Menu June 11 to 15

Summer is upon us, and it is time for BBQs and relaxation. Suppermoms will be on hiatus from menu planning for the warm months. We will still be posting tips and great summer recipes, however, we are subscribing to the idea of "easy living" and cooking according to the weather report for the upcoming week over the summer months. We will begin posting menus again in September when the time to hibernate comes back around.

SO, for this week, what we have decided to do is a "Suppermoms - That was Yummy!" It is a chance to try some of the recipes we have already done. Hope you enjoy. Happy eating!

Monday ~ Mega Life Salad (sort of)

Erika's variation on the Fresh Mega Life Salad and my son's favourite, Avocado Sandwiches (optional)

The original salad has marinated tofu and steamed spinach and a bunch of sprouts that St. John's grocery stores rarely carry and when they do they are often icky so she adapted this recipe to make it simpler and it uses easier to get ingredients.  This is a main course salad so assume 4 cups of greens per adult person. Judge for yourself how much your kids will eat.

Erika included the avocado sandwich as an option for kids who turn up their nose at the salad.

Dressing:

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp tamari
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1 clove garlic
1 cup sunflower oil

 (The original recipe calls for part flax oil, but it was also fantastic with just sunflower oil.)

Mix all the ingredients in a blender except the oil and then add oil in a thin stream until emulsified. This will make a lot of dressing which is good because you will want more and can use it for side salads or lunches.

Salad:

Toss mixed lettuce greens with salad dressing.
Thinly slice English cucumber and lay on salad
Slice the avocado in thin wedges and place on salad
Put matchstick or grated carrots on top
Add grated raw beet
Garnish with a handful (or more) of sunflower seeds.

For the Avocado sandwich:

Your kid's favourite bread - toasted or not.
Avocado mashed with mayo and spread on the bread.

Now, if you want to be sneaky you can use a food processor and put some peas or edamame or spinach into the avocado before spreading. Or, if your kid will eat other vegetables like lettuce and tomatoes you can really make this sandwich sing.

Tuesday: Lemon Pasta with Shrimp

This pasta is so quick and easy - perfect for a weeknight. I chop the shrimp up in my kid's portions so they don't notice they are eating them, but if you think you will be caught, just leave the shrimp out, or make the pasta with some cooked sliced chicken.

Ingredients:
1 package of whole grain spaghetti, cooked
1 package of cooked frozen shrimp (about a cup and a half to 2 cups)
6 tbsp olive oil
2 cups sugar snap peas, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese

Prepare spaghetti as described on package. Set aside.

Thaw Shrimp and peel (if necessary), set aside.

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan.
Saute garlic for approximately 1 minute, add sugar snap peas and shrimp and Saute for approximately 1 more minute. Add spaghetti and toss.

Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice from both sides into pasta. toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Wednesday: Carrot Soup with Orange and Ginger (from all recipes.com)


1 tbsp canola oil
1 onions, coarsely chopped
6 carrots, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed (2 oranges)
2 1/2 tbsp gingerroot, coarsely grated
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/4 cup cream 15% [optional]
salt to taste
ground pepper to taste

Prepare the vegetables: chop them coarsely.

In a pot, sweat the onion in oil over medium heat for about 3-4 min. Add the carrots, orange juice, coarsely grated ginger, broth and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 25 min.

Purée the soup in a blender or processor, then pour it back into the pot. Stir in the cream and just warm the soup a few minutes. Adjust the seasoning then serve.

The soup keeps up to 7 days in the refrigerator or up to 4 months in the freezer. Cream should not be added before freezing, but later when the soup is reheated.

Thursday: Maple Glazed Salmon with Green Beans and Rice

Salmon Fillets (2-4 depending on size of family)
Cooking Spray (such as Pam)
Ginger Root (1 Tbsp)
Clove of garlic, (1, minced)
100 % Pure Maple Syrup, (1/4 Cup)
President's Choice Memories of Thailand Fiery Chili Pepper Sauce, (1 Tbsp)
Rice
Frozen Green Beans, French Cut, 3 Cups
Unsalted Butter (1 Tbsp)
Slivered Almonds (1 Cup)

Prepare rice as described on package.

Spray a non-stick frying pan with cooking oil spray and heat over medium heat. Cook ginger and garlic for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring. Remove pan from heat. Stir in maple syrup and Thai sauce.

Preheat broiler. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Place fillets on prepared baking sheet and divide sauce among them, brushing over top and sides. Broil salmon for 10 minutes per inch or until it flakes easily with a fork.

While salmon is in oven, steam the frozen green beans for approximately five minutes. Remove. Melt butter in a frying pan. Add almonds, and toss green beans in butter and almonds.

To serve, place rice on plate, green beans on top and then fillet on top of that with a drizzle of sauce.

Tip - for kids I flake fish, and mix it all together.

Friday: Naan Bread Pizzas

Easiest pizza crusts ever! Erika's favourite version is to toss grape tomatoes in herbes de Provence and broil until they pop, then crush with the back of a spoon for a pizza sauce. Add some caramelized onion, fresh basil, pitted kalamata olives, and goat cheese, bocconcini or feta on to store bought Naan bread. Bake it until everything is warm and melted in the oven. But that's a grown up version, for kids you need to pick what suits your child's tastes. Buy canned pizza sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni and have a very straightforward version, or ask your kid what they want and then let them help you make the grocery list.

Some other ideas: store bought basil or sundried pesto, peppers and steak, prosciutto and camembert with Portobello mushrooms and onion. (Fry toppings up first.)

Put the oven on 450 to 475 and put the Naan bread in by itself first to crisp it up before putting the toppings on.

Shopping List June 11 to 15

Produce:
lemon (2)
garlic
lettuce greens
cucumber
avacado (2)
carrotts
beet (1)
sugar snap peas
onion
oranges (2)
ginger

Pizza toppings as you like

Bakery:
kid's favorite bread
crusty bread
Naan Bread (to use as pizza crust)

Dairy:
parmesan cheese
15% Cream (optional)
unsalted butter

Pantry:
slivered almonds
cider vinegar
sugar
sea salt
pepper
tamoric
mustard powder
sunflower oil
sunflower seeds
mayo
whole wheat spagetti
olive oil
canola oil
chicken broth (large carton)
Pam cooking spray
100% maple syrup
President's Choice Memories of Thailand Chili Sauce
rice

Meat:
salmon fillets (2-4)

Frozen:
shrimp (cooked and peeled)
green beans

Shopping List Junuary 4th

Produce
fresh lemon
2 fresh limes
small potatoes (optional for burgers)
corn on cob (optional side)
garlic clove
2 tomatoes
cucumber
red onion
red pepper
green bell pepper
cilantro (2 bunches sub for cilantro roots)
parsley (flat leaf)
Tarragon leaves
Broccoli
carrot
2 stalks lemon grass
fresh ginger (cut and freeze - see directions for Thai soup)
bean sprouts
green onion
asparagus
baby spinach
Pantry
extra virgin olive oil
Thai curry paste (This can be red or green or yellow, but it can be hot - I like green the best and use a lot less if your kids are sensitive
salt and freshly ground pepper
chicken broth
2 cans coconut milk
lime leaves (I got these at the Magic Wok store on Duckworth, but you can sub lime juice for a similar flavour)
fish sauce (Asian section)
crushed red pepper - optional if your kids are sensitive to spice
rice noodles
soy sauce
sesame oil
sesame seeds
brown sugar
Bread
pita bread
Ciabatta rolls or burger buns
Meat, Fish, and Dairy
Plain Greek yogurt
Parmesan Cheese
2 chicken breasts thinly sliced
ground chicken or sausage for burgers
butter
4 5 or 6 ounce cod fillets 1 inch thick
Bacon
Anchovy paste (dairy aisle usually near butter, cheese and eggs)
sun dried tomato pesto - usually in deli case
Provolone Cheese
Misc:
Parchment Paper sheets or pouches
Orange juice (4 tablespoons)

