Meal Plan: February 2013

Everyone has a hard time figuring out what to cook.  I was talking to a co-worker this weekend and she told me that, while she was going back to school, she asked her husband to cook dinner on Thursday nights as it was her busy day.  He replied that he would cook, but she needed to tell him what to make.  She exclaimed that that was the hardest part!

I completely agree.  I love to cook, but sometimes I just really don’t know what to make.  My husband is no help because he never has any ideas for me.  I asked him the same question each week.

What do you want for dinners this week?

He responds one of two ways:

Meatloaf. 

Or

I don’t care.  Whatever you make.

Ugh!  Finally, I got smart.  A few years ago I started meal planning.  I must say…when I do it and stick to the plan, it really makes a difference in my day!  I don’t have that dreaded feeling hanging over my head of what to make.  I typically am more prepared and have the ingredients on hand.  I don’t have to try to figure out how to pick up the ingredients I’m missing and still make it home in time to have dinner on the table by 6p (Jake’s dinner time).

I realize many of you feel the same way, which is why I’m hopefully starting a new series on this blog.  I’ve tried in the past to post menus and failed miserably, so take that as your warning.

Jake eats most anything we eat aside from fish, shellfish, and nuts of any kind (though I did slip and give him some peanuts with my Thai food the other day.  Whoops!).  Some of the dishes are spicy (like the Cajun Chicken Alfredo and the Spicy Chicken Tortilla Rollups).  I figure I’ll just make a couple without the spice or he will have leftovers that day.  In any case, this may help lots of you moms out there!

I also plan to lighten up some of the more calorie dense meals to make them more Weight Loss Goal friendly.  Stay tuned for more on that later.

Here’s the key to reading the calendar.  The light green recipes are from my Pinterest account.  The light blue ones are either from my blog or from my personal collection of recipes.  Here are the links to the recipes you can find online:

Burgers
Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Chicken Bacon Ranch Mac & Cheese
Chicken Cassoulet
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken Taco Chili
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Cream Cheese Chicken
Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps
Forgotten Chicken
General Tso’s Chicken
Honey Garlic Pork Chops
Meatloaf
Mexican Lasagna
Mini Corn Dog Muffins
Mushrooms Pizza Bites
Pad Thai
Pizza Casserole
Pork Chops au Poivre
Proscuitto Panini
Quick Coq au Vin
Spaghetti with Chicken and Thai Peanut Sauce
Spicy Chicken Tortilla Rollups
TJ (Trader Joe)’s Chicken Satay with Coconut Rice
Ultimate Chicken Fingers

You probably notice there isn’t any room for leftovers.  Most of the time, we either eat the leftovers for lunches, or I try to make a single night’s portion instead of a whole family’s worth.  The food gets eaten, don’t you worry.

I hope you guys enjoy this post!  If this is something you enjoy seeing, please let me know by leaving me a comment on my blog.  You can also show your support by liking my Facebook page!  I’d love to hear from you!

Pulled Chicken Quesadillas

The other day, my sister sent me a random text about her favorite pulled chicken.  She and I do that sometimes.  This was the second time she’d told me about the chicken in a month, so I asked her to resend me the recipe.  “She must really like it!” I thought.

She linked me to the recipe and then added these instructions:

“I add a packet of chili seasoning to the onions while sauteing.  And I toss a can of rotel into the crockpot when adding all the stuff together… Pretty spicy.  Freezable though.”

I added it to my monthly meal plan immediately!

Saturday, before heading to work, I quickly threw the ingredients in the crock pot and left serving instructions with Jeff.  I called him later to ask him how it was and he said it was good!  When I came home from work Sunday, he excitedly told me what he had for lunch.

“You know that chicken you made yesterday?  I turned it into a quesadilla!”

What a great idea!  I was on my way home from work today when the image of his quesadilla popped in my head.  I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted, so I came home and threw one together real quick.

It. Was. Delicious.

This chicken is probably the best pulled chicken I have had in a while.  I forgot to add the chili seasoning, but I did throw in a can of black beans!  Corn would have been great with this too.  If you’re looking for a quick, slow cooker meal that your whole family will love, make this pulled chicken.

Quesadilla optional.

