Posted by BJ and Shalene in
Meal-Planning Monday,
Recipes
Hello lovely Moms Dish readers! I hope each of you had a wonderful weekend! It was gorgeous here. We've had an unseasonably temperate spring--it's usually quite hot by now--so we took advantage of time outside. I hope each of you had a restful Saturday and Sunday with time spent outdoors as well. Now to kick off this week, here's our third installment of Meal-Planning Mondays. I hope you enjoy!
MONDAY
Pasta Ponza
Green Salad
Image: FoodNetwork.com. This image has chickpeas, the recipe does not.
I honestly couldn't find a good image to represent Pasta Ponza, so you'll have to forgive me.
PASTA PONZA
GREEN SALAD
Toss together romaine, chopped tomatoes, some diced red onion and slivers of fresh parmesan for a salad to complement the pasta. Add a dash of salt to the greens and top with this Everyday Salad Dressing by The Nourishing Gourmet.
TUESDAY
Veggie Paninis
Left-over Pasta Ponza
Image: BetterHomes&Gardens, BHG.com.
VEGGIE PANINIS
In the spring and summer, we love to take advantage of the bounty of fresh veggies, so we try to get them into our diet as frequently as possible. This is a tasty, easy way to get the veggies in as a wholesome meal.
A variety of veggies works well. We like zucchini squash, eggplant, roasted red peppers and onions. Grill the veggies with a little olive oil and some seasoning (salt, pepper, dried basil or thyme). Then top crusty bread with the veggies and feta cheese. We also like to spread our bread with hummus before topping with the veggies. Grill in a panini press or in a skillet on the stove. If you'd like to follow a specific recipe, try this one. Serve with the left-over Pasta Ponza.
WEDNESDAY
Salmon with Melon Salsa
Cous Cous
SALMON WITH MELON SALSA
Fresh fish is a tasty treat in our house, and it's a low-fat, high-protein meal chockfull of healthy Omega 3 fatty acids. Purchase wild-caught salmon, not farm-raised. Wild-caught salmon have higher levels of Omega 3s and aren't doused with antibiotics and pesticides.
Since the weather is enticing, fire up the grill and prepare the salmon outside. Grill over medium heat approx. 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Then top with melon salsa.
MELON SALSA
1 medium cataloupe, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small jalapeno, deseeded & diced
1/2 red onion, minced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, minced
1-2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tsp. white vinegar
Toss all ingredients with honey and vinegar. Let sit for one hour before topping salmon. Recipe courtesy of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.
COUS COUS
I buy my couscous in bulk, but you can also buy it pre-packaged with pasta and rice. Some people suggest a ratio of 1 to 1 (1 part couscous to one part liquid), but I've found it cooks better with 1 and 1/2 parts liquid to 1 part couscous. So 1 and 1/2 cups water to 1 cup couscous.
Bring water or chicken broth to a boil.
Add couscous. Cover.
Remove from heat, let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving. Season as desired.
THURSDAY
Falafel Pitas
Green Salad
Image and recipe, CookingLight.com.
FALAFEL PITAS
GREEN SALAD
Toss whatever greens you may have into a salad bowl and use your remaining salad dressing from Monday. Or follow this recipe for an authentic Greek salad.
FRIDAY
Homemade Pizza
If you've been reading Meal-Planning Mondays the past couple weeks, you know Fridays are always pizza night. I also almost always use this recipe for the dough, but to make it a bit healthier, substitute half of the white flour for whole wheat.
PIZZA DOUGH
Recipe courtesy of Bride & Groom First and Forever Cookbook
1 cup warm water
1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
Pour the warm water into a bowl and sprinkle yeast and sugar over the water. Stir and let stand until yeast swells, about 5 minutes.
Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Combine 3 cups of the flour and the kosher salt in the bowl of the mixer. Add the yeast mixture and the 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix on low for 10 seconds. Replace the paddle with the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 3 minutes. Feel the dough, if it is sticky, add the remaining flour and knead.
Put the dough into an oiled bowl and turn it to cover with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours.
After rising, roll out the dough. Bake for 8 minutes at 500.
Remove the crust and top with your favorite toppings, then bake for another 6-8 minutes.
SATURDAY
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Avocado, Strawberry Salad
Fresh Bread
BAKED SWEET POTATO
I love the sweet, earthy taste of a baked sweet potato. We top it simply with butter, but you can add a sprinkle of brown sugar to sweeten it even further.
Wash the potatoes and poke holes to vent with a fork.
Wrap in aluminum foil and bake at 400 for approx. 1 hour. Potatoes are done when they are soft.
AVOCADO, STRAWBERRY SALAD
8 ounces spring greens
1 or 2 avocados, chopped
1/2 pint strawberries, chopped
1/8 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, diced.
Gently mix all ingredients together and top with ORANGE BALSAMIC DRESSING (courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens):
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1/4 cup orange juice
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme, oregano or basil or 1/2 tsp dried thyme, oregano or basil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a jar with a screw-top lid and shake to combine. Alternately, process all ingredients in a food processor to combine. Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days (if using fresh herbs), 1 week (if using dried herbs).
SUNDAY
Left-overs or a super easy frittata.
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