Menu Plan this week (11/30) Reinspired

I have not posted a menu plan in a long time. I have been menu planning, but mostly in my head and by the end of the week I forget Thursday and Friday's menu and we end up getting take out or eating spaghetti.

So in the interest of eating healthy and being frugal, I am back on the menu planning wagon:

Sunday: We had Tilapia with a lime/olive oil marinade, yam fries (loosely based on this recipe, I cut mine lots thinner and used paprika) & green beans
Monday: a new slow cooker vegetarian chili recipe, it was great! (recipe to follow later this week) & corn bread muffins
Tuesday: easy enchiladas
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Salmon burgers (either canned salmon patties, I need a good recipe please! or frozen Salmon burgers that we have) and more sweet potato fries & green beans
Friday: Homemade pizza

So sweet potatoes were on sale last week for 19 cents/pound, which is a great deal. I bought a few pounds. The produce guy showed me the difference between yams (red and skinny) and sweet potatoes. Apparently yams are naturally sweeter. I bought mostly yams and they were delicious in the "french fry" recipe last night. I was planning on freezing the leftovers but there were none!

For lots of ideas and inspiration, check out more menu plans here at Organizing Junkie

Sweet Potato Burritos

I made these last night, they were very good. A little bland (I think I would mix up the middle of the burrito more and maybe add salsa?)

I used tortillas from Costco where you heat them up.

Menu Plan for this week (9/20)

Sunday: Oven Fried Fish & Potatoes with salad, recipe found here
Monday: Lentil & Rice Burritos, new recipe from stolen moments cooking found here
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Slow cooker lasagna, recipe found here
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Homemade pizza (probably)

For more menu plans go to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie.

Mexican Pizza

I made this tonight and it was a HUGE hit. My 2 year old loved helping me too.

I used frozen pizza dough (half whole wheat) for a 12 in crust

I added: 3/4 can vegetarian refried beans, topped with a small can of mild rotel, sliced onions, a sprinkle of cumin, a sprinkle of oregano and topped with shredded cheese, the Mexican blend. I baked at 450 for about 10 minutes. I baked it too long and the crust was too crunchy.

It was really tasty and super filling, we had it with edamame and peas.

Meals This Week

Monday: Baked Potatoes with leftover Taco Soup & Cheese as toppings
Tuesday: Salmon Burgers from the grill (marinade made with 1 tbsp honey,1 tsp fresh grated ginger, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/4 tsp sesame oil & 1 tbsp sesame seeds), corn on the cob & asparagus (sauted with butter, soy sauce, bread crumbs & balsamic vinegar), I am basing it on this recipe.
Wednesday: Tofu & Udon Noodles, recipe here. This is a new recipe, so I'll see how this turns out. I could not find Udon noodles at my grocery store, so I will look at Whole Foods or the Asian grocery store.
Thursday: Zucchini & Penne Pasta with Vodka Sauce.
Friday: Mexican Pizza, homemade pizza dough, with re-fried beans, tomato & chilis & topped with cheddar cheese, this is an experiment, we'll see how it turns out!

See more great menus at Organizing Junkie.

Vegetarian Taco Soup for the slow cooker

I searched and searched for a vegetarian taco soup recipe and found a few, but none were for the slow cooker. I also could not find any that were very quick and easy to prepare.

I finally took this recipe and made it without the ground beef. About an hour before the recipe was done I added 1/3 cup of re-hydrated TVP (textured vegetable protein). I think you could also make this recipe with frozen vegetarian crumbles as well.

It was really good! I served it over some fritos with some low-fat shredded cheese & avocado on top.

Chickpea Patties Review

The recipe (found here) was bland and way more work and clean up then it was worth. A falafel mix would be a lot tastier. I will not be repeating this recipe!