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Oh yeah, this ongoing Best Meal of the Week post is starting to rock. You posted some great recipe ideas on the last post and my meal planning has gotten a lot easier since we started this…thanks! (I assume that many of you are finding it helpful too!) Remember, “best” is highly subjective: healthy, super quick, inexpensive, fabulously delicious – or a combination of all that and more. Here are a few featured Best Meal ideas. Post yours in the comments below.
From Kate, a team member:
Sunday was the most gorgeous day imaginable here in Austin. I spent all day gardening and before I knew it, 7 p.m. had arrived and I didn’t have much of a dinner plan. Fortunately, I had two great staples in my pantry: canned garbanzo beans and tuna. With these ingredients, I knew I could figure out something tasty and quick when paired with a few other ingredients from the fridge.
First I whisked up a quick vinaigrette of mustard, sherry vinegar and olive oil. Then I rinsed the beans and tossed them with halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, parsley leaves from my garden and a drizzle of vinaigrette. I let that marinate while I washed and chopped romaine, tossed the leaves with more vinaigrette and piled them on plates. Next I arranged the beans and tomatoes all around the lettuce. I flaked the tuna over the salad and topped with a few leftover cooked asparagus spears. As soon as dinner was finished, I added canned beans and tuna to my shopping list-I wouldn’t want to be caught without these in my pantry!
From Meg, a reader:
My best meal this week was the linguine with white clam sauce I made in literally 15 minutes one night after work. It uses two cans of clams with juice, a little white wine, butter, parsley, garlic, and spicy Italian sausage. I posted the recipe on my blog. Enjoy! I know I can’t wait to make it again.
(And here are a couple of recipes from the Whole Foods Market recipe pages if you want to avoid the sausage: Linguine with White Clam Sauce (with fresh clams) and Linguine with Red Clam Sauce.)
From Jaye, a team member:
I really like to cook once and eat about four times. It saves money and calories!
My best meal this week was a combination of a go-to staple for me (roast chicken) and a green bean concoction I made up. To make the roast chicken, I buy a smallish chicken (2-3 pounds), rinse and pat dry completely and then coat with kosher salt (inside and out) and roast in a 450º oven for about 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer reaches 165º when inserted in the thigh. Remove it from the oven, tent with foil for about 10 minutes, then carve. Later, I can make quesadillas, tacos or salad with the leftovers.
Meanwhile, I filled a three quart sauce pan with low-sodium chicken broth and water and cooked some 365 Organic Haricots Verts until just al dente. Then I cooked a piece of bacon in a smallish skillet and minced a shallot and two cloves of garlic. Took the bacon out, cooked the garlic and shallot for about two minutes, added the green beans and tossed around until all were a little crispy/blistered. Then I crumbled the bacon in it and served with the chicken. It sounds a lot worse for you than it is, I promise! I had some leftover baby creamer potatoes that I threw in the skillet with this. The leftovers could be used as part of a Salad Nicoise the next day too!
So, what are you eating this week that is the “best?”
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It’s a toss up between two dishes. I discovered both ideas on Epicurious.com and made a few little tweaks. The first was roasted chicken breasts with garbanzo beans, tomatoes and paprika, served with roasted potatoes and broccoli and rice pilaf. The second was roasted chicken breasts stuffed with herbed goat cheese, artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers. They were both so yummy that I’m still thinking about them and can’t wait to make them again!
March 25th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Chicken with steamed ORANGE and PURPLE cauliflower. I love the coloured cauliflower!
March 25th, 2009 at 11:13 am
the best meal this week: was the one last night.
365 Organic Potato & Onion Pierogies, Wellshire Smoked Fresh Turkey Kielbasa with 1 caramelized onion and glazed carrots (butter, maple syrup & veg. stock). It was the first time we made this and it was so enjoyable!!
March 25th, 2009 at 11:15 am
It’s only Wednesday morning, but my dinner tonight (and last night, and the night before, because even though I am a foodie, it is THAT good, but three nights is my limit) will be tagliatelle tossed with broccoli and a saffron cream sauce. Because I begin with a prepared sauce base (Dell’ Alpe Five Cheese Sauce; I add white wine and saffron), my prep time is cut dramatically and the most arduous task becomes waiting for the water to boil.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Last night made homemade pepper steak, from scratch. Did not know what to cook so I decided to take a piece of sirloin steak cut it up and braided it with some puertorrican sofrito, carrots, red pepper and onions
March 25th, 2009 at 11:18 am
I pulled this one out of thin air:
Cilantro and lime grilled chicken with a blond jalapeno sweet relish, served with summer squash medley.
The chicken (I used half breasts w/ bone) marinated for about 15min in lime,cilantro,salt,pepper,coriander, a couple of drops of Tabasco. Then it was grilled.
