Jan 2nd Weekly Menu 01/03/12
Welcome and thanks for stopping by. Happy New Year! I hope all of you enjoyed the holiday season as much as I have. It’s been a memorable year, but I am sure happy to start anew. On with 2012!
This weeks recipes are quite easy to toss together and each are filled with wonderful flavor. Some are on the lighter side, since some of you are sticking to a healthier way of eating in light of the new year. Remember to substitute high fat and calorie items in your cooking with lighter versions. Every little bit helps.
Please remember to clip coupons to save on groceries each week. Scrumptious Tidbits offers three different sources for clipables online: Coupons.com, The Coupon Network, and Redplum. Don’t forget to check your newspaper, too!
Monday:
Cranberry Spinach Salad with Bleu Cheese
1 cup pecan halves or pieces
3 quarts baby spinach leaves (about 8 oz.), rinsed and crisped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese (4 oz.)
3 tablespoons lemon-flavored extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons regular olive oil plus 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
In a shallow baking pan, bake pecans in a 350° oven until golden in the center (break one to check), 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
In a large bowl, gently mix spinach, pecans, cranberries, crumbled gorgonzola, olive oil, and vinegar. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.
Tuesday:
2 lb fresh ground turkey, browned and drained
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, red or green or mixed, chopped
1 clove fresh minced garlic
1 tsp sugar, or 2 packs sugar substitute
1 can(s) black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 can(s) chili beans
1 can(s) beef broth, reduced sodium and 1/2 – 1 can of water
1 can(s) diced tomatoes
1 can(s) 6 oz. tomato paste
1 can(s) 8 oz. tomato sauce
Chili Seasonings:
1 – 2 Tbsp chili powder, add to your taste
1/2 tsp each of cumin, ground white pepper, freshly
ground black pepper, dried thyme, onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 – 1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp each of Tony Chachere’s seasoning and Old Bay
seasoning
Brown ground turkey, add onion, bell pepper and minced garlic, cook unitl about done. Drain meat mixture.
Add seasonings and mix well.
Add rest of ingredients – beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, sauce, water and broth. Simmer about 45 minutes – 1 hour.
Wednesday:
1 – 24 oz. jar(s)of your favorite spaghetti sauce
6 tbsp Parmesan cheese, fresh, grated
6 chicken breast halves, skinless & boneless (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
3/4 lb rotini pasta, uncooked
1 1/2 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
HEAT oven to 375 degrees F.
Pour sauce into 13 x 9″ baking dish. Stir in 1/4 C parmesan. Add chicken; turn to evenly coat both sides of each breast with sauce. Cover.
Bake 30 min. or until chicken is done (165 degrees F). Meanwhile, cook rotini as directed on package, omitting salt.
Top chicken with remaining cheeses; bake, uncovered, 5 min. or until mozzarella is melted. Drain rotini. Serve topped with chicken & sauce.
Thursday
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
1 pkg Italian salad dressing mix
1/3 c water
1 pkg cream cheese, room temperature (8 oz)
1 can(s) sliced mushrooms (4 oz)
1 can(s) cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 oz)
cooked rice or noodles
Heat a little olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Cook the chicken over medium low to medium heat until mostly white, with just a hint of pink. Transfer chicken to platter and drain oil from pan.
Mix water and Italian dressing mix in a bowl. Return chicken to the pan and pour the salad dressing mix over it. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Mix the cream cheese and cream of chicken soup together. Pour the mixture over the chicken and cover again. As it heats all the way through the dressing mix and water will rise. Stir occasionally until everything is blended and the chicken is cooked, about 15-20 minutes on medium.
About 5 minutes before serving, add the mushrooms and stir, then heat through.
Serve over rice or noodles.
Friday:
- 1 lg can of waterpacked tuna, drained and flaked
- 1/4 c sweet pickle relish
- 2 Tbsp diced onion
- 1 sm jar of diced pimento, well drained
- 2 boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1 Tbsp prepared mustard
- 1/2 c mayonnaise
- 1 stk celery, finely diced and salt and pepper
- 10 slc whole wheat bread
- 10 slc velvetta cheese
- butter spread
Mix all ingredients together down to the salt and pepper.
Spread softened butter spread on one side of bread.
Doing only a couple at a time, put two sliced of the bread into a hot skillet, butter side down. Add a piece of the velvetta cheese on the bread followed by a heaping tbs. of tuna. Mash it down flat with you spoon and top with another slice of cheese. Top with final piece of breat, butter side up. When the bread starts smoking just a little bit, carefully flip over with a pancake turner to brown the other side. Remove from skillet when both sides are a golden brown.
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