The Early Bird Makes a Meal Plan!

It is a great ritual, getting up early on the weekends...brew the coffee, read the paper, enjoy the silence.

Ever since we got our puppy, we tend to get up a bit earlier on weekends.  It is actually quite lovely as everyone else is sleeping, and since hockey and ringette are over our time is our own.  This morning, I really made the most of my time, and actually was a bit of a nerdy-meal-planner, as I had the time to do it.

4 cups of coffee later....4 lasagne's...and it's only 9 am!

What was on the agenda today?

• Lasagne...did 4 lasagne's today...yes FOUR:  2 with meat and 2 with spinach and ricotta

• Cajun Skillet Beans with ground turkey

The lasagne, though a bit tedious, was easy, and while I was grating cheese, browning beef and boiling noodles (no oven-ready for me!), I had my iPad on my mindless albeit entertaining soap (GH of course). The meat lasagne was easy, as it really is just home-made spaghetti sauce, and then a bit of layering.  The spinach and ricotta one took a bit of thought, and in the end, I just made something up, which tasted pretty good!

Cajun Skillet Beans with a Turkey Twist

The cajun skillet beans are a recipe from a friend of mine and of course, not one to follow directions, I had to make it a bit different and add in some ground turkey (only because I bought some and nobody wanted turkey burgers).  In the end....I have all my meals for the week.

Monday:    Cajun Skillet beans with turkey

Tuesday:  Lasagne (meat or spinach...I can choose!)

Wednesday:  Beef on a bun  and salad (found some leftover beef in the freezer)

Thursday:  Leftover skillet beans with salad and garlic toast

Friday:  Finger Food  Friday!


Spinach Ricotta Lasagne

- 3 packs of chopped frozen spinach
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- lots of minced garlic
- 3 eggs
- lasagne noodles
- tomato sauce

Microwave spinach and squeeze out excess water (as much as you can).  Then add in the ricotta, the minced garlic and the eggs. Mix well.  Can add in a bit of the mozza as well, just save some of the shredded cheese for the top.   Layer the noodles and alternate with the spinach mixture ( I did 3 layers of noodles, and ended with the the spinach mixture.  On the top layer, I put some tomato sauce and then topped with shredded mozzarella.  I have no idea how this will taste, but it really looked yummy!  This recipe made 2 lasagne's, though I had to do them both at the same time to allow equal spinach on each!

Cajun Skillet Beans with Ground Turkey

-2 packages of ground turkey (dark meat is best as it is more tender)
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 chopped pepper (green, or yellow, or whatever you have)
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 can of whole tomatoes (19 oz can)
- 1 - 2 fresh tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 - 2 TBSP honey
- 1 1/2 TBSP dijon mustard
- 2 TBSP vegetable oil
- beans:  1 can of black eyed peas and 1 can of mixed beans
- herbs: fresh thyme, fresh basil and fresh oregano
- spices: chili powder, cayenne pepper (not a lot!)
- salt and pepper to taste

Brown the turkey and once cooked put aside.  In the vegetable oil,  brown the minced garlic, chopped celery and chopped peppers together for about 5 minutes.  Once softened, add in the fresh herbs and a dash of chili powder and a dash of cayenne pepper.   Simmer for 2 minutes.   Now add in all those tomatoes, and add the honey and dijon.  For the honey, start with 1 TBSP and then add more if necessary.  Add in the ground turkey.  Drain and wash beans and add to mixture.  Cover and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes.


**Keep in mind that it is now after 10 pm, and I am writing down what I think I did....and also remember...I hardly ever measure anything!

Mango Salsa with....Everything!

Mango Salsa....delicious and nutritious!

Chicken Thigh's from the grill with mango salsa

Mango salsa is so versatile.....it can be served with chips as an appie, as  side dish to your main meal, or even just as a quick snack.   It can jazz up leftovers, or use it as a topper for salad instead of your standard dressing.    We BBQ'd some chicken a few nights ago and had it with mango salsa, pan fried peppers and tortillas.  It was a delicious meal that was not only nutritious, but kid AND adult friendly!   And for those who need gluten free, corn tortilla's are a great option.  