I roasted the blond pepper on the grill until it sweated, then I seeded and cleaned it, chopped it into a bowl with lime juice, cilantro, about a tsp of vinegar, and a tsp of sugar.
The relish gave the chicken some very nice kick (sweet,sour,spice).
The squash was a mixture of yellow, grey, and zuchini sauteed in a little olive oil with copped onions, garlic, lime and cilantro.
I served it up with a South-West style salad (mixed greens, cucumber, red bell peppers, corn, and toasted tortilla chips).
My wife was raving about it.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:19 am
I posted this dish on my Market to Mouth blog and peeps have emailed saying they’ve tried it an love it. It’s one of my favorites coz its so easy and tasty and colorful:
Red Curry & Coconut Milk Shrimp
Spoon over boiled rice, or noodles, or even over toast if you can’t be bothered cooking rice etc.
1) Chop an onion (or several spring onions) and toss in pan with olive oil and some garlic. Saute on med. heat till onion is transparent.
2) Add a teaspoon of Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste (or more, depending on how hot you like your red curry).
3) Wash several leaves of red chard, trim woody stems off then chop into pieces. Add to pan, along with a handful of whole or halved, organic grape tomatoes.
4) Toss in an organic yellow bell pepper, or carrot — for the color.
5) Add a half bag of thawed Whole Catch Pink Shrimp or the whole bag, depending on how ’shrimpy’ you want to make this dish. Stir around and coat shrimp and veges with red curry paste and onions.
6) Pour over a can of 365-brand coconut milk and lightly simmer for about 10-15 mins.
7) A squeeze of lemon or lime finishes this off nicely, then …
9) Serve topped with chopped cilantro.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:20 am
I made a sunny side up egg for breakfast with a fully cooked yolk. It took an hour over low heat, and I didn’t really know what I was doing, but up it came out perfect. The whites were great and the yolk was still perfectly formed and yellow. I should have taken a picture.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:21 am
My best meal of this week was stuffed pork chops. I whipped it up for dinner last night and it was great!
I take a couple of extra thick boneless pork chops and season them with salt and pepper. I dice about three strips of thick cut bacon and set it cooking in a heavy pan over medium-high heat. While the bacon is working I dice half an onion and mince two garlic cloves. I add the onion and garlic (after draining some of the bacon fat!) and let them cook. Meanwhile, I take a bag of cornbread stuffing mix and empty it into a big bowl with 3/4 cup chicken broth (I use the Central Market organic free-range broth). Then I add the bacon mixture to the stuffing mix and add some dried cranberries as well and mix it all up.
I then cut a pocket into each of the pork chops and stuff them with the mixture. The leftover mixture (there will be quite a bit) can be put in a bag in the freezer and be used again). Now pre-heat your grill and grill up the chops! I had this with edamame and rolls for dinner last night and it was great!
March 25th, 2009 at 11:22 am
When we became vegan last summer I had resigned myself to giving up some of our favorite foods. On Monday I wanted to have cabbage rolls, a traditional dish in our family, so I set myself to the task of making it vegan friendly. Surprisingly, the ground beef was easily replaced with meatless mushroom meatballs with tamari and garlic salt crumbled in the rice blend. The remaining ingredients were all vegetables and vegetable juice so the differences were minimal.
When I took the casserole dish from the oven an hour later the whole family just smiled and said it smelled like home. It tasted terrific too.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Well, I don’t have a name for it…We are eating low carb right now, so this was a good bet.
It is baked fish with a nice mixture of ricotta, spinach, and marinated artichoke hearts put over it.
Put the fish in a large baking dish. We use a local white fish, such as cod.
Mix up 1 container of riccota cheese with frozen, but cooked cut leaf spinach, and a jar of marinated artichoke hearts. I also add garlic powder, salt & pepper, a little romano cheese.
Just pour the whole mixutre over the fish and bake for aobut 45 minutes. Add more cheese to the top if you would like.
The fish cooks nicely and stays mosit. The artichokes add some nice flavor and it’s all good for you.
I served some cut grape tomatoes with balsamic and olive oil on the side.
That was the best this week, so far! I will be making a mixed green salad with steak and onions on it tonight. Looking foward to that too.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:49 am
I made a batch of my usual vegetarian chili but added green peppers and onions! I use black beans and kidney beans, TVP crumbles, diced green chilies, cumin, garlic, and chili powder. Next time I want to try baking a batch of cornbread in my cast iron skillet to accompany the chili!
March 25th, 2009 at 11:51 am
One Pot Risotto! Made with organic vegetables from this week’s CSA share and leftover Pork Roast from our CSA meat share.
