Menu Plan Monday (I mean Wednesday!)

Wow! I am really late posting this. Sorry!

Monday: Chicken Tacos

• Whole-wheat tortillas, ground chicken breast cooked with Mrs. Dash (salt-free) southwest chipotle seasoning, a little grated cheese, lots of tomatoes, green onions, jalapenos, and spinach leaves.
• Approximately 325 calories

Tuesday: Tostadas

• Whole wheat tortillas "fried" (lightly sprayed with olive oil and toasted in a frying pan to make it crisp), thin layer of fat-free refried beans, thin layer of grated cheese, lots of tomatoes, green onions, jalapenos, and a dollop of fat-free sour cream.
• Approximately 325 calories

Wednesday: Enchilada Chicken

I'm not going to post the recipe for this because it was rather bland. I may try to tweak it in the future. If I'm successful, I will then post the recipe.

Thursday: Chicken Sandwich

• Grilled and sliced chicken breasts (seasoned with garlic, pepper, and a touch of salt), spinach leaves, red onion slices, tomato slices, and cucumber slices on whole wheat bread - the sauce for the bread was a mixture of roasted red pepper hummus and fat-free plain yogurt
• Approximately 350 calories

Friday: Lemon Pepper Salmon

• I don't have the recipe because my husband took me out to dinner, but it was yummy!

Saturday: Asian Chicken Salad from Applebees (double date with friends)

• I don't have the recipe for this, but it was a yummy salad, and I ordered my dressing on the side - and used less than half of it

Sunday: Baked Chicken Chimichangas

• I don't have the recipe for this either, because my husband discovered the recipe somewhere online, made the dinner, and is keeping the recipe in his 'secret recipe' collection. I can basically describe it though: whole wheat tortillas, thin layer of fat-free refried beans, diced grilled chicken breasts, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, salsa, and a dollop of fat-free sour cream (optional). To bake them and still have the crispy shell, you simply lightly spray your tortillas with extra-virgin olive oil, then roll the chimichangas up like normal, lay them in the baking dish, and bake them. They were so yummy! And I think we calculated them at about 350 calories each!

Menu Plan Monday

My menu plan (week in review):

• Monday: Italian Sandwich (whole wheat hamburger buns, 1/4 extra-lean ground beef patties with oregeno, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper mixed in, lowfat mozzarella cheese, and marinara sauce) approximately 300 calories
• Tuesday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches (this recipe was healthy, but it wasn't that tasty) less than 200 calories
• Wednesday: Chicken Soft Tacos (whole wheat tortillas, ground chicken breast with salt-free southwest chipotle seasoning, fat-free sour cream, cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, red taco sauce) approsimately 325 calories (and so yummy!)
• Thursday: Meatball Sandwiches (whole wheat hotdog buns, extra lean ground beef meatballs, mozzarella sauce, low-sodium marinara sauce) approximately 400 calories
• Friday: Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon (boneless skinless wild salmon fillets, seasoned with salt-free lemon pepper, and juice from a fresh lemon squeezed over it) approximately 200 calories
• Saturday: Grilled Chicken and Veggie Kabobs & Texas Caviar (recipe and pictures will be posted later this week for the GCC Recipe Swap)
• Sunday: BLT Burgers (extra-lean ground beef patties on whole wheat bun, turkey bacon, spinah leaves, tomato slices, touch of lowfat mayo) approximately 300 calories

Menu Plan Monday

For my menu posting, I am going to actually be posting my week in review, not my week in advance. That way, if I have any comments/opinions about the meal, I can include them.

• Monday: Chicken Fajitas (used lots of veggies, whole wheat tortillas, and no sour cream)


• Tuesday: Turkey with Salsa (grilled boneless/skinless turkey breasts on the George Foreman grill with Mrs. Dash extra spicy seasoning, then drizzled with fresh salsa ~ so yummy) less than 150 calories/serving


• Wednesday: Turkey Sandwiches (low-sodium turkey slices, swiss cheese, fresh spinach, tomatoes, red onion slices on multi-grain bread with a little honey mustard) approximately 400 calories/sandwich


• Thursday: Black Bean Soup (I'm not even going to share the recipe for this because it was NOT very good!)


