Week 3

Sunday Menu

• Slow Cooker Beef Roast
• Cheesy-Veggie Blend
• Corn on the Cob

COOK AHEAD TIP: Go ahead and boil eggs. Your salad will be easier to put together tomorrow and you’ll have extra for breakfast on the run or snacks. I also cook an entire pack of bacon at one time. Store in an airtight container lined with a paper towel. Gently reheat as needed.

Prep

• Start IN THE MORNING by getting out your Crock Pot. NOTE: Make enough for leftover beef to use on Tuesday night.
• Start by searing a roast big enough for two meals. Use a medium-large skillet to heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Searing helps lock moisture in the meat by browning each side (left, right, top, bottom, all of the outer surfaces). Season generously with salt and pepper. Add 2-3 cloves freshly minced garlic to your crock pot and plop your seared roast right on top. Sprinkle with 4 Tbsp onion flakes and 1 tsp onion powder, then add 1/2-1 c beef stock (it’s like making your own onion soup mix for flavor). Set to low for 6-8 hours, cover, and walk away.
• I like to boil my corn on the cob. Fill your pot with water and get it boiling. Boil per package instructions or until tender.
• While your corn is cooking, put your veggie blend in a microwave-safe dish with 1/4 c water and cover. Steam for about 8 minutes or until desired texture. Mix halfway. Drain and add salt and shredded cheese as desired. Let cheese melt and serve on half your plate.
• Once your roast is ready, set aside what you’ll need to use on Tuesday, and serve up the rest with your meal. YUM!

Grocery Items

• Bottom Round or Chuck Roast (2 meals)
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Beef Stock
• Veggie Blend (frozen) like Normandy
• Corn on the Cob (frozen)
• Shredded Cheese
• Spices: Dried Onion Flakes, Onion Powder

Monday Menu

• Cobb Salads with
• Cheatin’ Chicken

TIME-SAVER TIP: Pick up a cheatin’ chicken (a.k.a. grocery store rotisserie).

Prep

• Get your toppings ready. If you didn’t get your eggs boiled and bacon cooked yesterday, go ahead and start them now. Put eggs in a saucepan covered with water. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn heat off. Let sit in water covered for 12 minutes. Rinse with cold water and peel.
• While the eggs are cooking, cook your bacon. I cook it on the stovetop in a skillet, but if you prefer to get precooked to reheat, that’s fine too. I generally cook 2 thick slices per salad.
• Place your salad greens in a bowl or on a plate. Top with chopped tomatoes, boiled eggs, chopped bacon, blue cheese crumbles, sliced avocado, and the chopped cheatin’ chicken.
• My favorite dressing with this is just a high-quality olive oil and balsamic. You can use any dressing you prefer. DE-LISH!

Grocery Items

• Rotisserie Chicken
• Salad Greens (2 meals)
• Tomatoes
• Avocados
• Bacon (2 meals)
• Blue Cheese Crumbles
• Dressing of choice

Tuesday Menu

• Easy Beef Stroganoff (using leftover roast beef)
• Tossed Salad

TRADITION ALERT: This was one of my favorite dishes growing up. It’s a comfort food that we’ve balanced with a side salad.

Prep

• Start by getting some water boiling for your egg noodles.
• Make side salads. Put salad greens topped with salad veggies on half your plate. I like cucumbers, tomatoes, matchstick carrots, etc.
• Now get out your leftover roast beef and coarsely chop. Put in a mixing bowl and mix with cornstarch. Use ~1/2 Tbsp per cup of chopped beef. Set aside.
• Add egg noodles to water and cook per package instructions.
• In a medium skillet, heat butter or olive oil to medium heat. Add your presliced and washed mushrooms. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently until tender. Add in your chopped beef and about 1/2-1 c beef stock. Bring to a boil. The sauce will thicken. Add more beef stock as desired.
• Drain the noodles and mix with the beef and mushroom mixture in the larger pan. Add 1/2-1 c sour cream (about 1/4 c per serving you’re making). Add salt, pepper, and dried parsley to taste and serve hot. It just might become one of your favorites too!

Grocery Items

• Mushrooms, sliced
• Mixed Greens
• Salad Veggies
• Beef Stock
• Sour Cream
• Cornstarch
• Egg Noodles
• Butter/Olive Oil
• Spices: Dried Parsley

Wednesday Menu

• Fancy Cheese Toast
• Butternut Squash Soup

This simple meal will give us a tasty break before we cook the rest of the week. Sometimes I make my own soup and sometimes I buy a premade soup that has ingredients I feel good about.

Prep

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
• Tonight I’m using a convenience soup like Pacific brand. Pour it in a microwave-safe dish or soup pot and heat it up.
• Now get your fancy cheese toast ready. Place your bread on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and pop in the oven for about 4 minutes to toast. Pull it out and place a handful of arugula or spinach on the toast and drizzle with olive oil. Now top with a large slice of tomato and then a slice of cheese of choice (I choose provolone).
• Put back in the oven for about 4-5 minutes or until your cheese is melted. Serve it all up.

