DOUBLE DIGITS!!! WOOHOO!!! We've reached Week #10 of my little experiment. Monday starts off with a very special day and memory for this little blogger. Valentine's Day 2004 was my very first official date with my husband. I always prepare our special dinner for Valentine's Day which I'm sharing with you here today. It's a family-fave for very many reasons. :)
Sunday - Our Valentine's Celebration - Pesto Pepper Rolls (family fave!)
What you need: 6 boneless-skinless chicken breasts, 1 jar (15 oz to be safe but you'll probably have extra) prepared pesto sauce, 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese, 1 jar (15 oz) roasted red peppers (found in the pickle aisle!), toothpicks
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350. Place chicken breasts between plastic wrap and pound away your frustrations with a cooking mallet thingy until the breasts are about 1/4 inch thick. Spread a generous layer of pesto on the chicken breasts, sprinkle with some cheese, and place a layer of roasted red peppers down the center. Next, roll up the chicken breast like a jelly roll (kinda like a burrito but with open ends) and secure with toothpicks. Place in a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for about 45 minutes. Serve with your favorite sides - works really well with roasted asparagus and freshly baked rolls. Enjoy!
Monday - Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups (family fave!)
What you need: 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/2 cup light coconut milk, 2 Tbsp reduced fat peanut butter, 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 10 oz cooked, boneless-skinless chicken breasts, 2 cups cooked brown rice, 12 pieces butter lettuce or romaine, 1 cup shredded carrots, 1 cup sliced cucumbers, 1 1/2 cups mandarin oranges, 1/4 cup chopped scallions, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (Be sure to save the leftover coco milk and cilantro for Thursday's meal!)
Instructions: In a large bowl, mix the first four ingredients until nice & smooth. Next, stir in the chicken and rice. Divide into 12 piles and fill up the lettuce leaves. Top with the remaining ingredients. YUM!!!
Tuesday - Spinach Cheese Manicotti
What you need: FOR SAUCE:1 chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 3 cans (8 oz each) no-salt added tomato sauce, 2 cans (6 oz each) tomato paste, 1 1/2 cups water, 1/2 cup dry red wine or veggie broth, 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning, 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp dried oregano. FOR FILLING: 1 pkg (8 oz) fat free cream cheese, 1 1/4 cups (10 oz) 2% cottage cheese, 1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed "dry," 1/4 cup grated parmesan, 2 eggs lightly beaten, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 pkg. (8 oz) manicotti shells, 1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella.
Instructions: In a large sauce pan, saute onion and garlic until tender. stir in tomato sauce, paste, water, wine Italian seasoning, sugar and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes. While your sauce is simmering away, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until nice and smooth. Stir in the cottage cheese, spinach, parmesan, eggs and salt. Stuff the cheese mixture into the manicotti shells - a tip here is to put the mixture into a ziploc baggie, seal the bad and trim the corner off the bag to make a quick pastry-type bag. Then all you have to do is squirt the cheese into the shells. Pretty slick, eh?! Next, spread about a cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Arrange the stuffed manicotti in the dish and pour the remaining sauce over the manicotti. Cover and bake at 350 for 50 - 55 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the mozzarella and bake for another 5 - 10 minutes. Serve with a nice green salad or fresh veggies.
Wednesday - Bruschetta Chicken Wrap
What you need: 1 chopped medium tomato, 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil, 1 tsp minced garlic, 2 Tbsp fat free balsalmic dressing (any vinaigrette is yummy!), 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 oz boneless-skinless chicken breast thinly sliced (I use deli sliced chicken breasts - quick and easy), 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves, 1 large whole wheat tortilla
Instructions: Mix the first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Place the mixture in the center of the tortilla, roll it up and viola! Dinner.
Thursday - Curried Tofu with Rice (this is a new one - no promises!!! I'll update with the results once we try it)
What you need: 1 pkg (12 oz) extra firm tofu drained & cubed, 1 tsp seasoned salt, 1 Tbsp canola oil, 1 chopped small onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 cup light coconut milk, 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro, 1 tsp curry powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 cups cooked brown rice
Instruction: Sprinkle tofu with seasoned salt. In a large non-stick skillet coated lightly with cooking spray, saute tofu until lightly browned - remove from pan and keep warm. In the same skillet, saute the onion and garlic for 1 - 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, cilantro, curry, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 4 - 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in tofu and heat through. Serve over rice.
Friday - FFY (fend for yourself) - After a week of cooking these excellent meals, there's bound to be leftovers! And if not, order in and reward yourself for a great week!
Until next week, my friends! See you then!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Week #9
Another wonderful week is directly before us! It's going to be a very busy one for this family - let's get TO IT!
Sunday - Christine's Born Again Lasagna
From "Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salad" by Christine Avanti
Going to give you a link to this one because it's a bit complicated. VERY worth it if you want a healthier, red sauce lasagna: Click HERE
Monday - Taco Soup
What you need: 1 lb ground turkey (or beef if you prefer), 1 Tbsp dried chopped onion, 2 cans dark red kidney beans, 1 can black beans, 1 can pinto beans, 1 can garbanzo beans, 1 small can diced green chiles, 1 small can sliced black olives, 1 can corn or cut green beans, 2 -3 packets taco seasoning, fritos or tortilla chips, grated cheese, sour cream, and salsa for garnish (The ingredients in this are very flexible are written for a 6 quart crockpot - feel free to substitute, add spices such as chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, etc. to taste. You can also use dried beans and soak them all overnight).
