Our Dinner Menu Plan

Well Christmas has past and we are almost ready to start a new year. I hope everyone had a very merry and relaxing Christmas.

My husband helped me plan are dinner menu for this week because he wanted something specific for New Year's Eve dinner.

My plan for next year is to have better images and more healthy recipes for you.

Happy New Year to all of you!

Our Dinner Menu

Monday - Green Eggs and Ham with Toast and Fruit Salad

Tuesday - Crock Pot Pumpkin Chili with Honey Cornbread Muffins

Wednesday - Pasta with Olives, Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Homemade Breadsticks

Thursday - Ham and Spinach Rolls with a Side Salad

Friday - Tuna Burgers, Tater Tots and Green Beans

Saturday - Shrimp Kabobs, Risotto, and Steamed Broccoli

Sunday - Pressure- Cooker Chicken (Whole), Roasted Vegetables and Black-Eyed Peas

*I received a pressure cooker for Christmas so I am excited about using it for the first time this week.

Italian Beef Wraps

I don't know if many of you know this, but I am a super thrifty shopper, especially when it comes to grocery shopping. In my travels I came across a half priced piece of beef roast.

Since I had this roast on hand it was now time to search for recipes for pot roast. I stumbled across a couple of recipes for crock pot roast. I know my kids will not eat crock pot roast by itself, so I decided to put it into whole wheat tortillas and make a wrap.

These wraps were so simple and an absolute treat. I will now be adding them to our family favorite recipes.

Italian Beef Wraps

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs Chuck roast beef
1/2 Good Seasoning Italian mix package
2 Tbsp beef broth
2 Tbsp Ken's herb & garlic marinade (optional)
1 Tsp pepper
Whole wheat tortillas
Sour cream
Diced tomatoes
1/2 Cup shredded cheese (cheddar, colby-jack or mexican)

Place roast in crock pot and cover roast with Italian mix, beef broth and marinade. Cook for 6-8 hours on low.

Shred beef and place a small amount in each tortilla. Top with sour cream, tomatoes, and cheese.

Roll tortilla tight and place on a hot skillet. Brown on each side. Cut in half and serve.

I served these tortillas with a side salad.

*Since my husband and I love spicy food we also topped our tortillas with jalapenos.

Grandma's Pecan Pie

A friend of mine asked me to post a recipe for Pecan Pie. Although, I usually try to keep things somewhat healthy on this blog, I had to make an exception for Grandma's Pecan Pie.

My mom is bringing this same Pecan Pie to our Christmas gathering on Sunday. My mouth is watering right now to taste it. I don't think I have had it since last year.

I hope you enjoy it!

Grandma's Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

3 Eggs, slightly beaten
1 Cup dark corn syrup
1/4 Cup sugar
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tsp vanilla
1 1/2-2 Cups pecan, crushed or broken (My mom says she uses 2 cups, but my grandma insists on 1 1/2 cups - you decide)
1 Deep dish pie crust (9-inch)


Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine all ingredients and put into pie crust. Cook for about 40-50 minutes. This time may vary quite a bit depending on your oven so keep checking the pie. If you tap the center of the pie very lightly it should spring back. It will completely set after cooling.

*Tip - If the edges of the pie crust are browning more than you like you may over them with aluminum foil.

Pineapple Stuffing

My mother-in-law makes this incredible Pineapple Stuffing that I am dying to share with all of you. It goes perfectly paired with Christmas ham.

A few years ago I made it for my family for Christmas and they thought it was fantastic.

If you get a chance to make this delightful recipe I would love to know what you think.

Pineapple Stuffing

Ingredients:

4 Cups bread cubes (use white or wheat)
1/2 Cup butter, melted
1 Cup sugar (I usually use 3/4 of a cup instead)
4 Eggs, beaten
1 Cup milk
1 Large can crushed pineapple, undrained (I think it is the 20 oz can)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix everything together and bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes or top is slightly brown.

Our Dinner Menu Plan

Since this week is a rather busy time for most of us, I figured I would not make too many new recipes, but stick with some old family favorites.

With Christmas approaching I hope you will take the time to rest and enjoy family and friends, as well as reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Our Dinner Menu Plan

Monday - Chicken Tacos with Mexican Rice and Peas (I did decrease the salt to 3/4 tsp)

Tuesday - Tuna Balls, Homemade Fries, and Mustard Greens

Wednesday - Vegetarian Tortilla Casserole

Thursday - Italian Beef Wraps with a Salad

Friday - Homemade Pizza

Saturday - Spinach Eggs with Bacon, Wheat Toast and Clementines

Sunday - Honey Ham, Pineapple Stuffing and Beer Braised Collard Greens - these collard greens were the best I have ever had. My entire southern family thought so too.

Carrot Satay Soup - Crock Pot

After reading a favorite food blog of mine I became interested in Marscapone cheese. I set out to the grocery store and purchased it in hopes that I would find a savory recipe that I could incorporate it into.

After using half of my container of Mascarpone to make Twice Baked Potato Casserole, I still had the other half that I could use for another recipe.

I searched the internet for savory recipes that might include Mascarpone. I found Carrot Satay Soup on Food.com and loved the ingredients. The fact that I could use my crock pot was just an added bonus.

This recipe was a huge success! It is a delight to your taste buds and the toasted sesame seeds give it a nutty crunch.

The only change I made to this recipe is that I used 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Next time I think I will use 3 cups of vegetable broth instead of chicken since it costs me less.

I will rewrite the recipe below for your convenience, but it can also be found here.

Carrot Satay Soup

Ingredients:

3 Cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 Cups carrots , sliced
1 Cup onion , chopped
1/2 Cup celery , chopped
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Garlic cloves , minced
2 Tsp gingerroot , grated
1/2 Tsp salt
1/8 Tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 Cup Mascarpone cheese , softened
3 Tbsp peanut butter , smooth
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Toasted sesame seeds

Combine the first nine ingredients in a crock pot and cook for 5-6 hours on low or until vegetables are tender.

Add Mascarpone, peanut butter and soy sauce and heat through.

Transfer to food processor and pulse until smooth.

Place in individual bowls, topped with toasted sesame seeds and serve with Naan.

*You may also cook on high in the crock pot for 2-3 hours if you are pressed for time.

Mexican Salad

A friend of mine gave me a recipe for Mexican Salad that has become such a family favorite that I had to share it.

This Mexican Salad has just the right amount of kick to excite your taste buds. After trying bites of the cucumber and celery in the salad I was able to get my youngest son to eat a couple of the tomatoes too (which are not his favorite).

I used the vegetables I had on hand, but this salad is pretty versatile so you can use whatever vegetables your family likes.

Mexican Salad

Ingredients:

1 Ripe tomato, chopped
1 Cucumber, remove seeds and cut into bite-size chunks
1/2 medium red onion, chopped (I used white instead)
1 Bell pepper, red or green, cut into bite-size chunks (I did not have a pepper so I left it out)
1 Rib celery, chopped
1/2 Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (I left out because of the kids)
1 Tbsp cilantro or fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 Tsp hot sauce
1/2 Tsp cumin
The juice of 1 lime
1-2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine vegetables in bowl. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley. Dress salad with hot sauce, lime juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss salad and adjust seasonings to taste.

Great side dish with tacos or quesadillas.