Week 2

Well, apparently if I wait to get my menu all gussied up for you, it will never get posted. So please excuse the mess, I will try to come back and edit it into something more presentable. In the interest of not letting perfection get in the way of good enough, here is week 2:
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I am trying to include at least one dessert each week. This week we had dessert on Wednesday night. I should have premashed the bananas prior to adding the milk and eggs, but otherwise I think it turned out good enough!

Caveman custard

• 3 bananas
• 1 can coconut milk
• 3 eggs
• Cinnamon
• Add vanilla to taste, if desired

1. Combine all ingredients except for cinnamon in a mixer and mix well.

2 Pour into custard or souffle cups (coffee cups or other oven safe containers work fine if you don’t have custard cups).

 3 Sprinkle top with cinnamon.

4 Bake in water bath oven at 350 degrees for approx 45 minutes. Custard will balloon a bit and you may see some liquid… its ok, it will work itself out.

5. Chill

Saturday – Sweet and Sour Chicken + cauliflower rice +green beans/broccoli

1 package boneless chicken breast

1 can pineapple chunks

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 diced small green pepper

1 diced small red pepper

1.     Cube and parboil chicken until cooked through.

2.     Drain water from pan.

3.     Add pinapple, tomato paste, and peppers.

4.     Simmer 20 minutes and serve over cauliflower rice.

Verdict: bland and not very sweet and sour chicken-y at all, overly watery 5/10

Sunday – fish sticks + sweet potato fries

Pankoconut Fish Sticks

Ingredients

1 C almond flour
1 C coconut flakes
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dill
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 C olive oil
3 lbs. white fish, cut into 1″ slices

Instructions

1. ♥ Combine flour, coconut, and spices in food processor and pulse into a meal
2. ♥ Place mixture into a small bowl
3. ♥ Pour oil into a separate bowl
4. ♥ Dip each fish into oil, then meal, then place on baking sheet
5. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly browned and cooked through

I cooked it for about 30 minutes because it didn't brown at all.

Verdict: the kids loved it, was an acceptable breading substitute 7/10

Sweet potato fries

2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled

½ C coconut oil

2t salt

2t cinnamon

1.            Cut sweet potatoes into fry shapes, about ½ inch by ½ inch by 3 inches.

2.            Spread sliced potatoes out on large baking sheet and toss with coconut oil, salt, and cinnamon until coated.

3.            Spread evenly, in a single layer on baking sheet.

4.            Roast at 400 degrees until desired crispiness, 15 - 30 minutes, flipping fries part way through.

Verdict - timing is everything with this one, the first time I burned them but even burnt they seemed soggy; they taste good so long as you don't expect a crisp fry 8/10

Monday – Rat on a Stick + broccoli + salad

Rat on a Stick

3 lb ground meat

3 T Thai red curry paste

2 Eggs

3 tsp salt

2 t paprika

10 skewers

1.            Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix.

2.            Form fat mounds of meat around skewers, a bit less than a quarter pound per skewer.

3.            Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

 This is from Eat like a Dinosaur. The kids love it. Hubby hates it because he hates getting his hands covered in ground meat. I suggested letting our oldest do it as he really wants to help cook. Problem solved! 8/10

Tuesday – Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup CROCKPOT
Fruit + Carrots + Tomatoes + Chees

tomatobasil parmesan soup – in the crockpot.

INGREDIENTS
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup arrowroot flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups half and half, warmed (I would go with only a cup and a half though)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.

3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don’t be afraid to always season to taste at the end).

4. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

Wednesday – Tacos, as in Week 1. Taco night is still sacrosanct. Hubby and I eat it as a salad, kids get flour tortillas.

Thursday – Hissin’ Chicken + Salad

1.            Pat dry 12 chicken legs (or 8 chicken thighs).

2.            Place chicken on a wire rack set into a baking sheet.

3.            Sprinkle chicken with 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil, 1tsp salt, and 1 tsp paprika. Rub chicken to coat.

4.            Roast at 375oF for 45 minutes.

 This is also from Eat Like a Dinosaur and another of the kids favourites. 9/10

Friday – pizza

Everyone else eats pizza, I eat leftovers.