Menu June 6 to June 12

When I do my grocery shopping I always try to find low sodium ingredients.  It's not that I have a high blood pressure problem, but my husband does.  And so does my mom.  I'm just trying to get used to the idea of low sodium stuff.  So when I buy canned corn, condensed soups, taco seasoning, tomato sauce, or other ingredients like that I always look for low sodium, and you can usually find them.  Even the season salt I use for my baked salmon is 25% less sodium.   How they get less salt in salt is beyond me.  Oh and I substitute Mrs. Dash for salt in most of not all of my recipes.

Saturday:  Herb Baked Salmon, coleslaw, and green beans.

Baked Herb Crusted Salmon

1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1 lb. salmon
Pam

Preheat oven to 450.  In a small bowl mix spices.  Spray a baking dish with Pam.  Place the fish in pan and spray the tops of the salmon with Pam as well.  Then sprinkle herbs evenly over fish.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  You can also place the fish close to the broiler after baking for a minute or two to crisp up the herbs a little more.

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.  

Sunday:  Out of town.  We had to make a quick trip to Odessa this day.  Lunch was was eaten at Jason's Deli.  I had the Manager's Special.  1/2 sandwich and a bowl of soup.  The sandwich I had was the Cuban Press, not impressed with that sandwich.  It was on the bland side.  The pickles were flavorless and there was no mustard, I couldn't taste the ham or the turkey...isn't there supposed to be cheese on this sandwich?  I don't know how they can get away with calling that a Cuban sandwich. And for my soup I chose the vegetarian vegetable soup, that was delicious.  I went ahead and added steamed veggies just to get even veggie servings thank goodness because that sandwich was a huge let down.  They were also yummy.  Then we did our shopping and before we came home we stopped at The Orange Leaf.  I'm totally obsessed with frozen yogurt.  And I loaded it up.  So when dinner came around I wasn't even the least bit hungry.  Still dreaming about that yogurt.  Some day we shall be together again and I shall devour you just like last time.

Monday: Southwest casserole, black beans, and green beans.  One of the good things about casseroles is that it's an all in one meal. Quick, yummy, and delicious!

Southwest Casserole

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

2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce

1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (1.25 oz) pkg. taco seasoning mix

12 corn tortillas

1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of celery soup

3/4 cup milk

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13x9 in. baking dish with Pam. In a bowl, combine cooked beef, tomato sauce, corn, and taco seasoning. Use 6 tortillas to cover bottom and sides of the baking dish. Spread beef mixture over tortillas. Use remaining tortillas to cover the beef mixture. Mix together soup and milk and pour over tortillas. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges turn golden brown.

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.  

Tuesday: Herb roasted turkey, garlic mashed mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and green beans.  It was as if Thanksgiving came early.  I had actually found a recipe to make a turkey breast in my crockpot and well it kinda grew from there.

Herb Roasted Turkey

5-6 lb turkey breast
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. butter, softened
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper

Place turkey breast side up in a crockpot; add water.  Blend together remaining ingredients in a small bowl; spread over outside of turkey.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. 

Garlic Ranch Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs white potatoes

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp Mrs 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.

The stuffing was just a lower sodium Stove Top Stuffing.  Just follow the directions, simple.  For the gravy I used a canned one (shhh....it's ok sometimes I have to cut corners too).  

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.  

 

Wednesday: Leftovers...Chicken bacon sandwich and baked Sour Cream and Cheddar Lay's.  I love me a chicken sandwich.  Add bacon and I'm in heaven.  I usually use sandwich thins.  They are 100 calories and come in different kinds.  Like whole wheat, multi-grain, and honey wheat.  All equally delicious, and all have about the same nutritional value so just pick the one you like best.  This time though I had a left over King's Hawaiian bun so I used it in place of the sandwich thin.  I'm living dangerously here people!  Then I added: I use Laughing Cow cheese, mustard, spinach, a couple of pieces of bacon, and 4 to 5 ounces of chicken.  If you don't like mustard you can use mayo.  I have one for my husband that is made with canola oil.  Or you can use hummus, or pesto.  And I had the Baked Lays.

Thursday: Beefy cornbread casserole, black beans, and grilled vegetable mix. Casseroles are quick and easy to put together and it's an all in one meal.

Beefy Cornbread Casserole

1 lb. 93/7 lean ground beef

1 medium onions, chopped

1 (10 3/4 oz) can tomato soup

1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained

1-2 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp Mrs. Dash

1/2 cup water

1 (6.5 oz) pkg. cornbread mix

1 large egg

2 tbsp. light butter with canola oil, melted

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13x9 in. baking dish with Pam. Meanwhile heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add onions and saute until the onions are soft. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Stir in soup, corn, chili powder, Mrs. Dash, and water. Pour into baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix cornbread mix, egg, butter, and milk together. Spread the batter evenly over the top of the meat mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes until cornbread is baked. Sprinkle cheese on top and broil 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted.

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 grilled mixed vegetables, I found in the freezer section.  It had a mix of potatoes, zucchini, red and yellow bell peppers.  And the best part is that you just steam them right in the bag.  Once they were done I poured 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:  Honey cashew chicken, brown rice, spring rolls.  Stir frys are easy and quick. I like to make mine with lots of fresh veggies.  You can use the frozen ones, but I just love using fresh vegetables.

Honey Cashew Chicken

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 tbsp. sesame seed oil

5 cups chopped broccoli

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups strips or slices carrots

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

1/2 cup cashew halves & pieces

1 tbsp. rice vinegar

3 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. less sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp. sriracha hot chili sauce

Combine chicken, cornstarch, Mrs. Dash, and pepper in a bowl; toss to coat. Heat a wok or large skillet to medium high heat. Add canola oil and sesame oil. Add chicken mixture, and saute 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Increase heat to high, and add broccoli, carrots, garlic, onion, and red bell pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender and chicken is done, stirring frequently. Stir in cashews. Combine vinegar, honey, soy sauce, and sriracha in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add vinegar mixture to chicken mixture. Toss to coat. Serve with brown rice if desired.

Brown rice is a boil in the bag kind.  Just make it according to package directions.  I like to toss a cube of chicken broth into the water to flavor the rice.  When it's done, I season the rice with Mrs. Dash, a splash of less sodium soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp. Land O'Lakes Light Butter with Canola.

The spring rolls, were mini vegetable spring rolls, that I baked in my toaster oven.  Once again just follow the package directions.