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Southwest Chicken, Green Beans, Side Salad and Fruit

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I am trying something new this week to make daily dinner prep even easier. I shopped on Sunday and spent about 45 min prepping a few things for this week.  I prepared the chicken for today and it marinated all night in a flavorful mix of southwestern seasonings.  This is a recipe from an April 2009 issue of Sunset Magazine.  Yes, 2009!!  So I am a bit of a recipe hoarder…  I think a friend gave it to me…  I have simplified it somewhat and I think it really works.  I also washed and cut the chicken for Thursday, lightly spraying it with canola oil – it too, is ready and waiting in the fridge.  I also chopped some veggies that I will use during the week – In under an hour all was done AND cleaned up.

…Tonight worked!!!!

I started dinner at 6:10 and we were sitting down at 6:35.  Having the chicken marinating made it so easy!

First I put the chicken on a pre-heated grill and turned the heat from high to medium low.  (You can also cook this in the oven in a baking dish at 350 for about 20 minutes.)

Then I laid out the plates, portioned some greens and topped with figs, strawberries, and a very light drizzle of the no oil balsamic vinaigrette.  I flipped the chicken and returned to the kitchen.  Then my daughter portioned some pineapple (nice to have her helping me in the kitchen), and I cut the stems off the tops of a handful of fresh green beans. I put them in a bowl, lightly sprayed the beans with olive oil, and sprinkled them with salt.  With my fruit and veggies on the plate, I pulled the chicken off the grill and served.  It was that easy!

Originally, I was going to put a tomato, avocado, and black bean “salsa” on top of the chicken, but the chicken smelled so wonderful when I put it on the grill, I decided to forego the “salsa”, and save myself some time.  The meal was very balanced and the plate plentiful.  We didn’t need any more food.  Perhaps I will make that “salsa” this week and serve it as an afternoon snack with some tortilla chips…

The Verdict

Two thumbs up from everyone, except my son who seems to be a bit down on citrus these days – go figure – he loves lemon bars… There is lime juice in the recipe and he keyed right in on it!  That said, he ate it but it was not his favorite.  My daughter and husband, on the other hand, LOVED the flavor.

They loved the pineapple and green beans were a hit – was it because I let them eat the beans with their fingers or because they tasted great?!  Perhaps I’ll never know, but I am going to say it was because they tasted great!

Recipe

Southwest Chicken, Green Beans, Side Salad and Fruit

For 2 Adults and 2 Kids

Ingredients For the Chicken

1.75 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

¼ C olive oil

¼ C lime juice

½ C chopped cilantro

1 T ground cumin

½ t salt

1/8 t pepper

Ingredients For the Rest of the Meal

greens for salad

1 tomato

sunflower seeds to top on salad

any other salad toppings

3 C fruit (divided among plates as a side)

4 Cups green beans

Olive Oil or Canola Spray

salt

Instructions

Make Ahead

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, holding the chicken out until mixed thoroughly.  Let marinate 30-40 minutes.  I prefer marinating overnight – the flavor is amazing.

Dinner Time Prep

1. Pre-heat grill on high or pre-heat oven to 350

2. Lay plates out and portion greens

3. Put chicken on grill and turn heat down to medium, or pop in oven (in a roasting / baking pan) – Cook chicken for Chicken Chili Bake at the same time.  It will make Thursday’s dinner prep so easy!)

4. Add salad fixings and a light drizzle of dressing on the greens

5. If chicken is on grill, flip the chicken, cooking 6-7 minutes on each side.  If in oven, leave for 20-25 minutes or until done.  Juice should be clear and meat should spring back to the touch.

6. Portion the fruit on each plate

7. Place green beans in a microwavable container and cook accordingly.

8. Pull chicken off grill or remove from oven.  Portion and serve!

Pre-Prep Opportunities

1. Marinate the chicken a day or two ahead of time and leave in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook dinner.

2.  Cook the chicken for the Chicken Chile Bake at the same time you cook tonight’s chicken and you will be way ahead of the game.

