Meal Plan for the Week

Sorry for the lack of posts last week.   We went on a little mini vacation!   We had to eat all of our meals out and I'm glad to say I was happy to get home and cook again.

Sunday (today):  salmon, steamed broccoflower (something new for us), and Anne's Mac n Cheese (I know, but I have been wanting mac n cheese so bad!)

Monday:  grilled chicken, smashed red potatoes, green beans

Tuesday:  grilled shrimp, grilled pineapple, and pineapple fried rice

Wednesday:  pan grilled pork chops with grilled pineapple salsa

Thursday:  whole wheat pasta w/ chicken Italian sausage

Friday:  Parmesan-crusted tilapia, steamed broccolflower, and whole-wheat pasta w/ alfredo sauce

Saturday:  Pizza Night!   pizza, salad

Recipes:

Marinade for the chicken/shrimp this week:
Paula Deen's Marinade
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 T. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
6 T. olive oil
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1/2 lemon
dash of cayenne or ground black pepper
Mix all together in a plastic ziploc bag, add protein, and stick in the fridge overnight.  I do reserve some for brushing on the meats during grilling, so be sure to take that out before you add the meat.

Pineapple Fried Rice
Ingredients:
1 c. basmati rice
1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits
3 green onions, chopped
1 lg. red chili, finely chopped
3 sprigs cilantro, coarsely chopped
3 T. oil, divided
2 c. fresh shrimp, cleaned and deveined
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. fish sauce
2 T. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar

Prepare rice according to package directions.  Set aside.   In a bowl, combine pineapple, onions, chili, and cilantro.  Mix and set aside.  Heat 1 T. oil in skillet, saute shrimp until done.  Remove shrimp from skillet.   In same skillet, over medium heat, add remaining oil.  Satue garlic until golden brown.  Add cooked rice and stir.   Add fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar.  Stir and heat thoroughly.   Fold in pineapple mixture and shrimp.  Heat through.  Garnish with cilantro.  Serves 6.
From recipe guide for Mahatma Basmati Rice

Pan-Grilled Pork Chops w/ Grilled Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients:
4 (4oz) boneless center-cut loin pork chops
1 T. plus 2 tsp. fresh lime juice, divided
4 slices (1/2 inch thick) pineapple
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 T. minced jalapeno pepper

Combine pork and 1 T. juice; let stand 10 minutes.  Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.  Coat pan w/ cooking spray.  Add pineapple and onion; cook 4 minutes on each side or until onion is tender.  Coarsely chop pineapple and onion; combine in a medium bowl w/ remaining 2 tsp. lime juice, jalapeno, and 1/8 tsp salt.  Sprinkle pork with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Heat grill pan over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add pork; cook 4 minues on each side or until done.
Yield:  4 servings, 1 chop and 1/2 c. salsa
215 calories, 7 g. fat, and 1.4 g. fiber
From Cooking Light, March 2010

fish tacos

This recipe is from Everyday Food, Jan/Feb '05.   It was one of their "light" issues, so there are several recipes in there I'd like to try out.  I thought the tacos were good, but we had a few issues.   We only needed two servings, so we decided to half the recipe.  I made a mistake and forgot to use only 1 T. of lime juice, so our sauce was very strong with lime flavor.   We also found out that our cast-iron grill pan is not seasoned well enough to handle a fish as delicate as tilapia.   It was still good, but next time we make it we'll fix those few problems for a better result!

Fish Tacos
Ingredients:
1/4 c. reduced-fat sour cream
2 T. lime juice
salt and pepper
1/4 small red cabbage, thinly shredded  (~2.5 c.)
4 scallions, thinly chopped (~1/2 c.)
1 jalapeno chile, halved lengthwise, one half minced
2 T. olive oil
1 lb. tilapia fillets (or other firm white fish), cut into 16 equal strips
8 tortillas (6 inch)
1/2 c. fresh cilantro

Preparation:
In a large bowl, combine sour cream and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.  Transfer half the mixture to another container; set aside for serving.   Toss cabbage, scallions, and minced jalapeno with remaining sour cream mixture.  Season again with salt and pepper.   In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil and remaining jalapeno half over medium-high heat; swirl to coat bottom of pan.  Season fish on both side with salt and pepper.  In two batches, cook fish until golden brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes.  Discard jalapeno.  Meanwhile, warm tortillas according to package instructions.  To make tacos, fill tortillas with slaw, fish, and fresh cilantro leaves.  Drizzle with reserved sour cream mixture.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4:  399 calories, 11.5 g. fat, 3.7 g. fiber

Only a .4lb loss for me last week, but at least it wasn't a gain, right?   Jason lost another 2.   He's been awesome about getting his exercise in and I'm so proud of him!