Menu for Junuary 4th ~ 8th

This week's menu is my attempt to will the weather gods to give us back what they cruelly teased us with in May. Summery, spicy, light are my key themes. By the way, I am collecting recipes on Pinterest and you can follow me there.
Monday ~ Chopped Salad with brown butter and yogurt
From Food and Wine, May 2007
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, mashed to a paste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tomatoes - cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1/2 seedless cucumber - peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
warmed pita bread, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium serving bowl, whisk the lemon juice and mashed garlic with the olive oil. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, bell peppers, cilantro, and parsley. Season the chopped salad with salt and pepper and toss. Stir the yogurt and drizzle it over the top.
2. In a small skillet, cook the butter over moderately high heat, swirling the pan, until the butter is fragrant and the milk solids just turn brown, about 5 minutes. Immediately spoon the brown butter over the yogurt and sprinkle the crushed red pepper on top. Serve right away with warm pita.
NOTES:
Serves 4
Tuesday ~ Broccoli Pesto
Yes, more pesto! But hey, it's easy and it gets greens into your kid.
8 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 cups steamed and chopped broccoli (about 1 crown)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
In the bowl of a food processor combine the broccoli, parsley, garlic, and Parmesan and begin processing.
While the processor is running, add the olive oil in a thin stream and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Source: Adapted from the Lunch Lessons: Changing The Way America Feeds Its Child
Wednesday ~ Thai Coconut Soup
INGREDIENTS
2 14 ounce cans premium coconut milk
1 heaping Tablespoon Thai curry paste (This can be red or green or yellow, but it can be hot - I like green the best and use a lot less if your kids are sensitive about spice)
1 bunch cilantro roots, rinsed well
2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
2 cups chicken broth
1 carrot, shredded
4 or 5 lime leaves
2 stalks lemon grass, halved lengthwise, woody leaves removed
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 limes zest and juice
a small knob frozen ginger
a handful bean sprouts
1 8 ounce package rice noodles
1 bunch cilantro leaves, rinsed well
2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced
a sprinkle or two salt or soy sauce
DIRECTIONS
Scoop the thick coconut cream from the top of just one of the cans into a large stockpot set over a medium-high heat. Melt the cream, add the curry paste and stir for a few minutes until they begin to sizzle.
Add the cilantro roots and chicken and sauté until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Add the coconut juice from the first can and all the contents of the second can along with the chicken broth, carrot, lime leaves, lemon grass, fish sauce and lime zest and juice. Grate the frozen ginger into the broth with a Microplane grater or standard box grater. Simmer for 20 minutes or so.
Stir in the bean sprouts. Add the rice noodles, gently pushing them beneath the surface of the broth. Turn off the heat and let stand until the noodles soften, about 5 minutes. Rice noodles don’t need to simmer like pasta to cook; they simply need to rehydrate in the hot liquid.
Stir in most of the cilantro leaves. Remove the lemon grass stalks. Taste and season with a touch more salt (or soy sauce) as needed. Ladle into large bowls and garnish with the green onions and remaining cilantro leaves.
Thursday ~ Cod baked in Parchment and Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Cod Baked in Parchment
This recipe calls for asparagus, skip it, because it is going to be used in the side dish. You can use sheet parchment or buy little ready made parchment pouches. The sheet parchment adds novelty for kids as they get to 'unwrap' supper. Baking a few olives or capers in with the fish would be nice too. You'll need to do the asparagus first and half way through the asparagus cook time add the fish to the oven for the last 20 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
4 15x15-inch squares parchment paper
4 5-to 6-ounce fish fillets (such as halibut or cod; each about 1 inch thick)
12 fresh tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces
4 tablespoons orange juice
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place parchment squares on work surface. Generously butter half of each parchment square; top buttered half of each with 1 fish fillet. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper; top each fillet with 3 tarragon leaves, then 1 piece of butter. Arrange asparagus around each fish fillet; pour 1 tablespoon orange juice over each. Fold parchment over fish and asparagus, folding and crimping edges tightly to seal and enclose filling completely. Place on 2 rimmed baking sheets, spacing apart. do ahead Can be made 4 hours ahead. Chill.
Bake fish packets 17 minutes. Slide packets onto plates and serve.
Bacon Wrapped Caramelized Sesame Asparagus
serves 4, is easily multiplied
INGREDIENTS
1 bunch of asparagus, about 20-25 spears, stems removed
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, whisk together oils, brown sugar and garlic. Set aside.
Bunch together 5-6 asparagus spears and tightly wrap a piece of bacon around the bundle. Place on the wire rack seam-side down and repeat. Using a pastry brush, a spoon or even your hands (I did this…), brush the spears thoroughly with the oil/sugar mixture. Give each bundle a hefty sprinkle of sesame seeds. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until bacon is crispy. Serve warm.
Friday ~ Burgers!
Remember these from a previous week's menu? Garlicky Spinach Sausage Burgers. I made my version with ground chicken and they were excellent. Add corn on the cob or a side salad and roast potatoes to make this meal complete.
INGREDIENTS
10 ounces baby spinach
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
Salt
1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausages (or a combination of both), casings removed
4 slices of provolone cheese
1/4 cup sun-dried-tomato pesto
4 round ciabatta rolls, split and toasted
DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, bring 1/4 inch of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 1 minute; drain and press out as much water as possible. Wipe out the skillet.
In the same skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and anchovy paste and cook over high heat, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the spinach, season with salt and stir just until coated, about 10 seconds.
Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Using slightly moistened hands, form the sausage meat into four 4-inch patties, about 3/4 inch thick. Brush the burgers with oil and grill over moderate heat until browned and crusty on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip the burgers. Top with the cheese and grill until the burgers are cooked through and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes longer. Spread the pesto on the rolls. Top with the burgers and spinach and serve.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Menu May 27 - June 1

I am sitting at my computer listening to my kids play in the sunshine (Batman and Robin are chasing Green Goblin through my garden). The hum of lawn mowers provides a summery backdrop to the mayhem in my yard, and I have a sun-shiny, happy kids, beautiful day buzz.

This weather also puts me in the mood for fresh, healthy food. I hope you enjoy the menu this week - and don't forget to comprimise where necessary to make this menu friendly for your family. We must not forget the purpose of this blog - making life easier for us super-people.

Monday: Chicken and Asparagus Crepes (from foodnetwork.com)

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
• 2 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, dill, chives or mint)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 store-bought crepes (about 9 inches each)
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a large baking dish. Combine the chicken, ricotta, 1/2 cup parmesan, 3 tablespoons herbs, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Spoon about 1/4 cup filling across the lower half of each crepe; roll up to enclose the filling. Place the crepes, seam-side down, in the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake until the filling is hot, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook until it softens, about 1 minute. Add the asparagus and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth, lemon zest and the remaining 1 tablespoon herbs and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Divide the crepes among plates, top with the asparagus and sauce, and sprinkle with parmesan.

Tuesday: Broiled Salmon with a Creamy Dill Sause, served with Rice and Steamed Veggies
(from Janet and Greta Podleski, The Looneyspoons Collection)

Rice
6 boneless skinless salmon fillets (about 6oz each)
1/3 cup light sour cream
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh dill
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp each salt and fresh ground pepper
Vegtables (broccoil, carrott, sugar snap peas)

Prepare rice according to directions.

Chop vegtables and place steamer. Boil water and steam vegtablles. When cooked, sprinkle with salt and pepper and a dash of lemon juice.

Preheat broiler. Sprinkle salmon lightly on both sides with salt and pepper.

Place salmon on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray (such as Pam). Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat source for about 4 minutes per side, or until fish flakes easily but is still just slightly pink in the centrer.

While fish is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, whick together sour cream, maple syrup, mustard, lemon juice, dill, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Remove salmon from oven, drizzle with sauce. Serve immediatly.

