Week 9 Menu

Turkey Day Placecards & Tablecloth Tradition

Hosting Turkey Day for the 1st time this year, so I had to get out my creative hat and start putting together some decor :)

Pilgrim Placecards

Beverage Station

Thankful Tree & Tablecloth Tradtion

 I collected branches from outside and cut out leaves on the cricut -- then each person wrote down what they were thankful for and then hung it on the tree as the table centerpiece :)

Also, started a new tradition this year...I spent weeks trying to think of something that we could start this year, but that still honored my Mom.  It was such a hard day not having her present at our table...but this made me come up with the perfect idea.  I borrowed a tablecloth of my Mom's and ironed on two pictures of her in the center...Each year - we will section off an area and write the event, who hosted, and then everyone will sign their names / put huge milestone from that year within that area.  Then each year, we get to reuse the tablecloth at our gathering and sign away.  Always keeping my Mom close to our hearts and present at our table :)

Week 8 "cheat week" & Recipes

Monday Recipe:
Honey Mustard Chx Sandwiches

Saturday Recipe:

Lasagna Rollups

Lasagna Rollup

These were SOOOOO yummy!!!  I felt like I was cheating :)  AND so easy to make and you get lots of leftovers to eat later!

Ingredients:

9 Cooked Lasagna Noodles
1.5 Cups Fresh Baby Spinach
2 Cups Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Parmesan Cheese
1 egg
1/2 Teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound Ground Turkey Cooked
Spaghetti Sauce
1 Cup Mozzarella Shredded

Preheat oven to 350F. Cook Lasagna Noodles according to package instructions. Put ground turkey on skillet and add salt and pepper to taste. Crumble and cook until all pink has cooked out. Set aside.

Mix Ricotta Cheese, spinach, parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, pepper, salt in bowl. Add in ground turkey. Set aside.

In a baking dish, place 1 cup of pasta sauce around the bottom of the dish. Spread evenly.

Lay a piece of wax paper on your counter, place lasagna noodles on paper and dab with paper towel to make sure all moisture is gone.

Spread cheese mixture evenly over each piece of lasagna. Begin rolling one strip of lasagna at one end and roll all the way up. Place in baking dish seam side down. Continue process with all lasagna pieces.

Top lasagna rolls with sauce and mozzarella cheese. Place aluminum foil over dish tightly and place in preheated oven. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

Honey-Mustard Chicken Sandwiches

This was so so so simple to make - and so so so yummy!!  Perfect for dindin after work and then lunch during the week!!!

Ingredients:

4  boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup whole grain mustard

2-3 Tbsp. coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute)

1 Tbsp. local, organic honey 

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. paprika

Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Put all ingredients into crock pot, and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Shred chicken to serve.  Enjoy on your choice of bread or wrap.

Week 7 Menu and Recipes

Monday Recipe:
Turkey Meatballs

Tuesday Recipe:

Mini Meatloaf

Wednesday Recipe:
Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Thursday Recipes:

Mustard Citrus Grilled Steak

Friday Recipes:
Enchiladas

Sunday Recipes:

Banana Berry Oatmeal Bake

Mini Meatloaf

Sorry I didn't get a good pic of these, but these were YUMMY!!!  So easy to grab for a dindin on the go!!  Perfection :)

2 meatloafs = 1 serving (1 red, ¼ green, ½ yellow)

Ingredients:

1lb lean ground beef / turkey
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 egg whites
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup tomato sauce
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
***I chopped an orange bell pepper and put at the bottom of the cups

Spray muffin tin with nonstick spray. Mix all ingredients for meat then ball up and place on top of peppers(if you choose to do peppers). Drizzle ketchup on the top of the meat. Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes or until meat is cooked. 

Spinach and Colby Jack Stuffed Chicken Roll-Ups

Eh...that's really all I have to say about this chicken.  I thought it was going to be so tasty and wonderful, but it was just eh.

