Monday- Grilled Chicken breast, salad, crusty-toasted bread with evoo.
Tuesday- Pulled pork (of chicken) on whole wheat buns, garnish with colby or monteray jack cheese. Side Ideas- coleslaw, creamy cucumber salad, corn. Serve with grapes.
Wednesday- Lemony salmon, wild rice, broccolli (s/p and evoo). Serve with strawberries.
**Rice- I sautee onion in olive oil, then put rice in and coat with onion/oil. I put the water in after. The olive oil and onion add some depth.
Thursday- Pasta with meat sauce (ground turkey, homemade/store bought sauce), salad, crusty bread (optional). I sprinkle nutmeg in the meat sauce to add some depth.
Friday- Calabrese Sandwhiches, chips, fruit salad. Toasted ciabatta bread with evoo, top with fresh basil leaves, tomato slices, fresh mozzarella slices. Throw back in toaster to melt cheese. You can add prosicutto- just not on Good Friday :)
Saturday- Steaks (filets) with roasted-spicy sweet potato wedges, cool green beans salad. Serve with pumpernickel bread rolls.
Sunday- Happy Easter!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Chick Peas vs. Cannellini Beans
Cheap and healthy options to add protien and fiber to any dish.
Chick peas- firm, meatier
Cannellini- soft, mushier
Both great with just a good rinse before using. Salt, pepper, and evoo (can add parsely, basil, or thyme, parmesan cheese, or basalmic dressing).
Add to salads as a topper (like ChrisSpinsHawthorne)
Add in pasta with cherry tomatoes and basil (dressed as above). Throw some grilled chicken in there. Oh, and some cukes! Yummy pasta salad.
Blend cannellini beans with garlic, s/p, evoo, fresh herbs, and lemon zest in blender. This will look like dip. Serve over toasted, crunchy bread drizzled with
ev-olive oil.
Serve chick peas as a side salad with diced onions, chopped spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and dressing.
Lilah actually eats these, thank goodness! Any other ideas?
Chick peas- firm, meatier
Cannellini- soft, mushier
Both great with just a good rinse before using. Salt, pepper, and evoo (can add parsely, basil, or thyme, parmesan cheese, or basalmic dressing).
Add to salads as a topper (like ChrisSpinsHawthorne)
Add in pasta with cherry tomatoes and basil (dressed as above). Throw some grilled chicken in there. Oh, and some cukes! Yummy pasta salad.
Blend cannellini beans with garlic, s/p, evoo, fresh herbs, and lemon zest in blender. This will look like dip. Serve over toasted, crunchy bread drizzled with
ev-olive oil.
Serve chick peas as a side salad with diced onions, chopped spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and dressing.
Lilah actually eats these, thank goodness! Any other ideas?
Satad Toppings
I thought of this last night as I tried to shush my busy head.
Salad Topper Ideas (they pair well together)
Blueberries, colby jack cheese, cuke, avacado
Provolone, tomatoes, onions
Yellow peppers, blue cheese, red onions
Pine nuts
slivered almonds and craisins
Strawberries, bluecheese (or sharp cheddar/colby, cukes
Feta cheese, roasted red peppers, olives, cuke
If you think they'll taste good together (go good together) they most likely will.
Salad Topper Ideas (they pair well together)
Blueberries, colby jack cheese, cuke, avacado
Provolone, tomatoes, onions
Yellow peppers, blue cheese, red onions
Pine nuts
slivered almonds and craisins
Strawberries, bluecheese (or sharp cheddar/colby, cukes
Feta cheese, roasted red peppers, olives, cuke
If you think they'll taste good together (go good together) they most likely will.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Avacado
Avacado is such a versatile ingredient. Here are a few ideas:
The basic seasoning we use is salt, pepper, drizzle evoo, and fresh lime/lemon juice.
Snack: Mashed up with s, p, evoo, lime juice serve with crackers or tortillas (Angie's recommendation)
Topping: Mashed up as above with diced red onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes- serve on grilled meats, fish, or sandwiches.
Dressing Enhancer: Dice it up in a salad and toss well. The avacado will add a natural creaminess to the salad.
Salsa: Dice it up with diced cukes, red onion, mangoes (or tomatoes, peaches) and basic seasoning above. ( A Rush family favorite)
Avacodo and Cuke salad: Sliced length-wise, with basic seasoning, and cuke sliced the same length as avacado.
Tomato/Avacodo Salad: Sliced length wise with beefsteak tomato (sliced from bottom-up. Drizzle with salt, pepper, and drizzled evoo. Add fresh basil or parsely.
Serve it with eggs for a breakfast side.
Natural browning of left over- I usually pitch my leftover avacado when it's mixed like above. If I only use 1/2 of the avacado- then I tightly wrap plastice wrap over the 1/2 and refrigerate it. I can get 2 days tops out of it that way.
The harder the avacado, the less ripe it is. Choose avacados that slightly give to the touch.
The basic seasoning we use is salt, pepper, drizzle evoo, and fresh lime/lemon juice.
Snack: Mashed up with s, p, evoo, lime juice serve with crackers or tortillas (Angie's recommendation)
Topping: Mashed up as above with diced red onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes- serve on grilled meats, fish, or sandwiches.
Dressing Enhancer: Dice it up in a salad and toss well. The avacado will add a natural creaminess to the salad.
