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Monday

• Poppy Seed Chicken
• Creamed Peas
• Apple Grape and Walnut Salad

Tuesday

• Angel Hair Pasta with Pesto
• Italian Bread
• Frozen Grapes

Wednesday

• Chicken Teriyaki Burgers with Pineapple Slices
• Edamame
• Mango/Strawberry/Pineapple Salsa

Thursday

• Crockpot Lasagna
• Lemon Parmesan Broccoli
• Salad

Friday

• Ratatouille
• Homemade Biscuits
• Salad

 

Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday:

1. Wash enough grapes for tonight's meal and for tomorrow's Frozen Grapes. Put Tuesday's portion in the freezer. If you haven't tried frozen grapes before, be warned that they are rather tart. You can roll the wet grapes in a little sugar before you freeze them if you want. My kids love this fun, cold, refreshing treat.
   
   
   

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

• 2 cups cooked chicken (from freezer)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 sleeve round buttery crackers
• 1 Tbsp. poppy seed

Topping

• 1 sleeve round buttery crackers
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• poppy seed for garnish

Combine chicken, soups, sour cream, 1 sleeve crackers, and 1 Tbsp. poppy seed in a large bowl. Mix well and transfer to a greased casserole dish. Mix together remaining crackers and melted butter and sprinkle on top. Garnish with poppy seed. Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes.

 

Creamed Peas

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper
• 2 cups frozen peas (use a 10 oz box, or measure 2-cups from a bag of loose frozen peas)

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add flour and stir with a whisk for 1 minute. Do not brown the flour and butter mixture. Continue stirring constantly and add the milk gradually. Add salt, pepper, and sugar. Heat to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add peas and heat to a simmer. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until peas are tender-crisp. Do not overcook.

Apple, Grape, and Walnut Salad

• 3 sliced and cored Granny Smith apples
• 1 bunch red grapes, pulled from the stems
• chopped walnuts
• 8 oz. vanilla yogurt
• 3 oz. cream cheese

Combine fruit and nuts and serve with vanilla yogurt mixed with cream cheese (use a mixer for a smooth blend).

 

 

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

1. Tonight we are making an easy and delicious pesto sauce. If you can get fresh basil at your local farmer's market or from a friend who grows it, do! If not, look for it in little plastic packages in the produce section of the grocery store.
   
   
2. For taste, be sure to use either shredded Parmesan cheese (available in a bag from Sargento and others) or get a block and grate it yourself. Do not use the pre-grated stuff in the green canister!
   
   
3. Don't forget about the frozen grapes in the freezer that we prepared yesterday. Take them out of the freezer about 5-10 minutes before you serve them to allow them to thaw just a bit.
   
   
4. Marinade your chicken in the teriyaki sauce for tomorrow.
   
   
   
   
   

 Homemade Pesto with Angel Hair Pasta

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup light olive oil
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. pine nuts
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 lb. angel hair pasta, prepared according to instructions

In a food processor (preferred) or blender, blend the basil and olive oil on medium speed. Add remaining ingredients except pasta and process, scraping the sides. Save 1/2 cup of the pesto to dip your Italian bread in if you would like. Mix the rest of the pesto with the hot angel hair pasta. Never heat pesto!

 

Frozen Grapes

 

Italian Bread

 

 

 

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

1. Edamame are soy beans salted and boiled in the pod. They are a popular Japanese snack that is sold frozen. If your local grocer, health food store, or oriental food store sells them, definitely give them a try. They are very popular with children since they are a finger food and kids like popping the beans from the pod into their mouths. If you can't find them, serve Snow Peas with dip.

 

 

 Chicken Teriyaki Burgers with Pineapple Slices

• 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
• 4-6 hamburger buns
• 4 -6 pineapple slices
• Lettuce
• Mayo and Mustard

Marinate chicken breasts in teriyaki sauce overnight. (15-30 minutes if you're in a hurry.) On stovetop or grill, cook chicken about 12 to 14 minutes. Place each cooked chicken breast on a bun and top with a pineapple slice. Complete with lettuce and condiments your choice.

 

 

Edamame

Boil 1 bag of frozen edamame in salted water until they float. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water, and sprinkle with coarse salt. Serve at room temperature by holding the pod to your mouth and squeezing until the beans pop into your mouth. Discard the pod.

 

 

 Mango/Strawberry/Pineapple Salsa

• 1 pint (12 oz) strawberries, stemmed and chopped
• 1 large Mango, peeled seeded and chopped
• 1 cup pineapple, (crushed and drained or pineapple chunks), optional
• ¼ cup green onions, sliced (can substitute with finely diced red onion)
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (I used lemon)
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• Salt to taste

In bowl, toss all ingredients and blend thoroughly. Salsa will last for two days (it gets soupy after that).

 

 

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

1. The crockpot lasagna cooks in about 4-5 hours. If you work during the day, that may be inconvenient since you cannot put it on before leaving for work. In that case, you may wish to prepare the lasagna in a 9x13 pan and refrigerate it until you get home or until someone can start baking it in the oven (about 45-55 min. at 350°F) in the afternoon.
   
   
2. Make a large enough salad to save half for Friday night.

 

 

 Crockpot Lasagna

• 1 28-oz. jar of spaghetti sauce
• 1 package frozen cheese ravioli (about 24-oz.)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Spread 1 cup sauce on the bottom and layer with half of the ravioli. Sprinkle with half of the cheese and another cup of sauce. Layer the remaining ravioli and top with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake on low for 3-5 hours, depending on how hot your crockpot cooks.

 

 

 

Lemon Parmesan Broccoli

• Family pack (32 oz.) frozen broccoli
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Steam or boil broccoli according to instructions. Drain. Place the broccoli in a serving bowl and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (or more to taste). Toss to distribute evenly and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

 

Salad

 

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

1. I realize that the recipe for Ratatouille looks intimidating, but don't be put off by appearances. It is easy once your vegetables are cleaned and it is very good.
   
   
2. Visit your local farmer's market to pick up fresh, locally grown veggies for this meal. I was skeptical about this dish at first, but after preparing it I was sold. It is delicious when served with crumbled feta cheese on top.
   
   
3. The ratatouille uses two onions but I have put a bag on the list. Saute the rest and stock your freezer.
   
   
4. Serve the leftover salad from yesterday, adding crunchies just before serving.
   
   
5. Rent the movie, "Ratatouille" and have a fun family movie night!
   
   
   
   

 Ratatouille

• 1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes* (about 3 medium) or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares
• 1 large red bell pepper or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares
• 3 medium zucchini, sliced
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 3 Tbs dried basil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed through a press
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 (6 ounces) can tomato paste
• 1 (5 ounces) can pitted ripe olives, drained and chopped coarsely
• 3 Tbs chopped fresh basil (I have omitted)
• Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients except tomato paste, olives, and basil in slow cooker. Mix well and cook on high for 3 hours. Add tomato paste, olives, and basil, mixing well. May be served hot, cold, or room temperature. If you work outside the home, you could have the vegetables cut up and refrigerated with instructions for an older child to put them in the slow cooker and turn it on in the afternoon.

 

 Homemade Biscuits

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Combine flour and butter, cutting with a fork. Stir in buttermilk. Add more flour if too wet, more buttermilk if too dry. When dough is rolling consistency, knead a few times and turn out onto a floured surface. Roll out and cut with a biscuit cutter. Bake on cookie sheet at 475° until brown. Serve with butter.

 

 

 

Leftover Salad

 

* Indicates that of the options listed, this item is the one on the grocery list.

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