• Friday: Subway Sandwiches from the Jared-approved menu


• Saturday: BLT Burgers (1/4 lb patties from extra-lean ground beef, turkey bacon, fresh spinach leaves, tomato slices, low-fat mayo (and I like a couple slices of onion) on whole-wheat hamburger buns) approximately 300 calories/burger


• Sunday: Grilled Boneless Pork Chops less than 200 calories/serving

My original plan to eat 2 vegetarian dinners each week is not turning out well. The two vegetarian meals I have tried lately have NOT been tasty (eggplant parmesan and black bean soup.) It's easier for me to go vegetarian for breakfast or lunch than it is for dinner. I have been sticking to my calorie limits, though, and keeping my work out schedule. I stepped on the scale this morning and discovered a 4 lb weight loss in the last 3 weeks! Hooray! :)

***I'm still looking for some great recipes for whole wheat or multi-grain bread products. This can include recipes for bread, tortillas, pitas, English muffins, bagels, etc. If you have a great recipe and you wouldn't mind sharing it, please visit HERE. Thank you!

Menu Plan Monday 2.23.09

Wednesday: Mexican Bubble Pizza

Thursday: 7-layer Meatless Tortilla Pie (meatless mania)

Friday: Pork Spare Ribs

Saturday: Eggplant Parmesan (meatless mania)

Sunday: Baked Parmesan Chicken (recipe below)

Monday: Beef Stew

Tuesday: Leftovers!

Baked Parmesan Chicken:

• 4-5 chicken breasts, depending on size
• sour cream (approximately 1 cup)
• 1 tube Ritz crackers, finely crushed
• 1 T. garlic powder
• 3 T. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup melted margarine/butter

Mix the cracker crumbs, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese together. Coat the chicken pieces with sour cream, then dip in the crumb mixture. Make sure the entire chicken breast is coated in sour cream and crumbs. Lay the chicken in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle melted butter over each piece of chicken. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes to an hour, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Menu Plan Monday, I mean Thursday

What can I say? It's just been one of those weeks.

Wednesday: Fried Chicken

Thursday: Sour Cream Pork Chops

Friday: Grilled Chicken Breasts

Saturday: Pancakes and Meatless Omelettes

Sunday: Pot Roast and Potatoes

Monday: Veggie Pizza (recipe below)

Tuesday: Leftovers

Hubby and I have decided to try harder to have at least 2 meals a week be meatless. This may sound stupidly simply, but for 2 carnivorous meat-lovers, it is anything but. So, this week, our meatless-mania days are Saturday and Monday.

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VEGGIE PIZZA (one of my absolute favorites)

• 2 tubes refridgerated crescent roll dough (low fat works great)
• 2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese (fat free or low fat works great)
• 3/4 cup mayo (low fat works great)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (fat free works great)
• 1 envelope ranch dressing mix
• various vegetables, chopped finely (my favorites are carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, tomato, green onion, green bell pepper)
• cheddar cheese, grated

Unroll the tubes of crescent roll dough, and spread out on a greased cookie sheet. Smoosh the edges together to create one big crust. Bake according to package directions (it may take a minute or two less to cook fully). While that is baking, mix together the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream and ranch powder to make the dressing. Spread this across the baked and cooked 'crust'. Mix all the chopped vegetables together and spread evenly across the dressing. Sprinkle the cheese over the vegetables as sparingly or as liberally as you like. Slice and eat. This may be prepared in advance and refridgerated... I actually prefer it after it has sat in the fridge for a few hours. All the tastes blend together and make it so yummy!

Menu Plan Monday

I plan the menu on Monday, but it doesn't start until Wednesday (shopping day):

This week's Menu Plan:

Wednesday: Parmesan Chicken & Pasta (Macaroni Grill Dinner Kit)

Thursday: Sloppy Joes (no recipe, just hamburger, Manwich, buns, and mayo)

Friday: Baked Salmon

Saturday: No cooking! Grandpa M's surprise 80th birthday party.

Sunday: Grilled Pork Chops (just season and slap on the grill)

Monday: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Tuesday: Chicken & Dumplings