I enjoy meal planning and cooking, but lately, it has become a chore and I have felt the need to simplify. I have friends who have used one or two week meal plan rotations and have had good luck with that, but I like a little more variety. So, this is what I have come up with. Each day has a theme and I simply choose one of the meals on the list for that day and make sure we have everything we need for it. All of these meals are, or easily can be, gluten, dairy and egg free and they are all tried, tested, and approved (by Preston and me - kid approval not necessary). Most of the meals we eat regularly fit into one of these categories, but if I feel like switching it up, I'm in charge and I'll do it. If you can think of any other meals to add to the list, let me know and I'll add it.
Monday - Beans and Rice
Classic Black Beans and Rice
Fiesta Rice
Bean Curry
Mush
Asian Lentils and Rice from Allred cookbook
Tuesday - Soup or Salad (or Taco Tuesday, per Lauren's request)
The Best Ground Beef Tacos
Big Salad
Taco Salad
Spinach Lentil Soup - from Mom's cookbook
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Colorful Chicken and Squash Soup
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Broccoli and Cheese or Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup - not for us :(
Chicken Tortellini Soup - also not for us :(
Wednesday - Pasta or Potatoes
Baked Potatoes
Cottage Pie
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Spaghetti - with or without meat
Quick Chili Mac - from Mom's cookbook
Meatloaf and potatoes
Pork chops and sweet potatoes
Potato Broccoli Sausage Dinner - from Mom's cookbook
Veggie Pasta Stir Fry (add chicken or shrimp if desired)
Asian Beef and Noodles - from Allred cookbook
Eggs and Noodles
Loaded Enchilada Pasta
Thursday - Chicken and Rice
Basic Stir Fry
Honey Baked Chicken and Baked Brown Rice
Coconut Chicken Curry
Hawaiian Haystacks
Chicken Fried Rice or this version
12-minute Chicken and Broccoli
Chicken Rice Enchilada Skillet
Crockpot Thai Yellow Curry
Friday - Beans or Quinoa
Refried bean and cheese burritos
Sloppy Lentil Joes
Chili
Vegetarian Asian Lettuce Wraps
Lentils Ole - from Scoresby cookbook
Spicy Pintos
Zesty Veggie Enchiladas
Little Quinoa Patties
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos
Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas
Sunday, September 4, 2016
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Food Blogs I Follow
The title of this post may be misleading because there is really only one food blog I follow regularly, but there are others I visit occasionally to see what's new. It's kind of ridiculous how many food blogs there are out there, and it seems like every time I find one I like, they stop posting. But here's a list of some of my favorites.
Mel's Kitchen Cafe - The obvious choice. I don't actually make that many of her new recipes (although I did make the double chocolate oatmeal cookies, which were delish), but if you are searching for a good classic recipe, she's a go to. I have made a few things from there that I didn't love, but chance are good, whatever you make will turn out well. We've been making these granola bites quite a bit lately. Lauren once ate eight in one sitting (or standing). Plus, Mel very rarely has spelling or grammar errors, which is a big turnoff for me.
Pennies and Pancakes - If you are poor, this site is for you. She is not posting any longer, but it's worth perusing the archives for cheap and tasty meals, especially breads. I really like her recipe for hamburger buns, and I have been making her Best Wheat Bread (to use up some hard red wheat) and Grandma's Country White Bread (not actually white, but with white whole wheat flour) lately, and they are both very good. The Grandma's recipe might become my new everyday bread because it holds together much better and I can make thinner slices. Oh, and her refried beans are easier and cheaper than Mel's.
Super Healthy Kids - I occasionally go here to see if there are any new recipes that interest me. They focus a lot on veggies and being well rounded and healthy. My one complaint is that their website is not very easy to navigate.
100 Days of Real Food - Same as above. I only go for the recipes and try to ignore all the organic/natural hype. I like this kale salad and the pumpkin spelt muffins. It's been a while since I found a new recipes from there.
Other sites I have made recipes from, but don't really follow includes Real Food, Real Deals, Two Peas and Their Pod, Budget Bytes, and Tasty Kitchen.
Tell me - what other blogs do you follow or sometimes read? Not that I need to spend more time online, but sometimes I need some new inspiration.
Mel's Kitchen Cafe - The obvious choice. I don't actually make that many of her new recipes (although I did make the double chocolate oatmeal cookies, which were delish), but if you are searching for a good classic recipe, she's a go to. I have made a few things from there that I didn't love, but chance are good, whatever you make will turn out well. We've been making these granola bites quite a bit lately. Lauren once ate eight in one sitting (or standing). Plus, Mel very rarely has spelling or grammar errors, which is a big turnoff for me.
Pennies and Pancakes - If you are poor, this site is for you. She is not posting any longer, but it's worth perusing the archives for cheap and tasty meals, especially breads. I really like her recipe for hamburger buns, and I have been making her Best Wheat Bread (to use up some hard red wheat) and Grandma's Country White Bread (not actually white, but with white whole wheat flour) lately, and they are both very good. The Grandma's recipe might become my new everyday bread because it holds together much better and I can make thinner slices. Oh, and her refried beans are easier and cheaper than Mel's.
Super Healthy Kids - I occasionally go here to see if there are any new recipes that interest me. They focus a lot on veggies and being well rounded and healthy. My one complaint is that their website is not very easy to navigate.
100 Days of Real Food - Same as above. I only go for the recipes and try to ignore all the organic/natural hype. I like this kale salad and the pumpkin spelt muffins. It's been a while since I found a new recipes from there.
Other sites I have made recipes from, but don't really follow includes Real Food, Real Deals, Two Peas and Their Pod, Budget Bytes, and Tasty Kitchen.
