November Weekly Plan #2

The Weekly Plan is a little late this week but I've been doing most of my meal planning on Monday's as I have Monday's off right now!  But here it is...

Every Week I edit my 'Weekly Plan' which is saved as a note in my iPhone.  I go through each day and change the meals, include any prep tasks the day before and add any obligations we have for the week.  I know many people try hard to meal plan but it can be difficult and time consuming so I thought I would share with you my method that has worked for me for years!

Below you will find my Sunday to Saturday list.  Each day I include the 'Must Do's' for the day including what's for dinner, what prep is to be done for the next days dinner, if we need to do any errands or have any obligations that day etc.  

Following that I have included a general grocery list of the items I will need that may not be in my pantry already.  If you are going to follow this plan please make sure you scan all the recipes to ensure you have everything you need as this list doesn't include EVERYTHING.

I have also included one Cleaning item to do each night so that on Saturday I have fewer chores to do!

In addition I have included links to the recipes and a few of the recipes I have included below.

I do hope this helps you plan for your week too :)  

Weekly Plan

Sunday

- Chicken for Dinner with potatoes, veggies

- make Whole wheat Apricot ginger Scones (Recipes found here on the blog)
- do meal planning for the week

- grocery shopping

- clothes out for school

- lunches made

- school backpack packed
- change all bedding and do laundry
- Take out chicken for Monday's Dinner

Monday

- Chicken burrito Bowl for dinner (Recipe found on the number 2 pencil blog here or posted below) 

- Clean bathroom

- School Backpack Packed

- clothes out for work and school

- pack lunches - Left over Stirfry for lunch
- take out Chicken for dinner tomorrow to defrost

Tuesday 

-  Crockpot Butter Chicken for Dinner (recipe found on the damndelicious Blog here or posted below)

- swimming 7pm

- clothes out for work and school/Workout clothes

- make lunches 

- pack diaper bag 

- take out chicken to defrost for tomorrow
- Sweep floors

Wednesday 

- Beef and Broccoli Stirfry for Dinner (Recipe Below)

- clothes out for work

- make lunches

- pack diaper bag
- PiYo at work

- make rice ahead for Thursday dinner and take out a chicken breast if needing defrosted
- Dust Living room

Thursday

- Crunchy Spicy Pork Tacos for Dinner (Recipe listed below)
- P90 at work

- clothes out for work

- make lunches (leftover burritos)

- pack diaper bag
- General main living space tidy up

Friday

- Margherita Pizza for Dinner (Recipe found at Beachbody Blog or posted below)
- Combat at lunch time

- No school or work tomorrow!

Saturday 

- Grilled Fish Tacos with Cabbage Citrus Slaw for Dinner (Recipe below)

- Soccer at 1:30pm
- Laundry Day
- Clean floors
- Clean Bathrooms

Grocery list

(not including spices and items not usually in pantry already, check recipes for quantity)

Chicken Breast
Onion
Rice
Tomatoes
Black beans
Chicken Broth
Cheese
Green Onion
Sour Cream
Avocado
Garlic 

Coconut Milk
Tomato paste
Garam Masala
Curry Powder
Chicken Breast
Cilantro 
Sirloin
Broccoli
1 Lb Pork Loin
1 (7-oz.) can sliced jalapeños (optional)
Tomatillo salsa (or salsa verde)
Fresh pineapple
2 medium shallots
Lime juice
Cumin
6-inch whole wheat tortillas
Whole wheat pizza dough
Tomato sauce, no sugar added
Mozzarella cheese
Fresh Basil

6 oz raw cod( or other white fish)

Raw cabbage

Cayenne pepper

Recipes:

One Pan Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe

• Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite sized pieces
  • 3 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1/4 cup of diced yellow onion
  • 1 cup of uncooked extra-long grain rice
  • 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 2 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups of colby jack, monterey jack or cheddar cheese
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • freshly diced tomatoes
  • diced green onions
  • sour cream
  • guacamole

  • Instructions

    1. Start by sautéing onions in 2 tablespoon of olive oil until they start to soften.
    2. Season diced chicken with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
    3. Add chicken to pan and cook over medium high heat until chicken has started to brown.
    4. Move chicken to one side of pan, in the other side of the pan add an additional tablespoon of olive oil and sauté uncooked rice for about 2 minutes or just until some grains start to turn golden brown.
    5. Stir in black beans, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin.
    6. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low.
    7. Cook about 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
    8. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
    9. Sprinkle with cheese, recover and let set for 2-3 off heat to melt cheese.
    10. Garnish with fresh tomatoes, green onions, sour cream and guacamole.

