Monday, November 4, 2019

Meal Plan 11/4/2019


Sunday

Monday

Wednesday

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Meal Plan 10/28/2019


Monday

  • crispy baked chicken tacos
    • I loved this method and the tacos were easier for kids to eat
    • I used a rotisserie chicken (white and dark meat)
      • chop 1/4 cup of onion and heat in avocado oil or olive oil over medium heat until soft
      • add roughly shredded or chopped, cooked chicken
      • season with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper
      • add 1/2 cup of liquid - I drained a can of tomatoes into the pot and then added a little extra water - used the tomatoes for salsa!
      • bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer for 10-15 minutes
      • taste and adjust seasonings
    • I used regular shredded cheddar and jack cheese and corn tortillas
  • leftover instant pot black beans
  • quick slaw
    • thinly slice 1/4 of a head of purple cabbage + 1/4 cup of cilantro
    • toss with a dash of white vinegar and salt generously
    • let sit for a few minutes before serving

Tuesday

Thursday

  • Halloween tradition! chili dogs using leftover chili
  • I'll serve mine over another batch of quick slaw (see above) with fritos and cheese

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Meal Plan 10/14/2019


Sunday

  • sole meuniere
  • this was our anniversary dinner so we picked up sides from a restaurant!

Monday


Monday, October 7, 2019

Meal Plan 10/7/2019


Monday


Wednesday


Monday, September 30, 2019

Meal Plan 9/30/2019


Sunday

  • lamb chops
  • macaroni and cheese - I halve this recipe for us and it is plenty! I also use whole wheat macaroni
  • quick creamed spinach - from cookbook Dinner: a Playbook, which I highly recommend
    • thaw a box of frozen spinach
    • use a kitchen towel to squeeze out the liquid
    • in a skillet, heat 1 TBSP of olive oil and add 2 TBSP of finely chopped onion or shallot
    • season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes
    • when onion is very soft, add spinach and cook until heated through
    • add 1-2 tsp of flour and cook for another 2-3 minutes
    • add 1/3-1/2 cup of milk
    • season with grated nutmeg, more salt + pepper and parmesan cheese

Monday

Wednesday

  • instant pot brisket tacos - this was a new recipe and the flavor was amazing but meat was not tender, HOWEVER, I just found out that I've been using my InstantPot incorrectly. I am excited to try this again! I also love this recipe for slow cooker brisket tacos.
  • quick slaw
    • I have purple cabbage in the fridge so I'll use that instead of the bag of cole slaw
  • black beans
    • will just doctor up a can - caramelize some onions first, add garlic then can of beans. Season with cumin, salt, pepper and a little white vinegar


Monday, September 9, 2019

Meal Plan 9/9/2019



Monday

  • lasagna - sounds ambitious for a Monday except that I have leftover bolognese and bechamel thawing from the freezer. I've also made this with the Trader Joe's turkey bolognese with 1 can of crushed tomatoes added to it and it is great. can also add mushrooms and/or spinach to each layer
    • heat oven to 375
    • start with a layer of bolognese
    • add layer of lasagna noodles (I use the no-boil kind!)
    • add another layer of bolognese + drizzle of bechamel + layer of shredded mozzarella
    • repeat until all sauce is used up, finishing with the cheese
    • sprinkle with fresh parmesan
    • cover and cook for 50 minutes
    • remove cover and cook 10-15 minutes more
  • ceasar salad

Tuesday

  • pulled pork tacos - have some pork in the freezer I'll use for this
  • cole slaw
  • canned black beans

Thursday

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Meal Plan 9/2/2019


Monday

Tuesday

Thursday

Monday, August 26, 2019

Meal Plan 8/26/2019


Sunday

  • fish tacos - I used tilapia. The cabbage slaw was a little bitter - I'd opt for green cabbage next time. otherwise, very good!
  • instant pot black beans - these were delish, however, I have a small instant pot and it overflowed on the first cook. Next time I'll try decreasing the liquid to 7 cups for that first cook. I also increased the second cook to 20 minutes, which was a good move.
  • red chile salsa

Monday

  • sichuan beef stir fry - Last time I made this it was too salty so I'm just skipping the salt on the meat and letting the soy sauce do its thing. Those sichuan peppercorns are seriously good - I ordered some from Amazon!
  • brown rice
  • Trader Joe's chicken dumplings

Wednesday


Monday, August 19, 2019

Meal Plan 8/19/2019

Back to school week and back to meal planning for me. enjoy!

