Dinner July 25 to July 31

I like to prep chicken to have it ready for the week.  Usually I use it for lunch, I slice up half a breast and put it in my salad.  But I also use it for dinner, especially on Wednesday nights which is left over day.  This week I used it with my spaghetti squash dinner.  First I trim all the fat off of boneless skinless chicken breasts.  Then I cut them in half, and with a meat mallet, I pound them all to an equal thickness.  Put them in a Ziploc baggy with a lemon pepper marinade and refrigerate about 6 hours.  When I get ready to cook the chicken.  I spray a frying pan with Pam, and heat on medium.  Then I take the chicken sprinkle it with lemon pepper seasoning and place them in the pan.  Cook for about 6 or 7 minutes.  Flip them over and continue to cook for 6 to 7 minutes.  Take them out of the pan and place in a baking dish to cool down.  Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to use. When I run out I start all over again.

Saturday:  Spaghetti Squash, mixed vegetables, and soup.  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 vegetables are a mix of carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower.  They are the steam in the bag kind.  Just follow the directions.  When they are done I pour them in a mixing bowl and add a tsp. of light canola butter, some pepper, and Mrs. Dash.  Then mix to combine, and serve some on top of the spaghetti squash.  (Also you can use a spaghetti sauce, an Alfredo sauce, or even pesto in place of 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.  My mom made the soup and she shared with me.  So I am going to share the recipe with you.

Szechuan Chicken Vegetable Soup

3 c. fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
2 c. shredded cooked boneless skinless chicken breast
2 tbsp. less sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sriracha
1 (16 oz) bag frozen broccoli stir fry vegetables

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Cover and bring to boil; stir in vegetables.  Cover and return to boil; remove from heat.  Serve.

Sunday:  Chili Lime Cod, green beans, and french fries.  I always try to include fish once a week.  And cod is my favorite.  Thank goodness that my husband loves fish too.

Chili Lime Cod

2 lbs. cod
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
juice of 1 lime

Heat oven to 450.  Spray oven safe pan with Pam.  Place cod in pan.  In a small bowl mix together chili powder, dried oregano, and salt.  Roast 5-7 minutes until opaque.  Melt butter in a small sauce saucepan.  Add lime juice and cook for 1 minute more.  Before serving drizzle butter mixture over cod.

The french fries were a single serving tray that you can just pop in the microwave.  Follow the directions.

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.

Monday:  Smothered Green Chili Chicken, black beans, and squash.  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.  It's much spicier than regular taco seasoning.  If you don't like it too spicy then cut back on the amount of crushed red pepper flakes, or leave them out entirely.

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 always have black beans in my fridge.  It's one of the foods that I prep along with chicken.  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 squash comes from the freezer section.  They are not the kind you steam in the bag.  Just follow the directions on the package to make them in the microwave.  Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 tsp. light canola butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper.  Then toss to coat and serve.

Tuesday:  Carne Molida con Papas, black beans, and broccoli.  I remember this dish from my childhood. My grandma, who we all called Mother, would make this and it was one of my favorite things to eat.  After she passed away I regretted never getting the recipe from her.  One day I was shopping and I really wanted to make carne molida con papas.  One of my friends said to google the recipe.  I told him that I didn't need Google, I would ask my mom.  And she gave me the recipe.  The original recipe calls for homemade salsa but I substituted Rotel, and it's just as good.

Carne Molida con Papas (Gound Beef with Potatoes)

1 lb lean ground beef

1 can Rotel

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 cups low sodium beef broth

3 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into strips

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

In a large skillet over medium-high heat brown the ground beef, drain. To the meat in the skillet, sprinkle flour, add the potatoes and seasonings. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Add the beef broth and tomatoes and green chilies. Bring to boil, and then lower heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. 

I always have black beans in my fridge.  It's one of the foods that I prep along with chicken.  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 broccoli, 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. light canola butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, crushed red pepper, and the juice from 1 wedge of lemon.  Then toss to coat and serve.

Wednesday:  Leftovers...chicken tostadas and veggie straws.  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:  Au Gratin Sausage Skillet, black beans, and green beans.  This dinner comes together fairly quickly when you're short on time.  You don't have to slave away all day to make dinner.  Most of these recipes can come together in no time.

Au Gratin Sausage Skillet

1 pkg. smoked sausage, halved and sliced

1 (4.7 oz) box Betty Crocker Au Gratin Cheesy Potatoes

2 1/2 cups water

2 (12 oz) bags Birds Eye Steamfresh broccoli, cauliflower & carrots

In a large skillet sprayed with Pam, cook sausage until lightly browned; drain. Add potatoes with contents of sauce mix and water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 18-20 minutes or until the potatoes are almost tender, stirring occasionally.  Add vegetables; cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until potatoes and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 2 minutes.

I always have black beans in my fridge.  It's one of the foods that I prep along with chicken.  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. light canola butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, crushed red pepper, and the juice from 1 wedge of lemon.  Then toss to coat and serve.

Friday:  Chicken & Broccoli Stir fry, brown rice, and aspargus. This classic recipe is full of fresh and delicious flavor, and it's ready in just 12 minutes.

Chicken & Broccoli Stir fry

3 tbsp less sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp unsweetened rice vinegar

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp olive oil

5 cups broccoli, chopped

2 cups carrot strips

16 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces

Heat olive oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken breast, and if desired, season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and mostly cooked through. While chicken is cooking, in a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil until combined. Set aside. Once chicken is browned, add the broccoli and carrots and stir to combine. Continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp. Stir in the soy sauce mixture, and cook for an additional 1 minute until sauce has thickened.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.  If desired garnish with thinly sliced green onions 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.

For the asparagus, 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. light canola butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, crushed red pepper, and the juice from 1 wedge of lemon.  Then toss to coat and serve.  (I really HATED the asparagus.  When it comes to this veggie fresh is best!)