Monday, July 20, 2015

Dinner July 11 to July 17

I have been asked a couple times about portion sizes, and I have addressed it before but I'll go ahead and talk about it again.  Most of my recipes are a cup size portion.  If I am making a casserole 9 times out of 10, I'll cut the casserole into 8 even pieces.  Now I have a friend who has a teenage son and she asked me what I do about portions for men.  I only have a daughter.  But for my husband I will usually give him 1 1/2 portions.  When it comes to vegetables though everyone gets double or even triple portions.  I use a lot of frozen veggies and usually will divide a bag of lets say green beans into two portions.  Many times I'll steam two bags of frozen veggies and divide them up among everyone's plate.




Saturday:  Beef Stroganoff, Garlic Ranch Mashed Potatoes, garlic toast, and green beans.  This is one of the recipes that the serving size is 1/2 cup.






Beef Stroganoff

1 package stroganoff mix
8 oz light sour cream
1/2 tsp parsley flakes (optional)
1 cup water
1 lb lean ground beef

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook stirring until browned and no longer pink.  Stir in sauce mix and water.  Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream. Sprinkle parsley flakes, if desired and serve.

Garlic Ranch Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs white potatoes, peeled
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tbsps Land O'Lakes light butter with canola
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp Mrs. Dash
1/2 tsp ranch dry dips mix
1/2 tsp salt
1 Laughing Cow Light 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 chicken broth, butter, cheese, salt, pepper, dry ranch mix and seasoning to the pot. Mash until desired consistency. Serve.

The garlic toast is from a frozen box.  There are 8 slices of bread in the box and I'll just ask who wants a slice and use my toaster oven to bake that number of slices.  The rest go back into the freezer.  I used to make a whole loaf of garlic bread but then would have a lot left over and it's too tempting to eat way too much garlic bread.

For the green beans, they are the frozen ones.  You can steam them right in the bag.  Just follow the directions on the package.  Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, crushed red pepper, and the juice from 1 wedge of lemon.  Then toss to coat and serve.

Sunday:  Broiled Tilapia, coleslaw, and asparagus.  So I have tried my hand at cod, salmon, and flounder.  Next I wanted to give tilapia a try.  So I found this really simple recipe.  It took me about 15 minutes to have dinner on the table.  FANTASTIC!







Broiled Tilapia

4-5 oz tilapia fillets
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. garlic herb seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash)

Preheat broiler.  Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.  Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper.  Transfer fish to prepared pan and drizzle with lemon juice; sprinkle garlic herb seasoning over top.  Broil until fish is fork-tender, about 5 minutes.  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.

Today I bough fresh asparagus.  I have Ziploc steamer bags and they are fabulous.  They have instructions on how to steam veggies and certain proteins right on the bag.  So I just followed the directions for steaming asparagus and when it was done I tossed them with lemon juice, pepper, crushed red pepper, and Mrs. Dash.

Monday:  Roast Pork Chops, cheddar & bacon grits, and mixed vegetables.  I admit I have never ever had grits before in my life, let alone cook them.  But I found this recipe on Paula Deen's website and I really wanted to try it.  Of course I changed it a bit.  I kinda blended her recipe with the one on the back of the box of grits. I know your thinking YIKES Paula Deen uses so much butter but I fixed it so that it's not so bad.


Roasted Pork Chops

4 lg. pork chops
salt
pepper
1 tbsp. canola oil

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper.  Add the pork chops to the skillet and cook for 10 minutes, turning halfway through cook time.

Cheddar & Bacon Grits

4 cups water
1 cup quick cooking grits
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup Land o Lakes Light Canola Butter
1/2 cup 2% cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I use fully cooked bacon so that way I can just get the amount I'm going to use and not be tempted by a whole pan filled with bacon)

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium high heat.  Add grits, salt, pepper, and butter.  Cook and stir frequently, until the grits are soft.  Stir in cheese and bacon.

For the mixed vegetables, they are the frozen ones, that include broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.  You can steam them right in the bag.  Just follow the directions on the package.  Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, and pepper.  Then toss to coat and serve.

Tuesday:  Chicken Tamale Casserole, black beans, and green beans.  The first time I made this I used red enchilada sauce, tonight I'm going to use green enchilada sauce.  I would much rather have green enchilada sauce with chicken.








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
1/4 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.

For the green beans, they are the frozen ones.  You can steam them right in the bag.  Just follow the directions on the package.  Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, crushed red pepper, and the juice from 1 wedge of lemon.  Then toss to coat and serve.

Wednesday:  Leftovers. Tada...Chicken tostadas!  I love them.  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.

Thursday:  Meat & Potato Casserole, black beans, and mixed vegetables.  My husband really loved the meat & potato casserole and he has been asking for me to make it again.  Tonight he got his wish.









Meat and Potato Casserole

1 lb 93/7 lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 (10.5 oz) can Campbell's 98% fat free condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash
4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup water

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.

For the mixed vegetables, they are the frozen ones.  It's blend of green beans, wax beans, and carrots.  It's not my usual steam in the bag kind,  But follow the directions on the package.  Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, crushed red pepper, and the juice from 1 wedge of lemon.  Then toss to coat and serve.

Friday:  Oven-Baked Sriracha Chicken, brown rice, vegetable spring roll, and stir fry vegetables.  Baking the chicken keeps it moist and yummy!









Oven Baked Sriracha Chicken

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tsp. sriracha sauce
1/4 tsp. Chinese five spice blend
1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp. fresh ginger, minced or grated
4 stalks green onions (greens: thinly sliced and whites:minced), separated

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with Pam and set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk together the minced whites of the green onions, hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic, lime juice, sriracha, and seasoning.  Working with one piece at a time, place chicken breast in the bowl and coat with sauce (the sauce is pretty thick). Place chicken breast in baking dish and repeat with remaining chicken. Pour any of the remaining sauce over the chicken.  Cover baking dish with foil. Bake 35-40 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Place chicken on a serving dish and top with green onion greens and toasted sesame seeds.


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 are frozen ones.   I make them in my toaster oven.  I'll just ask who wants spring rolls and make that amount.  The rest go back to the freezer for another time.

The vegetable mix is an Asian stir fry style and is the frozen kind.  They are not the kind that you steam in the bag.  I just followed the directions on the bag on how to microwave them.   Once they are done I pour them into a mixing bowl, add 1/2 tbsp. sriracha, 1/2 tbsp. less sodium soy sauce, and 1 tsp. light canola butter.  Stir well to combine and serve.

No comments:

Post a Comment