Menu Plan Monday

Happy Halloween!!!
Monday
Mummy Wrapped Hot Dogs (vegetarian)
Cheddar Broccoli Soup
Frog Eye Salad
and Witches brew!


Tuesday
Enchiladas (from choose veg.com)
12 corn tortillas
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup potatoes, 1/2 inch dice
1 cup pinto beans, drained
1 cup zucchini, diced
1 cup olives, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small can green chilies, chopped or (optional)
3 cups canned enchilada sauce (or chili gravy - recipe below)


Sauté the onions and potatoes in the oil in a heavy skillet or wok until the onions are transparent and the potatoes begin to soften. Season with salt and oregano near the end of cooking. In a large bowl, combine the cooked mixture, beans, zucchini, olives and chilies. Mix well and taste for seasoning.


Lightly oil a large (10 x 13 x 2) baking dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with 1 cup sauce. Spread a spoonful of sauce on a tortilla, fill with about 1/4 cup of the bean mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Continue filling and rolling until all the tortillas are in the baking dish. (If the tortillas need softening before rolling, heat each one briefly on each side in a non-stick pan. Stack on a plate until all are heated. Then proceed with filling and rolling.)


Cover the rolled tortillas with the remaining sauce. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350˚ oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Serve with green salad and avocados.


Wednesday
Recipe from busybeelauren

Lauren's Spicy Tomato Basil Quinoa of Awesomeness

1 1/2 cups dry quinoa (I like the golden color, but any color works)

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup crushed tomatoes (I like basil infused tomatoes)

1/4 cup light coconut milk

5 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 sweet onion, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

salt/pepper to taste

fresh mozzarella to garnish (optional!)

Heat your olive oil in a skillet on medium-high, and season the oil with salt and pepper, fresh rosemary and crushed red peppers, while it heats for 30 seconds. Add in onions and garlic, and sautee until they just start to get translucent. Add in your crushed tomatoes and fresh basil, and simmer for 3 minutes. Slowly pour in coconut milk, and stir until well combined. Simmer together for about 3 minutes. Pour in 3 cups stock, and dry quinoa, stir and bring to a rapid boil. When boiling, turn down to medium-low and cover for 15 minutes. When the quinoa is done, the round fibers will start to separate from the proteins. This dish is meant to be saucy, so if it seems loose, that's fine! I like to stir it up, and let it sit for about 10 minutes, off the heat, to set. You will more than likely need to add plenty of salt, but do it at the end to make sure you don't over season. To serve, shred a little cheese on top, and a bit of fresh basil.

Thursday
Frittata with side of Roasted Asparagus from Totally Healthy Recipes.com

Frittata

Ingredients

4 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 red potatoes, cut into small cubes (leave skins on)
1 red bell pepper, cut into small cubes
7 large eggs
3/4 cup low fat feta cheese
2 tsp. fresh oregano leaves
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

Set an oven rack about 4 inches from the broiler and preheat your oven on low broil.


Heat a 10 inch cast iron skillet (or any skillet that can be transferred to the oven) over medium heat. Add the spinach and a couple tablespoonfuls of water to the skillet and cook until just barely wilted. Transfer spinach to a towel and wring dry. Set aside.

Add olive oil to skillet. Add rest of the ingredients in this order, and don't add the next ingredient until the previous ingredient is cooked. Stir occasionally while cooking:

onion and salt, until it just starts to become translucent
mushrooms, until lightly browned
potato & red pepper

Cover and cook until the potato begins to tender (about 5 minutes). Stir every couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, wilted spinach, feta, oregano and black pepper. Pour it over top of the cooked veggie mixture. Keep cooking until the eggs have set up around the edges (about 10 minutes). Then, transfer to the oven and broil until the eggs are set on top and until your healthy quiche recipe has turned a nice golden color.

Asparagus

Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus spears (about 20 spears)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup feta cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F. Rinse asparagus and snap off woody ends. Break asparagus into 2 inch segments. In a medium bowl, toss asparagus in olive oil. Add sea salt to your taste. Spread asparagus onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in oven and roast for 7-14 minutes or until asparagus is crisp but tender, turning spears over halfway through. While asparagus is roasting, place walnuts in a small pie tin or baking pan in the oven alongside the asparagus and roast them for about 3-5 minutes or until they start to smell all nutty and roasted. Watch the nuts carefully so they don't burn. Serve asparagus sprinkled with walnuts and feta cheese. It just MELTS in your mouth!

Friday

GNOCCHI AND E2 BASICS RED SAUCE http://engine2diet.com/ Ingredients Serving Size: 4 People gnocci - 24 ounces pasta sauce - 48 ounces vegetarian meat crumbles (frozen) - 24 ounces

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi until they float to the surface, then drain. Combine the pasta sauce and meat crumbles in a saucepan. Simmer until warm. Spoon the sauce over the gnocchi. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday
Mango Quinoa Salad
From our best bites
2 cups cooked quinoa at room temperature, or chilled
1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium mango, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)
4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
*Quinoa can be cooked in water or broth. I suggest using vegetable or chicken broth for enhanced flavor, but plain water works great too.
Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro. In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice. Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad. Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least one hour before serving.


