Starving!!!!!

It's true I am presently famished.  My lil peanut has had a tummy bug since Friday, and maybe it's just me but it sure kills my appetite.  She is on the mend, and after deciding on this weeks menu, I need to eat.  

This week I am featuring recipes from some wonderful food bloggers!! Mary at One Perfect Bite always has beautiful dishes featured, and leaves me some really encouraging comments,  I will be trying her Salt and Pepper pork chops on Wednesday.  I also like to check out Our Recipe Box weekly.  The Probert Family often makes the chicken marinade I am going to try on Thursday.  And last but not least my tuna pasta salad was inspired by Beth at Budget Bytes I have made a few modifications on her recipe but linked y'all to the original.  Hey you have to give credit where credit is due!

And while you're here, leave me a comment to share what your menu this week looks like!



Monday - Ground Beef Stir-fry 

I cook the ground beef in oyster sauce, chinese 5 spice, diced onion and fresh ginger. I then chop and add whatever veggies are laying in the crisper.   When the veggies are still firm I add a half of a bag of stir fry noodles and 1/3 cup of water to soften the noodles, add a lil more sauce and done! lol

Tuesday - Broccoli & cheese tortellini in a creamy tomato sauce

Ingredients

1 pkg  frozen or fresh cheese or meat tortellini, from 3-1/2 to 5 cups before cooking
4 cups broccoli florets, about 2 stalks
2 cups spaghetti sauce, preferably spicy red-pepper flavoured
1/2  light cream cheese
2 fresh large plum tomatoes or 1 regular tomato 

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. When water is boiling, stir in pasta. Cook, uncovered, according to package directions until al dente, from 8 to 13 minutes. Two minutes before pasta is due to be drained, add broccoli. When pasta is cooked, drain along with broccoli in a large colander or sieve.
Meanwhile, heat sauce in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Cut cheese into cubes. Drop into sauce. Stir often until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth, about 5 minutes. Seed and coarsely chop tomatoes.
Toss hot cooked pasta mixture with sauce in a large heated bowl until coated. Stir in tomatoes. Serve in large warmed pasta bowls with a grinding of black pepper and a sprinkle of grated Romano or Parmesan cheese.
Wednesday - Salt and Pepper Pork Chops, 


Ingredients:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 pounds boneless thin-cut pork loin chops
2 tablespoons vegetable oil


Directions:
Combine soy sauce, cornstarch, pepper, sugar and salt in bottom of 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan. Stir with a fork until all ingredients are combined and marinade is smooth. Add chops, turning to coat both sides. Cover dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate, turning occasionally, for 1 to 24 hours.
Heat oil in a large frying pan set over medium high heat. Add pork, working in batches if necessary. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to serving plate or serve from pan. 


Thursday-   Choo's Marinated chicken , rice & green salad


Ingredients
3/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. soy sauce
2 T. worshteshire sauce
1/2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1/4 c. wine vinegar
1 t. parsley flakes
2 cloves garlic-mashed

Mix all ingredients together. Let your meat of choice marinade for 20-30 minutes or as long as 24 hours.

Friday - Tuna Pasta Salad 

Ingredients
12 oz. bow tie pasta
5 oz. can chunk light tuna in water
1 medium lemon, juiced
1/2 diced onion (yellow, purple or green)
1/2 tsp.salt
to taste fresh ground black pepper
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 tbsp dried dill
1 cup diced white cheddar
2 cups frozen sweet peas

Directions
Take two cups of peas out of the freezer and let thaw on the counter. Cook the bow tie pasta according to the package directions (boil 5-7 minutes). Drain in a colander and let cool.
As the pasta is draining and cooling, combine the rest of the ingredients (peas, tuna, mayonnaise, lemon juice, onions, salt and pepper). Adjust the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
If your pasta is still hot when you are finished combining the rest of the ingredients, run cold water over it until it has cooled down. Make sure to drain the pasta well before combining it with the rest of the ingredients. Stir the pasta into the pea/mayo mixture until it is well coated. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve!


Saturday - Out


Sunday - Steak on the BBQ, caesar salad, sweet potato fries

What?!?!? A whole week at home???

Well the girls and I are home at last!  What a WONDERFUL weekend!!!  You know the saying "There are no friends like old friends"  well there is so much truth in that that I came away from this weekend feeling somehow a better person for having been able to reconnect with some old friends.  My heart is full, and coincendently so is my belly, yes still :)

Congrats again to Stephanie who won my first ever giveaway!  I am excited to send Sandi Richards' book to someone else to enjoy!

My challenges this week in planning are a) company and b) Miss Lu's birthday, but I have done my best.  I am also looking for ideas to plan my May long weekend meals for a big camping trip!  Any ideas you have would as always be appreciated.

