It's been super busy so the recipes will be on the limited side. I will say that converting some of my old standbys to real foods was pretty easy. I am also working on some new stuff that I'm sure will be amazing once I work out the kinks. I did a lot with leftovers as well since my fridge was looking a little cluttered. With all that said, here goes.
Meal 1 - Crockpot Refried Beans and Steamed Veggies (adapted from 100daysofrealfood.com)
I changed just a few things from the original version and serve it with the frozen mixed veggies that you can steam right in the bag. The kids and parents agreed it's really great.
1 onion, diced
2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
½ fresh jalapeño, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons cumin
6 cups water
1 cup shredded white cheese
2 bags mixed frozen veggies
Combine first 8 ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on high for 8 hours. Using a mug or ladle, dip out excess liquid.
Mash remaining beans with a potato masher and add extra liquids if needed. Steam veggies according to directions. Season them with salt and pepper. Spoon out beans and sprinkle with cheese. Plate veggies on the side.
Meal 2 - Pesto Chicken and Tomato Pasta with Cabbage
This was a last minute meal. I found chicken tenders on super sale and thought I had to use them. Everything else I had on hand and it actually took longer to cook the cabbage than the entire pasta dish. It was on the table in less than 25 minutes.
1 head cabbage, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1-2 lbs. chicken tenders, cut into small pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 box whole grain pasta
3/4 cup pesto
parmesan cheese, for topping
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place cabbage on cookie sheet. Drizzle with oil and salt and pepper. Cook for 20-25 minutes, turning at 10 minutes. Boil a large pot of water. Add a large pinch of salt. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. In a hot skillet, add a couple tablespoons of oil and cook chicken until light golden brown and cooked through. Add pesto, tomatoes, and couple ladles of starchy cooking water from the pasta. Drain pasta and add to the chicken and pesto. Serve with cabbage and top with parmesan. It's totally worth washing 3 pans.
Meal 3 - Whole Wheat Pizza with Bacon, Spinach, and Mushrooms
I know you are thinking you will never make your own pizza dough but it's super easy and so cheap. It does take a while but it's not a lot of effort. The best part is that you can freeze the dough after the first rise and just leave it out on the counter for a couple ours to rise before cooking. I used my new stand mixer and it really made things easy.
For dough:
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees, it should feel like warm bath water)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for bowls
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
In a small bowl or cup, dissolve honey in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour in a mixer until dough starts to come together. Mix with bread hooks until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust. Form into a tight balls and place in two separate bowls. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with cookie sheets or pizza stone in it. Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a hot pans. Top pizza with toppings below. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.
For topping:
1 jar real food marinara sauce
1 8 oz. block of mozzarella shredded
1 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
5 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
parmesan cheese, for sprinkling
red pepper flakes, if desired
Place all ingredients on dough. This will make 2 pizzas. You may not need all the sauce. I save the leftover for the kids to dip their crusts into. I also like to sprinkle the top with salt and pepper and a little drizzle of olive oil right before baking. Top with parmesan and red pepper flakes after cooking.
Meal 4 - Grilled Pork Tenderloin
This is not a full meal but you can easily throw some veggies on the grill with a sweet potato and call it a night. The best thing about this is that you usually get 2 tenderloins in a pack and can easily cook both one night and have the others for tomorrow night's meal. I'm working on a BBQ sauce that I hope to post next week that would be great to make sandwiches with.
2 pork tenderloins
8 small cloves of garlic
1-2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons grill seasoning, (I use Weber grill seasoning)
extra virgin olive oil, in a sprayer
Heat grill to hot. With a small knife, stab 8 holes into the pork. Fill with a clove of garlic in each. Spray with oil and season both sides with salt and grill seasoning. Here's the easy part. On the hot grill, place the pork over hot coals for 7 minutes with the lid closed. Turn pork and cook the other side of 6 minutes with the grill closed. Move the pork off the hot coals on the grill. Close lid for 5 minutes. Check that it reaches 145 degrees internal temp. Grill or roast veggies on the side. Let the pork rest on a plate for several minutes. Slice and enjoy.
With grilled meats and a side of veg,
Brooke
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