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.
Monday, October 19, 2015
No Bake Peanut Butter Cheerio Jumbles
Maybe you all have or know this recipe already and I'm being redundant by posting it, but just in case you don't, here it is. It is just Scotch A Roos with Cheerios instead of Rice Krispies and no frosting, but absolutely worth making.
I remember going to a park once while we were visiting the Clarks and Aunt MaryAnn pulled some of these out. Years later, when we stayed with the Clarks for a few weeks as Preston was starting law school, these were made several times. I believe Matt titled them, "Awesome." I tried to come up with a more descriptive name. Anyway, they are pretty awesome. Lauren and Andrew are big fans, and Preston thinks these are the only decent use for Cheerios.
No Bake Peanut Butter Cheerio Jumbles
1 c sugar
1 c white corn syrup
1 c peanut butter
6-7 c Cheerios
Mix sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a full boil. Take off heat, add peanut butter and mix. Add Cheerios and mix. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and cool.
I remember going to a park once while we were visiting the Clarks and Aunt MaryAnn pulled some of these out. Years later, when we stayed with the Clarks for a few weeks as Preston was starting law school, these were made several times. I believe Matt titled them, "Awesome." I tried to come up with a more descriptive name. Anyway, they are pretty awesome. Lauren and Andrew are big fans, and Preston thinks these are the only decent use for Cheerios.
No Bake Peanut Butter Cheerio Jumbles
1 c sugar
1 c white corn syrup
1 c peanut butter
6-7 c Cheerios
Mix sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a full boil. Take off heat, add peanut butter and mix. Add Cheerios and mix. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and cool.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Bars
These bars are tasty. They are similar to baked oatmeal, but hold together well. They are made with simple, healthy ingredients and it makes a large panful. I might try using honey or brown sugar in place of the maple syrup next time, but the maple syrup ones were delicious. I haven't had great success with homemade granola bars, but I think these are a good substitute.
Cinnamon Raisin Snack Bars from Real Food Real Deals via SunMaid
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 cup maple syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats
2 t. baking powder
1.5 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 cup raisins (I didn't use Sun-Maid...gasp!)
Combine wet ingredients in one bowl and dry ingredients in another bowl, then combine. Stir in raisins, then transfer to a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before cutting into bars.
Cinnamon Raisin Snack Bars from Real Food Real Deals via SunMaid
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 cup maple syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats
2 t. baking powder
1.5 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 cup raisins (I didn't use Sun-Maid...gasp!)
Combine wet ingredients in one bowl and dry ingredients in another bowl, then combine. Stir in raisins, then transfer to a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before cutting into bars.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Sauce
I finally made a couple things worth sharing. I'll start with this one since you may also be looking for a way to use your abundant tomatoes. We had a bowlful, so I broke one of my own cooking rules and made spaghetti sauce from scratch. It wasn't too bad to make and the sauce turned out pretty well. Lauren had thirds.
Since I had tomatoes and basil in the garden, I doled out the 99 cents for fresh parsley (by the way, what else do I make with fresh parsley?). The recipe is from food.com, but I don't feel like looking for the link. I found it by doing a Bing search for spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes.
Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Sauce
4 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (I'd peel them too)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 sprigs parsley
1 tablespoon sugar
grated parmesan cheese
Heat olive oil in a large iron skillet or heavy saucepan. Add onion, basil, garlic, and salt; saute until onion is tender, 5-7 minutes. Add tomatoes, parsley, and sugar; heat to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 2 hours, stirring often, or until sauce has thickened. Remove parsley. (Edited to add: at this point, I used an immersion blender to mostly puree the sauce so it was smoother and more like jarred spaghetti sauce.) Serve over spaghetti or other Italian pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.
I read another recipe that said to add half a carrot to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes and add some sweetness, so I did that, and I thought the sauce was almost too sweet. If you do that, I would reduce the sugar a bit.
Since I had tomatoes and basil in the garden, I doled out the 99 cents for fresh parsley (by the way, what else do I make with fresh parsley?). The recipe is from food.com, but I don't feel like looking for the link. I found it by doing a Bing search for spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes.
Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Sauce
4 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (I'd peel them too)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 sprigs parsley
1 tablespoon sugar
grated parmesan cheese
Heat olive oil in a large iron skillet or heavy saucepan. Add onion, basil, garlic, and salt; saute until onion is tender, 5-7 minutes. Add tomatoes, parsley, and sugar; heat to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 2 hours, stirring often, or until sauce has thickened. Remove parsley. (Edited to add: at this point, I used an immersion blender to mostly puree the sauce so it was smoother and more like jarred spaghetti sauce.) Serve over spaghetti or other Italian pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.