Wednesday: Butternut Squash Soup with Pears and Ginger
2 tsp olive oil or butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash
2 cups peeled, chooped pears
1 cup peeled chopped carrots
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground fresh pepper
3/4 cup light sour cream

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook and stir until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add ginger, curry powder and ground cumin. Mix well and cook for 30 more seconds.

Add broth, squash, pears, carrots, salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until squash and carrots are tender. Stir occasionally.

Working in batches, carefully transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Soup will be very thick. Return soup to pot and stir in sour cream. Serve hot.

Thursday: Veggie Enchilada

Black Beans (1 Can, rinsed)
Salsa (1 bottle)
Frozen Corn (1/2 cup)
Avocado (2, chopped)
Flour Tortillas
Cheddar Cheese (1 Cup or to taste)
Sour Cream

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Combine black beans and salsa. Add frozen corn. Add chopped avocado. Wrap mixture in tortillas and place side by side in a baking dish. Spread grated cheese over top.

Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Serve with sour cream and additional salsa (if you have it.)

Friday: Spelt Pancakes with Sausage and Fruit Salad

Breakfast Sausage
Fruit Salad
Maple Syrup

Whole Spelt Flour (2 Cups) *you can get this in the health food section of your store, or at Bulk Barn.
Sugar (2 Tbsp)
Baking Powder (1 Tbsp)
Salt (3/4 Tsp)
Milk (1 3/4 Cups)
Unsalted Butter, melted (2 Tbsp)
Vanilla (2 Tsp)

Fry Sausage until cooked though. Set aside.

Melt Butter. Put all pancake ingredients in your blender and blitz. Heat non-stick frying pan or griddle, brush lightly with oil and ladle pancakes onto hot surface. When bubbles appear, flip. Serve with maple syrup, sausage and fruit salad.


(from Janet and Greta Podleski, The Looneyspoons Collection)

Shopping List May 28 - June 1

Produce
Fresh dill
crepes (prepared - in produce aisle)
shallot
asparagus
lemon (2) broccoli
carrot
sugar snap peas
onion
garlic
ginger
butternut squash
pears (2)
avocados (2)
fruit for salad

Bakery
Tortilla

Meat
Rotisserie Chicken
6 boneless skinless salmon fillets
Breakfast sausage

Dairy
unsalted butter
ricotta cheese
Parmesan
cheddar
milk
sour cream (large tub)

Pantry
kosher salt
fresh pepper
low-sodium chicken broth (3 containers)
100% pure maple syrup
Dijon mustard
rice
olive oil
curry powder
cumin
1 can black beans
1 bottle salsa
whole spelt flour
sugar
baking powder
vanilla

Frozen
Corn

May 21 - 25th Meal Plan and Shopping List

A stomach bug derailed my meal plan activities last week, but summer-like weather has inspired my menu for this week. This could be the easiest menu  I have ever done and has a nice balance of ready-made and from scratch ,as well as healthy and not-so healthy, but all very delicicous recipes.

Victoria Day Monday BBQ Party
A perfect day for a BBQ. I love the slider options at the grocery stores these days. Mini burgers and those cute little buns make great kid meals. My husband and I like them too. We look for the lower fat and sodium versions. We usually serve them with roasted potatoes and grilled corn on the cob which my 3 yo loves. We make it fun with pig and dog shaped corn holders that I bought last year. I usually fry onions and mushrooms to top the adult burgers too. This is an easy meal, very little clean up, and offers lots of choices. The main ingredients are burgers, buns, corn, little potatoes and your condiments. If you haven't grilled corn before, you can do it husk on or off. If the husk is on it will turn black and that is ok. If it is off, put the corn on the top rack. 15 minutes should do it either way. Here's a link to give you some detail.
If you google grilled corn on the cob you will find lots of options, even some delicious ones where you pull back the husk, put the butter in and fold the husk back up and wrap in foil. YUM.

Tuesday - Shrimp Saganaki
Here is an easy seafood recipe that we love. Although it seems strange to me, a lot of kids seem to like shrimp, so this is one you can adapt for your kids, or at least serve them the shrimp and crusty bread in a different way if you don't think they will go for the actual recipe.

Wednesday - Sneaky Pesto
I don't know how you feel about pesto two weeks in a row, but this recipe is slightly different and is a way to get greens into your kids if they will try it. I am hoping I can find good basil. I could eat pesto every second day so I am always looking for new ways to do it.
Thursday- Cobb Salad
This salad is known as an "American Classic" it could also be called 'Kitchen Sink Salad' there is something in it for everyone and it is a salad that eats like a meal. Read the ingredients and adjust for your family's tastes and what you can get at the grocery store. My husband loves this.
Friday - Wing Night!
Chicken Wings and Iceberg Lettuce Wedges with dressing of your choice
If you want to go with frozen wings, there are lots of options these days to suit all tastes and diets (except vegetarian of course!) You can also make your own. Here's a recipe if you choose that route, but for me? Frozen wings are easier especially on a Friday. I chose iceberg lettuce as the side because kids love it and it is about as easy a way to do a side salad as is possible. You can add raw carrots and celery to this to make it like a real wing night. We did this one night and it was fun to pretend we had out own wing restaurant. We had ranch, sour cream and blue cheese dips and the grown ups had beer. Extra Bacon from the Cobb Salad would go really well with the ice berg lettuce wedges... chop and sprinkle on top.

Shopping List
I did the shopping list by recipe so you can pick and choose which ones you want to make and mix and match with your own menu. If you like this format let us know.

BBQ Party:
Sliders
Buns
Corn on the Cob
Small potatoes
Condiments and toppings for burgers (your choice)

Saganaki
olive oil and canola oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 plum tomatoes (1 1/4 pounds), coarsely chopped
red pepper
1 1/2 pounds shelled and deveined large shrimp
pitted kalamata olives
fresh dill
Greek feta cheese, crumbled
Crusty bread

Pesto
linguine pasta
2 medium avocados
3 cups baby arugula leaves
basil leaves
lime juice (from 2 large limes)
garlic
Parmesan (4 ounces)
sliced almonds

Cobb Salad
bunch of watercress
fresh chives
head of boston lettuce
head of romaine
3 ripe avocados
small bunch of curly endive
tomato
2 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts (you could sub a precooked roast chicken)
olive oil
red-wine vinegar
grated roquefort (this is blue cheese, so switch it if your kids are not gourmands - I don't think mine would eat this!)
large egg
lean bacon
dijon-style mustard

Wing Night!
Frozen wings or chicken wings and your choice of sauce
Ice berg lettuce
Your choice of creamy dressing and or dip for the vegetables
Carrots
Celery
Beer :)



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Menu May 14 to 18

Happy Mother's Day! Hope all you Mom's get spoiled rotten out there. Perhaps someone is planning to cook for you on Sunday (fingers crossed!)

Hope you all enjoyed the veggie week Erika planned for us. It is great to get more veggies into our diets whenever we can and I love to learn to recipes to help do this. All that being said - meat is back this week. I have planned a night or two without meat I have to admit, but as per normal with my menus, meat plays a starring role most nights. I know in my heart of hearts I can never be a vegetarian. I love meat. Nothing better than a roast on a Sunday, a steak on the barbecue or the best burger in the world. Of course, we need to limit, so I do and enjoy a veggie meal done right (like they were last week.) But meat can never be gone forever for me. I am a neanderthal at heart.

Spring is here and I have tried to lighten up the menu this week as the sun shines longer and the warmth begins. Hope you enjoy.

Monday: Honey Mustard Chicken with Butter Bean, Tomato and Onion Salad
For the chicken:
8 chicken thighs
4 tbsp wholegrain mustard
4 tbsp clear honey
salt and ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the chicken in a single layer in a roasting pan.


Mix together the mustard and the honey, season with salt and ground black pepper to taste and brush the mixture all over the chicken thighs.

Cook for 25-30 minutes, brushing the chicken with the pan juices occasionally, until cooked through. (To check the chicken is cooked through, skewer it with a sharp knife; the juices should run clear.)

