New Year Week Menu

As with most people I find myself inspired to eating healthier, becoming more active and shedding a few pounds.  I found over the last 2 months, that not preparing even the simplest of meal plans, that my family was eating more take out, I was making more trips to the grocery store and overall our diets were less nutritious.  Even if you don't plan elaborate recipes for dinners, just having an outline of what you will be cooking for the week is a lifesaver.  It eliminates numerous grocery store trips and decreases the easy excuse for take out.  With a New Year, I am striving to continue to blog my meal planning each week.  Which should allow me to follow my plans for a healthier and leaner family.

Wednesday, January 2-  I will be preparing my Grandmother's Barley Soup, but using the leftover turkey from New Years.

Barley Soup

1/2-3/4 cup Barley
Lamb Shank with bone (can use other meat too)
Water (vegetable broth etc can be used as will- but reduce salt)
Celery
Carrots
Green Beans
Corn
Onion
Broth Dry Seasoning Mix
Salt and Pepper

1.  Place lamb shank in pot and cover with water.  Cook down.
2. Meanwhile cut/dice vegetables.
3. Using some of the liquid from the lamb pot, add to large soup pot along with veggies, barley and meat. (liquid should be enough to completely cover contents)
4. Add dry seasoning mix and salt and pepper.
5. Bring to boil, then simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  (when reheating add more liquid to desired thickness)

Thursday, January 3- With the kids back at school and life back on schedules, I am going with a crock meal for dinner tonight.  I don't care for brown rice so I will be using white (I know not as healthy).  I am not sure if I will make the turkey sausage or actually use some Italian sausage instead.

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

Serving Size: 1 cup | Calories: 170 | Previous Points: 3 | Points Plus: 4 | Total Fat: 3 g | Saturated Fats: 2 g | Trans Fats: 0 g | Cholesterol: 20 mg | Sodium: 150 mg | Carbohydrates: 22 g | Dietary fiber: 16 g | Sugars: 1 g | Protein: 18 g

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 3/4 chopped red bell pepper
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher or sea salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons freshly snipped thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2(15 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans
• 3 cups chicken broth (low sodium, fat free)
• SAUSAGE INGREDIENTS:
• 1 lb lean ground turkey or chicken, 93% works well
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cups uncooked long grain brown rice

Place all the above sausage ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly until well blended. Make into small meatballs, about 1/2". Refrigerate while veggies are cooking.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil to medium-low, add onions, bell pepper and celery, sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté one additional minute. Add sautéed onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic and remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, stir to combine. Add sausage and stir gently, cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Recommend 4-6 quart slow cooker.

Cook rice according to the directions on package.

Remove the bay leaf and serve beans over a bed of brown rice.
Friday, January 4-  Between extracurricular events and a special dinner treat for one of my children, dinner is crazy tonight and there is no home cooking.


Saturday, January 5-  I am thinking of roasting a chicken for dinner tonight.  Weekends allow for more time consuming meals.  I again found a recipe to use with my leftover mashed potatoes from skinnytaste.com

Leftover Parmesan Mashed Potato Patties

Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4 • Size: 2 patties • Old Points: 3 pt • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 147.1 • Fat: 3.9 g • Carbs: 20.5 • Fiber: 1.8 • Protein: 8.7 g • Sugar: 1.3
Sodium: 232.8 mg (without salt)

• 2 2/3 cups cold leftover skinny garlic mashed potatoes
• 2 large egg whites or 1/4 cup egg beaters
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• cooking spray (I used Smart Balance)

Preheat the oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Fill a small bowl with egg whites, whisking well. Fill another bowl with the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, mix to combine.

Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, form potatoes into 8 patties. Brush patties with egg whites (or you can use your hands to spread egg on), then dip into breadcrumb mixture. Place patties onto the baking sheet and spray the top with more cooking spray.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the bottom becomes golden brown; flip and cook an additional 10-12 minutes, until golden on both sides.Sunday, January 6- Another recipe I found on skinnytaste.com will comprise dinner tonight.  This was served with crumbled chicken sausage.  I am not sure what meat I will add to my dish.  
Pasta with Spicy Sausage, Baby Spinach and Creamy Butternut Sauce
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 5 • Size: 1 1/4 cups • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 9
Calories: 362 • Fat: 8 g • Carb: 55 g • Fiber: 5 g • Protein: 20 g • Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 419 mg (without salt)

• 11 oz (4 links) spicy chicken Italian sausage
• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp light butter
• 10 oz casarecce, or pasta of your choice 
• 1/4 cup shallots, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh shaved parmesan cheese
• 4 sage leaves, sliced thin
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft. (I will roast my squash, which is much easier)  Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth.

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserving at least 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, sauté sausage over medium heat until browned, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks. When cooked through, set aside on a plate.

Reduce heat to medium-low and melt the butter, sauté the shallots and garlic until soft and golden, about 5 - 6 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash, season with with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add a little of the reserved pasta water (about 1 cup) to thin out the sauce to your liking. Add baby spinach and stir in parmesan cheese and sage. Toss in cooked pasta and sausage and mix until well coated.

Monday, January 7- I found this recipe on skinnytaste.com for tonight's meal.  I will serve it over white rice. 
Shrimp Creole
Adapted from Deep South Dish
Gina's Skinny Recipes
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1/4th • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 211.9 • Fat: 4.6 g • Carb: 17.6 g • Fiber: 4.2 g • Sugar: 7.8 g • Protein: 25.8 g

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp Cajun Seasoning such as Slap Your Mama (more or less to taste)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp of all purpose flour (1 tsp corn starch for gluten-free)
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 lb of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp hot sauce, to taste
• 1 medium scallion, sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• salt to taste

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, green bell pepper, garlic and celery and saute until tender. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, cayenne pepper, cajun spice, bay leaf and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer 20-30 minutes.

Make a slurry of the flour and water and stir into the tomato mixture. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Lightly season the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning and add immediately to the tomato mixture. Add Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce; stir together. Cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until shrimp is opaque and cooked through, adjust salt if needed.

Add chopped green onion and parsley and serve. 

 

Tuesday, January 8-  Most likely this will be leftover night.  However, if that doesn't happen I will probably make my last minute go to meal, of chicken fajitas.

March 1- March 7

Tuesday, March 1-  Since my older daughter has a haircut scheduled right near dinner, I am opting for a simple meal.  I plan on taking chicken breasts season with basil, oregano and rosemary.  Place in my Pampered Chef Covered Baker and pour Italian dressing over the breasts.  Microwave for about 6-8 minutes or until done (3 oz. WW Pts: 3).  I will serve them over rice (WW Pts: 4) and carrots ( 1cup WW: 1).  The whole meal is 8 WW pts. per serving.

Wednesday, March 2- Tonight's meal I found on Cooking Light's website, Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi which is 8 WW Points.

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup orzo mixture and about 7 shrimp) WW Pts: 8

* 1 cup uncooked orzo
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
* 7 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
* 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
* 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Place orzo in a medium bowl. Stir in parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover and keep warm.

2. While orzo cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add half of shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan. Add remaining shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer to plate.

3. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in shrimp, juice, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.
Nutritional Information

Calories: 403 Fat: 10.4g (sat 4.8g,mono 2.2g,poly 1.4g) Protein: 40.1g Carbohydrate: 1.7g 34.7g Fiber: Cholesterol: 276mg Iron: 4.3mg Sodium: 549mg Calcium: 97mg

David Bonom, Cooking Light, MARCH 2009

Thursday, March 3- Also found in my recent issue of BHG was a reader's winning recipe of Mexican Mac and Cheese.  I will be tweaking the recipe to include chopped jalapeno into the casserole.  I will also be halving the recipe for my family.  WW Pts: 9

Mexican Mac N Cheese (from BHG)

