This menu works – it was easy and delicious.  I like the new recipes and will definitely keep them in my collection with a couple of changes.  Thank you Real Simple!

1) Regarding the Winter Lentil Soup, you probably don’t have to double the recipe as I did.  The recipe says it serves 6, but I think making the recipe as it was written originally, would easily serve 2 adults and 2 kids (with hearty appetites) for 2 meals – especially if you are going to put it over pasta the second time you serve it.

2) Also, depending on your time, you might do half leeks and half onion (purchased pre-chopped) in the Winter Lentil Soup to save yourself some time.

3) If you choose to make the tomatillo salsa for the chicken enchilada recipe, I would add mango if you are not going to put in jalapeno.  Even if you are purchasing a jar of salsa verde, you might consider adding mango for a change of pace.

Consider shopping this “simple” menu or another menu from a previous week.  Let me know how it goes!

Final Weekly Menu – Inspired From Real Simple’s “Easy, Delicious Meals Cookbook”:

Monday: Roasted Chicken, Apples, Pears, and Leeks, Pumpkin, and Side Salad

Tuesday: Winter Lentil Soup with Apple-Cinnamon Muffins or scones or bread

Wednesday: Chicken Enchiladas, with Salsa, and Fruit

Thursday: Winter Lentils over Pasta with Pears, Pumpkin and Side Salad

Regarding the shopping list, some have mentioned that the list is too spaced out and it prints on several pages.  I apologize for that.  I am working on the next phase of the website and plan to take care of this problem.  Until then, if you copy and paste the list from the website to a word document, you can go to “Format” on your toolbar, click on “Paragraph”, and set the “after spacing” to 0.  Then you can reduce the font size.  This will help minimize the number of pages until I get the next phase of Busy Lives Healthy Eats finished. Thanks for your patience!

Final Master Shopping List

For 2 Adults and 2 Kids

Entrees

3.0 lbs. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2.0 lbs. Chicken legs

Vegetables/ Fresh Herbs

4 Leeks

2 Small zucchini, diced (optional – only if you are making the tomatillo salsa)

2 Small red onions (1 is optional – only if you are making the tomatillo salsa)

1 Small cooking pumpkin

3 Sweet potatoes

1 Bunch kale

Greens for salad

Tomatoes and other salad fixings – I purchased avocado, cherry tomatoes, figs, regular tomatoes, and carrots

2 Small sprigs of fresh rosemary

1 T Fresh thyme

Optional for homemade salsa made in a food processor for Wednesday night. Or you can save time and just buy salsa verde in a jar:

1 lb. Tomatillos

1 Jalapeno (I am only going to use 1/3 of one)

1 C Fresh cilantro

1 T Fresh lime juice

Fruit

6 Crisp apples (Braeburn, or other)

4 Pears (Bartlett or Bosc)

1-2 Mangos (optional for tomatillo salsa – you can also add to jarred salsa verde for a nice twist)

2-3 Avocados

Extra or other Fruit for breakfast and lunch – I purchased 5 kiwis, 1 small watermelon (last of the season), and extra apples and pears

Dry Goods

3 T Olive oil

Canola oil spray

Shell pasta

1 28-Ounce can whole tomatoes, drained – or other non-canned shelf stable tomatoes

1/2  C Brown lentils

Dr. Oetker’s Apple Cinnamon muffin mix (or other muffin mix – feel free to buy bread, or make something from scratch if you are so moved…)

Salt

Pepper

Dairy

1 ½ C Grated cheddar or Monterey cheese (from cow or goat’s milk)

½ C Plain yogurt (from cow or goat or vegan)

½ C Grated parmesan or manchenga cheese

Frozen

½ C Corn (from ear or frozen and thawed) (optional – only if you are making the tomatillo salsa)

Bakery

12 Tortillas (corn or flour)

Recipes

The Recipe

Roasted Chicken, Apples, and Leeks Pumpkin and a Side Salad

From Real Simple’s Easy Delicious Meals

Serves 2 Adults and 2 Kids for 2 meals – or reinvent the chicken the second night and make enchiladas or tacos.