Sunday

  • shrimp rolls
  • steamed artichoke
  • avocado/tomato green salad
    • 3/4 of an avocado
    • large tomato, diced
    • drizzle of white wine vinegar (1 TBSP?)
    • 1 tsp grated garlic
    • drizzle of olive oil (1.5 TBSP?)
    • salt and pepper
    • add 1/2 head of chopped romaine and toss to combine
  • this was my oldest's request for her back to school dinner!

Monday

Wednesday

Monday, July 22, 2019

Meal Plan 7/22/2019


Sunday

  • margherita pizza using a new dough recipe
    • I liked this but made a note to cook it at a higher temp - I'll try 500 next time.
  • easiest spinach salad
    • spinach
    • squeeze of lemon
    • drizzle of olive oil - flavored ones are good here - I used basil
    • grated parm
    • salt and pepper

Monday

  • mini turkey meatloaf
  • sweet potato fries
  • steamed broccoli with lemon butter
    • steam broccoli in steamer basket until tender
    • melt butter in microwave and add lemon, salt and cayenne
    • drizzle butter over steamed broccoli

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Meal Plan 7/8/2019


Monday

  • korean stir fried chicken - our first time trying this recipe - it was a hit!
  • stir-fried veggies
    • I half the sauce here and used 3 carrots, 3 stalks of celery, 1 red bell pepper and half a bag of cole slaw. I added sauce as needed - didn't use it all. we love this combo!
  • brown rice
  • Trader Joe's chicken gyoza

Tuesday

  • whole wheat spaghetti with marinara sauce
    • I used Trader Joe's Tuscan marinara and added olive oil + salt as I warmed it
  • fried eggplant
    • slice eggplant 1/4 inch thick and salt slices. let sit on paper towels for 10 or so minutes
    • beat 2 eggs with some water
    • mix about 1 cup of breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese, garlic powder, oregano and salt
    • heat 1/2 inch of olive oil in a nonstick skillet for 5 minutes
    • toss eggplant in egg, then breadcrumbs. fry about 3 minutes on each side, flip with a fork
    • drain on paper towels

Tuesday

  • shrimp rolls
  • sweet potato fries
  • cole slaw
    • 1/2 bag of cole slaw
    • grated carrots
    • chopped cilantro
    • dressing (adapted from Dinner: The Playbook sandwich slaw):
      • 3 TBSP mayo
      • squeeze of lime juice
      • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
      • squeeze of honey
      • salt and pepper

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Meal Plan 6/24/2019


Monday

  • meatloaf sandwiches with leftover turkey meatloaf
    • grilled tomatoes, cheddar + jack cheese and little mustard + ketchup
  • Trader Joe's hash brown patties
  • sliced tomato salad with olive oil, balsamic, basil

Wednesday

Monday, June 17, 2019

Meal Plan 6/17/2019


Sunday

  • migas breakfast tacos
    • didn't use a recipe. just sauteed some onion, jalapeno and tomato, then added scrambled eggs. when cooked through, added a handful of crushed tortilla chips and grated cheddar. serve on warm tortillas with salsa
  • bacon

Monday


Wednesday

  • tilapia two ways (didn't make this last week so making this week!)
  • oven fries - use roasted potatoes recipe but cut potatoes into french fry shapes
  • steamed broccoli with lemon butter
    • steam broccoli in steamer basket until tender
    • melt butter in microwave and add lemon, salt and cayenne
    • drizzle butter over steamed broccoli