Here's our menu plan for the week:

Monday:  Jerk-rubbed catfish with spicy cilantro slaw (recipe to follow)
Tuesday:  Hamburgers (made with free-range beef),  fries?
Wednesday:  fish tacos, black beans (I'll post that recipe on Wed)
Thursday:  low-carb pasta w/ meat sauce, salad, maybe garlic bread
Friday:  leftovers
Saturday:  pizza night

Jerk-Rubbed Catfish w/ Spicy Cilantro Slaw

Ingredients:
3 c. cabbage and carrot coleslaw mix
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
3 T. canola mayonnaise
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped habanero or serrano pepper
4 (6 oz) catfish fillets
4 tsp. jerk seasoning

Preparation:
Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; toss well to coat.  Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.   Sprinkle fish evenly with jerk seasoning.  Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  Remove from heat; serve fish with slaw.
Yield:  4 servings (1 fillet, 1/2 c. slaw)

256 calories, 12.6 g. fat, 1.5 g. fiber

Today's Foods

Breakfast:
Quaker Oatmeal w/ dried cranberries  3
whole wheat toast 1
coffee w/ 1 T. FF half-and-half  .5

Snack:
1 c. organic FF milk

Lunch:
Egg sandwich on whole wheat bread  3.5
14 grams Goldfish crackers 1.5
1 c. grapes  1

Snack:
hot chocolate 2
whole wheat toast w/ 1 T jelly 2

Snack:
1 oz. cheese 2

Dinner:
2.5 ounces wild salmon  3
steamed mixed veggies in butter sauce 1
sweet potato casserole*
sweet tea 1

Snack:
100-calorie popcorn 1

Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole
**I cut down on the butter, sugar, and pecans and omitted the vanilla and marshmallows.** To prepare this a day ahead, cook the sweet potatoes; combine with brown sugar, butter, and vanilla. Before baking, stir in half the pecans, place in a baking dish, and top with the remaining pecans and marshmallows.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 375°.
Place the sweet potatoes in a Dutch oven, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and
simmer for 15 minutes or until very tender. Drain; cool slightly.
Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add sugar and next 3 ingredients (through vanilla). Mash sweet potato mixture with a potato masher. Fold in 1/4 cup pecans. Scrape potato mixture into an even layer in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecans; top with marshmallows. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until golden.

Yield: 16 servings
CALORIES 186 (27% from fat); FAT 5.5g (sat 2g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.9g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 8mg; CALCIUM 23mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.1g; SODIUM 272mg; PROTEIN 1.6g; FIBER 2.5g
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2007

To Try: Tomato and Basil Topped Bruschetta

I have been wanting to make this forever! Jason doesn't like tomatoes so I'll have to wait until we have company over.

Tomato and Basil-Topped Garlic Bruschetta

Ingredients:

6 (1-oz) slices Italian bread or peasant bread

1 garlic clove, halved and divided

4 tsp. olive oil

3 c. finely chopped seeded tomato

1/4 c. finely chopped red onion

1 T. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. capers

3 T. thinly sliced fresh basil

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 8 minutes, turning after 4 minutes. Rub one side of toast with cute side of 1 garlic clove half; set toast aside. Mince remaining garlic clove half. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic to plan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add tomato and onion to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat. Stir in vinegar and capers. Cool completely. Stir in basil, salt, and pepper. Spoon 1/3 cup tomato mixture onto each toast slice. Serve immediately.

6 servings: 128 calories, 4.2 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber

To Try: Three-Cheese Baked Penne

I'm always looking for some good comfort food recipes and this definitely looks like one to me!

