My Menu Plan - October 4th - 15th

So, I didn't get my cheque yet this week. That means I didn't get groceries yet this week and that means that I have nothing left at all that I can eat that is diet friendly. I am so frustrated. UGH. But I will post my hopeful menu for after I hopefully get some money in this house on Friday.

Breakfasts:

- Oatmeal with applesauce and apples
- Oatmeal with banana
- Oatmeal with fat free yogurt
- Scrambled eggs with tomato and mushrooms
- Cottage Cheese pancakes

Lunches:

- tuna salad (tuna, onion, celery, relish, boiled egg, apple)
- Light Progresso Soups
- a salad of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, radishes, cucumbers and canned chicken or tuna
- salmon patties
- Zucchini bake
- Zucchini Quiche
- Lentil Soup (lentils, bouillon)
- Tuna Avocado Salad
- Hummus
- Cornbread

Suppers:

• Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie with a cornbread topping
• Rotisserie Chicken
• Chicken with Rosemary, Apples and Onions
• Marinated Chicken
• Core Cordon Bleu
• Moroccan Crockpot Chicken
• Cola Roast
• Balsamic Pork Chops w/ Mushroom & Onions
• Apricot-Glazed Pork Loin with Sweet Potatoes
• Core Tamale Pie
• Core Hamburger Helper
• Pot of Pizza

BAKED CHEESE ZUCCHINI
2 thinly sliced medium zucchini
1 egg
1 T. prepared mustard
1/8 t. ground white pepper
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1 thinly sliced green onion
1/2 c. grated FF cheese

Place zucchini in a colander or on towels to drain off the moisture. Combine the remaining ingredients. Add to the zucchini and mix well. Pour into a lightly oiled 2-quart casserole. Bake 350° for 40 to 45 minutes.

ZUCCHINI QUICHE
4 cups shredded, drained zucchini
2 eggs
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 crushed garlic clove
1/2 c. FF Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. FF shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients except cheese. Place into a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top. Bake at 375° about 20 minutes. Serves 4. 4.5 gm carbs/serving

Lentil soup

Put 1 cup of lentils (red or orange) into 6 cups of bouillon and add some spices. I like 1 t of cumin and cardomon and 2 t of tumeric. Add 6 minced cloves of garlic and simmer for 45 to 1 hour.

Then put on rice, couscous, quinoa, what have you and add a bit of chutney.

You can cut some chopped up kale in just before it was done and it was great. This is enough for two.

Healthy Hummus

Great with pita and/or baby carrots and other veggies:

1 can garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved
1/2 t cumin
2 T lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced

Combine ingredients and ~1T of reserved bean liquid. Mix in blender or food processor for a smooth hummus or mix with a potato masher for a chunky texture.

Tuna/Avocado Salad

1 can of tuna (small)
1 avocado, diced
1/2 can of black olives, sliced
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 can Rotel, Mexican flavor with lime and cilantro
1 can kidney beans, drained
small amount of FF Miracle Whip

CORE CORNBREAD

1 1/2 c. yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tps. salt
1/3 c. Splenda {up to 1/2 cup if you like it sweet}
1c. fat free yogurt
1/2 c fat free sour cream
1 tbs. oil
2 eggs

Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix liquid ingredients in a small bowl. Gently fold the wet into the dry. Pour into a 9" deep dish pie plate or a 9" square pan that has been sprayed with Pam.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are a golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cut into 8 wedges.
Flex Points: 8 servings @ 2P each

*HINT: an idea for something different would be to omit one egg & stir in a small can of chopped green chiles.

Veggie Salad

Mix nf cottage cheese, add some chopped shallots, radishes, little chunks of tomatoes and cucumber...green peppers if you like those - add a dollop of ff sour cream, salt pepper..and stir!

Avocado-Cucumber Toss

1 tbs plus 1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 diced, peeled, avocado (about 1 cup)
2 cups chopped cucumber

Combine first 4 ingredients in a jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously. Place tomato, avocado and cucumber in a bowl; add vinegar mixture, and toss gently to coat.

Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie with a cornbread topping

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, bite-sized pieces
1 large onion, chopped
4 tsp canola (or adjust for Core allotment)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
4 tbsp flour (less than 1 point per serving)
2 1/2 cups chicken stock + 4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup hot sauce
salt & pepper, to taste
3/4 cup coarse cornmeal

Preheat the oven to 375º F.

FILLING:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped chicken chunks and sauté them on both sides until golden brown. Remove chicken chunks from skillet and reserve on a plate. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic to the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 5-6 minutes. Whisk the chicken stock and hot sauce together, whisk in the flour, and bring it to a boil. Simmer the gravy until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Return the reserved chicken chunks to the skillet with the cooked vegetables and add the gravy, stirring to combine. Transfer everything to a 9x11" casserole dish and set aside while you prepare the topping.

TOPPING:
Mix the dry polenta into 4 cups of chicken stock with the salt. Microwave on High for 6 minutes. Stir. Microwave 4-6 more minutes. Spread the polenta onto the top of the casserole, covering it completely. Bake the pot pie until the polenta is baked through and the filling is hot, 20-30 minutes

Rotisserie Chicken (crockpot)

1 whole chicken
Pam olive oil spray
salt & pepper to taste
aluminum foil

Clean chicken inside and out. Spray with Pam olive oil spray. Sprinkle with seasoning. Spray inside of crock with Pam. Do not put any water in the crock. Roll 3 or 4 wads of aluminum foil into 2”-3” balls and put them in the bottom of the crock. The chicken is going to lie on these. Put chicken breast side down in crock on top of aluminum balls. Cook on High (will not come out the same on Low), 4-6 hours. (a 3-lb chicken took 4 hours). You have to use the aluminum to get the deli taste. This chicken tastes very close to one you would buy, precooked, in the deli section of your supermarket.

**NOTE** Wrap a potato in foil and place them in the bottom of the crockpot to make the foil balls; then you have both chicken and potatoes cooked to perfection! BE SURE TO WRAP THEM AIR TIGHT.....If they aren't wrapped tight, they will soak up the grease from the chicken.

Chicken with Rosemary, Apples and Onions (crockpot)

2 cups sliced onions
2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 pounds cut up skinless chicken pieces (with bone) (or use 1 lb boneless chicken breasts)
salt & cayenne, to taste
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup 98% ff cream of mushroom soup (.5 points for WHOLE recipe)

2 cups cooked brown rice (save for last)

Arrange onion and apple slices in bottom of slow cooker. Place chicken pieces on top and season all over with salt and pepper. Sprinkle rosemary over chicken. In a medium bowl, whisk together chicken broth and soup. Pour mixture over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Serve chicken, sauce, apples, and onions over rice.

Marinated Chicken

1 chicken, (2-1/2 to 3 pound)
3/4 cup Soy sauce
1/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1 Tbs dried onion flakes
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients except chicken. Put chicken in plastic bag and pour in the combined ingredients. Marinate for at least 4 hours or over night. Remove chicken and place in crockpot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours

Moroccan Crockpot Chicken

Ingredients:

4-8 Boneless/skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into sections
1 small bag baby carrots
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 can mandarin oranges in water, drained

1/2 cup water with the following added:

1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. red cayenne
1 Tbs. lemon juice

Spray inside of large crockpot with olive oil Pam.

Layer ingredients in crockpot in this order:
onions
carrots
water/lemon/spice mixture
chicken
olive oil
oranges

Cook on high for 4 hours / serve over couscous or rice

Core Cordon Bleu

INGREDIENTS

* 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
* 6 slices Canadian bacon
* Fat Free Mozz. Cheese
* melted "butter" (spray will do) or core oil
* Corn meal
* toothpicks

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Lay out the pounded chicken breasts on a clean surface. Place a slice of CB on each piece, then the cheese. Roll the chicken up around the cheese and ham, and secure with toothpicks. Dip each roll in melted "butter" or olive oil, then roll in cornmeal. Place in a shallow baking dish. Salt & pepper could be added to chicken breasts before rolling, and/or seasonings added to the inside, after the cheese....
3. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is browned and juices run clear.

