Week 20 Meals & Shopping List

NOTES:

• If you're a new visitor to this blog, please read "how to use this blog" off to the right-hand-side.
• Starting this week, you’ll see at least one or two recipes for the grill. Summertime is here and there is nothing better than yummy grilled meats & veggies!
• The ribs in Meal (2) require 3 hours of baking before grilling for 30 minutes so plan ahead. The ribs can actually be baked then stored in the fridge up to one day ahead of time so you can just throw them on the grill when you’re ready to eat them (see more info in NOTES under Meal (2)).
• Check NOTES under each meal for ahead-of-time preps.

• By clicking on “older posts” at the bottom of this page, you can look back at previous week’s recipes.
• If you are looking for a particular recipe, use the search box at the right-hand-side then scroll to the top of the page to see search results.
• For Sides: Meals (1), (2), and (3) include sides this week. Meals (4) and (5) do not need a side but you could add a side salad or veggie if desired.

RECIPE 1: GREEK GRILLED CHICKEN SALDAS & QUICK SOFT ITALIAN BREADSTICKS (1.5)

Modified from Cooking Light and Quick Cooking (http://www.recipezaar.com/)

INGREDIENTS - SALADS
• ½ c. chicken broth
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray
• 8 c. torn romaine lettuce
• 1 c sliced cucumber (about 1 small)
• Pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 4 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
• 2 (1/4-inch-thick) slices red onion, separated into rings
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS – SALADS
1. Preheat grill to medium heat (350 degrees).
2. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl. Brush the chicken with 2 tablespoons dressing; set remaining dressing aside.
3. Place chicken on grill coated with cooking spray; cook for 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done (170 degrees). Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
4. Combine the romaine lettuce and the next 4 ingredients (through red onion slices) in a large bowl, and toss with the remaining salad dressing. Divide the salad evenly among 4 plates; top each serving with sliced chicken, and sprinkle with feta cheese.

INGREDIENTS – QUICK SOFT ITALIAN BREADSTICKS (1.5)
• 1 c. warm water (70 to 80)
• 3 tbsp softened butter
• 1 ½ tsp salt (see note by garlic powder below)
• 3 c white all-purpose flour (or bread flour if you have it)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (I used a mixture of oregano, basil, black pepper and a little crushed red pepper)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (if using garlic SALT, omit the other 1 ½ tsp salt)
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
• Topping: 1 tbsp melted butter & 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS – BREADSTICKS

NOTES:
• Homemade breadsticks in about 30 minutes! Great with salads or soups.
• Be careful not to overbake them or they will become tough.

1. Place all ingredients (except toppings) in a large mixer fitted with a dough hook.
2. Mix on medium speed until dough has a formed a ball, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times.
3. Remove and knead by hand on a lightly floured surface several times.
4. Divide dough into 18-24 portions (depending on how large you want your breadsticks).
5. Roll out by hand into 4-6 inch rope-like pieces and either twist each piece, “braid” two pieces together, or leave in rope style. Place on a greased cookie sheet, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
6. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Immediately brush with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

RECIPE 2: SWEET & SPICY GRILLED RIBS WITH GRILLED CORN-ON-THE-COB

Modified from myrecipes.com

NOTES:
• This homemade Chipotle Maple BBQ sauce calls for a lot of ingredients but it’s worth it! Double the recipe and freeze some for next time. Store-bought sauce will work fine too…nothing can make these ribs taste bad!
• The ribs need to bake for 3 hours in the oven before grilling for 20-30 minutes. You can prepare sauce (if making homemade) and bake ribs (steps 1 and 2) up to one day ahead of time then just continue with step 3 when you’re ready to make dinner. Leave ribs out at room temp for 30 minutes or so before grilling or leave on grill longer to heat through.
• Baking the ribs make them tender and juicy. Grilling them for 30 mintues gives them that crispy outside and griled flavor. Yum!

Ingredients
• Fresh ears of sweet corn with husks and silks removed
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 ½ lbs (about 2 slabs) baby back ribs
• 1 12-oz bottle beer
• Sea salt, to taste (or regular salt if you don’t have sea salt)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 c. Chipotle Maple BBQ sauce (2.5) - see ingredients below - OR your favorite bottled sauce
For sauce:
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
½ c. maple syrup
½ c. firmly packed light brown sugar
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced (note: not 3 CANS, just 3 peppers)
1 c. white vinegar
¼ c. Worcestershire sauce
½ c. apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
Juice of 2 lemons (about 6 tbsp)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp dry mustard
2 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. For the sauce (if making your own): Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 30-35 minutes or until sauce is thickened and reduce by about ¼. You can refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
2. For ribs, preheat oven to 350°. Spread onion slices evenly on a rimmed baking sheet, and place ribs, bone side down, on top. Pour beer over ribs, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and cover tightly with foil. Bake 3 hours or until tender.
3. Brush both sides of ribs with BBQ sauce (either the homemade or store bought). Grill over medium heat, meat side down, 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly charred and crispy, basting several times with sauce. Flip ribs over, and baste cooked side liberally. Close grill lid, and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, basting often. Remove from heat; let rest 10 minutes. Cut individual ribs apart, and serve warm.
4. For corn, brush with olive oil and salt and grill over medium heat, covered for 15-20 minutes, turning every 3-5 minutes.

RECIPE 3: SPICY PAPRIKA-RUBBED GRILLED CHICKEN WITH VEGGIE KABOBS (3.5)

From Taste of Home & Southern Living

NOTES:
• You can premix the spice rub and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Double this recipe – you’ll want some to store and have on hand! You can also use this rub for red meat.
• To save time, chop up veggies (except the eggplant) for kabobs ahead of time and mix ingredients for veggie marinade and store in a container in fridge until ready to use. Veggies need to marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
• If using wood or bamboo skewers, it’s good to soak them in water for 1 hour before sliding veggies on them. This prevents them from burning on the grill (and charring your veggies to the skewer).

INGREDIENTS
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground mustard
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion salt (or granulated onion)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp cayenne (omit this if you don’t want them to be a little spicy)
• Assorted veggies for kabobs (3.5): mushrooms, bell peppers (cut into 1 – 1 ½ inch chunks), zucchini and yellow squash (cut into ¾-inch slices), eggplant (cut into ½-inch slices/wedges), tomatoes (quartered), onion (cut into chunks).
• Veggie marinade (3.5): ¼ c. dry white wine (cooking wine), ¼ c. honey, 3 garlic cloves, minced, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 ½ tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt


DIRECTIONS
1. Mix ingredients for the veggie marinade. Reserve ¼ c. to serve over cooked veggies if desired. In a rectangular baking dish or other large shallow bowl, combine veggies and the veggie marinade. Toss to coat. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
2. In a small bowl combine all the rub ingredients (garlic powder through cayenne).
3. Rub over chicken breasts.
4. Coat grill with cooking spray and grill until chicken measure 170 degrees.
5. For Kabobs, grill each about 3-5 minutes per side, turning once until tender. Tomatoes take less time (1 minute per side) and eggplant may take a little longer than the other veggies.

