Week 2

Sunday Menu

• Chicken & Veggie Kebabs with
• Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Do Ahead: We’ll go ahead and grill our chicken for Tuesday and make our marinated veggies for tomorrow.

It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you had a little birthday cake with this meal, or any meal this week! 😉

Prep

• If you don’t have metal skewers that you can reuse, get wooden/bamboo skewers at the grocery. Soak skewers in water for about 10-20 minutes before loading. This will keep them intact on the grill.
• Cut your chicken breasts for tonight into cubes no larger than 1”. Wash and dry all your veggies. Cut squash and red peppers (for tonight) into chunks or slices that won’t fall off the skewers. Start kebabin’! Chicken, chicken, veggie, veggie. Lay skewers on a baking sheet layered with foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dried oregano. NOTE: Make extra seasoned chicken for Tuesday…Don’t cut it up. Grill the breasts whole.
• Go ahead and coarsely chop broccoli, red peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, & red onion (if you like it). Toss with your favorite vinaigrette and refrigerate for tomorrow night. Not digging these veggies, swap them out for others.
• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and your grill/grill pan to medium heat.
• Cut your red potatoes into about 1” cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried or fresh rosemary. I love fresh rosemary so I add a lot. Start with 1/4 tsp per person if you’re not sure. NOTE: Make extra potatoes for Tuesday. Evenly space out potatoes on a baking sheet and roast ~30 minutes or until desired texture, stirring halfway.
• Grill up your kebabs and chicken breasts. Kebabs take 5-6 min per side and breasts take 6-8 min per side. Just make sure juices run clear.
• Enjoy your kebabs and potatoes tonight, and sleep well knowing how ahead you are for your dinners this week : )

NOTE: If you don’t want to grill you could roast the kebabs (& extra chicken) in the oven right along with your potatoes (~30 minutes at 400 degrees).

Grocery Items

• Chicken Breasts (3 meals)
• Wooden/Bamboo Skewers (if you need them)
• Red Bell Peppers (2 meals)
• Squash
• Mushrooms
• Red Potatoes (2 meals)
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Red Onion, optional
• Dressing/Dressing Ingredients
• Spices: Rosemary, dried or fresh, Oregano, dried

Monday Menu

• Cuban-Inspired Sandwiches
• Marinated Veggies

This Cuban-style sandwich is a variation from the traditional recipe.  We’re leaving off the sliced pork only because it’s an added ingredient that takes a long time to prep and this sandwich is still super tasty without it.

Prep

• Start by spreading mustard and mayo on your bread. If you use a baguette, slice into 4-inch sections and slice in half lengthwise. Now sprinkle the mustard and mayo with dried oregano. Add deli ham, Swiss, and pickles to the sandwich and press together.
• Preheat a skillet, grill pan, or panini press (if you have one) to medium-high heat.  Add a little butter to your pan and add your sandwich. Carefully press it with a lid or plate to get it toasted and pressed thin. Toast both sides until golden brown and cheese is melted. Sometimes the outside of the sandwich gets done before the inside is hot. If this happens, that’s no problem. Just pop in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to finish it off.
• Scoop out your marinated veggies that you made yesterday and supper is served!

Grocery Items

• Sandwich Buns or Baguette
• Deli Ham
• Sliced Swiss Cheese
• Mustard
• Mayonnaise
• Pickles, sliced
• Butter
• Spice: Oregano, dried

Tuesday Menu

• Mediterranean Chicken (using leftovers) and
• Roasted Potatoes (using leftovers)

This is SO easy and delicious. No one will know it’s a leftover meal!

Prep

• Start by making your tasty chicken topper relish. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and coarsely chop fresh basil or mint. Add crumbled feta cheese, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Start with these amounts to serve two: 1 cup cherry tomatoes, ¼ c fresh herb of choice, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, and 2 tbsp olive oil. Increase the amounts for more servings. Mix and add pepper to taste. Set aside. NOTE: If you have leftover marinated veggies you could use that instead to save time. Just mix in some feta to taste.
• Get out the chicken that you prepped on Sunday. Slice and gently warm in the microwave with a wet paper towel over it to keep it moist.
• Reheat the extra potatoes from Sunday. I actually like to pop them back in the oven to keep them more crisp but the microwave works fine, too.
• Serve your sliced chicken with your tomato topping and potatoes on the side. Dig in!

