Real Food Menu for Week of 3.22.2021

March 22, 2021weekly menuscarb buster breakfast, carrot cake breakfast cookies, copycat alice springs chicken, keto meatballs and sauce, loaded roasted garlic hummus greek style, strawberry lemonade muffins, thai veggie noodle salad, weeknight taco souparthurized Leave a comment

Hooray for warmer weather and a pretty weekend! The past few days, I was finally able to spend a good bit of time outdoors. I trimmed up the rosemary shrub which was massively overgrown and replaced the fishing line around the herb garden. Pa Kettle told me which seeds I need to plant this week (beets, radishes and lettuces). I’m a little behind the game where the garden is concerned.

Here’s what’s happening in the kitchen:

Mark’s Breakfast:
A few weeks ago, Mark baked a double batch of breakfast cookies and packed the freezer with them. To make these gluten-free, substitute almond flour for the oat or wheat flour. We add a little extra cinnamon to the dry mix. These are great for breakfast on the go.
https://kristineskitchenblog.com/carrot-cake-breakfast-cookies

Mark’s Lunch:
Weeknight Taco Soup – This one just never gets old. We lighten up this recipe by substituting ground turkey for the beef. Another good keeper, this stores well in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer for several weeks.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/clean-eating-weeknight-taco-soup

Dinners:

Copycat Alice Springs Chicken – New Recipe! Sometimes you want restaurant chicken, but you’re too lazy to put on pants and leave the house. We think this copycat is pretty darn close to Outback’s original. If you’ve got leftover honey mustard sauce, it’s delicious as a dip as well.
https://www.bhg.com/recipe/alice-springs-chicken

Carb Buster Breakfast – We {heart} breakfast for dinner. This savory, satisfying and simple (say that three times fast!) dinner comes together quickly on busy week nights.
https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a11666/carb-buster-breakfast

Thai Veggie Noodle Salad – This fresh, crunchy salad is a good use for those veggies available this time of year. Don’t save this one for leftovers, it’s best eaten fresh.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/thai-veggie-noodle-salad-clean-eating

Keto Meatballs and Sauce with Zoodles – This one is so tasty! The cream in the sauce cuts the acidity of the tomatoes. To make wide zoodles, slice a little off the side of the zucchini so that it lays flat on the cutting board. Use a vegetable peeler to slice thin, wide noodles. Saute them in coconut oil for a few minutes, just until tender. Very few things in life are worse than a mushy zoodle.
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/keto-meatballs-and-sauce/

Snack:
Loaded Roasted Garlic Hummus – Greek Style – New Recipe! I used the linked recipe as a starting point and took some help from the grocery store in the form of premade garlic hummus. Top with your favorite toppers, give it a zhush of olive oil and your appetizer is ready!
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/loaded-roasted-garlic-hummus-greek-style

Treat:
Blueberry Lemonade Muffins – In celebration of Spring, we’re busting out these little goodies. I’m substituting blueberries for strawberries. They’re equally delicious.
https://deliciouslyorganic.net/strawberry-lemonade-muffins

I hope this week brings you sunshine and loads of enjoyable time outdoors!

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

Real Food Menu for Week of 1.11.2021

January 11, 2021weekly menusblueberry and raspberry baked oatmeal, cherry tomato and white bean salad, gobble gobble squash, no bake 4 ingredient chocolate cookies, one pan balsamic chicken and veggies, secret garden popcorn, thai-style cucumber salad, weeknight taco souparthurized Leave a comment

I’ve decided January could use a little extra sparkle, so I’m leaving my wintery decor up for the duration. Gotta have something fun to look at after the Christmas magic is packed away. I’m craving fresh veggies heading into mid-winter, so I’m trying to include lots of them in the weekly menu.

Mark’s Breakfast:
Blueberry and Raspberry Baked Oatmeal – Use your favorite berries or whatever you have on hand. You really can’t go wrong with this one. Frozen berries work just as well as fresh. This dish keeps in the fridge for a few days, or slice into portions and freeze. Warm to serve, and top with a little milk or cream.
https://www.sohowsittaste.com/blueberry-raspberry-baked-oatmeal

Maybe I should update this photo? I swear that background is a dinner napkin, but it looks like a bedsheet! Breakfast in bed? Haha!