RECIPE 4: BLACK BEAN, RICE & POTATO BURRITOS WITH HOMEMADE CORN SALSA (4.5)

NOTES:
• I pre-made the rice & bean mixture, salsa, and boiled small chunks of potatoes for about 10 min until softened ahead of time and stored them in separate containers in the fridge. When we were ready to eat, we simply reheated the rice & bean mixture and fried the potatoes in a skillet on the stove then assembled the burritos.

Ingredients
• 1 ½ c. cooked rice
• 1 can black beans
• ½ green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ¼ - ½ c. water
• Diced potatoes, cooked (see NOTES above)
• Corn salsa (from Cooking Light) (4.5): 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 ear), 1 1/4 cups chopped tomato, 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Toppings: avocado, shredded lettuce, sour cream, Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
• Flour tortillas

Directions
1. Prepare corn salsa by mixing all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside or place in fridge.
2. Sauté onion, green pepper, and garlic on medium-low heat until veggies are tender.
3. Add cilantro, salt, cumin, chili powder, cooked rice, beans, and water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until water is mostly evaporated.
4. Fry potatoes in a saucepan in oil until browned on one side (about 5 minutes). Give them a stir and cook about 3-5 min longer.
5. Prepare burrito toppings of choice.
6. Heat tortillas wrapped in a damp paper towel or kitchen hand towel in microwave until warm. Fill with bean and rice mixture, potatoes, corn salsa, and other desired toppings. Fold in sides of burrito then roll up starting with end closest to you.

RECIPE 5: PESTO PENNE CHICKEN CASSEROLE

From Taste of Home

NOTES:
• Sorry, I forgot to take a pic of this one!
• This recipe will make two smaller casseroles for 8-inch square baking dishes. You can eat one for dinner and freeze the other or make one large casserole in a rectangular baking dish.
• Make this casserole the night before then pop in the oven when you’re ready to eat the next evening.
• To reheat the casserole, thaw in fridge overnight, let sit out at room temp 30 minutes before baking then bake at 350 for about 45-55 minutes until bubbly.

Ingredients
• 1 pkg (16 0z) penne pasta
• Cooked cubed or shredded chicken (use as much or as little as you want or leave it out all together)
• 4 c. (16 oz shredded Italian cheese blend (or just mozzarella if that’s what you have))
• 3 c. fresh baby spinach
• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes (use ones with garlic and basil or other appropriate seasonings if you have them)
• 1 15-oz Alfredo sauce (or make it homemade – see Week 8, Recipe (5))
• 1 10-oz jar prepared pesto (or make it homemade)
• 1 ½ c. milk
• ½ c. seasoned (or plain) bread crumbs
• ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, cheese (except Parmesan), spinach and tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, pesto and milk. Drain pasta and add to chicken mixture; toss to coat.
2. Transfer to two greased 8-inch square baking dishes. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil; sprinkle over casseroles.
3. Cover and bake at 350 for 40-45 min or until bubbly (see NOTE above for what to do with second casserole).

SHOPPING LIST:

NOTES:

• I have organized the shopping list by category and then within each category by meal. After each item you’ll see a number in parenthesis which corresponds to the meal number. That way you can easily pick which recipes you want to try and then find those items (or cross items out) on the list.
• Under Veggies/Fruit I have italicized anything that is a veggie or fruit but NOT found in the fresh fruits and veggie area of the supermarket.
• For Sides: Meals (1), (2), and (3) include sides this week. Meals (4) and (5) do not need a side but you could add a side salad or veggie if desired.

Meat/Fish
• Chicken breasts – 2-4 boneless skinless (1), 4 boneless skinless (3), cooked cubed or shredded chicken (amount of your choice or leave out completely) (5)
• 3 ½ lbs (about 2 slabs) baby back ribs (2)

Veggies/Fruit
• Garlic – 2 cloves (1), 4 cloves (2.5), 3 cloves (3.5), 3 cloves (4)
• Romaine lettuce for salads (1)
• 1 cucumber (1)
• Tomatoes – 4 plum or 2 regular-sized (1) 2 large (4.5)
• Onion – 1 small red onion (1), 1 large white or yellow (2), 1 medium white or yellow (4), 1 small red onion (4.5)
• Fresh ears of corn-on-the cob - however many you want per person (2), 1 (4.5)
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (2.5) – if you can’t find crushed or don’t have them on hand, use diced or whole and pulse in your food processor for a few seconds
• 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (2.5)
• 2 lemons (2.5), 1 (4.5)
• Various assorted veggies for kabobs (3.5): mushrooms, bell pepper, zucchini & yellow squash, eggplant, tomatoes, onion
• 1 green bell pepper (4)
• Cilantro – 3 tbsp chopped (4), ½ c. chopped (4.5)
• 1 large russet potato (4)
• Toppings for burrito: avocado, chopped lettuce (4)
• 3 c. baby spinach (5)
• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes with Italian seasonings or garlic & basil (5) – if you can’t find crushed, buy whole or diced and pulse in your food processer for a few seconds
• 1 10-oz jar prepared pesto (or make your own) (5)

Breads & starches
• 1 ½ c. cooked rice (4)
• Flour tortillas (4)
• 1 16-oz pkg penne pasta (5)

Spices/Sauces/Vinegars/Oils/Condiments
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Dried oregano – 2 tsp (1)
• Small amount of sugar (1), (1.5)
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar (1)
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (1.5) or use a mixture of oregano, basil, & red pepper
• Garlic powder – 1 tsp (1.5), 1 tbsp (3)
• Homemade BBQ sauce ingredients (2.5) or your favorite bottled sauce
• ½ c. maple syrup (2.5)
• Brown sugar - ½ c. (2.5), 1 tbsp (3)
• 1 c. white vinegar (2.5)
• ¼ c. Worcestershire sauce (2.5)
• ½ c. apple cider or unfiltered apple juice (2.5)
• Dry mustard - 2 tbsp (2.5), 1 tbsp (3)
• 1 tbsp paprika (3)
• 1 tsp onion salt or granulated onion (3)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary (3)
• Cumin – 1 tsp (3), 1 tsp (4), ¼ tsp (4.5)
• 1 tsp dried thyme (3)
• ½ tsp cayenne (3)
• ¼ c. dry white (cooking) wine (3.5)
• ¼ c. honey (3.5)
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (3.5)
• 1 tsp chili powder (4.5)
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce (4.5)

Dairy
• Feta cheese – ¼ c. (1)
• Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated – 1 tbsp (1.5), ½ c. grated (5)
• Butter – 4 tbsp (1.5)
• Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded to top burritos (4)
• Sour cream – for topping burritos (4)
• 1 ½ c. milk (5)
• 4 c. Italian cheese blend, shredded or mozzarella (5)

Other
• Olive oil
• Pitted kalamata olives for salads (1) – get however many you need at your grocer’s olive bar if they have one
• Chicken broth – ½ c. (1)
• All purpose flour or bread flour – 3 c. (1.5)
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1.5)
• 1 12-oz bottle beer (for baking ribs) (2)
• 1 can black beans (4)
• 1 15-oz can Alfredo sauce (or make your own, see Week 8, Recipe (5))
• ½ c. seasoned or plain bread crumbs

Correction for recipe on Week 19

Oops! I noticed that I forgot 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour in the 7-Grain Bread recipe. It has been added. Enjoy this week's recipes!