Diced garlic, onions, parsnips, cabbage, mushrooms,(any veggies will do-1-2cups or so) and leftover diced pork-sauteed in a large pot with a bit of olive oil. Throw in 1-2 cups of Risotto and stir. Add a splash of white wine-stir again. Add chicken stock 1 cup at a time, stir until absorbed. Repeat. Stir, and stir, did I mention you need to stir?
When the risotto is finished it should be plump, soft, and a bit chewy. (Not crunchy). Fold in some grated parmigiano reggiano, crushed pepper to taste, and voila-you’re done!
1 cup of veggies with 1 cup of rice yields approximately 4-6 servings.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
I LOVE eating baby back ribs. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. I usually make them Chinese-style in two ways; one with dark + light soy sauce, and the other with Chinese vinegar (black) + brown sugar. But I tried a new way, a sweeter adaptation of the Korean-style ribs. This way of cooking keeps the ribs very moist so it’s not going to have that dried out taste when you devour it
Recipe and picture here: http://ifyancanyoucan.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/hawaiian-style-kalbi-ribs/
March 25th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
So far this week it’s been Chicken Chili. Even though it’s springtime, the weather in Maryland is still a little crisp. The spices of the chili makes for a good evening warm up. Plus, the leftovers are always the best. I used canned roasted tomatoes this time and it really gave the chili great flavor.
Saute 1 1/2 chicken breast diced with a little Chipotle Powder, Kosher Salt and freshly ground Pepper.
Add in a can (approx. 14.5 oz) of Red Kidney Beans, can (approx 14.5 oz) of Roasted Tomatoes, and Chili Seasoning Mix (McCormick sells a good one, but use your favorite). Bring to a good simmer and cook about 20 minutes.
Serve with low fat shredded cheddar.
Delicious.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Pan roasted pork tenderloin- cheap cut, 25 minutes. Garlic, rosemary and thyme, fantastic gravy with pan drippings, white wine and a little roux. Creamed cauliflower, to replace mashed potatoes. Sauteed collard greens with shallots and a small amount of pancetta. So good and quick.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
My best meal is generally the one I just ate, as long as it is still in my belly.
Just now for lunch on this grey and threatening day in Dallas, I had delicious tomato basil soup with toasted ciabatta croutons. I emulate the expensive staple of a local “french themed cafe” for less than half the cost with a jar of MuirGlen tomato basil pasta sauce, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup Horizon Organic Half and Half. The croutons I just toasted up from some ciabatta rolls in a hot cast iron pan with some olive oil and garlic. Easy Easy Easy.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I found this recipe at the sweet fine day blog (created by the whimsy and spice people). Chicken and rice casserole…made it twice in one week.
http://www.flotation9.net/sweetfineday/2009/03/17/brown-rice-and-chicken-casserole/
March 25th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Late last night, (very early this morning) I had a hankering for something substantial & warm- more than a snack. I knew that there was a good amount of spinach in my crisper that needed to be eaten soon . I also remembered the portabello mushrooms patiently waiting for me in their paper bag on the back of the shelf hoping that I would not neglect them as I have so many of their reconstituted brethren. Although it might seem odd to embark on such an endeavor at 3:00am, I dare not to ignore the call of the culinary muse.
If you want on your plate what I had in my belly, (or at least your version) here’s what you should do:
In an iron skillet, with a generous amount of olive oil (5-6 tbs) saute
one medium (not too eye watering) Spanish onion,
a large handful of sliced Baby Bella mushrooms,
and 5-6 pitted dates each cut into 4-5 pieces.
Turn heat low, & cover with an iron lid.
When the onions are more or less transparent the mushrooms are very dark & very velvety, add to taste: (now this is where it’s on you)
sea salt,
fresh cracked pepper,
a hint of minced garlic,
(which is crazy because I usually put all the garlic there is in everything that I make)
& a few twists of fresh ginger.
(I have ginger in a grinder. If you don’t- sorry ’bout your luck. But try taking a steak knife & carefully scraping down the side of a hunk of ginger with it.)
Put the lid back on.Turn off the heat. Go get a plate.
Place several handfuls of spinach on a lovely plate.
If you don’t have a lovely plate, it’s okay- the spinach will cover up it’s lack of loveliness.
Spoon your onion/mushroom/date concoction of wonderfulness on top of the spinach. (Don’t forget all of that oil still in the pan.)Make it look pretty if those things are important to you.
Lastly-
(You HAVE to trust me on this one)
Gently drizzle yellow mustard over the top. I thought that maybe some fancy mustard would be less gauche, but I did several taste tests- & this is what made the cake- or spinach salad, whatever.
I believe that what you cook your food on/in is just as important as what you are actually cooking to achieve as close to a desired result as possible.
Apparently, I was feeling a little anemic last night.
March 25th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
My family’s favorite meal in the last week was when I made a German lentil soup. Whole Foods will be happy to know all the ingredients were purchased at your store. It was a delicious mixture of beef stock, onions, carrots, celery, French lentils, red potatoes, leeks, kilbasa, parsley, bay leaf and garlic. Magnificent!