Zesty Salmon, Green Beans and Side Salad

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Zesty Salmon, Green Beans and Side Salad

If you are looking for a quick, easy, delicious meal, that resembles gourmet cooking without the gourmet fuss, Zesty Salmon is a great choice. Given yesterday’s easy meal, that was about to be served again tomorrow, I thought I should have a meal that at least “looked” as if I had been slaving in the kitchen.  Zesty Salmon, is soooo easy, and soooo good!  And pairing it with frozen green beans and a side salad makes it even easier. If it was summer, I would use fresh green beans, uncooked, lightly sprayed with olive oil and lightly salted.

This meal is also a very healthy choice, rich with Omega-3 fatty acids as well as Vitamins A, B and D and nutrients calcium, iron, phosphorus and selenium. The protein in salmon is also very easy for the body to digest. So aside from being delicious, this meal is also very healthy for you!

There are pre-prep opportunities that make meal time even faster and easier, but if you can’t do it ahead of time, you are still in good shape.

I prepared the sauce for the salmon the day before when I had a little down time… Those who know me know I don’t really have downtime, but rather moments, in between meetings or other obligations, when I can get some meal prep done.

The Verdict

For those of you who think that your kids will never eat this, you may want to think again. Everyone, even my daughter who is loathe to give out top ratings, especially 2 nights in a row, gave the meal a 10!

The tomato-based sauce was very tasty and a nice change to the plain (but delicious) salmon I often make.  I ended up getting 2 lbs. of salmon and was afraid I might have leftovers, but that was not the case.  Everyone said they would like more – but I had run out!

Cooking Zesty Salmon

Recipe

Zesty Salmon, Green Beans and Side Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

canola oil spray

2 T canola oil, divided

1.75 lbs salmon filet, skin cut off

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 t paprika

1 1/2 t ground cumin

1/4 t ground cinnamon

3 T tomato paste

1 t dried oregano

1/2 t chili powder

1 T minced onion- dried

1/2 t dried red pepper flakes

1/2 C water

2 T fresh lemon juice

2 t sugar

1 t salt

1/4 t ground pepper

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

lemon wedges

2 1/2 C frozen green beans

3 C salad greens, divided

8 strawberries (or your favorite salad toppings)

1 avocado (or your favorite salad toppings)

Low fat or non fat salad dressing

Instructions

1.  Lightly spray a pan with canola oil and heat.  Cook salmon filets over medium high heat to brown on both sides, 2 minutes a side.  Remove salmon, set aside and wipe out skillet.

2.  Puree garlic, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, chile powder, minced onion, and dried red pepper flakes, and 2 tablespoons of oil in a food processor.

3.  Add garlic mixture to pan and heat for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and water to the side of the pan.  Mixture will spatter if you add to the middle of the pan.

4.  Bring mixture to a simmer for 30 seconds. Stir in lemon juice and sugar, salt and pepper.

5. Return fish to skillet and bring to a simmer. Cover pan.

6. Reduce heat to medium low and let fish cook through, 7-9 minutes.

7. Place green beans in a microwave safe bowl and cook 2-4 minutes or until tender. Portion across plates.

8. Portion greens for side salad.  Cut and add strawberries and avocado or whatever salad fixings you prefer. Lightly sprinkle dressing.

9. Divide the salmon and sauce among plates. Sprinkle cilantro over. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges on the side.

10. Take it as a compliment when they ask for seconds and you have nothing left!

Pre-Prep Opportunity

1. Steps 2-4 can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge. When you are ready to prepare the meal, start with step one, wipe out the pan, add the sauce and then add the salmon back in to cook through.  While it is cooking, you can get the green beans and salad ready.

Recipe for Oven-Fried Chicken, Roasted Beets, Fresh Green Beans and a Side Salad

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Recipe

Oven-Fried Chicken, Roasted Beets, Fresh Green Beans and a Side Salad

For 2 Adults and 2 Kids

Recipe can be doubled and served again 2 days later. No need to reinvent this meal!

