The Meal Plan
Sat (L) Family get-together (S) Poached Chicken Salad
Sun (L) leftovers (S) Summer Veggies and Noodles
Mon (yoga) leftover noodles
Tues - Avocado Sandwiches
Wed - Pizza with Proscuitto
Thurs (yoga) - leftover sandwiches
Fri - BLT's with Egg and Avocado
Lunches - turkey and ham wraps with fruit and cherry tomatoes
Poached Chicken and Arugula Salad with Tomatoes and Chili Crisp (Eating Well, July/Aug 2019) gluten free
I basically made as directed, except I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I will note - the chicken would be much better on the grill than poached. You could also sub some cooked shrimp or even tofu.
For the dressing, I bought a tbsp of sumac and tbsp of fennel seeds because I did not have these on hand nor did I want to purchase a small tub. I also don't have chili oil, so I added a splash of garlic chili paste for the heat. Worked just dandy.
One cup of arugula just isn't enough. Add some extra hearty greens like swiss chard, kale or spinach. Don't skip the fresh herbs in this dish, they really pull everything together. I don't say this very often, but the mint with the dressing was fantastic. Recommended!
Serves 4
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| photo from eatingwell.com |
3 bay leaves, preferably fresh
1 small white onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup arugula or other flavorful leafy greens, woody stems trimmed
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup fresh mint leaves
Dressing
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon spicy chili crisp or chile oil
1 tablespoon ground sumac
¾ teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
¾ teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and crushed
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon onion or garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
To prepare chicken and onion: Place chicken and bay leaves in a large saucepan and add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer, cover and simmer until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part without touching bone reaches 165°F, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board.
Meanwhile, soak onion in ice water for 1 minute; drain and pat dry.
To prepare dressing: Whisk oil, lemon juice, chili crisp (or chile oil), sumac, coriander and fennel seeds, cardamom, onion (or garlic) powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones and shred the meat. Add the shredded chicken and any accumulated juices to the dressing, along with tomatoes and the onion; toss to coat. Add arugula (or greens), basil, cilantro and mint; toss again. Arrange on a large platter so the chicken, tomatoes and onions are distributed throughout the greens (and not sitting at the bottom).
Recipe Notes: To make ahead: Refrigerate dressing (Step 3) for up to 3 days.
Summer Vegetables and Sesame Noodles (Eating Well, July/Aug 2019) vegetarian
I really enjoyed this dish - and what was neat was I had all the ingredients (minus the ponzu - but I followed the tip). I did some notable substitutions - I subbed whole wheat spaghetti for the soba noodles because my store didn't have soba. I did by pre-spiralized zucchini as I don't own a spiralizer. And I already noted, I followed the tip for "making" ponzu.
This has fresh flavors, it's easy for a weeknight, and it doesn't heat up the kitchen during the hot summer months. Perfect for a meal out on the porch. Leftovers were just as tasty as day of - this would be great for lunches too. Recommended!
Served 4.
1 medium yellow squash
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| photo from eatingwell.com |
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
8 ounces soba noodles (I used whole wheat spaghetti)
¼ cup ponzu sauce (see tip below)
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Put a large saucepan of water on to boil.
Spiralize squash and zucchini into medium-thick "noodles." (Alternatively, cut them lengthwise into long, thin strips with a vegetable peeler. Stop when you reach the seeds in the middle—seeds make the strips fall apart.) Place the vegetable noodles and corn in a large colander.
Cook soba noodles in the boiling water according to package directions. Pour over the vegetables in the colander to drain. Meanwhile, combine ponzu, tahini, oil, vinegar and salt in a large bowl. Add the soba and vegetable noodles to the bowl along with tomatoes and scallions. Toss to combine.
Serve topped with sesame seeds.
Recipe tip: Ponzu, a Japanese soy sauce blend, gets complex flavor from tangy vinegar and citrus, plus some have added umami-packed fish flakes and seaweed. If you're vegan, look for a brand that skips the fish or make a substitute by combining 2 Tbsp. each soy sauce and lemon juice with a splash of rice vinegar.
Avocado and White Bean Sandwiches (Eating Well July/Aug 2019) vegetarian
The beauty of this dish lies in it's simplicity. Avocado and beans on bread - so simple it's one of those "why didn't I think of this!?" dishes. This is perfect for a light lunch or supper when those temps and humidity are much to high to much of anything in the kitchen. When served along side some fresh fruit - perfection!
This would also be good for a work lunch - pack the avocado mixture in it's own little tub and assemble at Noon. For suppers for two of us, I just saved half of the mixture covered in saran-wrap in a glass bowl, and it was just fine for the next night.
One item of note - I didn't need four cups of lettuce. If the lettuce is too thick, when you bite into the sandwich, the avocado mixture spoots out the sides. Recommended!
Serves 4
2 medium avocados
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| photo from eatingwell.com |
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, grated
¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
8 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted
1 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers, rinsed
8 thin slices sharp Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
4 cups baby lettuce
Mash avocados, beans, lemon juice, oil, garlic, thyme and pepper in a medium bowl until well combined but still slightly chunky. Divide among 4 slices of bread ( ½ cup each). Top each sandwich with ¼ cup red peppers, 2 slices cheese, 1 cup lettuce and the remaining bread.
Pizza with Prosciutto and Corn (Eating Well, July/Aug 2019)
I never used to make much with arugula in it, and now the last couple of weeks, I've had it in several dishes and on TWO pizzas! Yes! It's back this week on another pizza!
The directions below really make this simple dish complicated. I rolled out my dough, did a "blind bake" (or grill in this case) for 10 minutes (I find I get better results when I bake my crust for 10 minutes before put the toppings on), slather the oil and garlic mixture all over the crust, sprinkle with prosciutto, corn and cheese, bake/grill for another 10, and add the arugula and basil. Serve!
I am totally making this again.
Served 2 with a couple little pieces of leftovers.
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| photo from eatingwell.com |
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 ounce very thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 1-inch pieces
1½ cups arugula
½ cup torn fresh basil
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Preheat grill to medium-high. (Or to bake instead, see Tips.)
Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch oval. Transfer to a lightly floured large baking sheet.
Combine 1 tablespoon oil and garlic in a small bowl. Bring the dough, the garlic oil, cheese, corn and prosciutto to the grill. Oil the grill rack (see Tips). Transfer the crust to the grill. Grill the dough until puffed and lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the crust over and spread the garlic oil on it.
Top with the cheese, corn and prosciutto. Grill, covered, until the cheese is melted and the crust is lightly browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes more. Return the pizza to the baking sheet. Top the pizza with arugula, basil and pepper. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
Recipe Tips: No grill? No problem! Place the crust on a large oiled baking sheet, spread garlic oil on it and top with cheese, corn and prosciutto. Bake at 450°F until the crust is golden on the bottom and the cheese is melted, 18 to 20 minutes. Top with arugula, basil and pepper. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
To oil your hot grill rack, soak a paper towel with vegetable oil and hold it with tongs to rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.)
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