Menu June 13 to June 19

My mom is still recuperating from her back surgery so therefore I am still taking her dinner every night.  She told me to just bring her however much I serve myself.  Well I did that and she was surprised at how much I actually ate.  I told her "You don't have to eat less...You just have to eat right!"

Saturday:  Mustard Maple Salmon, coleslaw, veggies, and salad.  I wanted to try a new salmon recipe.  And I came across this one: http://www.fitnessrepublic.com/nutrition/healthy_eating/4-healthy-dinners-in-30-minutes.html I was kinda skeptical at first but the mustard maple glaze is delicious!

Mustard Maple Salmon

4 5-oz skinless salmon filets
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tbsp. light mayonnaise
2 tsp. pure maple syrup
sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400.  Cover baking sheet with foil.  Mix mustard, mayo, and syrup in a small bowl.  Add filets to baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper.  Spread mixture evenly over filets.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.  Serve.

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 or lime 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:  Family Favorite Casserole, black beans, veggies.  I like this recipe because it's an all in one meal made in my crockpot, love that crockpot!

Family Favorite Casserole

1 lb. 93/7 lean ground beef, browned and drained

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 medium potato peeled and diced

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash

1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk 1%

1 1/2 cups cooked macaroni

2 cups great value fancy low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese shredded

Combine all ingredients except milk, macaroni, and cheese in a greased 3 1/2 to 5 quart crockpot. Stir to combine.  Cover and cook on low 6-10 hours or on high 3-4 hours. Stir in milk and cooked macaroni during the last 30 minutes off cooking on low or the last 15 minutes if on high. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top.

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 the frozen mixed ones.  You just steam them right in the bag.  Once they are done I pour them into a mixing bowl, add pepper, Mrs. Dash, crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp. of light canola butter.  

Monday:  Spaghetti Squash, veggies, 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. 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.  Once again 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 the vegetables.  Then take 5-6 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.  But I usually opt for a side salad.

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
 

Tuesday:  Meat & Potato Casserole, black beans, veggies. As far as my husband is concerned this is the perfect recipe...the title says it all meat and potatoes what more could he asked for?

Meat and Potato Casserole

1 lb 93/7 lean ground beef

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

1/3 cup water

1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash

1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with Pam. In a frying pan, brown beef and onion together until beef is done. Stir Italian seasoning into beef mixture.  Lay a third of the potatoes on bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle potatoes with some of the Mrs. Dash and some pepper. Spread half the beef mixture on top. Repeat layers, ending with potato layer. Combine soup and water. Spread soup mixture over top. Cover and back 1 hour.

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.

I found some frozen mixed vegetables that come in their own cheese sauce so I thought I would give them a try.  I steamed them right in the bag.  Once they were done I stirred them really well to mix in the cheese sauce.

Wednesday:  Leftovers...Chicken Tostadas. 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 4-6 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.

Thursday:  Smothered Green Chile Chicken, black beans, veggies.  I found this recipe in my Weight Watchers cook book.  It called for a package of less sodium taco seasoning.  But I noticed how much sodium even the less sodium had so I decided to  make my own.  It is so much better than the packaged stuff.  And I had all the ingredients in my spice cupboard.  I should have made my own taco seasoning a very long time ago.  While I was at it, I thought why use the canned roasted green chiles the recipe calls for...I can roast my own.  And I did just that.  The original recipe had over 1000 mg. of sodium, and by changing just those two things I got the sodium down to under 350!!!  Don't be afraid to change a recipe to suit your dietary needs.  So first up is the recipe and then I'll tell you how to mix your own taco seasoning and how I roasted those long green chilies.

Smothered Green Chile Chicken

2 limes, juiced

1 cup. shredded mozzarella cheese

4 long green chile peppers, roasted

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast

2 tsp. taco seasoning

Preheat oven to 400.  Arrange chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish; pour lime juice evenly over chicken. Season with taco seasoning (that's 1/2 tsp per chicken breast or whatever your taste buds tell you).   Lay one roasted green chile over each chicken breast. Cover dish with foil; bake for 30 minutes.   Sprinkle cheese evenly over chicken; bake uncovered an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Taco Seasoning

1 tbsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Mix everything together and then store in an airtight container.  I have a feeling that I am going to be using this spice mix a whole lot!

How to roast green chiles:

1. Prepare chiles:  Clean and dry thoroughly.

2.  Prepare oven:  Pre-heat broiler.

3.  Char chiles:  Place cleaned chiles on a foil lined baking sheet and place under broiler.  Broil 10-15 minutes turning several times to make sure char each side.  The chiles won't be entirely blackened, but should be charred about 60%.

4.  Remove from heat:  Carefully remove the charred chiles from under the broiler.

5.  Sweat chiles:  Carefully place the chiles into a plastic ziplock baggy and seal it.  This will steam the chiles and make the removal of the skin easier.  Sweat for 15-20 minutes.

6.  Remove skin:  Remove one chile at a time and gently pull the skin off.  Use a knife to remove any skin that sticks.  Split the chile open and remove seeds.

7.  Use or store:  When the chiles are peeled you can use them right away or you can freeze them for later use. 

It's super simple and I totally recommend roasting your own.  No more canned green chiles for me!

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.  
 

Friday:  Turkey Burgers, Cracker Chips.  I like to try different burger recipes and tonight I opted for turkey.

Turkey Burgers

1/4 cup. panko bread crumbs

2 tbsp. 1% milk

2 large egg white

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tsp. McCormick Grill Mates 25% less sodium Montreal chicken seasoning

2 lb. lean 93/7 ground turkey

Spray a large pan with Pam and heat to medium high.  Combine bread crumbs, milk, and egg whites in a large bowl. Add turkey, steak seasoning, and pepper. Using hands, gently mix until blended. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions and shape into 1/2 inch thick patties.  Place patties in pan. Cook 13-15 minutes or until done, flipping patties half way through cook time.  Remove from pan and let rest 5-8 minutes.

To assemble the burgers I used hamburger buns, as per my husband's request, usually I like to use sandwich thins.  I spread spicy hot mustard on the top bun and a wedge of Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese on top of the mustard.  Turkey patty went on the bottom bun.  Then because I had some leftover roasted green chiles I added one to the top of the patty.  Placed a slice of tomato and a couple slices of pickles on top of the turkey patty.  Put the lid on the burger and added a serving of Special K Sour Cream and Chives Cracker Chips.  Yum, yum, yum!