Menu For May 2 to May 8

This week we made another trip to visit my mom.  So instead of prepping my chicken on Sunday, I did it on Saturday.  And I used a new marinade recipe that popped up on Facebook.  http://www.fitnessrepublic.com/nutrition/recipes/asian-grilled-chicken-breasts.html 

Asian Grilled Chicken Breast

1 tbsp. ground ginger

1/2 tbsp. ground black pepper

3 tsp. mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp. minced garlic

6 skinless boneless chicken breasts

Mix the oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, mustard, salt and pepper, and brush on the chicken breasts.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.  Preheat the grill.  Grill the breasts for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness.  Let the chicken rest on a plate for 1 or 2 minutes before serving.

Of course I made them in my skillet.  Just sprayed it with Pam and heated it to medium high and cooked according to the recipe.

Saturday:  Chicken Spaghetti, lemony green beans, side salad.  I was going to make a piece of garlic bread to go with my dinner but I decided to have a side salad instead.  This chicken spaghetti recipe is one of my husband's favorite dinners.  I don't make it very often and I'm hoping that one day he will let me switch the whole wheat spaghetti noodles for spaghetti squash.

Chicken Spaghetti

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

8 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed

1 13.25 oz box whole wheat spaghetti

32 oz bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed

26 oz can cream of chicken soup

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 tsp dried basil leaves

1/4 tsp oregano leaves

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes

1 tbsp canola oil

Boil spaghetti according to directions.  Meanwhile, cut chicken into 1" bite size pieces.  In a large pan, heat oil over medium-high heat cook chicken until no longer pink.  Add soup, broccoli, chicken broth, spices, and Velveeta. Lower heat to simmer and heat through. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, then add 1/4 cup water.  Once the pasta is done, pour chicken mixture over and stir to combine. Serve.

The green beans are the frozen ones.  You just steam them right in the bag.  Once they are done I pour them into a mixing bowl, add the juice of 2 lemon wedges, pepper, Mrs. Dash, crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp. of light canola butter.  I always keep salad ingredients prepped in the fridge that way I can make a side salad quickly.  http://harddoesnotequalimpossible.blogspot.com/2015/03/menu-planning-and-meal-prep.html

Sunday:  Out of town.  We went up to Odessa to visit my mom at the hospital. So today the hospital cafeteria was pretty much shut down.  All they had was corn dogs, onion, rings and three day old salads and wraps.  So I took the advice from http://www.skinnymom.com/ and tried the Firehouse Sub place in Odessa.  I looked at the link that the website provides for fast food meals under 500 calories:  http://www.skinnymom.com/?s=fast+food+under+500  Then I looked up Firehouse Subs: http://www.skinnymom.com/fast-food-under-500-firehouse-subs/ and ended up settling on a Turkey Salsa Verde Sub.  It was smoked turkey breast, monterey jack cheese, salsa verde sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion and light mayo on a light wheat roll.  It comes in at 427 calories.  But I asked for no mayo and it ended up being 356 calories.  I added some Baked Sour Cream and Onion Lays and a huge bottle of water.  I have to say that the turkey was pretty tasty.  But I was extremely disappointed with the verde sauce.  I expected it to be spicy.  It didn't even have a little kick. It wasn't spicy AT ALL.  I'll be heading back to Odessa next Sunday if my mom is still doing rehab for her back surgery.  And this time I think I'll try the Captain Sorensen's Datil Pepper Grilled Chicken.  That one is advertised to be spicy.  And I sure hope so.  According to http://www.skinnymom.com/  This sub takes after Firehouse’s namesake; the pepper sauce gives it the perfect zing you’ve been craving! With grilled chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, Capt. Sorensen’s Datil Pepper Sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion and light mayo on a light wheat roll, 430 calories doesn’t seem so bad now. Not a fan of the fiery spice, but everything else sounds good? Ditch the pepper sauce as well as its 56 calories! But I won't be ditching the fiery spice, instead I'll ask for no mayo, and probably no lettuce or tomato.  They get all wilted and yucky on a hot sandwich.  Not very appetizing.

Monday:  Tuna fish, coleslaw, cracker chips. I really do love tuna fish sandwiches.  It's one of those things that I ate a lot of growing up.  And the cool thing about tuna fish is that everyone makes it different.  I have seen it make with pecans, chopped apples, or grapes.  My mom likes to add a chopped hard boiled egg and relish.  I like to use albacore tuna packed in water.  I'll add 1 tbsp. of canola mayonnaise, lemon pepper seasoning, and add a chopped baby dill pickle.  Mix it all up and put it on a sandwich thin.  Put some spinach, and halved cherry tomatoes on my sandwich.  I also have a spicy mustard that gives the tuna sandwich a little zip.  I served it with coleslaw.  And the recipe for that is 1 1/2 cups of tricolor coleslaw mix, with 1 tbsp. Kraft Creamy Poppy Seed dressing and the juice of one lemon wedge.     

Tuesday:  Taco Bake, black beans, veggies.  Growing up frito pie was one of those comfort dishes.  I never really learned how to make it the way my mom and my grandma did.  But I found this recipe and of course I tweaked it.

