Week 49 - Pretzels & Pomegranates

PDF Version of Meal Plan

We were hit with a little bug this week... luckily nothing too severe but as a result the menu was altered slightly.  I'm posting it as it was planned.  Also, because we were busy decorating, shopping, making treats for work, etc... I had planned a week that included mostly standard fare - ie. food that I could make quickly and without having to refer to recipes.  

Recipe Links

Almond Milk, Oh She Glows
Mushroom & Beef Barley Soup, Our Ohio
Simple Turkey Chili, AllRecipes.com
Easy Overnight Oatmeal, Marin Mama Cooks
Chia Jam, Eat Good 4 Life
Pretzel Chicken Bites, Kirstin Schell
Kale Salad, Marin Mama Cooks
Vegan Parmesan, Oh She Glows
Pumpkin Spelt Muffins, 100 Days of Real Food
Freezer Chocolates, Practical Paleo

Meal in the Spotlight

 

Pretzel Chicken

Since the menu this week was filled with meals I've made and reviewed numerous times I'll just talk about the one new recipe we tried that happened to be a big hit with everyone.  My sister sent me a link for this recipe saying she tried it last week and really liked it.  Marin's been loving pretzels lately so it was definately worth a shot.

A couple of modifications I made to the recipe:

1. I cooked mine in a skillet using just enough coconut oil to coat the pan and added a little more after I flipped the chicken so that each side was nicely crisped... but not quite deep-fried.  My sister baked hers and said they turned out great that way too. 
2. I used only about 1/8 cup of Maple Syrup.  I couldn't justify using 1/2 cup of my precious maple syrup for dipping raw chicken.  I thought they were still plenty sweet, but the coconut oil may have helped with that too.

The results - awesome!  We all loved them.  The chicken was moist and tasty, with a nice crunchy coating.  I ate one cold and it was great that way too so double the recipe and pack leftovers for lunch!

And since I didn't plan to write my post this way I didn't even pause to think about taking a picture. But speaking of pretzels... I fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it) realized this week how easy it is to make soft pretzels!!  That could be dangerous!  I made this batch of pretzel bites to share at work.  Yummm-mee!

Pretzel Bites

Tip of the Week 

De-seeding Pomegranate

I just happened to stumble on this tip this week and seriously... it blew my mind!  I used to de-seed pomegranate by breaking it in pieces and pulling the seeds out.  Messy and time-consuming.  Then I came across the "bowl of water" tip... basically the same technique but you pull the seeds in a bowl of water.  Less messy but still time-consuming.  When I watched this video I was skeptical that it could be that easy but I tried it and it worked exactly like it did in the video!!  Seriously.  Fast, not too messy and actually pretty darn fun.  Another bonus is the seeds fall out really clean.  Plus the guy in the video is pretty cute so it's worth a watch even if you don't like pomegranate.  Here's a festive looking treat you can make to test this out... Dark Chocolate Pomegranate and Ginger Bark.  Sounds delicious!

 

Pomegranate - before and after de-seeding

Happy Weekend!

Sandra

Week 48 - Dairy Free, No Problem!

PDF Version of Meal Plan

Wow... Week 48 already!!  I've been spending a lot of time lately contemplating where to go with this blog at the end of 52 weeks.  It's had so many personal benefits that I can't see giving it up, yet in it's current format it's a bit too time consuming to keep up while working full time.  I have some ideas that I'll share in a recap post at the end of the year but I'd love to hear any thoughts you might have!  Feel free to either comment or send me a Facebook message if you have ideas or would like to share what you felt worked or didn't work.

Recipe Quick Links

Almond Milk, Oh She Glows
Granola, Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations
Raspberry Chia Jam, Eat Good 4 Life
Avocado Corn Salad, Sobey's Inspired
Whole Wheat Tortillas, 100 Days of Real Food
Maple Soy Salmon, Chatelaine
Vegan Parmesan, Oh She Glows
Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken, Skinny Ms.
Ginger Mushroom & Kale Beef Stir-fry, Gimme Some Oven

Week in Review

The dairy-free trial continues and I didn't find it so hard this week.  Here are the highlights...

Almond Milk - I would drink this over dairy milk anytime and trust me when I tell you, it's really simple to make and far superior to store-bought!