Cola Roast

3 pounds bottom round roast (or whatever you want to use)
12 ounces of diet coke
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
3 large potatoes chopped
2 teaspoons Montreal Steak Seasoning

Cut the veggies in fairly large peice (1-1.5")
Mix all together and put in crockpot. Cook 6-8 hours on low.
Delicious

Balsamic Pork Chops w/ Mushroom & Onions

4-6 lean pork chops, seasoned to taste
1 large onion, cut in rings
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup of mushroom (or more)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
cooking spray or oil

Spray large frying pan (or use healthy oil) & preheat. Season pork chops to taste (I use salt, garlic powder & cayenne pepper). Brown well on both sides over medium heat until cooked through (about 5-7 minutes per side depending on size of chops - do not overcook). Remove from pan. Add onion rings, garlic & mushroom to pan & cook for 3-5 minutes, until softened. Return pork chops to pan and stir in balsamic vinegar. Cook for about 2 more minutes, stirring to coat chops & veggies.

Apricot-Glazed Pork Loin with Sweet Potatoes
*Core plus 3 points for WHOLE recipe

The sweet potatoes cook to nearly the consistency of mashed potatoes. Cherry or orange preserves would be great in this, too.

6 c cubed, peeled sweet potatoes (about 1.75 lbs)
1 c sf apricot preserves, divided (3 points)
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 lb boneless pork tenderloin or pork loin, trimmed

Place sweet potatoes, 1/2 c preserves, and 1/4 tsp salt into a slow cooker. Toss well. Arrange tenderloins over sweet potatoes; sprinklewith 1/4 tsp salt. Spread 1/2 c preserves over tenderloins. Cover with lid; cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce to low and 7 hours or until pork and sweet potatoes are tender. Remove pork from slow cooker and slice. Serve pork with sweet potatoes and sauce. Serves 4

Core Tamale Pie

1 c yellow corn meal
2-¼ c cold water with added chicken bouillon
1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
4 tsp canola oil
3 tsp chili powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel (mexican diced tomatoes)
1 (16 oz) can whole no-sugar-added kernel corn (with juice)
1 (16 oz) can dark no-sugar-added red kidney beans

Preheat oven to 350*.

Combine cornmeal, water and chicken bouillon in a medium saucepan; whisk or stir constantly over medium heat until slightly thickened. Spread in a 9 X 13-inch baking pan, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large skillet, brown beef, onion, green pepper, and canola oil. Add chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper, and stir well. Add tomato paste, Ro-Tel, corn, and kidney beans, and mix well.

Spread mixture evenly over the cornmeal mixture and top with 1 cup shredded soy or FF cheddar cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serves 8

"Hamburger Helper"

1 lb. ground beef
1 med onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3.5 cups of beef broth (I used water and boullion stuff)
8 oz. ww pasta (I used farfalle)
3/4 c. ff sour cream
3/4 t. mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the beef along with the onion and garlic. Drain any fat. Add the beef broth and the pasta, cover, bring to a boil, and simmer at a med. boil for 15 min (or until pasta is cooked). Turn the heat down to low, and stir in sour cream and mustard.

Pot of Pizza

8 ounces extra lean ground beef or turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup (one 2.5 ounce jar) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 3/4 cup (one 15-ounce can) Hunt's Tomato Sauce
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon pourable Splenda
3 cups cooked whole wheat noodles, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup shredded fat free or soy Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded fat free or soy Mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet, sprayed with olive-oil-flavored cooking spray, brown meat, onion and green pepper. Stir in mushrooms, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning and Splenda. Pour mixture into a slow cooker sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray. Spread noodles over meat mixture. Layer cheddar and mozzarella cheeses evenly over the top. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours/ Mix well before serving
Serves 6 (1 cup)

Note - Add 1 WPA per serving if you prefer reduced fat cheese instead of ff/soy.