Tuesday
Grilled Stuffed Zucchini
adapted from our best bites
2 medium zucchini (about 10″)
1/4 C diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium tomato (about 1/2 C diced)
1 1/2 T chopped fresh basil (or abt a teaspoon of dried)
2/3 C Italian cheese blend (the kind pre-bagged with parm/mozz/asiago/etc)
1-2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice
kosher salt
black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
Slice zucchini in half length wise, leaving the tops on. Scoop out the centers, saving them in a bowl. Leave at least 1/4 inch around the edges and bottoms. Take the good parts of the zucchini guts you just scooped out and dice up 1/2 C. This will go in your filling. Drizzle the zucchini shells with a little olive oil and use your hands to rub it on all sides. Sprinkle with some kosher salt and black pepper and set aside.
Preheat your grill outside and then start your filling in a skillet on the stovetop. Start by browning the sausage. When you no longer see pink, add the onions, garlic, and diced zucchini. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is tender. Add tomato and basil, 1/4 t kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Remove pan from heat and set aside. You’re gonna add that cheese in just a second! First take your zucchini to the grill and put them hollow-side down. Grill for about 5 minutes on medium heat. They should have nice charred marks and look tender on the inside. Take them back inside. Add cheese and bread crumbs to filling mixture. Stir to combine and then divide the filling between the zucchini. Top each zucchini with about 1T cheese and sprinkle with 1/4-1/2 t bread crumbs. Lastly, give them a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Place them back on the grill (filling side up- please!) Close grill lid, and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Larger/thicker zucchini will obviously take longer to cook.

Wednesday
Tortellini Bake
1 pkg. (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese tortellini

1/2 cup boiling water

1 green pepper, chopped

1 zucchini, sliced

1-3/4 cupsmarinara sauce

1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

HEAT oven to 375°F.
COMBINE all ingredients except cheese in 13x9-inch baking dish; cover.
BAKE 30 min.; stir. Sprinkle with cheese.
BAKE, uncovered, 10 min. Let stand 5 min. before serving.

Thursday
Cowboy Stew
3 cans minestrone soup
1 can ranch style beans
1 can rotel
1 can whole kernel corn
3 potatoes cubed
1 onion chopped

Cook in crock pot on low for 10 hours

Friday
Double Decker Tostadas

1 Package Tostada shells

Fat Free or Vegetarian Refried beans

low fat cheddar cheese or mozerella

shredded lettuce

1 small can enchilada sauce

Salsa

Fat Free Sour Cream

Mix refried beans and 1/2 can of enchilada sauce. Spread mixture on one tostada. Top another tostada with cheese and broil both layers in the oven for about 5 mins or until cheese melts. Put the Cheese layer on the bean layer and top with lettuce, sour cream, and salsa.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday

Lemon Butter Chicken and Rice

from the giant blog of cooking....

1 cube butter

1 package of Good Season Italian Seasoning

2 lbs chicken tenders, or breasts

The juice of 2 lemons

Melt the butter in a big frying pan. Add your chicken and then sprinkle the seasoning over the top and the juice of the lemons. Cover and let cook on medium heat until tender. I took the lid off, and let the juice simmer down so I could get a yummy crispy crust on my chicken.

For the crockpot, put melted butter in the bottom of the crockpot and add chicken. Sprinkle with seasoning and juice. Put on lid and cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.

Tuesday

Taco Pasta

from the giant blog of cooking....

1 can of black beans rinsed and drained

1 can corn drained
1 can green chilies
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 c. salsa
4 oz. cream cheese
1 packet of hidden valley ranch dressing mix
1 can olives, sliced
6 oz. of cooked penne pasta
shredded cheddar cheese for topping

Cook pasta til done. While pasta is cooking simmer everything else in a large pan until well combined. Add pasta when it's done and bake in a 13x9 casserole dish at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Add the cheese when it's done or if you like it melted put it on a few minutes before it is done in the oven. Serve with side salad

Wednesday

All Hail Kale Salad

From toneitup.com

Chop up 1 cup of kale & 1/4 cup red cabbage
1/4 avocado
1/4 cup shredded carrots
Add 6 walnuts
Corn salsa-- 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes, 2 tbs corn, 2 tbs chopped onion, fresh lime squeeze, add a little cilantro and sea salt.
Add grilled tempeh...(or chicken, fish, or tofu)
1/4 cup quinoa

I serve with Drew's brand Lemon Goddess Dressing. It is heaven!!!

Thursday
Turkey Burgers and Asparagus
from toneitup.com

Turkey Burgers...


1/2 pound 99% fat free organic ground turkey

Mix turkey in a bowl with...

1/2 cup egg whites

3 tbs olive oil

3 tbs fat free feta cheese

Fresh crushed garlic

1/4 cup spinach

1/4 cup basil leaves

Pinch thyme
Cook burgers and Serve on a leaf of lettuce or whole wheat bun. Serve with asparagus!

