Menu Planning Monday!

Time for another menu plan!!! :) Days/meals may change since I am waiting to hear from the soccer coach about practices this week.

Monday- Homemade Chili Verde (hope to post the recipe soon...if I actually make note of what I do!), CP pinto beans(link to stovetop version), tortillas (plus all the goodies-lettuce, cheese, salsa, etc.)

Tuesday- Orange chicken (pictured above), white rice (we love short grain sticky rice!), a veggie (probably steamed broccoli)

Wednesday- WW Chicken Parmigiana, pasta, salad

Thursday- Kielbasa & black beans, brown rice medley, salad or veggie (green beans maybe?)

Friday- Thai Chicken Curry (sauce from a jar), rice, veggie

Saturday- CP chicken tacos (just frozen chicken breasts and salsa)

Sunday- Egg drop and chicken rice noodle soup (or dinner at/from Costco! :) ) We made this soup twice already.  I added some chopped up veggies and I also used cooked thin rice noodles instead of cooking large ones in the broth.  Really good!

What are you cooking? View more recipes at www.orgjunkie.com! 

Menu Planning (Pantry Challenge!)

Thanks to Jessica's challenge- http://goodcheapeats.com/2012/01/january-meal-planning-the-pantry-challenge/ ...I am going to save a few bucks and challenge myself to use what I have on hand in the pantry and freezer this month. Yes, I will still buy fresh milk, eggs, cheese, fruits and veggies.  But I am also going to try to use some things that I might not normally reach for in my pantry so nothing goes to waste. :)

I had a bit of a hard time planning for the whole month.  I am sure I will end up moving things around or changing things if I find a fun new recipe to try or end up buying different meats or items at the store. BUT...I like a plan and here is what I came up with based MOSTLY on what we have here. 

I will also add in some sides of veggies and fruits depending on what I buy each week at the store. :)

Here is the plan in order on my calendar starting Monday, Jan.2nd.
~Leftovers (LOL! What a way to start, huh? But we have several things to get rid of in the fridge right now!)
~Grilled Cheese and Crockpot Tomato Soup (new recipe)
~Asian Sesame Noodles (I have a tasty recipe the kids love...I will share if I remember to get a photo!)
~Fish tacos, pinto beans
~Pancakes (either oatmeal or banana nut)
~Homemade pizza
~Taco Pasta (new recipe...will probably leave out the cream or use milk)
~ Burrito Bowls (rice, beans, leftover turkey from the freezer, lettuce, salsa, etc.)
~Grilled Cheese and Soup (Not sure what kind of soup yet.  Maybe some leftover from the freezer or maybe I will make some fresh.)
~Star Hitched Chicken (crockpot) burritos (salsa, chicken and cream cheese in the crockpot...easy and tasty!)
~Cheeseburger rice (new recipe...from a magazine)
~ Pasta with red sauce,
~ Crock pot chicken cacciatore (new recipe), salad
~ Chili (leftover in the freezer) and rice
~Thai curry chicken, rice, veggie
~ Crockpot taco style lentils and rice-burritos (simple recipe but yummy!)
~Split pea and ham soup, homemade bread (my favorite and one of the easiest pea soup recipes!)
~ Chicken Masala, rice, veggie
~ Southwest taco pie (A pampered Chef recipe...we have had this before and liked it but that was ages ago!)
~Burritos (again...yes.  My kids will eat almost anything if it is in a burrito) with sprouted beans and enchilada sauce
~Turkey, stuffing, gravy, rolls, etc. (I have a huge turkey in the freezer I need to defrost and cook!)
~ Black bean soup
~ Ravioli, red sauce
~ Waffles and sausage (i have a couple of yummy waffle recipes!  I need to get on the ball with food photos and recipes again!)
~ Chicken and rice burritos
~ Coconut Curry Shrimp, rice, veggie
~ Chicken Parmigiana, salad (really yummy recipe!)
~ Turkey barley soup, homemade bread

WHEW! So, we'll see how well I can stick to this plan.  Or not. ;) The point is going to be to use up some items and cook in this month.  Think I can make it the whole month without getting take out or going out?? :)

Happy menu planning!  For more menus, visit www.orgjunkie.com . 

Lean and Green Chili

Not a St. Patty's day food, but I thought it was appropriate since it's green. :) This is a really tasty chili (it's actually a little more soupy than chili-ish).  I rarely follow recipes exactly as written so I included some of my changes.  The first time I made this, I made the little tortilla strips but we just used a few tortilla chips this time instead.  I hope you enjoy this!!

