Every Sunday, I do all of my cooking and prep work for the upcoming week. I have found that if I fail to plan, then I have planned to fail. I also take a quick inventory of what I have on hand in the pantry and frig on Thursday and sketch out a menu. Early every Saturday morning, Ray & I head to Tulsa to pick up our CSA share & any goodies we have ordered through Clean Food Tulsa - which I will tell you more about later - and then we head over to Whole Foods to do the rest of our grocery shopping. Here is what we enjoyed for the week of Jan. 8th: Fish Tacos with Mexican Rice, Fish Bowls, Beef & Leek Stew over Herbed Polenta with a large green salad, Veggie Lasagna with grilled chicken tenders and Beet & Orange Salad. For snacks and breakfasts we had hard boiled eggs, nuts, veggies & fruit, organic cheeses, Greek yogurt with fruit, Orange Almond Protein bars and oatmeal with yummy stuff added in. For lunches, I keep fresh veggies (washed and ready to go) and salad greens in the frig. I always cook up extra chicken or fish to throw in salads or a quick pasta dish too.
For dinner one night, we had fish tacos.My cousin and her husband shared some of the wonderful, fresh fish they had caught on a trip recently. It is fantastic! She told me that her favorite way to eat fish tacos was with mango salsa. I thought that sounded pretty good, but I could not find a mango that looked decent, so I substitued pineapple and it turned out awesome. Plus, this salsa is really pretty... All I did was roast three green chiles (sometimes I substitue poblanos), then diced them up. To that, I added 2 diced Romas, 1 c. of diced pineapple, 1/3 small purple onion - diced, 1/3 c. chopped cilantro, 1 T. raw, local honey, juice of two limes (but they were small), and a pinch of sea salt. It is best if you make it the day before to let the flavors meld together. It is fantastic and makes (12) 1/4c. servings that ring in at 22 calories each!
Roasting chiles is easy... Put them on a cookie sheet - I line it with non stick aluminum foil first - crank the oven up to broil, then pop 'em in. Using tongs, turn after a few minutes. The goal is to get a char on the skin, like in the picture above, without "collapsing" or overcooking the chiles. Pull them out, put in a bowl and pop a plate on top. They will steam and in a few minutes you can just slide the skin off and scrape out the seeds. I love eating them this way. But, then again, I'm from New Mexico and we buy these babies by the gunny sack full there! Believe it or not, I used to put 300 #'s in the freezer each year and we would eat them ALL!
I love a good, flaky white fish for tacos. Salmon also works well. This is a beautiful piece of fish, from my cousin. I rubbed blackening seasoning on it (from the Spice Market, and I will tell you lots more about them in future posts, too) then seared it in a cast iron pan sprayed with just a bit of olive oil. Yum!
The first night we enjoyed the fish as tacos, served in organic corn tortillas and topped with pineapple salsa and fresh, home made quacamole with the Mexican Rice on the side. I made enough of everything for a couple of meals, so the next time it made an appearance on the dinner table, it was as Fish Bowls. Just put 1/2 c. rice in the bottom of your bowl, top with 3 oz. fish, a 1/4 c. salsa and a few tablespoons of guacamole. It is so delicious that it will give Chipolte and Free Birds a run for their money - for a lot less of your money. That's a win - win you can be proud of!
Tell me... does this look yummy? How about healthy? Well, it's both! This lasagna was inspired by a recipe that was shared with me by another member (Heather - I can't remember her last name for the life of me... ) of the CSA I am a part of. I lost her recipe somehow, but have tried to pull the goodness of her dish from my memory as best I could, while adding a few twists of my own. I will share the basic recipe with you (which is how I like it best), then you can get as creative as you wish when you are making it and add your own yummy stuff to it. Just remember to factor in those additions if you are counting calories. A lot of times, I will add eggplant &/or turkey sausage. Sometimes, I add the wonderful, clover fed pork chorizo from Pork & Greens. Oh, in case you are wondering, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture - and you'll hear me talk a lot about this in future posts because it is a wonderful program and is something you can participate in too if you like. Veggie Lasagna
Makes 9 servings
247 calories, 13 g protein, 32 g carbs, 8 g fat, 324 mg sodium, 7 g fiber
*10 oz. lasagna noodles (look for whole grain or brown rice ones)
*3 t. coconut oil, divided*2 medium carrots, peeled & diced small
*2 c. summer squash (or zucchini or combination of both), diced
*5 large garlic cloves, smashed and minced
*7 medium tomatoes, blanched in boiling water for one - two minutes, submerged in ice bath and skins removed, then diced
*Zest of 1 large lemon (Don’t toss the lemon, juice it & freeze the juice in a small snack baggie for use later. Just don’t forget to label and date it:)
*1 t. red pepper flakes
*½ t. sea salt
*1 medium onion, diced
*8 oz. Swiss chard, tough stems removed and cut into ribbons (or some other hearty green, such as spinach or kale)
*1 t. dried thyme (or few springs of fresh – about ½ - 1 T.)