Tell me - what other blogs do you follow or sometimes read? Not that I need to spend more time online, but sometimes I need some new inspiration.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Feeding a Hungry Husband on the 6-food Elimination Diet (plus Coconut Chicken Curry )
It has now been six months that Preston has been wheat, dairy, egg, soy, seafood, and peanut free. It hasn't been too bad, although Preston might say differently, and we have gotten used to it. The diet is definitely working. It's nice to not spend time making a nice dinner only to have Preston come home, take a bite, and spend the next hour or two in the bathroom trying to work it down (or up) his throat. I would like to say I make him a lot of fancy allergy friendly treats, but the past six months have also been full of sick kids and babies not sleeping through the night, so I keep it as simple as possible. Plus, one time when I did make a cake for him, he said he would rather eat cereal....so I stopped trying very hard after that.
Our food budget has definitely increased and I am trying hard to just not worry about it, while still keeping things as frugal as possible on my end. This is what his diet is like most days.
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk. Usually some variety of Chex, Cheerios, Rice Krispies, or Corn Flakes, although there are more options becoming available. This is where most of the increase in our food budget has come from. We go through lots of cereal and lots of almond milk. Almond milk is $1 cheaper at BJ's, so I get it from there as often as possible, but it's still just expensive.
Lunch: I try to make a dinner that will have leftovers that Preston can take, but it doesn't always happen. If he doesn't have leftovers, he has oatmeal packets and fruit, or buys a salad or rice bowl.
Snacks: At work, his staples are Enjoy Life bars, Justin's Honey Almond Butter packets, and oatmeal packets. At home, his staple snack is........cereal........with almond milk.
Dinner: There really are only a few options that are completely off the table for dinner - like pizza - I can't make pizza allergy friendly. Or lasagna. Or quiche. But most other things can be adjusted. Our staples lately have been baked potatoes, bean and cheese burritos (bean and guacamole on corn tortillas for Preston), basic stir fry, brown rice spaghetti, and any other chicken and rice or beans and rice combination. I have made meatloaf with applesauce and quick oats instead of eggs and bread crumbs. We have also discovered some new favorite recipes, like the lentil, sausage, and spinach soup from Mom's cookbook, and the coconut chicken curry recipe below.
Preston has another upper GI endoscopy in a couple of weeks, and then will probably start adding foods back in one at a time. Six months from now, only one or two of these things will be permanent. That will be nice.
Coconut Chicken Curry from the Budget Bytes cookbook (my changes in parentheses)
2 T vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled (I always used powdered)
1.5 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1.5-2 inch chunks
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t turmeric
1 t curry powder
2 cans coconut milk (I think one is plenty, especially if you use less chicken)
1/2 t salt
6 cups cooked rice (I cook 1.5 cups dry rice and it's about right)
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro (I omit because cilantro is way too expensive and I can take it or leave it)
Heat the vegetable oil in large skillet. Add the onion and garlic, and using a small-holed cheese grater or a Microplane, grate the ginger directly into the skillet. Saute about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the chicken and continue to saute until the chicken is cooked through.
Add the paprika, turmeric, and curry powder and saute for 1 minute more. Add the coconut milk and stir, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes more, or until warmed through. Stir in the salt. Serve over rice. Top with cilantro leaves, if desired.
Our food budget has definitely increased and I am trying hard to just not worry about it, while still keeping things as frugal as possible on my end. This is what his diet is like most days.
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk. Usually some variety of Chex, Cheerios, Rice Krispies, or Corn Flakes, although there are more options becoming available. This is where most of the increase in our food budget has come from. We go through lots of cereal and lots of almond milk. Almond milk is $1 cheaper at BJ's, so I get it from there as often as possible, but it's still just expensive.
Lunch: I try to make a dinner that will have leftovers that Preston can take, but it doesn't always happen. If he doesn't have leftovers, he has oatmeal packets and fruit, or buys a salad or rice bowl.
Snacks: At work, his staples are Enjoy Life bars, Justin's Honey Almond Butter packets, and oatmeal packets. At home, his staple snack is........cereal........with almond milk.
Dinner: There really are only a few options that are completely off the table for dinner - like pizza - I can't make pizza allergy friendly. Or lasagna. Or quiche. But most other things can be adjusted. Our staples lately have been baked potatoes, bean and cheese burritos (bean and guacamole on corn tortillas for Preston), basic stir fry, brown rice spaghetti, and any other chicken and rice or beans and rice combination. I have made meatloaf with applesauce and quick oats instead of eggs and bread crumbs. We have also discovered some new favorite recipes, like the lentil, sausage, and spinach soup from Mom's cookbook, and the coconut chicken curry recipe below.
Preston has another upper GI endoscopy in a couple of weeks, and then will probably start adding foods back in one at a time. Six months from now, only one or two of these things will be permanent. That will be nice.
Coconut Chicken Curry from the Budget Bytes cookbook (my changes in parentheses)
2 T vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled (I always used powdered)
1.5 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1.5-2 inch chunks
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t turmeric
1 t curry powder
2 cans coconut milk (I think one is plenty, especially if you use less chicken)
1/2 t salt
6 cups cooked rice (I cook 1.5 cups dry rice and it's about right)
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro (I omit because cilantro is way too expensive and I can take it or leave it)
Heat the vegetable oil in large skillet. Add the onion and garlic, and using a small-holed cheese grater or a Microplane, grate the ginger directly into the skillet. Saute about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the chicken and continue to saute until the chicken is cooked through.
Add the paprika, turmeric, and curry powder and saute for 1 minute more. Add the coconut milk and stir, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes more, or until warmed through. Stir in the salt. Serve over rice. Top with cilantro leaves, if desired.
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