Week Three Menu

Here it is... I haven't made all of them, but some of them sounded pretty good Let me know what you think!

Monday:  Penne with Fresh Vegetables

*This is a diabetic friendly recipie with just the Penne with fresh veggies. Add a side of garlic bread if you would like for the not so friendly meal!

Serving size: 4

Ingredients:
olive oil cooking spray
3/4 pound (360 g) eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch dice
1/2 pound (240 g) zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch dice
6 ounces (180 g) red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, 8 ounces (480 g), sliced thin
3 Roma tomatoes, about 1 pound (480 g), seeded and chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons (22.5 ml) balsamic vinegar
8 ounces (240 g) penne rigate pasta
1/2 cup (100 g) low fat ricotta cheese
1/3 cup (22 g) fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons (18 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Coat with cooking spray. Place the eggplant and zucchini cubes on the foil and coat with cooking spray. Broil, turning until the vegetables are browned and cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Sauté the onion and garlic until wilted. Add the red pepper and tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and set aside. Stir in the eggplant and zucchini.
4. Cook the pasta as per package directions until cooked al dente. Drain under cold water and place in a large bowl. Toss with the vegetables. Stir in the ricotta and basil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.

*recipie from diebetic-recipies.com
 
Tuesday: Thai Pork Wraps
               Add fresh fruit to this dinner like cantelope or some mango.. Mmmm that would be good!
 
Serving size: makes 10 wraps
 
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 pound boneless pork chops (cut with the grain into 1/4 inch by 2-inch strips)
1 bag (16 ounces) cole slaw mix
2 cups shredded carrot
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 cup sweet red chili sauce (such as thai kitchen)
10 large bib lettuce leaves
1/2 cucumber, seeded, peeled and cut into matchsticks
fresh mint and lime wedges
 
Instructions:
1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat. Add the pork and cook for 3 minutes until cooked thought. Remove to plate and keep warm. Add remaining tablspoon oil, the cole slaw mix, carrot, scallion and garlic. Cook 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in sweet chili sauce and reserved pork and heat though.
2. To serve place about 1/2 cup filling in center of each *lettuce leaf. Add some cucumber and mint. Spritz with lime, roll up and serve.
 
*You can serve with whole wheat tortillas or rice flour tortillas!
 
**Recipie from Family Circle Magazine
 
Wednesday: Chicken and Dumplings

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-11/2 cubes
3 cans (14 1/2 ounces EACH) reduced sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
4 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaaspoon pepper

Dumplings:
3 egg whites
1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions:
1. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown chicken until no longer pink. Add the broth, water, vegetables, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Meanwhile, for dumplings, in a large bowl, beat the egg whites, and cottage cheese until blended. Add water and salt. Stir in flour and mix well.
3. Bring soup to a boil. Drop dumplings by tablespoonfuls onto the boiling soup. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in dumplings comes out clean. (DO NOT lift cover while simmering) Serve immediately.

*recipie not mine I do not know where I got it from but its a good one!
** also I believe it is also Diabetic friendly Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 2-1/2 starch

Thrusday: Tater tot casserole
                Broccoli with cheesewiz

Serving size: 6

Ingredients:
1 package tatertots (frozen)
1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:
Crumble and brown ground beef in large skillet. Add chopped onion and cook until tender. Add cream of mushroom soup and mix well. Spread in greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Top with tater tots. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake another 15 minutes.

Broccoli with cheese sauce:

2 cups or broccoli
cheesewiz

Pour about 1 inch of water into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add broccoli. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 10 minutes, or until broccoli is slightly tender. Drain and put into a serving bowl. Add cheezewiz while still hot and mix until melted. Serve.

Friday/Saturday: pulled barbecue chicken sandwiches
                          French green beans
                          Fruit bowl

Pulled barbecue chicken

Ingredients:
4 bloneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle barbecue sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup onion sliced
hamburger buns (or rolls)

Instructions:
1. In a slow cooker mix barbecue sauce onion and honey well. Add chicken and cover. Cook on Medium heat for about 5 hours, or until chicken can be pulled apart with a fork.
2. Once done, transfer chicken to a plate and shred with fork. Return it to the sauce, stir well and enjoy!

Fruit bowl:

1 can mandarin oranges
2 bananas sliced
1 cup green grapes
1 can pineapple chunks
1 cup vanilla yogurt

Drain pineapple and oranges. Toss fruit in a bowl with yogurt.