Serves 4 - 1 piece of chicken = 1 red, 0.25 green and 0.5 blue

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

1 cup of fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup of shredded colby jack (or cheddar) cheese

Freshly cracked black pepper

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Paprika

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Place your chicken in a plastic ziplock bag or between two pieces of saran wrap. On a cutting board using a the flat side of a meat mallet pound your chicken breast until it is a thin, even thickness. Season the side facing up with freshly ground black pepper.

Place the baby spinach and colby jack (or cheddar) cheese on top of the chicken close to one end. Roll up the chicken and secure with as many toothpicks as needed to keep the chicken rolled.

Season the top of the chicken with more freshly ground black pepper and a large pinch of garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. Rub the seasonings in so they really stick.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 F. After 20 minutes turn the broiler on high and broil for an additional 3-5 minutes until the top of the chicken becomes golden and crispy.

Turkey Meatballs

Well aren't I so fancy?!  Making my own meatballs and stuff :)  This was really good and so healthy!!  Instead of noodles I just made up spaghetti squash and just threw some broccoli and meatballs on top - so good!

6 servings: 5 meatballs – 1 red, ½ yellow

Ingredients

20 oz 93% lean ground turkey

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp paprika

1 large egg

3/4 cup quick oats

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T fresh parsley chopped

2 T tomato sauce, no sugar added

1 Large Spaghetti Squash

Preheat oven to 400.  Cover a large pan with parchment paper, set aside.

In large bowl, combine all ingredients by hand and mix well.

Roll into 30 1-inch balls. Place on baking sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through.

Cook spaghetti squash – heat a pot of water large enough to hold the whole squash.  When water is boiling, drop the squash and cook for 20-30 minutes.  When a fork goes easily in, it’s done.  OR cut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds.  Place squash cut side up in microwave dish with ¼ cup water.  Cover with plastic wrap and cook on high for 10-12 minutes.  Let stand covered for 5 minutes and “comb out strands”

Serve this over spaghetti squash and broccoli and top it with Feta cheese.

Banana Berry Oatmeal Bake

Um gross...I had SUCH high hopes this was going to be yummy - I mean, check out these ingredients...however, all 7 of us hated it :(

 Servings: breakfast for the week for 2

Ingredients:

2 cups Old Fashioned Oats (or Steel Cut)

3/4 Cup Natural Maple Syrup

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1 Cup Raspberries

1 Cup walnuts, chopped

2 Cups unsweetened Almond Milk or Coconut Milk

1 large egg

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

1 Banana, peeled and sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, syrup, cinnamon, baking powder, half of the raspberries and walnuts. Mix well.

In a separate bowl combine the milk, egg and vanilla. Stir until the egg and vanilla are totally beaten in.

Spray a brownie pan with cooking spray or olive oil or coconut oil, anything to keep this concoction from sticking to the pan for life. Spread the oatmeal mixture out evenly in the pan. I know it seems super thin, but I promise it turns out fine! Now dump the milky-eggy-vanillay mixture evenly on top. Shake the pan a little if you need to get that milk to settle in.

Top it with the remaining raspberries and banana slices and throw it in the oven for 35-40 minutes and enjoy the amazing smell. Let it cool awhile before you eat it. 

Enchiladas

Had the nieces over for a sleepover and this was the perfect large family meal :)  Everyone killed it!!  Who knew that this could be "clean" eating?!

Enchilada Sauce

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped (about a cup)

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 whole, large tomatoes, diced

1 cup of spinach

1 tablespoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoons cumin

2 tablespoons chopped oregano leaves

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and spinach and cook for another minute until the spinach starts to wilt.