March 25th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
My best meal was last night’s. I pan roasted some bone-in chicken breasts, then prepared a garlic and sherry pan sauce to go over it. Sides were pureed cauliflower and glazed maroon carrots. The carrots were out of this world! I can’t wait to make them again.
March 25th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
my best meal this week started with Whole Foods bay scallops, frozen silver queen corn, fresh tomaotes, cilantro, scallions, and queso fresco. A faux Maque Choux topped with sauteed scallops and the chesse made a light and satisfying meal. Tossed together in about 20 minutes, served with a mixed green salad and a dandy chardonnay, my family was very happy.
March 25th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
I’ve been making this salad every day and can’t stop eating it! Thinly slice a shallot and soak it in 2 Tb of cognac vinegar, then cover with a teaspoon of kosher salt. Let it sit while you toss arugula, sunflower sprouts, diced cucumber, and sliced grape tomatoes. Pour the shallot & vinegar over the top & toss, then add about 2 Tb of crumbled feta & drizzle with olive oil. It’s super low-calorie and yummy – just watch the amount of oil you use, as it has more calories than all the rest combined.
March 25th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
A french country meatloaf with chicken liver, beef, port, apricots and pistachios. Tasted like Pate! Dumped it on top of some mashed potatoes and baby zucchini. Yumster.
March 25th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
best quick and very tasty and healthy meal…cook a pasta…i like rigatoni with this…cut a filet of skinned fresh salmon into chuunks about an inch square, and salt and peppr them…quickly saute them in a large pan..set the salmon chunks aside..i usually make a simple tomato sauce, but we really like the san marzano sauce now in whole foods mkts…heat it in the large pan, and add back the salmon chunks…add the rigatoni…add in a big handful of fresh tarragon…perfection!!!
March 25th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I made this up while trying to get rid of leftovers, and ow have bought the ingredients to keep making it! Super easy and healthy– takes 5 minutes max.
Heat up a tiny bit of olive oil in a pan. Toss in a handful of broccoli florets. Chop 2 leaves of bok choy (from almost the bottom up) and put it in the pan. Stir around a little bit. Add 1/2 can of black beans, a sprinkle of oregano, sprinkle of salt, and sprinkle of red chili flakes if you like spicy. Stir around til everything is hot, then put it in a bowl. Sprinkle a little bit of grated cheddar cheese (real or soy) and chow down!
March 25th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Fish tacos: Rub tilapia filets with chili powder, and a dab of oil. Bake or pan fry just until done. Fill heated corn tortillas with some fish (one filet is plenty for 3 tacos), finely shredded cabbage, favorite salsa (I like spicy tomatillo-based) and fresh yogurt or sour cream. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze onto the fish. Easy to sub chicken or pork strips. If you prefer larger flour burritos, I fill out the tortilla with a Spanish-type rice made with Texmati & Rotel; it’s light and doesn’t compete with the spicy fish.
I love the traditional garnishes of radishes and grilled scallions, but often present black beans and fruit salad to those with more Americanized tastes (and appetites).
March 25th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
My best meal this week was a Mushroom Rigatoni! *Drools* This dish is hearty and tasty!! I love getting my Fresh Herbs, mushrooms and Cheese from Whole Foods even though I have to drive an hour to get there!!
What you need:
* 4 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 Large Shallots
* 4 large cloves chopped garlic
* 1 package of baby bella mushrooms sliced
* 1 package of white button mushrooms sliced
* 2 cans diced tomatoes in juice (I use fire roasted muir glen from Whole Foods!)
* 1 cup good white wine
* large bunch of basil chopped
* 1 box of rigatoni pasta
* Grated Parmesan (I use fresh and grate it myself)
* S&P
What to do:
* Heat olive oil in a large non stick deep side skillet over med. heat
* add garlic and shallots saute until tender (add a pinch of kosher salt)
* add all mushrooms and saute until mushrooms start to brown (approx. 6-8 min)
* Add Tomatoes, White Wine, chopped basil
* Season with salt and pepper to taste
* Let Sauce simmer
* While sauce is simmering, Add pasta to salted water to boil, until al dente
* When Pasta is finished add to sauce with approx. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and simmer for approx. 5 min
* Serve immediately with more Parmesan grated on top and chopped basil
COOKS NOTES: Be sure to taste when you cook, especially pasta dishes, pasta tends to take alot of salt to get seasoned, but don’t over salt! Taste Taste Taste!
March 25th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
My favourite quick meal: Linguine with fresh mushrooms.
Slice 4oz mushrooms; finely chop half a red onion; mince one clove of garlic; finely chop one red chilli (I like jalapeno); zest and juice one lemon.
