try too.  I took the time to read the recipe and they actually sounded like a breeze to make.  I'll admit they take a bit of effort but they were far from difficult (thanks in big part to my KitchenAid Stand Mixer) and I think it's a recipe that will get quite easy once I make it a few more times.  And the results... totally worth the effort!!  For me the best part of eating at a good Mexican restaurant is the fresh, chewy tortillas... and now I can make them myself!!  We made a cheese quesadilla as a snack to test them when they were hot out of the pan and they were divine!  Then we had them as part of our lunch for the next 2 days (Quesadillas on Day 1 and Chef Salad Wraps on Day 2) and even on the second day they were perfect.  Plus... you can freeze them! Another item for my freezer! Hurrah!  This was the highlight of my week.

Fish Casserole - I had an idea in mind of what I wanted here.... I was thinking white fish, rice, creamy sauce and Frenches Fried Onions crumbled on top.  I couldn't find a recipe anywhere so I made one up.  I basically used a Scallop Potato recipe but with fish (I used cod) instead of potatoes.  Once the fish cooked I used a fork to break it up and added the rice and shredded mozzarella.  Once that was all bubbly I topped with the Frenches onions and put it back in the oven for a few minute.  The results - delicious!!  It was kind of like Cheesy Scallop Potatoes meets Green Bean Casserole.  Just what I was looking for.  Dave loved it too, Marin not so much.  You win some you lose some...

Fish Casserole

Slow Cooker Chicken Gyros (Recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff ) - Slow cooking in the summer is awesome - there is just nothing better than coming home on a hot day to a cooked meal.  I'm pretty excited to get home tonight to try this one out!


Now I'm off to clean my freezers!

Sandra

Week 26 - Oh Canada!

Printable Version of Meal Plan and Grocery List

Canada Day is just around the corner so I wanted to pay tribute to this great country and one of my favorite holidays!!  I'm featuring meals using some of the best known Canadian ingredients...  blueberries, maple syrup, cheese, beef, lobster and mussels to name a few.  What are your favorite Canadian foods??  Admittedly, some of my ingredients were imports (gasp!), but hey... the 4th of July is just around the corner too.  Why not celebrate both, eh?!


Watermelon Maple Leaf - an easy treat for a July 1st BBQ!

Recipe Quick Links

Overnight Oats, Kath Eats

Wild Rice and Lentil Salad, Canadian Living
Whole Wheat Pancakes, All Recipes

Watermelon & Feta Salad, House of Fifty
Lobster Cobb Salad, Chuck Hughes

Week in Review

Monday

Breakfast - Overnight Oats - I'm highlighting this one because I tried a new flavor combo that was so delicious!  I used Coconut Yogurt instead of plain, and my add-ins were diced mango and a couple of tablespoons of shredded coconut.  I skipped the added sweetener because the coconut yogurt is definitely sweet enough!  mmm, mmm, mmm.... note, I've been using steel cut oats which I find turn out chewy instead of mushy.

Lunch - Wild Rice and Lentil Salad - I was pleasantly surprised by this recipe.  These aren't always flavors that appeal to me but I didn't overdo the dressing and found it to be a perfect lunch salad.  And did you know that Canada is well known for its wild rice? 



Photo by Jeff Coulson/TC Media via http://www.canadianliving.com


Supper - Mussels with Corn on the Cob.  I've been craving mussel's lately so I was really excited for supper this night.  But I decided to get adventurous and steam them with beer and it kinda ruined it for me.  When it comes to shellfish I'm a Plain Jane kind of girl.  Here's a good reference for preparing mussels.  The corn on the cob was delicious of course... nothing says summer like corn on the cob!

Tuesday

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes.  Another breakfast shout out, because - a) I used blueberries and maple syrup in honor of Canada.  And b) I found an excellent pancake recipe.  I made them the night before for a quick and easy mid-week morning treat.  I had leftovers as a work snack on another day.

Lunch - Dave and I both had lunch plans so no packed lunches this day!

Supper - Chicken and Watermelon & Feta Salad.  It was HOT out so this was an awesome summer meal.  Dave liked it but didn't think it was very Canadian (he was waiting for juicy beef burgers with Canadian bacon).  It might not have been but the feta was from Quebec!  I love me some Canadian cheese!  Ultimately this was just a perfect summer salad.  I was planning to barbecue the chicken but didn't feel like standing in front of a hot grill.  I opted to slice it and cook it in a frying pan with a little coconut oil.  I thought this would be the quickest method and it actually went really well with the salad.