Mango salsa jazzin' up leftover slow cooked beef

Mango salsa ingredients are versatile, and really whatever you want.  I have two good friends who make AWESOME mango salsa....which inspired me to make my own.  It's never the same twice, but it is always fantastic!

2 ripe mangos (if you don't know how to cut a mango, see the link below)

1/2 diced cucumber

1/2 finely diced red pepper

1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 - 2 ripe tomatoes, diced

Juice of 1 lime

Optional ingredients:  jalapeno peppers, poblano peppers, diced avocado, onion

Chop above ingredients and mix together.  Can keep in fridge for up to 3 days, though if using avocado, mixture may not last as long.  Enjoy!

Optional ingredients:  jalapeno peppers, poblano peppers, diced avocado, onion

http://localfoods.about.com/od/onionsleeks/ss/How-To-Cut-A-Mango.htm

Salmon with Curry Linguine

How delicious does this look????   

My kids LOVED this today!   A real hit for a Monday!

Lately, I have really been trying to make meals with what I have at home and  not run to the grocery store every day....which means I have to plan ahead and be creative.  Note:  I do most of my meal planning in the car....either after I drop the kids off at school or on my way home from work.  This weekend was great from a buying-food-for-the-week perspective, as I went to the Crossroads Farmer's Market on Friday and stocked up on a few essentials (including our favourite Saskatoon Berry Pie!) and also went to Lina's Italian Market and stocked up on fresh pasta and and sauce, which make easy freezer-to-table meals in a short amount of time.   Today I decided to cook up a whole salmon fillet from Costco, and have it with the Lina's pasta and their curry cream sauce.  Throw some veggies on the side....and it's the perfect dinner.  

Here's what I did:

• Called my son at 3:30 and instructed him to take the salmon, the pasta and the sauce out of the freezer.  He was happy to comply, and found everything where I said it would be
• Home at 5:45....daughter was in the middle of  piano lessons so I quietly prepared the salmon
• Oven on....400 convection....
• Placed the salmon on a parchment lined cookie sheet and drizzled on some maple syrup and topped with minced garlic and  fresh lemon slices.  Covered it up with foil, and baked until about 6:45 or so.  It was still partially frozen when I put it in...so if your salmon is thawed or fresh, it will take a shorter time.
• Salmon in the oven..time to walk the dog!  And it was even sunny!  
• Back at 6:25....put the water to boil for the pasta....prepared the  peas and broccoli...microwaved the peas and poured some boiling water over the broccoli to slightly soften
• Boiled the pasta, added the sauce....set the table.....and dinner was ready!  Yes, it was a bit later, but everyone loved it!  The kids took seconds (and thirds!).  My son even was shocked at how much he loved the salmon!!!!   

I'd say this meal was a success....pasta, fish and veggies....simple, delicious, and best of all, there was enough leftovers for a few lunches!   

Pomegranate Granola with Vanilla Yogurt

A picture is worth a thousand words....and just look at how pretty this looks!   A delicious and easy weekday breakfast (weekends are reserved for bacon and eggs!).

I bought the pomegranate seeds at Costco for $7.99 for a double container...all ready to sprinkle on whatever...be it salad or breakfast!

What to do:

• Scoop your favourite vanilla yogurt in a bowl...mine is the Oikos 2 % vanilla
• Sprinkle on 1/3 - 1/2 cup of granola (I used Nature's Path Pumpkin Granola)
• Top with pomegranate seeds

It is refreshing, and has a source of protein, fruit and grain combined in one bowl.  

Pomegranate seeds may be small, but they are mighty!  Take a look at what the some of the health benefits are:

• rich in vitamin C
• rich in antioxidants that have heart health and anti-cancer benefits
• source of vitamin K (essential in proper blood clotting and also helps maintain healthy bones)

So next time you are at Costco, buy those pomegranate seeds!  Throw them in your salad, have them for a snack, toss them on top of your granola!  Your heart (and the rest of you) will love you for it!

