Meal Plan – February 8th – Febuary 14th

• Friday: Family Dinner Out – North Star American Bistro – This is a restaurant I actually forgot about, but we ended up at due to their not having a wait on a Friday night when we’d already stopped at 2 other restaurants with hour+ long waits. I started with the Chestnut Manhattan, which I was looking forward to having again immediately after my first sip. Not surprisingly, we ordered calamari, which was very good. I loved my entrée of short ribs, cheesy mashed potatoes, and sautéed spinach. Unfortunately, Jim did not care for his entrée of bourbon salmon. His disappointment was slightly forgotten when he dug into a slice of turtle cheesecake garnished with candied nuts. So, so good.

• Saturday: Caesar Salads, Antipasti, and Bolognese Sauce over Tagliatelle – Great recipe, didn’t change a thing. The best part is that it’s a large batch and freezes very well for a quick weeknight meal.

• Sunday: Buttermilk Roast Chicken, Green Beans, Corn, and Mashed Potatoes – I LOVE this recipe. I don’t change much, except for upping the spices, and adding a bit of tabasco to the marinade. Another step I take is to drain and dry the chicken before roasting. I just use paper towels to sop up as much of the marinade as possible. The first time I made this, I didn’t do that, and the chicken was delicious, but soggy. When you dry before drizzling with oil and roasting, it gives the skill more of an opportunity to crisp up. And really, let’s be honest, isn’t crispy skin the best part of roasted chicken???

• Monday: Errands & Dinner Out – Chili’s – For as much as I don’t care for chain restaurants, there are a few that are “worthy” of our time and money. Chili’s is one of those on our list. I used to get the chicken tacos, and I’m still a little annoyed that they took those off of the menu. Scratch that, I’m a lot annoyed. They were good. Really good. Whatever, I’ll try to move on … try. My new go-to are chicken fajitas, Cadillac style. They’re always good, and they ensure lunch is also covered for the next day or two.

• Tuesday: Pizza and Salad – We had Carter’s 4K registration and tour, and didn’t get home until almost 8:00 p.m. Thank goodness for frozen pizzas from Costco. Did you know I love Costco?

• Wednesday: Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef over Rice with Asian Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms – This was good. Like, Jim asked if it was from a bag good. I should be insulted by that, but I know him well enough to know he meant no harm. I did add some Sriracha, which I will definitely do next time as well.

• Thursday: Alfredo Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Mushrooms and Steamed Broccoli – I just wasn’t feeling like actually cooking, so Carter and I picked up some sauce from the grocery and I tossed with sausage, mushrooms, and pasta we already had on hand. It was really a Valentine’s present to myself.

Sesame Noodle Salad

I’ve been flirting lately. Yes, and as you’ve probably guessed, Jim isn’t too happy about it. I think he’d like me to stop, but I know it’s a great thing for everyone involved, so I really don’t plan to quit anytime soon. Oh, maybe I should clarify: I’ve been flirting with vegetarianism. Now, now, don’t get too worried. I have no plan to stop cooking and posting about chicken wings, burgers, steaks, and shrimp po’ boys ANY time soon, but I do think limiting them, while adding in a wider variety of vegetables, is a benefit to our family on many levels, most notably cost and health.

First off, unless you’ve hid yourself in bomb shelter nestled cozily under a rock, you are aware that we’re in a down economy that’s being compounded my an even worse housing market, our condo has been on the market for 2 years!, and events over the world that are resulting in increased costs for food and gas, and, unfortunately, those items also effect one another. By skipping meat in some of our meals, like this egg bake, or making some dinners “meat light” like this pasta I posted recently that has bacon in it, but it isn’t all about the bacon, much to Jim’s chagrin. I would rather we skip, or limit, meat 2 or 3 nights a week and eat high quality animal proteins the other nights, than buy and cook lower quality cuts each and every night.

My desire to serve the highest quality of proteins that I can also feeds, pun intended, into the focus on health I noted above. While I realize that there are mixed messages and studies out there, don’t even get me started on HFCS, we can’t deny that a product from an animal that has been raised humanely and on high-quality feed is going to benefit both your physical and mental health. Hey, I’ll still eat steak, but I’d like to think that that cow had a nice little cow life playing with its cow friends on the farm before becoming my dinner, you know? I strive to buy meats and seafood that are fed a more natural diet and free of added antibiotics and hormones, if not fully organic, but admit that, due to cost, it’s sometimes difficult to do so. (Are you seeing the cycle?) Again though, my answer is not to remove meat products entirely from our weekly menus, but to limit them by the mantra: “everything in moderation”.

That long winded diatribe brings me to today’s post, which, incidentally, I served alongside some delicious organic salmon. I found this recipe on Annie’s Eats, a blog you’ll see I reference quite often, and know I’m not alone, as Annie was recently featured as one of Babble’s
Top 100 Food Mom Blogs for 2011. Way to go Annie! I didn’t make any changes to the dish you see below, with the exception of the noodles used. I’m looking forward to trying it with the Soba noodles feature next time around, but the store I stopped at on Sunday didn’t have them in stock (FAIL!), so I substituted the Somen noodles I already had in the pantry. The original recipe suggests whole wheat pasta as a good substitute too if you’re having trouble finding the Soba as well. We had this for dinner last night, but I enjoyed it even more for lunch today, as the flavors had time to develop, so I think it would be a great addition to a potluck or summer picnic, as it can be served cold or at room temperature.