Watermelon and Feta Salad
"That sure is a nice looking salad!", said Marin

Wednesday

Lunch - Montreal Style Smoked Meat Sandwich.  I bought a package of smoked meat (in the deli section) and had it on dark rye bread with mustard and a slice of swiss cheese.  Delicious!  So good in fact that Dave actually emailed me at 11:30 to say how good it was and I replied "I know" because apparently neither of us could wait until noon to eat them.

Supper - BBQ Steak with Potatoes & Brussel Sprouts.  So beef and potatoes are classic Canadian foods and I really wanted to have fiddleheads to round out this meal but at the three stores I shopped at this week I didn't come across any.  I think it's just past the season.  We had brussel sprouts instead because last week when I took Marin grocery shopping she really, really wanted them because they were "so cute".  However, when she saw them on her plate she wasn't so thrilled.  Not one of Dave's favorites either.  Oh well, more brussel sprouts for me!  Steak and potatoes were both done on the BBQ.  The sprouts I boiled and dressed with a little butter and salt.

Thursday

Lunch - I had a work lunch so Dave got the last Smoked Meat Sandwich.  Have to admit, I was a little jealous.  I thought of taking a bite out of his sandwich just to be funny but I figured I wouldn't be able to stop at one bite and that would be counter productive.
 

Supper - Turkey, Bacon, Apple and Swiss Panini's on Rye Bread with Spinach Salad.  Confession - this was supposed to be 'back bacon' which is often referred to as 'Canadian bacon' but I ended up grabbing the regular stuff because I wanted it to use in tomorrow's Cobb Salad as well.  This would allow me to cook enough bacon for the two meals and trim my grocery list.  But you know how this story goes, right?  We ate the extra bacon.  Who knew Marin would love 'steakon' so much??  So maybe not overly Canadian but a great summer meal that doesn't require turning on the stove!  I made the panini's on the George Foreman Grill but you could use a frying pan in a pinch.  I spread button on the outside of the bread and a little inside.  The salad was spinach, apples, bacon and cheese with a dressing made of equal parts maple syrup and mayonaise.  Easy and really good!

Friday

Lunch - Lobster Cobb Salad.  A Canadian themed week, put together by a Nova Scotian, would not be complete without lobster!  Typically we like to chow down on this crustacean in the comfort of our own home where we can roll up our sleeves, suck the juice out of the shells and dig into every little crevice.  Not a pretty picture, but there is truly no dainty way to accomplish this task!  I bought this tasty little fella at the local grocery store.  If you're not from a place where lobster are readily available then I'd suggest substituting the lobster for shrimp or even chunks of tuna. 

Lucy the Lobster

Supper - Poutine!  We're actually going to be on the road heading to the beautiful Cape Breton Island for the weekend.  But around here most fast food chains sell Poutine so I'm sure I can find a plate of it somewhere along the way.

If you're interested in making the Maple Leaf Watermelon treats (no, I didn't hand carve them), it's this easy...  oh, and thanks for the cookie cutter Krista and Happy Anniversay to you and Chris!

Tip #1:  Make sure your Watermelon slices are thinner than the cookie cutter.
Tip #2:  Use the scraps in the Watermelon & Feta Salad!

And in some non-food related business I want to give a shout out to my friend, Wendy Owens Abbott, who has recently released her debut CD and is having a CD release party this weekend in Halifax.  I've been lucky enough to hear her sing on a number of occasions and can tell you that her voice is as beautiful as she is!  An amazing talent!  Check her out... http://wendyowensabbott.wix.com/wendyowensabbott#


Happy Canada Day!

Sandra

Week 24 - Everyday Potluck

Printable Version of Meal Plan and Grocery List

Have you ever noticed when you go to a potluck that everything tastes so good!  So why don't we just cook like that all the time?  The thing with potluck food is that it's typically something you can big-batch, has global appeal for picky eaters and travels well... perfect for everyday!  So all the lunch/supper options this week are potluck friendly.  Just in time for all those summer barbecue's!