Take care my friends!



Monday - Beefy Ranch Tacos
Ingredients

1 pkg flour tortillas
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg Taco Seasoning mix
Ranch dressing
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese
Chopped tomatoes
Salsa Sour cream

Cook ground beef in skillet until done. Add seasoning packet and however much water the packet calls for. Cook for another minute or two to reduce the sauce.  Heat tortillas in microwave and assemble toppings.  Put about 2 heaping tablespoons of beef on a tortilla and top with your choice of veggies/cheese. Top it off with Ranch dressing.


Tuesday - Mediterranean Pork & couscous...and some veggie
Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. paprika
1 Tbs. garlic powder
2 1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
4 thick cut boneless pork chops
salt and pepper to taste.

Cut small slits in each pork chop then pour mixture over the top. Slow cook on high for 4-6 hours. Pull it apart, serve over couscous!

Wednesday - Cheater Chicken Souvlaki, Roasted Veggies, Pita and Tzatziki
Ingredients

4 cloves cloves of garlic
Heavy freezer bag (large)
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 large large chicken breasts (approx 1 1/2-2 lbs / 675-900 g)

Roasted Veggies

1 small zucchini
1 red onion
1 stalk celery stalk
7 mushrooms (quartered)
1 green pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Italian Seasoning

1/4 cup crumbled feta

4 ( 8”) pita pockets

Directions

Smash garlic cloves with the back of a wide knife. Peel and finely chop.
In a strong freezer bag, add the following ingredients; chopped garlic, oregano, olive oil, wine and lemon juice. Swish the ingredients around to combine.
Cut chicken into large chunks, adding to bag as you cut. Before closing the bag, massage the sauce into the chicken pieces while holding the bottom of the bag.
Lay the bag on the counter, holding the open side straight up. Fold toward you and seal. Place in fridge, flat, until you are ready to serve dinner.
Heat oven to 450°F (230º C).
Cut veggies in large chunks (so kids can pick out what they don’t like) tossing into a large cake or lasagna pan as you cut.
Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with spice. You can use any veggie that grills nicely.
Pour the bag of chicken with marinade into another cake or lasagna pan.
Place both the chicken pan and veggie pan in the oven at the same time. Set timer for 20 minutes. When the timer rings, remove veggies. Drain part of the liquid from the chicken pan.
Put the chicken back into the oven on a low broil. Toss veggies into a bowl with feta and sun dried tomato. When chicken starts to get a few brown edges, remove from oven and stuff the pita pockets with whatever components you like (or eat it all separately).

Thursday -Prawn and Mango Skewers with rice
Ingredients
1 package frozen tiger prawns
1 bag frozen mango chunks ( or 1-2 fresh mangoes)
enough sweet Thai chili sauce to coat

Directions
Thaw prawns and mango chunks and marinade in sweet Thai chili sauce until ready to BBQ.  Grill until prawns are done (they will become pink in colour) Serve over rice, with dipping sauce!
Friday - Nachos (the birthday girls request!)


Saturday - Lettuce Wraps 

Ingredients
16 butter lettuce leaves
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Directions
Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil, and continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Sunday - Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb. (225 g) extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup each chopped green and red peppers
1 can corn
1 can refried beans
2 cups salsa, divided
1/2 cup Tex Mex Shredded Cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. calorie -wise Zesty Italian Dressing
8 flour tortillas (6 inch)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Brown meat with peppers in large nonstick skillet. Stir in 1 cup salsa, corn and beans; simmer 5 min., stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 cup cheese.
Spread 1/4 cup of the remaining salsa onto bottom of greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Brush dressing lightly over both sides of tortillas. Stack 4 tortillas; wrap in large sheet of waxed paper. Microwave on HIGH 10 to 20 sec. or just until warmed. Immediately spoon 1/3 cup meat mixture down centre of each warm tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-side down, over salsa in dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and meat mixture; top with remaining salsa. Cover with foil.
Bake 20 min. or until heated through. Uncover; top with remaining cheese. Bake 2 to 3 min. or until melted. Top with cilantro.

Looking forward to Monday

As suspected the end of the week played out differently than planned.  I was a meal planning genius until Thursday hit.  It all fell apart from there.  Let me tell you why......I made Mojitos on St. Paddy's day, you know because they are green, and apparently St. Paddy was Cuban. Silly, silly me.  So Thursday became an eat out night, too sluggish to cook if you know what I mean.  Friday Mr P. showed up with steaks and garlic bread, and Saturday the boys errr I mean Men didn't want to eat so we fended for ourselves!  