Week 19 Meals & Shopping List + 2 extras: Homemade 7-Grain Bread & Double Berry Pancakes

NOTES:
• If you're a new visitor to this blog, please read "how to use this blog" off to the right-hand-side.
• Starting next week, you’ll see at least one or two recipes for the grill. Summertime is here and there is nothing better than yummy grilled meats & veggies.
• Several recipes this week take advantage of in-season spinach (either in supermarkets or your own garden!).
• Check NOTES under each meal for ahead-of-time preps.
• We had chicken on hand so 2/5 recipes this week call for chicken.
• By clicking on “older posts” at the bottom of this page, you can look back at previous week’s recipes.
• If you are looking for a particular recipe, use the search box at the right-hand-side then scroll to the top of the page to see search results.
• The recipe for chicken salad includes a recipe for delicious homemade 7-grain bread. I make this recipe every week (it yields 2 loaves) and avoid buying store-bought bread. It’s so easy to make you’ll be surprised! I “knead” the bread with my dough hook in my Kitchen Aid mixer so besides tending to it during the rising phase, there’s not much to it! Try it! The ingredients for the bread ARE NOT on the shopping list. Add them if you want to try it.
• Check out the extra recipe this week using those in-season blueberries and raspberries – Double Berry Pancakes! Impress your Memorial Day guests with this one. It’s a crowd pleaser! The ingredients ARE NOT included in the shopping list so add if you want to make them.

RECIPE 1: LENTIL & VEGGIE TOSTADAS

Modified from Better Homes & Garden Cookbook

NOTES:
• This sounds a little unusual but it was DELICIOUS! We will be making this again and again. The best part is you can vary the veggie topping depending on what’s in season or what you have on hand.
• Cook the lentil mixture and sauté the veggies you plan to use the night before for a quick prep. All you’ll have to do is place lentil mixture, veggies and cheese on top of tostada shells and broil for about 2-5 min until cheese melts!
• This recipe is kid friendly. The veggies are chopped small and you can hide them under a layer of melted Monterey Jack cheese so they won’t even know they’re there!

INGREDIENTS
• 3 c. water
• 1 ½ c. red lentils (they look orange when dry), rinsed and drained
• ¼ c. chopped onion
• 2-3 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 tostada shells (or fry your own corn tortillas in a small amount of oil in a saucepan)
• 4 c. assorted chopped veggies (I used red and orange bell pepper, yellow squash, & zucchini but you could try broccoli, tomato, etc.)
• 1 ½ c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• Mashed avocado or guacamole to top tostadas

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium saucepan, sauté chopped veggies in a small amount of olive oil until just tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2.In a medium saucepan, stir together water, lentils, onion, cilantro, salt, cumin, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 12-15 minutes or until lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed (I ended up draining off some of the excess liquid). Remove from heat and mash with a fork (chunky is ok).
3. Spread lentil mixture on tostada shells; top with veggies and cheese. Place on a large baking sheet. Broil 3-4 inches from heat until cheese melts (2-5 min). Watch closely so they don’t burn!

RECIPE 2: SPINACH & RICOTTA-STUFFED SHELLS

Modified from Real Simple

NOTES:
• Cook & stuff the shells ahead of time, cover tightly and store in fridge until ready to cook. Remove about 30 min-1 hour before baking to bring to room temp. If you don’t have time to do this, just cook them a little longer to make sure they’re heated through.
• Double this recipe and freeze one for later!

Ingredients
• 20 jumbo pasta shells (about half a 12-oz box)
• 1 24-oz jar marinara sauce
• 2 15-oz containers ricotta
• 2 c. baby spinach, chopped
• ½ c. grated parmesan cheese (2 oz)
• 1 c. grated mozzarella

Directions
1. Set an oven rack to the highest position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the pasta according to directions (do NOT overcook!), drain, and run under cold water until cool enough to handle.
2. Spread the marinara sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish.
3. Sauté the chopped spinach in a little olive oil 1-2 min until just wilted.
4. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Spoon the mixture into the shells and place them on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and bake until the shells are heated through, 10-15 min.
5. Increase heat to broil and broil until the cheese begins to brown, 2-5 min.

RECIPE 3: SPINACH BURRITO BAKE

From Simply in Season

NOTES:
• This was easy to assemble and can be done ahead of time (through step 5).

INGREDIENTS
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, minced
• ¾ c. uncooked rice
• ¾ tsp ground tumeric
• 1 ½ c. chicken or veggie broth
• Approximately 8-10 c. fresh spinach, loosely packed
• 2 c. cooked black beans
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 c. Monterey Jack cheese
• Warm flour tortillas
• Toppings of choice for burritos: chopped lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, guacamole, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, salsa, sour cream.

DIRECTIONS
1. Sauté ½ of garlic and next three ingredients on medium-low heat in oil until onion is tender and rice in a golden brown.
2. Add chicken or veggie broth and mix well. Simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed, about 15 min for white rice, 40 min for brown. Remove from heat, let stand 5 min. Fluff with a fork.
3. While rice cooks, heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan on high heat. Add rest of garlic and spinach, one handful at a time as it wilts, adding a little water as needed to prevent sticking. Spinach should be moist, with loose leaves, not clumped together.
4. Mix black beans and chili powder in a bowl.
5. In a casserole dish, layer as follows: half of spinach, all of rice, all of beans, remaining spinach, cheese.
6. Bake, covered, at 375 until sizzling, about 45 minutes. Spoon mixture into warm flour tortillas and garnish with toppings of choice.

RECIPE 4: SPICY MEXCIAN SKILLET (OR GRILLED) CHICKEN

From Eat Better America

Pic from www.eatbetteramerica.com

NOTES:
• Cook the chicken in a skillet 8 to 10 minutes, turning once (until meat registers 170 on a thermometer) or cook on the grill.

Ingredients
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ¼ lb), (see NOTES above for cooking options)
• 1-2 tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp salt & ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 c. frozen corn, cooked (or fresh cooked corn on the cob)
• 1/3 c. salsa and extra for topping
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Sour cream, for topping

Directions
1. Mix chili powder, salt and pepper and sprinkle evenly over both sides of breasts before cooking.
2. In a large skillet, cook chicken (if not grilling). When cooked stir in beans, corn and salsa. Heat to boiling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 3-5 min or until veggies are hot. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving and top with extra salsa and sour cream if desired.

