Menu Plans 03-01-10

Monday - Garlic Lemon Shrimp and Orzo with Broccoli, Salad
Tuesday - Oven Fried Chicken, Brown Rice, Roasted Artichokes
Wednesday - Dinner Out
Thursday - Trivia Night @ Smokey Bones
Friday - Dinner out with Abby!
Saturday - Dinner at home, TBD

Peamutt Butter Dog Cookies

Happy first birthday Kaylee! Our baby girl is finally one. She still acts a little devilsh, but she has come along way since we first brought her home. Puppies are so cute when they are two months old. Kaylee used to LOVE sleeping on the ledge of our end table. It didn't take very long for her to grow to big for that!

I made cookies for Brady's second birthday and knew I had to make some more to celebrate Kaylee's first. I found this recipe on group recipes and used star and present cookie cutters for some cute shapes.

Kaylee and Brady sure did enjoy their homemade treats.

Adapted from GroupRecipes

Ingredients
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tbl vegetable oil
1 cup water
2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oatmeal

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, oil and water.

3. Gradually add flour and then oat meat. (I had to kneed by hand towards the end.)

4. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with a cookie cutter. (bone shaped if possible)

5. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

6. Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes.

Kale Chips

I had some extra kale leftover from Zuppa Toscana so I searched for some easy kale recipes. I came across a ton of different versions of kale chips. These were so easy to make and can be seasoned in a variety of ways. For this version, I simply used salt, pepper and paprika for a nice crisp taste. Kale chips are a great snack alternative to regular potato chips.

Ingredients
kale
olive oil
salt
pepper
additional seasoning if desired

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Rinse kale and pat dry. Trim leaves from stems. (I bought bagged kale so there were no stems on mine)

3. Toss lightly with olive oil, salt, pepper and seasoning.

4. Arrange kale in a single layer on a baking sheet.

5. Bake approximately 15 minutes, until leaves JUST begin to brown. Be sure to flip chips a few times for even cooking.

Chicken Chili Verde

Although this was quite good, it definitely was not a QUICK meal to prepare. The cooking time alone is one hour, plus prep time. But I knew this going in, so it wasn’t a big deal. It took me a little longer to prep the vegetables than I thought. I am a little over organized and like to have ALL my ingredients ready to go before I even turn on the stove. I hate to be rushed during the cooking process.

Back to the chicken chili verde. I seeded the jalapenos, so the dish was VERY mild. I enjoyed the flavor a lot, however I think some spice would have really added to the sauce. Next time I’ll leave the seeds in one of the jalapenos and see how much heat that adds. After boxing up leftovers, I had about a cup and a half of chili verde sauce leftover. I froze it and hope it’s good for some chicken tacos in the future.

Adapted from Proceed With Caution

Ingredients
5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 jalapenos, stems removed (and seeded if necessary to reduce the heat)
10 tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed (approx 1 pound)
1/2 of a large white onion, quartered
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1 tsp vegetable oil
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes

Directions 1. Place garlic, jalapenos, tomatillos, and onion in a large stock pot with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook, uncovered, for about 25 minutes.

2. Add contents of the pot to a blender along with an additional 1/2 cup water and cilantro. Puree until smooth, being careful to allow steam to escape while blending.

3. When tomatillo mixture reaches a boil, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken until no longer pink, then drain skillet.

4. Add pureed tomatillo mixture to skillet, then add salt, to taste.

5. With the lid cracked, simmer over medium low heat for 30 minutes. Serve, garnished with a lime wedge if desired.

The Facts
4 Servings
Calories 220.0
Total Fat 4.1 g
Fiber 3.2 g
WW Points 4

Menu Plans 02-22-10

Monday - Chicken Chile Verde, Jasmine Rice, Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Tuesday - Garlic Lime Cilantro Shrimp Pasta with Broccoli
Wednesday - Pho Ga (take 2!), Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce
Thursday - Trivia Night @ Smokey Bones
Friday - Mussels, Brown Rice, Salad
Saturday -Dinner Out

Roasted Brussels Sprouts 2

I previously posted a different version of roasted Brussels sprouts; however I much prefer this one. The step of cutting the sprouts in half allows them to roast quicker and more even in my opinion. It’s also a smaller bite that’s a lot easier to handle. This recipe is simple and can easily be adjusted to your taste. You can vary the seasonings to create all kinds of different varieties; try some paprika, garlic salt, cayenne, etc. The possibilities are endless.

An Erin’s Eatery Original

Ingredients
Brussels sprouts
Vegetable Oil
Salt
Pepper
Seasoning of Choice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Cut hard ‘stem’ off Brussels sprouts, then cut in half.

3. Spread sprouts on jelly roll pan. Drizzle with vegetable oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a seasoning if desired.

4. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Be sure to give them a shake or stir every few minutes for even roasting.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

We used to eat at Pei Wei…a lot. Key phrase: USED TO. I would enjoy the lettuce wrap or chicken salad wraps and Bryan typically ordered a noodle dish. We’d check the nutrition facts online and order something that fit our plan. Out of the blue one day, the nutrition facts were updated, and the majority of our favorite meals increased in calories…drastically. For instance, the chicken salad wraps TRIPLED in calories. I emailed customer service and was total they did a reevaluation of the nutritional values of their menu and these new numbers were more accurate. Well that’s fine and dandy, but how in the heck were they so far off. I could under stand slight variation, but seriously, three times off? Crazy. We haven’t been back since.

I found this recipe in my Everyday Food magazine. It looked simple and a nice healthy alternative to restaurant versions. I prepped the veggies ahead of time so once I started cooking this was ready in less than 10 minutes. Perfect for a week night meal! The turkey had a great stir fry flavor. I added chili paste to the original recipe for a little more spice. I could taste a hint of heat but it was by no means hot.

Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

Ingredients
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
4 tsp fish sauce
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 tbsp ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1.25 lbs ground turkey (93% lean)
1 tsp chili paste with garlic
1 medium head iceburg lettuce, leaves separated

Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves and set aside.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium high until hot. Add oil.

3. Add shallot, ginger, garlic and pepper. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Add turkey and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through, 5 minutes.

5. Add sauce and chili pasted to skillet and stir until meat is cooked through, about 2 minutes.

6. Serve in lettuce leaves with additional soy sauce if desired.

The Facts 5 servings
Calories 228.0
Total Fat 10.1 g
Fiber 1.3 g
WW Points 5