Dinner Menu September 26 to October 2

Don't ever be afraid to change recipes.  You can substitute Mrs. Dash for salt.  If a recipe calls for canned goods, look for ones that are low sodium or have no salt added.  Another thing I use is light canola butter instead of regular butter.  Other switch outs can be ground turkey for ground beef, whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta, it's a lot easier than you think.










Saturday:  Out of town.  My sister had an idea to make the her kids themed Halloween costumes.  This year they are all breakfast foods.  So we headed to Odessa, Tx to pick up the materials she would need.  And naturally we dined out.

Sunday:  Shrimp Scampi and asparagus.  This one of the recipes where you can substitute whole wheat pasta for regular.  And that is exactly what I did.  Once you get the shrimp cooked just toss it with 8 oz. of cooked spaghetti.

4 Minute Spicy Garlic Shrimp

1/2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2-1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (depends on how hot you like it)
24 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp. steak seasoning blend
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and shrimp.  Season with grill seasoning or salt and pepper and cook shrimp 3 minutes or until just pink.  Toss with lemon zest and juice.

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:  Chili Pie, black beans, and green beans.  I love the combination of beans, ground beef, and chorizo.  So this pie is right up my alley. 

Chili Pie

1 tbsp. Land o'Lakes Light Butter with canola oil
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz. pkg. Peyton's beef chorizo
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp leaves oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 (15.5 oz) can no salt added pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8oz) can no salt added tomato sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup 1% milk
3 tbsp. yellow corn meal
2/3 cup flour
1 egg
1 tbsp. Land o'Lakes Light Butter with canola oil

Preheat oven to 425. Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a skillet. Saute onion until soft. Stir, in garlic. Saute a minute. Remove chorizo from casing. Cook breaking up meat, 10 minutes. Pour off any grease.  Stir in chili powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add ground beef. Brown. Stir in tomato sauce and beans. Bring mixture to a simmer. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese.  In a small bowl, combine milk, flour, cornmeal, egg and oil. Beat vigorously. Pour topping over mixture in skillet. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and fluffy.

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 to 1/2 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, and crushed red pepper.  Then toss to coat and serve.

Tuesday:  Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry, brown rice, and Asian veggies.  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 Asian veggies, 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, and crushed red pepper.  Then toss to coat and serve

Wednesday:  Leftovers.  Chicken Tostadas and cracker chips.  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.

Thursday:  Cheesy Beef Pasta, black beans, and mixed veggies.  A quick meal with meat and veggies in one pan!

Cheesy Beef Pasta with Veggies

1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb bag of Green Giant Pasta with broccoli, carrots & cheese sauce
1 (10.75 oz.) can Campbell's Healthy Request cheddar cheese soup
1/2 cup water

Cook beef in a skillet over medium high heat for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned; drain.  Stir frozen pasta & veggies mix, soup, and water into beef. Heat to boiling, reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender.

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 to 1/2 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 veggies, 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, and crushed red pepper.  Then toss to coat and serve.

Friday:  Chicken and Cornbread Casserole, black beans, and green beans.  With chicken and veggies you have an all in one meal that comes together in a flash.

Chicken & Cornbread Stuffing Casserole

1 (10.5 oz.) can Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup
3/4 cup 1% milk
1 (12 oz) bag mixed veggies
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 cups cooked skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 1/2 cups corn bread stuffing
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with Pam. Bring soup and milk to a boil in a saucepan over high heat, stirring frequently. Stir in mixed veggies, and poultry seasoning. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently; remove from heat. Stir in chicken and stuffing mix. Spoon into baking dish. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake uncovered 15 minutes on until hot in center.

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 to 1/2 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, and crushed red pepper.  Then toss to coat and serve.