Meal Plan and Recipes

Alright folks, I know I usually don't post twice in one day, but I had a request for a recipe. I thought I would go ahead and share my meal plan for the week, along with the recipes. Hope you enjoy!

Meal#1:

Turkey Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas

You will need 2 lbs. of ground turkey, 1 package of onion soup mix, 1/2 c of bread crumbs, 1/4 c of shredded mozzarella, and 1/4 c ketchup for the meatloaf. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except for the cheese and ketchup, in a medium bowl. Once you have mixed well, place half of meatloaf mix into a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle cheese on the layer you have placed in the loaf pan. Spread the remaining mixture on top of cheese, and top with ketchup. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour (or until no longer pink in the center). 

* I make my own homemade mashed potatoes and use frozen peas. I usually use organic red potatoes in making the mashed potatoes, and then use either mayonaise or sour cream, along with a little milk, salt, and butter. And no, mashed potatoes aren't all that nutritious, but homemade is by far better than the box kind. 

Meal #2:

Classic Minestrone Soup (See previous post for recipe.)

Meal #3:

Pork Chops with Cider Sauce, steamed broccoli, and acorn squash

For the pork chops you will need center-cut bone-in pork chops, salt & pepper, 2 TBS olive oil, 2 onions thinly sliced, 1 tsp. ground sage, 1 1/2 c of apple cider. Season chops with salt & pepper.  In a non-stick skillet over med-high heat, warm olive oil. Add onions and cook, stirring until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Push onions to edges of skillet and add chops. Cook, turning once, until browned, about 6 minutes total. Sprinkle sage over chops and pour cider into pan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to med-low. Simmer until chops are cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. remove chops from pan, raise heat to high, and boil sauce until reduced and thickened, 2-3 minutes. Pour sauce and onions over chops & serve. 

For the acorn squash, you will need at least one acorn squash, maple syrup, and salt & pepper. Split the acorn squash in half. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place both halves onto a baking sheet. Pour just a little maple syrup into the center of each half, and then salt & pepper to taste. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the centers are soft.

*For the broccoli, I purchase a steamable bag in the frozen section, or buy fresh and place in my steamer.

Meal #4:

Turkey, dressing, and green beans

For the turkey you will need: sliced turkey breasts (sliced to your liking), salt, and pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place turkey in a greased baking dish, and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. (Yep, pretty plain, I know). Bake for about 20 minutes, or until done.

For the dressing you will need: A batch of homemade whole-grain cornbread, olive oil, 1 medium onion, 2 cloves of garlic (minced), 3 ribs of celery (sliced), 8 oz. mushrooms (optional), 3 oz. whole wheat bread, 1 tsp ground sage, dried parsley, ¼ tsp salt, pepper, 1 large egg, and 2 TBS milk (your choice of milk). Place a little oil in a large skillet and place over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add the celery and cook for another 7-10 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove to a mixing bowl and add a little oil. Add the sliced mushrooms (if you are using them). Add the cornbread and the whole wheat bread with the sage, parsley, salt & pepper. Toss the ingredients together. In a separate bowl whisk the egg and milk together until well blended. Add the mixture to the large mixing bowl with the stuffing and toss to coat well. Press the mixture into a 9-inch Pyrex casserole dish and bake for 30-40 minutes.

 For the homemade cornbread you will need: 2/3 c plus 1 TBS of whole wheat flour, 1/2 c whole grain corn meal, 1 TBS baking powder, 1/8 tsp salt, 4 TBS butter, 3/4 c corn, 1/2 c heavy cream, 1 TBS 100% maple syrup, 2 eggs, 1/2 c sour cream, and 1/2 c grated cheddar cheese. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk 2/3 c whole-wheat flour together with corn meal, baking powder & salt. In a small pan over medium heat melt the butter. Whisk in 1 TBS whole wheat flour and keep whisking until it begins to brown. Add the frozen corn and let thaw in pan for a minute. Pour in heavy cream and whisk entire mixture together until it thickens. Mix in TBS of maple syrup and remove from heat. Add creamed corn mixture, eggs, sour cream and grated cheese to dry flour mixture. Blend together well without over mixing. Pour batter into a square or round glass baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes. 

* For the green beans, I usually get the frozen cut green beans. Place in skillet with a little olive oil or coconut oil, and saute' for a about 3-5 minutes. Then drizzle soy sauce over the green beans and cover. Cook on med-low heat for about 10-12 minutes, or until desired tenderness. 

Meal #5

Turkey Chili with homemade bread

For the turkey chili you will need: 1 lb of ground turkey, 5 cloves of garlic (minced), 1 medium onion (chopped), 1 tsp olive oil, 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes, 15 oz. canned kidney beans, 15 oz. canned black beans, 1 lb. frozen corn (optional), 2 tsp. ground cumin, 1 TBS chili powder, and 12 oz. jar of your favorite salsa. In a large pot, saute' the garlic and onion in the olive oil. Stir in the meat and brown. Stir in everything else and cook over med-high heat until the meat is cooked through. Stir frequently to avoid burning. If you need extra liquid, you can always stir in a little chicken broth. Enjoy!

Meal #6

BBQ chicken legs, corn on the cob, and cabbage

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a baking dish and set aside. Take your chicken legs and place them in the dish. Cover the legs with your choice of BBQ sauce (I like to use Stubb's, as I can pronounce the ingredients). Bake in the oven for about 45-50 minutes. 

While the chicken is cooking, cut up your cabbage and place in a large pot. Cover the cabbage with water and sprinkle just a bit of salt to taste. Boil the cabbage for about 20-30 minutes. 

Boil the corn on the cob until done (usually about 10 minutes). 

Most recipes were taken from www.thegraciouspantry.com and www.100daysofrealfood.com.