Week of September 28, 2014

I have a confession to make. I burned the frittata. My good friend Megan has fallen in love with the frittata, but I clearly cannot cook them. Everything else turned out pretty yummy! I LOVED that black bean soup. I’ll be doubling the recipe next time and using leftovers for lunch. Take a look at last week – don’t worry, I did NOT photograph the burnt side of my frittata. The quinoa bake did not look appetizing (not pictured), but it was a comfort food for sure!

Onto areas of confidence (far away from frittata-making)… Rumor has it I’m a dietitian. As a dietitian, I hear a lot of funny misconceptions every day. This week I heard:

·         “You can’t have grapefruit with insulin.” I don’t even know from where this lie stemmed.

·         “Brown sugar is better for diabetics than alternative sweeteners.” Sure alternative sweeteners aren’t fantastic, but diabetic comas from uncontrolled blood sugars are much more serious.

·         I also had the pleasure of hearing a long and boring rant about what makes a good snack.   Snacks should really be pretty low calorie by definition. Most people will limit the actual total of calories they consume if they will mix food groups as well. For example, if you are a “good” when you are hungry and have an apple you will be hungry (again!) in 15 minutes. The second time around, you might grab some chips and cookies and your carb-loading will continue until dinner. However, if you will sacrifice some calories for nuts, low fat cheese or small natural nut butter to add to that piece of fruit, you’re snack will satisfy your hunger a lot more.

Bolognese sauce over spaghetti squash (1)- The sauce is a crockpot recipe. It makes a pretty big batch. Freeze your leftovers for future lasagna. This recipe calls for parsley which I think is a little useless, so I’ll probably use basil instead. If you have a picky eater (Mr. Rutledge) at your house, you can always cook a whole grain pasta in lieu of squash. You can bake the spaghetti squash for half your life or follow these simple instructions to microwave it in about 12 minutes! If your family is bigger, serve with a side of broccoli or a nice garden salad (remember to try a balsamic in place of your dressing)

Pulled pork stuffed poblanos with roasted corn (2) – For this recipe, I’ll be using the pulled pork I have in the freezer from a couple of weeks ago!  I’m going to cheat and use Schwan’s southwest corn. If you aren't a cheater, mix a bag of frozen corn, chopped bell pepper and onion and roast in your oven while the stuffed peppers cook!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together pulled pork, 1 cup of salsa, ½ diced red onion and 1 clove of minced garlic. Slice each poblano pepper length-wise and scrape out the seeds. Then, stuff each half of poblano with pork mixture. In a glass baking dish, make a single layer of stuffed peppers (pepper side down) and cover with foil. Bake about 10 minutes until the peppers begin to soften. Remove from oven, top with grated cheese. Recover and bake additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Loaded sweet potatoes with lemon garlic zucchini (3) – Now, Mr. Rutledge hates sweet potatoes. He will be having a plain’ ol spud. However, these sound amazing to me! I am too lazy to re-stuff these baked sweet potatoes, so I’m going to mix the toppings and put on top of my spud once I’m ready to eat. I’m adding in the zucchini as a side to lighten up the meal a bit. For the zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces and layer on a baking sheet. Then, sprinkle with fresh garlic and the zest of one lemon. Roast these for the last 20-30 minutes of your potatoes cooking. 

Chicken enchilada quinoa bake (4) – We are trying quinoa again. You had to buy a big ol’ bag, didn’t you? If you didn’t like the quinoa, you can be a weeny and use rice instead, but I insist you use brown rice! This meal is a one pot meal and these make my heart happy. Mr. Rutledge will love this meal because it squeezes three cheeses into one dish. If you desire a lighter fair, cut down on the cheese.

Cajun salmon, roasted cauliflower and edamame (5) – I told you my freezer was full of fish, right? We prefer red or silver around here. Wild pacific salmon is a great source of omega 3 fatty-acids! This is my second favorite salmon recipe! Remember, don’t over-cook your salmon!

Turn oven onto 400 degrees. Sauté ½ onion, bell pepper and a couple cloves of garlic. Set aside. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place salmon skin side down on foil. Sprinkle lightly with Cajun seasoning. Spoon sautéed vegetables over the fish. Top with lemon slices. Fold foil over into a packet. Next, rinse and chop cauliflower. Layer cauliflower on a greased baking dish. If you liked the zucchini earlier in the week, top the cauliflower with some olive oil, garlic and lemon zest/juice and put into over to roast (will take about 35 minutes). Once the cauliflower has been cooking about 10-15 minutes, pop in your salmon. Follow package for edamame.

