Vegetable Curry with Couscous

If you have never had curry before you have to try this! We had it for dinner and oh my goodness, it was delicious. Both of us even have lunch for tomorrow - yay. :)

Did I mention it was a very quick and easy meal to put together. Oh, yes it is.

It is yummy.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips (you can use any color you would like)
• 1/4 cup of chicken stock
• 1 tbsp curry power
• 1 bag (lb) of frozen broccoli and cauliflower
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 tsp salt

Directions

• Heat oil over medium heat and cook bell pepper until tender. 
• Stir in curry powder, broth, salt, and vegetables. Heat to boiling and boil for 4-5 minutes stirring frequently. 
• Stir in raisins and serve over couscous. 

Spicy Clean Shrimp Patties

With living on the east coast you usually love all kinds of seafood. I know we do! When I was living in Maryland as a small child I loved to have crabs and crab cakes. Oh my word....

Buying a bushel of crabs can leave a pretty big dent on the checkbook, of course, that is not frugal. I know I can get a pretty good deal every now and then on shrimp, so we can shrimp patties. :)

They are delicious with a little bit of a kick. 

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized jalapeno, minced (for spicy, leave in the seeds)
• 1 pound of shrimp, peeled
• dash of salt
• dash of pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tbsp cilantro
• 2 tbsp whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 6 lime wedges of topping (optional)

Directions

1. Peel the shrimp and dry off with a paper towel or towel. 
2. Place the shrimp in a food processor as well as the jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
3. Form 6 shrimp patties and place on wax or parchment paper. Makes it easier to slide off. 
4. Add shrimp to a cast iron grill pan or a large pan. 
5. Cook each side for 4-5 minutes. You will see nice grill marks. 
6. Serve with lime wedge.

Menu Plan Recipe: Southwest Fettuccine Bowl

One day out of the week I try to plan a vegetarian meal so we do not use as much meat. I think it really saves on meat a lot throughout the month. Of course I wish we could do more, but my lovely husband has to have his meat. You know how men can be. :)

Overall this dish is so easy to  make and you can put anything you have on hand in it. My kinda dishes!

This recipe is on meal plan week 3 for Thursday, June 20th. Click HERE to check it out.

Ingredients

8 oz fettuccine noodles

1 cup of salsa

1/3 cup of frozen corn

1-15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup of water

2 tbsp hot sauce

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, for garnish

Swiss Chard, chopped (check out my garden harvest)

Directions

Cook and drain fettuccine noodles. 

Mix the remaining ingredients in a saucepan except the cilantro. Cook over medium heat for 4-6 minutes.

Divide fettuccine into bowls and top with 3/4 cup of the sauce mixture. 

Garnish with cilantro. 

Enjoy!!

Menu Plan Recipe: Chicken Fried Rice

I have to say I have never met someone who does not like chicken fried rice. Or anything kind of fried rice. It has so many flavors and just full of deliciousness. 

The only thing is the "real" fried rice you get from Chinese places are probably not the best for you. My husband and I both love it so much!

To save you some time you can always make a whole chicken ahead of time and shred the meat. Makes dinner easy. 

This recipe is on meal plan week 3 for Tuesday, June 18th. Click HERE to check it out. 

Ingredients
2 cups of cooked rice (a day old rice is the best because it isn't sticky)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
3 tbsp soy sauce
dash of pepper
1 cup of broccoli

Directions
Heat a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.
Add rice, chicken, broccoli and cook until everything is heated.
Move rice mixture to one side of the pan and add 1 tbsp of olive oil and cook the eggs. Stir constantly.
Stir eggs into rice mixture. Stir in soy sauce and pepper.
Enjoy!

Menu Plan Recipe: Chicken Taquitos

Taquitos are usually very slim, but these are a nice size. One of these filled me up! Boy they are delicious though.

Not too hard to make if you cook a whole chicken a couple days before. Easy as pie.

This recipe is on meal plan week 3 for Monday, June 17th. Click HERE to check it out. 

Ingredients

8 package of cream cheese, 8 oz

2 cups of cooked chicken

1 cup of shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

1 cup of fresh of frozen spinach

1/2 cup of salsa

1/3 cup of sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

10 tortillas (homemade tortilla recipe here)
olive oil for frying

Directions

In a large mixing bowl mix together the cream cheese, chicken, cheese, spinach, salsa, sour cream, salt, and pepper. 

Add mixture into one tortilla at a time and spoon in the mixture shaped like a log. 

Roll up and with steam side down place into a frying pan. 

Brown each side. 

Strain on paper towels to remove excess grease. 

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Recipe: Turkey Stuffed Peppers

  

Boy..oh boy.. these bad boys were absolutely delicious. To cut back on the calories I used ground turkey, however, you can use ground beef if you prefer to. 

Right on to the fabulously recipe. 

This recipe is on meal plan week 2 for Monday, June 10. Click HERE to check it out. 

Ingredients

1/2 pound of ground turkey

1 cup of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 large tomato, diced

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 tsp cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (add more if you would like more of a kick)

2 green peppers

1/3 cup of water

shredded cheese

1 garlic clove

Directions

In a large skillet, brown the turkey and season with salt. 

Add garlic, black beans, cilantro, cumin, and diced tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cut peppers lengthwise, removing stem and seeds. 

Place peppers in an oven-proof dish and fill each pepper with 1/2 cup of turkey mixture. 

Pour 1/3 cup of water on the bottom of the dish. 

Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes or until peppers are soft.

Add cheese and bake uncovered for another 5 minutes. 

