Week Three: Brussel Sprouts
Hello, hello! Happy Valentine’s Day weekend; do you have any fun or romantic plans scheduled? I’m very excited as we are going to be spending Valentine’s Day TOGETHER in Washington D.C., and going out to sushi. :) While we used to have sushi delivered a lot in Jersey City, I haven’t had since before Thanksgiving, which is entirely too long. Additionally, my (sweet and loving) boyfriend has also promised me a trip to Target, so it has all the makings of a truly perfect day. Thanks again for cooking with me, and I hope to see you back here tomorrow for the first meal’s recipes! :)
Meal One: Meatloaf with Mashed Red Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts
BBQ Sauce: Sweet Minnesota Heat
Meatloaf:
Sauce for the Meatloaf:
Mashed Red Potatoes:
Roasted Brussel Sprouts:
Meal Two: Brussel Sprout Pizza
Brussel Sprout Pizza:
Meal Three: Brussel Sprout, Butternut Squash, and Grape Salad with Kale and a Red Wine Vinaigrette
Brussel Sprout, Butternut Squash, and Grape Salad with Kale:
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
Meal One: Meatloaf with Mashed Red Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts
BBQ Sauce: Sweet Minnesota Heat
- 1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 liberal pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon A-1
- 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 3/4 cup ketchup
Meatloaf:
- 2 pounds ground beef or turkey
- 1/3 cup prepared wild rice blend
- 1/3 cup quick cook oatmeal (dry)
- 1/4 cup Sweet Minnesota Heat BBQ sauce, or another substitute
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 eggs
- 1/3-1/2 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper
Sauce for the Meatloaf:
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons Sweet Minnesota Heat BBQ sauce, or another substitute
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Salt and pepper
Mashed Red Potatoes:
- 4-6 red potatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons butter
- 1/3-1/2 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
Roasted Brussel Sprouts:
- 1 1/2-2 cups brussel sprouts, halved
- 1/3 cup bacon, cut into small slices
- 2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper
Meal Two: Brussel Sprout Pizza
Brussel Sprout Pizza:
- Pre-made Pizza crust of your choice, I usually use Vicolo’s corn meal pizza crusts, which can be found at Whole Foods in the frozen food aisle
- 1-1 1/2 cups of thinly shaved brussel sprouts
- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2/3 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan
- 1-1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped herbs
- Salt and pepper
- Honey
- Balsamic reduction
Meal Three: Brussel Sprout, Butternut Squash, and Grape Salad with Kale and a Red Wine Vinaigrette
Brussel Sprout, Butternut Squash, and Grape Salad with Kale:
- 1 cup brussel sprouts, halved
- 1 cup butternut squash, medium dice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1/4 cup bacon, thinly sliced, cooked
- 2-3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
- 1/2 cup red grapes, halved
- 2 cups kale, prepared for use
- Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Goat cheese crumbles
- Salt and pepper
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 olives, pitted
- 3 dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
Week Two: Black Beans and Pulled Pork
Hello! How is everyone doing today; are you ready for the weekend? Tomorrow is my first lab meeting for Animal Behavior, so hopefully that’s fun, and not … gross; personally, I’m not a fan of creepy, crawly, slimy things, so we’ll have to wait and see. :/
Last summer, I made a variation of this week’s menu over 4th of July weekend, as I had purchased a pork butt on super clearance. Since I happened upon a similar bargain this week – two pork tenderloins for under five dollars – I knew what menu I had to share with all of you! Additionally, since meal two highly corresponds with meal number one, I’ll be posting that recipe on Sunday. As always, please let me know if you have any questions, and thanks for cooking along with me. :)
P.S. This week’s menu (especially the black beans and enchiladas) are great prepared – either by a group of friends, or individually – and frozen for later usage. Personally, I do this quite frequently, as both freeze extremely well. Additionally, the black beans are a great starter for chili.