RECIPE 5: CHICKEN SALAD WITH BELL PEPPERS
(ON HOMEMADE BREAD!)

Modified from Southern Living

NOTES:

• I make the 7-grain bread recipe (see below chicken salad recipe) every week (it yields 2 loaves) and avoid buying store-bought bread. It’s so easy to make you’ll be surprised! I “knead” the bread with my dough hook in my Kitchen Aid mixer so besides tending to it during the rising phase, there’s not much to it! It tastes SOOO good and makes great toast, sandwiches, french toast, and grilled cheese!

• The ingredients for the bread ARE NOT on the shopping list. Add them if you want to try it.

• Mix up the chicken salad the night before. I cooked the chicken one night and then shredded it and prepared the chicken salad the next night to eat the next day.
• The chicken salad should cool for at least 4 hours so prepare the night before or the morning of.

Ingredients – Chicken Salad
• About 3 lbs chicken breasts
• 1 49 ½ can/box chicken broth (or use a mixture of chicken broth, water, and bouillon cubes)
• 1 c. finely chopped celery
• 1 c. finely chopped bell peppers – a mix of red, yellow, or orange
• ½ c. finely chopped red onion
• Mayo – the recipe calls for 3 c. but I just add some and mix until I get the creaminess I want. Also, low fat or light mayo works fine!
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp white pepper (use black if you don’t have white)

Directions – Chicken Salad
1. Place chicken breasts in a large skillet with chicken broth. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, 3o min or until chicken is done. Remove from skillet and let stand until cool enough to handle. Either chop or use forks to shred.
2. Combine chicken, celery, peppers and red onion in a bowl.
3. In another bowl, combine mayo, salt and pepper until well blended then spoon over chicken mixture, stirring to coat. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

7-Grain Bread

Ingredients – 7-Grain Bread

• 1 ¼ c. 7-grain cereal (try Bob’s Red Mill found at most grocery stores)
• 2 ½ boiling water
• 3 c. unbleached all purpose flour plus extra for dusting
• 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 4 tbsp honey
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 ½ tsp instant yeast
• 1 tbsp salt
• ¾ c. raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds (shelled) (optional)
• ½ oats (old fashioned)

Directions – Bread

NOTES:
• The instructions look long and detailed but it’s really easy! After you make this once, you won’t even have to look at them. If you try this bread and like it, let me know by commenting on this post!
• The picture I took isn’t that great…the bread is a few days old at this point and the oats on top have fallen off (be sure to spray it well with cooking spray before rolling it oats to ensure they stick!). Regardless, it’s still so yummy.

1. Place cereal in the bowl of your standing mixer and pour boiling water over it. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until mixture cools to 100 degree F and resembles thick porridge (about 45 min – 1 hour). In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk flours together.
2. After the 45 min – 1 hour, add honey, melted butter and yeast to cereal mixture. Stir to combine. Attach bowl to standing mixer fitted with the dough hook and with mixture running on low speed, add flours ½ c. at a time and mix on low speed until dough forms a ball. I usually use a plastic spatula to make sure the flour on the side of the bowl gets mixed in. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let set 20 min.
3. Add salt and knead on medium-low speed until dough clears sides of bowl, 3-4 min. Add 2-3 tbsp more all-purpose flour if dough is very sticky (I usually have to add about 2 tbsp more) and continue mixing 5 more minutes. (If not using seeds, skip to step 5).
4. If using seeds, add and mix for another 15 sec then knead by hand on floured work surface until seeds are evenly dispersed.
5. Knead dough by hand a few times until you have a smooth, taut ball. Place dough into a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest until doubled in size, 45-60 min.
6. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 375 degrees. Spray two 9” x 5” loaf pans with cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and pat into a 12” x 9: rectangle. Cut in half crosswise with knife.
7. To shape loaves, start with one dough with short side facing you. Start at farthest end and roll dough into a log, keeping it taut by tucking it under itself as you go. To seal loaf, pinch seam gently with thumb and forefinger. Repeat with remaining dough. Spray loaves lightly with water or nonstick cooking spray and roll each dough in oats to coat evenly. Place loaves seam side down in greased loaf pans. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled, 30 -40 min (dough should barely spring back when poked with knuckle).
8. Bake at 375 until internal temp register 200F on a thermometer (30-40 min). Remove loaves from pans and cool on wire rack before slicing or storing. I store one loaf in a ziplock bag and freeze the other loaf for use later in the week.

EXTRA RECIPE: DOUBLE BERRY PANCAKES

From Sunset

NOTES:
• This recipe will feed about 4-5 people. If there are fewer of you, go ahead and make the full recipe. Let hot pancakes cool on a cooling rack then freeze in freezer bags. The night before you want to eat them, let thaw in fridge overnight then reheat on a baking sheet for 5 min at 350 degrees.
• These are best when served with REAL maple syrup or REAL heavy whipping cream. Don’t skimp here!
• These ingredients ARE NOT listed on the shopping list. Add if you are going to make them.
• To save time the morning you are going to make them, the night before mix together dry ingredients in a bowl (with a lid), get out ¼ c. butter to get ready to melt the next morning, and prepare your mixer with the whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer but the regular mixer is nice because you can be beating the egg whites while preparing the rest of the batter).

Ingredients
• 1 ½ c. all-p flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 2 c. buttermilk
• ¼ c. butter, melted
• 1 c. each rinsed fresh blueberries and raspberries (you can use frozen too just do NOT rinse or thaw them before dropping into pancake batter).

Directions
1. In a large bowl stir together dry ingredients.
2. In another bowl, mix egg YOLKS, buttermilk and butter until well blended. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture just until well blended.
3. In your standing mixer bowl, mix egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form (3-5 min). Gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain.
4. Place griddle or nonstick frying pan over medium heat (I put my gas burners just above the low heat mark – experiment with yours to find the optimal temp. It’s better to be too cool than too hot. If your pan is too hot, the outside of the pancakes burn and the insides stay raw. It’s much easier to adjust if your pan is too cool).
5. When hot, coat lightly with butter and spoon batter in 1/3 c. portions and spread a little to make a 4-inch round. Sprinkle evenly with blueberries and raspberries (pinch raspberries with fingers to divide into 2 or 3 pieces if desired). Cook until pancakes are browned on the bottom and edges being to look dry, 2-3 min. turn with a wide spatula and brown the other side, 1-1 ½ min longer.
6. You can keep already made pancakes warm by transferring to baking sheets in a 200 degree oven.

Shopping list:

NOTES:
• I have organized the shopping list by category and then within each category by meal. After each item you’ll see a number in parenthesis which corresponds to the meal number. That way you can easily pick which recipes you want to try and then find those items (or cross items out) on the list.
• Under Veggies/Fruit I have italicized anything that is a veggie or fruit but NOT found in the fresh fruits and veggie area of the supermarket.
• Add sides to the meals as necessary.
The shopping list does NOT include ingredients for the homemade bread or double-berry pancakes so add if making them.