For the salad:
2 14oz cans lima beans, rinsed and drained
4 Plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 red onion, finely sliced
3 tbsp herb-infused olive oil
salt and ground black pepper

Mix together the beans, tomatoes and onion in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the oil.

Cover the bowl with cling film and chill for 20 minutes before serving.
* From Best Ever Three and Four Ingredient Cookbook by Jenny White and Joanna Farrow

Tuesday: Angel Hair Pasta with Roasted Bell Peppers and Basil Pesto
I like to serve this pasta with pan-fried scallops, however, if you are not into scallops, it is just as good without.

2 large red bell peppers
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 large orange bell pepper
1 1/2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz uncooked angel hair pasta (capelli d'angelo)
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Fresh ground black pepper

Preheat broiler. Halve red, yellow and orange peppers. Remove stems and seeds. Place peppers cut-side down on non-slick baking sheet. Broil until blistered and charred. Transfer to large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes. Peel off skins. Set 1 red pepper half aside. Cut remaining peppers into thin strips.

In food processor, puree reserved red pepper half, basil, olive oil, garlic and salt until smooth.

Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions until tender but firm. Drain and return to pot. Add pepper strips and basil puree. Toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
*From The Looneyspoons Collection by Janet and Greta Podleski


Wednesday: Grilled Chicken with Rice and Savory Summer Vegetables
4 boneless skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup sundried tomato and oregano dressing (divided)
1 zucchini cut into chunks
1 red pepper cut into chunks
1 cup chopped asparagus
1/2 red onion cut into chunks
Rice

Prepare rice according to package.

Preheat barbecue to medium-high heat. Brush the chicken with 2 tbsp of the dressing. Let stand 10 minutes.

Toss vegetables with remaining 2 tbsp of dressing. Place in grill basket (if you do not have a grill basket, you can get a disposable aluminum tray and poke holes in the bottom.)

Grill chicken until cooked through and vegetables are crisp tender, about 20 minutes.
*From What's Cooking Magazine

Thursday:Avocado Soup with Crusty Bread
Crusty Bread, sliced
2 large ripe avocados
1 1/4 cups sour cream
4 cups chicken stock
small bunch fresh cilantro (coriander)
1 lime
ground black pepper

Cut the avocados in half, remove the peel and lift out the stones. Chop the flesh coarsely and place in a food processor with 4 tbsp sour cream. Process until smooth.

Heat the chicken stock in a pan. When it is hot, but still below simmering point, stir in the rest of the sour cream.

Gradually stir the avocado mixture into the hot stock. Heat but do not let the mixture reach boiling point.

Cut lime in half. Squeeze generous amount into soup. Chop the cilantro. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle each portion with chopped cilantro and black pepper. Serve immediately with bread.
* From Best Ever Three and Four Ingredient Cookbook by Jenny White and Joanna Farrow


Friday: Chicken-Cheddar BBQ Burgers with Spicy Coleslaw and Fries
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp hot sauce (like Tabasco)
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 small red cabbage, halved, cored, then thinly sliced
1 red pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
2 lbs ground chicken
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/3 lb sharp cheddar cut into four inch dice
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Hamburger rolls
Frozen fries

Prepare frozen fries as described on package.

For the spicy coleslaw:
In a bowl combine the mayo, hot sauce, lime juice, parsley, cilantro, salt and pepper. Add the sliced cabbage red bell peppers and half the green onions, stir to coat and reserve the slaw for topping the burgers.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, bbq sauce, cheddar dice, reserved green onion, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Score the meat with your hand to mark fur equal portions. Form each portion into a 1 inch thick patty. Preheat non-stick skillet over medium heat. Drizzle olive oil over the patties and place them in skillet. Cook 5 to 6 minutes per side until patties are firm to the touch and cooked through.

While the burgers are cooking, toast the buns. Transfer the burgers to the bottoms of the buns, pile some coleslaw on top and the replace top of bun. Serve with fries.
* From 365: No Repeats by Rachel Ray

Shopping List May 14-18

Produce:
4 plum tomatoes
2 red onions
4 red peppers
1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
fresh basil
garlic
1 zucchini
1 bunch asparagus
2 large avocados
cilantro (coriander)
2 limes
1 bunch parsley
1 Small red cabbage
6 green onion

Bakery:
Crusty Bread
Large hamburger buns

Meat:
8 chicken thighs
1 package scallops (optional)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 lb ground chicken

Dairy:
Parmesan cheese
Sharp Cheddar cheese
Sour cream

Pantry:
Wholegrain mustard
Clear honey
Salt
Pepper
2 14oz cans Lima beans
herb-infused olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil
Angel hair pasta (capelli d'angelo)
Sundried tomato and oregano dressing
rice
Chicken stock (4 cups)
Mayonnaise
Hot sauce (like Tabasco)
BBQ sauce

Frozen:
Fries

Menu Plan May 7th-11th

I love to cook and I love to eat and I like to try new things, but I am not disciplined enough to follow to many food rules. I tend to like the grey area better than the black or the white (unless it is a turtleneck sweater, then I am all about the black). All this is to say that while I am pretty sure that I will never become a vegan, I do love good vegan and vegetarian food. One of my favourite restaurants in fact is The Sprout.

 

I appreciate the expertise of vegan cooks and their ability to bring so much flavour, diversity and fun to vegetables and to use so many ingredients that are so outside of my comfort zone like tofu, tempeh, TVP and their ability to turn chick peas into burgers. I also love how being a vegan or vegetarian seems to come with a talent for clever turn of phrase. Just check out the Sprout menu and you will see what I mean (see Give Peas a Chance Burger.)

 

Lately I have been watching a lot of TED Talks about food on Netflix. It's a great way to spend 20 minutes instead of channel surfing. The two that made the biggest impression lately are from two of my favourite food writers: Mark Bittman and Michael Pollan. Both were extolling the virtues of getting more plants into our diets, both for health and for the sake of the planet. Apparently raising livestock is one of the largest contributors to climate change!

 

Anyway, all this got me thinking and I bought a vegan cookbook this week. The recipes reminded me of The Sprout's and the pictures were gorgeous. It is called Refresh and is from the award-winning Fresh restaurants. Last week I tried the house salad dressing on a variation of their Mega Life Salad and it was truly the most awesome salad I have ever eaten. This week I am going to share a couple of the recipes with you... and a few other vegetarian dishes too. I hope you'll give this vegetarian week a try with me.
A final note, my approach to getting my kid to try new things is to make sure that I offer him what we are having, but put at least one thing on his plate that I know he will eat. If he is in a good mood he will try pretty much anything, but if he is tired he won't try anything new. I try not to sweat it and keep putting new things in front of him. A friend of mine lets her kid pick out a vegetable at the grocery store each week to add to stir fry, which she loves. They cut the vegetables large and the deal is she has to try it, but if she doesn't like it she can pick it all out. The big thing is no pressure.
The Shopping List is now posted below.

 

 

Monday ~ Mega Life Salad (sort of)

 

My variation on the Fresh Mega Life Salad and my son's favourite, Avocado Sandwiches (optional)
The original salad has marinated tofu and steamed spinach and a bunch of sprouts that St. John's grocery stores rarely carry and when they do they are often icky so I adapted this recipe to make it simpler and it uses easier to get ingredients.  This is a main course salad so assume 4 cups of greens per adult person. Judge for yourself how much your kids will eat.

 

I have added the avocado sandwich as an option for kids who turn up their nose at the salad. You will have to determine how much of each of the other ingredients to add based on the size of your family, but I would be generous as this is a truly delicious salad.
Dressing:
This was the killer dressing that really made this salad special and I will be using it A LOT.

 

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp tamari
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1 clove garlic
1 cup sunflower oil

 

(The original recipe calls for part flax oil, which I forgot to buy, but it was still fantastic with just sunflower oil.)

 

Mix all the ingredients in a blender except the oil and then add oil in a thin stream until emulsified. This will make a lot of dressing which is good because you will want more and can use it for side salads or lunches.

