Save Your Money- Buy Our Groceries: Vol. 16

For the scoop on this series of posts, click here!

THIS WEEK’S MENU

Breakfast

• Whole Wheat Toaster Waffles with Homemade Applesauce

Lunch

• Mexican Casserole with Corn and Black Bean Salad

Dinner

• Thai Curry Noodles

Snack

• Reduced Guilt Walnut Brownie

THE GROCERY LIST  (for 2 people)

• 5 green apples
• 3 zucchini
• bag of carrots
• 16 oz. sliced shitake mushrooms
• scallions
• cilantro
• 1 large onion
• garlic
• 3 red peppers
• 3 green peppers
• 12 6 inch corn tortillas
• 1.5 lbs. chicken breasts
• 4 oz. monterey jack cheese
• 6 oz. tub crumbled feta
• dry roasted cashews
• Trader Joe’s reduced guilt brownie mix
• small bag of walnuts
• peanut oil
• turmeric
• red curry paste
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can black beans
• 16 oz. dry udon noodles
• 1 4oz. can chopped green chiles
• 1 10oz. jar enchilada sauce (red or green)
• 2 cups roasted tomato salsa
• 1 small jar spicy salsa (any type)
• maple syrup
• 1 can corn
• 1 bag frozen corn
• 1 vanilla yogurt cup
• 24 whole wheat frozen waffles

WHAT WE ALREADY HAD AT HOME

• salt
• pepper
• vegetable oil
• cooking spray
• cumin
• chili powder
• sugar
• cinnamon
• fresh ginger
• low sodium soy sauce

PREP ON SUNDAY

Applesauce for the Waffles

• 5 green apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 375.   Put everything in a casserole dish and toss to combine.  Cover with tin foil and bake for 35-45 minutes, stirring a couple times during baking, until apples are soft.  Store in the fridge for the week.

Mexican Casserole

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
• 3 zucchini, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1.5 lbs. chicken breasts
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 10oz. jar enchilada sauce
• 1 4oz. can chopped green chiles
• 12 6inch corn tortillas
• 4 oz. monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 6oz. container crumbled feta
• 2 cups roasted tomato salsa

Preheat your broiler.  Broil chicken breasts for about 8 minutes on each side until cooked through and even a little charred.   Shred the cooked chicken using two forks and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Lightly coat the pan with cooking spray or vegetable oil.  Add onion, zucchini and bell pepper.  Saute 6 minutes or until tender.  Add corn and saute 2 minutes more.   Add chicken, garlic, chili powder, cumin, enchilada sauce, and green chiles.  Sprinkle with a little salt and cook for 2 minutes or until warmed through.  Remove from heat.

Assemble your casserole.  Spray the bottom of a 9″x13″ casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of the salsa on the bottom of the dish.  Layer 6 of the tortillas on top of the salsa, top with half of the chicken mixture and spread to cover the tortillas evenly.  Spread 3/4 cup of the salsa over the chicken and sprinkle with half of each cheese.  Top that with the last 6 tortillas.  Spread the last of the chicken mixture over that, top with the rest of the salsa and finish off with the rest of the cheese.  Bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly.   Store covered in the fridge for the week.

Corn and Black Bean Salad

• 1 bag frozen corn, thawed at room temperature
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small jar spicy salsa
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add everything to the pan and cook until warmed through.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Store in the fridge for the week.

Veggies for the Thai Noodles

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 red peppers, seeded and julienned
• 3 green peppers, seeded and julienned
• bag of carrots, peeled, cut in half and julienned

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add carrots and saute for 2 minutes.  Add peppers and saute for 3 more minutes.  Store in the fridge for the week

Sauce for the Thai Noodles

• 16 oz. shitake mushroom caps, sliced
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 16 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 4 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Measure all of your spices into a small bowl and set aside.  Mix together broth, water, soy sauce and salt in a bowl and set aside.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add mushrooms.  Saute for 2 minutes, add all of your spices and cook for 1 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the veggie broth mixture and stir to combine.  Bring to boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.  Uncover and continue to boil a few minutes longer or until liquid reduces a bit.  Pour mixture in a container and store in the fridge for the week.

Reduced Guilt Walnut Brownies

• box of Trader Joe’s Reduced Guilt Brownie Mix
• 1 vanilla yogurt cup
• walnuts- as many as you want in your brownies!  We used about 1/2 cup
  

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix everything together until combined; mixture will be thick.  Spread into a greased 9″ cake pan.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted just outside the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes, and either store in the pan or invert onto a plate.  Cut brownies into 10 wedges for the week.  Store covered in the pantry or fridge.

BREAKFAST- 5 minutes

Whole Wheat Toaster Waffles with Homemade Applesauce

• 4 frozen whole wheat waffles
• maple syrup
• 1 cup of the applesauce

Heat applesauce in the microwave for about 1 minute or until hot.  In the meantime, toast the waffles in the toaster.  Divide waffles between two plates, top each with half of the applesauce and drizzle with maple syrup.

LUNCH- 5 minutes

Mexican Casserole with Corn and Black Bean Salad

• 1/5 of the mexican casserole
• 1/5 of the corn and black bean salad

Reheat casserole in the microwave and divide between 2 plates.  Either reheat the salad and divide between the plates or serve cold…either way is delish!

SNACK-  no minutes

Reduced Guilt Walnut Brownie

Eat one!

DINNER-  20 minutes

Thai Curry Noodles

• 4 oz. udon noodles
• 1/5 of the carrot/bell pepper mixture
• 1/5 of the mushroom sauce
• 1/8 cup cashews
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

Boil a pot of water over high heat.  Add noodles and cook 10 minutes or until tender.  While they cook, heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add mushroom sauce and carrot mixture.  Heat until piping hot.  Drain noodles and rinse with cool water.   Add noodles to the sauce and veggies and saute for 1 minute or until everything is hot and combined.  Divide between two bowls, sprinkle with cilantro, cashews and scallion.  Enjoy!