Pulled Chicken Quesadillas
(adapted from this recipe on Good Life Eats)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1 1/4 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 good squeeze Gourmet Garden cilantro (or 1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves)
2 limes*
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can Rotel
1 can black beans

In a large skillet, heat your oil and then saute the onion until soft.  Add the spices and mix well.  Let cook for about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, season your chicken with salt and pepper, then put in the slow cooker.  Top with the juice of both limes.  Put your spice and onion mixture over chicken.  Add the cans of Rotel and black beans to the slow cooker.  Cook on low for 3-5 hours, or until your chicken is cooked through.

To serve, pull the chicken out of the slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Put chicken back in slow cooker to soak up all the juices.  Then use however you desire.  As stated above, our favorite way is in quesadillas, but you could have soft tacos, hard tacos, taco salad, enchiladas…the list is endless.

Enjoy!

PW’s Spicy Pop Pulled Pork

The other day, I was watching my version of Saturday morning cartoons:  Food Network “In The Kitchen”.  One of my new favorite shows is the Pioneer Woman.  Sure, she’s not the best on camera, but she’s a food blogger.  I’m a food blogger.  We have something in common.

So anyhow, there I was watching the show when she did a fancier version of my Crock Pot Pulled Pork.  Just the other day, I was rereading my food diary from when I lost 35 pounds a few years ago and I noticed a common theme.  Pulled pork and barbeque.  Since my pulled pork had been lacking something the past few times I’d made it, I decided to try Ree’s version.

It’s quite simple, really.  You lay your pork roast over a bed of onions, top with a can of chipotles in adobo, brown sugar, salt, pepper, pop and you have her recipe for Spicy Pop Pulled Pork.  I made it the other day before going in to work and I gotta tell ya.  It’s pretty yummy.  Just spicy enough to hit all the notes on your tongue, but not so spicy you’re gulping water.

I topped our sandwiches with a little Dorothy Lane BBQ sauce.  It’s the best I’ve found in Dayton.

Then, the next day, I was hunting around in my fridge for breakfast options and saw the pulled pork.  The wheels in my brain started turning and I created Pulled Pork Scramble.

Scrambled eggs tossed with leftover pulled pork and topped with bbq sauce.  Now, I know what you’re thinking.  Eggs with pulled pork?  Really?

Well according to my brother, eggs go with everything.  Who am I to question a chef?

So what do you think?  Do eggs go with pork and BBQ sauce?

Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings

OK, so I’m a little over a week into my Pinterest challenge that was supposed to last for the entire month of March.  Well…I’ve cooked 4 out of the 5 recipes I picked already!  I made all the main dishes and by far my favorite of the four was the slow cooker chicken and dumplings.  Turns out two of my loved ones had already made the recipe!  Here’s what they said:

Mom:  You may not be able to wait until it’s finished slow cooking in the crock pot.  It smells so delicious.  I cooked my dumplings a little longer to make sure they were done all the way through.

Carolyn:  I thought it was quick and easy!  I made it on the stove top so it was ready faster.  I added frozen peas and carrots and it turned out great.  Very satisfying and tasty!

After I got that feedback, I knew I had to try it.  I made it for dinner on Friday night and prayed Jeff would like it.  I didn’t make anything else after all.  The verdict?  He cleaned his bowl!  I wondered if it would be filling enough for him since we usually have a relatively large meal for dinner, but it seemed just right.  A bowl of soup + a bowl of ice cream is the perfect amount I guess!

Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings
(adapted from polishthestars.com)

1 onion, diced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
salt & pepper and any other seasonings you’d like
2 tbsp butter, diced
2 cans 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 14 oz can chicken broth
1 container Grands Homestyle biscuits*, each cut into 9 pieces

Line your crock pot with a Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner (best invention ever!).  Place your diced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Add your chicken to the pot and sprinkle with whatever seasonings you’d like.  I used my go to seasoning:  Dorothy Lane Market grill rub.  I seriously use it for EVERYTHING!  Over the chicken, add your butter, the two cans of cream of chicken soup, and the chicken broth.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8 hours.

After your soup is cooked, remove the chicken and add your biscuits.  Stir the biscuits so that they are all coated with the soup.  Cook on high for 1 hour or until the biscuits are cooked through.  Meanwhile, shred or chop your chicken into small bits.  After the biscuits are cooked, add the chicken back to the soup and stir to combine.  Serve piping hot!

*The original recipe called for just 4 of the 8 biscuits in the can, but I love dumplings so I added all 8.  My nutritional information is based on 8 biscuits.

