Tuesday, March 1, 2011

March Menu!

Menu

1. MONDAY:

Chili Made with Ground Turkey (7 points plus for 1/4 of recipe)

1 pkg. McCormick® Chili Seasoning Mix

1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey

2 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce OR 1 can (14 ½ oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (15 to 16 oz.) kidney or pinto beans, undrained

Assorted Toppings: Shredded Cheese, Chopped Onions or Sour Cream

BROWN meat in large skillet on medium-high heat. Drain fat.

STIR in Seasoning Mix, tomato sauce and beans. Bring to boil; cover. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with toppings, if desired.

Jiffy Cornbread (4 points plus for 1/5)

Bake according to pacage directions using water rather than 2% milk as called for.

Sliced Fresh Apples (0 points plus!)

2. Tuesday

Chicken Foil Pack (8 points plus for 1 package)

4 small chicken breast

4 tsp. taco seasoning

2 cups of thinly sliced potatoes

1/2 cup salsa

3/4 cup reduced fat four cheese Mexican cheese

Instructions

Sprinkle chicken breast with seasoning mix. Place thinly sliced potatoes in center of 4 sprayed foil packets. Top with chicken, salsa, and cheese. Spray the foil with Pam or the cheese will stick. Seal and place on a pan in case it leaks. Bake 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Open foil carefully and allow steam to escape. Enjoy.

Frozen Asparagus (steam in bag type) (0 points plus!)

Italian Bread (Refrigerated in the tube type) (2 points plus for 1/8 of loaf)

3. Wednesday

Weenies and Cheese (6 points for 1 cup)

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups (1 12 fluid once can) Carnation Evaporated Skim Milk

1 cup skim milk

2 tablespoons dried onion flakes

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Kraft reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

8 ounces Healthy Choice 97 percent fat-free frankfurters, diced

In a slow cooker sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray, combine macaroni, evaporated skim milk, skim milk, onion flakes and parsley flakes. Add Cheddar cheese and frankfurters. Mix well to combine. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Mix well before serving.

Serves 8 (1 cup).

Each serving equals: 246 calories, 6 grams fat, 18 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 525 milligrams sodium, 371 milligrams calcium and 1 gram fiber.

Hint: 2 2/3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni usually cooks to about 4 cups.

Steamed Brussel Sprouts (0 points plus!)

Leftovers from Italian Bread Loaf (2 points plus for 1/8 of loaf)

4. Thursday

Fajitas (6 points plus per fajita)

I can't find this recipe...so check back...I hate when I forget to bookmark! This isn't the recipe I orginally found, but I think it will work

Ingredients:

- 16 oz raw lean flank steak, trimmed

- 4 La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas (I'll do corn tortillas to save points)

- 1/4 cup and 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice (divided) (I'll probably used bottled lemon juice, because I'm cheap and lazy)

- 1 tsp olive oil

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 tsp Kosher salt

- ½ tsp black pepper

- 2 large red bell peppers seeded and cut into strips (I don't like green peppers so I won't use much of this)

- 1 large green pepper(s), seeded and cut into strips

- 1 large red onion, sliced (again, I'm cheap, so I am going to use yellow onion)

- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

- 2 medium sized tomatillos, finely chopped (I'll use leftover salsa)

- 2 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (nope, I don't do hot)

Directions:

Combine the lime juice, oil, garlic, black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a ziplock plastic bag; add the beef. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag; turn to coat the beef. Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, at least 2 hours or up to 4 hours.

Spray a nonstick ridged grill pan with nonstick spray and place over stove top on medium high heat. This can also be prepared over a regular grill as well.

Put the peppers and onion in a bowl. Lightly spray them with nonstick spray and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss to coat. Grill the vegetables over medium heat, turning frequently, until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with jalapeños, cilantro and 1 tbsp lime juice; keep warm.

Remove the flank steak from the plastic bag; discard marinade. Place the steak on the grill pan, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer, inserted in the center of the steak, registers 145°F for medium-rare, about 12 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate; keep warm. Brown the tortillas until browned in spots, about 1 minute on each side.

Thinly slice the flank steak on the diagonal. Fill each tortilla with 3 to 4 slices of the flank steak, about 1 cup of the vegetables and ¼ of the chopped tomatillos.

Entire recipe makes 4 servings

Serving size is 1 fajita with toppings

Each serving = 6 Points +

Salad (2 points plus for dressing)

Fat Free Refried Bean (4 points per 1/2 cup)

5. Friday

TAKE OUT!!!!

6. Saturday

Grilled Cheese (6 points plus per sandwich)

use light wheat bread, spray butter, and fat free singles to keep points low

Navy Bean Soup (5 points plus for 1/8 of recipe)

I buy the dried bean and cook according to the package directions....note! The beans should soak overnight, so prep them on Friday!

Orange Slices (0 points plus!)

7. Sunday (Daddy's night to cook!)

Turkey Brats with Kraut (4 points per brat)

Stovetop Stuffing (4 points plus per 1/2 cup)

Sliced Cucumbers (0 points plus)

MENU TIPS-

Each meal contains a main protein, a starch, and a veggie/fruit.

I try to make sure I use Ground Beef, Ground Turkey, Frozen Chicken, and Vegetarian.

I just find recipes that look simple, fast, and family friendly.

Let me know if you have a recipe you recommend!!!

Little Ones

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