Meal Plan from a Crazy Pregnant Lady

With a new bambino arriving sometime this week, I'm going to throw out my meal plan while I have brain cells enough to do it. A couple of disclaimers. 

• First, my husband would laugh at the thought of me actually making all 7 of these meals in a week. With a family of three up to this point and none of us home before 5:45, I probably cook 3-4 times a week and we supplement with leftovers, "meal helpers" (Zatarains), and eating out. But! All of these meals are in our rotation of items on a regular basis.
• I heart Cooking Light. You'll find them credited a couple of times.
• I don't do much spontaneous cooking. I like a recipe. With measurements. :)

And awaaaaay we go!

Manic Crockpot Monday

Red Beans and Rice (a la Cooking Light - April 2003)

Serves 4-5 

• 3 c. water 
• ½ tsp. black pepper 
• 1 c. dried red kidney beans 
• ½ (14-oz) package turkey, pork, and beef smoked sausage, thinly sliced (such as Healthy Choice) 
• 1 c. chopped onion 
• 1 c. chopped green bell pepper 
• 1 bay leaf 
• ¾ c. chopped celery 
• 5 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 tsp. dried thyme 
• ¾ tsp. ground red pepper 
• 1 tsp. paprika 
• 3 c. hot cooked long-grain rice 
• ½ tsp. salt 
• ¼ c. chopped green onions 

Combine first 12 ingredients in an electric slow cooker. Cover with lid; cook on high heat for 5 hours. 

Discard bay leaf; stir in salt. 

Serve over rice; sprinkle servings evenly with green onions. 

 

Notes from my test kitchen: You can also do this on low in the crockpot for 8 hours. If you're using one of the larger crockpots (6 qt), I highly recommend doubling the recipe and freezing it (or serving as leftovers). For whatever reason, it just cooks better that way.

Fresh Green Salad

Bisquick Cheesy Biscuits (courtesy of Ms. Betty Crocker)

• 2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
• 2/3cup milk
• 1/2cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
• 2tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/8teaspoon garlic powder

Heat oven to 450ºF.

Stir Bisquick mix, milk and cheese until soft dough forms. Drop dough by 9 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 Stir together butter and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits.

 

 

Tuesday $10 Tilapia!

I feel silly even typing this (especially with my proclaimed love of recipes). It also qualifies for the super-fast category.

Tony's Tilapia

• 1 Tilapia filet/person
• Tony Cachere's 
• Cooking Spray

Preheat your broiler. Cover a broiling pan or cookie sheet with foil. (Cause really - who wants to clean that?) Spray the foil with the cooking spray. 

Place all Tilapia filets on the pan. 

Sprinkle with your comfort level of Tony's. (Our House: Husband = lots, kiddo = not so much)

Broil for 5-10 minutes (until fish is white and flakes easily).

Canned Purple Hull Peas

Cook per package directions

Boxed Couscous or Wild Rice Blend

Cook per package directions

Wishin' Wednesday Would Hurry Along

Tortellini Soup

(Serves 4-6)

• 3 cans (14 ½ oz.) chicken broth 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 18 oz. refrigerated tortellini 
• 2 tsp. fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil 
• 1 can (14 ½ oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained 
• Shredded parmesan cheese 
• 4 green onions, chopped 

Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat; add tortellini, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and basil.
Reduce heat and simmer ten minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese when serving. 

Fresh Green Salad

French Bread

Exotic Thursday - a One-dish meal

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry (Cooking Light March 2011)

• 2 (3 1/2-ounce) bags boil-in-bag long-grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry, divided
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 1 teaspoon sugar $
• 1 pound boneless sirloin steak, cut diagonally across grain into thin slices $
• 1/2 cup lower-sodium beef broth $
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce) or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided $
• 1 tablespoon bottled ground fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 4 cups prechopped broccoli florets $
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions

Cook rice according to directions.

While rice cooks, combine 1 tablespoon sherry, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sugar, and beef. Stir together 1 tablespoon sherry, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, broth, cornstarch, hoisin, and Sriracha.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef mixture; sauté 3 minutes or until browned. Remove beef from pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add ginger and garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add broccoli and 1/4 cup water; cook 1 minute. Add onions; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth mixture and beef mixture; cook 2 minutes or until beef is thoroughly heated and sauce is slightly thick. Serve beef mixture over rice.