Produce

½ spaghetti squash per person (1)

Fresh broccoli or salad fixins (1-alternate)

2 white onion (1, 4, 5)

1 red onion (2)

1 bell pepper (2, 5)

Garlic (2, 3, 5)

2 celery stalks (1)

2 carrots (1)

¼ c. fresh parsley or basil (1)

1 poblano pepper per person (2)

1 Zucchini per person (3)

3 Lemons (3, 5)

Medium sweet potato per person (3)

2 honey crisp apples (3)

Sage (3)

Cilantro (4)

Avocado (4)

Cauliflower (5)

Deli/Meat counter

4 oz pancetta (1)

2 lbs of lean beef/turkey breast (1)

Pulled fork (2) – or leftovers from freezer

Bacon (3)

4 oz goat cheese (3)

1 large chicken breast or ground chicken (4)

Salmon (5)

Dry goods

Whole grain pasta (1-alternate)

¼ c dry white wine (1)

2- 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (1)

Olive oil (4)

Quinoa (4)

1 can of black beans (4)

1 can of chopped green chilies (4)

16 oz enchilada sauce (4)

Spices and seasonings

3 bay leaves (1)

Salt, pepper

Nutmeg (3)

Cinnamon (3)

Chili powder (4)

Cajun seasoning (5)

Refrigerator/Freezer

Butter (1)

½ cup half & half cream (1)

Salsa of your choice (2)

Frozen sweet corn kernels (2)

½ cup of shredded cheddar (4)

1 cup of jack cheese (4)

Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (4)

Cotija or queso fresco (4)

Edamame in the shells (5)

Week of September 21, 2014

I told you that salmon was good, didn’t I? We thought everything went pretty well this week. I halved the turkey meatloaf and it didn’t turn out as good as it has when I have made if for a crowd. Of the meatloaf muffin tins we made, Mr. Rutledge ate a total of 1. Therefore, I had the pleasure of eating the other 5. So, we know what I had for lunch ALL WEEK.  Turkey (obviously) got cut from this week's menu. I'll have to wait until my husband forgets he hates ground turkey breast before we try a similar recipe.  By some miracle, nothing is in the freezer from this week. I'll even take one thing out of the freezer soon! 

Here are pictures of all the meals from last week's post- some of them are courtesy of (both) my blog followers.

This week, the shrimp skewers, frittata and black bean soup are easy to get to the table quickly. The campfire bundles and broccoli casserole do take considerable baking time, but they are both one pot meals and you can prep them earlier in the week if desired! Onion is in almost everything this week. I'm not sure how that happened. Do I always cook with that much onion? This may be a reasonable explanation for my need to wear men's deodorant.

To make your life easier-- as if I haven't already ;)-- I’m numbering the ingredients. If you have a smaller family or if you want to skip a meal we are making, simply don’t buy the coordinating ingredients. Then again, you could make the meal for a friend and ask them to follow my blog (hint, hint).

Shrimp skewers, cilantro-lime rice and sautéed green beans (1) – I’ve used this shrimp marinade before and it is awesome. I do not marinate it for that long because I’m impatient (ask Mr. Rutledge how patient I was waiting on a ring!). Get them marinating, then get  your fruit/vegetables chopped and rice/green beans started. For the rice, I buy the boil-in-a-bag brown rice. You can use vegetable broth instead of water for more flavor. Once the rice is done, add chopped cilantro, a little lime zest and juice and just a pinch of cumin. You can simmer the green beans in a little olive oil or water. Once they soften, drain oil/water and add some orange zest and soy sauce and sauté for just a few minutes until they reach the desired tenderness. By now, I've decided the shrimp has marinated long enough. Skewer the shrimp with onion, pineapple and red bell pepper and throw them on the grill for just a minute or two until they are white.

Ham and asparagus frittata with fruit salad (2) – If you wish, you may leave out the ham altogether or use a left over lunch meat. Recipe here! For the fruit salad, I’ll be mixing up the orange (I used the zest for the shrimp, pineapple not used on the shrimp skewers, and whatever else strikes my fancy). 