 

Salad:
Toss mixed lettuce greens with salad dressing.
Thinly slice English cucumber and lay on salad
Slice the avocado in thin wedges and place on salad
Put matchstick or grated carrots on top
Add grated raw beet
Garnish with a handful (or more) of sunflower seeds.

 

 

For the Avocado sandwich:
Your kid's favourite bread - toasted or not.
Avocado mashed with mayo and spread on the bread.
That is pretty much it.

 

Now, if you want to be sneaky you can use a food processor and put some peas or edamame or spinach into the avocado before spreading. Or, if your kid will eat other vegetables like lettuce and tomatoes you can really make this sandwich sing.

 

 

Tuesday - Simple Rice Bowl/ Green Goddess Combo

 

In the ReFresh cookbook they say kids love the Simple Rice Bowl, so what I have done is a combo version where you can serve your kids the simple version if you don't think they will give the green Goddess a try. You could try calling it Green Monster...:)

 

Basically these recipes start with the same base: Make the brown basmati rice and put it in bowls. Add a variety of toppings and sauces. Serve.

 

The Simple Rice Bowl is topped with 2 tbsp Tahini Sauce per bowl (Instructions below), and 2 tsp tamari per bowl , and grated or matchstick carrots, chopped parsley and a lemon wedge. You can determine the veg amounts yourself, but a quarter cup of carrots and 1/4 cup of parsley sounds about right to me. I'd consider adding corn or peas too if you think your kids might like it better that way.

 

The Green Goddess is topped with steamed broccoli florets, torn bok choy, torn green kale and torn swiss chard. You can also add toasted sunflower seeds, torn nori, and white pickled ginger like they serve with sushi. Nori is the seaweed that you see sushi wrapped in. Both are available at grocery stores these days. The Green Goddess uses the Tahini Sauce and also a Simple Sauce.
In some ways these recipes are a variation on stir fry, so you can treat it that way if you want or if you think you will have better success with your children that way.

 

Directions for Green Goddess:
Steam the broccoli and greens until tender. (1 head broccoli, 1 head bok choy, 1 head each of greens)
Put rice in rice bowl and drizzle 2 Tbsp Tahini Sauce on top and place nori on rice. (2 sheets of nori torn)
Arrange greens and broccoli around bowl
Sprinkle toasted sunflower seeds on top. (1/3 cup)
Drizzle 2 Tbsp Simple Sauce on top of vegetables.
Garnish with pickled ginger. Repeat for each serving.

 

 

For the two sauces:

 

Simple Sauce:

1. 1/2 cup tamari


2. 3 tbsp sesame oil


3. 1 1/2 inch ginger root


4. 4 tbsp lemon juice

Put in saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool.

 

Tahini Sauce

1. 2 cloves garlic minced


2. 1/2 cup parsley


3. 1/2 tsp salt


4. 2 tbsp lemon juice


5. 2/3 cup water


6. 1/2 cup tahini (sesame butter - available in health food section of Sobey's and Dominion - used in making hummous too!)  

Put first 4 ingredients in food processor and then add water and tahini until smooth.

 

 

Wednesday  - Gad zukes! Zucchini Latkes
Zucchini are a pretty innocuous and versatile vegetable. They have no strong flavour to turn kids off and they can be turned into boats and shredded and fried into a wicked little vegetarian alternative to a fish cake. Well, not really, fish cakes are awesome, but these little zucchini latkes are a savoury treat. Top with Greek Style Yogurt or sour cream or Serve with a side salad or if you want meat these can be served with sausage and or bacon and crusty bread. . Something about them makes me think brunch food. If you decide to try the boats recipe above or add bacon or sausage - you will have to add the ingredients to your shopping list.

 

The recipe is here

 

NOTE: Sub the Matzo meal with soda cracker crumbs if you can't find Matzo meal.

 

Thursday - Thai one on.

 Thai Style Vegetables and Tofu

You will want to modify this recipe if your kids are heat sensitive - this recipe has a jalepeno that I know my kid won't eat, but the noodles will make it more appealing to him. I haven't made this exact recipe before, but have made similar ones and I trust Food and Wine as a source, many of my go-to recipes come from this magazine.

 

 

Friday - Enchiladas!
Who doesn't love Mexican?
Vegetable Enchiladas from a reliable family recipe source, Martha Stewart.

 

 

May 7 Shopping list

Please be sure to read through the recipes first. There are some ideas for additions and substitutions that are not on this list. Also - you might want to double check the ingredients. I had a long day and not sure I can see straight :)

Shopping list:

Pantry items
olive oil
cumin
flour
tomato paste
vegetable broth
Coarse salt and ground pepper
vegetable oil
turmeric
soy sauce
cider vinegar
sugar
sea salt
pepper
mustard powder
garlic
sunflower oil
Tamari sauce (soy sauce section or sushi section)



Dairy / Deli
3 cups grated pepper Jack cheese (12 ounces)
Tofu (firm)
Sour cream or greek yogurt
eggs


Produce Fresh and Frozen
1 box (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 box (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed
6 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
onions
Avocado (4)
1 pound medium zucchini
potato (1 baking potato)
ginger
basil leaves
garlic
jalapeno (optional)
shitake mushrooms (if you can't find them use regular or portobello)
Broccoli
Bok Choy
Swiss Chard
parsley
Mixed Lettuce Greens
English Cucumber
beet
Kale
1 bunch whole carrots (for ease you can also buy a bag of precut matchstick carrots)
lime
lemons or lemon juice

Cans/bottles
1 bottle Tahini
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can plum tomatoes
2 cans unsweetened coconut milk
sesame oil


Dry Goods
16 corn tortillas (6-inch) ( i don't love corn tortillas so I am going to sub flour)
1/2 cup matzo meal (soda cracker crumbs can substitute
Nori (dry seaweed from sushi counter)
Sunflower seeds



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Menu April 30 to May 4

Sara here~ This week I have mixed up some new recipes with some favorites from weeks gone by. Remember to stick your pork in the marinade Monday night for a quick, yummy meal on Tuesday. I have also included a barbecue burger recipe on Friday because even if it snows here in Newfoundland, we can dream of summer with the smell of the grill. Happy eating!


Monday: Scramblewiches with Fruit Salad

Your favorite fruit for salad (get the kids to help you chop it up)

1 baguette (day-old is fine)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 lb deli-sliced ham
8 large eggs
A splash of milk
1 tsp hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices of provolone cheese, or 8 slices of cheddar
Chopped fresh chives (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Crisp the bread in the low oven, split it lengthwise, and hallow it out. Cut each bread in half again, across, making 4 boats. Switch the broiler on.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and melt it. When the bubbles stop, add the ham and cook, separating the pieces, for 3 minutes, or until brown at the edges. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Add to the meat and scramble, keeping the eggs a little soft. They will continue to cook in the oven.

Divide the eggs among the bread and cover with the cheese. Melt the cheese under the broiler. Take it out as soon as the cheese softens and melts. Do not brown or allow the cheese to bubble. Garnish with chives and serve with fruit salad.
*From Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats



Tuesday: Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Mash Sweet Potato (from key ingredients.com)

For pork:
¼ cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 Tablespoons red wine (I used Merlot)
1 teaspoon ginger
2 scallions, chopped thin
2-1lb pork tenderloins

Mix the first 8 ingredients together in a bowl. Pour over tenderloins in a Ziploc bag. Marinate 6-24 hours, I chose 24.

Place pork tenderloins in baking dish, pour marinade over them. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes uncovered. Until internal temp registers 145. Serve with marinade to dip.

Mashed Sweet Potato:
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup non-fat sour cream
2 Tbsp. butter
¼ tsp. kosher salt or Maldon sea salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. finely-chopped walnuts

Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook 10-15 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and place potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Mash with sour cream, butter, salt and cinnamon. Transfer to a serving dish. top with Brown sugar and walnuts.