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Meal Plan 6/3/2019


Sunday


Tuesday


Monday, May 20, 2019

Meal Plan 5/20/2019


Sunday

  • broiled tilapia 2 ways
    • rub with olive oil, salt, pepper and dried dill
    • rub with olive oil and blackened seasoning
    • squeeze fresh lemon over for serving
    • cooking method shown here
  • fried okra
  • farro salad with tomato, mint and and smoked gouda - from DINNER by Melissa Clark (even Maggie loved this!)
    • cook 1/2 cup farro per package directions + lots of salt added to cooking water
    • drain and toss with 1.5 tsp of apple cider or sherry vinegar  while still warm
    • let cool to room temp
    • chop tomatoes and mint, cube cheese into tiny bits
    • toss all together and squeeze with lemon

Tuesday

  • pork tenderloin with mustard sauce
    • trim pork and season with salt and pepper
    • heat skillet to high, add olive oil
    • sear tenderloin on all sides for 5-7 minutes
    • turn heat down to low, cover, and cook for ~20 minutes until pork reads 160
    • wrap pork in foil to rest
    • deglaze pan with 1/2 cup of chicken broth
    • add tsp whole grain mustard + 1 tsp dijon
    • add 1/2 cup sour cream
    • serve sliced pork with sauce
  • roasted broccoli
  • leftover fried okra

Wednesday

Monday, May 13, 2019

Meal Plan 5/13/2019


Sunday


Monday


Wednesday

  • pulled pork sandwiches
    • I use leftover smoked pork and warm with bbq sauce + some apple cider vinegar. serve on potato rolls with pickles, onions and slaw
  • cole slaw
  • instant pot baked beans - new recipe for us - will report back!

Monday, April 29, 2019

Meal Plan 4/29/2019


Monday


Tuesday


Thursday

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Meal Plan 4/22/2019



Sunday

Monday

  • instant pot chile verde
    • I used hatch chiles from Trader Joes instead of the poblanos + anaheims
    • It needed more liquid so I added 1 cup of broth to the chiles before pureeing
    • I think it could have gone for an extra 5-10 minutes to get the pork super tender
  • cheese quesadillas for the kids

Wednesday

Monday, April 15, 2019

Meal Plan 4/15/2019


Monday

Tuesday

Thursday

  • leftover chili over purple cabbage slaw - using our leftovers from chili cook-off but this recipe is a good standby
  • hot dogs for the kids
  • chili fixins - fritos, onions, cheddar cheese

Monday, April 8, 2019

Meal Plan 4/8/2019



Sunday

  • grilled shrimp - I used the recipe for Basque Style Shrimp in Joy of Cooking, which is similar to the one I linked, but doesn't have sugar in it - doesn't need it!
  • steamed artichokes
  • roasted potatoes
  • aioli + garlic butter for artichokes
    • aioli - 2 TBSP mayo + 1 tiny clove garlic, grated + squeeze of lemon (or lime!) + salt and pepper

Monday


Wednesday

Monday, April 1, 2019

Meal Plan 4/1/2019


Sunday

  • broiled salmon with mayo/mustard sauce - from cookbook "Keepers". the sauce wasn't my favorite but I love the way they tell you to cook fish in the book:
    • preheat your broiler for 10 minutes
    • put a cast iron skillet under the broiler so your fish will be 4-6 inches from heat
    • heat skillet for 5 minutes (should be smoking)
    • prepare your fish while skillet heats by rubbing with olive oil and whatever seasoning you like. we like blackened seasoning or salt, pepper and dill
    • carefully pull hot skillet from oven, add fish to skillet, topped with a bit of butter and put back under the broiler for 3-5 minutes depending on thickness of fish.  
  • roasted asparagus with lemon
  • rice

Monday

  • posole with chicken - my mom had recommended this recipe, but I think I'm going to add in a couple of poblano peppers to keep it mild
  • toppings: sliced cabbage, radishes, avocado
  • cheese quesadillas for the kids

Wednesday

Monday, March 25, 2019

Meal Plan 3/25/2019


Sunday

  • turkey and ricotta meatballs - this was a new recipe for me and we all loved it.
  • zucchini noodles - another first from Trader Joe's freezer aisle. good but we needed 2 boxes
  • spinach caesar salad - I have been adding a little mayo to my caesar dressing and extra anchovy paste - good changes!

