Menu Monday - 6.22.15

Grilling season is in full swing! While it's been quite rainy here lately, it still means I get to cook outside while my boys run around & hunt whistle pigs, or do whatever little boys do. This week I'm going to focus on lots of grilled foods for our meals & I'll be planning on leftovers to eat for lunch. If I can remember to marinate the meats the night before and have vegetables chopped, the actual cooking of the meal is quite simple & quick.

This week, my older son is headed off to a "Mornings at the Marsh" camp at our local nature center which is just around the corner from our house. We often take a picnic lunch there to eat after they've run wild through the trails & in the creeks (picture "Where the Wilds Things Are"), getting out the loads of energy that I wish I could bottle.

On top of that, both boys are also starting a farm camp (with the cutest baby animals!!), which is one day a week. I'm planning on using that day as one of my prep days.  It's always a good idea to designate one or two days a week to shopping & chopping. The weekend is typically ideal, but in the summer we never know where we're going to be on the weekends & by Sunday night I'm usually beat after all of the sun & fun, that the last thing I want to do is think about what we're eating.

So, without further adieu, here is what we're eating this week:

Our Menu for the Week of 6.22.15

Monday - White Balsamic Citrus Basil Chicken with Grilled Asparagus & Red Potato Kebabs

Tuesday - Grilled Sirloin Kebabs with Bell Peppers & Onions served on Brown Rice

Wednesday - Grilled Maple Dijon Glazed Wild-Caught Salmon with Sweet Potato Kebabs & Sugar Snap Peas

Thursday - Cajun Jambalaya Grilling Packets

Friday - Grilled Flatbread Pizzas with Cauliflower "Breadsticks" & Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Saturday - Grilled Venison & Sweet Potato Sliders with a Tossed Salad & Fresh Fruit

Sunday - Rubbed & Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Steamed Broccoli & Whole Wheat Garlic Bread

Alright, I think I've covered all the different groups of protein! 

Check back for the recipes, or better yet, enter your email on the right side of the page to get them delivered to your mailbox! 

  

Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp

I don't know about you, but I find it a lot easier to stay on track in the summer with grilled dinners.  We're usually grilling up lean meats & fresh veggies on the regular.  The only thing that gets me this time of year is the ice cream, something that was a lot easier to pass up before kids!

I made this shrimp dish with some grilled zucchini drizzled with a little EVOO and salt & pepper in our grill basket & a side of whole wheat orzo. Everyone cleaned their plates, but my oldest said with a smile on his face, "I love this shrimp! It doesn't really taste that great, but I'm gonna eat it all!!" The promise of homemade strawberry shortcake after swim lessons was enough for him to finish every last bite. For the record, I think it tasted great, but maybe that's because I love cilantro & anything citrus! I planned to use the leftovers in tacos with fresh mango salsa & avocados for my lunch the next day... until I came home that night and found my husband had eaten all of the rest of the shrimp.

Recipe

Serves 6

• 1 pound Wild Caught Shrimp, shelled & deveined
• 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• 2 Limes, zest & juice
• 1 tsp Garlic, minced
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

• Combine oil, cilantro, lime zest & juice, garlic and salt & pepper in a zip top bag. Add shrimp and flip bag upside down to mix marinade with shrimp. Marinate for 30 minutes.
• Thread shrimp on skewers and grill over medium-high heat for 3 minutes per side.

21DF: 1 Red, 1 teaspoon

Grab & Go Ham & Egg Muffins

So now that school's out for Summer, I decide to make a super easy protein packed breakfast for the morning. Makes sense right? Well, at least I have an idea that will be fast & healthy in the fall!

I've been eying similar recipes on Pinterest for a while & I'm glad I finally decided to make these. They're so easy (of course) & you can add any vegetables that you have at home. I used a red pepper and fresh spinach, but broccoli or sweet potatoes would be delicious, too.

Recipe

Serves 4  (3 muffins per serving)

• 6 Eggs
• 12 slices Nitrate Free Ham
• 1 cup chopped Bell Peppers
• 1 cup chopped Fresh Spinach
• 1/4 cup Pepper Jack Cheese, optional

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375*.
• Spray muffin pan with cooking spray. I found a coconut oil spray at the store that I love!
• Scramble the eggs in a bowl, add vegetables & stir.
• Place one slice of ham in each muffin tin.
• Pour egg mixture inside of each slice of ham, about 3/4 full & bake for 15 minutes.
• Add cheese if desired & bake for 10 additional minutes.
• Serve immediately or allow to cool enough to handle, pop muffins out & store in refrigerator. 
• To reheat, warm in the microwave for 1 minute.

21DF: 1 Red, 1/2 Green, 1/2 Blue

Crock Pot Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

This spring our older son started t-ball, his first team sport with practices & games & we're loving it! Well, our younger son decided that since Matt would be busy with t-ball, he wanted to go back for round 2 of swim lessons. So now on Tuesdays at our usual dinner time, we pack up & head downtown to the YMCA for a bit. It works out great, really. The time of lessons makes me prepare dinner in the morning or early afternoon so that it's ready when we get home & they boys usually join the clean plate club since they've been swimming, which always works up an appetite! Crock pot recipes are my go-to Tuesday night meals.

I've made this recipe a few times & we all love it. It's super versatile & can be paired with any vegetables to complete the meal.