Lean N Green Chili

(I got the original recipe from a Pampered Chef cookbook but I have seen close variations a couple of places online.)

6 servings...about 1 1/4 cup each

WW- 5 points a serving

Ingredients:

8 6-in. corn tortillas, divided

2 tsp. vegetable oil, dived (I used olive oil)
1 c. chopped Poblano Chile peppers (or green bell peppers) (I used half red and half orange bell peppers instead)
1/2 c. chopped onion (I probably used more)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¾-in. pieces
1 tsp. ground cumin (I probably used more...I don't usually measure spices.)
1 garlic clove, pressed (I used 3 cloves I think)
2 cans (14.5 oz.) 99% fat free chicken broth
2 cans (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed (I used one can pinto and one can black beans.)
1 1/4 c. salsa verde (or 1 can green Chile enchilada sauce) (I used enchilada sauce PLUS a little green salsa)
3-4 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (I used more and added it about 10-15 minutes before finishing to let the flavors blend.)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut four of the tortillas in half and stack them one on top of another. Cut the tortillas into ½ inch strips. Place in bowl and toss with 1 tsp of the oil. Spread in a single layer in a baking pan. Bake 10 – 12 min or until crisp, stirring once. Remove from oven.

Chop peppers and onion. Cut chicken into ¾ inch pieces; toss with cumin in small bowl. Fold one tortilla to fit into a food processor coarsely grate. Repeat with remaining 3 tortillas. Set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in large pot over medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 min. Remove chicken from pot; add Chile peppers, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir 3 min. Stir in chicken, broth, beans, salsa and grated tortillas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15 min. (I simmered it a little longer and added the lid after the first 15 minutes.) Stir cilantro into chili. Ladle soup into bowls; top with baked tortilla strips.

Taco Soup- crock pot

You can make this on the stove top but I usually use the crock pot so it is ready whenever we are.
Taco Soup
1 package dry ranch dressing (1/4 cup)
1 package taco seasoning (1/4 cup)
½ -1 lb ground beef-browned and drained
1 can corn
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in big pot and simmer for at least an hour. Or cook all day in a crock pot. Serve with shredded cheese, chips and sour cream.

Menu Planning Monday

Time to plan for the week! Head on over to orgjunkie.com for more great menu ideas!!

Monday- Crockpot Bloody Mary Chicken, brown rice and spinach salad

Tuesday- Garlic Spaghetti with Spinach & Grape Tomatoes (a new recipe for me from my friend Lee!) and possibly breadsticks or fresh bread

Wednesday- Crock pot Almond Chicken, steamed veggies, rice

Thursday-Chinese Chicken Salad (from Costco-just add your own lettuce...how easy is that??)

Friday-Veggie tacos (using taco style lentils and rice-first time trying this!), pinto beans

Saturday- We'll probably go out or bring something home...my parents might be here to visit.

Sunday- Jambalaya (from a box and I'll add the meat. I have a yummy recipe but since I have a box in the pantry, we'll use that this time.) salad

And don't forget to check out the blog party going on at Feeling Scrappy!! See my previous post for the first two prizes or head straight on over there and check it out for yourself!

Menu Planning Monday

Time to plan for the week! Head on over to orgjunkie.com for more great menu ideas!!

Monday- Crockpot Bloody Mary Chicken, brown rice and spinach salad

Tuesday- Garlic Spaghetti with Spinach & Grape Tomatoes (a new recipe for me from my friend Lee!) and possibly breadsticks or fresh bread

Wednesday- Crock pot Almond Chicken, steamed veggies, rice

Thursday-Chinese Chicken Salad (from Costco-just add your own lettuce...how easy is that??)

Friday-Veggie tacos (using taco style lentils and rice-first time trying this!), pinto beans

Saturday- We'll probably go out or bring something home...my parents might be here to visit.

Sunday- Jambalaya (from a box and I'll add the meat. I have a yummy recipe but since I have a box in the pantry, we'll use that this time.) salad

And don't forget to check out the blog party going on at Feeling Scrappy!! See my previous post for the first two prizes or head straight on over there and check it out for yourself!

Menu Planning Monday

Ok, it's time for me to start menu planning again!! I haven't been very good at it for a couple of months but I am ready to plan, plan, plan!

