Weekly Meal Planner Week 6

This weeks menu is courtesy of Living Locurto I love treating my daughter to a dinner once a month that she loves... like pancakes. Enjoy!

Avocado Enchiladas

Ingredients

8 avocados

1/2 red onion, diced

1 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Juice of one lime

(You can sub ready made quacamole instead of above ingredients)

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

3/4 teaspoon salt

20 corn tortillas

2 Cans Enchilada Sauce

1/3 cup canola oil

1 pound grated Monterey Jack Cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Chop avocado and toss with cilantro, onion, jalapeno, lime juice and salt. (Or use premade guacamole)

In saucepan, heat oil over medium flame for about 2-5 minutes. Once oil is hot, fry tortillas one at a time for one minute each side, or until lightly brown. Remove and blot on paper towel (if you skip frying the tortilla, the enchiladas will not hold form).

Spread 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish.

Dip fried tortillas in a bowl of remaining sauce, add a large spoonful or two of avocado filling in each tortilla. Roll up and arrange rolled tortillas side by side in casserole dish. Pour remaining sauce over tortillas sprinkle with cheese.

Cover and bake for 25 minutes take foil off and bake for another five minutes. Serve with spanish rice and black beans.

Spanish Rice (optional side dish)

Ingredients

3 tbsp oil
1½ cups uncooked long grain rice
2 cloves minced garlic
½ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp black pepper
3 cups chicken broth
8 oz. can of tomato sauce

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the rice until it is golden brown.

Add the vegetables and seasonings, and continue to saute for 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Add the broth and the tomato sauce, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the rice from the heat and let it stand 3 to 4 minutes, still covered. Fluff and serve.

Jazzed up Canned Black Beans (optional side)

Drain and rinse beans with water. Pour them into a glass bowl and simply top with any favorite taco sauce or southwest seasoning. Heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Salina-Style Spaghettini with Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 dozen (8-10 ounces) small ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 lb dried spaghetti

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

1/2 cup heaping and loosely packed fresh mint leaves

1 1/4 freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese. (Parmesan would work too)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil

Put olive oil and tomatoes in a large pan, sprinkle with cayenne. Warm over medium heat until the tomatoes begin to give off some of their juice, shaking the pan every so often.

Salt the boiling water and add the spaghetti. Cook, stirring often until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Transfer pasta to the pan, add the garlic and toss with the tomatoes.

Add 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss over medium heat until water and oil emulsify. Add more water as necessary, until you have a nice creamy consistency and all the strands of spaghetti are well coated with sauce.

Rip mint leaves into small pieces and toss with spaghetti. Add to plates and top with cheese.

Serve with Salad

Turkey Burgers with Horseradish and Cheddar Cheese

Ingredients

1 package ground turkey

2 tablespoons horseradish

1/3 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, diced

2 Scallions (green onions), finely chopped

1 palmful of grill seasonings (such as McCormick’s Montreal Steak seasoning)

extra virgin olive oil

spicy brown mustard

poppy seed Kaiser rolls

1 tub or can of whole-berry cranberry sauce (optional)

Romaine lettuce

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

In a medium bowl, mix together meat, horseradish, cheddar, scallions, and grill seasoning.

Form 4 patties and drizzle them with olive oil. Cook the burgers for 5 to 6 minutes each side.

Spread buns with mustard and cranberry sauce (optional).

Sides: Chips or Oven Baked Fries and carrots

Notes:
I do not put the cranberry sauce on my burger, but rather serve it on the side. I also serve it with a side of broccoli as well, since this is a vegetable that we all like.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

(Try blueberries or bananas for a healthier version.)

I will be making mini whole wheat pancakes from a box.

After pouring the batter into the pan, I add mini chocolate chips. I then pat each one down so the batter covers them. Flip and they are ready to eat!

Top with a powdered sugar or a spoonful of Cool Whip and add sprinkles…. your kids will be so happy!

Sides: Bacon & Apples

Grilled Basil & Lemon Salmon with Tomatoes & Asparagus

Ingredients

Butter substitute like I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter or 1/2 stick softened butter

1 bunch of fresh basil, finely chopped

1-2 lemons, sliced

3-4 Roma Tomatoes, diced

Fresh Asparagus

Salmon Fillets – if you have a large slab of Salmon, slice it into portions as they will be served

Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Foil

Directions

Mix the chopped basil into the softened butter and set aside

Lay out foil for each serving of Salmon you plan to make – foil should be about 12-15 inches in length

Place salmon in the center of the foil

Put about a tablespoon of the basil butter mixture on top of salmon and press down slightly with a spoon along the top of the salmon sprinkle with pepper

Place 2-3 lemon slices on top of butter mixture

Add 3 asparagus stems to the packet (rub butter mixture on top of asparagus for extra taste)

Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of the diced Roma Tomatoes on top of lemon layer

Salt to taste and grind fresh pepper on top

Pull top and bottom of foil up and roll down until it seals in the center. Fold over the sides several time toward the center to seal and form the foil packet.

Place on medium heat grill for 10-12 minutes (in oven cook 10-12 minutes at 375°)

Open steaming packets carefully and enjoy!