*Fruit idea from: What's for Dinner

Sunday: Barbecued Spare Ribs

             Twice-Baked potatoes

Serving size: 6
Barbecued Spare Ribs:

Ingredients:
6 to 8 country style spareribs
Barbecue sauce

Place ribs in large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 90 min. Remove from water and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Pour barbecue sauce over ribs. Bake for 30 min. at 350, basting often with sauce.

Ribs can also be grilled for 10 min. on each side basting frequently with sauce.

Twice-baked potatoes:

Ingredients
6 potatoes
¼ cup butter
4 Tbsp milk
¼ tsp salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:
Scrub potatoes. Rub with butter and wrap in foil. Bake at 350 for 1 to 11/2 hrs until potatoes are tender with squeezed gently. Let cool until easy to handle. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out insides leaving ¼ -inch around skin. Add butter and milk to potatoes and mash until smooth. Stir in salt and cheese. Fill potato shells with mashed potato mixture. Sprinkle more cheese on top of potatoes. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 15 to 20 min or until cheese is melted.

Week 2 Menu

Here is week #2, I know its a little late but it still works! I'm not sure how many people are following yet but let me know if any of you try any of these recipies. I can also attach pictures, but please remember I am no professional and therefore my dishes don't look professional! thanks all!

Monday: Creamy Chicken noodle soup

                      Corn bread

Serving size: 6

Creamy Chicken noodle soup

Ingredients:

6 cups water

2 chicken breasts

1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon or base (low sodium)

2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped celery

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup fat free evaporated milk

1/2 cup onion chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 cups dry whole grain egg noodles

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cold water

Instructions:

Bring water to a boil in large pot. Add chicken, bouillion or base and stir until dissolved. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken and cut into small pieces. Return to broth and add carrots, celery and onion. cover and cook until tender. Add noodles and cook for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Mix cream of chicken soup, evaporated milk and spices together and slowly stir into broth mixture. Whisk flour and cold water together until smooth. Stir four mixture into soup and cook until thickened.

Corn Bread:

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 cup cornmeal

2/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven  to 400 F. Spray or lightly grease a 9" cake pan

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. pour batter into prepanred pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

*recipies from Whats for Dinner and allrecipies.com

Tuesday: Lasagna

                       Layered Vegetable Salad

                      Garlic Bread

Serving Size: 6

Lasagna :

Ingredients:
6 wide lasagna noodles (whole grain)
1 ½ pounds extra lean ground beef
½ onion, chopped
2 cans tomato paste
3 cans water
1 garlic clove
1 ½ tsp oregano
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
1. Fill a large pot half full of water. Bring to a boil on high heat. Add noodles and bring to a boil. Lower heat just enough to keep water boiling. Cook for 10 min. Drain noodles and set aside in cold water. You can use dry noodles, but will need to increase baking time.
2. Crumble and brown ground beef and onion in large saucepan. Drain off excess fat. Mix together tomato paste and water until smooth. Stir into ground beef. Add spices. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Simmer on low 2 to 3 hours.
3. Spread a thick layer of meat sauce in a 9x13-in. baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Arrange a layer of noodles over meat sauce. Spoon 1 cup cottage cheese over noodles, then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Repeat, ending with another layer of meat sauce. Put mozzarella cheese over top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 min. or 50 if using dry noodles.

Layered Vegetable Salad: (What’s for dinner pg. 3)

Ingredients:
1 head of lettuce
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup celery, chopped
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1 cup salad dressing
1 Tbsp sugar
½ cup sour cream
½ tsp salt
1 cup grated cheese

Instructions:
Break lettuce in small pieces. Rinse peas in cold water and drain. Lightly toss vegetables and egg. Mix together salad dressing, sugar, sour cream and salt. Spread over vegetables. Sprinkle cheese over top. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

*Recipies from Whats for Dinner

Wednesday: Sweet and sour chicken and brown rice
                              Wonton salad
                              Wontons (if you would like)

Serving size: 4

Sweet and sour chicken:

Ingredients
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 cup broccoil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup water chestnuts
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup green onion
2/3 cup white or rice vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 Tablespoons and 2 teaspoons water
Instant brown rice (follow instructions on box)

Instructions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and gently saute garlic until just fragrant. Add sliced chicken and saute until no longer pink. Add chopped vegetables and cook until just soft.
2. While keeping and eye on the chicken and vegetables, mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce  together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.
3.Remove everything from heat once done cooking. Place chicken and vegetable mixture to cooked brown rice then add sauce on top. Serve hot!

