Menu for May 9 to May 15

This week is my mom's first week home from the hospital.  She was released on Saturday.  I made a trip to Odessa to help my dad bring her and the things she would need home.  We were home right at lunch time so I didn't have to worry about going out to eat.  Until she is more mobile I am trying to make dinners that have a lot of servings so that I can take her and my dad food to eat.  That way she doesn't have to cook.  Last week I saved 1/2 of the stuffed bell peppers in my freezer for when my mom wants them for dinner.  I also saved 1/2 of the pinto bean and ground beef stew, and 1/2 of the beef pot pie.  Which I took over to her house on Saturday when we got home from the hospital.

Saturday:  Lemon Pepper Cod, coleslaw, green beans, and salad.  I thought this time I would try something different and used Lemon Pepper seasoning to season the fish.  And once again my dad's salsa is sprinkled on each thing.  It's so spicy that a little goes a long way.

Baked Cod

Lemon Pepper seasoning
1 lb. cod

Pam

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a baking sheet with Pam.  Then spray cod with Pam and sprinkle with Lemon Pepper Seasoning evenly over the fish.  And bake 10-12 minutes.  You can also place the fish close to the broiler for a minute or two to crisp up the top a bit more.

And the recipe for coleslaw is 1 1/2 cups of tricolor coleslaw mix, with 1 tbsp. Kraft Creamy Poppy Seed dressing and the juice of one lemon wedge.  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:  Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and salad.  After looking a many different recipes for meatloaf, I came up with this one. It's a family favorite.  Thus the name of the recipe.  I use lean ground beef, but by adding the cheese it keeps the meatloaf moist.  I don't put ketchup on the top because my husband hates ketchup.  But you can add some to the top during the last 10-15 minutes of baking time.  Although then you won't get to see the bubbly cheese oozing on the top.  For the garlic mashed potatoes the key is to boil the garlic with the potatoes.

Family Favorite Cheesy Meatloaf

2 large egg, beaten

1/4 cup 1% fat milk

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup bread crumbs (seasoned)

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp Mrs. Dash

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 lb. 93/7 lean ground beef

1 cup diced cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8X4 loaf pan. Combine eggs, milk, ketchup, bread crumbs, onion powder, mustard, salt and pepper. Add beef and cheese and mix well.  Press mixture into prepared loaf pan. Bake 45 minutes. Take the meatloaf out of the oven and carefully drain off fat.  Return to oven and continue to bake for 30 minutes. Take the meatloaf out of the oven and carefully drain off the fat. Return to the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully drain off fat. Let sit for 15 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

Garlic Ranch Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs white potatoes

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup 1% fat milk

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp Mr.s Dash

1 tsp ranch dry dips mix

1/2 tsp salt

1 light Laughing Cow Swiss cheese wedge

Cut peeled potatoes into large chunks. Add potatoes and garlic to a large pot filled with water. Boil 18-20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Place the potatoes and garlic back into the empty pot. Add milk, butter, cheese, salt, pepper, dry ranch mix and seasoning to the pot. Mash until desired consistency. Serve.  Note: if you want your potatoes to be creamier then add a few more tablespoons of milk until desired creaminess is achieved.

 I had leftover green beans so I just added them to my plate.  YUM!

Monday: Sloppy Joes, coleslaw, Boom Chicka Nacho Cheese Ancient Grain Puffs. My daughter is very picky, but she absolutely loves this recipe. Way better than the can stuff.  And a very quick and simple recipe.  Just the way I like it. 

Sloppy Joes

1 lb 93/7 lean ground beef

1 can tomato soup

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp. cornstarch

In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown the ground beef. Drain off fat. Add tomato soup and Worcestershire sauce to the ground beef. Stir to combine.  In a small bowl combine the cornstarch and water. Add to meat mixture and bring to boil. Lower heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve on buns.