Ingredients:

1.75 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 C Bread crumbs

1/2 C Finely shredded cheddar cheese – I use goat’s milk cheddar

¾ t chili powder

½ t salt

Olive oil or canola oil spray

Water in a small bowl

 

Instructions:

Make ahead of time:

Preheat oven to 400

  1. Wash beets and cut off root and stems
  2. Cover beets in foil
  3. Place in a foil lined roasting pan and pop in the oven for 1 hr.
  4. Check for doneness: A fork should pierce the beet easily
  5. Place beets, still wrapped in their foil, in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them

 

For the Chicken:

Preheat oven to 350

  1. Wash and cut the chicken into smaller pieces
  2. Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl
  3. Create an assembly line of chicken, water, breading, and a lightly sprayed roasting pan.  (If you are making a double batch you will need 2 roasting pans)
  4. Wet the chicken, dredge in breading and place on roasting pan
  5. Repeat until all chicken is breaded and on roasting pan
  6. Slide into oven and set timer for 20 minutes

 

For the rest of the meal:

  1. Take the beets out of the refrigerator.
  2. Peel off foil and with your fingers peel off beet skin
  3. Slice and place in a microwave-safe bowl
  4. Heat for 1-2 minutes
  5. Set aside for serving
  6. Portion greens on each plate and add whatever salad fixings you have on hand

 

When chicken is ready, portion on each plate and serve. Compare to your favorite chicken nugget and see if we aren’t on to something…

 

Oven-Fried Chicken, Roasted Beets, Fresh Green Beans, and a Side Salad

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9-19-11 Dinner Blog

I have high hopes for tonight.  First, I feel prepared because I did a lot of pre-prep on Sunday night.  The chicken is washed, cut and ready to use. The beets are also cooked, which means I just need to warm them up, make a side salad, and prepare some fruit.  Second, I think that the family is going to really enjoy this chicken. I haven’t made it in a while, so it will probably seem new to them. Third, a close family friend is coming over which will make dinner even more fun than usual – and will keep me honest in my assessment of tonight’s dinner!

The Sunday night pre-prep…

Monday’s Dinner Prep

Dinner prep began at 5:45 when I preheated the oven to 350 and created an assembly line of the chicken, small dish of water, breading mixture, and a lightly sprayed roasting pan.

Baked, not fried, this chicken is tasty!

Piece by piece, I wet the mixture in water, dredged it in the breading and put it on the roasting pan.  This took about 20 minutes, but I knew the prep was also for Thursday night – so in reality I was getting ahead of  myself…

I ended up needing 2 roasting pans and once they were all breaded, I put them in the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes.  Then I took 3 beets from the refrigerator, peeled the skin off, sliced them and cooked them in the microwave for 1 minute.  Check to see if they are warm.  If not, put them in for another 45 seconds and check again.  I also made a small side salad with strawberries, blueberries, and tomatoes and had a few green beans from last week that I divided across the plates.

Once the chicken was finished (it took 10 extra minutes), I portioned the chicken and served.  The partially empty plate is my husband’s who was late coming home but wanted to be sure we saved him some dinner… 

The Verdict

9, 9.5, 9.5 and 7.  Aside from my daughter, everyone loved the chicken.  Our friend, who joined us for dinner said those were the best chicken nuggets she had ever had.  My son agreed.  Moist and tasty!  My daughter liked them but was not overwhelmed.  “It just isn’t as good as your tortilla soup, mom,”  she said.  What a tough critic!

The beets were a hit and the salad was easy to eat with the delicious berries on top.

Unlike my daughter, I thought the dinner was very tasty.  I think I will lightly sprinkle some extra chili powder on top when I warm the chicken for Wednesday and see if that adds more flavor and brings up my daughter’s rating.  Despite the harsh rating, this dinner was a hit with everyone else.  I would definitely make this recipe again.  7 or no 7!

Sept 18-21 Weekly Menu and Master Shopping List

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Sept 18-21 Weekly Menu and Master Shopping List

The weeks don’t seem to be getting any less busy.  And to tell you the truth, I am still trying to “get in the groove” with school, and after-school activities.  I am relying on the constant stream of alarms that go off on my phone during the day to make sure I get myself and everyone else to where they need to go… …And I still feel behind…

Once again, to make things easier this week, I shopped on Sunday and spent about 45 “active” minutes doing pre-prep.  I roasted the beets and the acorn squash, which took longer than 45 minutes, but I am not counting cook time as I can be, and was doing, other things.