Granola & Raspberry Chia Jam - I made the granola to use up some almond pulp and paired it with So Good Coconut Yogurt and Raspberry Chia Jam.  Awesome replacement for my typical Greek yogurt & berry snack.  This raspberry jam is ridiculously easy to make and really delicious!!  Making homemade granola happens only on rare occasions in this house... this is my latest favorite store-bought variety.

Love Grown Granola

Black Bean & Avocado Salad Wrap - This was basically the Avocado Corn Salad that I've made numerous times, with the addition of black beans to make it more of a meal.  Then I scooped it up with a warmed fresh tortilla.  Mmm, mmmm....

Quinoa & Pomegranate Salad with Arugula - This was a simple recipe.  I mixed quinoa and bulgar, added pomegranate seeds and a mix of peppers and sugar snap peas.  For the dressing I used a pomegranate vinaigrette.  To pack it for lunch I laid arugula in a bowl and topped it with the quinoa and then mixed it up just before eating.  I think the arugula was a key ingredient.  It's a bit strong and peppery so it's a good balance for the sweetness of the pomegranate.  I mention this one because it was quick, easy and made lunch for two days, and also because we were able to reinvent it so it wasn't just a repeat lunch.  The first day it was paired with black beans and the second day with leftover pineapple chicken and worked well with both.

Maple Soy Salmon - It was so good last week we had it again.  This recipe is a winner!

Vegan Parmesan -  Our typical Arugula and Kale salads have Parmesan cheese (I typically use shaved fresh Parm).  This week I substituted with Vegan Parmesan.  I would say it more closely replaces grated Parmesan but I thought it was really good and was able to totally enjoy my favorite salads.

Kale Salad all dressed up with Vegan Parmesan

Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken - This was one of those "super-easy-do-all-the-prep-the-night-before- leave-it-for-the-day-and-come-home-to-a-fully-cooked-delicious-meal" slow cooker recipes.  And it used just a few basic ingredients.  And it made enough to have leftovers for lunch.  Love!

Slow Cooker Totally Awesome Pineapple Chicken

Ginger Mushroom & Kale Beef Stir-fry - I actually thought this was just ok but Dave totally enjoyed.  I'd say it was his favorite from the week.

So basically I loved everything this week!

Note:  Dave and Marin did not eat dairy free - they had things like milk, yogurt, cottage cheese and cheese.

Happy Weekend!

Sandra

Week 43 - Fast Food

Printable Version of Meal Plan

This week was busy busy so I needed supper to be on the table fast to free up our evenings for other priorities.  The solution for me was food that I could prep, at least partly, the night before and both lunches and suppers that were familiar enough that I didn't have to be constantly referring to recipes - ie. I could prepare them in a zombie-like state in the late evenings (pardon the Halloween pun).

Recipe Index

 

Carrot Smoothie, Real Simple
Caesar Dressing, Recipe on my Salad Dressing and Dip Printout
Asian Salmon Cakes, Chatelaine
Kale Pomegranate Salad, Simple Provisions
Quinoa Patties, Eating Well Living Thin
Simple Turkey Chili, Allrecipes.com
Whole Wheat Tortillas, 100 Days of Real Food
Pumpkin Muffins, 100 Days of Real Food

 

Week in Review

Smoothie of the Week - Carrot, Pineapple, Orange.  So good!!

 

Sunday

Supper - Breaded Chicken w/ Roasted Vegetables. This is one of those meals that I don't have to refer to a recipe.  I mix breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese (roughly 2:1) in one bowl and whisk an egg and milk in another bowl.  I dip the chicken pieces in the egg then coat well with the breadcrumbs and bake at 425 until done.  At the same time I roasted some vegetables - for this I chop the veggies and toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread them out on a cooking stone.  The veggies typically take longer so I get them on first.

Prep Ahead Ideas

• Double the chicken to have leftovers for Monday supper.
• Make the Caesar dressing for Monday salad and store in fridge 
• Make double batch of quinoa for Monday and Wednesday lunches.  (I prepared 1 cup)

Monday

Lunch - Quinoa Vegetable Fried "Rice".  No recipe required again, this was just my regular fried rice with quinoa in place of the rice.  I sauteed a mix of chopped vegetables (use whatever you have on hand), added the quinoa and a little soya sauce.  I push that to that side of the pan once it's well mixed and add a couple of eggs that I roughly scramble.  Once the eggs are cooked I mix it all up.  Done. 

