This Week's Dinner Menu

We have guests coming at the end of the week, so I am aiming for two weeks on our menu this time. Hopefully, I can get all of the grocery shopping done early this week, and even tuck away some meals into the freezer for later.

Sunday - Turkey Lasagna, peas, rolls
Monday - Broccoli and Cheddar Soup, crusty bread
Tuesday - "Meal Swap" night
Wednesday - Anniversary Chicken, Rutabaga Cheddar mash
Thursday - Smoky Chipotle and Black Bean Chilaquilles
Friday - Joshua's Birthday Dinner (Build Your Own Calzone or Mini-Pizza, salad, fruit cups, cake)
Saturday - Amber's Turkey Enchiladas, salad, fruit

Sunday - Pasta con Broccoli, salad, rolls, fruit
Monday - Taco Night
Tuesday - Chicken Taco Soup, tortilla chips/nachos
Wednesday - BBQ Chicken, Asian Beef Kabobs, salad, fruit
Thursday - White Chicken Chili, fruit salad
Friday - Dad's Birthday Enchiladas, corn, black beans, salad
Saturday - leftovers

This Week's Dinner

Sunday - Shepherd's Pie, salad and Pies for dessert
Monday - Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Tuesday - "Meal Swap" night
Wednesday - St. Patrick's Day Dinner
Thursday - Anniversary Chicken, Ruttabaga Cheddar Mash
Friday - Chicken, Black Bean and Spinach Enchiladas
Saturday - Joshua's Birthday Dinner with my family (Slammin' Salmon, BBQ Chicken, salad, fruit cups, and cake)

Trying this for a quick, healthy lunch!

Chicken Taco Soup

My "Meal Swap" friend made this for us. And, my little ones loved it. About a month ago, the four-year-old requested "the soup with the corn and the beans," which could have been many things. And, I have spent considerable amount of time trying to pin down exactly what his request was. Tonight, he ate around all of the toppings - chips, sour cream and extra cheese - until he was told that he needed to eat his soup before he had more. When he tasted it, he said, "I LOVE this soup!" I guess, I found what he was talking about.{Chicken Taco Soup}
adapted from this recipe
2 large chicken breasts
2 cups diced onions
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans, drained
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
Corn chips, for serving
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheese, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnish
Sliced black olives, for garnish

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add the onions, beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. At the end of cooking time, pull out the chicken breasts and shred, return to crockpot. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and olives.

*I cut the recipe in half by using one chicken breast. I mixed all of the other ingredients together, then, divided them in half. Placed half in the slow cooker, and the other half in a gallon-size freezer bag. Carefully labeled it and froze it flat.*

This Week's Dinner Menu

Sunday - A-1 Pot Roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, homemade rolls, salad
Monday - Taco Soup (a variation of this recipe), fruit
Tuesday - Church dinner for the RS Birthday
Wednesday - Dinner at Mom's or Eat Out
Thursday - Spaghetti and Meatballs, salad, rolls
Friday - Homemade Pizza (hoping to try out this recipe)
Saturday - Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos

Mango Chicken with Coconut Rice

I tried this recipe because we had Mango Salsa in our fridge that needed to be used. The results were very tasty and have inspired me to use my crockpot more often. Crockpot dinners are a great way to have a nice dinner without a lot of effort, which makes them great for busy days or days when you just need a little more time to play with your kids.{Easy Mango Chicken}
adapted from Real Mom Kitchen
3 chicken breasts
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups mango salsa
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Lemon Pepper

Place Chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker. Pour remaining ingredients over the top. Stir to combine and cook for 4-6 hours on high. Remove the chicken breasts and shred. Return to crockpot, stir to combine.

{Coconut Rice}
2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice*
2 cups good-quality coconut milk
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coconut oil, OR other vegetable oil
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Place rice, coconut milk, water,oil, sugar and salt in the pot and set over medium-high to high heat.
Stir until liquid comes to a gentle boil.
Once the coconut-water has begun to gently bubble, stop stirring and reduce heat to low. Cover tightly with a lid and let simmer about 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice (to check, pull rice aside with a fork to see down to the bottom of the pot).
When the liquid is gone, turn off the heat, but leave the covered pot on the burner to steam another 5-10 minutes, or until you’re ready to eat.

Cranberry-Orange Couscous

I attended a healthy eating class this past Saturday, and I was inspired to add more grains into our diet and cut out a little of the meat. Normally, when I plan my menus, I try to vary what meat I am cooking each night. Now, I am shifting my focus to finding a better balance for my family - great flavor without all the meat for my husband, alternative forms of protein for my children, and more whole grains for everyone.

This recipe was so yummy that I had to make it again at home. It comes together quickly, so it make a great lunch or side dish.{Cranberry-Orange Couscous}
ratio of liquid to couscous should be 2:1
1/2 of your liquid should be orange juice
1/2 water
for every 1/4 C of couscous: 1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and slice almonds; 2 Tbsp craisins

Mix the liquids and couscous together. Microwave for minutes. Toast the seeds until the almonds start to color. Fluff the couscous with a fork, mix in seeds, nuts, and crisins. Stir to combine and serve. This can also be stored in the refrigerator and serve cold or room temperature.

Indian Dinner

We had dinner with my grandparents, cousins and parents this past Saturday at an Indian restaurant. We had some recommendations as to what we should order, and everything was delicious. Here are some recipes that I have rounded up to try and recreate them at home.

Gobi Manchurian
Saag Paneer
Tandoori-Style Barbeque Sauce
Makhani (Butter) Chicken
Chicken Tikka Masala
Vegetable Korma (I found this one quite spicy! You can substitute coconut milk for the heavy cream.)
Naan Bread