Week of October 12, 2014

Last week's deliciousness...

Man. Today was the best day! I took a day off from work and went to the Dallas Arboretum with my best friend and her adorable little boy! We started with Hypnotic Donuts (Mr. Rutledge highly recommends this place-try Kay’s chicken biscuit)  then played at the children’s garden the rest of the day. I really got excited about Fall even though it was nearly 90 degrees and I got a sunburn. Therefore, we are going to pretend it is really feeling like Fall this week. We are having a couple of good soups and one even-though-it-is-healthier-than-Nanny’s-it-is-still-bad-for-you casserole! Who is with me?

Something I’m going to work on (and you should to) is drinking more water this week. I try to get in 64 oz of plain ol’ water every day. So far I’ve had about 30 ounces today (fail!). I tell almost every single patient to drink more water. If you don’t like water, try adding slices of fruit (lemon/orange/lime) or cucumber to your water pitcher- this really livens it up. Pouring from the same pitcher helps you keep tabs on how much you’re drinking. If that doesn’t work, find a non-calorie beverage you enjoy. I don’t think artificial sweeteners are the best (or worst) idea man-kind has come up with, but drinking your calories is a complete and total waste. Drinking sodas and sweet teas are the easiest ways to take in mindless calories!

This week 2 recipes can be made in the crockpot (chili and taquitos). The udon soup is pretty quick. The salmon and tator tot casserole take the most time!

Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili with cornbread muffins (1) - Mr. Rutledge pretends he hates the idea of this chili (except when he didn’t know what he was eating, he loved it)! For the cornbread, use 2 boxes of Jiffy (follow package directions) and add 1 can of creamed corn, a handful of shredded sharp cheddar and bake in a muffin tin (Thank Terrie Jo for this). I follow this recipe for chili, but I make a few tweaks… round up to a pound of ground turkey breast, use 3 tablespoon of chili and 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo (individual peppers and only if you are not a weenie. These get hot in a hurry.)!

Creole mustard salmon, mashed turnips and Brussels Sprouts (2) – How are y’all doing on your fish intake? If you’re tired of salmon, you could try this recipe on tuna as well. I’m going to follow this recipe, but skip the butter. Salmon is full of heart healthy fats; there is no sense in pissing away (did I just say that?) precious calories for a butter-based marinade in this recipe. Just leave it out. Plain and simple. As for the turnips – skin off the weird, crusty outer layer and cut up, then boil and finish them just like they are potatoes. You can always add in one small potato with your turnips to take out the bitterness (I never do this). You can also do a mix of carrots and turnips. I learned this from Pat (the mother of Wrigley’s one true love) when I lived out in Florida. We quarter our sprouts and roast them in the oven with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and a strip of bacon (if I’m not watching Mr. Rutledge) for about 30-30 minutes at 400 degrees.

*update: made this for a dinner party Saturday! YUM!

Tator-Tot Casserole (3)- Now, my Nanny Harvey could make a casserole out of anything. I swear if you left that woman a can of mushroom soup, crackers and a phonebook, she would feed a family of four. This is not really healthy at all, but I have snuck in some vegetables. This is one of those meals where I just really feel like a Trout. I’m not going to apologize for this meal. I just won’t. However, you should probably add some guilt-free vegetables on the side.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté hamburger meat, 1 onion (chopped), 1 bag of shredded carrots and a pint of chopped mushrooms. Get a little crazy and add some corn if you have it (Schmallory-the only yankee I love- does). Drain any fat. Add 1 tablespoon of ranch mix, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 1 can of milk, 8 oz of cream cheese and 4 oz of American cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Layer tator tots on top. Bake until tator tots are golden brown.

Uncle Mike’s udon soup (4) – Once upon a time, my Aunt Susan invited me to stay with her family until I found a job. She had some notion that if I moved back to Texas I’d marry my one true love (Mr. Rutledge) and have babies she could spoil. Well, I lived with them damn-near 2 years and haven’t given her a baby to spoil yet! Susan and Mike are both great cooks, but I loved this dish of Mike’s best. I’m still Mike’s favorite niece. I swear it. Just don’t bring up the family reunion catastrophe. Mike always added some shrimp to this recipe and you should, too!

Slow-cooker Chicken Taquitos (5) – Alright, Lora, this one is for you, but you’re not going to be able to finish yours off in the oven. My sister sent me this link and we’re going to give it a try! I’d serve these with a nice side salad to keep it an easy night!

Produce

2 medium onions (1, 3)

Yellow bell pepper (1)

Garlic (1)

Avocado, if desired (1, 5)

Lemon (2)

Turnips (2)

Brussels sprouts (2)

Shredded carrots (3)

Pint of mushrooms (3)

1 red bell pepper (4)

1 broccoli head (4)

1.5 cups snow peas (4)

1 bunch of green onions (4)

1 jalapeno (4)

Cilantro (4)

Fresh ginger (4)

Salad fixins (5)

Deli/Meat Counter

1 lb ground turkey breast (1)

Salmon fillets (2)

1 lb lean ground beef (93/7) if you can find it (3)

1 lb shrimp (4)

3-4 chicken breasts (5)

Dry Goods

2 Jiffy mixes (1)

Oil (1)

Cream corn (1)

2 cans black beans (1)

15 oz solid-packed pumpkin (1)

1 can diced tomatoes (1)

3 cups of chicken broth (1)

Brown sugar (2)

Soy Sauce (2)

White wine (2)

Dijon mustard (2)

Stone-ground mustard (2)

Worcestershire (2)

Cream of mushroom soup, fat-free (3)

4 cups Vegetable broth (4)

6 oz. Udon noodles (4)

Canned jalapenos (5)

Flour tortillas (5)

Seasonings/Spices

Chipotle in adobo sauce (1)

Dried parsley (1)

Chili powder (1)

Cumin (1, 5)

Oregano (1)

Salt

Dried basil (2)

Black pepper (2)

White pepper (2)

Cayenne (2)

Ranch mix or make your own (3)

Srirachi sauce (4)

Garlic powder (5)

Fridge/Freezer

Sharp Cheddar, shredded (1)

Eggs (1)

1 cup cream (whipping or half and half) (2)

1 cup sour cream (2)

Skim Milk (3)

16 oz cream cheese (3, 5)

4 oz American cheese (3)

Tator tots (3)

1.5 cups shredded cheese (Monterey, Mexican blend, etc) (5)

Salsa or ranch (5)