Supper - Speedy Chicken and Kale Caesar - The chicken and dressing were prepared the night before so this supper just had to be assembled.  I chopped the Kale and massaged it with a little olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice before adding the Caesar dressing.  We added Parmesan and croutons.  While I was making the salad I popped the chicken in the oven to reheat and crisp up - totally optional.  This was very popular with the kid in the house!

Prep Ahead Ideas

• Prepare the salmon cakes up to the step of forming the patties and store in the fridge overnight.  Note:  I used canned salmon.

Tuesday

Lunch - Kale Pomegranate Salad w/ Ryvita Rye Crackers.  I was totally excited to try this salad because I had "attempted" to make my own dried cranberries on the weekend.  I love the tartness of cranberries so I always find the dried versions too sweet.  I won't share my experiment because it was a flop - right flavor, wrong texture.  I'll keep trying.  The salad was good, I added chickpeas to make it a meal but I think I'd prefer it as a side dish rather then the main course.

Kale Pomegranate Salad

Supper - Asian Salmon Cakes w/ Avocado Mayo and Arugula Salad.  I really liked these but they were not as popular with the kiddo as the previous night's Kale Caesar Salad.  As mentioned I used canned salmon.  I also cut way back on the mayo and supplemented with some plain yogurt.  I thought the flavor was great and actually preferred it before I fried them up.  I think it would make a nice sandwich or wrap.  The arugula salad was our new go-to... Arugula, drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper and shaved Parmesan.  So easy yet so good!

Prep Ahead Ideas

• Premix the Pad Thai sauce (see recipe below) and store in the fridge overnight
• Chop any vegetables you plan to add to the Pad Thai and store in fridge overnight

 

Wednesday

Lunch - Quinoa Patties w/ Veggies and Dip.  The quinoa was made earlier in the week so this was a quick lunch to throw together.  Last time I reported they had a good texture but were a tad bland.  This time I actually found them to be perfectly flavorful... perhaps I missed an ingredient last time??

Quinoa Patties

Supper - Tofu Pad Thai.  This is a quick meal regardless of how much prep you do the night before.  I actually ran out of steam Tuesday night and opted to make this meal from scratch after work.  No biggie.  This is one of my sister's favorites from this blog. 


Tofu Pad Thai (Adapted from Crazy Plates cookbook)

Cook Vermicelli Noodles according to package.  Drain and rinse in cold water.

To make the sauce, combine the following and set aside:

• 1/4 cup Ketchup
• 2 Tbsp each soya sauce, lime juice, brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Heat 1 tsp of sesame oil in a skillet and add cubed firm tofu (press out as much as possible), 1 package of coleslaw mix, 1/2 small red onion (diced), 2 cloves of minced garlic.  Cook until tofu is browned.  Add sauce and bring to boil.  Stir in noodles.

Serve garnished with fresh cilantro, green onion, chopped peanuts and a wedge of lime.

Prep Ahead Ideas

• Complete step 1 of the Simple Turkey Chili recipe and then add everything to the slow cooker and store the crock in the fridge overnight.
• Make muffins for Thursday breakfast

Thursday (Halloween)

Breakfast - Pumpkin Muffins & Latte.  Since it was Halloween we started our day with Pumpkin muffins.  I made them the night before because there is no way I could get myself out of bed early enough to pull that off!  I also had to save time to make these cute "Boo"-nanas for Marin's daycare class.  Marin was super excited about these!  Thank-you Pinterest!

Boo-nana

Lunch - Leftover Pad Thai.  Gotta love leftovers!

Supper - Simple (Slow-Cooker) Turkey Chili.  I think this is going to be a Halloween tradition.  Nothing like nice bowl of comfort food before hitting the streets.  I topped the chili with cheese and sour cream.  Meant to take a picture since this is being added to Slow Cooker Favorites but I was too preoccupied to think about it.

Prep Ahead Ideas

• Make a batch of tortillas

Friday

Lunch - Ham & Cheese Wraps w/ Veggies & Dip.  Ham, Havarti, Mayo, Mustard and Arugula all wrapped up in a fresh whole wheat tortilla.  Delicious!  Seriously... go make a batch of tortillas.   You won't be sorry.  We used them as a base for tuna melts last weekend - also delicious!