Taco Bake

1 lb 93/7 lean ground beef

1 1.25 oz pkg. 30% less sodium taco seasoning

2/3 cup water

1 15.5oz can chili beans

1 10 3/4 oz can cheddar cheese soup

1/2 cup low sodium beef broth

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350.   Brown ground beef and prepare as taco meat according to the seasoning package (using water). Add chili beans and stir to combine.   Meanwhile, in a saucepan combine soup and milk and heat through until smooth.   Pour taco meat mixture into a 9x9" pan. Top meat with cheese sauce. Top with shredded cheese.   Bake for 10-15 minutes until bubbly.

Optional: Top each serving with Fritos, lettuce and other desired taco toppings.

I also take a day to prep black beans.  I buy a can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones.  Rinse them in a colander.  I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 cup of water.  Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans.  Then I season them with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt.  Stir it all up and then mash them.  You can add more water if you want them to be bit more runny.  And all the seasonings are to taste.  Just depends on your taste buds.  I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low.  This is actually one of the foods that I prep on Sundays.  And then after they have cooled down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a side.

The vegetables are Birdseye Steamfresh.  You just steam them right in the bag.  Once they are done I pour them into a mixing bowl, add the juice of 2 lemon wedges, pepper, Mrs. Dash, crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp. of light canola butter.

Wednesday: Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers, black beans, veggies. I love chicken fajitas and stuffed peppers this recipe combines the two into one delicious dinner.

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/09/chicken-fajita-stuffed-peppers/

Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers

3/4 cup dry instant brown rice

5 medium bell peppers

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tbsp. canola oil

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp paprika

1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes & green chilies

1 cup no salt added black beans rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen whole kernel golden corn

1/8 cup chopped cilantro

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 375. Cook rice according to package directions. Cut the peppers in half top to bottom, seed and devein peppers. Set aside.  Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until golden, about 5 minutes, then add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer, add chicken, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cumin, paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally, until cook through, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low, add tomatoes with diced chilies, black beans, corn, cooked brown rice, remaining 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cumin, cilantro, lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until just heated through. Add a heaping 1/2 cup of the mixture to each pepper half and slightly press filling to fit. Pour enough water into bottom of baking dish to reach 1/8 inch height, careful not to pour it into the peppers. Cover with foil and bake 30-35 minutes, until peppers are soft.  Serve warm topped with more cilantro, sour cream and hot sauce if desired.

What I did was made two trays of stuffed peppers, baked one tray of the stuffed peppers and the other try I put in the freezer for later, minus the water.


For the black beans look on yesterday's dinner.  See it really comes in handy to have prepped food.  I choose to have lemony green beans again.  I really like them.  And they are super simple.  They are the frozen ones.  You just steam them right in the bag.  Once they are done I pour them into a mixing bowl, add the juice of 2 lemon wedges, pepper, Mrs. Dash, crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp. of light canola butter.

Thursday:  Beef Pot Pie, black beans, lemony green beans, and salad. I love beef pot pie, but it's always loaded with calories. This
one is from the Hungry Girl website so you know it's gonna slash the calories and be just as delicious.

http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/show/low-calorie-beef-pot-pie

Big Beef Pot Pie

1 lb. 93/7 lean ground beef

1 (32 oz) bag mixed vegetables, thawed

1/8 tsp. Mrs. Dash

1/8 tsp black pepper

2 (10.5) cans 98% fat free condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. water

1 (8 oz) tube Pillsbury reduced fat crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13X9 inch baking pan with Pam.  Spray a large skillet with Pam and heat to medium high. Add beef and season with Mrs. Dash and pepper. Cook and stir until cooked through.  Add the thawed vegetables, soup, 1/2 cup water, and mix well. Evenly transfer to the baking pan. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes.  Firmly pinch the edges of the crescent dough to make one seamless sheet. Place dough over the meat mixture and carefully stretch to cover.  Bake until dough is fully cooked and golden brown, about 18 minutes.

The side salad comes from my prepped veggie basket.  Once again take the time to prep vegetables, you'll thank yourself.  I had some leftover black beans, and green beans so I went a head and added them to my dinner plate.
 
Friday:  Pinto Bean & Beef Stew, cornbread, salad.  I went ahead and made this on the stove top.  I don't own a pressure cooker so I was pretty happy that the author included the directions to make this stew on the stove top.

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2009/02/pressure-cooker-recipe-for-pinto-bean.html

Pinto Bean and Ground Beef Stew

2 (16 oz) cans reduced sodium pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 lb. 93/7 lean ground beef
2 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

3 tsp garlic, minced

2 tsp Mexican oregano

1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander

4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (canned)

1 cup water

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 (14.5) oz can no salt added diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/8 cup fresh lime juice

Heat large heavy frying pan to medium high, add ground beef saute until beef is well-browned, breaking apart with back of the spoon as it cooks. When it's well browned, remove beef to a bowl. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in frying pan, then add onion and saute about 5 minutes, or until onion is starting to brown. Add minced garlic and saute 2 minutes more, then add oregano, coriander, cumin and saute about 2 minutes more. Remove from pan.  Add chicken stock to frying pan and simmer a minute, scraping off any browned bits. Combine browned meat, onion mixture, chicken stock from the pan, water, beans, tomato paste, and canned tomatoes in heavy soup pot.  Cover and simmer over low heat about 45 minutes, adding a bit more water if needed. When stew is done, add chopped cilantro, and lime juice and cook a few more minutes. Serve hot.

The cornbread is just a mix.  Follow the directions on the package.  And the side salad, you guessed it comes from my prepped veggie basket.  Have I made you a believer of prepping?  Don't worry I'll keep working on you.