What a Crock (Pot Roast)

As you all know, Jeff and I are expecting our first little one in about a month, so I have been scouring the internet for all kinds of easy recipes.  The other day I stumbled (literally…using stumbleupon.com) on a recipe that sounded really good!  Since I was off Friday, I decided to test it out.

This is a quick, simple recipe you can easily throw together in the morning and let simmer all day!  It’s especially good as leftovers, so go ahead and use up that big cut of roast you got on sale the other day.

Marie’s Best Ever Pot Roast

2-5 pound pot roast (any kind)
1 envelope dried ranch dressing mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1 envelope brown gravy mix
Desired veg (She used potatoes and carrots, I added sweet potatoes)
1 to 1.5 cups water

Spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or use Reynold’s Slow Cooker Liners.  Trust me…it makes clean up so much easier!  Chop your veg into big chunks and place them in the bottom of the pan.

Top your veg with the roast and cover with packets of seasonings and water.  *Last time I didn’t mix the seasonings and water together, but I will the next time I make this.  I found chunks of seasoning on certain parts of the roast and it was just a little overstimulating.  I think mixing all the seasonings and the water together would help distribute the flavors.

Cook on low for 6 hours or until the meat falls apart.

I just picked out what I wanted to eat instead of plating a whole meal (Jeff had already eaten), but if I were to serve this to guests I would probably lift out the meat and veg and place on a serving dish.  Then, I would strain the liquids from the bottom of the pan and turn it into a gravy.  (You can do this easily by combining a tbsp of cornstarch to about 1/2 cup water and whisking it together to remove lumps.  Then add the mixture to the sauce.  Heat the sauce over medium heat while whisking until the gravy is as thick as you’d like.)

One other tip I have for you (and I wish I had taken a picture) is the sandwich I made with the leftovers yesterday!  I had picked up a salted bagel from Dorothy Lane Market, so I turned the bagel into a pot roast sammie.  I cut the bagel in half, topped it with the meat, some worchestershire and provolone, and warmed it in the microwave to melt the cheese.  It was so good!  I think next time I’ll try it with A1 sauce though.  Or horseradish sauce…mmmm…

So, if you’re looking for a quick, easy, crock pot recipe, this one has tons of flavor!  Plus think of all the things you can use the leftover meat for!  Enjoy!

 

Slow and Steady Risotto

Risotto is one of those dishes I rarely make because I don’t care to stand over a hot stove for 45 minutes stirring a stock pot.  It is, however, probably my favorite way to eat rice.  I love how creamy the texture is and how the flavors meld together in my mouth.

The other day, while visiting my dad and stepmom, Nan, in Florida, Nan and I got to talking about risotto.  I knew she really liked it.  More often than not, if risotto is offered on a menu, she will get whatever dish the risotto is featured with.  When she found out I liked it to, she got excited.  Apparently there was a recipe she had been wanting to try for a while and hadn’t gotten around to it.  When asked what the recipe was, she proclaimed, “crock pot risotto!”

She threw together the easy recipe quickly and let it bubble away in the crock pot for a few hours.  Dad grilled up some devilishly delicious filets that night as well.  Steaks, risotto, and salad.  What a perfect meal!  It was probably one of my favorite meals of the whole trip.

After we returned home, I took an hour and organized our pantry.  One of the items that has been staring at me in our pantry for a looooooong time now was Arborio rice.  It took me about 2.5 seconds to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with it.  I googled slow cooker risotto and found a recipe that sounded pretty close to the one Nan made.  Then of course I added it to Pinterest.  (Does anyone else love that website as much as I do??)

You know what one of my favorite things about risotto is?  I typically have everything I need on hand!

Crock Pot Risotto
(adapted from this recipe)

4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 cup dry white wine (like Chardonnay)
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
3 3/4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
8 oz mushrooms (whatever variety you like) roughly chopped
3 tbsp half & half
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the onion in 3 tbsp of the olive oil until softened.  Add 1/4 cup of wine.  Cook onions and wine for a minute or two so the onion has a little time to absorb the wine.  Add the rice and stir to evenly coat the rice in the wine mixture. 

One thing I didn’t do that I wished I had was season this step.  I would add a pinch or two of salt (use your judgement) and maybe a bit of pepper.  I added salt and pepper at the end, but I think adding salt before slow cooking the dish would enhance the flavor much better.