Freshly made batch of tortillas

Supper - Quesadillas.  Marin and I are on our own for supper tonight and although it will be my second time having the tortillas in one day I can think of nothing wrong with that.  This time will be traditional Mexican style with cheese, refried beans (from the freezer) and all the fixin's....

Tortillas all loaded up!

Can you believe it's November?!!

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 36 - Back to School Series, Part 3: Fast Fix Suppers

Printable Version of Meal Plan

This turned out to be one of my favorite weeks so far.  The food was good but mostly meal prep just had a nice flow to it.  There was no rushing in the door and feeling frazzled trying to get a meal put together AND we managed to eat at a decent time each night (ie. before 6pm).  That was really one of the main goals of my meal planning resolution.  Then most nights I'd spend about an hour in the kitchen, cleaning up from supper, packing lunches and doing any advanced prep I could do for the next night's supper.  It all made me feel pretty in control!

One thing about this week though was that we had a few unexpected things come up.  For one, I had planned on packing lunch for Dave all week but he ended up only needing lunch two days.  Also, Wednesday night the kitchen was pretty much off limits while the new dishwasher went in.  So I juggled things around a bit.  I left the menu as it was intended and instead of the my typical food review I'm summarizing what to do each evening to help you breeze through the week!

Recipe Quick Links

Pizza Lunchable, 100 Days of Real Food
One Pot Pasta, Marin Mama Cooks
Chickpea & Butternut Squash Curry, Best Recipes Ever
Naan, Budget Bytes
Colorburst Chicken Salad, Chatelaine
Southwest Beans on Toast, Chatelaine
Whole Grain Fruit Bars, Weelicious
Whole Wheat Tea Biscuits, 100 Days of Real Food

Week in Review

 Sunday Evening

• Prepare lunch (Pizza Lunchable) -- Cut the pita into triangles, spoon the pizza sauce into a small container,  shred and package cheese and wrap the pepperettes.  This would be a prime lunch for divided containers!
• No prep required for Monday supper... enjoy a relaxing Sunday evening before the craziness of the week begins!

Monday Evening

Scallops & Arugula Salad

• Make Supper (Scallops & Arugula Salad).  Saute the scallops in butter & garlic with a twig of thyme.  While that's cooking, wash the arugula, drizzle with olive oil & lemon and toss.  Top the salad with Parmesan, salt and pepper.  Done!
• Note:  My backup plan for supper was Salmon that I would have simply baked with lemon, salt & pepper.  Fish cooks fast and doesn't require a lot of fuss, so a good choice for a quick meal!
• Prepare lunch (Tuna Salad Sandwiches) - Make the sandwich and whatever snacks and sides you'd like.  Veggies & Dip go great with a Tuna Sandwich.
• Prep for Tuesday Supper (One Pot Pasta).  While you have cutting boards out for lunch prep, also slice red onions, halve cherry tomatoes and slice garlic for Tuesday supper.   This will save 5-10 minutes when you get home.

Tuesday Evening

One Pot Pasta

• Make Supper (One Pot Pasta).  Toss all the veggies you chopped the night before in a pan with the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to boil and set timer for 9 minutes.  Toss the pasta while it's cooking.  That's it!  Supper's ready!  Goes well with garlic bread!
• Make Lunch (Chickpea & Butternut Squash Curry & Naan).  This is the one meal on the menu this week that requires a bit of time.  I actually pushed this off to the weekend because of our lunch requirements changing.  I plan to modify this recipe a bit, roasting the squash and making it on the stove top instead of the slow-cooker.  The Naan is also optional, but I did make this on Thursday night and it's similar in effort to making pizza dough.  This dish would pair well with basmati rice.  If you're looking for a quicker and/or nut-free recipe I'd suggest Lentils and Rice as a substitute.  This recipe requires very little effort and makes enough for at least two days.
• No prep required for Wednesday supper... unless you have take chicken out of the freezer.  This is by design in case you are going to go with a more involved mid-week lunch.