Meat/Fish
• Chicken breasts - 4 boneless skinless (4), 3 lbs boneless skinless or bone-in with skin (5)

Veggies/Fruit
• Onion – ¼ c. chopped (1), 1 medium (2), 1 red onion (5)
• Cilantro – 2-3 tbsp (1), 2-3 tbsp (4)
• Garlic – 2-3 cloves (1), 3 cloves (2)
• 4 c. assorted chopped veggies for tostadas – try red, orange or yellow bell pepper, yellow squash, zucchini (1)
• Avocado – 1 (1), 1 (4)
• Spinach – 2 c. fresh (2), 8-10 c. fresh (3)
• Frozen (or fresh off the cob), corn – 1 c. (4)
• Toppings of choice for burrito (besides 1 avocado, already listed): chopped lettuce, tomatoes, green onion, lime wedges (3)
Celery – 1 c. chopped (5)
Red, orange or yellow bell peppers – 1 c. chopped (5), approx. 1 c. shopped (1) (see bullet #3 under above)

Breads & starches
• 8 tostada shells (1)
• 20 jumbo pasta shells (about half a 12-oz box) (2)
• Flour tortillas (3)
• ¾ c. uncooked rice (white or brown) (3)
• Hamburger buns (4)
• Homemade bread (see recipe included in this week under (5)) or store-brought bread (5)

Spices/Sauces/Vinegars/Oils/Condiments
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Cumin – 1 tsp (1)
• Tumeric – ¾ tsp (3)
• Chili powder – 1 tbsp (3), 2 tsp (4)

Dairy
• Monterrey jack cheese – 1 ½ c. shredded (1), 1 c. shredded (3)
• 2 15-oz containers ricotta (2)
• Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated – ½ c. (2)
• Mozzarella cheese – 1 c. shredded (2)
• Ricotta cheese – 1/3 c. (3)
• Sour cream – for topping burritos (3), chicken (4)

Other
• Oil
• 1 ½ c. red lentils (they look orange when dry) (1)
• 1 24-oz jar marinara sauce (2)
• 1 ½ c. chicken or veggie broth (3), 1 49 1/2-oz container or a small container/can + water and chicken bouillon cubes (5)
• 2 c. cooked black beans (3), 1 can (15 0z) (4)
• Salsa – for topping burritos (3), 1/3 c. plus extra for topping (4)
• 2-3 c. mayo (light or low fat works fine!) (5)

New recipes next week!

No new recipes for this week but check back Friday, May 28 for 5 new ones!

Week 18

I am leaving tomorrow for a little vacation so will not be posting recipes this week. We spent the last week cleaning out the fridge and cupboards! I hope to post recipes next Friday, May 21 but if not then, you will find some new ones for sure on Friday, May 28. Thank you!

Week 17 Recipes & Shopping List

NOTES:

• If you're a new visitor to this blog, please read "how to use this blog" off to the right-hand-side.
• Check NOTES under each meal for ahead-of-time preps.
• By clicking on “older posts” at the bottom of this page, you can look back at previous week’s recipes.
• If you are looking for a particular recipe, use the search box at the right-hand-side then scroll to the top of the page to see search results.
• Next week I will be out of town and will not be posting recipes. Look back to a previous week for recipes and check back here Friday, May 21 for new ones.

RECIPE 1: TACO SALADS

Becky Luigart-Stayner from Cooking Light

NOTES:
• Oops! We forgot to take a picture of this one so I found a picture similar to what our salads look like.
• This recipe is so versatile. My favorite toppings are listed below but feel free to modify to suit your tastes!
• Cook meat and chop up veggies the night before, storing them in different zip-lock bags or containers for a quick dinner prep the next day.

INGREDIENTS
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• Your favorite corn tortilla chips (I like Mission brand)
• Several green onions, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 sweet green pepper, chopped
• Frozen & cooked (or canned) corn
• Crunchy lettuce like romaine, torn into salad-size pieces
• 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 avocado, either thinly sliced or mashed with a fork & lightly salted
• Shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese
• Sour cream
• Salsa

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning packet, the amount of water indicated on the packet (usually ¾ - 1 cup) and simmer until water has cooked off.
2. Mix lettuce and desired amount of crushed tortilla chips in large bowls. Top with meat and the desired amount toppings listed above.

RECIPE 2: SLOW COOKER SWEET & SPICY ASIAN PORK SHOULDER

(Real Simple)

Jonny Valiant from Real Simple

NOTES:
• I had pork shoulder left over from when I made pulled-pork tacos and this was a great way to use it!
• This was the first time I had cooked with bok choy and I really liked it!
• Cook the rice and cut up the bok choy the night before. About 5 minutes before serving, stir in the bok choy and reheat the rice.

INGREDIENTS
• ½ c. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1-2 tbsp (I used 1 tbsp so it ended up just a little spicy) chili-garlic sauce (found near the soy sauces)
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• About 2 ½ lbs pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 c. long-grain white rice, cooked (or more…1 c. is for 2 people)
• 1 medium head bok choy, thinly sliced (slice it sideways & DO use the white part it’s tasty!)
• 2 green onions, sliced
• Salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. In a slow-cooker, combine the soy sauce, sugar, chili-garlic sauce, ginger, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper. Add the cut-up pork and toss to coat. Cook, covered, until the pork is tender, on high for 4-5 hours or low 7-8 hours.
2. About 5 min before serving, stir in the bok choy and cook, covered, until heated through, about 3-5 min. Serve pork & bok choy over rice and sprinkle with scallions.

RECIPE 3: SPINACH & RICOTTA PIZZA

(modified from Cooking Light)

NOTES:
• Make your own pizza dough (see my entry from April 6) or use a store-bought dough of your choice. It’s also worth asking your favorite local pizzeria if they will sell you a ball of their fresh-made dough to use that day.

INGREDIENTS
• Pizza dough (your own homemade, refrigerated or from your favorite pizzeria)
• Olive oil
• Store bought pizza sauce or make your own (easily!) with 1 14.5-oz can crushed or diced tomatoes (with Italian seasoning or with roasted garlic), whizzed briefly in a food processor to a chunky purée; 2 garlic cloves, minced, & 3-5 fresh basil leaves OR dried basil (about 2 tsp)
• 2 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1 ½ c. loosely packed baby spinach leaves (I used 1 small box of frozen spinach & it tasted great)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 ¼ c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2 plum tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced
• Salt

DIRECTIONS
1. To make pizza sauce, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking in a medium pot. Add garlic and swirl in hot oil until it starts to smell good, about 15 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, to thicken and cook off the "canned" flavors, at least 25 minutes. While sauce is cooking, put a little olive oil and basil leaves in a food processor and whirl to finely chop basil, scraping down sides of processor as needed. Stir basil oil into tomato sauce as it's cooking, along with 1 pinch salt.
2. If using frozen rather than fresh spinach, cook in the microwave according to pkg directions then let sit in a colander until cool enough to squeeze out extra liquid.
3. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Coat a pizza pan with cooking spray. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a circle big enough to fit on pizza pan. Transfer dough to pan. Brush dough evenly with olive oil and spread pizza sacue over dough, leaving a ¼-inch border.
4. Sprinkle dough with parmesan, top evenly with spinach (fresh or cooked and squeezed dry if using frozen), and garlic. Sprinkle mozzarella over spinach and spoon teaspoonfuls of ricotta over mozzarella.
5. Bake at 500 degrees for about 12 min or until mozzarella melts and the crust browns. Let stand 5 min; top with tomato slices.