• 12  oz.  dried mostaccioli or rigatoni pasta (3 cups)
• 1  lb.  bulk pork sausage
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  16-oz. jar  green medium-hot salsa
• 2  8-oz. pkg.  shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 cups)
• Tomato wedges, sliced jalapeño peppers, and chopped fresh cilantro
•  Salsa (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 3-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in large skillet cook sausage and onion until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain fat, Return sausage and onion to skillet. Stir in green salsa (and I am adding chopped jalapeno).
3. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Top with tomato, jalapeño, and cilantro. If desired, serve with additional salsa. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories378,Total Fat (g)22, Saturated Fat (g)11, Monounsaturated Fat (g)8, Polyunsaturated Fat (g)2, Cholesterol (mg)61, Sodium (mg)474, Carbohydrate (g)25, Total Sugar (g)4, Fiber (g)1, Protein (g)19, Vitamin C (DV%)6, Calcium (DV%)30, Iron (DV%)11, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Friday, March 4- Date night!!  No cooking for me other than throwing together something for the kids.

Saturday, March 5- Grilled Steak (WW Pts: 2.5 for 2 oz lean) with Baked Sweet Potatoes with Ginger and Honey (WW Pts: 3) and a mixed green salad with a vinaigrette dressing.   The whole meal is 5.5 WW per serving.  I found the initial recipe on allrecipes.com but added a few of my modifications as follows and I will halve the recipe.

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Ginger and Honey WW Pts: 3

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons walnut oil (regular or light olive oil can be substituted)
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, toss together the sweet potatoes, honey, ginger, walnut oil, spices, and pepper. Transfer to a large cast iron frying pan.
3. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Stir the potatoes to expose the pieces from the bottom of the pan. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and caramelized on the outside.  Yields 12 servings

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 162 | Total Fat: 2.3g | Cholesterol: 0mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Nutritional Information

Calories: 162 Total Fat: 2.3g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 63mg Total Carbs: 34.9g Dietary Fiber: 3.5g Protein: 1.9g

Sunday, March 6-  I just received my latest edition of BHG magazine and came across tonight's recipe of Pasta, Red Bean and Parsley Toss. I may add some meat to this meal, not sure yet. WW Pts: 8

Pasta, Red Bean Parsley Toss WW Pts: 8

* 8 oz. dried medium shell pasta or desired pasta
* 3 cups broccoli florets
* 1 Tbsp olive oil
* 1-1/2 cups chopped onion
* 1 15-oz. can red beans, drained, reserving 1/4 cup of liquid
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1-1/2 tsp. chili powder
* 1/2 cup finely shredded pecorino or Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 cup snipped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions, adding broccoli the last 3 minutes; drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook about 5 minutes more or until onion is tender.

3. Increase heat to high; add pasta, broccoli, beans, chicken broth, reserved bean liquid, and chili powder to pan. Cook over high heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cheese and parsley. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Makes 4 servings.

4. Serve pasta with grated hard cooked egg. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 422,Total Fat (g)8, Saturated Fat (g)3,Monounsaturated Fat (g)4,Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1,Cholesterol (mg)11, Sodium (mg)796,Carbohydrate (g)70,Total Sugar (g)7,Fiber (g)11, Protein (g)19,Vitamin C (DV%)1.2, Calcium (DV%)20, Iron (DV%)24, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Monday, March 7-  I found an interesting chicken dish on allrecipes.com, Raspberry Glazed Rosemary Chicken, WW Points: 5 for each breast.  I will serve the chicken along with a side salad and roasted garlic red potatoes (WW Pts: 3).  Whole meal per serving is 8 WW Points.

Raspberry Glazed Rosemary Chicken WW Pts: 5

• 1 tablespoon crushed rosemary
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth
• 1 cup raspberry preserves
• 1/2 teaspoon honey mustard
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, stir together crushed rosemary, sage, and oregano.
3. Rub one side of each chicken breast with herb mixture. Place chicken herb-side up in a baking dish, and pour broth over the chicken.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
5. Place raspberry preserves in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat for 20 to 30 seconds to soften. Stir in honey mustard and rosemary.
6. Spread about 1 tablespoon of preserve mixture over each breast. Bake 10 minutes more.

Calories: 240 Total Fat: 1.6g Cholesterol: 68mg Sodium: 92mg Total Carbs: 28.1g Dietary Fiber: 0.2g Protein: 27.5g