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• ½ cup Soy Sauce, reduced sodium
  
• 2 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
  
• 2 Tbsp Canola Oil
  
• 2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
  
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced, pressed, or zested
  
• 3 Green Onions, thinly sliced
  
• ¼ cup Cilantro, chopped
  

Salad:

• 1 lb. Soba Noodles, or whole wheat pasta
  
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced
  
• 1 cup Red Cabbage, shredded
  
• 2 Carrots, peeled and shredded
  
• 1½ cups Edemame, shelled and cooked
  
• Toasted sesame seeds, for serving (I used black)
  

Directions:

Dressing:

1. Combine the soy sauce, sesame and canola oils, vinegar, garlic, green onions and cilantro in a small bowl. Whisk well to blend.
   

Salad:

1. Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions. Drain well and rinse with cold water.
   
2. Transfer the noodles to a large mixing bowl with the vegetables. Pour the dressing over the top and toss well so the noodles and vegetables are well coated with the dressing.
   
3. Serve cold or at room temperature and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

Kung Pao Chicken

Who doesn’t love Chinese take-out? If you don’t, you should try it again, because it’s good, real good. Here’s the problem though: It’s not always that healthy. I mean, what I love about it, is what makes my pants tighter than I would like. So, I love when I can find Chinese recipes that are so tasty that I don’t wish I would have just caved and called Emperor’s Kitchen, our favorite local place.

This recipe from Elizabeth’s Edibles, is a great adaptation of a Cooking Light recipe that I’m very glad I found. It combines lean, juicy chicken pieces, with crunchy veggies, and a slightly spicy savory sauce. I would suggest serving over rice, as it soaks up a ton of flavor, but pasta would be good if that’s what you have.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Dark Sesame oil
  
• 1 cup Onion, chopped
  
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  
• 1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts, trimmed of fat and cut into 1″ pieces
  
• 3/4 cup Water
  
• 3 Tbsp Lower-Sodium Soy Sauce
  
• 2 tsp Cornstarch
  
• 1 tsp Brown Sugar
  
• ½ tsp Ginger, fresh, minced
  
• 1 ½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper
  
• 1 cup Red Bell Pepper, sliced thinly
  
• 1 cup Snow Peas, trimmed
  
• 2 Tbsp Unsalted, Dry-Roasted Peanuts, chopped
  

Directions:

1. Heat sesame oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Being careful not to let it burn. Add chicken; sauté 3 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.
   
2. Combine ¾ cup water and the next 5 ingredients (through crushed red pepper) in a liquid measuring cup, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Add water mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Add bell pepper and snow peas to pan; cook for 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and sauce thickens. Sprinkle with nuts.
   
3. Serve over brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

Spicy Asian Chicken Ramen

People seem to have a misconception that I require every meal I make to have 10,000 ingredients and steps and be super fancified all of the time. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m like any other working mom who gets overwhelmed and stressed out, and needs more than a few quick and tasty recipes in their repertoire. This recipe from What’s Cookin, Chicago?, is one of those recipes and I can guarantee it will make a repeat performance.

First off, you’ll usually have all of the ingredients in your pantry, and, if you have to go out and buy one of the ingredients, like the mirin, it will last and last until you make the next batch, and the next, and the next. Next, could ramen noodles be any cheaper? What are they up to now, like $0.38 a pack? Yeah, I think, even in a recession, we can all afford that. Finally, you can adjust the ingredients to your dietary needs, and it will be just as delicious. Worried about the spice? Cut down the Sriracha, or even leave it out. Don’t eat meat? Use vegetable stock and omit the chicken. Heck, maybe even throw in some thinly sliced mushrooms. The point is, this recipe is a great go-to for a quick weeknight meal, maybe with a side of edamame and sushi, or a super jumping off point to create your own deliciousness in a bowl.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups Chicken Broth, low sodium
  
• 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  
• 2 Tbsp Mirin
  
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated
  
• 1 Tbsp Sriracha, Asian chili garlic sauce (or to taste depending on your preferred spice/heat level)
  
• 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, sliced thinly and cut into bite-sized pieces
  
• 2, 3 oz., Packages of Ramen Noodles
  
• ½ Red Bell Pepper, julienned and cut into 1″ pieces
  
• 4 Scallions, sliced thinly on the bias
  
• ¼ cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves, minced
  
• 4 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
  
• Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes for Garnish (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Bring broth, soy sauce, mirin, ginger, and chili garlic sauce (if using) to a boil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the cut up chicken breasts to the pot and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
   
2. Open the packages of ramen noodles and discard the seasoning packet included. Place the dried ramen noodles into the broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re just about cooked, about 3 minutes.
   
3. Stir in the scallions and cilantro and serve in bowls. Garnish each bowl additional fresh cilantro leaves and a drizzle of 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil. If you like things on the spicy side, sprinkle a few red pepper flakes for garnish too!