Wednesday Evening

• Make Supper (Colorburst Chicken Salad).  Heat a skillet and coat with a small amount of oil (I use coconut oil).  I use boneless skinless chicken breasts and slice them in half to make cutlets so that they fry faster.  While the chicken is cooking prepare the salad.  Note: I made substitutes for the things I didn't have (eg. Peppers instead of Beets & Radish, Pomelo instead of Orange).
• Lunch is already packed!  See wasn't that worth the extra effort the night before??
• Prep for Thursday Supper (Slow Cooker Pot Roast).  Fill a container or Ziploc bag with the veggies.  I added potatoes, mini carrots, turnip (I bought it pre-cut), celery, onion and a couple of bay leaves. 
• Optionally make Whole Wheat Tea Biscuits to go with your roast.

 

Thursday Morning

• Prep the Slow Cooker.  Place veggies in the slow cooker and top with the roast.  Pour in about 1 cup of beef broth and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and turn on low.

Thursday Evening

• Make Supper (Slow Cooker Pot Roast) - Turn off the slow cooker.  Dinner's ready!!  Seriously, there's nothing better.
• Optionally you could make gravy.  I prefer to pour a little juice from the slow cooker over my plate... mainly because that's easier.
• Make Lunch (Beef & Cheddar Wraps).  Use the leftover beef to make wraps for lunch.  I shredded the beef and mixed it with a little prepared horseradish.  Then I spread the inside of a Pita with mustard and filled with the beef, cheddar, lettuce and peppers. 
• No prep required for Friday Supper.  By the end of the week I'm running out of steam...

Friday Evening

Southwest Beans on Toast with Tex Mex Salad

• Make Supper (Southwest Beans on Toast) - Make the salad and set aside.  The last time I made this recipe I simple heated the beans in a skillet with a small amount of oil and a sprinkle of Mexican Spice Blend.  Keep that warm and make the garlic bread. 
• Confession... this is not what I made for supper.  I was so excited to try the Naan I did Mexican Style Naan Pizza (Naan topped with salsa, avocado, black beans, tomato and cheddar).  And it was really good!!

Wasn't that easy?

Also, I've updated my Favorites page, added an Index to the top and jazzed it up a bit with some pics. Check it out!

Sandra

Week 32 - Easy Eats and Local Treats

Printable Version of Meal Plan

Last Saturday we took the ferry to Halifax for brunch at Stayner's Wharf (nice patio, great food!) and as we were passing through the Alderney Farmers Market we picked up much of the produce we used this week (including kale, zucchini, tomatoes and carrots).  On Sunday we fit in our annual trip to Between the Bushes, a blueberry u-pick in Canning, NS and on the way home popped into Tangled Garden for a jar of Ginger Lime Thyme Jelly.  It all resulted in some pretty good eats this week.  Have I mentioned how much I love summer in Nova Scotia?!

I'm sticking to the same format I used last week... thought is was more to the point and I feel I have a lot to say about the food this week so "to the point" is probably a good thing!



Let's talk about the food...

First - Snacks!  Tuesday evening was cool here so I took advantage and got baking.  I put my fresh blueberries to good use in these Blueberry Spelt Muffins (recipe from The Athlete's Plate).  This was my first time using spelt flour and I was really impressed with the outcome.  They came out perfectly moist and not too sweet. 

Blueberry Spelt Muffins

I also made a batch of Whole Wheat Cheddar Crackers (recipe from Weelicious).  Haven't made these in awhile and we were all a tad excited when they came out of the oven!

Whole Wheat Cheddar Crackers

Toast w/ Butter, Maple Syrup and Blueberries - I don't usually talk about breakfast (well except for hounding you to try Overnight Oats!) but this is one of my summer favorites so I had to mention it.  I'm a toast girl... prior to this year I probably had toast, with either peanut butter or jam and cheese, nine mornings out of ten.  But come summer when I have fresh blueberries and in-season juicy peaches I like to switch it up.  Toast, butter, blueberries or sliced peaches and optionally a drizzle of maple syrup.  mmm. mmm. mmm.

Cheese and TVP Quesadillas - Quesadillas are a go-to packable lunch that I've mentioned before but this time I opted to add a little TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) which is a bit different for me.  I rehydrated the TVP and then browned it with Mexican Spice Blend, using it as you would ground beef.  This is really the only way I've ever used TVP - as a ground beef substitute in quesadillas or nachos.  Just can't seem to get on board with it.  What am I missing?

