Meal Plan - Week 1
Change is the only constant in life. - Heraclitus
In that vein, we're changing things up around here! Instead of creating PDF documents for our meal plans, they'll be in blog post format to allow for greater accessibility.
Let us know what you think! We do listen and love the feedback, which is why we're making this change!
WEEK 1 - Meal 1
Photo credit: budgetbytes.com
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Serving Size: 10 tacos
Ingredients:
TACO SEASONING
1 Tbsp chili powder (Mild chili powder is not spicy, just flavourful)
1 tsp smoked paprika (This is much different than regular paprika and worth it!)
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp cayenne (use less for less heat)
½ tsp salt
Freshly cracked pepper
TACOS
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
½ lb. lean ground beef
15 oz. can black beans (approx. 1.5 cups) (or try kidney beans - they're delicious in this meal!)
1 box (10-12) hard taco shells
1 cup (4oz.) shredded cheddar (or to your taste)
1 tomato
1 jalapeño (don’t like heat? Don’t add them)
Handful fresh cilantro
Top with sour cream, 2.5% or 5% plain yogurt, green onions, avocado, salsa...whatever you like - it’s your dinner!
NOTES & TIPS:
Adding beans to the ground beef makes this a budget friendly meal and tastes delicious.
Taco Seasoning: You can use a packet of seasoning from the store or you can make your own for waaaaay cheaper and with ingredients you can pronounce!
Beans: mash up the cooked beans before adding to the beef mixture and the picky eaters in your life won't know the difference.
Use canned or dried beans. Dried are much cheaper, but take a bit more forethought. Easily done though:
Fill a pot with enough water to cover dried beans approx. 2 inches.
Simmer approximately 45 minutes or until tender, but not mushy.
Substitute kidney beans for the black beans for a delicious change!
Tip: Prepare 2 cups of dried beans at a time. Once cooked, portion them into freezer bags or containers for later use.
WEEK 1 - Meal 2
Photo credit: twopeasandtheirpod.com
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time: 60 mins
Serving Size: 8
Ingredients:
1 small head cauliflower
2 Tbsp butter (olive or coconut oil)
1 cup chopped yellow onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (28 oz) cans whole plum tomatoes in thick puree
1/2 cup red lentils
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme (or 1/8th tsp dried)
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Dash of crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 lb spaghetti or other pasta (can use gluten-free pasta, zoodles, or spaghetti squash)
Chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
NOTES & TIPS:
Adding the cauliflower to this sauce instead of meat adds more vegetables to your meal AND it tastes great.
Canned Tomatoes: Diced or crushed tomatoes can be substituted for the whole plum.
Red Lentils: It’s important to use red lentils in this recipe since they cook faster and integrate more seamlessly into the sauce.
Add a salad and some garlic bread and you’ll feel like you’re eating at a gourmet restaurant!
WEEK 1 - Meal 3
Photo credit: eatliverun.com
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Serving Size: 4
Ingredients:
1.5 lb. of salmon
2-3 Tbsp pesto, store bought or homemade
4 Tbsp sundried tomatoes
1/2 of a red onion, minced
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
about 15 pitted kalamata olives, chopped
NOTES & TIPS:
This salmon dinner is seriously delicious and SERIOUSLY easy to prepare.
Pesto: The brand and type of pesto can totally change the flavour of this meal. I like to use Kirkland brand from Costco, but experiment.
Sundried Tomatoes: These are delicious. Do not omit. Be sure and use the ones packed in oil for easy chopping (and eating!).
Capers: Don’t like feta? Use capers instead. Capers are those pea-sized, salty gems commonly found atop a cream cheese covered bagel with smoked salmon...drool....
Close your eyes while eating this delicious dinner and you’ll feel like you really are on the Mediterranean!
WEEK 1 - Meal 4
Homemade Pizza
*an AWESOME SAUCE original.
Photo credit: simplyrecipes.com
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time: 27 mins
Serving Size: 6-8
Ingredients:
200 grams Genoa salami, thin sliced
1 small jar (213 ml) of pizza sauce
1/4 red onion, minced
10 olives (approx.), pitted & sliced
200 grams mushrooms
1 can (398 ml) pineapple tidbits
1 green or red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
300 grams (approx.) shredded Cheddar cheese or a mixture of cheddar & mozzarella - to your taste
Pizza Dough (store bought or homemade)
1 Tbsp (or to taste) Rosemary (dried or fresh)
1 Tbsp (or to taste) Italian spice blend
1 Tbsp ( or to taste) Basil (dried or fresh)
300 grams Fresh mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 385 F.
Roll out dough evenly into 2 pizza crusts - or remove pizza crusts from package.
Slather with pizza sauce.
Sprinkle with herbs and spices to your taste.
Thinly slice or chop all ingredients to your taste and assemble atop the rolled out dough/uncooked pizza crusts.
Add grated cheese of your choosing.
Bake for 15 minutes then switch positions in oven for another 12-15 minutes.
NOTES & TIPS:
Pizza is a fun dinner idea - especially with kids in the house. It tastes great hot and makes easy lunch leftovers the next day.
Sauce: If you don’t want to use store bought you can use a can of tomato paste and add assorted spices for flavour.
Pasta sauce is not recommended!
Salami: Use whatever type you like. I really like Genoa at the moment, but you can use Summer Bag Sausage or Hungarian Salami...experiment and have fun!
Don't want or like meat? Don't add it.
Cheese: Mozzarella is a great melting cheese typically found on takeout pizza, but I love cheddar on top. It adds a lot in the flavour department.
Pizza dough: You can buy this or make your own. Dust off that bread maker and whip up a quick batch of dough.
WEEK 1 - Meal 5
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins
Serving Size: 4
Ingredients:
approx. 500 g extra-lean ground turkey (this is just over 1lb)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red pepper finely diced (or green or yellow...whatever you want)
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup kalamata olives pitted and finely diced
2 tsp fresh parsley finely diced (if I don’t have fresh, which is typically always, I use 1 tsp dried)
2 tsp basil finely diced (if I don’t have fresh, usually always, I use 1 tsp dried)
1 egg white (I use a whole egg here for convenience. If you’re worried about cholesterol, only use the white.)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup feta cheese
black pepper to taste
NOTES & TIPS:
This is a family favourite dinner in my house.
Ground Turkey: This lean meat selection is a great substitute for beef and tastes delicious with this combination of flavours.
I don’t recommend substituting beef for the turkey, but you can try it if you want.
Tip: A meat thermometer is your friend. An internal temperature of 165 F (74 C) is necessary to kill all the bacteria and make meat safe to eat.
Olives: Use green or black or whatever type you enjoy. You can also substitute in sundried tomatoes or capers.