Tomorrow I am excited for sushi out with Mr P and the fam, after Lu's dance class.  Happy eating my friends!

xoxoxoxoxo

Mealplanningmama

Monday – OUT

Tuesday – Italian Marinated Chicken &  roasted Parmesan asparagus

4 chicken breasts
1 pkg Good Seasons Italian dressing or if you don't have it available season with the following:

1 tbls. garlic salt
1 tbls. onion powder
1 tbls. sugar
2 tbls. oregano
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. basil
1 tbls. parsley
1/4 tsp. celery salt
2 tbls. salt

Mix with
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag. Marinate overnight. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 min.

Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 bunch pounds fresh asparagus
1 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 lemons cut in wedges, for serving (I just squirted some lemon juice on them before roasting)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
If the stalks of the asparagus are thick, peel the bottom 1/2 of each. Lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
Sprinkle with the Parmesan and return to the oven for another minute.
Serve with lemon wedges.

Wednesday – Drunken Porkchops found here with green beans and rice

Thursday - Leftover Pasta Bake ( frozen from a few weeks ago)

Friday - Steaks on the BBQ and grilled veggies

Saturday - Tomato / Chicken / Mozzarella Salad

2 breasts Cold Grilled chicken
approx. 1 cup Fresh Mozzarella cubed, or 1 container Mozza balls
1 carton grape Tomatoes
1 package Fresh Basil
Garlic Salt – to taste
Pepper – to taste
Balsamic Vinegar enough to coat the salad

Directions
Cut tomatoes, chicken, mozzarella into small bite size pieces
Grill the chicken the night before…OR grill and cool in fridge
Grape work well…If using regular tomatoes, remove the seeds so its not to juicy.
Combine with fresh basil - you can leave the basil in leaves or chop, depending on your taste.
Add garlic salt & pepper to taste
Add enough balsamic vinegar to coat, and have some at the bottom

It is best if you make it a few hours ahead.
You have to taste it and add whatever it needs more of before you serve it. I served it with slices of baguette, but it could stand on its own or go with pita or anything else you have around. Add pasta if you want it to be heartier… but the pasta will suck up a lot of balsamic… so you will need to add more.

Yummy for the Tummy

Happy Sunday Everyone! Time for yet another weeks full of meals! I am starting to wonder where the time goes, because that week flew by! I didn't end up making the Minestrone soup as we ordered in Chinese for Mr. M who was recovering from surgery. So I will stockpile that recipe for later.

A good friend of mine started her own blog this week, inspired by my cajones hahaha, so I will feature a recipe of hers from time to time, and for those of you who want to check it out, FRESH IDEAS, is looking mighty yummy so far... http://fresh-gal.blogspot.com/

One of the major struggles I encounter with meal planning in my soooo soooo small town is lack of ingredients. I am unsure if I can get one of the ingredients needed for my first recipe but I am hoping because it sounds delicious! So without further ado, Happy Eating everyone!

Monday - Italian White Bean, Pancetta, and Tortellini Soup (From Giada De Laurentiis Everyday Pasta) 

**********NOTE**********
I had to make the following substitutions due to lack of ingredients in my lovely (please note the undertones of sarcasm) local store, Overchargey. BUT even with the substitutions the soup was GREAT, Lu even ate it!

fava beans instead of cannellini beans
thick-cut bacon instead of pancetta
red chard instead of swiss chard

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 lb. pancetta, chopped (thick-cut bacon also works)
3 shallots (or, 1 small yellow onion), chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch of Swiss chard, chopped
6 c. chicken broth
2 c. water
1/2 lb. ( 1 package) fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
Salt and pepper
:

Directions
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta, shallots/onion, and carrot and cook until the vegetables are soft and the pancetta is crisp, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, beans, chicken broth and water and bring up to a boil over high heat. Toss in the Swiss chard and let it wilt, about 3 minutes.

Add the tortellini and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the tortellini are tender (about 4 minutes for fresh, 8 minutes for frozen). Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.

Tuesday - Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms  

Ingredients:
4 servings
15 min 5 min prep
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced (or more!)
4 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
2 cups small mushrooms, halved,or quartered if using larger mushrooms
1/3 cup chicken broth or white wine
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled

Directions:

In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil.
In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, the mustard and garlic.
Add the chicken and coat both sides with the mixture.
Transfer the chicken and mixture to the skillet; saute until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
In the skillet, heat the remaining teaspoon of oil.
Saute the mushrooms about a minute; add the broth/wine, thyme and remaining tablespoon of vinegar.
Cook stirring until the mushrooms are deep brown, about 2 minutes longer.
Serve the chicken, topped with the mushrooms.