Salsa: Dice it up with diced cukes, red onion, mangoes (or tomatoes, peaches) and basic seasoning above. ( A Rush family favorite)
Avacodo and Cuke salad: Sliced length-wise, with basic seasoning, and cuke sliced the same length as avacado.
Tomato/Avacodo Salad: Sliced length wise with beefsteak tomato (sliced from bottom-up. Drizzle with salt, pepper, and drizzled evoo. Add fresh basil or parsely.
Serve it with eggs for a breakfast side.
Natural browning of left over- I usually pitch my leftover avacado when it's mixed like above. If I only use 1/2 of the avacado- then I tightly wrap plastice wrap over the 1/2 and refrigerate it. I can get 2 days tops out of it that way.
The harder the avacado, the less ripe it is. Choose avacados that slightly give to the touch.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
The Main Ingredients
There are 4 things that make their way into our food daily-
-extra virgin olive oil
-sea salt
-fresh lemon/lime juice
-fresh cracked pepper
I couldn't live without those items! I put them on anything:
cannellini beans
chick peas
green beans/broccolli/asparagus
store-bought plain hummus
plain greek yogurt (serve with chopped cukes or serve over lamb/chicken)
cucumbers
tuna
salad
avacodo
grilled chicken/fish
rice/pasta
Add some parmesan cheese and it adds a whole new level or colby-jack cheese. Yummy!
-extra virgin olive oil
-sea salt
-fresh lemon/lime juice
-fresh cracked pepper
I couldn't live without those items! I put them on anything:
cannellini beans
chick peas
green beans/broccolli/asparagus
store-bought plain hummus
plain greek yogurt (serve with chopped cukes or serve over lamb/chicken)
cucumbers
tuna
salad
avacodo
grilled chicken/fish
rice/pasta
Add some parmesan cheese and it adds a whole new level or colby-jack cheese. Yummy!
Sunday Night Menu
Tonight we had a really interesting meal. Since the weather is grill-friendly, we're in that mode. I started with grilled spicy pork chops, the boring other meat, cool-cucumber and green bean salad, and spciy roasted sweet potato wedges. I followed that up with diced sweetened berries on top of lemon-poopy muffins. Here's the break down of each item:
Boneless Porkchops- I dry-rubbed it with a 1 tsp of cumin, chilli powder, nutmeg, paprika, salt, and fresh pepper. Grill.
Salad- two handfuls of green beans cut in 1/2, steamed until bright green (not mushy) 1/2 english cucumber, skin off, sliced length wise to match bean size 1/2 avacado sliced, to match size of beans and cuke sliced red onion (as much as desired)
Salad dressing- juice of 1/2 lime, salt, fresh pepper, drizzle of evoo, and 2spoonfuls of ranch dressing
Sweet Potato wedges- clean, then cut potatoes into thin wedges (not too thin), drizzle with olive oil, and rub on spices (pincehs of cumin, chilli powder, salt, fresh pepper, and garlic powder. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. I ended up putting the oven on broil and propping the door open. I wanted the wedges crispier. Serve with honey mustard dipping sauce or alone...both are yummy options.
Berries- slice up any berries you have or peaches, juice of some lemon, sprinkle with sugar. Let stand for a bit. Serve over pound cake, lemon-poppy muffins, angel food cake, or ice cream.
The spices from the pork and potato wedges are cooled by the cuke/bean salad. The berry dessert keeps everything fresh so you don't feel quilty.
I don't measure anything with measuring untensils. I wouldn't even follow all this to a T...use your judgement on serving sizes and cook times.
Boneless Porkchops- I dry-rubbed it with a 1 tsp of cumin, chilli powder, nutmeg, paprika, salt, and fresh pepper. Grill.
Salad- two handfuls of green beans cut in 1/2, steamed until bright green (not mushy) 1/2 english cucumber, skin off, sliced length wise to match bean size 1/2 avacado sliced, to match size of beans and cuke sliced red onion (as much as desired)
Salad dressing- juice of 1/2 lime, salt, fresh pepper, drizzle of evoo, and 2spoonfuls of ranch dressing
Sweet Potato wedges- clean, then cut potatoes into thin wedges (not too thin), drizzle with olive oil, and rub on spices (pincehs of cumin, chilli powder, salt, fresh pepper, and garlic powder. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. I ended up putting the oven on broil and propping the door open. I wanted the wedges crispier. Serve with honey mustard dipping sauce or alone...both are yummy options.
Berries- slice up any berries you have or peaches, juice of some lemon, sprinkle with sugar. Let stand for a bit. Serve over pound cake, lemon-poppy muffins, angel food cake, or ice cream.
The spices from the pork and potato wedges are cooled by the cuke/bean salad. The berry dessert keeps everything fresh so you don't feel quilty.
I don't measure anything with measuring untensils. I wouldn't even follow all this to a T...use your judgement on serving sizes and cook times.
Healthy Food Ideas
This was started because I have such a love for food- simple, clean, tasty, and healthy food. Food that is bursting with color and flavor. I am by no means a chef or skilled cook. I am just someone who loves to read cooking magazines, watch Food Network, plan out weekly menus, mix-and-match dishes, and create fresh, new dishes. My husband and I eat very well. We don't skimp on the grocery bills- since it's what fuels us and helps us live our active lifestyle.
These ideas may not work or sound good to everyone. Take what you can, leave what you want.
These ideas may not work or sound good to everyone. Take what you can, leave what you want.
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