Instructions: Brown the ground turkey and the chopped onion in your favorite pan. Open and drain all the cans (don't drain the green chiles) and empty cans into the crockpot. Add the browned meat and stir. Add about 4 - 5 cups of water and the seasonings you chose. Cook low for 8 - 10 hours. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, salsa and some chips on the side. YUM! :)
Tuesday - FFY/Leftovers night
The joy of making two nights in a row of recipes that serve quite a few is LEFTOVERS! We're registering our munchkin for T-ball this night so it's a FFY (fend for yourself) and Leftovers night at our house.
Wednesday - Turkey Sausage & Veggie Wraps
Another link to a yummy wrap with peppers, feta, and turkey Italian sausage: Click HERE
Thursday - Tuna Noodle Casserole - a new twist on an oldie but goodie!
What you need: 1 package No-Yolks extra wide egg noodles, 2 cans albacore tune in water (drained), 1 can cream of celery soup, 1/3 cup light mayo, 1 cup nonfat milk, 8 oz melty cheese (like Velveeta), 4 oz jar chopped pimientos, 2 ribs of celery, 1 small onion - diced, 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350. Boil the noodles according to the package directions. In a big pot, stir together all ingredients except for the almonds until well blended and the cheese is melted. Stir in the egg noodles until sauce is evenly distributed. Pour into a casserole dish and sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until almonds are toasted and golden.
Friday - Aioli Chicken Panini
From "Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salad" by Christine Avanti
What you need: 1 1/2 Tbsp light mayo, 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley, 1 small tomato chopped, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1 3/4 ounce cooked boneless/skinless/thinly sliced chicken breast, 2 slices whole wheat bread, 2 Tbsp fat free shredded mozzarella, non stick cooking spray
Instructions: First, figure out how many servings you need and modify the above ingredients. I've found it's best to make each sandwich individually than it is to try and combine everything and re-separate it out. So, this is for ONE sandwich. In a small bowl, combine the mayo, parsley, tomato, and garlic. Stir in chicken and coat well. Sprinkle one side of one slice of bread with half the cheese. Spread the chicken mixture on top and then top with the rest of the cheese and the other piece of bread. You can either cook over medium heat in a panini, grill pan, or regular frying pan. OR, you can put in a panini press if you have one. We use a grill pan with a press to get those cool markings on the bread but you don't really "need" it.
Here we go friends! Hang on - it's going to be a wild and fantastic week!
Sunday - Christine's Born Again Lasagna
From "Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salad" by Christine Avanti
Going to give you a link to this one because it's a bit complicated. VERY worth it if you want a healthier, red sauce lasagna: Click HERE
Monday - Taco Soup
What you need: 1 lb ground turkey (or beef if you prefer), 1 Tbsp dried chopped onion, 2 cans dark red kidney beans, 1 can black beans, 1 can pinto beans, 1 can garbanzo beans, 1 small can diced green chiles, 1 small can sliced black olives, 1 can corn or cut green beans, 2 -3 packets taco seasoning, fritos or tortilla chips, grated cheese, sour cream, and salsa for garnish (The ingredients in this are very flexible are written for a 6 quart crockpot - feel free to substitute, add spices such as chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, etc. to taste. You can also use dried beans and soak them all overnight).
Instructions: Brown the ground turkey and the chopped onion in your favorite pan. Open and drain all the cans (don't drain the green chiles) and empty cans into the crockpot. Add the browned meat and stir. Add about 4 - 5 cups of water and the seasonings you chose. Cook low for 8 - 10 hours. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, salsa and some chips on the side. YUM! :)
Tuesday - FFY/Leftovers night
The joy of making two nights in a row of recipes that serve quite a few is LEFTOVERS! We're registering our munchkin for T-ball this night so it's a FFY (fend for yourself) and Leftovers night at our house.
Wednesday - Turkey Sausage & Veggie Wraps
Another link to a yummy wrap with peppers, feta, and turkey Italian sausage: Click HERE
Thursday - Tuna Noodle Casserole - a new twist on an oldie but goodie!
What you need: 1 package No-Yolks extra wide egg noodles, 2 cans albacore tune in water (drained), 1 can cream of celery soup, 1/3 cup light mayo, 1 cup nonfat milk, 8 oz melty cheese (like Velveeta), 4 oz jar chopped pimientos, 2 ribs of celery, 1 small onion - diced, 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350. Boil the noodles according to the package directions. In a big pot, stir together all ingredients except for the almonds until well blended and the cheese is melted. Stir in the egg noodles until sauce is evenly distributed. Pour into a casserole dish and sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until almonds are toasted and golden.
Friday - Aioli Chicken Panini
From "Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salad" by Christine Avanti
What you need: 1 1/2 Tbsp light mayo, 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley, 1 small tomato chopped, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1 3/4 ounce cooked boneless/skinless/thinly sliced chicken breast, 2 slices whole wheat bread, 2 Tbsp fat free shredded mozzarella, non stick cooking spray
Instructions: First, figure out how many servings you need and modify the above ingredients. I've found it's best to make each sandwich individually than it is to try and combine everything and re-separate it out. So, this is for ONE sandwich. In a small bowl, combine the mayo, parsley, tomato, and garlic. Stir in chicken and coat well. Sprinkle one side of one slice of bread with half the cheese. Spread the chicken mixture on top and then top with the rest of the cheese and the other piece of bread. You can either cook over medium heat in a panini, grill pan, or regular frying pan. OR, you can put in a panini press if you have one. We use a grill pan with a press to get those cool markings on the bread but you don't really "need" it.
Here we go friends! Hang on - it's going to be a wild and fantastic week!
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