Wednesday: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Casserole recipe from FRESH IDEAS 

INGREDIENTS
1/4 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup Flour
1 Onion*
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
2 1/2 Cups Milk
1/4 Cup Bacon Bits (I use leftover bacon from the weekend)*
2 Cups Grated Cheese (Sharp Cheddar is best, but I use a mixture in a pinch)
½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
½ tsp mustard
2 Cups Macaroni (dry)

Topping:
½ Cup Bread Crumbs
2 tbsp butter
2-4tbsp Grated Cheese (I like fresh Parmesan)
Pinch Paprika

DIRECTIONS

*Onion and Bacon bit are optional

Cook macaroni noodles until tender firm. Melt butter in a sauce pan, add onion (if using) and sauté until transparent. Add flour, salt and pepper and stir until bubbling. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened. Add cheese and stir until smooth; mix in mustard, Worcestershire and bacon bits. In a casserole dish (1.5 quart) mix together cheese mixture with cooked macaroni noodles. Meanwhile, melt butter for topping in a small sauce pan, add bread crumbs and grated cheese. Place topping mixture on macaroni and cover. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes; uncover and bake for 10 minutes at the same temperature.

Thursday - Cheater Souvlaki with Pita, Tzatziki and Grilled Vegetables   (courtesy of Sandi Richard Fixing Dinner)Ingredients

4 cloves cloves of garlic
Heavy freezer bag (large)
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 large large chicken breasts (approx 1 1/2-2 lbs / 675-900 g)

Tzatziki ( I will probably use a store bought one, or the recipe from Whitewater cooks at home which I will post later)
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon dried dill (fresh is better if you have it)
1 teaspoon garlic (in a jar)
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning

Veggies
1 small zucchini
1 red onion
1 stalk celery stalk
7 mushrooms (quartered)
1 green pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Italian Seasoning
Prepared marinated chicken
1/4 cup crumbled feta
2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes (from a jar) (optional)

4 ( 8”) pita pockets


Directions
Smash garlic cloves with the back of a wide knife. Peel and finely chop.
In a strong freezer bag, add the following ingredients; chopped garlic, oregano, olive oil, wine and lemon juice. Swish the ingredients around to combine.
Cut chicken into large chunks, adding to bag as you cut. Before closing the bag, massage the sauce into the chicken pieces while holding the bottom of the bag.
Lay the bag on the counter, holding the open side straight up. Fold toward you and seal. Place in fridge, flat, until you are ready to serve dinner.
Prepare tzatziki in a small bowl with lid, combining the following; sour cream, dill, garlic and spice. (If and only if I have the time, I chop up fresh garlic.
Cover and place in fridge.

When you’re ready to make dinner…
Heat oven to 450°F (230º C).
Cut veggies in large chunks (so kids can pick out what they don’t like) tossing into a large cake or lasagna pan as you cut.
Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with spice. You can use any veggie that grills nicely.
Pour the bag of chicken with marinade into another cake or lasagna pan.
Place both the chicken pan and veggie pan in the oven at the same time. Set timer for 20 minutes. When the timer rings, remove veggies. Drain part of the liquid from the chicken pan.
Put the chicken back into the oven on a low broil. Toss veggies into a bowl with feta and sun dried tomato. When chicken starts to get a few brown edges, remove from oven and stuff the pita pockets with whatever components you like (or eat it all separately).

Friday - Leftovers!

Saturday - Out! We have company coming.....

Sunday - Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, veggie and garlic mashed potatoes 

ROAST BEEF
1 roast
1 bulb garlic
garlic salt
garlic powder

Cut up garlic and place slices in the roast (take knife and make a slit push garlic into roast) season with garlic powder and salt. Cook for 1-1 1?2 hours at 350F in oven.

Yorkshire Pudding ****the trick to getting the puddings to rise is to have the eggs and milk at room temperature when you make the batter*****

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour
1 cup egg (about 4)
1 cup milk
salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to hot (425F/220C/Gas 7)
Put a teaspoonful of oil or dripping in each of several muffin tins or, to be truly Yorkshire, a couple of tablespoonsful in a larger roasting tin and place in the oven until the fat is really hot and beginning to smoke. Meanwhile combine the rest of the ingredients and beat to form a batter of the consistency of double cream.
If you wish you can add mixed dried herbs to add a savoury flavour.
When the fat is smoking take the tin out of the oven and place it over a low light so that it doesn't cool as you add the batter.
Pour in the batter If you're using muffin tins don't over fill.
Remember that the puddings will rise and puff up.
Put the tin back into the top of the oven as soon as possible and leave for about 20-25 minutes by which time they will be puffed up and crisp.