Meal One: Homemade Black Beans, Pulled Pork, Cilantro-Coconut Rice, and Guacamole
Spice Blend: Black Bean La Bamba
Black Beans:
Rehydrating:
Prepared Black Beans:
Pork Roast:
Sauce for the Pork Roast:
Cilantro-Coconut Rice:
Guacamole: Optional
Meal Two: Enchiladas
Enchilada Sauce:
Enchiladas:
Meal Three: Black Beans with a Fried Egg and Toast with a Side Salad
Black Beans, Egg, and Toast:
Salad Dressing:
Salad:
Last summer, I made a variation of this week’s menu over 4th of July weekend, as I had purchased a pork butt on super clearance. Since I happened upon a similar bargain this week – two pork tenderloins for under five dollars – I knew what menu I had to share with all of you! Additionally, since meal two highly corresponds with meal number one, I’ll be posting that recipe on Sunday. As always, please let me know if you have any questions, and thanks for cooking along with me. :)
P.S. This week’s menu (especially the black beans and enchiladas) are great prepared – either by a group of friends, or individually – and frozen for later usage. Personally, I do this quite frequently, as both freeze extremely well. Additionally, the black beans are a great starter for chili.
Meal One: Homemade Black Beans, Pulled Pork, Cilantro-Coconut Rice, and Guacamole
Spice Blend: Black Bean La Bamba
- 1 tablespoon of each of the following: curry powder, apple wood smoked salt, and regular salt
- 2 tablespoons of each of the following: onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, ground mustard, black pepper, and brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons of each of the following: paprika and chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes
Black Beans:
Rehydrating:
- 1 lb. dried black beans
- Water
- Salt
- Bay leaf, optional
Prepared Black Beans:
- 1-2 peppers, either green or colored
- 1-2 onions, I used Vidalia
- 2-3 carrots
- 2 celery stalks, optional
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1-2 jalapeños
- 2-3 tablespoons of the Black Bean La Bamba spice blend, or taco seasoning packet
- Bay leaves, optional
- Tomato paste
- Vegetable stock or water
- 1 regular-sized can of stewed tomatoes
- 1/3 cup beer, optional
- 2-3 tablespoons acid of choice: lime or lemon juice, red wine vinegar, of balsamic
- Cilantro, optional but preferred
Pork Roast:
- ¼ cup of Black Bean La Bamba spice blend, or taco seasoning packet
- 3 lb. pork butt or two pork tenderloins
- 3 cloves of garlic
- Onion and pepper end pieces, if desired via black bean preparation
Sauce for the Pork Roast:
- ¼ cup orange juice
- Lemon and/or lime juice
- Ketchup
- Red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Mustard
- Brown sugar
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Cilantro
- Salt and Pepper
Cilantro-Coconut Rice:
- White rice
- Water
- 1 regular-sized can of coconut milk
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
- Cayenne pepper
- Salt
Guacamole: Optional
- 2 avocados
- Red onion, optional but preferred
- Garlic, optional but preferred
- Lime juice
- Cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
Meal Two: Enchiladas
Enchilada Sauce:
- Coconut oil, or another fat
- 3-4 tablespoons of the Black Bean La Bamba spice blend, or taco seasoning packet
- Tomato paste
- Garlic
- 1/3 cup beer, optional
- 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
- Honey
- 2-3 tablespoons acid of choice: lemon, red wine vinegar, or rice wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Enchiladas:
- Pulled pork, leftover or purchased
- Black beans, leftover or purchased
- Cilantro-coconut rice, or prepared rice of choice
- Tortillas, I used the burrito size
- Enchilada sauce, either homemade or purchased
- 1 block of sharp-white cheddar cheese, I used Cabot, shredded
- Cilantro
- Salt and pepper
Meal Three: Black Beans with a Fried Egg and Toast with a Side Salad
Black Beans, Egg, and Toast:
- Black beans, either leftover or purchased
- Butter
- Vegetable oil
- Egg/s
- Sliced bread, optional
- Salt and pepper
Salad Dressing:
- Mustard
- Garlic
- Sugar
- Cayenne pepper
- Red wine or balsamic vinegar
- Lemon juice, optional
- Olive oil
- Chopped herbs, I typically use either cilantro, parsley, or basil; however, it is optional
- Red onion, optional
- Salt and pepper
Salad:
- Greens of choice, I typically either use spinach
- Grated carrots, optional
Week One: Roasted Chicken
Happy (almost) Friday! How was your week; do you have any big plans this weekend? I know I do not – and while I’ll most likely be cursing my existence come Sunday night at eleven – let’s not dwindle on that now, because we are going to tackle next week’s menu planning TOGETHER! (yayyyyy!)