Pour onions and garlic into the carafe of a blender and add tomatoes, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, oregano, rosemary, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Puree the sauce until completely smooth 

Enchilada

Servings: 1 yellow (2 tortillas) 1 red (chicken mixture) 1 green (sauce) 1 blue (cheese)

4 Large Chicken Breast

1 Green Bell Pepper diced

1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder

1T Onion Powder

2 Tablespoons Mrs Dash Fiesta Lime Salt Free seasoning

1/2 Cup Salsa (no sugar added)

1-2 Cup water as needed

8 Corn Tortillas

2/3 Cups shredded cheese of your choice

In a medium sauce pan pour the water, garlic, onion, and bell peppers and bring to a low boil.

Add the chicken breasts and cover with a healthy layer of Mrs. Dash. Add the salsa on top.  Cook for about 20 minutes until done. The chicken will NOT be covered with water, so you'll need to watch it.

The water should be evaporated out most of the way and the chicken should shred with a fork. If not, place it on a cutting board and chop it into fine pieces. place back in the pan and boil until most of the water is gone. Feel free to add more seasonings if you need.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Get a Pyrex dish and put about 1 cup of the ENCHILADA SAUCE in the bottom.

Microwave 8 corn tortillas for about 15 seconds. Coat each tortilla in the sauce (it doesn't have to be dripping) and put 1/2 of a red container in each one (1/4 of the chicken mixture) roll them up, and place them SEAM SIDE DOWN in the dish. Then, cover with about 3/4 of a cup of ENCHILADA SAUCE. Bake for about 20 minutes and remove. Cover with 2 blue containers of Shredded Cheddar Cheese (or alternative such as non dairy, like I did my side). Bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them sit for about 15 minutes before serving

Mustard citrus grilled steak

Rossy is always wanting steak and I'm always...not :)  However, if he marinading it like this - I would always want it too!!  So good!!

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1lb 1 1/4"-thick strip steak

1 teaspoon kosher salt

a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Mix 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon chopped garlic, and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Season one 1-pound 1 1/4"-thick strip steak with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Coat with Dijon mustard mixture. Cover and chill for 4 hours.

Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Grill steak, about 7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. 

Week 6 Menu and Recipes

 Tuesday Recipes:
Egg and Veggie Muffins
Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich

Wednesday Recipe: 

Zoodles

Thursday Recipe:

Mexican Haystacks

Sunday Recipe:
Broiled Tilapia

Broiled Tilapia with Mustard Chive Sauce

I literally licked this sauce -- haha!!  It was SOOOOO good!!  Made this up with some carrots, risotto, and avocado and it was a great meal!!  YUMMY!

4 servings

Fish:

Vegetable oil cooking spray

4 (5 to 6-ounce) tilapia fillets

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

1/4 cup plain, full-fat Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the fish: Preheat a broiler. Spray a small baking sheet or glass baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

Drizzle the tilapia fillets on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the fillets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and broil until cooked through and the flesh flakes easily with a fork, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

For the sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, agave nectar, and mustard until smooth. Whisk in the lemon juice and chives. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Transfer the tilapia to a serving platter and drizzle with the sauce.

Mexican Haystacks

Hello heaven!!  This was amazing!!  Look how pretty it is too :)  SO SO SO Good!!  We made everything the night before too, so it was super speedy!!!  Perfect amount of spice too!

Servings 5 - 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green, 1 purple, 1 blue

RICE
2 cups uncooked brown rice
1 bunch fresh cilantro

MEAT
1lb ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
2-3 cups salsa

TOPPINGS
1 avocados, chopped
1 red peppers, chopped
1 ripe mangoes, chopped
fresh cilantro for garnish

Start your brown rice in a pot on the stove, or in a rice maker.

Next, add ground turkey and chopped onion to a large saute pan. Add garlic powder and salt and pepper. When the turkey is browned, add 4 cups of salsa. Bring the salsa to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, chop the cilantro, pepper, avocado, and mango. When the rice is done, simply stir in almost all of the fresh cilantro, leaving just enough to garnish each dish. 