Ingredients:

4 Apples, quartered

4 Pears, quartered

2 Leeks (white and light green parts), halved crosswise and lengthwise

6 Small sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 T Olive oil

1 t Kosher salt

¼ t Pepper

3.0 lbs. Boneless skinless chicken breasts

2.0 lbs. Drumsticks, skin peeled off

Greens for salad and toppings

Pumpkin (already steamed in the oven and scooped from the shell)

For the pumpkin:

¼ t Cinnamon

¼ t Salt

1 t Butter/ Earth Balance margarine

¾ T Maple syrup

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400

1. Lightly spray olive oil in two large roasting pans.
2. Add the apples, pears, leeks, salt, and pepper, and spray lightly again.
3. Add the chicken and rosemary and spray lightly again and nestle the chicken into the fruit and leek mixture.
4. Roast the chicken for 30-40 minutes.
5. While chicken is cooking prepare a side salad with salad toppings and low-fat salad dressing, and prepare the pumpkin.
6. Warm pumpkin in the microwave with cinnamon and salt.
7. Add butter and maple syrup to the pumpkin and mix well.
8. Once chicken is ready, warm pumpkin mixture and serve!
9. See if this recipe doesn’t have “Fall Harvest” written all over it!

The Recipe

Winter Lentil Soup

From Real Simple’s Easy, Delicious Meals

Serves 2 Adults and 2 Kids for 2 Meals

Ingredients:

1 T Olive oil

6 Leeks, washed and cut into 1/4 “ half-moons

2 28 oz cans of tomatoes

2 Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” pieces

1 Bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves cut into ½ “ wide strips

1 C Lentils

2 T Fresh thyme

2 t Kosher salt

¼ t Pepper

½ C Grated cheese (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot.
2. Add leeks and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes.
4. Add 12 C water and bring to a boil.
5. While waiting for soup to boil, call mom, or anyone else who is not afraid to tell you the truth,
6. Once boiled, add sweet potatoes, kale, lentils, thyme, salt and pepper to the soup.
7. Simmer until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.
8. While soup is in its final simmer, make muffins, scones, or slice some bread to serve with soup.
9. Ladle into bowls and serve with grated cheese if desired.

Recipe for Chicken Enchiladas

From Real Simple’s Easy, Delicious Meals 

Serves 2 Adults and 2 Kids

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs of chicken, cooked

1.5 C Cheese, grated

2 Avocados, chopped

1.5 C Salsa, homemade or from a jar

2 Small zucchini, chopped

1 Small onion. Chopped

½ C plain yogurt (optional)

Optional – Tomatillo Salsa (made in food processor)

1 lb. Tomatillos, papery husks removed

1 Jalapeno, seeded and/or 1 mango, chopped

1 C Fresh cilantro

1 T Lime juice

If your kids are not big zucchini or onion fans, put the zucchini and onions into the food processor and add to the salsa.

Instructions:

Make Ahead:

1. If you choose to make the tomatillo salsa, put all ingredients in food processor (except mango).
2. Pulse until finely chopped.
3. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Dinner Prep

Preheat oven to 400:

1. Get chicken, cheese, avocados, salsa and tortillas out of the refrigerator.
2. Shred chicken with 2 forks.
3. Mix Chicken, cheese, avocado and salsa together in a big bowl.  Add zucchini and onion to mixture if not in the salsa.
4. Warm tortillas on a griddle.
5. Spoon a generous, rounded, ½ C of the chicken mixture onto the tortilla.
6. For flour tortillas, which are larger, fold the sides of the tortilla in, fold up the bottom flap and roll.
7. For corn tortillas, which are smaller, roll the bottom flap up and roll, making an open-ended tube shape.
8. Repeat until tortillas and chicken mixture have been used.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
10. Add some fruit or a side salad to the plates while chicken is cooking.
11. Serve!

Recipe for Warm Winter Lentil Soup Over Pasta, Pumpkin, Fruit, and Side Salad

Inspired from Real Simple’s Easy, Delicious Meals

Serves 2 Adults and 2 Kids

Ingredients:

Pasta

2 ½ C Winter Lentil Soup

Side Salad

Fruit

Pumpkin

Instructions:

1. Make pasta according to package directions.
2. Warm Winter Lentil Soup from earlier in the week.
3. Warm pumpkin from earlier in the week.
4. Make side salad
5. Add some seasonal fruit
6. Serve!