Mark’s Lunch:
Weeknight Taco Soup – We lighten up this go-to recipe by substituting ground turkey for the beef. Another good keeper, this stores well in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer for several weeks.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/clean-eating-weeknight-taco-soup

Dinner:

One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies – If you haven’t tried sheet pan dinners, I think you’ll like them. Toss your ingredients on a lined pan, pop it in the oven and wait. Clean up is a breeze. Take some help from the store and use baby carrots for this recipe. Ain’t no shame in that game.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/one-pan-balsamic-chicken-veggies

Gobble Gobble Squash – New Recipe! My Carnivore in Residence would have happily eaten the filling without the squash. I prefer the pairing of the two. Yum!
https://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2016/10/gobble-gobble-squash

Cherry Tomato and White Bean Salad – Simple and flavorful, this little goodie comes together in minutes.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/cherry-tomato-white-bean-salad/

Thai-Style Cucumber Salad

Servings: 4-5
Time: 20 minutes prep, 2 hours refrigeration
Difficulty: Easy
Print

Refreshing, light and full of summer-time flavors, this side salad pairs nicely with grilled salmon or chicken.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons honey
¾ cup hot water
½ cup apple cider vinegar
2 large English cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
½ cup carrot, thinly sliced
¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced finely
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon jalapeno, finely minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 clove fresh garlic, crushed

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk honey and water until the honey is fully dissolved. Add vinegar; cover and refrigerate for two hours.
Combine cucumber and remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour chilled dressing over cucumber mixture and toss gently.

Snacks:
Apple, bananas, popcorn, fresh bell pepper slices. We’re nothing if not predictable. Try popcorn with your favorite garden herbs for a little extra flavor.

Secret Garden Popcorn Drizzle

Servings: 4
Time: 5-10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Print

A savory, garlicky twist on traditional popcorn. Adapted from mymagazine.us

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. butter
I clove minced or pressed garlic
2 Tbsp. minced herbs – try parsley, chives, dill or oregano
freshly popped popcorn
salt, to taste – if using unsalted butter

Directions

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and herbs and stir for one minute. Remove from heat and drizzle over warm popcorn. Toss to coat and serve. Enjoy! http://www.arthurizedhome.com

Treat:
No Bake 4 Ingredient Chocolate Cookies – New Recipe! Mark proclaimed these fudgy little numbers a 10! Okay, so this recipe may not put you closer to your New Year’s goals, but they are so good! Maybe store them in the freezer so they don’t call your name constantly?
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/no-bake-4-ingredient-chocolate-cookies

Here’s to a week of yummy eats! I hope your Monday is off to a great start!

Real Food Menu for Week of 12.14.2020

December 14, 2020weekly menusbuffalo chicken dip, butternut squash soup with bacon sherry and thyme, cheesy cauliflower nachos, green bean gratin, homemade granola, homemade sugar free granola, slow cooker spanish chicken and rice, stovetop sauteed cinnamon apples, vegetarian hash, weeknight taco souparthurized Leave a comment

Instead of wrapping eleventy-billion gifts for shipment to family far and wide, I spent yesterday morning foofing the Hoosier. (Yes, foofing is the technical term.) Fiddling while Rome burns, as it were. I just love the result. Here’s a little peek:

For my new readers (welcome!), I plan four dinners per week to leave space in the schedule for a dinner out and a leftovers night or two. Nothing makes me grumpier than throwing out perfectly good food gone rogue. I’m intermittent fasting, so breakfast and lunch are for hubs only.

We’re knee-deep into prepping all the Christmas things, so keeping this week’s menu fairly simple.

