What We Ate: week of May 2

The slow cooker was my best friend this week! Here is what we ate:

[Monday] Salmon with Rice and Asparagus

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread 1 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tsp of dill on to the salmon. Put in oven and cook through until salmon flakes (about 15-20 min).

Mix asparagus spears with 1 tsp olive oil and salt and pepper. Place in oven and cook for 10-15 min.

[Tuesday and Thursday] Turkey Rice Soup
Directions:

In the slow cooker add: leftover turkey, 1 cup chicken stock, 2 cups mixed vegetables (we buy the frozen peas, corn and carrots), 1/4 c rice, 1 tsp italian seasoning, 1 tsp thyme, 2 bay leaves. Heat on high for 5-6 hours.

[Wednesday] Chicken Quesadillas
Directions:

In the slow cooker add: 2 chicken breasts, 500g of mixed frozen pepper strips, 3/4 c salsa. Add around 1 c water until the chicken is covered. Cook on high for 6-7 hours.

Preheat oven to 400F. Using a slotted spoon, dish out chicken and pepper mix on to a tortilla shell. Cover with grated cheese. Top with another tortilla shell. Bake until cheese melts, around 5-10 min.

[Friday] Chorizo Stirfry
Same as last Thursday but I used sauteed mushrooms instead of onion and I served it with rice instead of a bun.

What We Ate: week of April 18

It was a short work week which meant three meals and one night out. Here is what we ate last week:

[Monday] Chicken Enchiladas (Recipe here)

[Tuesday] Breaded Chicken with Acorn Squash

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 F.

- In a blender, mix 1/4c oatmeal, 5-6 plain soda crackers, 1 tbsp parmesan cheese, 1 clove garlic, 1 tsp onion salt. Blend until crackers are completely broken into a powder. Place into a bowl.

- In a separate bowl, mix 1 egg and 1 tsp hot sauce.

- Dip chicken in egg mix, then dip into the cracker/oat mix until well coated.

- Place onto greased baking pan. Cook in oven until chicken had cooked through, turning over half way. About 15 min per side.

- Boil 4 cups of water. Cut acorn squash into 4's and de-seed. Place into boiling water. Simmer for ~20 min, until tender.

[Wednesday] Pasta with Homemade Tomato Sauce

Directions for Tomato Sauce:

- Mix together: 1 can tomato paste, 1 can water, 1/2 tbsp basil, 1/2 tbsp oregano, 1/4 tbsp thyme, 1/4 tsp garlic powder.

- Heat on stove over med. Remove once heated through.

- Add cooked ground beef and mixed vegetables if desired.

[Thursday] Eating out - BBQ at friends house

[Friday] Easter dinner

What We Ate: week of April 11

I thought I'd try something new here and show what we ate for dinner the past week. It can be hard to stay motivated to make dinner once you get home from a long day, so hopefully these posts can serve as a bit of inspiration.

Here is what we had on the menu for last week:

Steak Salad and Asparagus

Directions:

Turn on broiler. Toss 8-10 Asparagus spears in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on grill pan and put under broiler for about 4-5 minutes. Check periodically to avoid overcooking.

Grill 1 flank steak for 3- 4 minutes per side on medium heat on the griddle. Sprinkle with Mrs. Dash BBQ seasoning and slice lengthwise.

In a salad bowl, add desired amount of lettuce, sliced cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and steak.

Dressing: 2 tbsps balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1/8 tsp white sugar, 1/8 tsp dry mustard powder, and half a clove of garlic.

Chicken with Chili-Almond Sauce

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, add 1/4 cup milk, 1 tsp Almond Butter, 10 Almonds, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 sliced jalapeno. Simmer on medium heat for 5 min. Remove from heat and puree in a blender.

Preheat 1 tbsp olive oil in a sauce pan. Add 2 chicken breasts. Cook through, about 10 minutes per side. Pour pureed Almond sauce over chicken and heat though.

Steak and Yams

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Peel and slice 1 medium yam. Toss in 1 tbsp olive oil and bake for 30-40 minutes (until cooked though)

Grill 2 NY steaks on the BBQ for 4 minutes per side. Serve with salad.

Salmon with Mushroom Risotto

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place salmon onto baking sheet. Cook for 10 minutes (until salmon flakes). Plate and sprinkle with dill and lemon juice.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil a saucepan on medium. Add 1 minced garlic clove and 5 sliced mushrooms. Cook for 3-4 min. Add 1/3 cup arborio rice. Cook 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup each chicken stock and white wine vinegar. Cover and simmer on medium for 15 min.

Pita Pizzas

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. On each of the 3 whole wheat pita shells spread: 1 tbsp pizza sauce, 2 slice of ham, pineapple chunks, and 2 oz of grated mozzarella cheese. Put on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, until cheese melts.