Monday Menu 5/28

1 breakfast, 2 snacks, 5 dinners and 1 dessert

Breakfast

(B1) Green Smoothie: Green smoothies are quick and full of nutrients. You can follow this recipe or have fun with it and add your own fruits and veggies. No fancy blender required. I have a regular old Walmart brand blender and it works just fine.

Snacks

(S1) Apples and Peanut Butter: Slice up an apple and dip in some natural peanut butter and you've got one tasty snack. I like to get the freshly ground peanut butter at my local health food store. It's a bit more expensive but the taste is worth it. I've also heard almond butter is good too.

(S2) fresh veggies and hummus: I love me some hummus. I use it on everything. Cut up your favorite veggies and dip in hummus. I especially love carrot sticks, red bell peppers, sugar snap peas and cucumbers with hummus.

Dinners

(D1) Chicken n' black bean taco salad:

Ingredients:

2 lg. chicken breasts (Costco sized) thawed

or 4 sm. chicken breasts

3 cans black beans

8-12 oz. salsa

shredded lettuce

cubed tomatoes

1 pkg. tortilla chips

Directions:

Thaw chicken, place in crock pot.

Poor in salsa.

Drain  and rinse one can black beans and add to crock pot, add remaining 2 cans of black beans with juice.

Turn crock pot to low and cook for 6-8 hrs. High for 5-6 hrs.

During last hr. of cook time, remove chicken and shred. Place shredded chicken back into crock pot for remaining time.

Serve with shredded lettuce and cubed tomatoes over tortilla chips.

*This is one of my all-time favorite meals to make when I'm short on time. I also love that it gives us left-overs.

Enjoy!

(D2) Coconut-Chicken Curry

from Better Homes and Gardens Annual Recipes 2006

Prep: 30 min. Stand: 30 min. Cook: 16 min.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut in bite-sized pieces
1/2 C red curry paste
1 T olive oil
1 lg. onion, coarsely chopped
1 13.5 oz can unsweetened or reduced-fat coconut milk
1 1/2 C matchstick sized carrots
1 tsp. finely shredded lime peel
Hot cooked brown rice
Snipped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. In a bowl combine chicken and curry paste; let stand at room temp. for 30 min.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add oil, onion, and chicken. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 min., stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender and no longer pink.
3. Remove chicken from skillet. Carefully add coconut milk to skillet, scraping up crusty bits. Add carrots and lime peel. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 min. or until carrots are crisp-tender. Return chicken mixture to skillet. Simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 min. or until liquid thickens slightly. Serve with rice and snipped cilantro. Makes 4 servings.

*If you like to eat Thai curry, you will love this. It is not spicy-hot like you might imagine most Thai food to be. It is absolutely amazing.


(D3)-Fajitas

MmMm. I love me some fajitas.
For gluten free, use corn tortillas.
I also use chicken for my fajitas instead of steak because that's what I've got on hand.

(D4)- Quinoa Salad

I just tried this for the first time at a BBQ a few weeks ago and I'm totally hooked on Quinoa now. This is perfect for the summer.

(D5)  Szechwan Chicken Lettuce Wrap

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp canola or peanut oil
8 oz, chicken
1/2 medium sweet green or red pepper, diced
1 cup celery cut into slices
2 tsp/ minced fresh ginger or dash of ginger spice
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbsp gluten free soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice or distilled vinegar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp dry roasted peanuts
2 green onions, sliced short
2 large Iceberg lettuce leaves

Directions:
Heat skillet over medium heat 3 minutes. Add oil and coat pan evenly. Add chicken, red or green peppers, celery, and ginger. Cook and stir for 3 min. or until chicken is opaque. Stir in garlic. Add soy sauce, vinegar and pepper flakes. Continue to cook and stir mixture for 1 minute. Stir in peanuts and green onion. Remove pan from heat. Put mixture in lettuce leaves. Roll and eat like a burrito. 2 servings.
* hint: this is spicy. If you don't like spicy don't add the red pepper flakes


Dessert
(D1) Banana Bread

I use 4 VERY ripe bananas instead of the 2 that is called for. It turns out much better. Also, make sure to line your bread pan with wax paper or tin foil, this will allow you to remove your banana bread with ease.