I read another recipe that said to add half a carrot to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes and add some sweetness, so I did that, and I thought the sauce was almost too sweet. If you do that, I would reduce the sugar a bit.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Five recipes worth making
I have been super lazy about meal planning and cooking lately, doing lots of last minute, what do we have around meals. I am usually good to fix breakfast and I'm always up for baking something delicious, but when it comes to dinner, I just haven't felt like cooking, and I am struggling to eat very healthy. All I want is anything sugary and carby. The following recipes have all been hits, though, and bonus: they're all pretty easy and healthy.
1. 12-Minute Chicken and Broccoli from Gimme Some Oven. This popped up on my facebook feed on one of those days when I hadn't planned anything. It definitely took me more than 12 minutes to make, but not by much and I have made it several times since. It is delicious and I almost always have chicken and broccoli around. I think I have used chicken thighs each time I made it just because they were on hand and they are delicious.
2. Creamy Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup found on Tasty Kitchen. After the initial chopping, this was easy, and soooo good. Preston and I ate the entire pot in one sitting. Yes, I know that means we ate a whole cup of cheese between the two of us, but it also means we ate a whole head of cauliflower between the two of us. It was worth it. I paid too much for cauliflower today so we can have it again tomorrow.
3. Bean Curry from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I have made this a number of times and I like it every time. It is deliciously different from the usual stir fry or beans and rice dish. It does have one expensive ingredient - garam masala - which cost me around $6 a jar, but it should last for years and you can't really just skip it. I think it is worth the investment. You could also make your own, but then you would have to buy a jar of cardamom, which is $15 a jar, so you choose. I always add the cauliflower and highly recommend it.
4. Pumpkin Bars from Pennies and Pancakes. I knew I had to make these the first time I saw them and I finally did last week with cream cheese frosting. They were so good. Definitely the best way to use a can of pumpkin. I already want to make them again, but I'm trying to resist. Although with whole wheat flour, applesauce instead of oil, and a whole can of pumpkin, maybe I can convince myself that they are a healthy snack. I only frosted about half and even the plain bars were delectable.
5. Whole Wheat Bread from An Oregon Cottage. I got tired of the other bread I had been making and have been looking for a good alternative. I am still trying new recipes, but this is the one I keep coming back to. I sometimes use honey, but more often use brown sugar and up the water just a touch. I let it rise in a warm oven, then turn in on and bake for 38 minutes. I am planning to start baking several batches a week to fill up the freezer and this is probably the recipe I will use.
1. 12-Minute Chicken and Broccoli from Gimme Some Oven. This popped up on my facebook feed on one of those days when I hadn't planned anything. It definitely took me more than 12 minutes to make, but not by much and I have made it several times since. It is delicious and I almost always have chicken and broccoli around. I think I have used chicken thighs each time I made it just because they were on hand and they are delicious.
2. Creamy Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup found on Tasty Kitchen. After the initial chopping, this was easy, and soooo good. Preston and I ate the entire pot in one sitting. Yes, I know that means we ate a whole cup of cheese between the two of us, but it also means we ate a whole head of cauliflower between the two of us. It was worth it. I paid too much for cauliflower today so we can have it again tomorrow.
3. Bean Curry from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I have made this a number of times and I like it every time. It is deliciously different from the usual stir fry or beans and rice dish. It does have one expensive ingredient - garam masala - which cost me around $6 a jar, but it should last for years and you can't really just skip it. I think it is worth the investment. You could also make your own, but then you would have to buy a jar of cardamom, which is $15 a jar, so you choose. I always add the cauliflower and highly recommend it.
4. Pumpkin Bars from Pennies and Pancakes. I knew I had to make these the first time I saw them and I finally did last week with cream cheese frosting. They were so good. Definitely the best way to use a can of pumpkin. I already want to make them again, but I'm trying to resist. Although with whole wheat flour, applesauce instead of oil, and a whole can of pumpkin, maybe I can convince myself that they are a healthy snack. I only frosted about half and even the plain bars were delectable.
5. Whole Wheat Bread from An Oregon Cottage. I got tired of the other bread I had been making and have been looking for a good alternative. I am still trying new recipes, but this is the one I keep coming back to. I sometimes use honey, but more often use brown sugar and up the water just a touch. I let it rise in a warm oven, then turn in on and bake for 38 minutes. I am planning to start baking several batches a week to fill up the freezer and this is probably the recipe I will use.
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