Pomegranate-Glazed Salmon

We were surprisingly gifted a filet of salmon, so I needed to find a delicious and quick week-night worthy recipe for it. I shouldn’t be surprised that my search brought me to The Way the Cookie Crumbles and Bridget’s recipe for this great dish. Not only was it a great way to enjoy our newly acquired fish, it was also an opportunity to use my find of Tabasco Brand Soy Sauce. The mix of sweet and heat was a perfect complement to the fish. I highly recommend giving this a try soon.

Ingredients:

Marinade:

• 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  
• 1 Tbsp Agave Nectar
  
• 2 Garlic cloves, smashed
  
• 2 tsp Ginger, finely grated
  
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
  
• 1 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  
• ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  
• ½ tsp White Pepper, freshly ground
  
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
  

Glaze:

• 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  
• 1 Tbsp Agave Nectar
  
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
  
• 1 tsp Ginger, finely grated
  
• 1 tsp Lemon Zest, finely grated
  
• ½ cup Pomegranate Juice
  
• Salt
  

Directions:

1. Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large, shallow dish. Add the salmon fillets and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, turning a few times.
   
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix all of the glaze ingredients except the pomegranate juice. In a small saucepan, simmer the juice over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Stir into the other glaze ingredients.
   
3. Adjust an oven rack to 4 inches below the broiler; heat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil; arrange the salmon fillets, skin side down, on the prepared pan. Season with salt and brush with half of the glaze. Broil for about 3 minutes, until the fillets begin to brown. Brush the fillets with the remaining glaze and broil for about 3 minutes longer, until richly glazed and the fish is just cooked through. Serve immediately.

Sesame Chicken with Snow Peas

I’m down to 2 magazines, Bon Appétit and Food Network. This is big. I was recently subscribing to 5, but I cancelled InStyle, Clean Eating and Real Simple. There wasn’t anything wrong with those magazines; I just looked around one day and realized I was drowning in stacks and stacks of issues from previous months. It was more business than pleasure.

This recipe is from the latest issue of Food Network Magazine. We loved it. It was savory, spicy, sweet (hey, that reminds me of a blog I know …) Anyways, we really enjoyed it, and I particularly enjoyed that the chicken had a ton of flavor without a lot of extra fat or calories from breading and frying before tossing the chicken with the sauce.

Oh, by the way, in the spirit of full disclosure, I get Martha Stewart Living too, but I don’t pay for it, so it doesn’t count. Not that I steal it from the neighbor or anything, it was a promotional subscription.

Ingredients:

• 5 Tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
  
• 4 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
  
• 2 tsp Honey
  
• 1 ¼ pounds skinless, boneless Chicken Breasts, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
  
• 6 tsp Canola Oil
  
• 2 Scallions, thinly sliced
  
• 1 Tbsp Ginger, grated
  
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  
• 1 ¼ cups Chicken Broth
  
• 3 Tbsp Sugar
  
• 4 tsp Cornstarch
  
• 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
  
• 1 tsp Chile Paste
  
• 4 cups Snow Peas, trimmed
  
• 2 cups Cooked Brown Rice, for serving (optional)
  
• 2 Tbsp toasted Sesame Seeds
  

Directions:

1. Whisk 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil and the honey in a bowl. Toss in the chicken and marinate 20 minutes.
   
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade using a slotted spoon. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in 2 batches; turning once or twice, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes (add 2 more teaspoons canola oil between batches). Transfer the chicken to a plate and wipe out the skillet.
   
3. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons canola oil in the skillet. Add the scallions, reserving some of the green parts for topping. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk the broth, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, chili paste and the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a bowl; add to the skillet and cook, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil.
   
4. Meanwhile, cook the snow peas in a steamer basket set over a few inches of boiling water until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
   
5. Return the chicken to the skillet with the sauce and heat through. Serve the chicken and snow peas over brown rice, if desired. Top with the sesame seeds and reserved scallion greens.
   

 

Servings – 4

WW Points – 9 pts per serving

Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze

This recipe is originally from the April 2010 issue of Bon Appétit magazine. It was written to include a light vegetable sauté of snap peas and pea shoots, but since I couldn’t find the pea shoots, we enjoyed this with only the sauce. It was amazing. I highly recommend it, and think the glaze would also work very well on shrimp, chicken, and maybe even pork. Be careful though, it did pack more of a kick than I was expecting, we weren’t disappointed, just surprised.

Instructions:

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  
• 1/4 cup Asian sweet chili sauce*
  
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
  
• 2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger, divided
  
• 6 6-ounce salmon fillets with skin
  

 

Directions:

1. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Coat with nonstick spray.
   
2. Whisk chili sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon ginger in small bowl. Place salmon fillets, skin side down, on prepared sheet. Spoon chili sauce marinade over and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
   
3. Preheat broiler. Spoon any marinade remaining on baking sheet over salmon fillets. Broil salmon without turning until browned in spots and almost opaque in center, 6 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness of fillet.
   

 

Servings – 6

WW Points – 6 pts per serving