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, tomato paste, flour, garam masala, curry powder, chili powder and ginger powder until well combined and slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Place chicken into a slow cooker. Add sauce mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours.
• Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, if desired.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients

1TBSP soy sauce or coconut aminos

1 TBSP water

1 tsp corn starch

½ teaspoon raw honey

1 tsp olive oil

4 ounces top sirloin

1-cup broccoli florets

1 clove garlic

½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

½ cup cooked brown rice

Directions

• Combine soy sauce, water, corn starch, and honey in a small bowl.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beef and cook until cooked through. Remove beef.
• Add broccoli, garlic, and ginger to the skillet and cook 2-3 minutes. Remove broccoli and add to bowl with beef. Keep warm
• Add soy sauce mixture to the skillet and heat for 30 seconds. Return beef and broccoli to skillet with sauce and stir to coat. Remove and serve over rice.

Crunchy Shredded Pork Tacos

Total Time: 4 hrs. 30 min.

Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 4 hours.
Yield: 4 servings, 2 tacos each

Ingredients:

1 lb. raw pork loin, boneless, visible fat removed, cut into 4 large pieces
1 (7-oz.) can sliced jalapeños (optional)
1½ cups tomatillo salsa (or salsa verde)
½ cup finely cubed fresh pineapple
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
¼ tsp. ground cumin
8 corn tortillas (or 6-inch whole wheat tortillas), warm
½ cup thinly sliced radishes

Preparation:

1. Place pork loin, jalapenos, and tomatillo salsa in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or until pork is no longer pink and shreds easily.
2. Remove pork from liquid. Cool for 20 minutes. Shred pork, discarding any visible fat.
3. Combine pineapple, shallots, lime juice, and cumin; mix well. Set aside.
4. Top each tortilla evenly with pork, salsa, and radishes.

Margherita Pizza Recipe

Total Time: 33 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 18 min.
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 (16-oz.) package whole wheat pizza dough, at room temperature
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup tomato sauce, no sugar added
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 medium tomato, sliced
¼ cup whole basil leaves, torn in small pieces

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 450° F.
2. Lightly coat 12-inch pizza pan with spray. Starting at the center, and moving outward, use your fingertips to press dough to ½-inch thick. Stretch dough until it won’t stretch any further. Let dough relax for 5 minutes; continue to stretch to desired diameter.
3. Drizzle oil over dough; spread with a pastry brush to the edges.
4. Spread tomato sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a quarter-inch border.
5. Layer with cheese, tomato, and basil.
6. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling.

Grilled Fish Tacos with Cabbage Citrus Slaw

6 oz raw cod( or other white fish) washed, patted dry

¼ tp sea salt

3(4 inch) corn or whole wheat tortillas

¾ cup shredded raw cabbage

6 fresh cilantro sprigs

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 dash cayenne pepper( to taste, optional)

¼ medium avocado, cut into 6 slices

Preheat grill or broiler to high.

Grill or broil fish for 3-5 minutes on each side or until it flakes easily when tested with a fork. Set aside.

Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds.

Place tortillas on a serving plate. Top each tortilla, with one third fish, cabbage and cilantro.

Season with lime juice and cayenne( if desired). Also with the citrus vinaigrette and it is delish!)

Top each tortilla with two avocado slices; fold and serve.

Chicken Stirfry with Rice Noodles

We made this healthy chicken stirfry tonight with rice noodles. I'll admit, my boys love stirfry but unfortunately I'm the only one who likes it with brown rice. Gord and Asher both like those yellow (horribly bad for you) Chinese noodles. I cave in and serve them every now and again but lately I've been using rice noodles more and more often. 