RECIPE 4: TURKEY BEAN BURGERS

(Modified from TASTE OF HOME)

NOTES:
• I followed the recipe exactly but the meat/bean mixture was too wet so I had to add about ½ c. flour to get it to stick together.

INGREDIENTS• ¾ canned black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 egg white
• ½ c. shredded zucchini
• ½ c. finely chopped sweet red pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ lb ground turkey
• Hamburger buns
• Crunchy lettuce leaves (like romaine)
• Sliced onion for topping burgers
• 1 avocado, mashed and mixed with a little salt (or add finely chopped red onion, a little lime juice (about 1 tsp), salt and pepper to make guacamole)
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced, for topping burgers

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, use a potato masher and mash beans. Add egg white, zucchini, red pepper and chili powder, onion powder, pepper and salt. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into four patties (if meat mixture is super sticky and won’t form into patties, try adding ¼ cup flour. Add more flour if necessary).
2. In a large skillet, cook burgers in oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees and the juices run clear. Serve on buns with onion, mashed avocado and tomatoes.

RECIPE 5: SALMON WITH MUSTARD HERB SAUCE

(BODY & SOUL)

INGREDIENTS
• 4 salmon fillets
• 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• ½ c. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp fresh chopped dill
• 3 tbsp fresh chopped basil

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat broiler with rack 4 inches from heat.
2. Rinse salmon and pat dry with paper towels. Place on a broiler pan (or a cookie sheet covered with foil and sprayed with oil) and drizzle 2 tbsp of lemon juice over top. Season with salt and pepper. Broil until salmon is just cooked but still moist, 8-10 minutes. Remove skin.
3. While salmon is cooking, stir together the mustard, remaining 2 tbsp lemon juice, oil, dill and basil. Spoon over salmon and serve immediately.

SHOPPING LIST:

NOTES:
• I have organized the shopping list by category and then within each category by meal. After each item you’ll see a number in parenthesis which corresponds to the meal number. That way you can easily pick which recipes you want to try and then find those items (or cross items out) on the list.
• Under Veggies/Fruit I have italicized anything that is a veggie or fruit but NOT found in the fresh fruits and veggie area of the supermarket.
• For Sides: Add sides to the meals as necessary. Suggestions: Fries & a green veggie with (4), baked potato & side salad with (5).

Meat/Fish
• 1 lb ground beef (1)
• About 2 ½ lbs pork shoulder (2)
• ¾ lb ground turkey (4)
• 4 salmon fillets (5)

Veggies/Fruit
• 1 bunch green onions (1), (2)
• Tomato – 2 large (1), (4), 2 plum (3)
• 1 sweet green pepper (1)
• Frozen & cooked (or canned) corn (1)
• Crunchy lettuce like romaine (1), (4)
• 2 avocados (1), (4)
• Fresh ginger – 1 tbsp grated (2)
• 1 medium head bok choy (2)
• Store bought pizza sauce OR buy the next three ingredients below to make your own
• 1 14 ½-oz cans chopped tomatoes (with roasted garlic or Italian spices) (3) (if making your own pizza sauce)
• Garlic: 2 cloves (3) (if making your own pizza sauce), 1 tsp minced for pizza (3)
• 3-5 leaves fresh basil leaves OR 2 tsp dried (3) (if making your own pizza sauce)
• 1 ½ c. loosely packed spinach leaves or 1 small box frozen spinach (3)
• Zucchini – ½ c. shredded (4)
• Onion – for topping burgers (4)
• Sweet red pepper – ½ c. chopped (4)
• Fresh dill – 3 tbsp chopped (5)
• Fresh basil – 3 tbsp chopped (5)
• 1 lemon (5)

Breads & starches
• Your favorite corn tortilla chips (I like Mission brand) (1)
• 1 c. (or more…1 c. is for 2 people) long-grain white rice (2)
• Pizza dough – homemade (see my recipe form April 6), store-bought, or ask your local pizzeria if you can purchase their fresh dough (3)
• Hamburger buns (4)

Spices/Sauces/Vinegars/Oils/Condiments
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 packet taco seasoning (1)
• Chili powder – ½ tsp (2)
• Low-sodium soy sauce – ½ c. (2)
• Chili-garlic sauce (found near the soy sauces) – 1-2 tbsp (2)
• 1 tsp chili powder (4)
• 1 tsp onion powder (4)
• Dijon mustard – ½ c.

Dairy
• Shredded cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese (1)
• Sour cream (1)
• Fresh Parmesan cheese – 2 tbsp (3)
• Mozzarella cheese – 1 ¼ shredded (3)
• Ricotta cheese – 1/3 c. (3)

Other
• Oil
• Cooking spray
• 2 can black beans (1), (4)
• Salsa (1)
• ¼ c. brown sugar (2)
• 1 egg white (4)

Week 17 Recipes & Shopping List

Check back here later this evening for next week's recipes!

Week 16 Recipes & Shopping List

NOTES:

• If you're a new visitor to this blog, please read "how to use this blog" off to the right-hand-side.
• Check NOTES under each meal for ahead-of-time preps.
• By clicking on “older posts” at the bottom of this page, you can look back at previous week’s recipes.
• If you are looking for a particular recipe, use the search box at the right-hand-side then scroll to the top of the page to see search results.
• If you didn’t see the Strawberry Pancake Roll-Up recipe, check it out (see post from earlier this week). They are SOOO good!

RECIPE 1: MARGHARETI PIZZA

NOTES:
• Make your own pizza dough (see my entry from April 6) or use a store-bought dough of your choice. It’s also worth asking your favorite local pizzeria if they will sell you a ball of their fresh-made dough to use that day.
• Either use leftover refrigerated pesto from last week or buy a pkg of fresh basil leaves.