I also washed and cut the chicken.  That should make dinner prep on Monday much easier.  Lastly, I hope to make the split pea soup on either Monday or Tuesday, because Thursday will be really crazy and this soup, like so many other soups, is better the next day after the flavors have marinated.

 

 

 

Weekly Menu

Mon: Oven-fried Chicken (bake Wednesday’s chicken too), beets, side salad, fruit

Tues:  Shrimp stir fry with soba noodles, snow peas, pineapple, tomatoes, green onions, and garlic with Ginger- Hoisin sauce

Wed: Oven-fried Chicken, squash, side salad, fruit

Thurs: Split Pea Soup

 

Master Shopping List

Entrees

3.5  lbs Boneless skinless chicken

1.75 lbs Shrimp

1 Ham hock or smoked turkey thighs

 

Vegetables

6 Beets (2 dinners and for lunch salads)

Acorn squash

Greens for salad

Snow peas

1 Red bell pepper

4 Tomatoes

1 Bunch green onions

5-6 Cloves garlic

1/2 C Carrots, chopped

1/2 C Celery, chopped

3 Medium onions finely diced

1/2 t Peeled, minced ginger

 

Fruit

Pineapple

3 Pears

2 Mangos

3 Kiwi

 

Dry Goods – you will likely have most of these items if you used last weeks menu

Olive oil or canola oil

Olive or canola oil spray

2 Bay leaves

2 t Ground cumin

1/4 t Dried thyme

3/4 t Chili powder

3 1/2 T Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce)

1/2 t Honey

1 t Hoisin sauce

2 t Rice wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Soba noodles

2 C Green split peas

1 C Bread crumbs

 

Dairy

1 C Finely shredded cheddar cheese (cow or goat)

 

Bakery

Bread for soup

 

Turkey Burgers, Fresh Green Beans, and Mango

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9-13-11 Dinner Blog

It was all about getting the job done yesterday evening.  We had “Back to School” information meetings at our son’s new school, which began at 5 and ended at 8:30, so, having to get out the door at 4:45, with dinner ready, I was already an underdog…

At 4:15 I made the burgers.  Adding 1 ½ T of Braggs Amino Acids and 1 ½ T Worcestershire sauce, I mixed up 1.75 lbs of ground turkey and made 7 turkey burgers.  I bought dark ground turkey meat thinking it would be a bit moister.  As I mixed in the flavorings, the meat felt wet and almost ‘sticky’. Kind of like dough that needs more flour.  I was tempted to put in some oatmeal or bread crumbs but resisted and left them as they were.  At 4:30 they were on the grill (medium heat) – by 4:40 they were off the grill and I was out the door.

I had instructed our baby sitter to cut a mango and prepare the fresh green beans, (with olive oil spray and salt), to accompany the hamburger on the plate.  I considered having her take pictures of their plate but thought it might be too much pressure…J

At 8:45 when my husband and I returned – ravenous – we warmed up the turkey burgers and bread in the toaster oven.  I also cut a mango and prepared a few green beans for the two of us.  I really needed comfort food at this point, and against my usual protocol, I spread a bit of Earth Balance (a plant based vegetable shortening – a “healthy margarine”) on the bun… Are you sensing a bit of justification?! J

The Verdict

YUMMY!!!  It was a great late night dinner and if I do say so myself, those were my best turkey burgers yet!  I have experimented over the years, searching for the best tasting turkey burger recipe, usually finding them dry and tasteless.  I think the combination of using dark turkey meat, Worcestershire sauce and the Bragg’s Liquid Aminos All Purpose Seasoning gave the burgers a more meaty flavor.  The burgers were moist, not dry.  I am soooo glad I didn’t add any oatmeal or breadcrumbs!   …And yes, that small victory does bring a smile to my face!!!

Recipe

For 2 Adults and 2 Kids

1.75 lbs. Ground Turkey

1 3/4 T Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

1 3/4 T Worcestershire Sauce

Small Roll for Burgers (optional)

Large Handful of Fresh Green Beans

1 Mango cut up and divided across 4 plates

1.  Mix ground turkey, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl.

2.  Divide the burgers into 7 equally-sized balls and form 1/4 lb. patties about 1/2 ” thick. The burgers will feel moist and a bit sticky – like dough that needs more flour.  Resist the temptatin to add anything like oats or bread crumbs to the mixture…

3. Preheat grill on high

4. Put the burgers on and turn the heat down to medium

6. Rinse the green beans, cut off the stems, and spray a bit of olive oil (or canola oil), salt (light salt) the beans, and portion them on the plates.