Grilled Pesto Salmon Packets w/ Roasted Potatoes and Kale Chips - So I totally enjoyed this meal.  I had made the pesto the night before - first time ever, but now I know how ridiculously easy it is so it probably won't be the last!  In fact this whole meal was ridiculously easy and required almost no cleanup.  Bonus!  I coated the inside of each piece of foil with olive oil and then layered carrots, peppers, cherry tomatoes and sugar snap peas.  On top of the veggies I placed a piece of salmon (boneless skinless) and topped that with a spoonful of pesto and a squeeze of lemon juice.  In a separate foil pack I had mini potatoes halved and coated with olive oil, salt and pepper.  While all that was grilling I made a batch of Kale Chips (recipe from 100 Days of Real Food).  It had been a long time since we had a batch of 'green chippies' and Marin devoured them.  Dave liked supper but wasn't as enthusiastic as I was... I don't know, maybe it was just that cleanup only required putting our plates in the dishwasher and throwing away the foil, but I thought this meal was pretty awesome.

Quinoa Feta Patties and Kale Salad - I was loving this lunch too!  I like to turn pretty much anything into a patty these days.  Remember I did whole week themed Patty Cake??!!  I'm at the point that I rarely follow a recipe - just use whatever grain, legume, ground meat or fish I have on hand... throw in a couple of eggs, spices, cheese, breadcrumbs and then shape them into patties and fry them up.  This week was Quinoa with Oregano and Feta and they were delicious.  If you want to follow a recipe I've linked one from Marin Mama Cooks and while you're there you can also grab the recipe for Kale Salad... which I'm pretty sure I'm now addicted to.

Pork Chops with Roasted Vegetables - Another easy one.  Preheat the oven to 425.  Put the pork chops in one baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Chop a variety of veggies (I used sweet potato, carrots, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes) and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper in a second baking dish.  Bake until done... I find the veggies will take longer so get them started first.  But what took this meal from 'ok' to 'wow!' was my Tangled Garden Ginger Lime Thyme Jelly.  I spread a little on the chops for the last few minutes of cooking and then had another little spoonful for dipping.  I could actually skip the chops and the veggies and just have the jelly.

Ravioli with Cherry Tomatoes -  Again, easy peasy!  I picked up some fresh Spinach and Cheese Ravioli at Costco which takes no time to cook.  While the water was boiling I heated some olive oil in frying pan, added some minced garlic and cherry tomatoes and tossed them around until the tomatoes started to burst.  I added the cooked, drained pasta to the pan to coat it with the tomatoes and oil and that's it!  I wasn't sure if it would dry out or reheat well for lunch but it was fine!

Summer Squash Strata -- This was another meal that I was enthusiastic about but Dave and Marin not so much.  Dave liked it but felt it was more of a breakfast dish... fair enough.   I made some substitutions... 

• Grape Tomatoes instead of Beefsteak Tomatoes
• English Muffins instead of French Bread
• Dried Thyme instead of Fresh
• Old Cheddar instead of White Cheddar

Summer Squash Strata

Plum and Oregano Chicken Kababs, with Roasted Potatoes and Carrots - Dave was happy to fire up the grill again.  I actually used boneless skinless chicken breasts and had read a review that said the plums got overcooked and mushy on the skewers so I just placed the chicken and plums on the grill separately.  I did the potatoes and carrots in separate foil packs.  This chicken was super easy and nothing fancy but turned out really good.  We could have skipped the plums but overall this meal was a hit.

Gourmet Grilled Cheese - My niece Bailey is the "Gourmet Grilled Cheese Queen".... no Kraft Singles for that girl!  I think she'd approve of the Ginger Lime Thyme Jelly with Old Cheddar combination.  However, Dave had a hankering for nachos so we had nachos tonight and I'm saving the grilled cheese for Sunday night.  We're off for a weekend getaway with friends so an easy supper on Sunday will be perfect!

Happy Weekend Everyone!  Hope you're all getting out to enjoy some of your own local flavors!

Sandra

Week 27 - Quick and Easy Summer Eats!

Printable Version of Meal Plan and Grocery List

We were at the cottage on the weekend and Monday was a holiday so no groceries until Tuesday this week.  On the drive back I jotted down some ideas to get us through until I could get to the grocery store and since I was shopping mid-week it turned into a small order.  I took the opportunity to refresh a few of our staples.