Grocery Items

• Bread of choice
• Cheese of choice, sliced
• Arugula/Spinach
• Slicing Tomato
• Butternut Squash Soup (like Pacific brand – box in health food section) or preferred soup
• Olive Oil

Thursday Menu

• Pan-Seared Herbed Salmon with Mustard Drizzle
• Wilted Spinach with Parmesan
• Cannellini Beans

Cooking fish can freak people out at times. This is my sure-fire cooking method to get it crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. This spice blend is one of my favorites. Click HERE for a picture.

LEFTOVER TIP: Leftover salmon isn’t always my favorite, but this is so delicious chopped on a salad for lunch the next day.

Prep

• This sounds all fancy, but it’s a simple and delicious meal.
• Start by getting your beans cooking. Honestly, I’m going to open cans of cannellini beans (a.k.a. white kidney beans) and jazz them up. Start with olive oil and 2 cloves of minced garlic in a soup pot over medium heat. Let the garlic infuse the olive oil for about 1-2 minutes and put your drained beans in the pot. Turn to low, cover, and simmer until dinner is ready.
• Get your fresh or thawed salmon filets out. Place them on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Now pat your Herbs de Provence blend onto both sides of the salmon. I like to use about 1/2 tsp per side. Heat a medium to large skillet to medium-high heat. Put 1-2 tbsp olive oil in your skillet. Sear salmon 2-3 minutes on each side and then turn to low to cook to desired doneness (2-4 more minutes at most).
• While the salmon is cooking, get your spinach ready. I use a large box of fresh spinach and just start adding it to a large skillet coated with olive oil over medium heat. Continue to adding spinach until it’s wilted down. Add salt, pepper, and grated parmesan to taste.
• To make your mustard drizzle, mix together 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard and 1/2 tbsp olive oil per filet. Drizzle over your salmon.
• Serve it all up in a shallow bowl or on a plate with beans on the bottom and spinach over the beans. Place your salmon on top.

Grocery Items

• Salmon, fresh/frozen
• Spinach, fresh
• Cannellini Beans
• Parmesan, grated
• Olive Oil
• Dijon Mustard
• Spice: Herbs de Provence

Friday Menu

• Penne Puttanesca
• Grilled Chicken

This is my best and most favorite recipe. I’m not Italian, but I aspire to be :), and this is probably the best dish I make. It has the most robust flavor. Enjoy!

Prep

• Season your boneless, skinless chicken breasts by coating with olive oil and sprinkling generously with Tomato, Basil, Garlic Mrs. Dash Blend (or similar).
• Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium heat and get your chicken cooking.
• Get your water boiling for your pasta in a large pot.
• Now start your sauce by putting 1/2 c of high-quality extra virgin olive oil in your large saucepan with 1 tsp of red pepper flakes. Heat to medium heat and stir for about 2 minutes to infuse your oil. Now add 2-3 cloves chopped garlic, 2 tsp dried oregano, and 1 Tbsp anchovy paste (it’s not overwhelming, I promise). Mix well to get the paste dissolved and now add 1 large can or box (~28 oz) Italian plum tomatoes or diced tomatoes, 1/2 c pitted and chopped kalamata olives, and 2 Tbsp drained capers.
• Once your chicken is ready, let sit about 4-5 minutes and then slice to put on top of your pasta.
• When your pasta is al dente, drain thoroughly. Pour pasta into sauce mixture and add 3 Tbsp fresh chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley. Mix and serve very hot with your sliced grilled chicken and Parmesan on top. Wowsers–so good!

Grocery Items

• Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless
• Chopped Tomatoes (~28 oz can/box)
• Garlic
• Fresh Parsley
• Olive Oil
• Anchovy Paste
• Kalamata Olives pitted
• Capers
• Parmesan Cheese
• Penne Pasta, 12-16 oz
• Spices: Mrs. Dash Tomato, Basil, Garlic Blend, Red Pepper Flakes, & Dried Oregano

Saturday Menu

• Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken
• Pineapple Pepper Rice

You’ll never have to order this out again! It’s so tasty and worth the prep time.

Prep

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. This recipe is for about 1 to 1.5 pounds of chicken. Increase amounts as needed.
• Cut your chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes. Place in a large Ziploc bag with 1/2 c cornstarch and shake, shake, shake.
• Add 3-4 tbsp vegetable oil to a large skillet and heat to medium to heat.
• Crack 2 eggs and beat them up. Dip your chicken pieces into the eggs. Add your chicken to the pan and cook until it just starts to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to baking dish
• Get out a mixing bowl and put in  1/2 c sugar, 1/2 c apple cider vinegar, 1/4 c ketchup, 2 tbsp soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder (more if you like). Mix it all up and pour over your chicken in the baking dish.
• Pop in your preheated oven for an hour. Toss at 20 and 40 minutes to get the sauce coated on all the chicken.
• While the chicken is baking, steam or cook your rice. I like to use quick-cooking frozen rice. Dice up red and/or green bell peppers and steam quickly in the microwave as well. It’ll take about 2 minutes once they’re diced. Drain and mix into rice. Drain a 20 oz can of pineapple chunks and mix it in as well.
• Serve your sweet & sour chicken over your rice. Yum!

Grocery Items

• Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless
• Eggs
• Bell Peppers
• Rice (of choice)
• Pineapple Chunks, canned in natural juices
• Cornstarch
• Sugar
• Ketchup
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Sugar
• Soy Sauce
• Vegetable Oil
• Spice: Garlic Powder