Here's what we are having this week-
Monday-BBQ chicken, Ranchers Potatoes(recipe below!! Soooo yummy!) and garlic peas
Tuesday- Tacos, pinto beans
Wednesday-Crockpot pork chops with gravy (new recipe), baked potatoes, green beans
Thursday- Lentil Stew, Garlic Muffins (I leave out the onion) or cornbread muffins.
Friday-Meatballs & Pink Sauce (this was my favorite meal as a kid!!! See the recipe below.), rice and brocolli
Saturday- Chicken Tortilla Soup
Sunday- Crockpot beef roast, mashed potatoes, a veggie (not sure what yet)


Breakfast- cereal, oatmeal, waffles and homemade egg mcmuffins.
Lunch-PB&J sandwiches, quesadillas, grilled cheese, cheese and pimento sandwiches, tuna sandwiches
Snacks-Hummus and veggies, PB toast, cheese and crackers, tortilla roll ups, fruit

Meatballs and Pink Sauce
*This was my favorite meal growing up! I don’t really have exact measurements, I wing it as I go. But here’s a guideline.

Ground beef and meatball fixings (I use egg, milk, bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper and any other seasonings that happen to sound good that day!)
1 cup (or more) beef broth
Flour/water paste (maybe a couple tsp of flour and water each)
Sliced mushrooms
Lemon Peel- a couple of good size strips
1 Bay leaf
½ cup or so sour cream
3 TBS or more ketchup
Cooked rice

Directions:
Make your meatballs as you normally would.
Brown meatballs in a skillet and drain the grease.
Remove meatballs to a plate.
Mix beef broth with the flour/water paste in the skillet. Whip it to remove any lumps. Bring to a boil. Add the meatballs back into the pan.
Add lemon peel, sliced mushrooms and a bay leaf.
Simmer for about 15 minutes.
Add sour cream and ketchup to taste. Heat to hot (but not boiling).
Serve over white rice.


Rancher's Potatoes
by Dirt Road Scrapper in the ScrapShare cookbook
6 large potatoes, washed & cubed into chunks
1 can chopped green chilies
5 strips bacon, cooked & chopped
8 oz. sour cream
3/4 c. Ranch dressing
1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
Place potatoes in a large casserole dish with a dash of water and microwave on high until almost tender. While they're cooking, combine all other ingredients and stir well. Stir into potatoes. Place dish in oven and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

For more great menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com!!

Menu Monday!

I haven't done this in awhile so I thought I'd actually share our menu this week. I ALWAYS menu plan. It makes my life sooo much easier and helps us not to eat out very often. I also loosely plan our breakfasts and lunches but I'm just posting dinners for now.

Here's a picture of one of our homemade pizzas. I change it up a lot depending on what we have on hand.



Monday- shepherd's pie
Tuesday- homemade pizza - dough recipe here
Wednesday- turkey enchiladas, beans (see recipe below) and rice (I'm just going to use canned sauce for the enchiladas. I might try to make my own tortillas, though.)
Thursday- potato soup and homemade rolls (new recipe!)
Friday- tuna casserole (or some sort of pasta...not really sure yet)
Saturday- crock pot Mexican chicken soup (see recipe below!)
Sunday- lentil stew

Mexican Chicken Soup
–from my friend Jayne

1 lb chicken breast
1 can black beans
1 can corn
2 cans Rotel or Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 can 14oz tomato sauce
1 cup salsa
~Cook in crock-pot 6-8 hours. Shred chicken and enjoy.
1 cup = 2 WW points

Pinto Beans
Dried pinto beans (I usually use about 2-4 cups worth to have lots of leftovers)
Water
Salt and pepper
Fajita Seasoning (or you can use a combo of your favorite seasonings such as cumin, chili powder, pinto bean seasoning, etc.)
(I’ve seen lots of recipes that add a couple of strips of bacon to the beans at the beginning which I am sure is really tasty…I just don’t do that.)

1. Rinse and sort your beans. Pull out any that look funky.
2. Dump beans into a large pot and cover with cold water. Fill it up to about 2 inches above the top of the beans.
3. Cover pot and bring it to a boil on the stove.
4. Turn to low and let simmer for about 2 hours stirring occasionally. Sometimes, you’ll need to add a bit more water if you didn’t add enough to start with.
5. Add your seasonings. I add about 1 tsp of black pepper, 1 tsp of fajita seasoning, and ½ tsp salt for every 2 cups of dried beans. Stir it up really well and let simmer for awhile longer until most of the liquid is absorbed. At this point, I am usually getting hungry and try the beans several times, sometimes adding more seasonings if I feel like it.

With the leftovers, I put about 2 cups into a freezer bag and freeze several bags for use at another time. I push the air out and stack them flat on top of something flat until frozen.