 

Meatless Friday - A Splurge

Crawfish and Shrimp Over Pasta
(Serves 6)

• 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup 
• Red Cayenne Pepper 
• 3 green onions, chopped 
• Black Pepper 
• 1 white onion, diced 
• Salt 
• 6 mushrooms, sliced 
• Dried Basil or thyme 
• 1 lb. crawfish tails 
• Olive Oil 
• 1 lb. shrimp, shelled and deveined 
• White Wine 
• ½ pt. Half-and-half 
• Angel Hair Pasta, cooked 

Brown onions in a very small amount of olive oil in a large skillet about 6 minutes. Add about ¼ c. white wine to deglaze pan. Let cook for a minute. 

Add mushroom soup, red pepper, black pepper, basil and salt (all to taste). Stir to dissolve the soup and let this mixture simmer about 6-7 minutes. 
Add crawfish, shrimp and half-and-half. Stir and let cook until shrimp is just done. (It doesn’t take long and they shouldn’t be overcooked – about 8 minutes).
Serve over pasta.

Roasted Asparagus

• 1 bunch Asparagus
• Cooking Spray
• Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 400. Trim Asparagus and place on cooking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Cook about 5 minutes or until crisp. 

Your Fave Bread
(Yeast Rolls, Multi-grain French, Whatever was an Ooops at Kroger, etc)

Saturday Family Fun Day

This has to be a Saturday type meal for our family in order to make it to the table in a timely fashion. That said... sooooo worth it. 
Mustard Glazed Pork Tenderloin

• 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard 
• 1 clove garlic 
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil 
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper 
• 1 Tbs. soy sauce 
• (1) ½ lb. pork tenderloin, scored ¼” every 2” 

In a bowl, combine all but pork. Brush ½ marinade onto pork tenderloin. Let stand 10 minutes. 

Place pork on rack in preheated broiler pan. Broil 4” from heat for 8 minutes. Remove; turn tenderloin. Brush with remaining marinade and return to over for 8 minutes or until 155°.

Notes from my test kitchen: Also great on grill. Cook 10 minutes on each side or until 155°. Double marinade recipe and separate to allow dipping at table. 

 

City Hall Mac and Cheese

(Schwartz, J. Macaroni and Cheese. Villard: New York, 2001.)

• Butter for the Pan
• 1 lb penne rigate
• 2 c heavy cream
• 2 c whole milk
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 c. grated American cheese
• 1 1/3 c. Monterey Jack cheese
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 c. panko
• 2 tsp. chopped parsley
• 2 tsp. grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9*13" baking pan or dish.
Bring 6 qts water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-10 minutes. Drain.
Combine cream, milk, cayenne, nutmeg in a large sauce pan over medium-high and cook about 15 minutes (or until reduced by 1/4 - 1/2). Reduce heat to medium low, add the American and Monterey Jack cheeses, and whisk until well-blended. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the penne and stir vigorously.

Poor into baking dish. Combine panko, parsley & Parmesan and sprinkle over pasta.

Bake until bubbly and golden (15 minutes).

Notes from my test kitchen: You can totally do everything up to the part where you bake, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Then pull from the fridge, let come to room temp, and bake 15-20 minutes. I've done this when making for others or cooking for a crowd. 

Steamed Broccoli

Follow directions on bag of broccoli florets from the produce section.

Comforts of Sunday

Double Cheese Meatloaf (Cooking Light, Sept. 1998)
(Also known as the meatloaf that convinced my husband not all meatloaf is created equal.)

• Cooking spray $
• 1 cup chopped onion $
• 6 tablespoons ketchup, divided $
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese $
• 1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 pound lean ground beef

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place a medium nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, and sauté for 3 minutes. Combine the onion, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon mustard, mozzarella, and next 6 ingredients (mozzarella through egg) in a large bowl. Crumble ground meats over cheese mixture; stir just until blended.

Pack mixture into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Combine 2 tablespoons ketchup and 1 tablespoon mustard; spread over top of loaf. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until meat thermometer registers 160°. Let meat loaf stand in pan 10 minutes.

Remove meat loaf from pan, and cut into 12 slices.

 

 

Parsley Potatoes

• 1 lb. new potatoes, diced 
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1 Tbs. olive oil 
• ½ tsp. salt 
• ¼ c. chopped fresh parsley 
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper 

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Drain well.
Toss potatoes with oil to coat. Add parsley, garlic, salt and pepper; mix well. Serve hot.

Green Beans