Menu B – Michelle

Don’t forget to vote in the right side margin DAILY between February 19th and 26th for your favorite of the menus – A, B, or C!

Description of Menu:

March is a tough month as far as produce being in season, so my menu is more heavily dependent on canned (beans) and frozen items (spinach), as well as the required frozen fruits. If these meals are eaten in March/April, fresh steamed asparagus could be served as a side, perhaps with the lentil rice or enchilada casserole or the salmon. Kale is another vegetable that is in season during these winter months; it has a nice flavor this time of year. I selected a number of vegetarian dishes and recipes that call for canned food to try to reduce ingredient costs, but people who prefer to add meat to meatless dishes will find it easy to do; some cooked, shredded chicken can easily be added to most of the vegetarian recipes if desired—well, maybe not to the Strawberry Bread. ;)

Menu Recipes:

Breakfasts

• Spinach Pie—a crustless quiche chock full of energizing spinach, very easy to prepare. To be baked on OAMC day
• Granola—served with milk or lowfat yogurt, a nutritious way to start the day. A crock pot recipe on OAMC day.
• Strawberry Bread—A delicious breakfast bread to be made with Dole Frozen Strawberries—my mother’s recipe! To be baked and glazed on OAMC day. (Recipe will be provided if menu chosen.)

Lunches

• Kale and White Bean Soup—This is a another great way to add greens to your diet; the kale is wonderful with the browned Italian sausage (I crumble and cook the sausage before adding so that there is sausage in every bite!), and I always add plenty of grated Parmesan on top. From Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook. For the crock pot on OAMC day. (Recipe attached)
• Bouchons au Thon (Tuna corks)—These cute little tuna (or salmon) cakes are baked in a muffin pan and are made with canned fish, an affordable alternative to fresh or frozen fish. My three year old really likes these! To be baked on OAMC day.
• Creamy Enchilada Casserole—A vegetarian dish—my son’s favorite! Some stove top preparation and casserole assembly on OAMC day.
• Bean and Cheese Quesadillas—made with whole grain tortillas, these made a kid-friendly and tasty meal! A ‘no cook’ recipe. (Recipe will be provided if menu chosen.)

Dinners

• Molasses Glazed Chicken Thighs—chicken marinated in blackstrap molasses for a nutritious iron boost. Recipe calls for grilling, but I bake this in the oven during winter months for a saucier version. No cooking on OAMC day.
• Crock Pot Mango Chicken—Dole Frozen Mango is pureed for this chicken recipe; the mango sauce has a mellow flavor that goes well over brown rice; I recommend increasing the seasonings in the mango mixture and baking this in the oven rather than the crock pot if using boneless skinless chicken breasts when preparing to eat for dinner. No cooking on OAMC day.
• Asian Peanut Butter Pork—Chicken can be substituted for pork; no cooking on OAMC day.
• Marinated Salmon—frozen salmon is combined with the ingredients and the salmon marinates when the package is defrosted in the refrigerator. Can be grilled or broiled. Great with wilted spinach and soba noodles. No cooking on OAMC day.
• Lasagna—my family recipe. This will come together faster by using no-boil noodles and frozen rather than fresh spinach for the filling. Stove top sauce preparation and casserole assembly on OAMC day
• Garbanzos and Pasta in Tomato Basil Sauce—A main course vegetarian dish that makes a large quantity and freezes beautifully. From The Vegetarian Mother’s Cookbook. (Recipe will be provided if menu chosen.)
• Mom’s Chili—another family recipe that makes a hearty stew-like chili with ground meat, beans, and tomatoes. The Secret Ingredient: Chocolate! Minimal stove top preparation on OAMC day.
• Lentil Rice Casserole—made with brown rice and extra bell peppers, either fresh or chopped frozen. I add ½ cup salsa for extra flavor and layer half the cheese inside the casserole. Vegetarian. Stove top prep and casserole assembly on OAMC day.

About Michelle:

I must admit I’ve never prepared a month’s worth of meals in one day, but since I started reading I’ve starting doing play dates with other moms where we cook a meal or two while the kids are playing together. I am a stay-at-home mom of a 5 year old and a 3 year old and I just started blogging last month.

Michelle blogs at Navigating Domesticity if you would like to read more about her.

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