3rd Week of December

Where did the 3rd week in December go? I'm convinced time moves faster during the holidays.

Meal planning and execution was derailed by my week long battle with a cold/sinus infection. I'm really not sure what Charlie ate for at least 4 days last week. I'm not sure what I ate either. There are some blurry memories of ramen and pudding. I blame that on the fever that I just couldn't shake.

However, this week we've started to get back on track.

I spent $54.11 at the store for everything in the picture above. I don't have a copy of the receipt because Charlie used it for a special price on gas. My Hy-vee had a random special last Friday where you would earn an additional 0.25 saving per gallon if you spent $50 in the store  and showed your receipt at the pump. Yay for saving money on gas!

I know that I am over budget for this month. We ate out a few times because I got behind on prep. We also purchased some convenience foods here and there because I was not feeling well enough to cook. Getting sick really messed up the month.

I also know I'm over budget because I'm using the last month of December as a test run for my January project. I'll share more on that next week.

Here are the highlights from this week's meals:

We continue to have museli for breakfast. To mix things up, we had it with yogurt this week instead of milk.

Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles
I finally used the last container of bolognese that I made back in November. I love make ahead dishes
but generally try to use them within 2 weeks. I hate having stuff hang out in my freezer for months. I used a spiral vegetable slicer to make the zucchini noodles. I went back and forth on the purchase of a spiral slicer for at least 3 months. I am so glad I finally bought it. The noodles were fantastic! Charlie said he liked them better than pasta due to the texture. I can't wait to make a ton of other spiraled vegetable dishes.



 


Beef Tips with Brown Rice and Brussel Sprouts
One day I'll have to devote an entire post to brussel sprouts. They could very well be my favorite food. This beef tip recipe is super simple. I put 1lb of the Omaha Steak beef tips, 1 can of beef broth, 1/2 an onion,  salt, and some pepper in my dutch oven. With the lid on, I cooked the dish at 350 for 45 minutes and then added the sliced mushrooms. After cooking for 10 more minutes, I stirred in 2 tbsps of cornstarch mixed with 1/8 cup water. After 10 more minutes in the oven to let the gravy thicken, the dish was ready! So delicious!





 
Salmon with Sugar Peas and Sauteed Gnocchi
Salmon, and fish in general, is one of the things I've missed the most over the last 2 months. Going forward, I am going to find a way to eat fish at least once a week.

For this dish, I seasoned both sides of the filets with salt, pepper, and chipotle powder. Then I did a quick, somewhat successful quick sear on both sides. (I need more practice with fish in a cast iron pan) Next, I brushed on a mix of soy and honey. I poured the remaining soy/honey in the pan and put it in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes to finish cooking. Then I boiled and sauteed the gnocchi I made and froze last month in butter and steamed the sugar peas. I could eat this everyday for lunch and be happy for the rest of my life!




 


Jerk Chicken with Sweet Potato Noodles
The jerk chicken is the other chicken I prepped and froze last week. I used the spiral slicer on one medium sweet potato and baked the noodles with some olive oil, salt, garlic powder and half a julienned red onion for 20 minutes at 350. I added the sugar peas during the last 7 minutes. This was a
wonderful light dinner.









Southwest Chicken Sandwiches
Since I prepped this chicken and froze it last week, all I had to do was thaw it overnight and pop in on a baking tray in the oven for 15 minutes. I loved the flavor of this seasoning. I used the chicken on sandwiches with homemade garlic wheat bread, pea shoots, tomato slices, avocado, pepper jack cheese, and a little mayo. The side is a spiraled cucumber and red onion salad with a balsamic dressing. We used the other half of the chicken in black bean and veggie bowls.



I've got some super fun dishes in the works for next week since I don't have class. Lots of spiraled veggies dishes on the way. More brussel sprouts. And basil!

Until then, Happy Friday!