I had mine with spicy mustard and a wedge of Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese.  I found the nacho cheese puffs at Target.  They are pretty good.  Lastly the recipe for coleslaw 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 (tostada) Night.  Oh yeah.  So you can have chicken tacos if you want but it's so much better in tostadas.  And your filling won't fall out the back when you are eating them.  For this dinner I also use my toaster oven.  Preheat it to 375.  Line the baking pan with foil, and spray it with Pam.  Warm up two corn tortillas in the microwave.  Place them flat on the baking sheet and then spray the tops with Pam.  Bake for about 10 minutes turning once until light brown and toasty.  Keep on eye on them because they will go from being perfect to burnt in a blink of an eye.  I know, it's happened to me.  Once they are done.  I split one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese between the two corn tostadas.  Then spread black beans, divide 6 ounces of diced warmed chicken and pile it on top, add salsa, sour cream, and devour.  You can add any kind of salsa and guacamole as well.

Wednesday:  Leftovers.  So tonight I decided to have: Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza, Boom Chicka Nacho Cheese Ancient Grain Puffs.  I was surfing good ole Pinterest and I came  across this recipe:
http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/show/low-cal-bacon-chicken-pizza It's a chicken bacon pizza.  And I thought to myself there's another use for my trusty prepped chicken.  Of course I have a tendency to tweak recipes and that's what I did here.  Preheat toaster oven to 375.  In a small bowl, mix Laughing Cow cheese, 2 tsp. light sour cream, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp. dry ranch dip mix, and 1/8 tsp. Italian seasoning until smooth.  Spread it on top of a pita bread.  Sprinkle with crushed red pepper.  Add 3 to 4 ounces of chopped chicken.  Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of mozzarella cheese, top with sliced cherry tomatoes and 2 slices of fully cooked bacon.  Bake in my toaster oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is nice a bubbly.  And then I topped it off with hot sauce.

Thursday:  Spaghetti Squash, veggies, chicken, and salad.  I roast my spaghetti squash in the oven for 45 minutes at 375.  Once it's done.  I will add 2 cups of the roasted spaghetti squash to the bowl.  I like to add vegetables as well.  Today the vegetables are Herdez: Yucatan Blend.  It's roasted corn, black beans, red peppers, and poblano chiles.  You steam them in the bag, so it's a snap to get them ready.  The great thing about this dish is that you can use any kind of vegetables you want.  Also you can use a spaghetti sauce, an Alfredo sauce, or even pesto in place of or even with the vegetables.  Then take 6 ounces of chicken, slice it and warm it up in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.  Place it on top of everything.  Sprinkle the whole shebang with crushed red pepper and enjoy!  And since you are cutting out the pasta by substituting spaghetti squash for it you can add a piece of garlic toast.  Today though I opted for a side salad.

Friday:  Chicken Tamale Casserole, lemony green beans, black beans, and salad.

http://www.iwashyoudry.com/2014/01/13/chicken-tamale-casserole/

The next time I make this I think I am going to use green enchilada sauce in place of the red.  I prefer the green when using chicken.  I think it would also be good switching out the chicken and using shredded pork.  And maybe only 1/4 tsp. of cumin (that stuff is pretty strong).

Chicken Tamale Casserole

1 (8.5 oz.) box corn muffin mix

1 (14.75 oz.) can sweet corn cream style (no salt added)

2 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup 1% milk

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1 cup shredded mozzarella (part skim milk, low moisture)

1 (10 oz.) can mild enchilada sauce

3 cups cooked, diced skinless chicken breast

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly spray a 13X9 inch baking dish with Pam. Set aside. In a large bowl combine the corn muffin mix, cream-style corn, eggs, milk, chili powder, cumin, and 1/2 cup cheese. Stir till combined then pour into baking dish. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and use a knife to pierce the cornbread mixture several times all over. Pour the enchilada sauce all over the top. Then top with the chicken and remaining cheese. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing into pieces and serving with optional toppings: diced tomato, sour cream, shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, chopped green onions, finely chopped cilantro, and/or salsa.

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 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.