Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I'm not sure where I got this recipe, as I have been making it for years. I suspect it was originally on a South Beach Diet message board, as it's low in carbs. It's yummy with fresh veggies and crackers.

Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 shredded mozzarella (light is ok)
1/2 tsp garlic powder.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Finely chop artichokes. Thaw and drain the spinach.

Combine all ingredients in a pie plate or casserole dish. Mix until well blended.

Bake 20 minutes.

Lentil and Brown Rice Casserole

Upon hearing the name of this casserole, my husband declared he would not eat it. And, frankly, the thought of lentils and brown rice in a casserole can conjure up visions of bad vegan food from the seventies. However, this casserole is FANTASTIC. It is flavorful and soothing. Try it. Adapted from the Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook.

Lentil and Brown Rice Casserole

1 tb extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
¼ tsp garlic powder
2 large carrots, diced
1 ½ tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
2 cups frozen chopped spinach
¾ cup green lentils
½ cup brown basmati rice
4 cups water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped red onion and garlic. Saute for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the diced carrots, dried thyme, garam masala, and salt; stir to coat with olive oil. Saute for a few minutes more then add the chopped spinach and stir.
Place mixture into a large casserole. Add lentils, brown rice, and water; mix well. Cover.
Place into a covered pot in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Sushi Salad

Got a craving for sushi and don't want to go out? This will take care of it! Adapted from the magazine Clean Eating.

Sushi Salad

3 cups pre made brown rice, cooled (leftover rice works great)
1 tbsp wasabi paste
2 tbsp soy sauce
2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar or your choice of sweetener
1 cucumber, diced into 1/4 inch cubes (if using an English cucumber, don't peel; if using a conventional cucumber, do peel)
4 nori sheet, quartered and cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
8 oz crab meat pieces ("krab" is fine)
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
4 cups baby spinach

In a small bowl, whisk wasabi, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix rice, cucumber, nori, and carrot. Drizzle with wasabi mixture and stir to combine. Gently fold in crab.

Divide spinach evenly among four serving plates and top each with rice crab mixture and avocado.

Asian Inspired Marinade

This is perfect for chicken. It's a little strong for fish, but my fish-hating hubby loves it with tilapia and cod.

6 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup neutral oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Combine, and pour over chicken or fish. Enough for at least 2 pounds of either. Marinade at least 3 hours, but you can also marinade overnight. You can even stick the meat and marinade in a freezer bag and freeze it (but I have not personally tried this).

Simple Bruchetta

This is a yummy appetizer for the holidays (especially if you add fresh basil - red and green!), but I often serve this for dinner with a green salad on the side.

Simple Bruchetta

1 baguette, sliced into rounds (day old is better)
About an ounce of olive oil (I use a shot glass)

1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (grated or shredded, your call)
2 tablespoon diced sundried tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, or 2 tablespoons fresh basil
A couple of splashes of red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 375. Place the baguette rounds on a cookie sheet, and brush with olive oil. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

While these are baking, combine remaining ingredients. Top each round with tomato mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken

This has become one of my family's most favorite meals.

Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 ounce can corn, drained
1 1/2 to 2 cups salsa
1 8 ounce package cream cheese (you can use low fat)
1 cup cheddar cheese
Hot sauce for serving

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a 4 quart slow cooker. Combine the black beans, corn, and salsa in a separate bowl; dump all over the chicken. Cook on low for 5 hours. About half an hour before you want to serve this, take the chicken out and shred it. Place it back in the slow cooker with the cheese and combine. Cook about another half hour, or at very least, until all the cheese is melted.

We liked this served over brown rice with hot sauce on the side. It would also go well as a "chip dip" or in taco shells.