Campfire bundles (3) – My parents started making these when they moved to Alaska and learned the meal from our good friend Mary. Praise the Lord for this woman’s heart- she is probably the sweetest lady on the planet.  I’ve adapted it for home cooking, but you can make individual foil packets and throw on a grill or open fire pit.

Recipe: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch glass dish with cooking spray then add chopped potatoes, onions, mushrooms, peppers, squash, baby carrots (and really ANY other veggies your family will eat). Season with salt, pepper, garlic, etc. Then add chopped sausage of whatever variety you prefer.  Cover with foil and throw in the oven for about 60 minutes. Originally, we used Polka Kielbasa, but we currently have deer sausage in our freezer and I’ll be using that. As a tip, deer sausage is much leaner and will need to be added only for the last 20 minutes of cooking. If you are using a leaner meat, you may need to add a bit more oil/butter.

Black bean soup (4) I know- it does not even feel like fall yet, but I’m ready for soup season! We will use the leftover beans I have in the freezer from the black beans two weeks ago. I’m not a big stickler on measuring vegetables, so I’m planning to dump in a whole bell pepper in this recipe. Then, I’ll top with a little queso fresco (cheese makes Mr. Rutledge a happy camper) and will look for a fun bread to serve with it. I’m not planning to have a meat with this dish. If said Mister desires, he can have a grilled turkey sandwich on the side. Black bean soup recipe here!

Broccoli, quinoa casserole with chicken (5)- This is a new recipe, but it’s time you tried quinoa. Quinoa is a grain (related to the tumbleweed according to Wikipedia so it must be true!). Unlike tumble weeds, quinoa is a good source of fiber and protein. It works as a hearty rice-replacement, but is calorie dense. For the 1% of you it should actually matter, it is gluten free. You may want to add a side-salad or other vegetable to this dish if you have a bigger family.

Produce

4 white onions (1, 3, 4, 5)

Bulb of garlic (1, 3, 4, 5)

1 bag of baby carrots (3)

2 celery stalks (4)

Green onion (2)

Bunch of asparagus (2)

2 red bell pepper (1, 4)

1 green bell pepper (3)

2-3 jalapenos (3)

Red potatoes (3)

Mushrooms (3)

2-3 squash/zucchini (3)

Fresh green beans (1)

1 Lemon (4)

1 Orange (1)

2 Limes (1)

Pineapple (1)

Various fruit (2)

Cilantro (1)

Deli/Meat Counter

Polka kielbasa, beef sausage or deer sausage (3)

Shrimp, uncooked (1)

Boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenderloins (5)

3 oz. low sodium ham (2)

2 oz. Jarlsberg cheese (2) – I’m using gruyere or Swiss

2 oz. parmesan cheese (5)

4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese (5)

Queso fresco (4)

Dry Goods

Olive oil (1, 4)

Canola oil (5)

Cooking spray

Low Sodium soy sauce (1)

24 oz. Low sodium chicken broth (4, 5)

1 can vegetable broth (1)

Flour (5)

2 (15 oz.) cans of black beans OR leftover beans from freezer! (4)

Honey (1)

Wooden skewers (1)

Boil-in-a-bag Brown rice (1)

Jar of roasted red peppers (2)

1 cup uncooked quinoa (5)

Mayonnaise- try canola or olive oil-based (5)

Spices/Seasonings

Cumin (1, 4)

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder (3)

Red pepper flakes (1)

Italian seasoning (2)

Refrigerator/Freezer

Butter, if desired (3)

Eggs (2)

Microwave-in-a-bag Broccoli florets (5)

Milk (5)

The week of 9/14/2014

Did you get cookin' this week? We sure did. I'll say that we loved the spicy pork and that smoked Gouda pasta salad! The black beans were not my favorite. Leftovers that are now in the freezer: spicy pork, black beans and tomato sauce. One of you should ask my husband how much he loves leftovers in the freezer. Everyone else should take a look at some pictures of what's been cooking.

How cute is this little fella and his fish?

The quick and easy meals this week are wraps, salmon and hamburgers. Plan to have the chicken/grape salad and meatloaf on evenings you have more time (or plan to do some prep work ahead of time)!