Saute the onion, garlic, chilli in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add mushrooms, and a splash of lemon juice. Saute till mushrooms are soft. add lemon zest to taste together with chopped fresh thyme and salt and pepper. Serve over linguine or fettucine and top with chopped parsley and grated parmesan.
If you like a bit of protein you can add proscuitto with the mushrooms.
March 25th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Another fav: Chilli prawns with rice.
Marinate (for up to one hour) 18-20 green prawns in: half a cup of sweet chilli sauce, 1 clove crushed garlic, one tablespoon honey, 3 chopped green onions, 1 dessertspoon worchestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Saute drained prawns till cooked and then mix in the reserved marinade and heat through. Serve over boiled rice topped with chopped cilantro.
March 25th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
This REALLY works! Go to the local Greenmarket videlicet: http://cenyc.org/greenmarket (or if the ingredients that follow are not available, try Commodities Natural Market, Healthfully, or Whole Foods in the East Village). Get all the ingredients and you can actually dine at least 7 times on this!
Organic Italian bread ($2.49 at Whole Foods!). You can freeze it for longer use.
Organic Virgin Olive Oil (Shop around! I use 365 Organic Extra Virgin from Whole Foods.)
Organic Garlic.
Organic Tomato.
Organic Red Onion.
Organic Parsley. (you can store this in the fridge, cut the bottoms (use in another dish) and store in a glass cup of water.)
Maille Old Style Whole Grain Dijon Mustard (darn, it’s not Organic, chuckle!)
Real Salt (realsalt.com, available at healthfully.com in the East Village).
Applegate Farms Roasted Turkey Breast (natural or organic, depending on budget – Whole Foods Houston Street seems to have the best prices so far.)
Take two slices of the bread and lightly toast them.
Smear a spoonful of olive oil on both slices.
Lightly salt the bread (using Real Salt).
Mince two cloves of garlic (poor man’s penicillin, by the way), a slice or three of the red onion and several sprigs of parsley (very healthy and counteracts garlic breath too!).
Add to a bowl. Add a moderate amount of the mustard. Mix. Use a knife to smear it on the toasted bread. (Savor the rest!
)
Make around 3 slices of tomato – and chop roughly, adding it on top of the bread.
You only need ONE (usually out of seven) slice of the Roasted Turkey Breast. Roughly shred the slice and cover the both breads.
A glass of red wine (actually, the 5 Liter Burgundy Box by Peter Vella (available at astorwines.com)is quite a bargain and not bad! But I do miss Chateau d’Yquem though.)
Mangia! Mangia! Mangia!
March 25th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
My favorite Monday night meal begins with the meal I made on Sunday…I roast a whole chicken. We have that on Sunday and the remainder, usually half a chicken, is the basis for Monday night curry.
1 Jar Pataks Curry Sauce – I use Jalfrezi flavour
1 onion
1/2 green pepper
1/2 cooked chicken taken off the bone.
I brown the onion in a small amount of oil, mix in the chicken, add the sauce and cut up pepper and simmer for 10 -15 min. Place in a bowl with a dollop of Mango Chutney and a warm Nan bread. Some steamed rice will make this go further, but I usually stick with the curry and the nan for a quick meal.
March 25th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
My best meal of the week was what I called “desperation salmon,” because I am trying hard to get my husband to like this lovely fish … Fresh salmon filet oven-broiled in a shallow white wine & lemon sauce, topped with homemade rosemary tarragon garlic butter (I, literally, got the rosemary from my front yard). On the side: coconut cashew basmati rice (added raisins, because I like it sweet); the tiniest haricorts vert I could find; and sauteed button mushrooms … I was hungry! I topped off the dinner with a homemade, thrown-together baked “apple mush,” sort-of a really messy cobbler – skins on for color – and lots of crumbles. I think we had vanilla ice cream also
. Excuse me, I got hungry typing this … I’m going for leftovers!
March 25th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
My daughter Angelica, 14, invented this easy recipe:
1. saute 2 bags of spinach in olive oil and garlic
2. turn off heat and stir in 2 containers of Whole Foods zesty garlic hummus
3. serve with brown rice and some grilled chiken or fish
March 25th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
One REAL fast meal I enjoy is my chicken/vegetable stir fry with wild/brown rice. While the rice is cooking I cut organic breast of chicken and season with a bit of cayenne and toss in olive oil to coat the pan, then on the fire to brown lightly, add a smidge of water, and stir fry veggies, shave a few pieces of ginger on top, and simmer while the rice is simmering. All done in 30 minutes max. I have cooked this particular meal many times when my son was a boy, as we’d get home late, and if I didn’t hurry he’d actually fall asleep on his plate! So, I learned young how to cook tasty appealing meals in hyper warp speed!
March 25th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I love spinach! So I make a lot of things with it.
