Meal Plan (10/30/11)

Lentil Sliders with Sweet Potato Fries
Medeterranian Pizza with salad
Pasta Primavera with salad and garlic bread
Southwest Beans and Rice with salad

Produce:
onion, 2
mushrooms, sliced, 2 cartons
garlic, minced, 3 cloves
sweet potatoes, 2
corn, 2 ears
spinach
cherry tomatoes, 2 carton
Italian herbs, fresh or dried (parsley, oregano, rosemary, basil)
shredded carrots
red bell pepper
cauliflower florets, 2 cups
broccoli florets, 1 bunch
zucchini
yellow squash


Pantry:
olive oil
lentils (canned or dry, 0.5 cup)
vegetable stock, 2 cups (low sodium)
quinoa, 0.5 cup
walnuts, 1/3 cup
rolled oats, 2/3 cup
ground flax seeds or flax meal, 2 Tbsp
lite soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos, 2 Tbsp
sage
oregano
thyme
whole wheat pizza crust
spaghetti sauce, low sodium
artichoke hearts, low sodium
olives, low sodium
fettuccine pasta
Mori Nu Silken Tofu, firm, 1 package
Nutritional yeast flakes
onion powder
pesto sauce
brown rice, 2 cups cooked
black beans, 1 can
cumin

Refrigerator:
mozzarella cheese (or vegan cheese)
soy milk (1.5 cup)
shredded colby jack cheese (or vegan cheese)

Meal Plan (10/23/11)

Bean and Rice Chimichanga served with avocado and mixed greens salad

Arugula and Caramelized Onion Pizza with tossed salad

Olive and Lentil Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

White Bean and Spinach Soup with salad and bread
** all of these recipes are submitted in posts below***

Produce:

red pepper

green pepper

2 yellow onions, large

2 white onions

cilantro

avocado

salsa

arugula

1 container of cherry tomatoes

Italian herbs; fresh or dried (parsley, oregano, rosemary, basil)

salad greens

fresh burger toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion, etc)

5 medium sweet potatoes

1 container mushroom

garlic (6 cloves)

lemon juice

spinach

Pantry:

Whole grain tortillas

brown rice

1-2 cans vegetarian refried beans

1 can navy beans (low sodium)

1 can diced tomatoes (low sodium)

2 cups vegetable stock (low sodium)

14 oz can of artichoke hearts (check sodium content)

olive oil

whole wheat pizza crust

walnuts

paprika 

onion powder

garlic powder

thyme 

tarragon

kalamata olives, pitted

lentils (canned or dry)

1 cup breadcrumbs

low sodium soy sauce/braggs liquid aminos

Refrigerator:

Tofutti soy sour cream

2 oz crumbled goat cheese, reduced fat

shredded mozzarella cheese (or vegan cheese)

Bean and Rice Chimichanga

I topped each chimichanga with a dollop of tofutti soy based sour cream and salsa, a sprinkling of chopped onion, red pepper, and cilantro, and a few slices of avocado.  I served this with a mixed greens salad.


Bean and Rice Chimichanga
Ingredients:
10 burrito size whole grain flour tortillas
1 recipe Cilantro Lime Rice (mix 3 cups of cooked brown rice with 2 Tbsp lime juice and 1/2 cup fresh cilantro.  Add 1/4-1/2 tsp salt (optional))
1-2 cans vegetarian refried beans
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, sliced (optional)
1/2 red pepper, sliced (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, Lightly coat a large baking sheet with  non-stick cooking spray.
Put 1/3 cup beans and 1/4 cup rice into each tortilla
Add 2 Tbsp salsa and 1 Tbsp onion.  Sprinkle with pepper slices.
Wrap each burrito and put seam side down on prepared baking sheet.
Coat burritos lightly with cooking spray; bake 15 minutes.  Turn over and bake an additional 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Per 1 chimichanga     cal   fat   sat fat   chol   sodium   carb   fiber   sugar  pro
traditional recipe      443   23   11         51       957        39     3        2         20
this recipe               324   5      1          0        662         54    11       3         15

*another option would be to place prepared burritos in a 9x13 inch pan.  Cover with salsa or enchilada sauce.  Bake until sauce is hot and bubbly; about 30 minutes.

