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