Frugal Organic Girl

Last week went really well and I am happy to say we did just about everything on our meal plan! Yay! We are finding our groove.! Here’s this week’s menu:

Breakfast

• Veggie, cheese egg scramble, toast, fruit
• oatmeal w/ dried fruit, morning star sausage patty
• multi grain pancakes, scrambled eggs, fruit
• peanut butter on toasted whole grain bread w/ fresh sliced apples, milk
• zucchini cinnamon yogurt muffins

Lunch

• roast beef wraps, raw veggie sticks, fruit
• leftover minestrone soup, garlic pecorino bread sticks, fruit
• terikyi chicken, brown rice, green beans w/ garlic
• turkey & cheese sandwiches, soup. fruit
• leftovers

Dinner:

• Organic Roast Beef, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
• Salmon Burgers,roasted corn and roasted red pepper salad, brown rice, grilled zucchini
• Beef Tips, mashed potatoes, lemon broccoli
• Ministrone Soup, garlic pecorino bread sticks, salad
• Spinach arugla walnut pesto w/ grilled chicken & pasta w/ sliced tomatoes
• leftovers
• make ahead burritos

Spinach Arugula Walnut Pesto

Ingredients:

• 1-2 cups fresh organic spinach
• 2-3 cups fresh arugula lettuce
• 4-6 cloves of organic garlic, peeled
• about 2oz of fresh organic basil or 2 tsp dried basil (optional)
• 1/4-1/2 C raw walnuts ( depends on how thick and creamy you want it, add more nuts for a thicker texture)
• 1 whole lemon juiced ( about 1/4 c fresh lemon juice)
• 1/4-1/2 C Organic Extra Virgin Olive oil, plus more to store it.
• 1/4-1/2 C grated hard cheese ( Parmesan, Romano, Grana Padano)

Method:

1. Add spinach, arugula, garlic and basil to the bowl of your food processor and pulse until it resembles a course mealy texture.
2. Using a 1/4 cup measure dump the raw walnuts and lemon juice into the feeding chute of your food processor and pulse to combine with spinach garlic mixture. Add the last 1/4 cup of walnuts to processor if desired.
3. Slowly stream in extra virgin olive oil into the chute of the food proccor 1/4 cup at a time, pulsing to combine with spinach garlic mixture. Add remaining extra virgin olive oil if desired and grated hard cheese. Pulse just enough to combine mixture. *
4. When storing pesto in a container, pour a little extra virgin olive oil over the top to seal in the moisture so the pesto does not dry out.

* For a thinner sauce add low sodium/low fat chicken or veggie broth until desired texture is created.

For more great meal ideas visit Organized Junkies

This a great make ahead pasta sauce, sandwich spread, appetizer dip or a flavorful garnish on any veggie based soup. I made up this recipe to help me deal with the ‘abundance’ of spinach I am often left with via my weekly CSA box in the spring and summer. This also freezes beautifully in ice cube trays, and can be stored in Ziploc baggies or hard sided containers for long term storage. It will last in the fridge for about 3/4 days.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 cups or 4-6 heaping handfuls of organic spinach
• 4-6 cloves of organic garlic, peeled
• about 2oz of fresh organic basil or 2 tsp dried basil (optional)
• 1/4-1/2 C raw walnuts ( depends on how thick and creamy you want it, add more nuts for a thicker texture)
• 1 whole lemon juiced ( about 1/4 c fresh lemon juice)
• 1/4-1/2 C Organic Extra Virgin Olive oil, plus more to store it.
• 1/4-1/2 C grated hard cheese ( Parmesan, Romano, Grana Padano)

Method

1. Add spinach, garlic and basil to the bowl of your food processor and pulse until it resembles a course mealy texture.
2. Using a 1/4 cup measure dump the raw walnuts and lemon juice into the feeding chute of your food processor and pulse to combine with spinach garlic mixture. Add the last 1/4 cup of walnuts to processor if desired.
3. Slowly stream in extra virgin olive oil into the chute of the food proccor 1/4 cup at a time, pulsing to combine with spinach garlic mixture. Add remaining extra virgin olive oil if desired and grated hard cheese. Pulse just enough to combine mixture. *
4. When storing pesto in a container, pour a little extra virgin olive oil over the top to seal in the moisture so the pesto does not dry out.

* For a thinner sauce add low sodium/low fat chicken or veggie broth until desired texture is created.

Yield: 2.5-3 cups thick pesto sauce or 5-6 cups thin pesto sauce

Welcome to my first edition of menu planning Mondays. This week we will explore using local, fresh and sustainable ingredients I received from my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to create a weeks worth of healthy, affordable organic meals.

Monday:

Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ soymilk and blueberries, Hard boiled egg

Lunch: Grilled ham, spinach and Cheese sandwich, Celery/carrot sticks and sliced strawberries

Dinner: Chicken ceaser salad, mixed fresh cut fruit, whole wheat crackers

Snacks: popcorn, string cheese, fresh fruit, whole wheat crackers, granola bars, hummus, veggies

Tuesday:

Breakfast: sunburst squash, spinach, feta scrambled eggs, Whole Wheat toast and fruit

Lunch: Turkey sandwitch, carrot sticks, sliced strawberries

Dinner: Crockpot chicken cacciatore, whole wheat pasta, saute’ sunburst squash, feta and herbs

Snacks: popcorn, string cheese, fresh fruit, whole wheat crackers, granola bars, hummus, veggies

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ soymilk and blueberries, hard boiled egg

Lunch: grilled spinach, ham, cheese, red onion sandwitch, cucumber, tomato, feta salad, orange slices

Dinner: Chicken curry, brown rice, braised baby bok choy with garlic

Snacks: popcorn, string cheese, fresh fruit, whole wheat crackers, granola bars, hummus, veggies

Thursday:

Breakfast: Quick and easy pouched egg sandwitch on whole grain english muffin with cheese

Lunch: hummus, pita bread, mixed raw veggies and sliced apples

Dinner: Roasted Pork, Garlic smashed potatoes, lemony garlic green beans and mushrooms w/ rosemary

Snacks: popcorn, string cheese, fresh fruit, whole wheat crackers, granola bars, hummus, veggies

Friday

Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ soymilk and blueberries, hard boiled egg

Lunch: leftover pork sandwitch, coleslaw, sliced apples

Dinner: DIY flat bread pizzas, spinach salad w/ strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette

Snacks: popcorn, string cheese, fresh fruit, whole wheat crackers, granola bars, hummus, veggies

Saturday

Breakfast: Whole grain waffles, maple syrup, sliced mixed fruit, scrambled eggs

Lunch: Crockpot 3 onion soup, homemade french bread, salad, cheese, fruit

Dinner: old fashioned whole wheat chicken pot pie, salad

Snacks: popcorn, string cheese, fresh fruit, whole wheat crackers, granola bars, hummus, veggies

Sunday:

Breakfast: Fritata w/ leftover mixed fresh veggies saute’ with onions and topped with feta cheese, toast w/ butter

Lunch: Italian chicken breasts w/ spicy spinach walnut pesto and whole wheat pasta, sliced apples

Dinner: Roasted Chicken, creamed mixed greens, garlic smashed potatoes, salad, sliced strawberries or oranges.

Snacks: popcorn, string cheese, fresh fruit, whole wheat crackers, granola bars, hummus, veggies

Please come back later in the week when I will have some of the actual recipes I used to create these meals!

For more great meal ideas visit Organized Junkies site.