menu planning after thanksgiving

i went out of town for the holiday, so i don’t have all of those glorious delicious leftovers.  however, i did restock my fridge today, and am prepared for the week!  this time, i’m even adding breakfast and lunch!

monday:

breakfast – banana walnut pancakes (i premade them today) and berries

lunch – leftover chicken noodle soup

dinner -butternut squash and raviloi with an apple blue cheese salad

tuesday:

breakfast – fruit parfaits

lunch -shrimp salad

dinner -mini goat cheese and mushroom pizzas and salad

wednesday:

breakfast – omelets

lunch – tuna salad and crackers

dinner -grilled chicken, baked p0tatoes, and lemon peppered veggies

thursday:

breakfast – bagles and cream cheese

lunch – kogi bbq (korean bbq truck)

dinner – burgers and greek coleslaw

friday:

breakfast – frozen waffles, sausage, and fried egg

lunch – leftovers

dinner – burgers

menu update: another night accomplished

i have been striving to stick to my planned menu for the week and although things come up, i was able to accomplished my ‘tofu cashew and stir fry.’ 

i baked the tofu at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping them after the first 15 minutes.  while they were baking, i made some quiona.  i also diced & chopped my veggies.  next i sauteed them in a mixture of seasame oil, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and a little brown sugar.  after the tofu was done, i tossed it in the sauce mixture with the veggies.

it was really healthy, a bit spicy, and tasty!

<3 kt

last night’s meal: success!

updating my struggle to stick to my menu planner, i completed my task last night.

a great, easy dinner!

buffalo chicken with a baked potato topped with butter, dubliner irish cheddar, and sour cream.

valdeon blue cheese, yellow peppers, carrots, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, and light ranch dressing!

i picked up a rotisserie chicken (since i had to work late), tossed some potatoes in the microwave as soon as i got home, added some buffalo sauce to the warmed chicken in the oven, and made a yummy blue cheese salad.  it was simple, delicious, and healthy!

menu planning monday!

hope you had a great weekend!  mine was full of fun!   it’s that time again, being Monday and all, that i post my potential planned meals for the week:

monday: loaded baked potatoes and store bought rotisserie chicken

tuesday: pot roast dinner party!

wednesday: cashew chicken and stir fry

thursday: going out to dinner

friday: halloween work party! i’ll be making some fun appetizers for this party, which i will post of course!

saturday: happy halloween! seafood pot pie, oh my!

sunday: pork chops, tossed green beans, and butternut squash.

i’ll post recipes as the week progresses~

what’s on your menu for the week?

<3 kt

i made my planned ravioli!

i loved the fact that i stuck to what i planned.  it’s a successful feeling, like i accomplished something.  anyways, here is the finished product:

i added a small salad and garlic bread.  i had some leftover aged gouda, which i chopped and added to the garlic bread and pasta for extra flavor!

since my boyfriend & i were invited to a last minute birthday dinner tonight, i will have to postpone my planned meal for tonight (curried salmon).  but no worries, one step at a time!

<3 kt

cleaning out the kitchen: menu planning in full effect!

hello!  long time since i last posted.  i have been sooooo crazy busy that i have been lacking in the things that i love to do: COOK!  and blog of course! :)

anyways, i haven’t had time to go to the store.  i went away for the weekend.  so i am going to try to work with what i have in my fridge, freezer, and pantry.  it’s cleaning out the kitchen week!

this is literally going to be clean the kitchen week as inspired by thekitchn.com’s The Kitchen Cure, Fall 2009 edition. by the end of the week, i plan on completing my first assignment: Clean Out the Fridge and Pantry!

monday: ravioli with leftover sausage, Caesar salad, and garlic bread

tuesday: curry rubbed salmon, stir fried veggies, and couscous

wednesday: rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, leftover pasta salad, and fruit

thursday: steak and tofu burritos

friday: going out for dinner

saturday: halloween horror party (i will be making a ton of fun foods, which i will post separately)

sunday: it’s football season! burgers, corn on the cob, and other snacks

i’ll post my progress as the week progresses!

