Let the school years begin...

Remember THESE? Yeah, you NEED to make them...

I can't believe I have a child entering Kindergarten this week! I'm so excited for both of our sakes. And I'm also a little sad, not to have my Ryder guy with me all day long every day. Thank goodness this is only half days. And with soccer already begun, we're entering my favorite time of the year. So as the summer months are coming to a close, here are some dinners that I feel the need to make:

*Monday: Leftover night

*Tuesday: Night before first day of school dinner -- Homemade Pizzas (tomatoes, basil & fresh mozzarella for mine, please)

*Wednesday: Chicken Pasta Salad (see recipe below)-one of my favorite things in the world...

*Thursday: Can hardly wait for these Eggplant, Zucchini & Chickpea Wraps...YUMMY!

*Friday: Camping AGAIN! We had so much fun last week, we're going for round 2. Tonight we'll make classic foil dinners. I LOVE making these, because you can personalize them so much. I'm sure Ryder will go with the normal, meat, potatoes, carrots, corn. But I usually use chicken in mine, or sometimes I go with no meat. I love to add lots of fun veggies like squash, zucchini, peppers, onions, etc. With some good sauces/seasonings, this is one of my all time favorite summer meals.

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Black Quinoa Salad with Mangos, Avocados & Tomatoes. I love how simple and fresh this recipe looks. All basic natural ingredients thrown together to make amazing flavors.

CASHEW CHICKEN SALAD

- 5 cups medium shell macaroni, cooked
- 2 cups seedless grapes, sliced in half
- 2 cups unpeeled, diced apples
- 1 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup grated onion (or diced green onion)
- 1/2 cup green pepper
- 1 cup diced celery
- 14 oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained
- 3 cups chicken breasts, cooked and diced
- 1 cup coleslaw dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate before serving.
*I definitely don't use 2 whole cups of mayo/coleslaw dressing. I start with just a little, and keep adding until all ingredients are coated, but I don't like mine to be as saucy as some people may like. Play around with it...in fact you could make your own healthier version--a little olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt & pepper could be just as yummy!

Quickie.

Dropping by for a quick run down of our menu for this BUSY week that we're home. We have family coming to stay with us starting tonight, 2 graduations on Friday, a race on Saturday and driving out West on Monday. Here's what will tide us over:

*Wednesday: Spinach/Sweet Potato Risotto with corn on the cob and some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip bread to welcome our guests

*Thursday: Lasagna Rolls, salad and baguette

*Friday: Out to eat to celebrate with the Graduates

*Saturday: Smoque BBQ for lunch and wraps for dinner (our lunch will be early-just after our 10 mile race downtown). For wraps I'll have tortillas, sliced turkey/ham, sliced cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, diced avocados, cheese, peppers, bacon, mustards/dressings and anything else that sounds yummy. I'm also making a cucumber/tomato/fresh mozzarella salad, like THIS one.

*Sunday: Thanks to my aunt for the idea, we'll have an easy crock pot meal tonight. Throw chicken breasts, a can of black beans, can of corn, 1 c. salsa and 1 package taco seasoning in the crock pot for 4-5 hours until the chicken is cooked through. Then, remove the chicken, shred it with a fork and place back with bean/corn mixture. Serve over chips with cheese and sour cream. You could also put it over lettuce to make a chicken taco salad.

Dinner at the Morins...

I can hardly wait for next week...it will be September! I have loved summer time, but am SO ready for all things fall (including more cooking/baking). I'm ready to be done with the grill, and start wearing sweaters. :) Here's to one more week of easy dinners that don't make my home feel like an oven...

*Monday: BBQ Chicken wraps--see recipe below

*Tuesday: Fish Tacos

*Wednesday: Best Bruschetta Ever--see recipe below--(how's that for an easy dinner?!) with corn on the cob

*Thursday: Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo--see recipe below

*Friday: Leftovers

*Saturday: Triathlon day! This time it's Burke's turn!