Hawaiin BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Um yum!!  Gotta love the crock pot meal :)  Want to thank P-Ron for this recipe!!  This was really good and both the boys liked it as well!!  Huge hit in the Sodahl fam!!  I omitted my bun so I didn't use a carb on the meal :)

Makes 6 servings - 1 red, 1 purple, 1 green, 1 yellow (if you use bun)

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 lb skinless bone-in chicken breasts

1 onion, chopped

1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

6 oz can tomato paste

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)

6 whole-grain hamburger buns (I like the Alvarado Street Bakery brand)

1 cored fresh pineapple, cut into chunks

(16-oz) package crinkle-cut carrots (or use baby carrots)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add chicken.  Brown chicken 3 to 4 minutes; place in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker.

Top chicken with onion.

Whisk together pineapple juice, tomato paste, soy sauce and vinegar; pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on Low 5 to 6 hours; remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with 2 forks.

Stir cornstarch into sauce in slow cooker; increase slow cooker heat to High and cook, uncovered, 30 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.

Spoon chicken onto buns; top with sauce.  Serve pineapple chunks and carrots with sandwiches if using.

Zoodles

I was a little hesitant to make these cause I love myself some noodles...however, these were SO yummy!!  Even Brody ate them!!  It's just not even a contest -- I would use zoodles every time...so much better for you!!

Makes 7 servings

Ingredients:

4 zucchini

Olive oil

Use a spiralizer to make a bunch of zoodles

To pull out excess liquid, spread them out in a single layer on top of a payer of paper towels (placed on top of a dish towel).  Lightly salt them and then place another layer of paper towels on top.  After 20 minutes, replace top paper towel with a new one and roll them up in the paper towels to help press more moisture out.  Let sit like this for another 30 min – hour.

To cook – heat up a nonstick skillet with a tablespoon olive oil on medium-high heat.  Stir fry them tossing frequently till done.  Only takes about 3-5 minutes

We served it with clean tomato sauce -- yummy!!!

Egg and Veggie Muffins

These made the PERFECT bfast / morning snack!!  I looked forward to it from the time I baked these to each am when I could eat them!!  You can just grab them on the go!!  Tasted even better with some salsa on top!!

3 servings (4 muffins = 1 serving)  Per Serving: 1 Red, 1 Green

Ingredients

3c Mixed vegetables (I used sliced cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, and bell peppers)

6 Eggs

Prep a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Dice your choice of vegetables.   Beat eggs in a bowl and then mix in vegetables.

Pour the egg and vegetable mixture into your prepared muffin tin.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through.

Week 5 Menu and Recipes

Tuesday Recipes
Buffalo Chicken Wrap
Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps

 
 
 
Wednesday Recipes

Baked Ziti

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday Recipes

Avocado Capreses Salad

Blackened Tilapia Tacos

Blackened Fish Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Sauce

Um hi amazing!!  This was super easy...and super yummy.  I'm not always a fan of fish - cause I don't like it to taste fishy, but this was the most delicious meal ever!!  It was SOOOOO good!!!

 

Serves: 6

 

Ingredients

For the Blackened Fish:

1.5 lbs tilapia fillets

1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon brown sugar

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil

12 corn tortillas

For the Slaw:

½ red cabbage, sliced thin

¼ green cabbage, sliced thin

½ medium-sized onion, diced

½ cup cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

 

For the Avocado-Cilantro Sauce:

½ cup sour cream

1 ripe avocado, pitted and skinned

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeno, chopped and seeded

Salt, to taste

 

In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, onion powder, cumin, salt, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of your tilapia fillets, and then rub the seasonings in.

 

Combine all of the Avocado-Cilantro Sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse until well-combined.

 

Combine all of the Slaw ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

 

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add in the tilapia (a few at a time if you can't fit them all at once). Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the outside is blackened and the fish flakes apart easily.

 

Remove the fish from the heat, and if desired, warm the corn tortillas in the same skillet over medium heat, cooking for about 30 seconds on each side.