Recipe Quick Links

Fish Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa, Canadian Living
Honey Garlic Meatballs, Edesia's Notebook
Avocado Corn Salad, Sobey's Inspired
Thai Chicken Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce, Life's on Fire
Lemony Red Pepper and Asparagus Salad, Canadian Living

Week in Review

Monday

Lunch - Quinoa Lentil Salad.  This recipe came from my sister, Jo-Anne.  She brought it to a family BBQ a couple of weeks ago.  She likes to make the base (quinoa, bulgur, lentils, feta and dressing) in a big batch on the weekend and then she just adds the veggies as she goes through the week.  The lentils in this salad make it a filling lunch.  I prepared 1 cup of quinoa (reserving enough for breakfast later in the week), 3/4 cup bulgar and 1 cup of lentils.  This made generous servings of lunch for Dave and I for two days.  I added tomato and cucumber to our individual servings.

Dressing for Quinoa Lentil Salad
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp mint
1 tsp dill
Salt & Pepper
**Note: I made the amount of dressing as described here but found it to not be enough, so I made more based on 1/8 cup olive oil.  How much dressing you need will depend on how much salad you make and personal taste.

Supper - Fish Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa.  I made these a few weeks ago and they are so good!  I will say I made one mistake this time... I got lazy and bought corn tortillas instead of making them fresh.  It really did make a difference.  I think these would be awesome for a potluck.  When I make my own corn tortillas they're typically pretty small so you could have a platter with a stack of tortillas, crumbled fish, and the salsa and yogurt in dishes.  I think it would look really pretty and impressive and one little taco would be just right size when you're taking a little bit of everything. 

Photo by Jim Kim/TC Media, via http://www.canadianliving.com

Tuesday

Lunch -- Quinoa Lentil Salad.  I didn't switch it up, this was an exact repeat of Monday's lunch.  It was really nice to have something easy to pack on Monday night!  My sister will big batch this to have more than twice in the week.  For me two times of anything is typically enough... by the third day it's lost it's appeal.

Supper -- Honey Garlic Meatballs and Rice.  Ever been to a meatball free potluck?  Nope, me either.  I've never made honey garlic meatballs so I browsed Pinterest looking for a recipe.  I typically stay away from ketchup based sauces because, well... they're just too "ketchup-y".  But it seemed like every recipe I found for honey garlic sauce was this recipe.  Given it's popularity I thought I'd give it a try.  The verdict?  It was too "ketchup-y"!  I was looking for a bit more honey and bit more garlic.  When I said I wasn't crazy about it though Marin said (with a full mouth of food) "mmmm... I think it's perfect already".  So it got the kid stamp of approval.  If anyone has a meatball recipe they'd like to share I'm still looking for "the one".

Wednesday

Lunch - Dave didn't need lunch and I had a lunch date with my bestie!

Supper - Fajita Chicken Stirfry and Avocado Corn Salad.  I was planning to barbecue the chicken but it was raining cats and dogs so at the last minute I decided to do up the chicken as if we were having fajitas... chicken, peppers, onion, Mexican spice blend and salsa.  This is the second time I've had this Avocado Corn Salad on the menu and I made it for our family gathering last weekend as well.  This is best with grilled corn but I've made it plenty of times using frozen corn and it's still really good.  The last time I made it I skipped the salsa and hot pepper in consideration of some dietary constraints and actually preferred it that way so I skipped them again.



Photo from Sobey's Inspired - http://www.inspired.ca

 

Thursday

Lunch - Honey Garlic Meatball Pita Pizza.  I used up the leftover meatballs on a pita pizza, using the honey garlic sauce in place of pizza sauce.  It was pretty good.  I like when I can reinvent leftovers.

Supper - Thai Tofu Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce with Basmati Rice.  I think these would be great for a summer barbecue as an alternative to meat.  This recipe is from the cookbook "Life's on Fire - Cooking for the Rushed" but substituting tofu/veggie skewers for the chicken.  The recipe is copied out in the Week 6 file (linked above).  I mentioned this cookbook a few weeks ago and this is by far the recipe that I've made the most.  I think the Tofu version turned out great but then again, anything dipped in this peanut dipping sauce is going to be good.  I could eat have eaten it by the spoonful.  And you might not think of Tofu as kid-friendly but in our house it most definitely is!  It was one of Marin's first finger foods and she's always loved it.  I find this recipes needs a pretty plain side so we had it with basmati rice.

