MLK Menu Monday!

Happy Birthday Martin Luther King Jr!

Ok, so I probably picked the busiest time in my life to start a blog..hence, my absentia last week..sorry!  I hope you enjoyed the menu provided by my buddy, Victoria last week.  Delish!  Anywhooo, its my week for menu planning so here is my plan for this week:

Monday:  Blast from the Pasta, which can be found in one of my most favorite cookbooks, Crazy Plates by my VERY most favorite cookbook authors, Janet and Greta Podleski.  Should you continue to visit me, you'll notice many of my recipes are adapted, or just plain taken, from their series of cookbooks.  I keep them right on my counter for easy access because I love them so much.

Tuesday:  Redneck Salad; this one I made up myself...think (healthful) Buffalo wing Salad.

Wednesday:  Melancauli Baby; this one also taken from my favorite cookbook authors, this time out of : Eat, Shrink & Be Merry! This is a curried cauliflower soup that is sooo yum!

Thursday:  Firecracker Veggie Roast; I originally got this recipe from Cooking Light Magazine, about a million years ago and keep going back to it.  I change up the veggies and the starch, but the rub is divine just as it is written!

Here's the ingredient list (heavy on the produce this week!):

What I Already Have:                              vs.  What I Need to Buy:

2 Chicken breasts (in my freezer)                            romaine lettuce    

Celery (2 stalks)                                                       blue cheese crumbles

carrots (2)                                                                1 each red/yellow/green pepper(s)

Light Ranch Dressing                                              1 fennel bulb

Buffalo sauce/marinade                                           6-8 oz mushrooms

1 lb. ground turkey (in my freezer)                          1 small head broccoli (2 C)

onion (yellow)                                                          1 large head cauliflower (6 C total)

cream of celery soup                                                1 med tomato

milk                                                                          2 large leeks

oregano                                                                    1 big sweet potato

chili powder                                                             1 jalapeno

paprika                                                                      fresh mint and basil

black pepper/salt                                                       28 oz can diced tomatoes

crushed red pepper                                                   10 oz can cream tomato soup

olive oil                                                                     14.5 oz can garbanzo beans

garlic                                                                          1 C 20% evaporated milk

curry powder                                                             1/2 C shredded swiss cheese

cumin                                                                        Box couscous

brown and wild rice blend**                        

soy sauce

Italian seasoning

4 C chicken stock (freezer!)

8 oz. whole wheat, short cut pasta

**Because this stuff takes so long to cook, I usually cook off an entire bag and then store it in my freezer so that it is ready to go when I am!  I do the same for chopped onions and stocks!

Ok..here's the recipe for dinner today (I tried to find the recipe posted online somewhere but couldn't..boo!)

Blast from the Pasta:  (The recipe originally called for ground beef, but I use turkey instead; I also use a little different method so I only have to dirty one pot)

Cook the ground turkey in the bottom of a BIG soup pot until the turkey is no longer pink.  Add one chopped onion, 1 chopped green pepper and about 2 C sliced mushrooms.  Cook until the veggies begin to soften (3-4 minutes).  Stir in the can of diced tomatoes (UNdrained),  and the tomato and celery soups.  Stir until well blended.  Add 1/2 C milk, 1 1/2 t Italian Seasoning, 1 t chili powder, 1/2 t paprika and 1/4 t each black pepper and red pepper flakes AND 8 oz UNCOOKED pasta.  Stir it up and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to low and simmer about 30 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally.  

This makes 8 GIGANTIC servings (if you make with beef its only 323 calories per serving..seeing as how I make it with lean turkey, I have to think that this version is a bit less!)...leaving room to serve with a little sprinkling of shredded cheese.  My family LOVES this recipe...I hope yours does too!!

xo

~Bean