Saturday was the local Engineering Battalion's Military Ball. This was the Husbands last unit before he retired out of the service. It was enjoyable and...different. Kinda a cross between a somber formal event, a wedding, and a fraternity party. Like I said, different. I will sum up and say I'm glad I only spent $24 on my formal gown.
The Meal Plan:
Sun (B) Rye Flour Pancakes (L) leftover or sausage and cheese during football (S) Spaghetti Squash with Goat Cheese and Bacon
Mon (yoga) Leftover
Tues (yoga) Leftovers
Wed (appt) Mac and Cheese
Thurs (yoga) Leftovers
Fri - Leftovers
Sat (L) leftovers (S) Military Ball
Lunches - Chicken Chili, Fritos, yogurt, apples, luna bars
White Bean Chicken Chili with Butternut Squash (from FoodieCrush.com via Pinterest) gluten free
This is super easy to assemble and make. The two things that will take the most time are prepping the squash and the chicken. I had only one substitution - I used chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. I've come round to the opinion that thighs are just more flavorful than breasts and taste better in most recipes.
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| photo from foodiecrush.com |
- 2 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 2 cups butternut squash, diced
- 2 15.8 ounce cans cannellini or white northern beans, rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup roasted hatch chiles, or 1 4-ounce can of diced green chiles
- 1 32 ounce can of chicken broth
- 1½ cups tortilla chips, coarsely crushed (**gluten free)
- ½ cup Monterey jack cheese
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, stirring frequently. Add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes or until softened. Add the butternut squash, beans, chiles and chicken broth. Stir in the tortilla chips, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until the squash is tender and chicken is cooked through.
- Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Monterey jack cheese and cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips on the side.
Rye Flour Pancakes (Cooking San Francisco website)
The Husband found this recipe for Pancake Sunday as part of my effort to find different pancake or waffle recipes. I became tired of the same Better Homes and Garden recipe that is, lets face it, our standard go-to. The Husband likes to experiment with different flour's and this fit the bill.
I really liked these - the nutty flour flavors really prevail in this dish. I think the berries (had we remembered them) would have added a nice counterpoint of sweetness. I can see these making a regular appearance in our pancake rotation.
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| photo from cookingsf.com |
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (plus more if needed to thin the batter)
1 tablespoon butter, melted, plus more for coating frying pan
1. Sift the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk and butter. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.
2. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Melt a small slice of butter in the pan and swirl to coat bottom of the pan. Scoop four (or however many fit in the pan) 1/4 cup portions of batter into pan.
4. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with honey or maple syrup.
Serves: 4
Spaghetti Squash with Spinach, Bacon and Goat Cheese (from buzzfeed.com via Pinterest) gluten free
For a simple dish, this was very tasty. The bacon and maple syrup a salty/sweet counterpoint to the tangy goat cheese. I would definitely make this again.
With that being said, I didn't cook my squash as directed below. I chopped off the ends, halved the squash, removed the seeds and guts, and placed on a rack, inside down and baked at 350* for about 45 minutes to an hour. Time is size dependent. Then I pulled out the "strings" and set aside until I was ready for the rest.
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| photo from Buzzfeed.com |
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
6 slices bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 5-ounce bag baby spinach
2 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 . Cut about half an inch off of the top and bottom of the spaghetti squash, and discard those pieces. Cut the squash crosswise into rings about 1-inch thick, and run your knife around the inside of the rings to cut the seeds out. Drizzle the olive oil over the baking sheet, then spread the squash rings over it, moving them around a little so that the undersides are evenly coated with a little bit of oil. Season with salt and pepper, then flip the rings over and season again.
3. Roast in the preheated oven until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes. When the squash is done, set it aside on the counter while you cook the bacon and spinach. It’ll be easier to handle if you let it cool for 10 minutes before taking it apart.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the bacon slices. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, just until the very edges of the bacon start to brown slightly, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and continue to cook until the bacon is crispy and the fat has rendered out, about 5 more minutes.
5. When the bacon is done, turn the heat up to medium and add the red wine vinegar while stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet. This will deglaze your pan, so that all of the caramelized bits of bacon end up in your food and not stuck to the bottom of your pan. After about 20 seconds, turn the heat back down to low and add the maple syrup. Stir everything together just to combine, then add the spinach, one handful at a time, stirring after every addition so that the spinach wilts and there’s room in your skillet for more. When all of the spinach is wilted, turn the burner off under the skillet and let everything sit in there while you finish the squash.
6. Peel the skin away from the squash, then use a fork or your hands to pull the strands apart, adding them to the skillet as you go. When all of the squash is in the skillet, add the goat cheese and toss everything together just to combine.
7. Divide between two plates and serve immediately.
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