Saturday, October 27, 2012

This Week's Menu Oct 21 - 27, 2012


SUNDAY: Two Pot Chili
I call this Two Pot Chili because I have to make two batches every time I make chili. One with beans no meat, one with meat no beans. The girls do not like meat chili, my husband can't have beans. I like both so I mix the two in my bowl when done.

They both start the same, 1 small diced onion, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1 Cup diced tri-colored peppers (I always have a couple frozen bags of these on hand. Kroger/Fred Meyer or Whole Foods carries them.) Once sauteed I take a small amount of this mix and put it in a smaller pan.
Big pan gets 1 lb. sauteed chicken sausage (I get mine either from Central Market in the meat deli or Whole Foods at the meat counter) and one diced jalapeƱo pepper. I dice up a few more and set them aside for Mr. to add to his own, he likes extra spicy. I add one box of Pomi Stewed Tomatoes (save about 1/2 Cup for the small pan), chili powder, cumin and salt to taste.

In the small pan I add 1 Can of beans (the kind depends on my daughter's mood. I let her pick. I use Eden Organic brand because their cans are BPA Free.) 1/2 Cup of the Pomi Tomatoes, garlic powder, a dash of chili powder, cumin and salt to taste.

I don't measure the seasoning. I know, I know, it's one of the things that make keeping a food blog a little difficult. I'm one of those people that goes into the kitchen throws a bunch of stuff into a pot, tastes, and adds a little of this and that. I'm trying to keep track of measurements now I swear. If I had to guess I would say 1-2 TBSP of cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp salt.

I let both pots simmer for 20-30 minutes or longer, really chili is one of those things that gets better the longer it simmers. I serve the girls theirs with noodles or bread.

MONDAY: Spaghetti with meat sauce

TUESDAY: Pinterest Salmon
Oh I love Pinterest. I've been in a bit of a recipe repeat rut lately. So I went to Pinterest and typed "salmon" in to the search. One of the many recipes that popped up was this gem. Not only did I have all of the ingredients, but it was easily adaptable to the needs of my family.

I used 1 TBSP Agave, 2 TBSP Annie's Dijon Mustard ("honey mustard" my husband can eat)
2/3 C. crushed Kettle Potato Chips in place of Panko (husband can't have Panko, but loves some Kettle chips, I used the crumbs from the end of a bag, which is pretty greasy. So I eliminated the oil from the recipe)

This was really good and will definitely be added to our menu in the future.

WEDNESDAY: Vegetable Soup
It has been so cold and rainy here. Hello rain season in Seattle. I have switched my usual breakfast for dinner once a week to soup once a week. Sometimes more if I feel like it. Usually I start with diced onion, celery and carrots sauteed until soft, then add whatever stock and veggies I have on hand. This night it was broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, tomato, chicken stock, ground turkey (browned and cooked through,) thyme, garlic and salt to taste. I just let it simmer until the veggies are cooked. Sometimes I throw it all in the crock pot so I don't have to worry about cooking at dinner time.

THURSDAY: Slow-cooker Garlic Chicken with Quinoa
I used boneless chicken breasts and skipped the browning step. I substitute Oat Flour for the white flour. I cooked the quinoa plain and served the chicken and sauce over top. Yummy. Again, another keeper.

FRIDAY: Turkey Meatloaf Muffins with Mashed Potatoes

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