Our Menu Plan

Sorry for the delay in posting this week.  My oldest son is tracked out of school for a few weeks and keeping him entertained is sometimes a challenge.

My birthday is this Saturday so my husband and I will be eating out alone for the first time in forever.  Boy am I super excited to spend time with my sweetheart.

Hope you all have a great week!

Our Menu Plan

Monday - Spaghetti Squash Casserole with Garlic Rolls

Tuesday - London Broil Sandwiches with Onions and Green Peppers, Okra and Baby Carrots

Wednesday - Chicken Piccata, Side Salad and Strawberries with Whipped Cream

Thursday - Lemon Orzo Salad with Tomatoes and Asparagus and Fresh Bread

Friday - Homemade Pizza

Saturday - Eating out for my birthday

Sunday - Leftovers

Super Simple Strawberry Smoothie

My husband convinced me to purchase a hand held blender because of my lack of success with other mixers.  I have destroyed three mixers over the course of a few months.

I purchased the Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender and I have been so happy with it.  Here is a super simple recipe for a Strawberry Smoothie that I think you will enjoy!

Super Simple Strawberry Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 Cup frozen strawberries
1 Very ripe banana
3/4 Cup milk (skim, almond, coconut)

Place all the ingredients into a container and blender with hand blender or place all ingredients into a blender and blend.  

All done!  Enjoy!

- There are many other ingredients you could add to this smoothie to make it extra healthy, but I like it simple.

Our Dinner Menu Plan

Happy February to everyone!  I love the month of February, but that may be because my birthday is in this wonderful month.  

Anyway, I hope you are having a great start to your week.  Sorry for the delay in posting our menu plan for this week.  We had to make a short trip to my parents house for the weekend and I was unable to get my menu plan together until today.

Our Menu Plan

Monday - Bean and Barley Vegetarian Chili with Honey Cornbread

Tuesday - Salsa Chicken Casserole with a side of Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday - Spaghetti Squash Casserole with Garlic Rolls

Thursday - Cheeseburgers, Tater Tots, and Side Salad

Friday - Omelet with Spinach, Turkey Sausage Links,  Wheat Toast, and Fresh Fruit

Saturday - Tuna Melts over English Muffins, Carrots Sticks and Pasta Salad

Sesame Cucumber Salad

Everyone in our family loves cucumbers.  Our favorite way to have cucumbers is marinated in apple cider vinegar.  I wanted to find a new and easy way to prepare cucumbers and came across this recipe for Sesame Cucumber Salad.  It is from the Carolina Country magazine that my mom gets every month.  

This is now one of our favorite ways to eat cucumbers.  The flavors are well-balanced and they are almost like potato chips, where you can not eat just one.

Sesame Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

1-2 Large cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 Tsp salt
1 Garlic clove, minced
2-3 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil (or sesame oil)
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1/8 Tsp cayenne pepper

Place cucumbers in a colander.  Set in the sink and sprinkle with salt, toss.  Let stand for 30 minutes.  Rinse and drain well.

In a bowl combine garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, sesame seeds and cayenne.  

Add cucumbers to a bowl and toss with dressing to coat.  

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

* Another great ingredient to add would be green onions, sliced.  I did not have any on hand or I would have added them.

Asian Noodle Tofu Stir-Fry

I would have put more on the plate, but this is all that was left!

In the past I have had a hard time cooking tofu in a way that ....well, does not taste like tofu.  I tried some things tonight that really worked.   I thought I would share them with you since I believe they made a huge difference.

• Drain tofu, slice width-wise, and place paper towels on a plate.  Put tofu on top of paper towels, top again with more paper towels, another plate and something super heavy.  Place in the frig and let the water drain.
• After about 30 minutes or so, cut into cubes and place in homemade marinade for a few hours.
• Put 1/2 cup of cornstarch in a plastic bag
• Remove tofu from marinade and place in plastic bag, seal and shake.
• Heat oil in pan (I used sesame oil) and add tofu, turning to brown on each side.

Asian Noodle Tofu Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Fresh lime juice (about 3 Tbsp)
8 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
7 1/2 Tsp sugar
1 1/2 Tsp fresh ginger
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 Large onion, sliced
1/2 Large green pepper, sliced
2 Cups julienne carrots
16 oz Extra firm tofu, cut into cubes after draining water - see instructions above
2 Packages ramen noodles (seasoning discarded)
3 Green onions, sliced

Combine lime juice, soy sauce, sugar and ginger to make marinade.  Set 1/2 of the marinade aside and use the other half to marinate the tofu cubes (see instructions above).

Add 1/2 cup of cornstarch to a plastic bag, add tofu cubes, close and shake.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and add tofu, turning to brown on each side.

Heat another tablespoon of oil in wok or saute pan and add carrots, onions and green pepper.  Cook until soft.  Add any leftover marinade from the tofu marinade to the pan, as well as the other 1/2 of the marinade that was set aside previously.  Cook on low-medium to heat the marinade and allow the vegetables to absorb the flavor of the marinade.

Cook noodles according to package.  Drain the noodles and add to the vegetables.  Stir to combine, add tofu and stir some more.

Top with green onions and serve.

 Verdict: My husband said and I quote "This is so good!"

Our Dinner Menu Plan

All three of my local grocery stores had amazing sales this week.  What does that mean for you? More new recipes...yeah!

This week I only have two new recipes that we will be trying, all the rest are true family favorites. My husband is not too excited about one of the recipes I am trying this week because it has tofu.  He is not a fan of tofu and I am convinced I can change his mind this week.

You may notice that we are having Mushroom Quinoa Burgers this week as well.  If you have never tried these burgers you must give them a try, they are simply fantastic!

Our Dinner Menu Plan

Monday - Asian Noodle Tofu Stir-Fry with Egg Drop Soup

Tuesday - Chicken Meatball and Greens Soup with Pretzel Rolls

Wednesday - Tuna Cakes, Black- Eyed Peas, and Sesame Cucumber Salad

Thursday - Mushroom Quinoa Burgers, Fries, and Carrot Sticks

Friday - Tacos and Side Salad

Saturday - Leftovers

Bean and Barley Vegetarian Crock Pot Chili

Vegetarian Chili

What a great night it has been!  The whole family loved this Bean and Barley Vegetarian Chili that I created tonight.  Everyone cleaned their bowls, including my four year old who asked me if I would please make it again.  

Bean and Barley Vegetarian Crock Pot Chili

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 Green pepper, chopped
1 Carrot, shredded
4 Garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
3 Cups Vegetable broth or water
1 Can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 Cup black beans
1 Cup great northern beans
3/4 Cup pearl barley
1 Bay leaf
Salt and pepper
Optional toppings: green onions, cheese, sour cream and avocado slices

Heat oil in skillet and add onions, green pepper, and carrots.  Cook until onions are translucent.  Add garlic and continue cooking for another 30 seconds.

Add chili powder to the vegetables and continue to cook for another minute.  Add just a little of the vegetable broth to the pan to get all the extra bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the vegetables to the crock pot, with the remaining broth and all the last six ingredients.

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours.

Serve topped with cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream and avocado slices.