*Sunday: Grilled Cheese with Tomato & Basil and German Potato Salad


BBQ CHICKEN WRAPS

-1 2lb. roasted chicken, skin discarded, meat removed from bones and shredded
-1/2 c. prepared bbq sauce
-1 c. canned black beans (rinsed)
-1/2 c. frozen corn, thawed/canned corn, drained
-1/4 c. reduced fat sour cream
-4 leaves romaine lettuce
-4 (10 inch) whole wheat tortillas
-2 limes, cut in wedges

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, bbq sauce, beans, corn and sour cream; stir to combine. Cook until hot, 4 to 5 minutes.
Assemble the wraps by placing a lettuce leaf in the center of each tortilla and topping with one-fourth of the chicken mixture; roll as you would a burrito. Slice in half diagonally and serve warm, with lime wedges.
*I will probably add tomatoes and avocados to ours...

BEST BRUSCHETTA EVER

-2 tomatoes, diced
-1 tsp. dried basil
-4 TBSP grated parmesan cheese
-2 TBSP olive oil
-1 clove garlic, crushed
-salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, mix tomatoes, dried basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and chill in refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight, before serving. Serve on toasted bread slices. Top with sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

CHICKEN & BROCCOLI ALFREDO

-4-5 c. broccoli florets
-2 TBSP olive oil
-4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch wide strips
-1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
-1 2/3 c. whipping cream (or 1 c. whipping cream + 2/3 c. skim milk)
-1 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
-1/2 c. grated monterey jack cheese
-3/4 pound penne or mostaccioli, freshly cooked

Steam broccoil florets until just tender, about 3 minutes, set aside.
Preheat broiler. Butter 13x9 inch broiler-proof baking dish. Heat 2 TBSP olive oil in heavy large dutch oven over medium-high. Working in batches, saute' chicken strips until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer chicken strips to bowl. Add sliced red bell pepper to dutch oven and saute' until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add whipping cream, 1 cup grated parmesan cheese and all of the monterey jack cheese. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly (5 minutes). Add chicken strips and any juices in bowl to sauce. Add freshly cooked pasta and steamed broccoli and toss until sauce coats mixture. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup grated cheese over top. Broil until just golden on top, about 3 minutes, and serve.

a new week

Well, this week's menu is going to include Tuesday through Friday (since I was gone for Monday!). I'm pretty excited about a few of these dinners!

*Tuesday: Wraps (I buy yummy tortillas--spinach, tomato basil, etc. Then we add turkey, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, avocado, provolone or muenster cheese, spinach leaves, cucumbers, peppers, pickles, purple onion, etc. Then we top it off with a little mustard or vinaigrette. SO yummy!) with pasta salad

*Wednesday: Chicken Enchiladas with Green sauce--see recipe below (I try to stay away from cooking too much--but I MISS IT! I'm getting excited for fall=soups!)

*Thursday: 6th Wedding Anniversary!

*Friday: Brown-Rice Bowl with Shrimp, Snow Peas, and Avocado--see recipe below

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Tomato/Basil/Mozzarella Pizza (this is our favorite pizza--recipe from the Noorda's. It is SO simple. Use your favorite pizza crust. Top with fresh tomato slices, fresh Mozzarella slices, and basil. Bake at the hottest temp. your oven will go until cheese begins to slightly brown.)

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH GREEN SAUCE

-2 TBLSP olive oil
-1 large onion, coarsely chopped
-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
-3 pounds tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed well, and coarsely chopped
-3/4 c. water
-coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
-1 pound chicken, shredded (you can use a rotisserie chicken from the store for ease, or cook some chicken breasts however you like)
-1 c. frozen corn kernels (about 5 oz.), thawed
-12 corn tortillas
-2 c. coarsely grated white cheddar cheese (8 oz.)

