what's for dinner?

October 21-25

mandarin chicken salad

sloppy joes on wheat with fruit salad

marinated flank steak with baked sweet potatoes

caesar chicken wraps

rice and beans (with turkey sausage)

mandarin chicken salad 

this is a way yummy salad! HG is off a huntin’ and gatherin’ so i’ll be making this for a nice quiet evening of blogging and pinterest!

dressing:

1 tsp chopped, pealed gingeroot

1 garlic clove pressed

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

1 tsp sesame oil

1 envelop onion soup mix

2 tsp sugar

whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

salad:

8 oz uncooked bow tie multigrain pasta

1/2 cucumber, scored, seeded and sliced

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup coarsely chopped red onion

1 package (6 oz) fresh baby spinach leaves

1 can (11oz) mandarin orange segments, drained

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1/2 cup sliced almonds

cook the pasta according to directions.

toss everything together and pour the dressing on.

seriously. yum.

sloppy joes on wheat with fruit salad

1 lb lean ground beef (i’ll be using venison again)

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

2 tsp prepared mustard

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

whole wheat buns

in a large saucepan, cook the beef until no longer pink. drain the fat, then add in the rest! bring it to a boil and simmer for about 20-30 mins

i’ll serve it with a side of fruit salad..fruit salad’s easy.. some pineapple, some mandarin oranges, a banana and some grapes...maybe a couple sprigs of mint. done. 

marinated flank steak with sweet potato fries

this is an old rachel ray recipe that has served me well over the years! 

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tbsp grill seasoning (i like the montreal seasoning from mccormick)

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp hot saucr

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/3 cup evoo

1-1 1/2 lb flank steak

pop your fries in the oven! 

mix everything together in a shallow dish, then put the meat in and coat evenly. let stand  15 minutes in marinade.

heat up your grill pan-med/high heat. grill your steak, about 6-7 minutes per side for medium well. let it sit about 4-5 minutes before you slice it on the diagonal. 

caesar chicken wraps

multigrain tortillas

romaine

parmesan

chicken breast

light caesar dressing

season your chicken, either salt & pepper, or something a little fancier, like montreal chicken seasoning from mccormick...grill it or cube it up and cook it..whichever you prefer...again, i love my grill pan, so i use it whenever i can....

soften your tortillas in the the microwave, and serve it up!  a little lettuce, a little chicken, maybe a light sprinkle of fresh parmesan and a drizzle of dressing.

ez pz. 

rice and beans (with turkey sausage)

this is a big favorite in our house. it’s hearty, it’s filling. and the turkey sausage is a way better option than regular sausage.

whole grain rice

1 can red beans

evoo

1 package smoked turkey sausage

creole seasoning

get your rice started. 

thinly slice your sausage. add a drizzle of evoo to a skillet on medium heat. add the sausage and sprinkle some creole seasoning over the top; not a ton-it gets potent if you add too much! stir occasionally for about 7 minutes, til the sausage gets cooked on both sides. drain the beans (i like to rinse them too-just because i don’t like all the “gunk” on them) then add them in with the sausage and cook until heated through. 

once the rice is done, put your sausage and beans on top. add any extra creole seasoning if you’d like at this point. 

like i said, hearty. 

that's it! i've got a busy week ahead, so these all are fast, easy, healthy dinners. bring on the week!