7. Flip the burgers. (about 4-5 minutes)

8. Portion the mango across the plates.

9. Pull burgers off  (about 3 more minutes).

10.  Serve and see if that isn’t one of the best turkey burgers you’ve had!

 

 

 

Southwest Chicken, Fresh Green Beans, Side Salad and Fruit

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9-12-11

Monday Morning

I am trying something new this week to make daily dinner prep even easier. I shopped on Sunday and spent about 45 min prepping a few things for this week.  I prepared the chicken for today and it marinated all night in a flavorful mix of southwestern seasonings.  This is a recipe from an April 2009 issue of Sunset Magazine.  Yes, 2009!!  So I am a bit of a recipe hoarder…  I think a friend gave it to me…  I have simplified it somewhat and I think it really works.  I also washed and cut the chicken for Thursday, lightly spraying it with canola oil – it too, is ready and waiting in the fridge.  I also chopped some veggies that I will use during the week – In under an hour all was done AND cleaned up.

Monday Evening

…Tonight worked!!!!

I started dinner at 6:10 and we were sitting down at 6:35.  Having the chicken marinating made it so easy!

First I put the chicken on a pre-heated grill and turned the heat from high to medium low.  (You can also cook this in the oven in a baking dish at 350 for about 20 minutes.)

Then I laid out the plates, portioned some greens and topped with figs, strawberries, and a very light drizzle of the no oil balsamic vinaigrette.  I flipped the chicken and returned to the kitchen.  Then my daughter portioned some pineapple (nice to have her helping me in the kitchen), and I cut the stems off the tops of a handful of fresh green beans. I put them in a bowl, lightly sprayed the beans with olive oil, and sprinkled them with salt.  With my fruit and veggies on the plate, I pulled the chicken off the grill and served.  It was that easy!

Originally, I was going to put a tomato, avocado, and black bean “salsa” on top of the chicken, but the chicken smelled so wonderful when I put it on the grill, I decided to forego the “salsa”, and save myself some time.  The meal was very balanced and the plate plentiful.  We didn’t need any more food.  Perhaps I will make that “salsa” this week and serve it as an afternoon snack with some tortilla chips…

The Verdict

Two thumbs up from everyone, except my son who seems to be a bit down on citrus these days – go figure – he loves lemon bars… There is lime juice in the recipe and he keyed right in on it!  That said, he ate it but it was not his favorite.  My daughter and husband, on the other hand, LOVED the flavor.

They loved the pineapple and green beans were a hit – was it because I let them eat the beans with their fingers or because they tasted great?!  Perhaps I’ll never know, but I am going to say it was because they tasted great!

Recipe

Southwest Chicken, Fresh Green Beans, Seasonal Fruit, and Side Salad

For 2 Adults and 2 Kids

For the Chicken:

1.75 lbs Boneless skinless chicken breasts

¼ C Olive oil

¼ C Lime juice

½ C Chopped Cilantro

1 T Ground Cumin

½ t salt

1/8 t pepper

For the Rest of the Meal:

Greens for salad

Toppings for salad

Fruit

Healthy handful of green beans

Olive Oil or Canola Spray

Salt

Make Ahead

  1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, holding the chicken out until mixed thoroughly.  Let marinate 30-40 minutes.  I prefer marinating overnight – the flavor is amazing.

Dinner Time Prep

  1. Pre-heat grill on high or pre-heat oven to 350
  2. Lay plates out and portion greens
  3. Put chicken on grill or in oven (in a roasting / baking pan)
  4. Add salad fixings and a light drizzle of dressing on the greens
  5. If chicken is on grill, flip the chicken
  6. Portion the fruit on each plate
  7. Cut tops off green beans, wash, and lightly spray with olive oil spray, lightly salt, and portion on plates
  8. Pull chicken off grill, portion and serve!