you are here: home week night meals

1
Mar
2013
 Hello Fresh Food



I had a $40 gift card for Hello Fresh (a food delivery company that delivers the ingredients to make 3 fresh meals per week). I decided to try it out for one week. By the way, 3 meals (for 2 people) costs $59 for the week and that is just the vegetarian option. Not a great deal.

They are OCD with packaging:

hello fresh food

It turned out much better than I expected! The only negative is the cost, and that you might not get food that you want. You can vote on the meal choices, but they send you a recipe for whatever they decide. So, if you are picky, this is not for you.

Meal 1: Vegetable Curry with Brown Rice

vegetable red curry

By accident, I used the entire container of curry paste when you were only supposed to use 2 Tbsp! Yikes! The directions were not the best. So, it’s obviously not my fault ;-)

Meal 2: Lentil Squash Soup

lentil squash soup

This tasted so light and fresh, yet hearty. The flavors were excellent, and we agreed that we would try to make this at home again.

Meal 3: Cauliflower Stir Fry

This also turned out better than expected. I wasn’t a fan of the white rice, but it was OK to try something different. The recipe called for a crispy panko buttery topping, but it wasn’t too heavy.

cauliflower stir fry

We had the cauliflower again as leftovers with some salmon for protein the next night:

salmon and cauliflower

If I re-create any of these recipes, I will post my final edited recipe for everyone to try!

Overall, I canceled my subscription because of cost, and I like to be able to decide exactly what I am going to eat that week! But, for others who still want to cook, but want fresh recipes at their fingertips, this might be a good choice.

28
Jan
2013
 The Mexican Meatball



This is not any type of authentic recipe, but it is fun and delicious! And easy for a weeknight meal.

Mexican Meatballs

I got the recipe from Clean Eating Magazine HERE.

The only thing I did differently was add onion, and red and green peppers for extra vegetables and flavor. I also added garlic and some chipotle pepper for flavor and spice in the skillet. I ground up some coriander, cumin, and chopped chipotle peppers to add inside the meatball.

But, other than that, just follow the Clean Eating recipe, add some extra vegetable or maybe have a side salad. I ate mine with extra sour cream…. mmm.

southwest meatball

And hopefully yours turns out something like this!

Thoughts for the week:

be extraordinary

6
Nov
2012
 Superfood Dinner: Romano Crusted Salmon & Sliced Brussels Sprouts



I was tired of salmon stinking up my house, so I decided to bake it! Fish smell-free!

This recipe turned out delicious! And, the cheese “crust” is really not bad for you. I used olive oil mayo (a little better than regular mayo because it has less fat and more olive oil), gluten free almond crackers for the breading, and romano cheese! Romano cheese is pretty strong, so you don’t need a lot.

Romano Crusted Salmon

Makes extra breading. I put what I don’t need inside a zip-top baggy, and save for chicken another night!

Ingredients:

  • 1 box blue diamond nut-thins (any variety is fine–I chose almond for a nutty flavor)
  • Approx. 3.5-4 oz. Romano cheese (can use Parmesan if that is what you have), sliced
  • 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • Pepper
  • 4 Tbsp. olive oil mayo *Use just enough to combine the cracker crumbs/cheese together
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1 lb. wild salmon or steelhead fish

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400.
  2. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until you have what looks like bread crumbs.
  3. Pour half the “bread crumbs” into a bowl and combine with the mayo. Reserve the other half of the “bread crumbs” for another night.
  4. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up. Place the fish skin-side-down, and squeeze half a lemon over the fish.
  5. Press down your cheese/cracker topping on top of the fish with a spoon, and you can use your hands (just make sure to wash well after).
  6. Bake about 15 minutes.

For the brussels sprouts, slice them up length-wise. Saute them lightly (with about 1 Tbsp. olive oil) in a large saute pan. Add salt, pepper, and dried minced onion. Cook on medium for about 8-10 minutes. If you like, you could grate some leftover romano over top of the sprouts!

The reason I call this a superfood dinner is from all of the healthy omega-3′s in the fish, and the potent antioxidants in the brussels sprouts! An added bonus is that brussels sprouts are coming into season now.

18
Oct
2012
 Garbage Dinner



Sounds disgusting, and the picture doesn’t look too appetizing. But, this is what happens when I am not home and Mr. Cyclist scavenges through the freezer and cupboard to create a dinner of leftovers.

Definition of garbage dinner: Take a lot of your odds and ends and leftover foods, and combine them into a one-pot meal tastefully and somewhat artfully.

I heard of someone else who uses this term “garbage dinner”, but I can’t think of who. It’s a pretty smart idea. That way, you don’t have little bags of this and that hanging out in the pantry until you have to throw them away.

For our meal, we had lots of frozen vegetables: peas, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, brussels sprouts, carrots, peppers, onions, and potatoes cooked in a curry sauce (that is the dark ugly color you see). Served on top of whole wheat egg noodles. With an egg on top for protein. Haha! The curry sauce was pretty tasty and I like vegetables, so I enjoyed this meal.

Have you ever made meals out of leftovers like this?

26
Jul
2012
 Add Cashews for Delicious & Nutritious Meals



A few weeks ago we experimented with cashews in an Indian-style dish. I often order Thai food that has cashews cooked in, and have always enjoyed it. They have great texture; the cashews become nice and tender.