INGREDIENTS
• 1 14.5 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes (with Italian seasoning or with roasted garlic), whizzed briefly in a food processor to a chunky purée
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup lightly packed basil leaves (or use the leftover refrigerated pesto from last week’s recipe)
• 2/3 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices (about 2 cups)
• About 1 tsp. dried oregano
• Your own homemade thin crust pizza dough, store-bought, or picked up from your local pizzeria (see my NOTE above)

DIRECTIONS
1. To make pizza sauce, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking in a medium pot. Add garlic and swirl in hot oil until it starts to smell good, about 15 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, to thicken and cook off the "canned" flavors, at least 25 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. If NOT using leftover refrigerated pesto from last week continue with this step to make the basil oil to drizzle on pizza: while sauce is cooking, put 1/4 cup olive oil and basil leaves in a food processor and whirl to finely chop basil, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Stir 1 tbsp. basil oil into tomato sauce as it's cooking, along with 1 pinch salt. Pour remaining basil oil into a small bowl and cover surface with a thin layer of olive oil.
3. Roll out your pizza dough and spoon 3 to 4 tbsp. tomato sauce onto dough, leaving at least a 1/2-in. border. Bake 3 to 6 minutes, or until crust looks dryish but not browned. Remove pizza from oven and top with fresh mozzarella slices, then 1 generous pinch oregano. Return to oven and cook about 5 minutes more, or until crust is golden brown and firm but not rock hard. Transfer pizza to a cutting board and drizzle with basil oil.

RECIPE 2: SHRIMP, BLACK BEAN & AVOCADO SALADS

(Modified from Taste of Home)

• The dressing was good but I might add a pinch of cumin and a little vinegar next time (either white or red wine vinegar) – try 2 tbsp.
• For kids, arrange the veggies on a plate in a fun way and use the smaller pieces of the lettuce (the light green crunchy ones closest to the core) - kids like the “crunch.” If they don’t like shrimp, try cutting it up into smaller pieces (sometimes seeing it whole and the tail is scary) and letting them dip it into whatever they like.

Ingredients - Salad
• 1 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled & deveined, rinsed & patted dry with paper towels
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Romaine lettuce – either buy a bunch and wash & cut up yourself or buy the pre-bagged kind
• 1 c. canned or cooked frozen corn
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 sweet red pepper, chopped (or thinly sliced)
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced thin

Ingredients – Cilantro Lime Dressing: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
• 7 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ c. minced fresh cilantro
• ¼ c. fresh lime juice
• 1-1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp red or white wine vinegar (optional)

Directions
1. In a large skillet heat the 2 tbsp olive oil and add spices (garlic through cumin) and stir until fragrant. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turn pink – about 4ish minutes, flipping over once. Set shrimp aside.
2. Mix ingredients for the dressing if you haven’t already. In bowls, combine the lettuce, corn, beans, and red pepper. Top each bowl with the shrimp and avocado slices. Drizzle with dressing.

RECIPE 3: POCKET PITAS WITH FALAFEL, VEGGIES, & YOGURT SAUCE

NOTES:
• Either buy pitas or try my easy whole wheat pita recipe (below). Double the recipe to have leftovers. We like to use them the next morning and stuff with scrambled eggs, sausage and cheese for a delicious breakfast.
• The picture isn’t very pretty but they are delicious!
• Recipe 3.1 is the falafel, veggies and yogurt sauce. Recipe 3.2 is the homemade pitas. The House Hummus Recipe (optional) is Recipe 3.3.
• Try the House Hummus Recipe (3.3, see below) instead or the yogurt sauce or along with. The Hummus Recipe is easy and not only good with this recipe! Use it to spread on toast for a healthy snack or use it for dipping veggies or tortillas chips.

Ingredients – Falafel & Yogurt Sauce (3.1)
• 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans
• ¼ c. shredded carrot
• 3 tbsp sesame tahini, divided (tahini is simply ground sesame seeds, look for it near the pb or in the asian food section)
• 2-3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• ½-1 tsp ground cumin (per tastes)
• 1/3 c. plain yogurt – use the leftover greek style from your pita recipe if making your own pitas (see below)
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tomato, sliced thin
• 1 cucumber, sliced thin
• Crunchy lettuce
• Pitas – whole wheat are best! Either make your own (really easy recipe, see below) or use store-bought. Cut them in half then open the middle (if not already open) to create a pocket in each half to be able to stuff falafel in.

Directions – Falafel & Yogurt Sauce
1. Preheat oven to 425. Rinse and drain beans and in a large shallow bowl, mash with a large fork the beans along with carrot, flour (start with 2 tbsp), tahini, 1 tbsp water, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. The beans do not need to be completely smooth – it’s ok if there are some chunky pieces.
2. Grease a cookie sheet with olive oil. Shape the bean mixture into small patties (about 2 inches in diameter). Add more flour if mixture is sticky and won’t form easily into patties without sticking to your hands. Place the patties on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake for 1o-15 minutes or until crispy and browned, turning once.
3. For the yogurt sauce, mix the yogurt, remaining tahini, and lemon juice. Add warm water by the tbsp if sauce is stiff.
4. Stuff the pitas with falafel, tomato, lettuce and sauce (either for dipping or drizzle inside pita). Let kids stuff their own pita “pockets”.

Homemade Whole Wheat Pitas (3.2)

Ingredients
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 pkg dry yeast (about 2 ¼ tsp)
• 1 c. plus 2 tbsp warm water
• 10 oz all-purpose flour
• 1 c. whole wheat flour, divided
• 2 tbsp greek style yogurt such as Fage (use leftovers for your yogurt sauce above)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Cooking spray

Directions
1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in 1 c. plus 2 tbsp warm water in a large bowl and let stand 5 min. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add the all-purpose flour, ¾ c. whole wheat flour, yogurt, oil and salt to the yeast mixture. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth.
2. Then, either by hand or with the dough hook on your mixer, knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Add 1 tbsp of the whole wheat flour at a time to prevent dough from sticking to hands (although the dough will be sticky).
3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double, about 45 min.
4. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Divide dough into 8 portions and gently roll each portion into a 5 ½ inch circle. Place 4 circles on a cookie sheet or pizza pan heavily coated with cooking spray. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let sit 10 min.
5. Bake, one sheet at a time for 8 min or so until puffed and lightly browned. Some will puff better than others – this is normal! Cool on a wire rack. Cut in half then open up pocket with fingers or with a knife to be able to stuff.

House Hummus (3.3) – optional but a good one to know for other recipes or for dipping!

Ingredients
• 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• ¼ c. reserved liquid from beans
• 3-5 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 ½ tbsp tahini sauce
• Minced garlic, to taste – 2-3 cloves
• ½ tsp salt (or more to taste)
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Blend above ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Chill for several hours before serving. Mix it up! Try adding one or more of the following: chopped jalapeno, chopped roasted red pepper, sautéed and pureed spinach, chopped kalamata olives, spices like curry, cumin, cayenne, etc.

RECIPE 4: BAKED CHICKEN WITH MARINARA & FRESH MOZZARELLA

(from Real Simple)

Photo by Ellie Miller from Real Simple

NOTES:
• Fry the chicken ahead of time but don’t place chicken on the marinara sauce until ready to bake – otherwise the chicken gets soggy.
• I didn’t take a picture of this one (so I’m including the one from the recipe I used) because my husband was in charge of cooking it and left it in too long! It was still delicious though! 