Asian chicken wraps with egg rolls. I will add some shredded carrots to the lettuce wraps to sneak in some extra veggies. I’m cheating with the egg rolls (Thank you, Schwan Man)! Asian chicken wrap recipe!

Honey Dijon salmon, broccoli and couscous. I’ll just steam some frozen broccoli. The couscous is we buy is Near East and cooks up pretty fast. Star with the salmon tonight. My dad recently went fishing in Alaska and sent us some flash-frozen salmon and it can’t be beat!

Recipe (adapted from Bobby Deen’s cookbook): Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place foil over a cookie sheet with a lip. Then, place fresh salmon skin side down. In a small bowl, mix 2 T. Dijon mustard, 2T. honey, 1 t. low-sodium soy sauce, ½ t. fresh lemon juice, ¼ t. black pepper. Pour mixture over salmon and fold foil over into a pouch. Then, bake about 20-25 minutes depending on the thickness of your filet. You do not want to overcook this.

Turkey meatloaf, mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts. My dad and Memaw tried this recipe out and passed it along. I find it DELICIOUS! You can always try mashed cauliflower in place of the potatoes or trick your kids (ahem, husband) by doing half and half. For the sprouts, we just quarter them, add a little olive oil and your favorite seasoning then roast them while the meatloaf cooks. You can add some almond slivers or pine nuts for a little crunch.  **I made ours in an extra-large muffin tin, and they baked about 45 minutes. The Brussel sprouts needed a touch longer.*  Turkey meatloaf recipe

Hamburgers with fresh jalapeños and cream cheese with cucumber tomato salad. I know what you're thinking. Isn't this gal a dietitian?! I am, but I was a Texan first and burgers are in the rotation. This idea comes from Big John's Burgers in Weatherford.  I will be using sandwich thins to cut some calories on the bun. If you grill these babies indoors (and your husband doesn't see the package) you can use a leaner beef. Buy the low fat cream cheese and skip mayo and mustard. You don’t really need a recipe other than that, do you? For your side, chop up some fresh cucumbers, halve a pint of cherry tomatoes and top with fresh pepper and balsamic vinegar.

Grilled chicken and roasted grape salad. Now guys, I know it sounds weird but this is husband and sister approved. The grapes take a while to roast (to be honest I got bored and pulled them out early last time and no one complained), so put them in first then start on everything else. The dressing is TOTALLY worth making! We may skip the manchego cheese (it's hard to find and pricey). Seth is planning to use Parmesan, but I think goat cheese would be heavenly. I'll be sure and let you know who wins that debate. Grilled chicken and grape salad recipe!

Nutrition thought of the week: try replacing your favorite dressing with a flavored balsamic vinegar. We have been exploring these for the last year. Some of our favorites: honey Serrano, sun dried tomato and cinnamon pear. A tablespoon of balsamic is less than 15 calories and packs some big taste with very little sodium. The same amount of ranch dressing is 75 calories and more sodium. We brush them on grilled vegetables, too!

Produce:
Fresh garlic
Ginger
1 white onion
1 yellow onion
1 shallot
1 bunch green onion
2 stalks celery
Head of butter lettuce
2 Lemons
shredded carrots
Red potatoes
Brussel sprouts
Pint fresh mushrooms
Fresh jalapenos
1-2 cucumbers
Pint of cherry tomatoes
Seedless red grapes
Fresh rosemary
6 cups fresh kale

Deli/Meat counter:

1 lb ground chicken breast
4 oz. of fresh Salmon for each person
2 lbs ground turkey breast
4-6 oz. lean hamburger meat for each person
2-3 chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken
6 oz. bleu cheese
2 oz. Manchego, parmesan or goat cheese

Dry Goods:

Olive oil
1 can chicken stock
8 oz. tomato sauce
Hoisin sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Low-sodium soy sauce
Balsamic vinegar
Rice wine vinegar
White wine vinegar
Sriracha (this is an investment in happiness)
Dijon mustard
Honey
8 oz. can of water chestnuts
Couscous
Panko bread crumbs
Sandwich thins or hamburger buns
Pine nuts

White wine
Seasonings:
Crushed red pepper flakes

Refrigerator/Freezer:
Egg rolls
Broccoli
Skim milk
Butter
1 Egg
Low fat cream cheese

Something to munch on...

