Oops, so I severely slacked in providing a weekly menu! My apologies! But here are a few more recipes to get you through and then I do promise to provide a couple really good Superbowl recipes!
Penne with roasted vegetables: This is a favorite of Brian’s and mine and we just omitted the cheese and butter. I even made my own sauce and put some spinach in it. I would use less peas, maybe a half cup, and make sure you bake it covered or it will dry out.
Mexican anything: We tried veggie crumbles last week but were not big fans, so instead, we just mix up some corn & black beans (I didn’t even bother to season them, but you could), and use that in place of taco meat, and you have MANY possibilities. You could make Burritos with rice, fat free refried beans, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa and guacamole with some fresh cilantro. YUM. Or hard tacos. YUM. Or even just throw it all over some corn chips and have nachos. Again, YUM!
Quesadillas: I know these are technically mexican but they deserve a listing of their own. Use the whole wheat wraps, put some refried beans on both sides since you’re not using cheese and you’ll need “glue,” and I just throw in black beans, corn, bell peppers & onions. Then top them with some salsa and guacamole. They’re DEEEELICIOUS.
Stir Fry: This is a chicken stir fry recipe that I’m going to attempt to make this weekend with just lots of veggies. Try it out! Stir fry some broccoli, carrots, celery, onion, and whatever other veggies you’d like for 4-5 minutes in a tbsp or 2 of oil. Add this mixture (already mixed) 1 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and 1 cup of stock. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Serve over brown rice.
Minestrone Soup: I am a huge fan of allrecipes.com and this recipe is another catch from their site. I did not include the zucchini, used stock instead of water and seasoning, added an extra can of diced tomatoes, and used WAY more italian herbs. And per Brian’s request I added about 10 oz whole wheat penne (already cooked). It was awesome. In fact I’m eating the leftovers right now.
Granola Bites: A friend passed these on to another friend, who passed them on to me, and I am ever grateful! Place 2 tbsp almonds and 1/4 cup of oats in a food processor, process to fine crumbs and set aside. In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups oats with 1/3 cup each dried apples, apricots and raisins (all finely chopped), and 2 tbsp raw sunflower seeds and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Then combine the dry ingredients with 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, 1/4 cup honey, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Form them into 1″ balls (or smaller for kids, Avery loves them) and coat them with the almond mixture. Refrigerate about 4 hours and enjoy! They keep really well in an airtight container and are great snack, breakfast, or dessert options.
Bon Appetit!
The granola bites are a must!! It’s the only thing that has satisfied the sweet tooth.