Recipe Quick Links

Tex Mex Rice Cakes, Weelicious
Southwestern Beans on Toast, Chatelaine
Tex-Mex Salad, Chatelaine
Raspberry Vinaigrette, What's that Smell?
One Pot Pasta, Marin Mama Cooks

Week in Review

Tuesday

Lunch - Tex Mex Rice Quinoa Cakes. I was limited by what we had on hand so I made up the Weelicious Rice Cakes using Quinoa instead of rice.  Not bad.  These "cakes" are becoming a go-to lunch.  The recipe is easily modifiable to suit your mood and/or what you have on hand.

Supper - Southwestern Beans on Toast with Tex Mex Salad.  This was a really quick week night meal that I enjoyed A LOT!  I didn't follow the recipe exactly - I just heated the beans in a frying pan with a little oil and the spices.  They were a tad on the dry side so I think next time I'll boil them as suggested.  But I actually just ended up mixing them in with the salad (which was totally yum!) and then had the cheese bread on the side.  Marin is not a big bread eater but ended up eating her cheesy bread first and noted how much she loved it.  Kid thumbs up!

Southwestern Beans on Toast with Tex Mex Salad

Wednesday

Lunch - Beet, Chickpea and Feta Salad.  I meant to make the salad that I'm linking here but I forgot to "Pin" it so when I went to get lunches ready I couldn't find it.  So I actually made a slightly different version which I also forgot to "Pin" and now I can't find that one!  GAH!  Anyhoo... the beet, chickpea and feta combo made for a tasty salad and there's lot of recipes out there with slightly different dressings so take a look and pick one that speaks to you or uses ingredients you have on hand.  I used canned beets and chickpeas making this a really easy meal to put together on a hot summer night!

Raspberry Vinaigrette

Supper - Deli Chicken and Spinach Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette.  Deli chicken makes for a super easy supper.  You can make your own in the slow-cooker or pick one up at the grocery store.  I do love the slow-cooker version but sometimes you just can't beat convenience!  The salad was spinach, fruit (blueberries and peaches) and walnuts with a homemade raspberry vinaigrette.  I'm really loving making my own dips and dressings... most of them take little effort but taste so much better than bottled.  And they're typically healthier too.  Plus from an economical point of view most of the dips/dressings I've been making use common ingredients and I no longer have a fridge full of expired bottles that have barely been touched.    Tastier, healthier, cheaper... Win, win, win!  Don't know why it took me so long to make this transition.

Thursday

Lunch - Pesto Chicken Pita Pizza.  I left this on the menu but we actually had enough leftover chickpea salad that I just chopped up the rest of the chicken to have on the side.

Supper - One Pot Pasta.  I first noticed this on Marin Mama's Cooks blog and have seen it around Pinterest a lot too.  I was intrigued and had to try it.  The verdict... pretty darn good!  It couldn't be any easier to make yet I felt like I was eating at an Italian restaurant.  Do make sure you read through Jackie's post though because I think I would have been concerned about the extra water and likely would have overcooked it had I not been properly warned.  We had it with cheesy garlic bread (slice of French bread spread with butter, a sprinkle of garlic powder, shredded mozza and broiled until the cheese bubbles and bread browns on the edges).  The only downside was that it was a really warm night and we ate it warm so weren't exactly beating the heat with this one.  So although I'd highly recommend trying it and it is a perfect no-fuss summer meal, save it for a night that's not too hot or let it cool... I nibbled Marin's leftovers and found it even more flavorful when it was cooled down.  Also a note about making this for kids... Marin liked it but I went easy on the red pepper flakes.  I'd say either go easy on them or add them at the end after you've scooped out the kids servings.

One Pot Pasta

Friday

Lunch - Date Lunch!  It was so nice out Dave and I decided to save the leftovers for the weekend so we could meet up on patio.  Lobster Poutine at Cut Grill... yum!!!  And for the record I didn't have Poutine last friday after all so I'm not actually OD'ing the stuff.

Supper - Cheese Platter. I left this night open when I planned the week so that we could do whatever pleased us.  That's how I like to roll in the summer.  I'm planning to pop back into the grocery store for some Brie and we're going to clean up on some of the odds and ends and have a no-cook supper of cheese, fruit, nuts and bread.  I think I'll make us some fancy drinks too and have an al fresco night!  I love summer!!


That wraps up week 27... can't believe I'm past the half way mark of my 52 week goal!  Thanks for following and welcome to all the new followers over the past few weeks!

Sandra

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.