Lately my fave is to wash and spin a bag or two of spinach, microplane(or slice really thin) some red onion,celery, and yellow peppers. I toss these with the juice of a whole lemon and a bunch of shaved or grated fresh ginger. Then cool in fridge while I blacken some skinless salmon (wild from whole foods) and let that cool. I break it into chunks, and right before serving add it to the salad with a drizzle of EVOO and a drizzle of soy sauce. So good bread is not needed but a crusty slice is good if you got it.
March 25th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Best like you said is subjective, but there indeed was one meal that was a well rounded one this week. It was healthy, inexpensive, super delicious, minimal effort and hence, the best. It was my ten bean soup. It doesn’t require even a drop of grease, making it very low in fat. The beans provide the proteins and carbs and the veggies the vitamins and fiber. The italian herbs make it savory and lip smacking yum! Here it is: http://onestopeats.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/ten-bean-soup/
March 25th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Smitten Kitchen’s recipe for pasta w/ cauliflower, feta, and walnuts. It’s just too addictive!
March 25th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
One of my family’s favorites is also one of my quickest and easiest recipes.
Chili Verde Pork Soft Tacos
That morning, I crock pot a pork tenderloin w/ a jar of green (verde) salsa. In the evening when you are ready to prepare dinner, remove the pork from the pot and shred to serve. Make some rice (spanish rice if you like), heat some prepared beans of your choice and warm some corn tortillas, make a green salad and serve with guacamole and salsa!
March 25th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
My best was lasagna from scratch last night. Did you know you could sneak flax seed meal into this dish and no one know?
March 25th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Inside Outside Stuffed Chicken
In a digital pressure cooker: chicken tenders, brown rice, dried cranberries, chicken broth, onions, parm. cheese, and fronzen spinach, (thawed and drained), mushrooms. Pressure cook for 20 minutes-Yummy. I served with a salad. Great after church Sunday dinner.
March 25th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Here’s a pasta sauce that starts with a jar of sauce with
additions and a topping to add flavor and interest.
Combine and heat in a saucepan. Simmer 15 minutes to combine flavors:
Jar Vodka Pasta sauce
Cooked and crumbled italian chicken sausage
White wine
Can crushed tomatoes
Serve over pasta or rice and top with:
Diced roma tomatoes
Halved kalamata olives
Crumbled feta cheese
March 25th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
dried pinto beans cooked with chicken bouillon and olive oil
with canned tomatoes cooked with a scant of sugar and some apple cider vinegar. Serve over brown rice.
March 25th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Red Pasta
Modified from Quick Vegetarian Pleasures
Named by my 7 yo son Jackson.
Ingredients
1/3 C pine nuts
6 oz. can 365 tomato paste
1/2 C minced fresh parsley, or 1T dried
1/4 C finely chopped fresh basil, or 2 t dried
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C cheese, I use 365 Monterey Jack, recipe said Parm
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t salt
pepper
1 pound 365 whole wheat pasta, cooked to the longer end of the range
While pasta is cooking, mix rest of ingredients plus 2T of boiling pasta water, toss with pasta and serve. Add green salad and broccoli for a complete and easy meal.
March 25th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Baby bok choy, leeks, green beans, garlic and ginger stir fried with San-J szechuan sauce, over a bed of quinoa cooked in chicken broth finished with sesame oil.
March 25th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
It was one of those evenings where it’s 7pm and no idea what’s for dinner. My 17 year old son and I created a fantastic, tasty, inexpensive, beautiful dinner in 20 minutes! Here it is: store bought cheese tortellini with swiss chard (the red chard made it beautiful). We boiled the tortellini for less time than the instructions say, about 4 to 5 minutes. At the same time, we made a chiffonade of the swiss chard and sauteed it in olive oil with garlic, thinly sliced onion, salt and pepper. Added the drained tortellini along with freshly grated parmigiana reggiano, tossed and sauteed another minute or so. Served with freshly baked french bread (store bought refrigerated dough, which we popped in the oven first). He wasn’t even hungry and he had 2 helpings, there were no leftovers! We’ll be making this often.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Best meal this week/Saturday night was a four course beast!
Regnie 2006 Beaujolais Village
Salad with mixed greens, mango, clementines and balsamic vinegar
Matzo Ball Soup
Chix Breast with lavendar, s/p, olive oil
“Outrageous” dark chocolate brownies.
90% of ingredients from Whole Foods. Thank God!
March 26th, 2009 at 7:26 am
In a pan already with olive oil I sauteed one small and garlic, then added a drained can of black beans followed by 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, cilantro, slide carrots, and cooked it for 20 minutes. In a frying pan I added to 2 onions and a head of garlic and when clear, I added about 1/2 lb chopped sirloin beef, 2 fresh tomatoes, paprika and woustershire sauce. While cooking the beef I prepared a fresh salad. I then served the beans and the beans on top of cooked brown rice. Delicious. Then flan for dessert.