Wonton Salad

Ingredients:
1/2 package wonton wraps
1 head of lettuce
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup rice or white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 450, and cut wontons into fourths. Place on a baking sheet and spray both sides with cooking spray. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until brown and crisp.
2. Tear lettuce into serving bowl. Add celery and onions. Toast sesame seeds in 350 oven for 3 to 4 minutes, until brown. Toss with begetables. Add wonton and mix.
3. Mix together in a jar with a tight lid oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Shake until well blended. Pour over salad just before serving.

Wontons:

Ingredintes:
40 square wonton wrappers (found in produce section)
8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Instructions:
1. Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar
2. place 1 teaspoon of cheese mixture in wonton wrapper and follow package instruction on how to form a wonton.
3. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
4. Place wontons on cookie sheet and spray tops with more cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 F.

*Recipies from: Whats for Dinner, About.com, recipezaar.com and The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook.

Thursday: Meatloaf
                         Garlic Mashed potatoes           

Ingredients:
For the meatloaf:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup ketchup, plus extra for brushing on top
1 egg
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons fresh, chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lean ground turkey
1 pound lean ground beef sirloin
For the potatoes:
1 garlic bulb, unpeeled
splash of olive oil
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
about 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

For the meatloaf:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 2 minutes more and set aside to cool.
3. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the ketchup, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, pepper and the cooled onion mixture. Add the turkey and beef sirloin and mix until it is just combined.
4. Pack the mixture into a 9-inch loaf pan, brush the top with ketchup and bake for 1 hour until fully cooked. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

For the potatoes:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the garlic cloves in an ovenproof dish and drizzle with olive oil. Place the dish, uncovered, in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the garlic is golden brown and soft. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. Prick each potato several times with the tip of a sharp knife. Place them in a single layer in a microwave-safe container and microwave until they are tender throughout, about 8 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.
4. In a small saucepan, bring the stock to a boil and turn down to a simmer.
5. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into a small bowl to release each clove of garlic. Mash the garlic with a fork and throw the skins away.
6. Mash the potatoes (and their skins) with a potato masher or fork. Add the roasted garlic. Slowly add the stock until the desired consistency is reached.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*recipies from foodfit.com

Friday/Saturday: Hamburgers
                                         Chips of your choice
                                         Macaroni salad

Serving size: 6

Hamburgers:

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion chopped
mushrooms sliced
salt and pepper
6 hamburger buns
Sliced cheese
1 tomato chopped
pickles
seasonings
low fat mayo or miracle whip
mustard

Instructions:

1.place a piece of wax paper down. Divide hamburger into 6 patties. Smash the hamburger into a round hamburger shape. (I do it pretty thin, it will shrink to about half the size.) Season both sides of hamburger with seasoning of your choice.
2. Cook on a bar b q, mini grilling machine or in a pan on your stove, until no longer pink in the center.
3. place on bun and add desired toppings

Macaroni salad:

Ingredients:
2 cups small wholegrain pasta shells
1 cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup sliced olives
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup salad dressing (I use italian)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

Instructions:
Bring about 5 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta shells and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and cover  with cold water until cool. Drain. Add vegetables. Mix together salad dressing, spices and relish. stir into pasta and toss.

*Recipe from Whats for Dinner

Sunday: Slow cooker pot roast

Serving size: 4

Ingredients:
A 2-3 pound roast with all the fat trimmed off
1-2 pounds of small red potatoes, washed and halved, unpeeled

4-5 carrots, washed and cut into 2” chunks
1 white or vidalia onion, thickly sliced
two celery ribs, washed and cut into 2” chunks
3-5 garlic cloves
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1. In the bottom of the crock pot, place the carrots, potatoes, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Season all sides of the meat with salt and pepper. Place the meat on top of the vegetables. Place the onion slices around the sides and on top of the meat.
3. Pour the water into the slow cooker. Put the lid on and turn the cooker on “low”. Cook for 8-10 hours, or until the meat and potatoes are cooked and very tender.
If you wanted, you could make a gravy in the crock pot. Just take out the roast and veggies and turn the crock pot on high, with the lid on. Meanwhile, mix a few tablespoons of cold water with 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch. When the juices from the water, meat, and vegetables are boiling, add the cornstarch mix to the liquid and stir until thickened.

*recipie from: healthytastycheap