I used to only use rice noodles for pad Thai but I really like using it for stir fry now too! In fact I have found some thinner rice noodles that work perfectly for stirfry. 

So when they asked for stirfry on the menu this week during my meal planning on Sunday I picked up some rice noodles instead of those yellow ones! 

Happy to say this stirfry pleased everyone and I was so glad that no yellow noodles were used in the making of this dinner! 

Here is the recipe for you...

Ingredients: 

• 2 7 ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into skinny strips
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 10 ounces of broccoli slaw
• 1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 4 ounces rice noodles
• 2 tablespoons reduce sodium soy sauce

Directions: 

• Remove rice noodles from package and place in hot water. This will loosen them up. Set aside.
  
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick wok on medium high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chicken and bell pepper and cook until chicken is fully done, about 7 minutes. Remove from pot.
  
• Heat second tablespoon of oil in the same wok. Add broccoli slaw and cook until tender and a bit crispy, about 5 minutes. 
  
• Add in zucchini and grated ginger and cook another 2 minutes.
  
• Add chicken and peppers back to pan, along with the cooked rice noodles and soy  sauce, and heat for another 2 minutes, or until mixture is fully combined.
  
• Serve and enjoy!
  

I hope you try and like this recipe as much as we did! 

 

Leftovers: 

 

Take in a glass container and throw in a little extra soy sauce to moisten during reheating.  microwave for 2 minutes or until heated through.  

OR

You can always reheat for dinner the next night in a frying pan.  Again add a little soy sauce to moisten or a touch of water and heat over the element until hot. 

 

I mean who doesnt' need a quick and healthy week night dinner plus left overs for lunch or dinner the next day! 

Shredded Chicken Pesto Sandwich

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My Mom's Birthday is today and she decided that she wanted to go to an outdoor Halloween Event here called Enchanted Halloween.  Last year we did the same and ended up having hot dogs and hamburgers as well as cupcakes that I brought to celebrate her Birthday (it was a little more last minute).  But this year I wanted the dinner to be a bit more special and I wanted to try to avoid the burgers and hot dogs this time around so I decided we would have a nice Picnic dinner.  

On the meal plan was Pesto Chicken Croissant-wiches and Pumpkin Cake Cheesecake.  

Here is the recipe for the Pesto Chicken Croissant-wiches I made this afternoon for the picnic. 

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• 2 chicken Breasts, one roasted chicken or 2 cups shredded chicken
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tablespoons Pesto (about half a small jar)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Croissants or baguette bread
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• Optional toppings:
• Tomatoes
• Spinach or mixed greens
• Sliced cheese (I used aged applewood smoked cheddar)
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DIRECTIONS:

In a mixer tear off chunks of cooked chicken breast and place into mixing bowl.  Then turn on medium-high until the chicken breast looks like shredded chicken (pictured below).  Alternatively you can do this by hand but this is by far the best way to get your chicken shredded nicely and have a good consistency.  

The Pesto you use is up to you.  You can make your own which I have done in the past or you can purchase a jar of it from the local grocer.  This particular brand I really like.  In fact we tried the Mezzetta Tomato sauce for Spaghetti just the other night and it passed the test!  Typically Spaghetti sauce and as with many processed items have loads of sugar, salt and other unnecessary ingredients listed on the label.  And I have tried dozens of organic and/or ingredient approved sauces over the last few years and most just don't pass the kid/hubby test.  So I move on and try another or stick to my own homemade.  But I picked the Mezzetta one up a few weeks ago and finally got a chance to try it out this week!  

We ALL loved it!  

Shocking really because we all like very different styles of pasta sauce around here!  So I'll for sure be getting that one again!

As for the Pesto, I've actually had it in the fridge for a few weeks and when I pulled it out to use it this afternoon to make these Sandwiches I was happy to see that it was the same brand!  Very cool!

I was simply going to just put pesto in with the shredded chicken BUT after a taste test I felt that it needed a bit more creaminess to it so I added a scoop of mayonnaise to the mixture and gave it another whirl to stir it in. 

Then I packed all the Croissant-wiches up and tucked them into our Picnic bag for our night out!

The Pumpkin Cake Cheese Cake recipe can be found here!