March 26th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
My favorite, quick meal is peppers and onions with sausage. As a side I’ll make sauteed spinach too, I love this meal and it’s a great way to load up on veggies.
In a pan I lightly saute 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, 1 link of Italian flavored chicken sausage and let it brown, then I add in one onion cut into rings, give them a few minutes to begin carmelizing and then add one medium sized orange bell pepper, salt and pepper to taste. I cook this for about 8-10 minutes and then pop it on a plate and enjoy it!
March 26th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
My kids and my man loved this meal, so it was definitely a winner. We had pan seared tilapia, roasted potatoes, and sauteed cabbage.The roasted potatoes are really easy, cut up some potatoes, put them in a casserole pan, season with garlic and pepper, toss with a drizzle of olive oil and cook for 45 minutes in oven at 400. For the fish,I season flour with garlic powder, coarse ground black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Lightly dredge the fish filets in the seasoned flour. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil (not extra-virgin it burns)in a nonstick pan, place the filets in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. I saute the cabbage in a skillet with 1 tablespoon butter until it is lightly wilted, this only takes about 7 minutes. Hope everyone enjoys!
March 26th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Tilapia with Sauce Recipe
Feel free to use any tender white fish fillet with this recipe, for example cod or red snapper.
INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup sliced cremini or button mushrooms or canned, but fresh is preferred
1 can stewed tomatoes with green chiles, lime juice
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt, preferably sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 6-8 ounce tilapia fillets
Optional
capers to taste
red pimientos, sliced
METHOD
1 In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute more. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring sauce to boiling.
2 Gently place the fish fillets in the pan and scoop some of the sauce over the fillets. Return to boiling. Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. With a wide spatula, lift fish from skillet to a serving dish. Spoon sauce over fish. Do not overcook! Serve with rice, and/or crusty bread.
Serves 4. P.S.
March 26th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Here’s a quick and nutritious chili that can be made in 30 minutes and has lots of fiber too! I use all organic ingredients as well.
Black Bean Chili
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans
1 cup salsa
1 (8-ounce) can of tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili seasoning
Chopped green onions (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Preparation
Start out by opening both cans of black beans. With a potato masher, mash one can of the black beans in a bowl. In a small, Dutch oven, over medium heat, add the ground beef; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain the meat well. Add the remaining ingredients to the meat (black beans, salsa, tomato sauce and chili seasoning); bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle chili into individual bowls, and garnish with shredded cheese, a spoonful of sour cream, and chopped onions, if desired.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
March 27th, 2009 at 8:17 am
We are not fortunate enough to have a Whole Foods located near the town we live it, so we take frequent 100 mile Sunday drives to shop at the Walnut Creek Store. We were poking around on one beautiful pre-Spring day tired of the heavy comfort foods of winter. The store had a sample of freshly made salsa that had pineapple, red peppers, jalapenos, mango and cilantro as the ingredients. After one taste, we knew we had a start. Walked about 6 feet and the fish monger was bringing out a wonderful specimen of filet of halibut and we were caught…pardon the pun. We grabbed a french baguette, some spring greens for a salad and drove home. It took us all of about 15 minutes to prepare an incredible Sunday dinner that whispered the dreams of all things Spring to come. Whole Foods is ALWAYS worth the drive!
March 27th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Quick, healthy & tasty!
Turkey bolognese over arugula
Saute 1 lb of ground turkey for 5 minutes. Add 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce and 1 5oz can of diced tomatoes. Add your favourite herbs (oregano, parsley, basil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes) and add as you like.
Wash and thoroughly dry 1 large bunch of arugula.
Poor turkey bolognese over arugula and tent with foil for 5 minutes to let the arugula wilt.
March 27th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Vegetable Soup with Greens. I made this last night in a 3 quart Saladmaster pot. I used 4 of the larger fingerling potatoes, a large handful of baby carrots, half a yellow onion, and 3 stalks of celery, including the leaves, and sauted all that in a little olive oil. Then I added 1 can of diced tomatoes with seasonings, 1 can of kidney beans, half a can of garbanzo beans, drained, and 3 or 4 cloves of minced garlic. Then at the end, I added 3 or 4 large leaves of Swiss chard and a large handful of baby Arugula + dried parsley and basil. I had to add more water, and my pot was full. Finally, I added a few shakes of Mrs. Dash for extra seasoning. It was very good. I had a big bowl and packaged up 4 more for later. When I warm it up, I will add more greens.