Cashew Chicken with Korma Simmer Sauce

Plus, think of all the nutrition benefits you get from cashews:
Cashews are loaded with copper. Copper is a key enzyme for SOD (superoxide dismutase). SOD is a powerhouse of an antioxidant. Without copper, SOD does not function so well. Copper also functions as an enzyme for other antioxidants. As a bonus, copper helps to maintain healthy blood vessels, bones, and joints.

Next time you are making a stir-fry or casserole style dish, try adding some cashews to your saute ingredients! I recommend buying raw whole cashews (bulk grocery stores including Whole Paycheck will carry these).

17
Jun
2012
 Recipe Inspiration



I needed some motivation for recipe ideas for the next few weeks. So, where do I look to? Pinterest, of course!

Have a good weekend! Hope this helps give some new ideas to avoid boring meals.

13
Jun
2012
 What’s for Dinner?



Took a quick trip to the beach this weekend, away from the computer and everything.
But, now getting back in gear and thinking about meals this week! Here are some ideas from what I have done over the past week…

Mr. Cyclist made some chicken drumsticks with a delicious rosemary marinade. I made some cheesy cauliflower to go with it.
It’s a good meal to have when you get tired of chicken breast meat. And the cheese cauliflower reminds me of a richer pasta dish!

Shrimp and Grits:
Nice mood lighting, hah!
No, this is not health food. But, it is not that bad. I had never had shrimp and grits before at home either, so it was a nice change. And, some sauteed zucchini as the side.

Pistachio Crusted Fish:
This is one of my favorite ways to cooks fish. First, coat it with a homemade honey mustard, and then as if you are breading it, coat the fish with crushed pistachios and extra spices. Love it.

Ginger salad to go with it:
Used iceberg lettuce just because Mr. Cyclist requested it for authenticity. But, added some color with carrots, red onion, and beets. The dressing was something we found from Costco. It is almost identical in flavor to dressings you get at restaurants. Highly recommend.
And made some kale with turkey sausage and a sweet potato last night, but that was not worthy enough to make it to the page of newer and inventive dinners.

Happy Hump Day!

16
Feb
2012
 Quest for Curry



Mr. Cyclist is obsessed with curry. So, he inspired me to procure the ingredients needed to make curry at home. And, I wanted to see if I could make it any cheaper at home. His argument was that since there are so many specialty ingredients required to make top quality curry, it might be just as cheap to order a dish from our favorite Thai restaurant.

Here are some of the necessary ingredients to make Panang curry which I have decided is my most favorite right now.  Panang curry is supposed to be more mild than others, but in my experience it has been full of flavor and a little spicy.

I used this recipe idea from Temple of Thai for a slight shortcut to making curry. The shortcut is that you use a curry paste instead of making your own curry paste which can require many ingredients and spices in addition to the ones you already have to buy.

We added some peppers, carrots, mushrooms, onions, and chicken as well. Mr. Cyclist, aka Curious Curry Man, watched a few YouTube videos to try to make himself more of a Thai chef.

This recipe did not turn out perfect because there was a tad bit too much coconut milk, and it would have been better to make the sauce and the vegetables separate, and then combine near the end.

So, when I perfect this recipe, I will post my own version. But, for now, you can try the Temple of Thai recipe linked to above for a tasty and different weeknight meal. Don’t forget to serve with brown rice! And don’t be too afraid of coconut milk because there has been some research out about coconut milk and its ability to help burn fat as well as prevent Alzheimer’s. Don’t be afraid to try new meal ideas that you have no idea where to begin–it may lead to something delicious!

Quote for the Week: “Sometimes”, said Pooh, “the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”

6
Feb
2012
 Salsa Verde Casserole



I love making Mexican style casseroles or lasagnas. All my favorite spicy flavors in one… and it includes cheese! I guess this idea originated from enchiladas, then turned into enchilada casserole, then turned into whatever combination of cheese, tortillas, onions, peppers, and spiciness available.
Salsa Verde Casserole Recipe inspired by Rachael Ray’s recipe
Makes 1, 9 x 13 casserole
Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound chicken breast (I used thinly sliced cutlets)
  • 1 1/2 cups store-bought salsa verde (I got mine from Trader Joe’s)
  • 1, 15 oz. container low fat or fat free ricotta cheese
  • 5 large whole wheat/whole grain tortillas, cut into wedges
  • 1 red onion and 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 or 1.5 small packages of frozen spinach, thawed, and the liquid squeezed out (very important to squeeze out liquid).
  • 2 cups shredded 2% Mexican cheese blend
  • 1-2 jalapenos, diced
  • 1 tsp. cumin, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to season chicken

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Meanwhile, add 1 Tbsp. oil to large saute pan, and cook onions on medium for about 10-15 minutes.
  2. While the onions are cooking, mix the ricotta with the salsa, and then mix in the spinach.
  3. To cook the chicken: heat up a grill pan or saute pan with 1 Tbsp. oil, and cook each cutlet about 5 minutes. Season with garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin.
  4. Add jalapenos to the onion mixture, and season.
  5. To assemble the casserole: add half of the ricotta mixture to the casserole dish, then one layer or tortillas, then chicken and onions and a small amount of small. Then, add a layer of tortillas, and repeat. Top with remaining cheese (use most of the cheese for the top).
  6. Bake about 15 minutes until top is golden. Cool 5 minutes before eating.

 

I was unsure about using ricotta in a dish like this, but it was perfect! It made it more creamy without adding even more high calorie ingredients. I was not a big fan of the chicken… I am very picky about my chicken and how it is cooked. So, for the vegetarians out there, I would recommend just using a can of black beans instead!

 

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