Meal Plan for January 1 through January 7

Welcome to the new year! I have been experimenting with some new and not so new recipes over the last few months, so I hope to post those soon. Here's what's for dinner this week:

Sunday: Whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce (canned, but I'm adding lots of herbs and veggies), green salad
Monday: Salmon patties with wasabi ketchup, peas, green salad
Tuesday: Chicken tacos
Wednesday: Lentil rice casserole (recipe coming soon!), raw veggies with yogurt dip
Thursday: Chicken veggie pitas with homemade green goddess dressing
Friday: Dijon chicken pasta (recipe coming soon!), green salad
Saturday: Shepards pie with ground turkey and hash browns

Menu Plan for September 4 through September 10

Hopefully I will be adding more content soon! I am planning some stationery meal days to assist with meal planning:

Meatless Monday
Fishy Wednesday
Rice Thursday (either fried rice or beans and rice)
Fun Friday (either out or a fun, easy meal like homemade pizza)

That being said, here's the menu for this week:

Sunday: Dinner at parents
Monday: Grilled hamburgers, green salad, fresh fruit
Tuesday: Joe's Special (eggs with spinach, grown turkey, and mushrooms)
Wednesday: Goldfish chowder (From Tyler Florence's Start Fresh), fresh fruit
Thursday: Thai basil chicken (from this month's Kiwi magazine) with brown rice and salad
Friday: Out
Saturday: Camping (haven't decided yet)

Menu Plan for August 28 through September 3

We just got back from a mini vacation, so we're having some laid back dinners this week:

Sunday: Dinner out
Monday: Dinner out
Tuesday: Baked breaded cod with homemade cocktail sauce, roasted red potatoes, caprese salad
Wednesday: Green salad with roasted chicken
Thursday: Pizza (for the hubby and son), big green salad (for me - I'll be out during dinner time)
Friday: Orange chicken (from Trader Joes), brown rice
Saturday: Fiesta chicken soup, tortilla chips, avocado

Menu Plan for August 21 through August 27

I had a meal plan for last week but it didn't actually get finalized until Tuesday - oops! We had a fantastic sushi salad from Clean Living magazine that really satisfied my craving for sushi - it's not posted on their website though :(

We're eating from the freezer and pantry this week - not grocery shopping except for produce and other perishables. Here it is:

Sunday: Turkey Taco salad (without shells)
Monday: Mac and cheese with leftover taco meat, green salad, fruit
Tuesday: Baked tilapia (possibly Latin themed, not sure yet), fake Spanish rice, fruit
Wednesday: Barbecued hamburgers, roasted red potatoes, corn on the cob
Thursday: Chicken peanut stew (with turkey and brown rice instead of chicken and couscous)
Friday: Fried rice, fruit
Saturday: out

Menu Plan for August 7 through August 13

Wrote up the meal plan then remembered we're going camping and possibly entertaining this week! Oops...

Sunday: Chicken fried rice with leftovers, fruit
Monday: Refried beans with homemade Spanish rice
Tuesday: Baked tilapia, green beans and peppers, brown rice
Wednesday: Meatball sandwiches, corn on the cob
Thursday: Crockpot barbecue chicken, green salad
Friday: Marinated grilled chicken thighs, corn on the cob, Caprese salad
Saturday: Grilled hot dogs, foil roasted veggies

Meal Plan for July 31 through August 6

Simple this week:

Sunday: Whole wheat rotini with marinara, green salad, watermelon
Monday: Barbecued turkey burgers, corn on the cob, fresh fruit
Tuesday: Baked asiago cod, corn on the cob, cherries
Wednesday: Chicken spinach enchiladas (I'll be eating without the tortillas), sliced pears
Thursday: Chopped green salad with chicken and black beans, served with homemade salsa dressing
Friday: Peanut sesame whole wheat noodles with snow peas and mixed veggies
Saturday: Rogan josh chicken with palak paneer (both from packaged mixes), brown rice

Menu Plan for July 24 through July 30

Sunday: Hamburgers, fresh fruit, leftover black bean salad
Monday: Fried rice with leftover chicken, veggies about to turn, and veggies from the garden
Tuesday: Crockpot barbecue chicken thighs, fresh fruit, green beans
Wednesday: Bruchetta, fresh fruit
Thursday: Salsa topped tilapia, green salad, brown rice
Friday and Saturday: Well, this is embarrassing. I haven't actually planned these days. We are anticipating eating; however, I'm lacking motivation. There is so much produce in abundance right now that I know I will find frugal inspiration later in the week.

Breakfast Zucchini Bread

I'm not a fan of sugary food in the morning. A little sugar is ok, but please save the maple syrup and HFCS until dessert time. (Actually, you can keep the HFCS.) With this in mind, I made a very slightly sweet breakfast bread.