Recipe taken from: Give Them Something Better by Sarah Frain and Stephanie Howard

Arugula and Caramelized Onion Pizza

This pizza tastes delicious on a whole wheat crust!  Serve with salad and fruit for a complete meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cups arugula, washed, dried and coarsely chopped
• whole wheat pizza crust
• walnuts
• 2 ounces reduced-fat goat cheese
• 1/2 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or vegan cheese)
• 1 container of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• fresh or dried italian herbs (basil, parsley, rosemary, oregano)
• 
  
• Directions:
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  Put the oil and onions in a medium skillet and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium and add the arugula. Cook until the arugula is wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.  Place mixture on top of pizza crust.  Top with cherry tomatoes, chopped walnuts and crumbled goat cheese.  Sprinkle fresh or dried herbs on top.
  
  
  
  Bake for ~10 -15 minutes or until crust is crispy.
  Recipe adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/arugula-caramelized-onion-and-goat-cheese-pizza-recipe/index.html

Olive Lentil Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

These burgers were surprisingly good!  The texture was good and the saltiness of the olives added a subtle flavor kick.

Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients:

5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch sticks
1.5 Tbsp oil
2.5 tsp salt (I used less)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat 2 baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
Toss sweet potatoes with oil in a large bowl to coat.  Add spices and mix gently.  Spread sweet potatoes in a single layer on prepared baking sheets (if they are too crowded, the fries won't crisp up).  Bake until fries are tender, turning occasionally; about 20 minutes.  Increase heat to 475 degrees; bake 5-8 minutes until nicely browned.
Yield: 4 servings
Calories: 224, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 0mg, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbs: 42g, Fiber: 6g, Protein: 2g
Recipe taken from: Give Them Something Better by Sarah Frain &Stephanie Howard

Ingredients:

Olive oil (from 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons, your choice)
1 small yellow onion, diced medium
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives (really, use any pitted olive you like)
1 15 oz can cooked lentils, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/4 cup cooked lentils)
1 cup breadcrumbs, divided
2 tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos or low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat. Saute onion for about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, black pepper, thyme and tarragon and saute for 7 to 10 minutes, until mushrooms are cooked.

While mushrooms are cooking, place olives in food processor or blender and pulse until they are finely chopped (not pureed.) Remove from food processor/blender and set aside. (No need to clean it out for the next step.)

When mushrooms have cooked, add mushroom mixture to the food processor/blender. Add all other ingredients except for 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs. Pulse until mostly smooth, but there should still be a little texture. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs to the burger mixture, along with the chopped olives, and thoroughly combine.

Divide burger mix into 6 equal pieces. An easy way to do this is divide it in half, then cut each half into 3 basically equal portions. You can do that right in the bowl if it’s large enough.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Form mixture into patties, spray with a little more cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes. Flip burgers and bake for 12 to 15 more minutes, until nicely browned.

They taste great served immediately but they’re also excellent at room temperature so don’t be afraid to stuff into a sandwich and take as a lunch.

Recipe taken from: www.theppk.com

White Bean & Spinach Soup

This soup is such a good base that you can make many different ways.  You can keep it as is or add small pasta noodles, barley, or tortellini to it for different spins. Try substituting vegetables that are in season for a different feel. Adding a little pest to this soup also gives another taste.   The possibilities are endless!

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
3 cloves minced garlic
2 cups coarsely chopped spinach
2/3 cup water
1 can (16 oz) navy beans, rinsed and drained (preferably low sodium, organic)
2 cups vegetable stock (preferably low sodium, organic)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (or you can use chopped fresh tomatoes if you have them)
1 can (14 oz) quartered artichoke hearts, drained
Any other additions as mentioned above

Directions:
Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.  Add chopped onion, bell pepper, seasoning, and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender.  Add spinach and next 5 ingredients (spinach through artichokes); bring to boil.  Reduce heat, simmer 2 minutes.  Add any other additions (such as pasta or barley).  Cook until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe adapted from Carolyn Thomlin