Wednesday:: Mr. Bowjangles

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp each liquid honey and fresh lime juice
1 tbsp each olive oil, Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
8 oz uncooked whole-grain bow-tie pasta
3 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup chopped green onions

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, lime juice, olive oil, mustard, vinegar and garlic. Pour marinade over chicken cubes in a shallow, glass baking dish. Stir until all chicken pieces are coated with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Pour one cup of boiling water over sun-dried tomatoes and let soak for 15 minutes. Drain tomatoes and chop. Set aside.

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Add broccoli florets to pasta cooking water for last three minutes. Drain pasta and broccoli and return to pot. Keep warm.

Transfer chicken and marinade to a large, nonstick skillet. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Add pasta, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes and green onions. Mix well. Serve immediately.
* From The Looneyspoons Collection by Janet and Greta Podleski


Thursday: Asian Chicken Stir-fry

2 tbs shredded coconut

1/2 cup cashews (peanuts will work too)

1 onion cut in chunks

4 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 tsps chopped red chili (optional if you think your kids won't like it, but overall this is a sweet dish)

350 g chicken thighs, chopped (boneless / skinless)

1/2 red pepper chopped

1/2 green pepper chopped

2 tblsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar

2 cups fresh pineapple chopped

2 green onions chopped.

1 cup Basmati or other rice

Preheat the oven to 300F and toast the coconut on an oven tray for 10 min til golden.

Remove coconut from tray immediately to prevent burning. Increase heat to 350 and roast cashews for 15 min - remove from tray and set aside to cool.

Heat oil in deep frying pan or wok. add onion, garlic, chili and stir fry for 2 min on medium heat. Remove from pan. Add chicken and red and green pepper in two batches stir fry until chicken is light brown. Return onion mixture to wok. add oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and pineapple toss for 2 min. Toss cashews through. arrange on a platter and garnish with coconut and green onion. Serve with rice.

Friday: Stuffed Fiesta Burgers with Fries

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (37g) taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup herb and garlic spreadable cream cheese
1/3 cup tex mex cheese shreds
4 hamburger buns split and lightly toasted
1/2 cup of salsa
8 slices avocado
1 package of fries or sweet potato fries

Prepare fries according to package.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Mix meat and seasoning mix. Shape into 8 thin patties. Mix cream cheese and shredded cheese. Spoon about 2 tbsp onto center of each of 4 patties; top with second patty. Pinch edges of patties to seal.

Grill patties 7 to 9 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Cover bottom half of bun with patty. Top with salsa and avocado and top half of bun. Serve with fries.

Shopping List April 30 to May 4

Produce
Fruit for salad
Chives
Garlic
Ginger
Green Onion
Sweet Potatoes (3 large)
Lime (1)
Sun-dried tomatoes
Broccoli (1 head)
Onion (1)
Red Chili (1, optional)
red pepper
green pepper
fresh pineapple
avocado

Bakery
Baguette (1)
Hamburger Buns

Dairy
Unsalted Butter
Eggs
Milk
Provolone or Cheddar
Non-fat sour cream
Herb and garlic cream cheese spread
Tex Mex cheese shreds

Meat
Deli-sliced ham
2 pork tenderloins (usually there is 2 in one package)
Boneless, skinless chicken breast (4)
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (8)
Lean ground beef

Frozen
Fries

Pantry
Hot sauce
Salt (regular and kosher)
Pepper
Soy sauce
Honey
Brown sugar
Red wine
Cinnamon
Fine Chopped walnuts
Cashews
Olive oil
Dijon mustard
Balsamic vinegar
Whole grain bow tie pasta
Coconut (unsweetened)
Oyster sauce
Sugar
Rice
Taco seasoning (34g)
Salsa (I like fresh from fancy cheese and dips section).

Snack Attack

Sara here ~ When my kids get home from daycare they are starving. And that makes them cranky and whiny. Knowing that there is still at least a half hour to supper, I try to give them a snack. This often helps me enjoy my time with them after being away from them all day, and stops me from locking them all in the basement until supper is done.

However, the dilemma is always "what to give them for a snack." As I mentioned, supper is only a half hour away so I don't want them to fill up and not eat all these great meals we plan them. On the other side, I want to exorcise them of the hunger demons that have possessed their bodies. Plus I am harried and hurried and trying to prep the meal, so I don't want to spend 20 minutes getting a snack ready first.

I find that pre-planning snacks can be a good idea too. Have things ready in the cupboard or the fridge to offer them right away, and then get to work on the main meal. Cheese is a good option, as are berries, or other fruit. I also keep some nuts handy, as well as dried fruit. Just a glass of milk or juice can do the trick too.

 http://www.mealsmatter.org/CookingForFamily/Planning/Articles/Smart-snacking-Tips-for-children.aspx offers some great options for kids who need to snack.

Now - if I could only be so organized with my own snacks.

Menu for April 23 to April 27

Among all the other things I am trying to balance these days as a working mother, I am trying to make sure my meals are family–friendly as well as healthy and Weight Watchers-friendly. The easiest way to do this for me is to make them flexible and to add more vegetables, which is good for everyone. Mix and match meals are particular good for this, for example make-your-own pizzas, tacos and burgers. So this week’s menu will reflect my balancing act and may require you to customize your shopping list for your own kid’s tastes.

Monday: I like Monday to start out light, because I usually indulge a little on the weekend and try to get things back on track on Mondays. So today’s menu is a Panzanella or Bread Salad. For Weight Watchers you can use less bread. If you want some protein you could add chick peas, tuna, feta or parmesan cheese.

Tuesday: Chicken Stir Fry Wraps You may recognize this recipe from the facebook page, I posted it during the Easter week. This one is flexible too, reduce the heat, serve in a flour tortilla or over rice. There are lots of ways to make this one family-friendly.

Wednesday: Loony Spoons Veggie Chili
I love chili because it is versatile, healthy, and hearty with meat or without. You can almost add anything to chili which means you can pick and choose ingredients based on your families tastes and you can also add spice and heat in the form of hot sauces, peppers, and chilies after cooking it; so that means everyone can decide how hot they want their individual bowl. I like to top mine with a dollop of Greek Style yogurt, but you can top with chopped avocado, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese... you decide (and add it to your shopping list!)

Thursday: As usual, I include a pizza recipe in my weekly menu. If you experiment with the toppings pizza is never the same meal twice, so it isn't really something that I mind having weekly. You can use the Jamie Oliver dough I always use or ready made Naan Bread or frozen pizza dough options. This week I am going to top mine with bocconcini, tomato and basil. I might also add some prusciutto and olives. For my kid's version I will use regular old mozza, pizza sauce, and pepperoni. I will give him a piece of ours too, because you never know when he might be curious enough to give it a try! I always through a handful of mixed greens on my plates with the pizza and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic glaze or vinegar or lemon juice. I also use olive oil and balsamic glaze on this version of my pizza instead of a sauce. You can use my pizza ideas or make up your own, be sure to add your choices to your shopping list. Another pizza tip: The Olivieri brand Olive oil and garlic pesto is a great basic pizza sauce for all kinds of toppings. I often use it with roast vegetables.

Friday: Burgers 2 ways. Portobello Mushroom Burgers with Spicy Avocado
For me Fridays mean fun food, whether it is nachos, pizza, or burgers; it is a night to let go a little. This week I want to try a veggie burger. I have used meaty portobello mushrooms as a burger substitute before and liked them and I love avocado so I am excited about this recipe. While my kid likes avocado and burgers, I am pretty sure he won’t eat a mushroom burger, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try. I am going to offer him one of ours and make him a ‘normal’ burger too. You can choose to buy frozen ready made burgers or you can make your own with your preferred ground meat, just be sure to adjust the shopping list accordingly. Also make sure you have whatever toppings and condiments you like. I think I will get bacon for mine. A piece of bacon is less calories than a whole meat patty and bacon and avocado are a match made in the same food heaven as peanut butter and chocolate.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Shopping list April 23

Groceries

This week's list will require some input from you -

1. Add your pizza topping choices, sauce choice and pizza dough choice (frozen, naan, or homemade)
2. Add stir fry ingredients if you decide to do an alternate version of the recipe otherwise use the list below.
3. Add chili ingredients and toppings if you decide to change from the original recipe otherwise use the list below, add toppings or rice on the side if you wish
4. Add a hamburger option for your kid if you don't think they will try a veggie burger - don't forget toppings for them and buns too!