Mark’s Breakfast:
Homemade Granola – Being the cinnamon freak that he is, I double it for Mark and add a sprinkle of nutmeg. Mark likes this best with coconut milk and banana slices; it’s delicious with Greek yogurt and fresh berries as well.
https://www.5dollardinners.com/homemade-granola-sugar-free/

Mark’s Lunch:
Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken and Rice – I sub brown rice for the wild rice. This recipe is great for meal prep as it makes enough to feed a crowd and reheats beautifully.
https://fitmomjourney.com/trim-healthy-mama-slow-cooker-chicken-and-rice/

Dinners:
Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon, Sherry and Thyme – New Recipe! We both agree we could drink this soup! I don’t bother peeling and cubing my squash. Simply slice the squash in half lengthwise, brush with olive oil and roast at 375° for 45 minutes, or until fork tender. Roast thick onion wedges along with the butternut, or saute them in the soup pot until caramelized.
https://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2020/09/butternut-squash-soup-with-bacon-sherry-and-thyme/

Cheesy Cauliflower Nachos – These are sensational and perfect for Meatless Monday.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/cheesy-cauliflower-nachos/

Green Bean Gratin with Ham – New Recipe! We’ve tried this recipe a couple of ways, and Mark liked it best with cheddar cheese rather than swiss. *adds swiss cheese to the no-fly list*
Nitrate-free ham (try Hormel natural) is a nice addition when serving this as a main dish. Omit the ham for a vegetarian option. I use gluten-free breadcrumbs and almond milk. The sauce will thicken slightly upon cooling.
https://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2020/08/green-bean-gratin

Vegetarian Hash – We enjoyed this so much last week, we’re repeating it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! This makes four hearty dinner portions.
https://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/vegetarian-hash/

Weeknight Taco Soup – An old favorite, lightened up by substituting ground turkey for the beef. This tasty number is great for meal prep because it keeps well in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer for several weeks.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/clean-eating-weeknight-taco-soup/

Snack:
Buffalo Chicken Dip – So good! I think 1/4 cup of hot sauce is perfect, add more if you love heat and don’t need those taste buds. This dip is great with celery sticks or as a spread for sturdy crackers. We like the gluten free multigrain crackers from Aldi.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-dips-and-spreads

Treat:
Stovetop Sauteed Cinnamon Apples – Simple and delicious. I leave the maple syrup out, but include a pinch of nutmeg because it belongs in nearly everything!
https://joyfoodsunshine.com/stovetop-cinnamon-apples

I hope your week is off to a great start! Here’s a little reminder for those of us burning the midnight oil in preparation for Christmas:

Real Food Menu for Week of 3.2.2020

March 2, 2020Foodcherry tomato white bean salad, chocolate almond coconut bites, creamy roasted cauliflower soup, homemade granola, parmesan chips, pickety bits, stuffed peppers with ground beef and cheese, weeknight taco souparthurized 1 Comment

Are you better at eating real food when you keep healthy snacks on hand? For us, the key to cutting down on junk food has been simply this: Don’t have it in the house. Revolutionary, I know. There are very few cravings worth changing out of pajamas and leaving the house for. Thank God we don’t have grocery (or pizza!) delivery service out here in the country.

Having said that, sometimes you just get a hankerin’ for something a little sweet or a salty, crunchy snack. That’s why we add snacks and treats to our menus. I’m more than happy to munch on fresh veggies, hummus and parmesan chips if we have them ready to go when a craving hits.

Breakfast:
Homemade Granola – New Recipe! We doubled the cinnamon because we’re maniacs that way and added a sprinkle of nutmeg. Mark likes his granola with coconut milk and banana slices, I like mine with Greek yogurt and fresh berries.
https://www.5dollardinners.com/homemade-granola-sugar-free/

Lunch:
Weeknight Taco Soup – An old favorite, lightened up by substituting ground turkey for the beef. This tasty soup is great for meal prep because it keeps well in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer for several weeks.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/clean-eating-weeknight-taco-soup/

Dinner:

Cherry Tomato White Bean Salad – New Recipe! Can you say sensational, savory, and satisfying salad three times fast? You’re gonna need to. This one’s a dandy!
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/cherry-tomato-white-bean-salad/

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup – What she lacks in visual appeal, she makes up for in flavor. Hubs loves this one.
https://cookieandkate.com/creamy-roasted-cauliflower-soup-recipe/

Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Cheese – As per the Mediterranean Diet, we’re using ground turkey instead of ground beef. And since I’m not doing keto, I add a little cooked brown rice to the mixture. I bake these on a Silpat and don’t bother with the butter. These little crowd-pleasers freeze well.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/stuffed-peppers-with-ground-beef-and-cheese

Pickety Bits – This is the easiest dinner ever, and a great opportunity to clean out the fridge. There are no rules here. You know that half-eaten jar of pickles languishing in the fridge door? Use it up! Include a selection of fruits, fresh and pickled veggies, olives, meats, cheeses, nuts, crackers, dips and spreads. Dinner is served!

