Menu of the Week

Two months ago my husband decide to have a heart screening done due to his strong family history of heart disease at a young age. To our dismay, his total cholesterol was 272 with his bad cholesterol at 201. We decided to make a conscious effort to change parts of our diet that would focus on heart health. We started to include at least one meal a week of a cold water fish (supposedly most beneficial per our research), reducing/eliminating high cholesterol foods, and spending the extra dollar for better ingredients. This Thursday he had his cholesterol rechecked after two months of our updated diet and his total cholesterol had dropped to 243 and his bad cholesterol reduced to 166. While this is still not below "optimal" this was a significant drop with diet alone. Now I know the immediate response is "oh, eating healthy is bland, boring, and gerbil food" so I hope these weekly menus show that you can still eat healthy with a diverse, delicious meal plan but also include not so healthy food in moderation. Here is our menu for the week (recipes following soon):

Saturday:

Clam Linguine with a side salad

Sunday:

Beef tips, veggies, whole wheat egg noodles in a mushroom gravy with a side of garlic green beans

Monday:

Roasted Salmon with green herbs, corn on the cob, and creamed spinach

Tuesday:

Tacos for Chris/ Taco salad for me

Wednesday:

Chicken Primavera with a side salad

Thursday:

German style Mettwurst and baked beans. 

Friday:

Date night out :)

Chicken Enchiladas

Who doesn't like chicken enchiladas? Edit this recipe to what your family prefers and what's already in your pantry. I normally use flour tortillas just because its a staple we keep in our pantry for other meals. If you choose to use corn tortillas, be sure the tortillas are heated very hot before rolling to prevent the tortillas from crumbling. This recipe makes at least 6 enchiladas.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

flour or corn tortillas

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz of sour cream

1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, drained

1/4 cup of chopped onion

Sharp cheddar cheese

1 Tablespoons chili powder 

(additional chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and 1 chicken bullion cube) 

Optional: 4 oz of additional green chilies or chopped pickled jalapenos.  

1. Boil chicken breasts in water seasoned with chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and 1 chicken bullion cube until fully cooked.
2. In a bowl mix cream of chicken, sour cream, and half of the can of Rotel. Set sauce aside.
3. After chicken is cooked, shred with a fork into another bowl. Mix remaining Rotel, onions, chili powder, handful of cheese,2 spoon fulls of sauce mixture and extra green chilies/jalapenos if desired.
4. In a greased baking dish add a thin layer of sauce on the bottom. Spoon a portion of the chicken mixture on a tortilla then roll and place in baking dish. Repeat till all mixture is used.
5. Cover with sauce mixture then top with desired amount of sharp cheddar cheese.
6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 

Crab Ravioli in Vodka Sauce

Absolutely love this tasty, dynamic sauce. The vodka sauce is spicy and creamy which complements the sweetness of the crab very nicely. I do have a pasta roller however homemade pasta is more of a weekend endeavor so using wonton wrappers instead makes for a very easy meal after a work day.  Optional variances could be to use large pasta shells to stuff and bake or for a vegetarian option substitute the crap for a spinach, mushroom, and onion mixture. 

Vodka Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 Tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 & 1/2 Tablespoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 & 1/2 cup of marinara sauce ( I use Classico sweet basil)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. In medium size skillet heat oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt and pepper until garlic begins to turn golden brown and pepper flakes release their oil. 
2. First stir in marinara then cream, butter, and cheese. Heat thoroughly. 

(If sensitive to spicy foods then cut red pepper flakes in half)

Ravioli Ingredients:

1 (6-ounce) can of crab meat
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
2 Tablespoons of chopped green onion
dash of Salt and Pepper
Wonton Wrappers (usually found in produce section)
small dish of water
2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive oil

1. Salt large pot of water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile mix crab meat, ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, green onion, salt and pepper in a bowl. 
2. Spoon crab mixture on a single wonton wrapper. Dip finger in water and trace outer edge of wonton wrapper. Fold wonton wrapper into triangle and seal edges. Continuing making ravioli until all crab mixture is gone. Drop ravioli into boiling water with olive oil and cook about 5 minutes or until ravioli is floating. Drain, plate, and top with sauce. 

(Since this uses the wonton wrappers, they will look more like a Chinese dumpling but no worries they taste great!)

