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)