 

Break up the tilapia into 2-3" pieces. Stack the tortillas in twos. Distribute the fish evenly between the 6 sets of tortillas, and top with Slaw and Avocado-Cilantro Sauce. Serve.

Avocado Caprese Salad

Had Sodahls over for dindin tonight, so we teamed this with our dinner and it was yummy!!  I love that you barely need any dressing and it still tastes like you have a lot!

Makes 2 servings

 

Ingredients:

4 cups argula

1 avocado

6 slices mozzarella cheese

EEOO

1 ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Dollop honey

Salt and pepper

 

Assemble lettuce, avocado, and mozz in a bowl.  Whisk EEOO together in a bowl with balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.  Pour over salad

Clean Tomato Sauce

Um yum...I was licking the spoon while I stirred this...and it was even better on food!!

Makes 12 servings: 1 serving is ½ cup of sauce and is 3 green and ½ tablespoon (123 calories)

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

6 oz can tomato paste, no salt added

 ¼ c red wine

2 (28oz) cans crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp. agave nectar

1 tsp. sea salt

 ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
3 oz. parmesan cheese

3 tbsp. chopped basil

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently until onion is translucent.

Add garlic & tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes – make sure tomato paste doesn’t burn!

Add wine; cook, stirring constantly

Add tomatoes, agave, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, gently boil, for 3 minutes.

Add cheese; cook, stirring occasionally for 1 hour.

Add basil and mix well

Baked Ziti

This was AMAZE-BALLS!!  Soooooo good!!  I literally couldn't get enough and I loved that it was healthy!!  Will be making this all the time!!

Ingredients:

1/2 box Whole Wheat Pasta

1 red container Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese

1 jar natural/clean Tomato Sauce

1/2 lb Lean Ground Turkey

1/2 c Italian Cheese, shredded

1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp Honey

1 tbsp each: Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Italian Seasoning, Oregano, Basil, Parsley, and Black Pepper

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Cook the noodles until al-dente. While pasta is cooking, brown the ground turkey. Drain turkey of excess fat renderings after cooking. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, pasta sauce, honey, seasonings, cooked ground turkey, and the cooked and drained noodles. Stir until well combined.

 

Pour mixture into a 13×9 pan. Sprinkle Italian cheese and parsley on top.

 

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and bubbly

Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps

This was really easy to make and nice to come home -- Rossy and I were pretty pumped cause it looked and smelt amazing, BUT we weren't impressed.  :(  So won't be making this again.

Makes 8 servings

 

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef

3 Tbsp soy sauce

5 tsp chili garlic sauce

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

2 tsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (+ more for serving)

1/2 tsp salt

8 large lettuce leaves (I used romaine but you can use iceberg lettuce)

 

Toppings:

Chili garlic sauce (go easy, it's hot!)

Diced cucmbers

Shredded carrots

Minced red onion

Sliced green onion

Toasted sesame seeds

 

Place lean ground beef in the bottom of the slow cooker.

 

In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, garlic sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, lime juice and salt.    Pour mixture into the slow cooker.  Stir the sauce into the ground beef and break up the ground beef with a spoon.

 

Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours, or until beef is cooked through.  Break up the meat with a spoon.  Drain off any excess liquid.  Add salt and pepper to taste and extra lime juice to taste.

 

Scoop 1/8 of the meat into the middle of a large lettuce leaf.  Top with desired toppings (listed above). Eat like a taco and enjoy!

Buffalo CHicken Wrap

Rossy loves his buffalo chicken, so I found something CLEAN for his craving!  Yummy :)

Servings: 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 blue

 

Ingredients:

1 large wrap or 2 small

1 chicken breast

Franks Red hot Sauce

1/3 cup cheese

1 tomato

Spinach

 

Cook chicken – shred or cut it up

 

Mix chicken and red hot together.  Fill up wrap with spinach, tomato, chicken, and cheese