Friday

Lunch - Lemony Red Pepper and Asparagus Pasta Salad and Deviled Eggs.  Pasta Salad and Deviled Eggs - two more potluck classics.  I first tried this pasta salad at a girls night potluck and instantly fell in love with it.  It's really light and full of flavor, the perfect summer pasta salad.  This made enough for 2 days so we'll clean up on it on the weekend.  And confession time... I left deviled eggs in the menu because of the theme, but I was too lazy by the time I packed our lunches so we just had plain boiled eggs.

Photo by Joe Kim via http://www.canadianliving.com

Supper - Layered Nacho Dip.  Saving the best for last!  Isn't this always the first thing to go?  And is it just me or do you usually eat it and think "mmm... I could totally park myself in front of this dish and make a whole meal of it!".  Well we did... and this isn't the first time either!  Dave was regrettably out at a staff party but Marin will be super happy with this one!  I blend equal parts of cream cheese and sour cream, topped with salsa, optionally some veggies such as tomatoes, peppers and avocado and finally a layer of shredded cheese.  Easy peasy and delicious! 

Happy Father's Day weekend!

Week 22 - 6 Ingredient or Less Meals

Printable Version of Meal Plan and Grocery List

I gave myself a challenge this week – 5 Ingredient or less meals.  And I was thinking complete meals.  The problem was we were super busy last weekend so I had to rush putting the plan together and didn’t have as much time to hunt down recipes as I would have liked.  As a result I was feeling a bit disorganized.  I managed to pull something together but I’m going to admit defeat and hence this week is themed “6 Ingredient or Less Meals”.

Recipe Quick Links

Mexican Stuffed Shells,  Blogchef.net
Mexican Spice Blend, Chatelaine
Asparagus and Gruyere Pizza, Marin Mama Cooks
Whole Wheat Pizza Crust, 100 Days of Real Food
Overnight Oatmeal, The Yummy Life

Week in Review

Carry over from last week... I picked up some Steel Cut Oats so I could try overnight oatmeal as a breakfast on the go.  I'm in love.  I went with a Banana/Blueberry combo topped with almonds and maple syrup.  I can't wait to try different flavor combos! 

Overnight No-Cook Steel Cut Oats

Monday

Lunch – Egg Salad Sandwich.  I actually really enjoy egg salad and this was a perfect Monday lunch after a busy Sunday because it takes little effort.  I mixed mayo and diced celery in with my boiled eggs and added slices of cheddar and avocado for a pretty filling sandwich.

Supper – Lemon Dill Salmon with Broccoli.  (Ingredients - Salmon, Lemon, Dried Dill, Broccoli & Parmesan Cheese).  This was a complete meal in 5 ingredients.   I poured the juice from ½ a lemon on the fish, sprinkled with dill and baked at 375F until done.  At the same time I steamed some broccoli and topped that with lemon zest and Parmesan cheese before serving.   I did make Marin a potato as well – so I guess that was 6 ingredients.

Tuesday

Lunch – Veggie Burgers.  I got this recipe from a friend many years ago and it’s one of those "anything goes" kind of recipes. My sister would argue that it’s not a recipe at all!  Mine always come out different because it varies based on what I have on hand.  It goes something like this:

• Drain a can of beans (6 Bean Blend, Chickpeas, Black beans, etc…) reserving liquid.  Mix using a stand mixer until beans are mostly mashed.  Before I had the KitchenAid I would use a pastry cutter to do this by hand – doable but much easier with the KitchenAid.
• Add in veggies of choice, finely chopped.  I like mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, broccoli, onion…
• Add in a scoop (heaping tablespoon) of tahini, Peanut Butter or hummus.  This will make it a bit sticky
• Add in any seasonings you’d like and amounts are to taste
• Mix in a dry ingredient (bread crumbs or oatmeal) until mixture is dry enough to form patties… but not too dry.  If it gets too dry add a little of the reserved liquid from the beans.

This is all a bit of an experiment and I tend to just throw everything into the stand mixer and just keep adding wet and dry ingredients until I get the consistency and flavor I want.  Don’t over think it!  I always pan fry the patties, I don’t think they would hold together well enough for the BBQ.  I assembled the burgers on multigrain buns with mayo, cheese, lettuce and avocado.  I heated mine just a little at work so that I wasn’t eating it cold out of the fridge.