Snack:
Parmesan Chips – Crunchy, salty and delicious! I scale this recipe to make 6 servings, scoop with a cookie scoop and bake on a silpat. These pair well with soups and/or Netflix binges.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/parmesan-chips/servings/6

Treat:
Chocolate Almond Coconut Bites – New Recipe! This recipe made 18 bites. I added 1/4 tsp of salt to my batch. I’m going to experiment with using these as running fuel.
https://www.weaverstreetmarket.coop/chocolate-almond-coconut-bites/

Have a great week, everyone!

Real Food Menu for Week of 12.01.2019

December 2, 2019meal prepblueberry and raspberry baked oatmeal, coconut snowballs, drumstick dash, french onion soup, greek chicken and rice bowls, green curry of broccoli soup, mason jar spinach salad, salmon in roasted pepper sauce, weeknight taco souparthurized Leave a comment

We kicked off our Thanksgiving Day by participating in one of Roanoke’s most loved and best supported races, the Drumstick Dash. This 5k brings in a significant amount of the Roanoke Rescue Mission’s annual food budget. Mother Nature contributed a side dish of cold weather and gusty winds for race morning; but we Roanokers are a hardy lot and were (mostly) undeterred. Over 10,000 of us got our dash on before partaking in our Thanksgiving meals. What a fun way to start the day!

We’ve had our fill of turkey, football, online shopping, reading and napping, and are ready to get back to our workaday routine, starting with the weekly menu. And, it appears we’re on a bit of a soup kick!

Breakfast:
Blueberry and Raspberry Baked Oatmeal – An old favorite. We make this in the winter using frozen berries.
https://www.sohowsittaste.com/blueberry-raspberry-baked-oatmeal/

Lunch:
Greek Chicken and Rice Bowls – One word: Yum!
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/greek-chicken-rice-bowls/

Dinner:

French Onion Soup

Servings: 4-6
Time: 10 minutes prep, 55 minutes cooking time
Difficulty: Easy
Print

I’ve had this recipe for so long, that I can’t remember where I found it! I substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour for the wheat flour. The key to this rich soup is in caramelizing the onions until they are a deep, golden color. It’s worth every minute in flavor. Serve with crusty bread or sandwiches on the side. We like Brazilian cheese bread or gluten free baguette.

Ingredients

8 brown onions, sliced
1 oz. butter
1 T. olive oil
2 T. thyme leaves
2 T. plain, all-purpose flour (I use gluten free)
2 T. brandy
2 T. dijon mustard
8 cups beef stock
2 cups water

Directions

Place the onions, butter, oil and thyme in a large saucepan over medium heat, cover and cook for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden.
Add the flour and cook, stirring for 3 minutes.
Add the brandy and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the mustard, stock and water and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

French onion soup with gluten-free Brazilian cheese bread.

Salmon in Roasted Pepper Sauce – Delish! We like it over herbed cauliflower rice, which Aldi carries in the freezer section.
https://cooktoria.com/salmon-in-roasted-pepper-sauce/

Green Curry of Broccoli Soup – Simple to make and so flavorful.
https://thestonesoup.com/blog/2012/01/16/7-surprising-reasons-to-eat-more-soup-green-curry-of-broccoli-soup/

Mason Jar Spinach Salad – I’m making for dinner, instead of meal prep.
https://www.theseasonedmom.com/spinach-and-bacon-mason-jar-salads/

Weeknight Taco Soup – We’ll lighten it up with ground turkey to make it Mediterranean diet friendly.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/clean-eating-weeknight-taco-soup/

Snack:
From time to time we go a little crazy buying produce and we may have done just that this weekend!
Apples, Oranges, Sweet Peppers, Bananas, Grapes, Hummus and Cucumber Slices

Treat:
Coconut Snowballs – No, I’m certainly not hoping for snow, but these goodies would almost make a snowstorm worthwhile. Almost.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/coconut-snowballs-recipe/

Have a great week, everyone!

