weekly menu:: week 5

this week is flying by for me.  i just finished planning our week of food and wanted to share.  plus a recommendation and recipe.

monday - turkey chili and cornbread (recipe below)
tuesday - chinese dinner - trader joe's orange chicken, chicken shu mai, stir fry vegetables and rice.  all from the freezer section. well not the rice.  it's girl's night out so this is an easy put together meal before i leave.
wednesday - slow cooked sweet barbacoa pork, cuban style black beans, cilantro lime rice
thursday - bbq salmon, baked sweet potato and salad
friday - baked potato soup - jordan's choice. he gets his bottom braces today so he picks dinner.
saturday - date night - hopefully sushi
sunday - superbowl party

i was doing weight watchers a while ago my whole life. one of my favorite meetings was when the leader, who was the best ever, would recommend real food for us to try.  it helped get us out of the rut of eating the same thing. she would tell us about the best items that would give us the most bang for our points.  one of the things she recommended and now i pass along to you are these black bean and corn enchiladas from trader joe's.

you find them in the freezer section and they are beyond yummy.   i have them with a salad and a dollop of plain, 2% greek yogurt.  sometimes i eat both and it is very filling.  they are organic, wheat and dairy free, and the enchilada sauce is creamy and very good.  next time your looking for something for lunch, give these a try.

::: recipe :::

with super bowl this weekend i thought i would share a recipe for a quick and easy chili that can be made with little effort.  i'm not saying this would win a chili cook-off but you certainly won't break a sweat making it.  a friend of mine gave me this recipe many years ago and it is the only one i make.  it's not as thick as many chilis but i like it that way.  and it's a good base if you want to add your own twist; beer, jalapeno pepper, chili powder.

easy turkey chili

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb of lean ground turkey

1 small onion, diced

garlic salt

2 cans of chili beans

1 can of kidney beans, drained

2 cans of diced tomatoes (i use no salt added)

toppings: shredded cheese, chopped grean onions, tobasco sauce, 2% fage yogurt

heat olive oil in a large pot.  crumble turkey in pot.  add chopped onions and season with garlic salt.  cook until turkey is done.   add chili beans, drained kidney beans and tomatoes.  stir and bring to a boil.  turn down heat and let simmer for about 45 minutes, or until all of the flavors come together.  serve with fresh baked cornbread or tortilla chips and your toppings.

enjoy!