Preheat oven to 450*R. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium; add onion and garlic. cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, 4 to minutes. Add tomatillos and the water. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer; cook until tomatillos are soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
Transfer tomatillo mixture to a food processor, and blend until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Combine chicken with 1 cup tomatillo sauce and the corn; mix to combine. Transfer remaining sauce to a shallow bowl.
Hold each tortilla with tongs and heat over a gas-burner flame until lightly charred. (Alternatively, heat in a small skillet over medium-high until warm and soft.) Wrap tortillas in kitchen towels to keep warm. Working with one tortilla at a time, dip in sauce, place on a work surface, and fill with 1/4 cup chicken mixture and 1 TBLSP cheese. roll up, and arrange, seam side down, in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with remaining sauce, chicken mixture and cheese; cover dish with aluminum foil.
Bake until sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue to bake until cheese is browned, about 15 minutes more. Let enchiladas cool 10 minutes before serving.

BROWN-RICE BOWL WITH SHRIMP, SNOW PEAS, AND AVOCADO

-2 c. water
-1 c. long-grain brown rice
-1/4 c. soy sauce
-1/4 c. fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
-2 TBLSP rice vinegar
-2 tsp. light brown sugar
-1 TBLSP vegetable oil
-1 pound fresh or frozen (thawed) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
-8 oz. snow peas, stem ends and any strings removed, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
-1 piece (1 inch) fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
-coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
-1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and cut into chunks

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add rice; cover, reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand covered, 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make sauce: Stir together soy sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, and sugar until sugar is dissolved.
While rice is standing, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add shrimp, snow peas, and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are opaque throughout and snow peas are bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Fluff rice with a fork, and divide among four bowls. Top with shrimp mixture and avocado; serve sauce on the side.

Weekly Menu

This week, we are eating...

*Monday: "Wet Burritos"--This was one of my favorites growing up. I like to substitute the ground Beef for ground Turkey. You really can't tell, flavor wise, and it's quite a bit healthier. See the recipe below. We will have chopped lettuce, onion, tomato, and of course avocado, plus cheese to top ours.

*Tuesday: Grilled Chicken and Corn Lettuce Wraps--I LOVE trying different lettuce wrap recipes! I feel SO good after I eat them, and generally they are pretty quick and simple to make. If you're looking for a yummy low-carb dinner, try these. We will have some jasmine rice with our wraps.

*Wednesday: Leftovers

*Thursday: Salmon Salad--I like to get some fish in the menu once a week. We happen to love Salmon, and I love salads--especially with this nice spring weather we've been having!!! So I will just cook my Salmon however I feel like that night (probably poach it), then flake it into bite size pieces. I will put it on top of some sort of lettuce/romaine/spinach mixture, and top with hard-boiled eggs, sugar-snap peas, tomatoes, red onion, and anything else that sounds yummy that I have in my fridge. Top with your favorite vinaigrette dressing, or one of these.

*Friday: Fusilli with Squash and Bacon (or peppers and prosciutto, etc...)

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: BBQ Chicken Quesadillas...this may just call for some homemade guacamole as well. :)


WET BURRITOS

-1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained (or ground turkey)
-1 can refried beans, divided (I use lowfat/fat free)
-1 pkg. chili seasoning mix, divided
-1 pkg. taco seasoning mix, divided
-1 can condensed cream of tomato soup
-1 pkg. large flour tortillas (I have also used whole wheat before and love those...)
-Shredded Cheese (about 1 cup)

Toppings (in amounts desired):
-lettuce, shredded
-tomatoes, diced
-onion, chopped
-sour cream
-black olives, chopped
-shredded colby/jack cheese
-avocados, sliced

In one saucepan combine half of the refried beans (about 1-1/2 c.), half of the chili seasoning, half of the taco mix, and the tomato soup. Add a soupcan of water; stir and heat ingredients through. This is the sauce.

In another saucepan, combine ground meat, remaining refried beans, taco mix and chili mix. Fill up chili mix packet with water and add to meat mixture, then mix ingredients and heat through.

To assemble: Place 2-3 TBLSP meat in center of each tortilla; fold sides to center and roll up. Place each one in a 9x13 pan; cover with sauce; then sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350* for about 10 minutes or just until warmed through and cheese is melted on top.