*Grind or two of fresh ground black pepper
*3 oz. soft goat cheese (chevre) or ricotta
*6 oz good quality, fresh mozzarella, torn into small ¾ “ pieces
*1 oz. parmesan, finely grated
*Fresh basil leaves
Preheat oven to 375. Mist an 8” x 8” pan with olive oil. Prepare your lasagna noodles to a firm al dente. (Don’t overcook, because they are going to bake in the oven and you don’t want mushy noodles.)
In a medium skillet, make the tomato sauce by cooking the carrot & squash in 1 t. coconut oil, over medium high heat, until it is starting to soften. Add the garlic, and cook for about one more minute, or until it is fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and a pinch of sea salt. Simmer for a few minutes then turn off heat.
In a large skillet, melt the remaining 2 t. coconut oil and sauté the onion until it is almost carmelized. Add the chard (in batches if necessary… I know it looks like a lot , but it wilts down – I promise… if necessary, add 1 - 2 T. of water or broth to help wilt it down, just don’t get it too soupy), thyme and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and sauté until tender.
In the pan, layer the chard with the noodles, tomato sauce, small spoonfuls of chevre (or ricotta) & mozzarella. Start with the chard and end with a layer of tomato sauce. Put your last bit of cheese on top and sprinkle with the ounce of finely grated parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, top with torn, fresh basil leaves and enjoy. If you are planning to enjoy this later, cool completely, cut into 9 equal servings, cover and refrigerate.
Chicken tenders that I seasoned with a citrus herb blend, from The Spice Market, and threw on the grill to enjoy as a little extra protein with our vegetable lasagna. I always cook extra of these too so that I can toss on a salad for lunches.
Orange& Beet Salad
Makes (6) ½ c. servings
43 calories, 1 g protein, 9 g carbs, 0 g fat, 104 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
*2 c. beets, diced (about 3 med/lg beets)
*1 c. mandarin oranges (Avoid ones in the can, because most cans do not have a BPA free lining, & look for ones in the jar.)*¼ c. good quality balsamic vinegar
*Pinch of sea salt and fresh, ground black pepper
Cut the tops and bottoms off of the beets, then scrub and rinse them. Submerge in a pot of boiling water, cover and let her rip until they are fork tender – about 30 minutes. Remove from the pot and rinse under cold water, using your fingers to slip the skins off. Dice into ½ chunks and toss into a bowl with the oranges, vinegar, sea salt and pepper.
Tip: try different balsamic vinegars. They vary greatly and I bet you find one you really like. A good place to start is with Whole Foods brand Balsamic. It is fairly inexpensive and slightly sweet. I really enjoy it. Then, get adventurous and try other vinegars. They are a great way to add flavor to your dishes, in a healthy way. Think sauteed greens, veggies, etc. Get creative... In the summer, when strawberries are fresh, slice some up, toss with fresh, torn basil leaves and drizzle with a good, sweet balsamic. You'll be hooked. I promise...
Beef & Leek soup is one of our favorites. Just a few simple ingredients that really shine. It is so good on a cold night when you get home from the gym. It reheats very easily and the flavors just seems to get better each day. We serve it over polenta to add a little hardiness to it, plus it is fun to dip down into the bottom of the bowl and get just a little bit of that yummy goodness. But, then again, I am a huge fan of polenta. It is quick and easy to make and can be changed up so many ways. I buy the Delallo instant polenta from Whole Foods, (yes, instant, I know... but this one is really good... and it is so fast and easy) then, cook it in low sodium chicken broth with a few herbs of whatever I have on hand. My favorite herb to toss in it for this dish is rosemary. The single serving instructions are not on the box, but the ratio works out to be 2 T. of polenta to 8 T. of liquid.Beef & Leek Stew
Makes (8) 1 c. servings
158 calories, 15 g protein, 10 g carbs, 604 mg sodium, 6 g fat, 2 g fiber
*3 t. olive oil, divided
*1 # lean ground, grass fed beef
*3 c. leeks, chopped (see note below)
*1 c. diced carrots
*8 oz. fresh, sliced mushrooms
*½ t. fresh, ground black pepper
*1 beef bouillon cube
*2 bay leaves
*32 oz. low sodium beef broth
*1 ½ c. frozen peas
Note: leeks are a great veggie with a mild onion taste. Because they can get a little dirt between their layers, preparation is key. Cut the tough green top and the root end off. Slice the leek in half lengthwise, then slice into “moons”. Toss them in a large bowl of water and swish around. Let them sit a few minutes. The dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl and then you can scoop the leeks off the top of the water. Shake them off really well and blot with a dish rag to get the extra water off. Now they are ready to use.