<3 kt

menu planning, back in action!

okay y’all, i’m back in action and ready to attempt this menu thing again! :) here’s my plan for the week:

monday night: it’s football season. i am going to play this by ear. it’s an intense and epic game: Minnesota Vikings VS the Green Bay Packers. Brett Farve VS the Packers essentially…so i might just have to order some sloppy pizza and beers for this one.

tuesday: pork chops with apple, spinach & bean salad. this idea was inspired by this recipe from www.wholeliving.com -

Ingredients

Serves 4

* 4 bone-in pork chops (about 9 ounces each)
* 2 teaspoons coarse salt
* Freshly ground pepper
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 cup (6 ounces) canned unsalted chickpeas, drained and rinsed
* 1 pound escarole, leaves torn
* 1 medium apple, preferably Gala, cored and cut into matchsticks
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Directions

1. Sprinkle pork chops on both sides with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and season with pepper. Heat oil in a large high-sided saute pan over medium-high heat. Add pork chops. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until browned around the edges, about 4 minutes. Flip, and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer chops to a plate.
2. Add chickpeas to pan, and cook for 2 minutes. Working in 3 batches, add escarole and cook, stirring, adding additional batches as the leaves wilt. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and season with pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in apple and lemon juice and zest. Serve with chops.

wednesday: lasagna & a salad…i forgot where i picked up this recipe, but i love lasagna & am looking forward to making it!

Serves 8
Ingredients

* Vegetable-oil cooking spray
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 1 pound ground turkey breast
* 3 cups tomato sauce
* 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning (or 1 tsp each dried basil, parsley, and oregano)
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
* 6 cups chopped fresh spinach
* 2 cups fat-free ricotta
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1 package whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 8 oz, or 9 noodles)
* 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella

Preparation

1.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a medium-sized nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Sauté onion for 2 minutes, then add turkey and cook an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce, all seasonings and mushrooms and simmer 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. In a bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, and nutmeg. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water.
2.
For assembly
Coat a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange 1/3 lasagna noodles (3 noodles) on the bottom of the pan. Spread a layer of ricotta mixture, then turkey mixture, then 1/3 mozzarella. Repeat layers, ending with mozzarella. Bake 20ozzarella. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Cool at least 5 minutes before cutting.
3.

The skinny: 310 calories per serving, 6 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 31 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 33 g protein

thursday: spicy orange glazed chicken & green beans, i found this easy and delicious recipe in October’s issue of Real Simple magazine (also available online).

Serves 4  Hands-On Time: 15m  Total Time: 45m
Ingredients

* 1/4 cup orange marmalade
* 1/2 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce (found in the Asian section of the supermarket)
* 8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 1/2 pounds)
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 1 pound green beans
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 4 corn bread muffins, warmed

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400º F. In a small bowl, mix the marmalade and chili-garlic sauce.
2. Season the chicken with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper. Roast on a foil-lined baking sheet until cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes, brushing with the marmalade mixture during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the green beans until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and toss with the butter and 1⁄4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the chicken and muffins.

i’m not sure if i will cook this weekend, as i might be going out of town to visit my cousins for a very belated birthday celebration.  i’ll keep you posted on the progress of my menu planning!

<3 kt

day three of menu planning

it was a success!  i made grilled shrimp skewers with a green bean and brussel sprout stir fry, along with a baked potato with midnight moon goat gouda.  yum!  although, i was tempted to order out!  there was a Korean BBQ truck right outside my apartment building!!!  i stuck to my plan though, and prevailed.  although i was unable to take pictures of my meal, as i was in such a hurry to finish cooking and enjoy it! <3 kt

day one of menu planning

i did it!  i made what i planned out, which was steak and tofu stir fry.  (i don’t eat pork/beef, but my boyfriend does.)  when i arrived at home after work, i preheated the oven for 400 degrees, lightly basted them in olive oil, and baked the tofu for 30 minutes (flipping them after 15 minutes).  while the tofu was baking, i diced up the steak and marinated it in a soy ginger chili garlic marinade.  i let the steak sit in the marinade while i cooked the brown rice and diced up the veggies.  when there was approximately 10 minutes left of baking the tofu, i started cooking the steak and veggies.

it was easier than i thought it was going to be.  and while i was making dinner, i popped in some edamame into the microwave to snack on.  i get home late and needed a snack while dinner was en route.

overall it was simple.  i liked the fact that i knew what to prepare and had all the ingredients.  we’ll see how the rest of the week pans out!

<3 kt