Check out http://orgjunkie.com/ for more menu ideas.

Menu Monday!

I haven't done this in awhile so I thought I'd actually share our menu this week. I ALWAYS menu plan. It makes my life sooo much easier and helps us not to eat out very often. I also loosely plan our breakfasts and lunches but I'm just posting dinners for now.

Here's a picture of one of our homemade pizzas. I change it up a lot depending on what we have on hand.



Monday- shepherd's pie
Tuesday- homemade pizza - dough recipe here
Wednesday- turkey enchiladas, beans (see recipe below) and rice (I'm just going to use canned sauce for the enchiladas. I might try to make my own tortillas, though.)
Thursday- potato soup and homemade rolls (new recipe!)
Friday- tuna casserole (or some sort of pasta...not really sure yet)
Saturday- crock pot Mexican chicken soup (see recipe below!)
Sunday- lentil stew

Mexican Chicken Soup
–from my friend Jayne

1 lb chicken breast
1 can black beans
1 can corn
2 cans Rotel or Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 can 14oz tomato sauce
1 cup salsa
~Cook in crock-pot 6-8 hours. Shred chicken and enjoy.
1 cup = 2 WW points

Pinto Beans
Dried pinto beans (I usually use about 2-4 cups worth to have lots of leftovers)
Water
Salt and pepper
Fajita Seasoning (or you can use a combo of your favorite seasonings such as cumin, chili powder, pinto bean seasoning, etc.)
(I’ve seen lots of recipes that add a couple of strips of bacon to the beans at the beginning which I am sure is really tasty…I just don’t do that.)

1. Rinse and sort your beans. Pull out any that look funky.
2. Dump beans into a large pot and cover with cold water. Fill it up to about 2 inches above the top of the beans.
3. Cover pot and bring it to a boil on the stove.
4. Turn to low and let simmer for about 2 hours stirring occasionally. Sometimes, you’ll need to add a bit more water if you didn’t add enough to start with.
5. Add your seasonings. I add about 1 tsp of black pepper, 1 tsp of fajita seasoning, and ½ tsp salt for every 2 cups of dried beans. Stir it up really well and let simmer for awhile longer until most of the liquid is absorbed. At this point, I am usually getting hungry and try the beans several times, sometimes adding more seasonings if I feel like it.

With the leftovers, I put about 2 cups into a freezer bag and freeze several bags for use at another time. I push the air out and stack them flat on top of something flat until frozen.

Check out http://orgjunkie.com/ for more menu ideas.

Menu Planning Monday

Ack! Where did the time go? I haven't posted anything since last Monday...oops!!
This week it is family favorites week. I have two of our faves on the menu this week.

Our #1 favorite is homemade PIZZA! We are having pizza on Saturday. Here's our favorite pizza dough recipe. I also use this for breadsticks (brushed with butter and parmesan) and calzones.

3 cups flour (I use half whole wheat and half all-purpose)
1 pkg active dry yeast
2 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water (110-120 degrees F)

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes until foamy.
2. Combine flour and salt in a large glass or plastic bowl.
3. Mix all of the ingredients in the big bowl. Mix with a spoon until it is mixed enough to start kneading. Press it together with your hand in the bowl until it is all combined.
4. Knead until fairly smooth on a board. Add a little flour if necessary. (With whole wheat, it won’t feel as smooth as just white flour. I just knead it about 50 times and call it good.) *To be honest, lately, I have been kneading it in my Kitchen Aid Mixer...so easy! Then I follow the rest of the steps.)
5. Place dough in a bowl sprayed with cooking spray (or lightly oiled). Cover with a piece of plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. Let rise in a warm area for about 30 minutes. I turn on my oven for a couple of minutes then shut it off to have a warm place without drafts.)
6. Punch down and let rest for about 5 minutes before rolling it out. (I used to let it rise for another 1/2 hour before punching down and rolling it out but this is quicker and it turns out about the same.)
7. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes…depending on how thin you roll it. Sometimes it only takes 15 minutes.
* It's good if you brush it with a little olive oil after baking it, too.
* I've also added different seasonings such as parmesan and Italian seasonings to it.
Another FAVE is Taco Soup. So easy and tasty. We're having it on Friday because I can make it then put it into the crockpot to cook until we are ready to eat.
1 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
1 pkg dry taco soup mix
1/2-1 lb ground beef (browned and grease drained)
1 can corn (don't drain)
1 can diced tomatoes (don't drain)
1 can pinto beans (don't drain)
1 can black beans (don't drain)
1/2-1 cup of water (I like it sort of soupy but if you want it more chili-like, don't add any water.)
**That is usually all I add if it's just us. But when we have more people over for dinner, I add extra tomatoes and beans. You could use kidney beans, too. It's very versatile. One of my good friends, Melanie, also adds bell peppers and onions to hers.