In a large stock pot, heat 1 t. oil and cook the ground beef until it has developed a little carmelization. Remove to a plate. Heat the remaining 2 t. oil and sauté the leeks, carrots and mushrooms until slightly soft, but not overcooked. Season with the black pepper and toss in the bouillon cube & bay leaves. (Mushrooms are like little sponges, so if you need too, add a tablespoon or so of the broth and then you won't have to add more oil.) Add the beef back to the pot. Pour in the broth and simmer a little bit to let the flavors blend. Add the peas and cook a minute or so longer – just long enough to warm them up.
I usually have a one cup serving of this over the polenta - but I am also eating every three hours so I am never starved. My husband likes a larger portion, so if you do too and are counting your calories, just figure what the adjusted serving would be and enjoy. As a quick note, the Delallo brand polenta adds 100 calories per serving.
Also, if you want a little more flavor, you can add an additional bouillon cube, just remember it increases the sodium content of the dish and increases each serving by 5 calories per cube used.
Here is a picture of the beef bouillon I use. I thought it might be helpful to see what it looks like in case you are searching for it at the store. I buy this at Whole Foods.
This is the best protein bar recipe I have run across. I got it from Natalie Hodson and it is an adaptation of Jamie Eason's protein bar. (You can find and follow Natalie on Facebook.) Following is the recipe for Orange Almond bars, my personal favorite, but you could change it up depending on the protein powder, nuts or coco powder and extracts you use. Get creative. I also like to use chocolate protein powder, a little coco powder, almonds and mint extract. You can grind the oats in a food processor for a less chewy bar, but I like the texture of leaving them whole. Just remember, that additions can alter the nutritional value a little. And, because there are no preservatives in here, they will need to be kept in the frig. Lots of times, I will make a double batch and freeze what I won't eat in four or five days. To enjoy, just pull a package or two out and let them thaw at room temp. I put two - 4 bars in each package (which is what I eat per serving to get the right amount of protein that I need) and seal them up using a suck and seal machine. This is a great tool to have in the kitchen and can be purchased at Walmart for as little as $50.
Protein Bars
makes 16 bars
60 calories, 6 g protein, 5.5 carb, 1.5 g fat, 1 g sugar
*1 ½ c. oats
*3 scoops protein powder (I like Lean Dessert Vanilla, unless I am making Chocolate Mint or Strawberry bars.)
*1 T. baking powder (w/out aluminum)*1/2 t. sea salt
*1/3 c Stevia (look for Kal brand online)
*3 egg whites
*1 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I like Almond Breeze - the 40 calorie per serving one.)
*1/3 c unsweetened applesauce or (1) 3.5 oz container of fruit flavored baby food. (I always use blueberry apple, which is what Natalie recommended.)
*1/4 Fage brand 0 % Greek yogurt
*2 - 3 t. of extract (like 1 t. almond and 1 1/2 t. orange) If you are using mint for the chocolate bars, 1 t. does the trick.
*any nuts (1/3 c.), fruits or flavorings such as cocoa powder, instant coffee, almond butter, etc. For the Orange Almond bars, I use slivered almonds.
Preheat oven to 350. Mist an 8” x 8” glass pan with olive oil or rub down with coconut oil. In a large bowl combine: oats, protein powder, baking powder, salt and Stevia.
In a medium bowl combine: egg whites, almond milk, baby food or applesauce, yogurt, nuts &/or fruits and any extracts you are using. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix. Pour into pan and bake 25 – 30 minutes or until done. Bars will be “cakey”.
One ounce nut sacks, for a great on the go protein snack. Make sure you buy the raw nuts, not the dry roasted. And, always remember to pair a lean protein with a good, complex carb. I enjoy my nuts with a small apple or a pear.
Wow, the frig sure starts to look bare come the end of the week... Time to do some more cooking!
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