In hopes of holding us both more accountable to eat healthfully – and on a budget – I’m going to post weekly menus every Friday, with their corresponding recipes every Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday. Each of these recipes will be broken down into separate ingredient lists, so that you can pick and choose the recipes that you would like to make; therefore, enabling you to shop smarter and more efficiently. Additionally, each week I will post recipes that are congruent with today’s seasonal trends, so that produce will be fresh, inexpensive, and easy to find. However, feel free to make substitutions based upon personal taste and regionality – and as always – I’m happy to answer any questions that should arise. :)
Also, please note that some of the recipes call for white wine – please do not purchase a bottle if you do not intend on either drinking or freezing the majority of it; the recipes will only need roughly a ½ cup total. However, if you would like to freeze the remaining amount, I do so using ice cube trays; then after the cubes are frozen, I bag them, so that they are ready and waiting for future uses. :) Additionally, some grocers sell mini bottles of wine, which would also be ideal; however, as stated in the lists, the wine is merely an optional addition.
Meal One: Roasted Chicken with Vegetables and an easy to make Compound Butter
Chicken:
Meal Two: Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Soup:
Meal Three: Chicken Fajitas
In hopes of holding us both more accountable to eat healthfully – and on a budget – I’m going to post weekly menus every Friday, with their corresponding recipes every Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday. Each of these recipes will be broken down into separate ingredient lists, so that you can pick and choose the recipes that you would like to make; therefore, enabling you to shop smarter and more efficiently. Additionally, each week I will post recipes that are congruent with today’s seasonal trends, so that produce will be fresh, inexpensive, and easy to find. However, feel free to make substitutions based upon personal taste and regionality – and as always – I’m happy to answer any questions that should arise. :)
Also, please note that some of the recipes call for white wine – please do not purchase a bottle if you do not intend on either drinking or freezing the majority of it; the recipes will only need roughly a ½ cup total. However, if you would like to freeze the remaining amount, I do so using ice cube trays; then after the cubes are frozen, I bag them, so that they are ready and waiting for future uses. :) Additionally, some grocers sell mini bottles of wine, which would also be ideal; however, as stated in the lists, the wine is merely an optional addition.
Meal One: Roasted Chicken with Vegetables and an easy to make Compound Butter
Chicken:
- 1 whole chicken, 5-7 pounds is the weight I typically use
- Fresh herbs, I typically like to use oregano with either thyme or sage
- Citrus, I typically like to use lemon with thyme, and clementine or orange with sage, however either will do
- 3 cloves of garlic, or 2 tablespoons crushed
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper
- Compound Butter, optional
- 3-4 carrots
- 3-4 parsnips
- Olive Oil, salt, and pepper
- Compound Butter, optional
- Butter, one stick minus 3 tablespoons (for sauce, if desired)
- Chopped herbs or herb tubs of choice, I typical use a combination of parsley, cilantro, and basil, plus extra for sauce, if desired
- Crushed garlic
- Orange marmalade, optional, and may be substituted with honey
- Salt and Pepper
- Reserved butter, 3 tablespoons
- Flour
- Chicken drippings
- Half and Half, however milk will do
- Chopped herbs or herb tubes, I typically use parsley or thyme, however they are optional
- Lemon juice, white wine, or red wine vinegar, optional
- Salt and pepper
- Chicken carcass
- Giblet and neck packet, optional
- Water
- 2 bay leaves, optional
- Parsley stems, optional
Meal Two: Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Soup:
- Chicken, leftover or 1 ½ breasts
- Chicken Stock, leftover or 2 boxes
- 3-4 carrots
- 3-4 parsnips
- 2-3 sticks of celery, optional
- 1 Onion, I typically use Vidalia
- Crushed garlic, optional
- Fresh Herbs, optional, but I typically use thyme, oregano, and parsley
- 1 bay leaf, optional
- Lemon juice, optional
- White wine, optional
- Salt, pepper, and your choice of fat
- Cayenne pepper, optional
- Butter
- One Egg
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Milk
- Grated Parmesan Cheese, optional
- Chopped or dried herbs, optional
- Salt and pepper
Meal Three: Chicken Fajitas
- Chicken, leftover or 1½ a breast
- 1 onion, I typically use Vidalia or red
- 1 pepper, I typically use green, unless the colored peppers are on sale
- Seasonings, I typically use red pepper flakes, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper; however, if you don’t have those on hand, a taco-seasoning packet may be more economical. Additionally, these ingredients are optional, so choose accordingly.
- Choice of fat, I typically use coconut oil
- Lime juice, optional
- Cheese, I typically use Cabot white cheddar
- Tortillas
- Spinach, optional
- Avocado, optional
- Salsa, optional