Menu Plan Monday

We have some cooler weather this week so I am pulling out a few soup recipes, some for the crock pot and some for the stove.

Monday chicken salad and fruit
Dinner Chili Verde with warm tortillas Recipe Below Great recipe for freezing!

Tuesday Sandwiches and soup
Dinner Greek Chicken and Rice Recipe below

Wednesday Lunch Quesadillas
Dinner Crockpot Beef and Barley Stew Recipe Below

Thursday Lunch pitas and fruit
Dinner Quick Lemon Pasta with Chicken using left over chicken from Tuesday

Friday Lunch
Dinner Pizza and salad

Saturday Lunch
Dinner Bavarian pork chops, scallop potatoes and, salad

Sunday Lunch Baked Potatoes
Dinner



Chili Verde

Ingredients
8 ounces Dry pinto beans ( 1 1/4 cups)
1 pound Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 4-ounce Can chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon Ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon Dried oregano leaves
1/8 teaspoon Ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
3 cups Chicken broth (homemade)
1 teaspoon Minced garlic (1 clove)
1 teaspoon Salt
2/3 cup Finely chopped onion
1 cup Grated low-fat Monterrey jack cheese
1 11 1/2-ounce Jar salsa
1 dozen Corn tortillas

Preparation
Rinse pinto beans, soak them in cold water overnight, then drain them, Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes; cook in a small amount of water until no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Combine chicken with chilies and seasonings; refrigerate until needed. At the same time, combine beans, chicken broth, garlic, salt, and onion in a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are soft, about 1 hour. Add more water if necessary.


Combine chicken mixture with beans; simmer 10 more minutes. Cool and freeze. Grate cheese, put in a 1-quart bag, and attach it to the freezer container with the chili.


To serve, thaw chili and cheese. Simmer chili 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top chili with salsa and grated cheese; serve on warmed corn tortillas.

Greek Chicken and Rice

4 boneless (6 ounces each) skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
2 teaspoons Greek seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Nonstick cooking spray
1 can petite diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil (14-ounce) drained
1 can artichoke quarters (13.75-ounce) drained, rinsed
1 box frozen chopped spinach (10-ounce) cooked, well-drained
1 cup converted rice
1 cup frozen onions
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 package crumbled feta with garlic and herbs (4-ounce)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Season chicken breasts with Greek seasoning and garlic salt. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and add chicken. Cook chicken for 4 to 6 minutes or until browned, turning once. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, artichokes, spinach, uncooked rice, onions and lemon juice. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Push chicken breasts down into rice mixture.
3. Pour broth over top of chicken and top with olives and sprinkle with feta. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed.



CrockPot Beef and Barley Soup

Cubed beef, leftover
2 cups carrots, sliced thin
1 cup celery, thin sliced
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup barley
1/4 chopped parsley
beef bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons catsup

Layer in crock pot:

1.Vegetables and meat
2.Barley and spices
3.Cover with 5 cups water.

DO NOT STIR. Cook on low 10 hours; high 6 hours, or combination of
above.


Be sure to stop by Organizing Junkie for more meal ideas