Recipe

Serves 8

• 2 one-pound pork tenderloins
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons liquid amino acids (or reduced sodium soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons jarred, minced)

Directions

•   Place tenderloins inside of crock pot.
• Mix water, balsamic vinegar, amino acids, honey & garlic in a small bowl & pour over pork.
• Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours, flipping tenderloin over once or twice to baste in sauce.
• Remove pork from crock pot with tongs. Slice into 4 oz portions & top with sauce.
• I served ours with steamed broccoli & maple-cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes.

21DF: 1 Red, 1 Yellow & 1 Green (if served with sweet potatoes & broccoli)

Apricot-Basil Chicken with Freekeh & Zoodles

I love adding new elements to a dish, such as a different grain. I always feel that in order to have a complete dinner there should be some protein, a vegetable or two, and a grain. I try to mix it up; sometimes we'll have a side of whole wheat pasta, Israeli couscous, or bulgar. When I saw this recipe with Freekeh (pronounced free-ka, not free-key as I prefer), I had to give it a try!

Freekeh are grains that are harvested while they're still young, which allows them to contain more protein, vitamins & minerals than the same mature grain. It is low GI, low carb, high in fiber (up to 4 times the fiber of brown rice) & rich in prebiotic properties. Freekeh would be a great choice for individuals managing diabetes.

So now that you've learned a little more about Freekah, let's check out this recipe that boasts a sweet sauce:

Recipe (adapted from Cooking Light magazine, May 2015)

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups unsalted chicken stock, divided
• 1 cup freekeh
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 4 (4-ounce) skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions

• Combine 1 1/2 cups water, 1 cup stock, freekeh, 3/8 teaspoon salt, & 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover & reduce heat to medium & simmer 18 minutes or until tender.
• Combine remaining 1/4 cup stock, wine, & apricots in a small bowl.
• Sprinkle chicken with remaining salt & pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 7 minutes or until done, turning once. Add apricot mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes. Stir in butter; remove from heat.
• Place 2/3 cup freekeh on each plate. Top each serving with with 1 chicken breast; divide sauce evenly among servings & sprinkle with basil.
• I served ours with zoodles sauteed in olive oil and garlic.  

21DF - 1 Red, 1 Green, 1 Yellow, 1/4 Purple, 1 teaspoon

Menu Monday - 5.4.15

Long time no type! We've been busy around here, and my blogs have taken quite the backseat, but I am back this week with another installment of Menu Monday! I'm starting another round of the 21 Day Fix today, so I've really taken the time to meal plan dinners and some lunch options in order to have a successful round. You know the saying: "fail to plan; plan to fail."

If you're not familiar with the 21 day fix, you should for sure check it out! I love this program for a few reasons. #1 it's all made up of REAL food. Clearly I enjoy cooking, when I have time, so it's really important to me to focus on clean eating. #2 the workouts are 30 minutes a day, with some yoga (my favorite) on Sundays. I would do an hour of yoga every day if I had time. #3 you see results! Since the beginning of the year I've lost 15 pounds, and that was only with 1 round of the fix and a couple 3 day refreshes. I'll be the first to admit I have quite a bit of baby toddler weight to lose, so every pound counts for me!

Anyway, on to the Menu plan:

Our Menu for the Week of 5.4.15

Monday - Apricot-Basil Chicken with Freekeh

Tuesday - Crock Pot Balsamic Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Steamed Cauliflower

Wednesday - Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Chicken, Garlic & Red Pepper with Lemon-Caper Broccoli

Thursday - Coconut Shrimp with Apricot Sauce & Brown Rice with Peppers & Onions

Friday - Balsamic Glazed Steaks with Mushroom & Herb Risotto & Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Saturday - Grill out with Friends

Sunday - Mother's Day... it's not my responsibility! (or, at least I hope not...)

Some lunch ideas for the week are Italian Wedding Soup (with leftovers from Wednesday),  Tomato Basil Spaghetti Frittata (with more leftovers from Wednesday), Avocado Egg Salad Wraps.

Stop back to see some of these recipes featured!

Essential Oils for an Unproductive Cough

On our path to better health, another thing I'm trying to change is our reliance on medications. I started dabbling in essential oils about a year ago & I have been very pleasantly surprised by their effects on several ailments. 

About a month ago my older son came down with a cold that went straight to his upper respiratory system & so began his barking cough, particularly at night. It didn't seem to keep him awake, but I knew he wasn't getting a restful nights sleep & neither was I. 

Around 3 in the morning I searched for an oil combination to help with his cough. I knew that my Breathe Ease oil was a good candidate for opening up the his lungs, but after researching I found that adding Rosemary & Peppermint might help to stop this unproductive cough.

I took a tablespoon of coconut oil & added 2 drops of each oil in the palm of my hand. I wasn't able to rub this concoction on his chest, because he was sleeping & would not roll over. So I just rubbed them it on his back...

he stopped coughing immediately!

I wasn't sure if it was a fluke, but we applied these every night until his cold was gone. Then just the other night his cough came back & our doctor believes it's due to allergies (whether seasonal or because of our dog, we're not sure...). I whipped up this combination again & the same thing happened. He stopped coughing right away.

Now, so that I don't have to stumble around the house in the middle of the night with my giant case of oils & my vat of coconut oil, I made up a small mason jar of "Cough Rub" to apply to his chest & back before bed.

It's always best to apply essentials oils with a carrier oil, especially on children. The Rocky Mountain Oils website is a great resource for application & uses. I am NO expert, these are just my personal results. Please educate yourself & take caution when using essential oils.