Chow Mein (Dinner for Two Week 12)

Lunch: Pasta salad, Pear or Rhubarb, Peanut butter popcorn bars

Dinner: Chicken and broccoli chow mein or Turkey and stuffing pie, Cooler

 

Tricolor Pasta Salad                              I usually double this one and sometimes add chickpeas

Cook a package of tricolor spiral pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, place a package of frozen California-blend vegetables in a glass dish. Cover and microwave for 7-8 minutes. Drain. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water.

Combine the pasta, vegetables, and a drained can of sliced ripe olives in a bowl. [Add chickpeas if using them.] Combine 1 – 1 1/3 cups of Italian salad dressing and 1/4 – 1/2 tsp of garlic salt. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. 

 

Turkey and Stuffing Pie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If using raw turkey, cook 2 cups worth. If using deli, cube 2 cups worth. If using leftovers, shred 2 cups worth. Prepare 3 cups worth of stuffing (or use leftovers). Press stuffing onto the bottom and up the sides of a well-greased pie plate. Top with turkey and 1 cup of shredded Swiss cheese. Beat 3 eggs and 1/2 cup of milk. Pour over cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. 

 

Chicken and Broccoli Chow Mein

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook and cube 2 chicken breasts. Chop up broccoli. Combine a can of cream of chicken soup, a can of chicken with rice soup, and a can of evaporated milk in a bowl. Stir in chicken and broccoli. Transfer to a greased baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Stir. Sprinkle with chow mein noodles. Bake 5-10 minutes. 

 

Peanut Butter Popcorn Bars

Pop 3 bags of popcorn. Place in a large bowl. Set aside. Bring 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of light corn syrup to a boil in a pot over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. 

Stir in 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract. Mix well. Pour over popcorn and mix under well coated. Press into a buttered pan. Cool slightly before cutting. 

 

Sunny Citrus Cooler

Combine a can of pineapple juice, 2 cans of thawed orange juice concentrate, and 3/4 cup of lemonade concentrate in a pitcher. Add 6 cups of ginger ale or white soda and mix well. Serve over ice. Garnish with orange slices. Refrigerate leftovers. 

 

SHOPPING LIST:

Swiss cheese

Eggs

Orange

6 pears

Rhubarb

Broccoli

Brussel sprouts

Celery

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Turkey (Leftovers, deli, or cook enough to get 2 cups worth)

2 pkgs of frozen California-blend vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots) [16 oz ea]

2 cans of frozen orange juice concentrate

Lemonade concentrate

Can of pineapple juice (46 oz)

Can of condensed cream of chicken soup

Can of condensed chicken with rice soup

Can of evaporated milk

Can of chow mein noodles

Can of chickpeas

2 cans of sliced ripe olives

Ginger ale or white soda

Light corn syrup

Popcorn

Stuffing

2 pkgs of tricolor spiral pasta (16 oz ea)

Whole-rolled oats

Chia seeds

Raw sliced almonds

Sunflower seeds

Garlic salt

[Also needed: sugar, vanilla, creamy peanut butter, milk, Italian salad dressing]

No-Fuss Crust Pizza (Dinner for Two Week 10)

Breakfast: Mocha, Doughnut and Raspberries

Lunch: Chicken salad or sandwich or croissant, Pomegranate, Apple snack

Dinner: Pizza, Avocado or Broccoflower, Pineapple cooler

Dessert: Cake

Apple Snack                               Low Cal!

Peel, core, and slice 4 Golden Delicious apples into rounds. Arrange apples in two rows in an ungreased glass baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup of apple juice over apples. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and 1 Tbsp of grated lemon peel. Cover and microwave for 7 minutes, turning after 3 1/2 minutes.

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake                                Gluten-Free!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 can of garbanzo beans (19 oz)
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup of white sugar
• 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• 1 Tbsp of confectioners sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. Place the chocolate chips in a glass bowl. Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute.
3. Drain the can of garbanzo beans. Combine beans and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the sugar and the baking powder, and pulse to blend. Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corner to make sure chocolate is completely mixed. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.
4. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

 

Apple Cider Doughnuts                              Vegan variation in brackets

INGREDIENTS

• butter, oil, or non-stick spray
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour (spelt flour works too)
• ¼ cup and 2 Tbsp sugar (raw sugar works great too)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup apple cider
• 1 egg (flaxseed egg can be substituted for vegans)
• 2 Tbsp milk (or sub vegan milk substitute)
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp white vinegar (can be omitted for a denser, more cake-like doughnut. I prefer the fluffier version though)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub a doughnut pan with butter (or brush with oil or use non-stick spray).
2. Add flour, ¼ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
3. Whisk together apple cider and egg in another bowl. Add milk, canola oil, vanilla extract, and white vinegar and whisk to combine.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined (don’t overmix!).
5. Evenly distribute in doughnut pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
6. Whisk together 2 tablespoons sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. When doughnuts are safe to touch, but while they’re still warm, dip each side into the cinnamon-sugar mixture, pressing and twisting to get good coverage. Serve and enjoy!

 

Chicken Salad                               Two variations in one recipe

Cook and shred 8 chicken breasts. Hard boil 2 eggs. Peel and mash the eggs with a fork in a bowl. Add the shredded chicken, 1 1/2 cups of mayonnaise, and 2 Tbsp of sweet pickle relish.  Salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Salad: Place 1 cup of chicken salad on top of a bed of lettuce. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp of chopped pecans.