Pantry items you probably already have:
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
red-wine vinegar
chili powder
cumin
dried oregano and basil
cayenne
red-pepper flakes
soy sauce
cornstarch

List as per the recipes:

1 Loaf Country bread
4 hamburger rolls
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 large onion
fresh ginger
Boston lettuce (about 2 heads)
4 large beefsteak tomatoes or Plum tomatoes (4 cups worth)
1 ripe avocado
1 cucumber (I prefer English - about 2 cups)
2 packs fresh basil
1 red pepper
1 green peppers
celery
1 bunch carrots
garlic
1 1/2 cup mushrooms
1 cup zucchini
1(28oz) can tomatoes, undrained and cut
1(19oz) can black beans,drained and rinsed
1(19oz) can chickpeas,drained and rinsed
1(19oz) can kernel corn, undrained
4 large portobello mushrooms (or more 1 per burger)
spicy brown mustard
horseradish
rice vinegar
fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno chile (optional)

Additional options for my versions:
Bacon (for avocado burgers)
Greek style yogurt and cheddar cheese for chili topping
Bocconcini cheese, basil, balsamic glaze, and tomatoes for my pizza
pepperoni and mozza and canned pizza sauce for my kid-friendly pizza

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Menu April 16th to 20th

Monday: Lemon Pasta with Shrimp

1 package of whole grain spaghetti, cooked1 package of cooked frozen shrimp (about a cup and a half to 2 cups)
6 tbsp olive oil
2 cups sugar snap peas, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese

Prepare spaghetti as described on package. Set aside.Thaw Shrimp and peel (if necessary), set aside.

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan.Saute garlic for approximately 1 minute, add sugar snap peas and shrimp and Saute for approximately 1 more minute. Add spaghetti and toss.

Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice from both sides into pasta. toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.



Tuesday: Shortcut Thai Chicken with Rice

Prepare rice as described on package.

6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts or 12 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
Vegetable Oil
400ml can Coconut milk, not light
1/4 cup of peanut butter, preferably chunky
2 tbsp hot chili-garlic sauce
1/2 tsp salt4 green onions
Chopped coriander (optional)

Trim any fat from chicken. Lightly coat a large, non-stick frying pan with oil and set over medium-high heat. When hot, add half the chicken. Cook until golden-tinged, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove each piece as it is done to a large plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

While chicken is cooking, in a medium-size bowl, which coconut milk with peanut butter, chili-garlic sauce and salt until evenly mixed.

Return all of chicken to pan, then pour coconut mixture overtop. Bring to a boil stirring often. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring sauce and turning chicken occasionally, until chicken feels springy when pressed, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, thinly slice onions diagonally. When chicken is done, sprinkle with onions, then coriander. Serve over rice. Leftovers will keep up to 2 days.

*From Chatelaine Magazine

Wednesday: Creamy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 chopped celery

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp each dried thyme, dried tarragon and celery seed

2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegtable broth

1 cup peeled and diced potatoes

3 cups broccoli florets

1 cup 5% (light) cream

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

3/4 cups packed shredded old (sharp) cheddar cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Hot pepper sauce (optional) and salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery and garlic. Cook and stir until vegtables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, tarragon and celery seed. Cook 30 more seconds. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 5 more minutes. Add broccoli and simmer 5 to 7 minutes more until broccoli and potatoes are tender.

Carefully transfer soup to a blender or a food processor. Pulse on and off until soup is coarsely pureed (still slightly chunky). Return pureed soup to pot over low heat. Whisk together cream and flour until smooth. Add to soup. Increase heat to medium and cook until mixture is bubbly and has thickened, stirring constantly. Add both cheeses and pepper. Heat until cheeses are melted. Add a few shakes of hot pepper sauce (if desired) and a pinch of salt if necessary.

Thursday: Frittata with Sourdough Toast

1 loaf sourdough bread

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup diced red onions

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup each diced red pepper, thinly sliced zucchini and chopped mushrooms

1 tbsp of fresh minced oregano leaves, or 1 tsp dried.1 1/2 minced fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried

8 eggs, lightly beaten

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup of crumbled light feta, or goats milk cheese

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 10 inch, non-stick skillet. Add onions and garlic. Cook and stir until onions begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add red pepper, zucchini and mushrooms. Cook and stir until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes more. Stir in oregano and thyme. Cook for 30 more seconds.

Reduce heat to low. Pour eggs over vegetable, making sure the vegetables are evenly distributed in the skillet. Add salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese evenly over egg mixture.

Cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid and let cook until eggs are completely set, about 12 minutes. Slice into four portions and serve hot with toasted sourdough slices.

Friday: Lemon Chicken Pitas with Tzatziki, and Fries

1 bag frozen fries
1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp minced garlic
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
2 tsp olive oil
4 7-inch Greek-style pitas (soft with no pockets)
4 lettuce leaves
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup tzatziki (you can find this in the fresh dip section of the supermarket, and Costco has a really nice version as well)

Prepare fries according to package.

Combine lemon juice, oregano and garlic in a medium bowl. Add chicken strips and toss until well coated. Let stand 10 minutes.

Heat Olive oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring often, until no longer pink. Continue to cook until chicken is lightly browned.

Meanwhile, wrap pitas in foil and arm in a 350f degree oven for 8 minutes.

To assemble, place lettuce leaf and 1/4 chicken on one pita bread. Top with chopped tomatoes, onions and 3 tbsp of tzatziki. Fold pita over filling and serve immediately.
*From The Looneyspoons Collection

Shopping List April 16-20

Produce:
sugar snap peas
garlic
2 lemons
Green onion
red onion
Fresh corriander (optional)
onion
celery
garlic
2 medium potatoes
brocoli florets (enough for 3 cups)
1 red pepper
1 zucchini
1/2 cup muchrooms
fresh oregano (use dry if none there)
fresh thyme (use dry if non there)
romaine lettuce
2 tomatoes


Bakery:
1 loaf sourdough bread
7 inch Greek Style Pitas (soft, no pocket pitas)


Dairy:
Parmesan Cheese
Light Cream (5%)
small block old (sharp) cheddar cheese
dozen eggs
feta or goat cheese
tzatziki (in the fresh dip section near fancy cheeses)


Meat:
Cooked, frozen shrimp
10 boneless, skinless chicken breast (or 12 boneless, skinless thighs)


Pantry:
1 package whole grain spagetti
olive oil
vegetable oil
salt
pepper
rice
400ml can coconut milk (not light)
Chunky peanut butter
hot chili-garlic sauce
dried thyme
dried tarragon
celery seed
Box of low-sodium or vegetable broth
all purpose flour
hot pepper sauce (optional)
oregano


Frozen:
fries, sweet potato or regular

Enjoy Easter

Sara here~ Easter break is finally here. If you are like me you have a weekend of turkey and chocolate planned. And then leftovers for a bit (my favorite part!) So, I am pausing menu planning for this week so we can all clean up our leftovers. I will post menu and shopping list next week. Happy Easter!

April 2nd to 6th Menu

This week/s menu includes a way to use the homemade frozen pizza dough from previous week’s recipes even if you are sick of pizza. If you don’t have any you can make a new batch this weekend, find the recipe here.  A lot of these recipes are new or new variations for me. I chose them for their ease and because they looked yummy and potentially kid friendly.  You can make the won tons for the won ton soup on the weekend and freeze them for use later in the week if you like.