Enjoy!

If you have extra turkey mixture just pop it into a freezer container and save for a quick and easy meal! :)

Menu Plan Recipe: Homemade Sloppy Joes

Let me start off by staying these were to die for! Oh my goodness....I will leave it at that. :)

This recipe is on meal plan week 1 for Sunday, June 8. Click HERE to check it out. 

Ingredients
1.5 pounds of ground turkey (or beef if you choose)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of ketchup
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup of water

Directions
In a saucepan, cook the turkey until browned.
In a crock pot stir in the rest of the ingredients in with the ground turkey. Cook on low for 6 hours.
Serve with buns and fries if you choose. Homemade fries are the bomb!

Menu Plan Recipe: Mixed Veggie Pasta

Sorry guys! I have had company over this weekend and wasn't able to post a couple of recipes from this menu plan. On the other hand, we accomplished so much around the house! :)

We love to have this on the menu at least once every month. It is just so darn yummy. When the garden really starts to grow I can just pluck out the veggies I need and it will be such a frugal dinner!

On to the recipe now lovelies. 

This recipe is on meal plan week 1 for Sunday, June 2. Click HERE to check it out. 

Ingredients

2 medium green peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 oz whole mushrooms, sliced

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil (we just pluck it from the garden) or 2 tbsp dried

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups of uncooked spiral pasta

1 bag of shredded cheese (2 cups)

Directions

Heat oven to 450 degrees. 

Place peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms in a medium size casserole dish. Sprinkle evenly with basil.

In a small bowl, mix oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper; drizzle evenly over veggies. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes uncovered. 

Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta. 

Reduce temp. to 350 degrees. 

Add pasta to veggie mixture; toss to coat. 

Sprinkle with cheese. Bake about 15 minutes longer or until the veggies are tender and the cheese is melted. 

Meal Plan Recipe: Baked Potato Sausage Casserole

I will have to admit this baked potato sausage casserole was to die for! The lovely husband ate quite a bit of it. That always makes me feel good because I just prepared a delicious meal for him. 

This is what simple food is. :) Yum!

This recipe is on meal plan week 1 for Wednesday, June 5th. Click HERE to check it out. Shhhh...we were supposed to have this on Wednesday, but we went to a Nationals Baseball game. We just whipped up this delicious recipe on Thursday. No biggie. :)

Ingredients

1 bag of frozen broccoli (or you can use a head of fresh broccoli)

1 1/2 pounds of potatoes (we used Russet), peeled and chopped into small chunks

3 sweet sausages (you can either use chicken or pork - we used pork)

3 cups of shredded cheese (whichever kind you prefer)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (you can use more if you like really spicy dishes)

3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium pot bring water to a boil. Toss in your potatoes and boil for about 7 minutes or until they are soft. Add your broccoli into your potatoes and steam for 1 minute. Drain water. 

Saute your sausages until they are completely cooked.
Place sausages, potatoes, broccoli into a 9 x 13 dish. Add your spices and garlic and toss mixture together.
Cover with shredded cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil. 

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Recipe: Layered Chicken Enchilada

Before I even get into the recipe part I will say the lovely Husband thoroughly enjoyed this! Heck even I did, but just seeing him really enjoy something that I have made brings joy to my heart.

This recipe is on meal plan week 1 for Monday, June 3. Click HERE to check it out. 

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I use one and cut them in half..shhhhh) ;)

9 tortillas

2 cups of shredded cheese

2 cups of red enchilada sauce (recipe here)

1 cup of corn

1 cup of black beans

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

garnish with parsley (optional)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Spread 1/2 cup of your enchilada sauce on the bottom of a dish. Arrange about 3 tortillas (depending on your type of dish) in a single layer on the sauce. 

Top with shredded chicken, corn, and black beans. 

Sprinkle cheese over top and repeat the layering about 2 more times until you have run out of your ingredients. 

Transfer to the oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 

Garnish with parsley (from our garden) - totally optional. 

Enjoy!

Recipe: Enchilada Sauce

If you have never had homemade enchilada sauce before then you are missing out. It is so easy to make and requires mostly on-hand ingredients. The best part of this sauce is knowing what is in it! :) 

Ingredients
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/4 cup of chili powder
2 tbsp of flour
1 cup of tomato sauce
1 cup of water
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion power
salt to taste

Directions
Heat oil and stir in flour and chili powder, stir constantly until it is a nice brown color. Reduce heat.
Stir in water, tomato sauce, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. Bring to a nice simmer.
Simmer for about 20 minutes so all the flavors can absorb into your yummy enchilada sauce.
Enjoy!

Check out more recipes HERE.

Meal Plan Recipe: BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

Loaded salads are absolutely delicious! Nothing beats them in the Summer...besides ice cream, of course. Putting the salad on top of lettuce is totally optional. I think it makes more for lunches the following day.

This recipe is on meal plan week 1 for Sunday, June 2. Click HERE to check it out. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup of corn

1/2 cup of black beans (if using canned, then rinse and drain)

1 cup of cooked Quinoa
1 cup of shredded BBQ chicken (I use one chicken breast and split then into two)

2 tbsp shredded cheese (which ever kind you prefer)

4 tbsp BBQ sauce (we use Sweet Baby Ray's - yum!)
cilantro for garnish (optional )

Directions

Cook the chicken and shred. 

Toss together the corn, black beans, Quinoa, and chicken. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Serve with shredded cheese, BBQ sauce, and cilantro. 

Dig in and enjoy!