Supper – Pork Chops with Broccoli & Carrots (Ingredients – Pork Chops, Mustard, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Basil, Vegetables).   This recipe came from a cookbook “Life’s on Fire” which is a great meal planning cookbook.  It’s 12 weeks of complete dinners (mains and sides), organized by week, and includes grocery lists.  The full meal is written out step by step, so that you know exactly what to do to ensure everything is ready at the same time.  The perfect cookbook for a young person living on their own and cooking for themselves for the first time!  This is the one and only cookbook I own that I have made every single meal.  I still love the idea of it although I find most of the recipes not as appealing as they once were.  Lots of canned soup, ketchup and sugar based sauces, etc…  And this recipe did disappoint me a bit – not as yummy as I had remembered.  If I could have a do-over I would have simply barbecued the chops.

Wednesday

Lunch – Pork Fried Rice.  The chops were huge so I set some aside to throw in a fried rice.  I find this is a great way to use up leftover meat when supper portions are too much for one meal but not enough for two meals.  I just saute onion and whatever other veggies I happen to have and then add in the leftovers (diced into small bite sizes).  I add the rice to the frying pan with a little soya sauce and cook that a bit.  Then I move the rice to one side, crack an egg directly in the pan and scramble it up a bit, stir it in with the rice and then dish it up.  Easy peasy.

Supper – Marinated Chicken and Greek Salsa.  (Ingredients – Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Greek Salad Dressing, Tomato, Cucumber, Red Onion & Feta).  I marinated the chicken overnight with Greek dressing (I made my own but store bought would work) and cooked them on the BBQ.  The salad was diced tomato, cucumber, red onion and feta with Greek dressing.  This was a super easy meal and oh so tasty! 

Thursday

Lunch – Greek Tofu Pita.  I marinated some diced tofu in the Greek dressing and fried it until the tofu was crisped up a bit.  I mixed the tofu with leftover Greek Salsa from Wednesday's supper and had it on a pita.  Note: I packed my pita separately and assembled on site. 

Ground beef with Mexican Spice Blend and Cream Cheese

Supper --  Mexican Stuffed Shells.  (Ingredients – Ground Beef, Pasta Shells, Mexican Spice Mix, Cream Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Salsa).  I make a simplified version of this recipe.  I brown the ground beef and use my own Mexican Spice Mix instead of taco seasoning, then melt in the cream cheese.  My beef isn't as soupy as you can see...

Then I stuff the shells and cover with salsa.  I got this far Wednesday night.  Thursday I popped them in the oven @400F for about 20 minutes to heat up, covered them with cheese and put them back in the over until the cheese melted.  I broiled for a minute at the end because I like crispy cheese.  So no taco sauce or chips in my version either.  It was a really easy meal, similar to lasagna or Ricotta Stuffed shells but with a Mexican twist.

Mexican Stuffed Shells - ready for the oven (prep the night before)

 

Mexican Stuffed Shells - hot out of the oven!



Friday

Lunch – Leftover Stuffed Shells.  Yum.

Supper – Asparagus Pizza.  (Ingredients – Pizza dough, Olive Oil, Garlic, Asparagus, Cheese).  I was insprired my a Marin Mama Cooks post to have white pizza for our Convenience Food Friday.  I made my own crust on Thursday night (only because I couldn't find pizza dough at the store and didn't want a pre-baked crust).  I also skipped the Gruyere because we had an abundance of different cheese in the fridge and I didn't want to add yet another.  I chopped up a few other toppings and we had a bit of a family pizza party with everyone personalizing thier own.  We all loved our pizzas!!  I did white pizza with aspargus, portobello mushrooms and goat cheese - I hate to toot my own horn (well actually, no I don't) but it was delicious!  And I was really glad I made my own crust.  And the best part... we ate on the back deck for the first time this year.  So nice to be enjoying warm weather!

 Happy weekend everyone!

Week 20 – Snack Attack

Printable Version of Meal Plan and Grocery List

Last weekend was Mother’s Day so I wanted to get groceries on Saturday instead of my typical Sunday morning routine.  Since I had to put the plan together faster than normal I ended up just pulling some ideas from my head.  The result wasn’t too bad… some good eats this week!  And for some reason we had an abundance of snacks to choose from.  I must have been feeling snacky when I made the plan.  Snacks are something I find I can get in a rut with so I've added some to the Recipe Quick Links section and have highlighted one of our favorites!

