Week 54(ish)

Friday - Mexican "Flatbread" Pizza (I'm sure the biscuits are full of junk, but I need fast and easy.) We'll have them without the hamburger meat - just refried beans and toppings.

*edit - Maxwell's quote during dinner - "I can't believe I like this!" He ate a ton.

Saturday - Beef Taquitos, black beans (?), chocolate cake with chocolate frosting

Sunday - hamburgers and fries

Monday - Southwest Pasta Salad

Tuesday - Pizza

Wednesday - Black Bean Tacos (like this but in taco form)

Thursday - Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes (didn't get to these last week, so we'll try again)

Black Bean Taco Salad

Stephanie blogged about her latest craving awhile ago, and since then, we've been eating something similar. It's really yummy.

Ingredients
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 TBSP canola oil
1 cup water
1 large tomato
1 green onion
cilantro - 1 tsp dried or 1 TBSP chopped fresh
lettuce, in bite sized pieces
olives, sliced
grated cheese - cheddar, queso fresco, or monterrey jack would be good
tortilla chips
creamy tomatillo salad dressing or ranch dressing

Directions
Heat oil in large skillet, add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add beans, stir in one cup of water, and simmer until desired consistency.

Cut tomato into tiny pieces. Cut green onion into small slices and add to tomato. Stir in cilantro.

Layer tortilla chips (I crunch mine up on the bottom), lettuce, beans, cheese, olives, salad dressing, and any other toppings.

If you want to skip a step, you can leave out the mini-pico (tomato, onion, cilantro) and serve with salsa instead.

Teriyaki Chicken Salad Sandwiches

We had this for dinner after the baby's blessing on Sunday. Not vegetarian, but good. :)
It's from Our Best Bites.

Teriyaki Chicken Salad Sandwiches

2 chicken breasts
Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped (the white ends only)
1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted
1 small can of Mandarin oranges, drained
1 small can pineapple tidbits OR roughly-chopped chunks
1/3-1/2 c. mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Croissants or pitas
Lettuce leaves

Marinate chicken for at least 4 hours. Grill. While chicken is grilling, combine celery and green onions in a small mixing bowl or a plastic storage container with a lid. When chicken is done, allow to stand for about 10 minutes and then cut into bite-sized pieces. Toss with celery and onions and then add mayonnaise and mix thoroughly. Start with 1/3 c. and go from there. Add 2-3 (or more) tablespoons of Teriyaki sauce to taste.

Refrigerate for several hours.Right before serving, add oranges, pineapple, and nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You may need to add more mayo and/or Teriyaki. Serve on a lettuce leaf in a croissant or a pita.

I used 8-10 split chicken breasts and that fed about 20 people. I'm guessing that the recipe as written would feed about 4 people.

Mandarin and Romain Salad

(salad w/ homemade pita)

recipe taken from Ginger's blog

serves 6

3 Tbl. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbl. olive oil

1 tsp. balsamic vinager

1 tsp. honey

2 small garlic cloves, crushed

1 head Romain lettuce

1 small can mandarin oranges, drained and rinsed

3 super thin slices of red onion, rings separated and cut in half

1/8 c. slivered roasted almonds

6 Tbl. crumbled feta cheese

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, vinager, honey, garlic in a small bowl and whisk to combine.Rinse and dry thoroughly the Romain leaves, and tear into bite size pieces. Place in a large bowl with the mandarin sections, onion, and almonds, and drizzle with olive oil dressing. Plate and serve immediately, sprinkling 1 Tbl. feta on each serving of salad.

Zippy Mexican Salad

2 cups (8 oz) uncooked macaroni
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cili sauce or taco sauce
2 TBSP vinegar
1 to 2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion salt
4 to 5 drops hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 cups (14 oz can) red kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
1/4 cup sliced green onion

Cook pasta according to package directions: drain. Rinse with cold water to cool quickly; drain well. Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine mayonnaise, chili sauce, vinegar, chili powder, onion salt, and hot pepper sauce. Add cooled pasta and remaining ingredients: blend well. Cover; refrigerate.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Start to Finish: 25 minutes + chilling time

From American Beauty Elbo-roni package