Sandwich: Place 1 cup of chicken salad on a slice of bread and top with another slice. Salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp of chopped pecans.

Croissants: Spice things up by making a sandwich out of a croissant and 1 cup of chicken salad.

No-Fuss Crust Pizza                            

Recipe yields one pizza, but shopping list included enough ingredients for two. Feel free to experiment with toppings!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook 1 lb of ground beef over medium heat in a skillet. Drain. Stir in 1 can of pizza sauce. Dismantle 2 tubes of buttermilk biscuits. Quarter the biscuits. Place in a greased baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes. Chop and diced a tomato and a green pepper, slice 3 mushrooms, and drain a can of black olives. Sprinkle vegetables on top of pan along with 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Pineapple Cooler

Combine 1 cup of unsweetened pineapple juice, 2 Tbsp of lemon juice, and 1 can of lemon-lime soda in a pitcher. Stir well. Serve over ice.

Morning Mocha

Brew 1 cup of coffee. Combine the coffee, 2 Tbsp of half-and-half cream, 1 Tbsp of chocolate syrup, and 1 tsp of sugar in a pot. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is heated through. Ladle into a large mug. Stir with a cinnamon stick. Give it a quick taste and add 1/8 – 1/4 tsp more sugar if you like it sweeter. Top with whipped cream.

SHOPPING LIST:

Mozzarella cheese (12 oz)

Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

Whipped cream in a can

Eggs

4 tubes of refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (12 oz each)

Bread

Croissants

Lettuce or mixed greens

Green pepper

3 mushrooms

Tomato

3 avocados

Broccoflower

14 pomegranates

4 Golden Delicious apples

Raspberries

Lemon

3 lbs ground beef

12 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Pineapple juice

2 cans of pizza sauce (15 oz each)

Can of black olives

Can of garbanzo beans (19 oz)

Cinnamon sticks

Chocolate syrup

12 oz can of lemon-lime soda (Sprite or 7Up)

Apple cider

Apple juice

Lemon juice

Icing sugar

[Also needed: sugar, coffee, half-and-half cream, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, pecans, baking powder, cinnamon]

Summer Sippin’ (Dinner for Two Week 8)

Lunch: Snowball Peaches, Green Salad with Balsamic Salad Dressing, Papaya or Guava

Dinner: Hamburger Casserole or Beef Bake, Bell Pepper or Artichoke, Mint Iced Tea Cooler or Lemonade Slush

Balsamic Salad Dressing

Combine 3/4 cup of tomato juice, 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, an envelope of Italian salad dressing mix, and 2 tsp of sugar in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well. Store in the fridge.

Salad suggestion: Leaf lettuce and red cabbage with carrots, grilled asparagus, a can of drained mandarin oranges, chopped or dropped cherries, and cranberries

Snowball Peaches

Beat 2 packages of softened cream cheese and 2 Tbsp of apricot preserves in a small mixing bowl until blended. Drain a can of pineapple tidbits. Stir 1 cup of pineapple into cream cheese. Drain 3 cans of peach halves and place peaches cut side up on a lettuce-lined serving platter. Fill with cream cheese mixture. Garnish with fresh mint.

Tortilla Beef Bake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef over medium heat in a skillet. Drain. Stir in a can of cream of chicken soup. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of crushed tortilla chips in a greased shallow baking dish. Top with beef mixture, a jar of salsa and 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 more cup of crushed tortilla chips. Bake 3 minutes longer.

Hearty Hamburger Casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook 1 lb of ground beef over medium heat in a skillet. Drain. Stir in a can of ready-to-serve chunky vegetable soup and set aside. Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. Spoon half into a greased baking dish. Top with beef mixture, 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, and remaining stuffing. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes.

Mint Iced Tea Cooler

Steep 3 peppermint-flavored tea bags in 7 cups of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Discard tea bags. Pour tea into a pitcher or large bowl. Stir in 1 cup of cranberry juice and 3/4 cup of pink lemonade concentrate. Cover and refrigerate overnight (so flavors can fully blend). Serve over ice.

Lemonade Slush

Combine 1 1/2 Tbsp of partially thawed lemonade concentrate, 2 Tbsp of milk, 1 1/2 Tbsp of water, 1/8 tsp of vanilla, and a drop of yellow food coloring in a blender. Cover and process. Crush 2 ice cubes. While liquid is processing, slowly add crushed ice. Process until slushy. Serve immediately. Enough for one serving.

SHOPPING LIST:

Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

2 pkgs of cream cheese

Leaf lettuce

Red cabbage

Carrot

Asparagus

3 bell peppers

2 artichokes

 Cherries

Cranberries

3 guavas

Papaya

Fresh mint

Cranberry juice

Tomato juice

2 1/2 lbs of ground beef

2 lemonade concentrates (one pink and one yellow)

Can of ready-to-serve chunky vegetable soup (19 oz)

Can of condensed cream of chicken soup

Can of pineapple tidbits

Can of mandarin oranges

3 cans of peach halves (15 oz each)

Salsa (16 oz)

Apricot preserves

Package of instant stuffing mix (6 oz)

Peppermint-flavored tea

Italian salad dressing mix

Tortilla chips

Yellow food coloring

Balsamic vinegar

[Also needed: milk, vanilla extract, sugar]