Grocery Items

• Cherry Tomatoes
• Fresh Basil or Mint
• Crumbled Feta Cheese (2 meals)
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Olive Oil

Wednesday Menu

• Smothered Hamburger Steaks with
• Buttered Corn and
• Melon Slices

Prep

• Slice your watermelon/cantaloupe and set aside.
• Preheat your grill/grill pan to medium-high heat.
• Pat out hamburgers using whatever meat you like. I eat beef. I generally get 4 burgers per pound of beef. NOTE: Make extra for tomorrow night and cook them more on the medium side since you may reheat them tomorrow.
• Place the frozen corn in a microwave-safe dish with about 2 tbsp water. Cover and steam in the microwave until desired doneness (start with 5-6 minutes). Drain and add butter, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Grill your burgers for 5-7 min per side, or until desired doneness. Add your slice of cheese to the burgers you’ll eat tonight. Now smother them with sliced tomatoes and a drizzle of your favorite BBQ sauce.  Add a side of corn and melon. NOM NOM!

Grocery Items

• Ground Beef, or ground meat of choice (2 meals)
• Large Slicing Tomato
• Watermelon/Cantaloupe
• Sliced Cheese of choice
• BBQ Sauce of choice
• Corn, frozen

Thursday Menu

• Burger Bites & Feta Salad (using leftovers) with
• Dinner Rolls

Prep

• I love a big ole non-boring salad. This one is great because you can use leftovers and get it on the table fast!
• Crumble leftover burgers from yesterday. You can reheat them in the microwave covered with a wet paper towel, or you can eat them cold. I like it either way.
• Put mixed greens in a large salad bowl or on a dinner plate. Top with sliced cucumbers, carrots, avocados, burger bites, and a sprinkle of feta (or your preferred cheese). NOTE: Prep extra salad for tomorrow night while you’re getting tonight’s salad ready.
• This is a salad I like to dress with equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You can use whatever dressing you prefer.
• Serve with a dinner roll OR if you have leftover corn from last night you could throw it on your salad and skip the roll. Corn adds a nice texture and sweetness to a salad. Where’s my fork!?

Grocery Items

• Mixed Greens
• Feta Cheese (if you need more) or cheese of choice
• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Avocados
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Dinner Rolls, if desired

Friday Menu

• It’s…Pizza Night! Woot woot! with
• Side Salads

Prep

• Yay! I love pizza. You can buy a pizza crust or use little pitas to build your own. OR you can order a pizza. Normal, healthy eaters do that here and there. It’s up to you.
• If using pitas, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. If using crusts, refer to package instructions.
• Sauce your pizzas and load them up with your favorite toppings and mozzarella. Bake them for 8-10 minutes (or per package instructions) or until bubbly and delicious.
• While your pizza is baking, you can prep a quick salad (if you didn’t already make one last night).
• Remember this plate method– half your plate pizza and the other half your side salad. Add a little dressing to your salad and enjoy!

Grocery Items

• Pizza Crust or Pitas
• Pizza Sauce
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Toppings of choice
• Salad Dressing of choice

Saturday Menu

• Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps with
• Fortune Cookies/Peanut Butter Cookies

Prep

• This is an easy dish using basic ingredients to get a different kind of meal on the table.
• Wash lettuce and pat dry. Iceberg works the best for these wraps. Wash and slice up your preferred veggie toppings. Set aside.
• Saute cut up chicken breast over medium heat in 1-2 tbsp olive oil until cooked through. Turn heat to low. Mix in 1 tbsp peanut butter and ½ tbsp lite soy sauce per serving you’re making (so for 4 servings, it would be 4 tbsp peanut butter and 2 tbsp lite soy sauce). Add pepper flakes/pepper sauce (like Sriracha) to taste. If you don’t like too much spice, add just a dash.
• Put the prepared lettuce, a dish of peanut chicken, and all your veggie toppings on the table and dig in. Everyone gets to make their own. Lettuce, chicken, veggies, and a splash of soy sauce or dressing. I also top mine with Sriracha for a kick of heat and flavor!
• If you’d like to serve with fortune cookies you can often find them near the soy sauce in the grocery store. Peanut butter cookies would be yummy too!

Grocery Items

• Chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (if you need more)
• Crunchy Peanut Butter
• Lite Soy Sauce
• Sriracha sauce (optional)
• Iceberg Lettuce
• Veggie Toppings like
  • Cucumber
  • Tomato
  • Radishes
  • Carrots, shredded
  • Bean Sprouts
  • Green Onion
• Ginger-Soy/Similar Dressing of choice, if desired
• Fortune Cookies or Peanut Butter Cookies, if desired
• Spice: Red Pepper Flakes/Sauce