Three Cheese Baked Penne

*Quick and Easy*

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. uncooked whole wheat penne

2 4-oz links sweet turkey Italian sausage

1 c. finely chopped green bell pepper

1 1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/8 tsp. black pepper

dash of salt

10 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (8-oz) can garlic-and-herb tomato sauce

3/4 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 c. crumbled goat cheese

1/4 c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Remove casings from sausage. Add to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add bell pepper and next 6 ingredients to plan; saute 6 minutes or until bell pepper is tender. Stir in tomato sauce. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add pasta to pan, tossing gently to coat. Spoon pasta mixture tin an 8-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Stir in mozzarella and goat cheese; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350 for 7 minutes or until bubbly and top is browned.

Makes 6 1 1/4 cup servings. 326 calories, 10.9 grams of fat, 4.9 grams of fiber.

From Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2009

Easy Lunch Ideas

Jason leaves for work around 6am, so I'm usually half-asleep when trying to put his lunch together at 5:30 in the morning. It does take a bit longer to make a healthy lunch, but not as long as you think!

One easy thing to do is make some wraps using Flatout bread. I drizzle it with honey mustard, add either baby spinach or romaine lettuce, 2 oz of lunch meat, and a slice of low-fat cheese. They look delicious and I haven't heard any complaints. You can also use the bread to make a nice thin-crust pizza and hundreds of other things!

For a snack idea, I am currently having some yogurt flavored with pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and a little Splenda. It is almost like eating a pumpkin pie!

Recipe and Update

We've made meatloaf muffins many times in the past and last night we made them and added even more vegetables!

Meatloaf Muffins
Ingredients:
1lb extra lean ground turkey
1/2lb 93% lean ground beef
1/2 box packaged stuffing mix
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup grated celery
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
ketchup
Preparation:
Saute vegetables in a bit of olive oil until soft. Mix all ingredients except ketchup until well mixed. Divide into 16-18 muffin cups; top with ketchup. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until no longer pink.

Here's another version that also looks very yummy!

My weight loss is still going... I lost .4lbs last week. My goal this week is to get back to tracking my food more closely and get in some exercise!

Corn Spoon Bread

I thought this was pretty good! I'm going to add it to our holiday line-up I think.

Triple-Corn Spoon Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup fat-free sour cream
3 tablespoons stick margarine, melted
1 large egg
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (15.25-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, undrained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added cream-style corn
1 (8 1/2-ounce) package corn muffin mix
Cooking spray
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Stir in onion, corns, and muffin mix. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until pudding is set and lightly browned.

8 servings: 262 calories, 8.6 g fat, 1.6 g fiber

To Try: Italian Bean Soup

Italian Bean Soup

Ingredients:
3/4 c. cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
64 ounces of reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 tsp. olive oil
2 onions, diced
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz. can peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped, 1 c. juice reserved
3 zucchini, chopped
1 box frozen green beans
3 oz. small pasta
1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Combine beans, broth, salt, and pepper in a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir the veggie mixture into the bean mixture. Add tomatoes, reserved juice, zucchini, and green beans. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes). Add pasta and cook until tender. Stir in basil. Sprinkle each bowl with 1/2 T. Parmesan cheese when serving.

1 1/2 cups soup w/ 1/2 T cheese: 196 calories, 1 g. fat, and 8 g. fiber (3 points)

To Try: Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad (with grapes and walnuts)

Ingredients:
1/2 c. plain fat-free yogurt
2 T. reduced-fat mayo
1 T. honey
1 tsp. apple-cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 c. chopped cooked chicken breast
1 1/2 c. seedless grapes, halved
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
Preparation:
Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken, grapes, and walnuts and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3/4 cup: 277 calories, 11 g.fat, 1 g fiber (6 points)

To Try: Tomato, Avocado, and Black Bean Tacos

Tomato, Avocado, and Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients:
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 T. taco seasoning
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 c. shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 sm. avocado, diced
6 T. salsa
1/4 c. light sour cream
Preparation:
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add onion and seasoning; cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the beans and tomatoes, toss to combine. Warm tortillas. Sprinkle 1/3 c. lettuce down middle of each tortilla; top with about 1/3 c. of bean mixture, 1/6th of avocado, 1 T. of salsa, and 2 tsp of sour cream. Fold tortillas and serve.

