Meal Plan: 5/13 - 5/19

Mexican Monday: taco salad
Oriental Tuesday: piña colada shrimp
Twisted Wednesday: chili w/ baked potatoes
Authentic Thursday: tuna marinara
TGIFriday: chicken melts w/ tomato soup
Super Saturday: DATE NIGHT
Special Sunday: creamy turkey & rice soup

Upcoming recipe: Hawaiian haystacks.  My version.  *B

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa

I found this recipe a while ago, and now I can't find it anywhere...  I made some modifications to the original version, and now it's one of our family's favorites!  It always hits the spot.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup chicken/vegetable broth
• 1 cup carrot juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 small bunch asparagus, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• 1 small yellow squash, chopped
• 4-8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1-2 handfuls spinach, chopped (opt)
• 1/3 cup almonds, chopped (opt)
• 1 cup chickpeas/canellini beans, drained and rinsed (opt)

Directions:

1. Combine quinoa with broth, carrot juice and garlic in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is translucent. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
2. While quinoa simmers, preheat oven to 425. Toss prepared veggies with olive oil, and salt/pepper to taste. Roast in oven for 12-15 minutes.
3. Add roasted vegetables, spinach, almonds and white beans to cooked quinoa. Toss to coat or until well combined. Enjoy!

You can use whatever vegetables you want, and as many or as few as you wish.  Green beans work well, as does broccoli.  This makes for a wonderful side dish, and the addition of almonds and beans makes it a great vegan meal.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!  *B

fresh off the vine

Meal Plan: 4/29 - 5/5

Mexican Monday: barbacoa beef

Oriental Tuesday: Hawaiian haystacks

Twisted Wednesday: kielbasa stew

Authentic Thursday: bruschetta pasta

TGIFriday: tuna melts

Super Saturday: DATE NIGHT

Special Sunday: food storage meal, TBD

Upcoming recipe: roasted veggie quinoa.  So good!  *B

Tuna Marinara

Ever since we wrapped up our 72 hour kits, I've had food storage on the brain.  I've put together 7 weeks' worth of meals, and I'm now in the process of converting some family favorites into food-storage-friendly recipes.  This recipe was the first one I experimented with, and it is was a HUGE success!  I got the basic recipe from my friend, and I've tweaked it to our tastes/preferences...

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 2 (7 oz) cans of tuna, drained
• 1 T. Italian seasoning
• 1 T. basil
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
• 4-6 garlic cloves, sliced
• salt, to taste
• 5 (14.5 oz) cans of stewed tomatoes, Italian style
• 1 can black olives, drained & chopped
• 1 T. beef bouillon
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1 generous handful flat-leaf parsley, minced

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring olive oil to a simmer.  Add seasonings, tuna, and garlic and return to a simmer.  Cook until garlic is tender, stirring occasionally (careful not to burn garlic).
2. Add stewed tomatoes, olives, bouillon and brown sugar; stir well.  Remove from heat and transfer to crockpot.
3. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Add flat-leaf parsley to pot and stir well.  Serve over prepared pasta.

Ok, here's the deal.  I realize how scary tuna marinara might sound.  Let me just say that we are not a tuna family, and everyone loved this!  Seriously, me and the hub were eating the sauce straight from the pot with a spoon.  That's how you know it's good.  *B

yogurt covered blueberries

[recipe]

frozen yogurt

We keep our yogurt frozen because our fridge is usually too full and there's no room left...  We also limit our daily dairy intake, so I like to freeze our yogurt as a type of longer term food storage.  But practical reasons aside, my kids love it frozen as a special treat.

I know a lot of people who indulge in a bowl of ice-cream before bed.  If that works for you, great!  But if you're watching what you eat and are looking for healthier alternatives, try frozen yogurt.  I'm not talking about a carton of frozen yogurt, found in the frozen foods isle next to the ice-cream.  I'm talking about single serving yogurt cartons, popped in the freezer.  It'll  help curb your cravings, and your waistline ;)  Especially if you're the type that struggles with "just one more bite"...  *B