Friday
Split pea soup and Rolls

Pacfic boxed soup and rolls! YUM!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday
Taco Soup

1 large Onion
1 package dry Taco Seasoning
1 package dry Ranch Dressing
1 Cans Pinto Beans
1 Can Black Beans
1 Can Corn
2 Cans diced Tomatoes
1 Can Water
1 sm Can Green Chilies Chopped
1 sm Can tomato Sauce

Saute onion. Add remaining ingredients, cook for 30 minutes or in Crock Pot for several hours. Top with Avocado and fresh cilantro and a squirt of lime juice! YUM!


Tuesday
Mushroom Stroganoff and Salad
recipe from allrecipes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped

3/4 pound portobello mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups sour cream

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

8 ounces dried egg noodles

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles, and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.
2. At the same time, melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring until softened. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and add sliced mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are limp and browned. Remove to a bowl, and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, stir in vegetable broth, being sure to stir in any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture has reduced by 1/3. Reduce heat to low, and return the mushrooms and onion to the skillet.
4. Remove the pan from the heat, stir together the sour cream and flour; then blend into the mushrooms. Return the skillet to the burner, and continue cooking over low heat, just until the sauce thickens. Stir in the parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Wednesday
Recipe from totallyhealthyrecipes.com
Honey Almond Citrus Crepes with strawberries and bananas

Ingredients

1 cup almond flour (see below)
1 cup brown rice flour
2 3/4 cups almond milk
4 eggs
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons orange zest (to taste)
juice from 1 orange
1/2 cup raw honey

Directions

Put flours, milk, eggs, vanilla and orange zest in blender and let 'er rip until smooth. The consistency should be very thin. (After your first crepe, you may choose to thin it out with a little more almond milk.) Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of batter into a lightly greased (I use coconut oil) large skillet over medium heat. The batter should thin out to the edges of the skillet on its own. Cook until crepe is 80% cooked, then carefully flip crepe over to cook remaining side. Transfer to a plate and repeat until all batter is used.


30-Second Citrus Syrup
In a small sauce pan, heat honey over low-medium heat. Add the orange juice, and allow to heat until honey is just melted. Whisk together and serve over top a folded stack of crepe deliciousness. Top the crepes with mixed berries for antioxidant power.


ALMOND FLOUR: can be found at a health food store for way too much money, or made in about 30 seconds with a power blender or coffee grinder. Just put raw almonds in and pulverize until you've got almond flour.

Thursday
Black Bean Mango Salsa Wraps with brown rice

Whole wheat tortillas
Black beans rinsed and drained
Mango salsa (from Costco)
avocados
cooked brown rice

heat beans and assemble.

Friday
Caprese Salad Sandwiches and tomato soup
Mozerella, tomato, and basil topped with balsamic vineagar on bread made like grilled cheese.
Serve with friut and soup

Happy Birthday Sawyer!(late)

Two Years OLD!!!

Sawyer turned TWO on August 22nd. To celebrate his actual birthday, we went to Jungle Jim's Playland. Sawyer loved it because he was old enough to ride the rides. I was a little worried because in the past he has been FREAKED out by moving fast, but this time he was loving it! He got books, toys, and a fun Lighting McQueen Tent. We LOVE this little boy. He is full of life and love! He is mischievous and curious and loves to test his limits. He is so funny and loves to laugh. Sawyer two years ago we had NO idea how you would turn out. We knew no matter what we would LOVE you to death, but we were worried about what may be different about you. We are SO blessed to have you sweet, tender spirit in our home. I know that your curiosity will be a strength to you as you explore the world around you. I know that you are a special son sent from a loving Heavenly Father. I hope and pray that I can teach you all the things you need to know to return to him someday. We love you so much. You love to give snuggles and kisses. You refuse to kiss on anything but the lips! Even strangers!! You are a good boy and LOVE attention. You love to put on a show and play shy. We are so blessed to be your parents Sawyer. Happy Birthday Buddy Boy!

Menu Plan Monday

So I know I have been MIA. Log story short, we moved and have been in a whirlwind for the last month in a half. We are settling in and getting back into the groove. Let me introduce you to Menu Plan Monday (fromerly Tasty Tuesday). Here is what is on the menu this week

Monday
Corn Chowder

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 cups vegetable broth
1 15 oz can creamed corn
1 cup frozen corn
1 medium potato, shredded
pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

Sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Put them in the crock pot and add the chicken broth, creamed corn and shredded potato. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on high for 4-6 hours until corn is tender. Serve soup topped with crumbled corn chips and chopped chives.

Tuesday

Veggie burgers

with Avacado, Tomato, lettuce etc. and Butternut squash fries

Wednesday

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

topped with mushroom sauce and served with a side salad

Thursday

Black Bean and mushroom tacos

Saute black beans and chopped mushrooms in a bit of olive oil. Season with taco seasoning and cliantro. Top with Fresh salsa and avocados. Serve with Salad and Fruit

Friday

Chef Salad

Romaine lettuce topped with baby corn, hard boiled eggs, diced ham, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, avocados, cheese etc.  Served with apple slices and garlic biscuits.

Happy Week Ya'll!