Add rice to the slow cooker and return the pan, unwashed to the stove.  Add the chicken broth to the slow cooker as well and turn your slow cooker on high.  Cook rice mixture for 1.5 to 2.5 hours or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice appears thick and rich.

Meanwhile, while your rice is cooking, prepare your mushrooms.  In the same pan we cooked the onions, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the butter.  Saute your mushrooms until they get nice and soft.  Add the other 1/4 cup of wine and, as with the onions, let the wine absorb into the mushrooms a little.  Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and set aside.

When your risotto is completely cooked, add the half & half, mushrooms, and Parmesan.  Check the salt and pepper one final time and serve.

To accompany the risotto, I also made Asian Style Hawaiian Luau chicken.  Yes, it’s a seasoning from McCormick Grill Mates, but honestly it was so yummy!  I followed the recipe for the “Asian marinade” and let the chicken soak the entire time the risotto was cooking.  Then I grilled the chicken to perfection.  It was an insanely delicious dinner.  You really should try this one.  It made me feel like I was back on vacation again!

 

Weekly Menu: 10/26 – 11/2

It’s my off day, so you know what that means!  Weekly Menu time!

Tuesday, 10/26:  Beef Tacos
Wednesday, 10/27:  Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Thursday, 10/28:  Buffalo Chicken Tenders  (adapted from this recipe)
Friday, 10/29:  Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Saturday, 10/30:  leftovers
Sunday, 10/31:  Beef Stroganoff
Monday, 11/1:  Chicken Florentine Casserole
Tuesday, 11/2:  Marinated Grilled Chicken

I am making a list of my favorite meals.  A list of go to meals, if you will.  What are your favorite meals from childhood or adulthood?  What meals do you find yourself making over and over…and over….again?

Slow Cooker French Dip (with Au Jus)

(Leaves being blown off the trees the other night)

Wouldn’t you love to come home to the warm, welcoming smells of dinner, piping hot and ready for you?  I know I do.  I work full time in a retail environment.  This means I am not always home for dinner, leaving my wonderful, yet kitchen challenged husband to fend for himself more often than I would like.  I try to help him out by making casseroles or crock pot meals ahead of time so it seems like I’m home even when I’m not.

I was bumming around on the web the other day and stumbled across this recipe on Tasty Kitchen.  It sounded delightful, so I gave it a go.

Jeff said it was really good!  He loved that I provided some yummy sub rolls and provolone cheese to go with it.  I had intended to have some caramelized onions on the side as well, but I got a little distracted with my computer and they went from golden brown to black in record time.

This recipe was so quick and easy to throw together!  It will definitely be going in my “must make again” pile!

Slow Cooker French Dip (with Au Jus)
(From Tasty Kitchen)

3.5 pounds Beef Chuck Roast
1 can Beef Consumme
1 bottle Beer
2 cubes Beef Bullion
1 package Onion Soup Mix

Sprinkle your beef roast with whatever seasonings you want.  Megan (the recipe’s author) suggested salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.  That sounded good to me!

Place your roast in the crock pot. Combine the consumme and the soup mix.  Pour over the roast.

Add your beer.  The flavor gets concentrated, so pick one you like.  Megan says the darker and richer the beer, the better flavor the au jus has, which I can understand.  I went with Sam Adams’ Octoberfest.

Don’t you love when it bubbles and froths like that?

Finally add in your bullion cubes.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Remove meat and shred with a fork.

Serve with a toasted roll and provolone cheese.

*If I could make one change to this recipe, I would add a tablespoon or two of brown sugar to the mix.  I felt like it needed just a hint of sweetness the mixture didn’t provide.

*Also, after reading the reviews just now, one lady mentioned adding some horseradish mayo to the sub.  Holy goodness, that sounds yummy!  You might want to try that if you have some on hand.  I bet it would be a welcome addition!

Now I’m gonna go make some Puppy Chow.  If you haven’t had it, you must make it.  Do yourself a favor and make sure you have peanut butter, chocolate (chips or bars), powdered sugar, and chex cereal on hand.  Recipe to follow!

And you may be wondering how the patio is coming.  Jeff and I decided to wait and reveal the patio when it is completed.  We are probably about two or three days away from that, though.  Here’s a little tidbit to tide you over…