Directions-Add all ingredients to your crockpot (make sure you brown and drain the beef first) and cook on low all day or until ready to eat. You can cook it for only a couple of hours if you want.

And here's my menu for this week. Monday-Thursday are all new recipes for me(most from a cookbook and not online). I love trying new things! I will post the recipes if I like them. :)
Monday- Quick Kielbasa Skillet and a side of Swiss Chard
Tuesday-World's Easiest Black Bean Soup, grilled zuchinni and maybe some cornbread
Wednesday-Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie (I think I'll make homemade biscuits to use instead of the pie crust)
Thursday- Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup
Friday- Taco Soup (see above) and garlic muffins-we've made these muffins twice now and they are soooo yummy! I cut the butter down to 2 TBS and omit the onion (the first time because I was out of onions and the second time because we liked them so much the first time.)
Saturday- Homemade pizza, breadsticks and alfredo sauce for dipping.

Menu Planning Monday

Ack! Where did the time go? I haven't posted anything since last Monday...oops!!
This week it is family favorites week. I have two of our faves on the menu this week.

Our #1 favorite is homemade PIZZA! We are having pizza on Saturday. Here's our favorite pizza dough recipe. I also use this for breadsticks (brushed with butter and parmesan) and calzones.

3 cups flour (I use half whole wheat and half all-purpose)
1 pkg active dry yeast
2 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water (110-120 degrees F)

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes until foamy.
2. Combine flour and salt in a large glass or plastic bowl.
3. Mix all of the ingredients in the big bowl. Mix with a spoon until it is mixed enough to start kneading. Press it together with your hand in the bowl until it is all combined.
4. Knead until fairly smooth on a board. Add a little flour if necessary. (With whole wheat, it won’t feel as smooth as just white flour. I just knead it about 50 times and call it good.) *To be honest, lately, I have been kneading it in my Kitchen Aid Mixer...so easy! Then I follow the rest of the steps.)
5. Place dough in a bowl sprayed with cooking spray (or lightly oiled). Cover with a piece of plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. Let rise in a warm area for about 30 minutes. I turn on my oven for a couple of minutes then shut it off to have a warm place without drafts.)
6. Punch down and let rest for about 5 minutes before rolling it out. (I used to let it rise for another 1/2 hour before punching down and rolling it out but this is quicker and it turns out about the same.)
7. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes…depending on how thin you roll it. Sometimes it only takes 15 minutes.
* It's good if you brush it with a little olive oil after baking it, too.
* I've also added different seasonings such as parmesan and Italian seasonings to it.
Another FAVE is Taco Soup. So easy and tasty. We're having it on Friday because I can make it then put it into the crockpot to cook until we are ready to eat.
1 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
1 pkg dry taco soup mix
1/2-1 lb ground beef (browned and grease drained)
1 can corn (don't drain)
1 can diced tomatoes (don't drain)
1 can pinto beans (don't drain)
1 can black beans (don't drain)
1/2-1 cup of water (I like it sort of soupy but if you want it more chili-like, don't add any water.)
**That is usually all I add if it's just us. But when we have more people over for dinner, I add extra tomatoes and beans. You could use kidney beans, too. It's very versatile. One of my good friends, Melanie, also adds bell peppers and onions to hers.

Directions-Add all ingredients to your crockpot (make sure you brown and drain the beef first) and cook on low all day or until ready to eat. You can cook it for only a couple of hours if you want.

And here's my menu for this week. Monday-Thursday are all new recipes for me(most from a cookbook and not online). I love trying new things! I will post the recipes if I like them. :)
Monday- Quick Kielbasa Skillet and a side of Swiss Chard
Tuesday-World's Easiest Black Bean Soup, grilled zuchinni and maybe some cornbread
Wednesday-Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie (I think I'll make homemade biscuits to use instead of the pie crust)
Thursday- Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup
Friday- Taco Soup (see above) and garlic muffins-we've made these muffins twice now and they are soooo yummy! I cut the butter down to 2 TBS and omit the onion (the first time because I was out of onions and the second time because we liked them so much the first time.)
Saturday- Homemade pizza, breadsticks and alfredo sauce for dipping.