Spicy Baked Trout with Twice Baked Cauliflower and Boiled Squash and Onions

Spicy Baked Trout:

Ingredients:

Fresh wild caught Trout- 1 fillet per person
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic Powder
Smoked Paprika (yes, it is different than regular paprika and its amazing)
Salt
Pepper
1/2 of a Lemon
Pickled Jalapenos

1. Line baking dish with aluminum foil. Rub both sides of trout fillets with olive oil then place skin side down. Season with fillet with Garlic Powder, Smoked Paprika, Salt and Pepper. Squeeze lemon over the top of both fillets then place pickled Jalapenos on top. I would recommend about 5-6 for each fillet however personal preference. 
2. Tent with Aluminum foil and bake in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. (However, since I paired this with the Cauliflower below, I dropped my temp to 350 and increased the time to 20 minutes).

Twice Baked Cauliflower:

Ingredients:

1 Large head of Cauliflower

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup minced green onions

1/4 freshly grated Parmesan cheese

4-6 Slices of Turkey Bacon cooked crispy (bacon bits can also be substituted)

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1. Preheat over to 350 and cook bacon till crisp. Boil Cauliflower florets in pot of boiling, salted water until tender (approximately 15 minutes). Drain then in large bowl use a fork to coarsely mash the florets. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 
2. Add crumbled bacon, cream cheese, sour cream, green onion, Parmesan cheese and mix well. Transfer mixture to baking/casserole dish and top with desired amount of Cheddar Cheese.
3. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Boiled Squash and Onions

Ingredients:

2 medium-large yellow squash

1/2 cup of onion, largely diced

3 tablespoons of butter

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon of sugar

1 cup water (if needed add more)

1. In saucepan melt butter and add onion then season well with salt, pepper, garlic powder. Cook until onion begins to turn translucent. Add squash and water then cover to boil. Once water has evaporated and squash is tender, stir in sugar. Approximately 20 minutes of cook time.

Menu for the Week

I decided to restart my blog after a slight hiatus to help my friends venture away from relying on chicken nuggets and hamburger helper as regular meals. We make a menu for each week before going grocery shopping and this was our tasty menu for the week.

Saturday:

Homemade pizza, Greek salad, and cherry cheese cake cupcakes.

Sunday:

Spicy baked Trout, twice baked cauliflower, and boiled squash and onions.

Monday:

Crab Ravioli in Vodka Sauce and Salad

Tuesday:

Chicken Enchiladas and guacamole

Wednesday:

Chinese beef stir fry, brown rice, and crab wontons

Thursday:

Parmesan baked chicken, asparagus, and garlic mashed potatoes.

Friday:

Date night out :)

Garlic Shrimp in Sweet Chili Sauce

Set aside that take out menu and try this delicious Thai dish!

Ingredients:
2 lbs of peeled shrimp
3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 Medium onion (or add some green onions for a burst of color)
1 1/12 Tablespoon of minced garlic
2 1/2 Tablespoons of finely shredded ginger root
1 sweet  chili pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup of bamboo shoots
basil

Sauce:
6 Tablespoons of water
4 Tablespoons of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
4 Tablespoons of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of corn starch

1. Prepare shrimp. Thinly slice onion into curved slices. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil. Stir fry onion, garlic, ginger root, and chili pepper until onion is soft.
2.  Add Shrimp and continue to stir fry for 2 minutes or until shrimp are pink. Add bamboo shoots and continue cooking for additional minute.
3. In a bowl, mix ingredients for sauce. Add sauce to skillet and low heat. Cook until sauce bubbles and thickens. Top with basil and serve over steamed rice.

Ginger root can be found in the fresh produce sections. I use a potato peeler to remove outer layer and then to continue to shred the inner root. This is super fast and easy. From experience, be sure to use Sweet Chili Sauce and not Hot Chili Sauce!

Cherry Cheesecake

Oh how I love this dessert! It is simply too good to resist!

Ingredients for Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (box of graham cracker crumbs found on grocery baking isle)
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Ingredients for filling:
2 packages cream cheese (8 oz each)
1 1/12 cups sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2 tablespoons melted butter

Topping:
1, 21 oz can of cherry pie filling (I like lots of cherries so I use a can and a half)

1. Combine ingredients for crust and press into pie pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes. Cool before adding filling.
2. While crust is baking, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, and sour cream. Gradually add cubed pieces of cream cheese and beat until creamy. Add melted butter and continue beating until well mixed.
3.  Pour mixture onto prepared crust and bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes or until center is set.
4. After baking, allow cake to complete cool and to allow inside to firm. Once cooled, spoon cherry topping (other varieties can be substituted) and chill before serving.

I use a spring form pan to bake my cheesecakes which makes piece removal very easy.  However, a pie pan or even a casserole dish can be used just as efficiently. Enjoy the picture below!