A Grand Day Out

The weekend has come and gone, and even though the weather felt more like winter than spring (we had a blizzard here yesterday), we made the best of it.

It is always a bit surreal when hockey and ringette are over.  It felt weird in the car yesterday when the four of us were driving, with no arena to go to and no smelly gear in the car.  With it being such a grey day, we decided to go downtown for an indoor adventure!  Our first stop?  The Devonian Gardens.....lush green palm trees, beautiful flowers and tranquil ponds with tropical fish....indoors, but still!  Nice to see green on grey day!

Next...we stopped and bought 4 baby cupcakes at a trendy bakery....chocolate for the girls, and then the boys had vanilla with pink strawberry icing.....delicious!  Then....time to walk around....go into a few little shops....just enough of a walk to get those tummies grumbling!  

We did a late lunch yesterday (which worked out great, as we did not have to cook dinner!).  We decided on Earls....decent food, and a little something for everyone....

Fish and chips and a Guinness for me!
No regrets! Every calorie was worth it!

Hubby got the Earls signature curry dish...

It was such a good feeling to sit and eat together in a restaurant with no arena-schedule.  No places to go or people to see...just us.  We talked  and laughed, and it filled us up...the grey and dreary weather no longer mattered.  Kids were laughing, hubby and I were smiling...I just sat back and drank my Guinness, ate my fish (batter and all) and felt happy.  What a grand day out indeed!

Delicious Morning Oatmeal

As you know, I love food (no, really, I do), and a lot of the time, I like to know what everyone is eating.  A co-worker of mine has her breakfast at work, and it always smells so delicious, and looks so hearty, and pure and good....I had to ask her about it, and then had to make it. It is easy, versatile, and has everything you need in a breakfast...hearty grain to get the brain moving, protein and calcium and some berries to boot!

All you do....is make a bowl of oatmeal..any oatmeal!  I used what I had...which was Bob's Red Mill 5 grain rolled hot cereal.  I nuked it for 5 minutes with a bit of milk (hence more calcium!).  Note...when nuking oatmeal....ensure you have a deep enough bowl (had a bit of a boil-over mishap!).  Once the oatmeal is done, throw on some vanilla yogurt (or plain...but I like the vanilla) and then top with frozen blueberries.  What a great way to kick start your day!

Hearty...yummy...pure...just right for the morning!

More Broccoli?

Roasted chicken, potatoes and broccoli casserole

I made an amazing broccoli casserole this week...and it was so yummy, I made it twice!

What you need
~2 cups washed and cut broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar (though I have used as little as 1/4 cup as that was all I had the first time I made it!)
2 eggs + milk for a total volume of about 2 cups (give or take)
Panko bread crumbs (could use crushed Ritz or soda crackers, or even crushed salad croutons!)


What to do
1.  Boil some water in the kettle to pour over the broccoli
2.  Wash and cut broccoli and place in a large mixing bowl
3.  Pour boiling water over broccoli to soften.  Meanwhile.....
4. Mix together eggs and milk and whisk with a fork
5.  Shred the Ched!
6.  Lightly grease a casserole dish (I used a 9 x 13, though a smaller one would also work)
7.  Drain broccoli, and mix in ricotta, cheddar, and egg/milk mixture.  Add in salt and pepper if desired.  The mixture should look a bit soupy but not runny.  Add more milk if you think it is too thick.

Top with bread crumbs or crushed crackers, or whatever.  The crunchy part makes it oh so yummy!   Bake at 375 on convection for 30 - 40 min.  If you have a super hot oven, maybe bake it at 350.

My kids had seconds....and....if you have leftovers, makes a great addition to lunch the next day!

Options that could work....add in some chopped spinach or sliced mushrooms!  Any veggie goes!