Meal Prep for the week of 3.17.19

March 18, 2019meal prepcarrot cake breakfast cookies, chocolate coconut granola, Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry, hearty stuffed bell pepper soup, hormel natural pepperoni, kathys southwest sausage and egg breakfast casserole, pizza baked chicken, sheet pan steak fajitas, strawberries and cream overnight oats, weeknight taco souparthurized Leave a comment

With St. Pat and his truckload of potatoes in the rear-view mirror, it’s time for a fresh week of clean eating. We’re trying some new recipes and eating a few meals from the freezer, which is the beauty of double batching during meal prep. The taco and bell pepper soups are ready to heat and eat. Here’s what’s on the menu this week:

Baking Chocolate and Coconut Granola. Your kitchen will smell amazing while this is in the oven!

Breakfast:
Berries and Cream Overnight Oats. If it ain’t broke, why fix it? We make this recipe as is and add a handful of blueberries. https://cleanfoodcrush.com/clean-mornings-strawberries-cream-overnight-oats/

Lunch:
We’re trying a couple of new recipes this week.
Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas https://kirbiecravings.com/sheet-pan-steak-fajitas/
and
Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry https://www.theendlessmeal.com/creamy-coconut-lentil-curry/

Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas – The flavor is amazing and the spice mixture is spot on. The next time we make them we’ll try grilling the steaks and sauteing the onions and peppers separately.

Dinner:
Southwest Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole. My sister-in-law, Kathy gave me this recipe, so I don’t have a link but I’ve shared it below.
Taco Soup https://cleanfoodcrush.com/clean-eating-weeknight-taco-soup/
Pizza Baked Chicken https://cleanfoodcrush.com/clean-eating-pizza-baked-chicken/
Bell Pepper Soup https://cleanfoodcrush.com/?s=bell%20pepper%20soup
Grass Fed Beef Burgers with Steak Fries

A note about pepperoni:
We try to eat 90/10. 90% foods made in nature, and less than 10% foods made in a factory. This is part of the 10%. Try to find uncured pepperoni without added nitrates.
We eat pepperoni sparingly, as a condiment.

Snacks:
Bananas, Apples, Oranges, Cantaloupe, Grapes
Cucumbers, Bell Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes
Chocolate Coconut Granola with Greek Yogurt – I left out the brown sugar and added some honey. I also reduced the baking time to about 12 minutes, each round. Watch this carefully so that it doesn’t burn. I sprinkled some Lily’s chocolate chips on while the granola was still warm and let them melt into it. The next time, I will sprinkle some extra coconut along with the chocolate. https://www.momables.com/chocolate-coconut-granola-recipe/

Treat: Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies https://kristineskitchenblog.com/carrot-cake-breakfast-cookies/

Kathy’s Southwest Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole – Great for guests and brunch potlucks. Bake it the night before and warm gently before serving.
Recipe:
1 lb. Sausage – I use Jimmy Dean’s Natural
1 medium onion, minced
1 4oz. can green chilies, drained
1 t. garlic powder
Cook all of the above together and spread evenly in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.
10 eggs, beaten
1 T. crushed red pepper flakes (or to your taste)
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Mix the eggs with the crushed red pepper flakes and pour over sausage mixture. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for 45 minutes at 350°.

If you try these recipes, let me know in the comments. Have a great week!

This is not a sponsored post. I am not in partnership with, nor do I own any of these websites or the recipes linked here.

Meal prep for the week of 2.17.19

March 7, 2019meal prepgarlic butter steak bites with zoodles, hearty stuffed bell pepper soup, one pan balsamic chicken and veggies, Paleo Egg Roll in a Bowl, smoky sausage and roasted sweet potatoes, strawberry and blueberry overnight oats, superhero muffins, weeknight taco souparthurized Leave a comment

I just spent eleventy-million hours food prepping for the week. We have a high tolerance for eating the same thing over and over, so breakfast and lunch are the same Monday – Friday.

Breakfast: Strawberry and blueberry overnight oats

Lunch: Taco soup and a superhero muffin

Dinner:
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Big Salad with grilled chicken
Balsamic chicken and veggies
Smoky sausage and roasted sweet potatoes
Garlic butter steak bites with zoodles
Paleo egg roll in a bowl
Breakfast for dinner, eggs, nitrate-free bacon and stewed apples