1 Taco: 202 calories, 7 g. fat, 6g. fiber (4 points)

To Try: Blueberry-Walnut Oatmeal

Blueberry-Walnut Oatmeal
Ingredients:
3 c. water
2 c. quick-cooking (not instant) oats
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. fat-free milk
1 1/2 c. fat-free Cool Whip
1 c. fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
1 T. chopped walnuts
Preparation:
Combine water, oats, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in milk; fold in whipped topping and blueberries. Sprinkle with walnuts.

4 servings, 1 cup each. 284 calories, 4 g. fat, 5 g. fiber (5 points)

On the "To Try List"

This is one of the recipes on my list to try soon. It gets great reviews and sounds good to me. People recommend adding in some extra veggies like mushrooms and zucchini to bulk it up a little.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake
Ingredients:
1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of visible fat and cut into bite size pieces
1 can (14.5 oz) diced Tomatoes, undrained
2 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
2 T dried basil leaves or Italian seasoning
6 oz whole grain or wheat herbed stuffing mix
2/3 c water
1 c low-fat shredded Mozzarella cheese
Preparation:
Combine tomatoes, garlic, seasoning, stuffing mix, and water. In a baking dish, layer the cubes of chicken, followed by half of the stuffing mix, and half of the cheese. Repeat. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

PARMESAN CRUSTED TILAPIA
Ingredients:
3 - 4 tilapia fillets
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 c. bread crumbs salt
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese pepper
1 T. Italian seasoning olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
Preparation:
Thaw and wash tilapia fillets if frozen. Pat dry on paper towels. Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder on a plate, mixing well. Pour the lemon juice on a different plate. Working one at a time, place a fillet on the plate with the lemon juice, sprinkle with desired amount of kosher salt, black pepper, and additional garlic powder. Turn the fillet over to coat the other side. Dredge fillet in the parmesan mixture, patting it all over to coat. Place in an oiled baking dish; repeat with remaining fillets. Sprinkle a little lemon juice over fillets and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake at 425° for about 20 minutes or until they easily flake with a fork and edges are browning.

We had these for dinner last night along with some parmesan rice and steamed veggies. Very filling meal and so good for you!

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

This is my new favorite recipe! It is so fresh tasting and goes great with Baked Tostitos Scoops.

CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALSA
Ingredients:
1/2 red onion, chopped
chopped fresh cilantro to taste
1 avocado, chopped
1/4 c. Newman's Own Parmesan and Roasted Garlic dressing
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans shoepeg corn, drained and rinsed
3 sm. Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients; chill until ready to serve.

Chili, Sunshine Pie Recipes

Sunshine Pie
Ingredients
1 can (15oz) Dole Mandarin Oranges
1 reduced-fat graham cracker crust
1 banana, sliced
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tub (8oz) Cool Whip Lite, thawed
2/3 cup flake coconut, toasted, divided
Preparation
Drain oranges; reserve 3 tbsp syrup. Place half of oranges in bottom of crust. Top with banana slices; set aside. Beat cream cheese, reserved syrup, and vanilla until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Stir in 1/3 cup coconut. Spread mixture over fruit in crust. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Arrange remaining mandarin oranges over filling. Sprinkle remaining coconut over pie.

Chili: My Version!
Ingredients
1/2 lb lean (90/10) ground beef
1 can Campbell's Tomato Juice (low sodium if available)
1 can low sodium V-8 Vegetable Juice
1 can low sodium diced tomatoes
1 can chili beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg McCormick reduced-sodium chili seasoning
1 onion, diced
Preparation
Brown and drain ground beef; set aside. Saute onion in dutch oven until soft. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes. (fast and easy!) You can add more veggies if you have some on hand that you like.

Baked Ziti Recipe

Baked Ziti
Ingredients
8oz Barilla Plus penne pasta, cooked (I know, but I didn't see ziti)
1 jar Ragu spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb lean ground beef, cooked and crumbled
8 oz low fat ricotta cheese
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Italian seasoning
Preparation
Mix first 5 ingredients together. Top with 2oz shredded mozzarella cheese and Italian seasoning. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with salad and garlic bread!