Breakfast Zucchini Bread
(modified from heavenlyhomemakers.com)

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup no sugar added applesauce
2 cups shredded zucchini (I use my food processor to shred zucchini, skin and all)
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and baking powder.  Stir in honey, applesauce, zucchini, eggs and butter.  Mix ingredients until well combined.  Pour into two well buttered loaf pans.  Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Menu Plan for July 17 through July 23

Despite the fact that it is mid July, the weather appears to be October-like - gray, rainy, mid-60's. Yuck. So I'm mixing in some winter favorites as well...

Sunday: Chicken and veggie quesadillas, cherries
Monday: Chicken kebabs (from How to Cook Everything), green salad
Tuesday: Chicken caesar salad
Wednesday: Red turkey enchiladas
Thursday: Tilapia with salsa, brown rice, garlicy green beans
Friday: Homemade pizza with ground turkey and veggies
Saturday: Crustless quiche with spinach and bacon, peaches

Buffalo Chicken Soup

I modified this from the Year of Slow Cooking blog. It doesn't quite remind me of buffalo wings, but it's delicious none the less.

Buffalo Chicken Soup


1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups low fat milk
1 cup chicken broth
4 ounces low fat cream cheese
1/3 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder

In a small sauce pan, heat butter until melted. Stir in the flour, and heat until thoroughly blended, stirring constantly. Set aside.

Combine chicken, celery, milk, chicken broth, cream cheese, hot sauce, and garlic powder in a 3-4 quart crockpot. Stir in butter mixture. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Menu Plan for July 10 through July 16

I checked out a cookbook from the library, "The 150 Healthiest 15 Minute Recipes on Earth," and it has a lot of simple, relatively frugal recipes that look really good. I've already cooked some of the meals out of it, but I definitely want to try more!

Sunday: Barbecued hamburgers, mashed potatoes, fruit
Monday: Tomato bruchetta
Tuesday: Teriyaki salmon with pineapple (from The 150 Healthiest Recipes) and brown rice
Wednesday: Sun dried tomato quinoa, salad, fruit
Thursday: Sesame Thai chicken and broccoli (from The 150 Healthiest Recipes) and brown rice
Friday: Fried rice, fruit
Saturday: Garlic chicken pasta, salad

Black Bean Salad and Spicy Avocado Dip

This isn't one of my recipes, so I'll just link it instead - Black Bean Salad.

Amazing on a hot day. Serve with lemonade, fresh fruit, and some crusty bread.

Also - Spicy Avocado Dip (or Guacamole if you're nasty). Easy, and you don't really need to measure - it'll turn out ok if you don't! So easy.

Creamy Sun-Dried chicken over Quinoa

1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth

1 bunch of green onions, diced (white parts and most of the green parts)
olive oil
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tb cornstarch
2 tb butter
1/4 cup fresh basil, julienned
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, diced
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups already cooked chicken, shredded

Rinse the quinoa. Place water and quinoa in a pot together; heat on high until boiling. Cover, turn the heat to medium low, and simmer for 12 minutes.

In a separate pan, saute green onions in olive oil until very fragrant. Combine milk and cornstarch in a different bowl, and pour into pan. Add  butter, and heat until boiling and thickened. Add basil, tomatoes, garlic powder, red pepper, salt and pepper, and chicken and heat until cooked through. Serve warm over quinoa.

Menu Plan for May 22 through May 28

Starting next week I may be adding a lunch plan as well. Lunch time here has become ridiculous, because I don't think about it until it is actually lunch time and Henry is a few minutes away from a hunger tantrum. It's ridiculous and makes for some weird choices. (Peanut butter and jelly on hamburger buns is fine, but not what I intended those buns for.)

That being said...

Sunday: Chicken and Veggie Quesadillas
Monday: Bacon and mushroom crustless quiche, oranges
Tuesday: Salmon burgers, steamed veggies, store bought potato salad (it was on sale, ok??)
Wednesday: French onion soup (if this turns out well, I'll post the recipe)
Thursday: Chicken cheesy rice (with Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute), oranges
Friday: White chicken enchiladas (the kind that everyone knows how to make, with yogurt and non-MSG cream of mushroom soup subbed in for sour cream and Campbells)
Saturday: Family barbecue