Recipe Quick Links

• 7 Grain Orange Pilaf Salad, Zoe Cuisine
• Brown Butter, Chatelaine
• Refried Beans, 100 Days of Refried Beans
• Yogurt Parfait, In the Kitchen with Stephano Faita
• Granola Coins, Today’s Parent
• Kale & Pineapple Smoothie, Marin Mama Cooks
• Whole Wheat Tea Biscuits, 100 Days of Real Food
• Cheddar Crackers, Weelicious

Snack Spotlight - Apple Sandwiches

This has become a favorite over the last few weeks.  The spread is almond butter, maple syrup and shredded coconut.  It stacks and packs well for lunch boxes and is super delicious!  I use an apple corer to core the apple first.  Then I slice into 4 or 6 slices depending on the size of the apple to make 2 or 3 "sandwiches".  Reassemble the apple and wrap.

Week in Review

Monday

Lunch – 7 Grain Orange Pilaf.  I stumbled on this one on Pinterest last week so it was fresh in my mind.  It was really good.  A bit of a twist on our typical Greek Quinoa.  I used a combination of Quinoa and Bulgar.  Will definitely make this again.

Supper – BBQ Chicken & Kale Caesar.  We enjoyed our grilled chicken salad so much last week that chicken and salad made it back on the menu.  Just a basic grilled chicken breast and my homemade Caesar dressing with kale and grated parmesan.  Dave and I agree that Caesar works better with kale rather than romaine.  Yummy and easy!

Caesar Dressing – mix well 1cup of mayonnaise,  2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese, 1 Tbsp Lemon juice, 1 clove garlic (minced) and just a little milk.  The milk is to thin it out and give it the consistency you want, so base amount on preference.  I scale this recipe back depending on the size of salad we’re having

Tuesday

Lunch -- Leftover 7 Grain Pilaf.   I made enough pilaf for two days.  Just as good the second time.  I added the nuts just before eating.

Supper – Brown Butter Haddock and Sautéed Zucchini and Mushrooms.  I declared my love for brown butter the last time I made it… it’s been too long.  Welcome back to the plan Brown Butter, welcome back.  I just pan fried the fish and sauteed the veggies in a little oil and garlic.  I drizzled the brown butter over everything.  yum.

Wednesday

Lunch – Tuna Salad on Crackers with Veggies and Dip.  This is a go to lunch, quick to throw together and I almost always have everything on hand.  I used sour cream mixed with ranch dressing seasoning for Dave and Mango Curry seasoning from Epicure for me.  My tuna salad was basic - can of tuna, spoonful of mayo, squeeze of lemon and dash of dill.

Supper -- Hamburgers on Portobello "Buns" with Grilled Veggies, Kale and Aioli.  This recipe was straight from my head and I was pretty proud of it.  Isn't it pretty?? 

The hamburger was simply ground beef, egg, salt & pepper and breadcrumbs.  The mushroom caps, red pepper and red onion were brushed with olive oil and grilled on the BBQ.  I made an aioli with mayo, lemon juice and garlic.  We topped each burger with mozza and feta at the end, letting the cheese melt.  Then we assembled... Portobello "bun", aioli, kale, burger and grilled veggies.   I love BBQ season!

Thursday

Breakfast -- Yogurt Parfait with Granola.  I had to mention this one because it was a really satisfying breakfast and I actually packed it the night before for a grab and go.   I made the granola coin recipe but used coconut oil, shredded coconut and flax and didn't form it into coins.  Just tossed it on a baking stone and baked it longer than recommended to make a crunchy granola. 

Lunch -- Pita Pizza.  I topped pita with pizza sauce, leftover hamburger and grilled veggies, olives, feta and mozza.  Totally did the trick.  I love reinventing leftovers.

Supper -- Nachos with Refried Beans (from the freezer).  I told Marin we were having her favorite supper and she said "Yay!  Nachos!"  Then Dave came home and said "Yay!  Nachos!"

Friday

Lunch -- We still have some leftover beans to use up so the plan is bean, avocado and cheese quesadillas using pita instead of tortilla. 

Supper -- We're going to be on the road so I'm packing ham & cheese sandwiches on Kaisers with some veggies and dip.