Ingredients
• Chicken breasts (1/2 or 1 per person)
• Salt & pepper
• 1-2 c. bread crumbs
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 1 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Directions
1. If chicken breasts are thick, place between two sheets of plastic wrap and lightly pound out to ½-inch thickness with the flat side of a kitchen mallet.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then dip in beaten eggs, then breadcrumbs. Fry in oil over medium heat until golden. Be sure to keep a thin layer of oil on the bottom of the pan so that the crust doesn’t burn and/or stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Pour the marinara sauce in a large shallow baking dish. Top sauce with chicken then the slices of mozzarella. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.

Picture by Ellie Miller from Real Simple

RECIPE 5: SLOW COOKER SLOPPY JOES

(Modified from Taste of Home)

NOTES:
• The original recipe says to cook on low for 4 hours. I cooked mine for almost 7 hours (I need a programmable slow cooker!) and they were still great.
• The original recipe calls for 1/4 c. packed brown sugar which I left out to suit our tastes. Add if you want!

Ingredients
• 1 ½ lbs beef
• 1 c. chopped green pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 ½ c. ketchup
• 1 envelope sloppy joe mix
• ¼ c. packed brown sugar (optional)
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 pkg hamburger buns
• Hamburger dill pickles to put on sandwiches (optional)

Directions
1. In a large skillet, cook the beef, pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the ketchup, sloppy joe mix, brown sugar (if using) and mustard.
2. Transfer to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until ready to serve.

Shopping list:

NOTES:
• I have organized the shopping list by category and then within each category by meal. After each item you’ll see a number in parenthesis which corresponds to the meal number. That way you can easily pick which recipes you want to try and then find those items (or cross items out) on the list.
• Under Veggies/Fruit I have italicized anything that is a veggie or fruit but NOT found in the fresh fruits and veggie area of the supermarket.
• For Sides: Add sides to the meals as necessary. Really the only meals this week that would need a side are recipe (4) and (5). Try garlic bread and a green cooked veggie with (4) and a side salad or raw veggie sticks with (5).
• Please note that Recipe 3.1 includes the falafel, the veggies to go with the pitas and the yogurt sauce. If you are making your own pitas (rather than buying), see recipe 3.2 for the ingredients for homemade whole-wheat pitas and if you want homemade hummus with your pita sandwiches see recipe 3.3. Ingredients for 3.2 and 3.3 are NOT included in the shopping list.

Meat/Fish
• 1 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined (2) (if you buy it without being deveined, it’s usually cheaper but it’s a pain to devein it by hand)
• Chicken breasts – ½ or 1 per person (4)
• 1 ½ lbs ground beef (5)

Veggies/Fruit
• Garlic: 2 cloves minced (1), 3 cloves minced (2), 2 cloves minced (3)
• 1 c. lightly packed basil leaves OR use the leftover refrigerated pesto from last week’s recipe (1)
• 1 14 ½-oz cans chopped tomatoes (with roasted garlic or Italian spices) (1)
• Romaine lettuce – either a large fresh bunch or buy the pre-bagged kind (2) and (3)
• Frozen or canned corn – 1 c. (2)
• 1 large sweet red pepper (2)
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced thin (2)
• Minced cilantro – ¼ c. (2)
• 1 lime (2)
• Carrot – ¼ c. shredded (3)
• 1 lemon (3)
• 1 cucumber (3)
• 1 tomato (3)
• 1 green pepper (5)
• 1 large onion (5)

Breads & starches
• Pizza dough – homemade (see my recipe form April 6), store-bought, or ask your local pizzeria if you can purchase their fresh dough (1)
• Whole-wheat pita pockets (store-bought or homemade). If making your own, see my recipe 3.2 and add those ingredients to your shopping list.
• Bread crumbs – 2 c. (4)
• Hamburger buns (5)

Spices/Sauces/Vinegars/Oils/Condiments
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Dried oregano – 1 tsp (1)
• Chili powder – ½ tsp (2)
• Ground cumin – ¼ tsp (2), 1 tsp (3)
• 2 tbsp white or red wine vinegar (2)
• Tahini sauce – 3 tbsp (3) (Tahini is simply ground sesame seeds, look for it near the pb or in the asian food section)
• 1 packet sloppy joe mix (5)
• 1 ½ c. ketchup (5)
• 1 tsp yellow mustard (5)
• Hamburger dill pickles (5) (optional)

Dairy
• Fresh mozzarella – 2/3 lb (1), 1 lb (4)
•1/3 c. plain yogurt (3). If making your own pitas, you’ll need 2 tbsp of greek style yogurt such as Fage so you can use leftovers of that here

Other
• Olive oil and cooking oil (such as canola)
• Cooking spray
• 1 can black beans (2)
• Small amount of flour (3)
• 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) (3)
• 2 eggs (4)
• 1 jar marinara sauce (4)
• ¼ c. packed brown sugar (5) (optional)

Fun weekend breakfast

STRAWBERRY PANCAKE ROLL-UPS

(from Sunset)

NOTES:

• Scroll down to see recipes I posted this past Friday (Week 15).
• This is a perfect weekend breakfast to take advantage of the strawberries just coming in to season.
• You can make the strawberry sauce & cream cheese mixture (steps 2 & 3) up to two days ahead. That way in the morning you just have to make the pancakes.
• This recipe will serve at least 4 people
• The stawberry sauce (step 2) is a great sauce for topping ice cream, yogurt, strawberry shortcake, waffles, etc.

INGREDIENTS

A little more than 2 lbs fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled (stick a plastic straw up through the bottom of the strawberry and out through the top to hull)
6 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
1 c. milk
Salad oil
 
DIRECTIONS
1. Thinly slice 2 cups strawberries & set aside. Do not do this step if you are making the strawberry sauce & cream cheese ahead of time (do it when making pancakes).
2. In a blender or food processor, whirl remaining strawberries until smooth. Press through a fine strainer into a bowl (in order to get rid of seeds), extracting as much liquid as possible with the back of a spoon or a spatula; discard residue. Whisk 1/4 cup sugar and the lemon juice into strawberry purée.
3. In the blender or food processor (no need to rinse), whirl cream cheese and 1/2 cup of the strawberry purée until blended and smooth.
4. For pancakes, in a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. In another bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, and milk just to blend. Whisk milk mixture into flour mixture just until evenly moistened.
5. Place a nonstick griddle or a 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat; when hot, coat lightly with oil and adjust heat to maintain temperature. Spoon batter in 1/2-cup portions onto griddle and cook until pancakes are browned on the bottom and edges begin to look dry, about 2 minutes; turn with a wide spatula and brown other sides, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. As pancakes are cooked, transfer to baking sheets and keep warm in a 200° oven. Coat pan with more oil as necessary to pan to cook remaining pancakes.
6. Spread each pancake with about 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture and roll up. Set two roll-ups on each plate, top evenly with sliced strawberries, and drizzle with a little strawberry purée; serve with remaining purée to add to taste.