Monday
I have often used sausages for a quickie and pre-seasoned ground meat alternative. Sometimes I slice and fry up for use as a meat ball alternative for pasta, or sometimes I squeeze the sausage meat out and use as a ground beef substitute for a meat sauce. So this appealed to me as another way to use sausage meat to make supper-making faster!
Italian Sausage Burgers with Shoestring Zucchini fries


Tuesday
Stromboli – Like a sliced Calzone! When you see the picture of this one you will see why I chose it. It offers lots of potential for customizing to your families tastes.


Wednesday
Ratatouille - for grown-ups and make into a Panini with melted cheese for kids. This is a favourite of mine for health, versatility, and it is Weight Watchers friendly. This is not an authentic Ratatouille, but a quickie version. I suggest you plan to watch Ratatouille the film before or after having this meal and make it a whole theme night. If your kids reject the veggies outright, put them in a wrap or Panini bread with some melted mozzarella cheese. I like a little goat cheese with mine.

Thursday
Stir-fried turkey in lettuce wraps. This is a great way to reduce your carbs and maybe convince your kids to eat green stuff!


Friday
Won ton soup and Edamame. My 3 year old loves Edamame. It is so easy to cook in a pot or in the microwave that it is a go too healthy snack. part of the fun for him is that it is finger food and you can pop the peas out of the pod. A hot tip: When I make the won ton filling for these I fry it up in a frying pan to precook it, that way I know it is safe and cooked through when I heat up in the stock.
Won Ton Filling
Won Ton Soup
How to make a Won Ton




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Shopping List April 2 -6

Produce

10 ounces baby spinach

2 medium zucchini

1 onion

 2 heads of garlic

1 small bay leaf

1 small eggplant

1 red bell pepper,

4 plum tomatoes

1 large shallot,

2 large heads Bibb, Boston, or iceberg lettuce,

Napa or Savoy cabbage

fresh ginger

scallions (green onion)

1 small jalapeno or serrano chile (optional)

2-3 packs of  fresh basil leaves

Dairy, Deli and Meat

anchovy paste (optional) Find in dairy case in a box with a tube inside – it kinda looks like toothpaste.

1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausages (or a combination of both), casings removed

Mortadella – from my research this is like a fancy smoked bologna and has no appeal to me, so I will be substituting salami or prosciutto  

1 pound ground turkey (93 percent lean)

6 ounces ground pork, not all lean

provolone cheese

swiss or gruyere cheese (6 ounces) 

string cheese (4 ounces)

sun-dried-tomato pesto

Sauces and oils

extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

vegetable oil

toasted sesame oil

soy sauce

fish sauce

rice vinegar

Dry Goods

ciabatta rolls or hamburger buns

flour

sugar

pizza dough

Misc

green or black olives

tomato sauce

24 rectangular (3 1/2-by-3-inch) or square wonton wrappers

29 oz reduced-sodium chicken broth

Frozen Edamame in the pods (sometimes it’s in the health food frozen section)

Menu March 26-30

Sara Here - I have no excuse for being late today with the menu and shopping list. In fact, my three boys are visiting with their grandparents this weekend, so I am alone, in the peace and quiet. I think I am not so unaccustomed to it that when I sat with my morning coffee, I zoned out, and just realized I have been sitting that way for two hours. But I am back, so lets get on with the menu.....

Monday: Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Drumsticks with Green Bean Tomato Salad

For Chicken:
12 Skinless Chicken Drumsticks
1/4 Cup Liquid Honey
2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Grainy Dijon Mustard
1 Tsp minced Garlic
1 tsp dried Herbs de Province (in spice aisle)
1/4 Tsp each salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange drumsticks in pan in a single layer.

Whisk together remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Spoon sauce evenly over chicken. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and baste chicken with the sauce (tilting the pan to one side helps!) Return chicken to oven and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink in the centre.

Arrange chicken on a serving platter and spoon sauce over chicken. Serve hot.
*Recipe from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski

While Chicken is in last 10 minutes of baking, prepare Green Beans and Tomatoes:
3 Cups Trimmed Fresh Green Beans
2 Plum Tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
1/4 Cup Kraft Signature Sundried Tomato and Oregano Dressing
2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Basil (I have used a sprinkle of dry when I cant find fresh)

Place green beans, tomatoes and dressing in a microwaveable bowl. Cover.
Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes or until heated through, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir in basil. Serve.

Tuesday: Penne with Basil and Pine Nuts (I figure we still have ingredients and we have to buy basil, so I will slip this one in again for this week):

Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
1 lb Penne
1/3 Cup Pine Nuts
6 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Cup Bread Crumbs
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Cup Dry White Wine
1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated)
2/3 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, slivered

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.

Prepare the sauce. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, toast pine nuts, stirring often until fragrant and golden (about 2 minutes). Transfer to a small bowl. Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan, add the bread crumbs and toss until toasted and golden, 1-2 minutes. Add to the bowl with the pine nuts and stir to mix. Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the wine and the red pepper flakes, bring to a boil and simmer until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.

Add the hot pasta along with the remaining 4 tbsp of oil to the wine sauce on the pan and turn pasta to coat. Add the bread crumb mixture, the cheese, the basil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
From Simple Suppers by Williams-Sonoma

Wednesday: Ginger Chicken with Green Onions and Rice

1 1/2 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
3 Tbsp Peanut or Canola Oil
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
3 Tbsp Ginger, Minced
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tsp lemon Zest
4 Green Onions, Thinly Sliced
2/3 Cup Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp Asian Fish Sauce
2 Tbsp Fresh Mint, Chopped
Rice

Prepare Rice according to package.

Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. In a wok or a large frying pan over high heat, warm the oil. Add the chicken and stir-fry until golden and nearly cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, lemon juice, lemon zest and half the green onions and stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the broth and fish sauce to the pan. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until the chicken is opaque throughout and the sauce is slightly reduced, 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining green onions and mint and serve with rice.
*From Simple Suppers by Williams-Sonoma

Thursday: Herbed Turkey Meatballs With Mash Potato and Broccoli

6 Medium Potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 Tbsp unsalted Butter
4 Tbsp milk

1 Head Broccoli, Washed and Florets cut into bite size pieces

1Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup Yellow Onion, finely Chopped
1 Small Rib of Celery, Chopped
1 lb Ground Turkey
1 Cup Bread Crumbs
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Fresh Oregano (Use less if using dry)
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
2/3 Cup Orange Juice
1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
1 /4 Cup Sugar

Put Potatoes on oil.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. In a large frying pan, over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and the celery and saute until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Spoon into a bowl and let cool, and set the frying pan aside. Add the turkey, bread crumbs, egg, oregano and a 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper to the cooled onion mixture. Mix gently and thoroughly with hands. Shape mixture into 12 meatballs and arrange on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the meatballs until opaque throughout, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the orange juice, cranberries and sugar in the frying pan and place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until the juice comes to a boil and the cranberries begin to pop, 2-3 minutes.

Peirce potato with fork. When tender, drain. Add 1 Tbsp of butter and 4 Tbsp milk. Mash. Add salt to taste.

Steam broccoli until tender-crisp.

Serve together with Cranberry sauce on top of meatballs.
*Meatball Recipe from Simple Suppers by Williams-Sonoma

Friday: Double Cheeseburgers with Sweet Potato Fries

1 Bag Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
1 lb Ground Beef
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tsp chili-garlic sauce
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan
1/2 Cup of grated cheddar, or feta, or thin slices of brie.
4 Hamburger buns
Burger Toppings as you like.

Prepare sweet potato fries as recommended on package.

Crumble meat into a bowl. Add Worcestershire sauce, chili-garlic sauce, salt and Parmesan cheese. Using your hands gently mix together and pat into 8 think patties. Scatter cheddar (or other cheese) over 4 patties, top with remaining patties and press together to seal. Gently pat down burgers, and to prevent puffing int he middle, use thumb to make a shallow depression in the middle of each. Heat pan with oil and cook evenly, about 7b minutes on each side.

Top how you like it, serve with fries.
*Burger recipe from Chatelaine Magazine