My husband and I like to cook. His favorite food groups are beer, cheese and bacon. However, I'm a dietitian/nutritionist by trade and we try our best to find a balance here at home. While we both love to cook, we enjoy eating even more. It is my goal to share with you our dinner plans each week and links to recipes. 

Some things you should know: 

1.   We eat meat every meal or someone (we won't say who) complains.

2.   We work. Sometimes we cut corners in an effort to cook at home throughout the week. We try to eat fresh, seasonal foods, but that does not and will not always happen. 

3.   I'm not the English teacher. My husband is, but he is not getting paid to correct grammatical errors. Let's all agree to be graceful with my typos.

4.   This blog is meant for my friends and family with whom I share recipes. This is not meant to be nutrition advice. However, if you do have specific nutrition concerns, I'd be happy to discuss those in another setting. 

5.   Not all of these recipes are tried and tested. We like to try new things. However, many of the things we eat are old family recipes we have lightened up.

This week’s line-up:

1. Grilled chicken and asparagus with a smoked Gouda pasta.

I’ll be making the pasta salad while my husband grills the chicken and asparagus. To save time, we use a quick marinade on our chicken. We like the McCormick Grill Mate packets.

New recipe we are trying: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/spicy-pasta-salad-with-smoked-gouda-tomatoes-and-basil/

2. Pepita-crusted fish with roasted zucchini and sweet potatoes. My dad just sent us some fresh halibut he caught in Alaska, but you may use any mild white fish you like.  If you have time, make the Serrano cream sauce ahead of time to cut down on your prep work. We have been making this recipe for years and it still takes us a bit of time to get it on the table, but it is TOTALLY worth it!

Trusted recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/pepita-crusted-pacific-halibut-with-cilantro-serrano-cream-recipe.html

3. One pot Chili Mac and Mac. My in-laws sent us home with a freezer full of venison so that’s what we will be using in this recipe. However, you can use ground turkey breast or hamburger.  

http://www.ziplist.com/recipes/one-pot-chili-mac-and-cheese/1f2e8850-8ef8-0131-a573-22000a9f0f45

4. Spicy pulled pork tacos and black beans. I love all things done in a crock pot. I already made my beans this weekend. They were a little on the plain side. I added a can of hatch green chilies. I’d recommend you make the beans two nights in advance (soak over night the first night, crock-pot them the second night). Then, put the pork in a crock pot the morning you plan to have this for dinner.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/03/spicy-dr-pepper-shredded-pork/
http://cafejohnsonia.com/2013/02/how-to-slow-cooker-black-beans.html

5. Mini pizzas and Greek salad. No real recipe here. Split open the sandwich thins, smear on some pizza sauce, pepperoni, cheese and any veggies you want. Then, broil for a few minutes. For the salad, just top the romaine with some drained garbanzo beans, cucumber, shredded carrots, purple onion and feta (because olives are gross and not on the grocery list). This is for the night I will inevitably REALLY want to eat out, but will make myself eat at home

Grocery list:

Produce:

Shredded carrots

Zucchini

Asparagus

Romaine lettuce

Purple onion

Grape tomatoes

Basil

Cilantro (yes you need it)

Parsley

Serrano peppers

Sweet potato

Shallot

2 white onions

Garlic

Lime

Deli/meat counter:

1 chicken breast/person

1 filet/ person of white fish

8 oz hamburger meat 

5-7 lb Pork butt

Pepperoni

½ lb smoke Gouda

Feta

Shredded cheddar

Shredded mozzarella

Seasonings:

Cumin

McCormick grill mates packet (we like Sweet tea)

Salt, Pepper

Bay leaves

Dairy/fridge:

Eggs

Pint half and half

Dry goods:

Penne pasta

Elbow beans

White vinegar

Mayo (in the pasta recipe)

Greek dressing (or flavored balsamic vinegar)

Chipotles in adobo (2 cans)

Pepitas (or sunflower seeds)

4 cups chicken broth

14.5 oz of diced tomatoes

Pizza sauce

White kidney beans (regular can)

Kidney beans (regular can)

Garbanzo beans

1 lb dry black beans (or you can just warm up a can if you want for the tacos)

Corn tortillas

Sandwich thins

Flour

Brown sugar

2 cans of Dr. Pepper