Monday

  • leftover pot roast (from my freezer)
  • egg noodles
  • roasted carrots (because there are never enough carrots in pot roast)
    • heat oven to 425
    • toss carrots with olive oil, salt, pepper and ?? - I like curry powder sometimes or chili powder + cumin. can do brown sugar for kiddos!
    • roast for 30 minutes, tossing at about the 20 minute mark

Wednesday

  • sage roasted pork tenderloin - recipe above! this is from a family cookbook and I make it often.
  • zucchini with lemon vinaigrette
    • heat oven to 425
    • slice zucchini lengthwise, then cut into 1/2 inch half moons
    • toss on a baking sheet with olive oil + a little salt and pepper
    • while it cooks, make a dressing:
      • squeeze of half a lemon
      • clove of minced garlic
      • 1-2 TBSP of olive oil
      • 1 TBSP chopped parsley (mint is good here too!)
      • salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste
    • cook zucchini for 20-30 minutes, then toss with the dressing before serving
  • cheese grits

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Meal Plan 3/18/2019


Sunday


Monday

  • Soy Ginger Cod 
    • I buy this frozen from Trader Joes but ignore package instructions. instead:
    • set oven to broil with a heatproof skillet about 5 inches from top of oven
    • heat skillet for 5-7 minutes
    • carefully remove from oven, drizzle with a little olive oil and add the thawed fish
    • top with green onions
    • broil for 5 minutes until browned on top
  • brown rice
  • chicken dumplings (also from Trader Joe's freezer section!)
  • soy sesame roasted broccoli
    • I did not toast sesame seeds - just added them raw to the broccoli before I cooked it
    • wish I had cooked this on convection, but otherwise very good!

Wednesday

Monday, February 11, 2019

Meal Plan 2/11/2019


Monday

  • chicken pot pie - cooked my chicken in the oven rather than poaching and omitting pearl onions
  • simple spinach salad
    • parmesan cheese
    • olive oil
    • squeeze of lemon
    • salt and pepper

Tuesday


Thursday (valentines day!)

  • not sure what I'm making yet! probably fish maybe with okra?

Monday, February 4, 2019

Meal Plan 2/4/2019

Sunday

  • chicken and sausage gumbo - I use my mother-in-law's recipe, which is similar to this one. I don't use shrimp and add a bag of frozen, cut okra to simmer for the last 15 minutes or so. (if you add it earlier, it will fall apart)
  • rice

Monday

Tuesday



Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Meal Plan 1/15/2019


Sunday

Monday

  • lemon chicken - I cooked on convection at 420 and was able to cook the eggplant in the same oven. chicken was crispy, delicious!
  • roasted eggplant with yogurt sauce - recipe above from Keepers cookbook - this was delicious - I could definitely eat this for a meal on its own. my eggplant shrunk a lot when I cooked it so be generous with the amount.
  • leftover potato salad

Wednesday

Monday, January 7, 2019

Meal Plan 1/7/2019

Monday

  • shrimp pad thai - trying a new recipe from Dinner: Changing the Game by Melissa Clark. Will post the recipe if it's a hit!
  • Trader Joe's chicken gyoza

Tuesday

  • chicken stuffed poblano peppers - using a rotisserie chicken
  • Mexican rice
  • Mexican slaw
    • bag of cole slaw
    • shredded radishes and jalapeno (I like to grate them in the food processor)
    • chopped cilantro
    • dressing (adapted from Dinner: The Playbook sandwich slaw):
      • 3 TBSP mayo
      • squeeze of lime juice
      • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
      • squeeze of honey
      • salt and pepper

Thursday