March 27th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Our best meal this week, so far at least-one can always be optimistic for more to come, right?-was not a very original one, but it was quite tasty. We had a super tasty Sword Fish sample at the Fresh Pond WFM while shopping there on Sunday. They used Garlic Olive Oil & DennyMike’s Fintastic rub. We figured we could roll our own garlic olive oil, but picked up the rub, which comes in a nice ready to repurpose tin (reusable containers are often the tipping point factor in our decision to buy products), and ~1.75lbs of sword fish from the seafood counter.
Before prepping the potatoes I pressed 3 cloves of garlic and put that into ~1/4 cup of olive oil, for our garlic olive oil. I made some roasted potatoes to go along with the sword fish. Just cut up ~1.5 lbs of red potatoes, a couple small onions cut along the center into crescents, some thyme, oregano, salt & pepper, and 3-4 cloves of pressed garlic put it all into a greased roasting pan (we greased with saved bacon drippings) & stirred it all up well with . The taters take about 45 minutes to cook in 375 oven, stirring ‘em up every 10-15.
The garlic stewed in the olive oil for ~45 min. After I had cut the sword fish into ~2″ cubes they got tossed with a very healthy Tbsp of the DennyMike’s Fintastic and the garlic olive oil. We cooked the sword fish in the oven too, in a small, shallow roasting pan with parchment paper, about 6 min then flip over and another 6 min. The meal was super tasty and we had enough for a nommy leftover dinner for 1 later in the week.
March 27th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
[...] started on Twitter a few weeks ago (@jgswanson) and found Whole Foods (@wholefoods) and their blog, The Whole Story, has a feature called “Share your Best Meal of the Week.” Good inspiration there, [...]
March 28th, 2009 at 6:59 am
We’ve had freezing rain, and a bug going around that’s knocked me off my feet. Consequently, I needed super easy comfort food. I found it in the form of tomato soup, into which I mixed O-shaped pasta.
By starting with a 32-ounce tetra pack of soup, I was able to pour one serving at a time, keeping the rest in the fridge. I also prepared enough pasta for several servings, so that I could add it to soup as needed. (Sometimes I switched to chicken broth with pasta!).
That was my best meal and I had it about four times.
March 28th, 2009 at 10:22 am
For a super quick and easy meal, I like baked quesadillas. Simply take whole wheat tortillas put shredded cheese of your choice on half of each tortilla, include small amounts of other ingredients like black beans, chicken, shrimp, carmelized onions, red peppers or jalapenos. You can use whatever you have as leftovers tht sounds good. Just keep it to small amounts so you don’t over power the tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half and place on a cookie sheet. Place in oven at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and tortilla is slightly golden. Top with sour cream and salsa. Using low fat cheese makes this a very healthy dish.
March 29th, 2009 at 9:47 am
I had made pea soup, and tossed the leftovers w/ WW pasta, fresh mozzarella cheese and black olives. It was delicious!
March 30th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Recently I have had lots of work that demand all my time. I was tired of having sandwiches and I was craving for something warm and flavorful. There were not many things on my fridge either so I had to make use of what was left there. A beautiful bunch of red swiss chard, a pair of carrots.
In 1 Tbsp of olive oil I sauteed a finely diced shallot and added the carrots in small slices (not very thin) after few minutes (medium temperature) I added the rind of an orange that was around, and I had on the freezer ginger that I grinded over the pan (not sure of the amount but I like it a lot!) then I added the swiss chard in small pieces and the juice of half the orange I used for the rind and I mixed, sauteed for another 2-3 minutes, salt and pepper.
When i was in the middle of the preparation I thought that some carbs might make this nice and the fastest thing I found was whole wheat cous cous…
I served a bed of couscous covered with my legumes and some sliced almonds I found on the pantry.
It was very tasty, fast (less than 10 min) and very, very, satisfying.
March 30th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
My favorite- and go to meal- is a variation on roast chicken. I cook a chicken in a dutch oven at 400 for an hour. (Rinsed, salt, pepper, garlic in cavity, or onion). At the same time, I roast veggies- sam 1 hour, same 400! Too easy- and great leftovers.
March 31st, 2009 at 4:59 pm
The best meal I had all week was a garlic and rosemary beer can chicken. You take a whole chicken, small enough to fit in your grill with the lid closed, and rub it with olive oil and whatever spices you want. I like to stuff some onions, garlic, and rosemary inside of the chicken. Next, you take a beer can half full of beer and put some garlic and rosemary in it. You slide that can into the bottom of the chicken so it can sit upright on the grill. Put the chicken with the beer in it over indirect medium heat with the lid closed. It should take about 2 hours to cook, but it’s well worth the wait! Bon Appetit
April 2nd, 2009 at 2:28 pm
please create a print option for meal of the week.
Thx
September 23rd, 2009 at 5:05 pm
I am looking for a great recipe using TVP (textured vegetable protein)
Anne
January 11th, 2010 at 1:26 pm