Menu Plan Monday

Some of recipes this week are carry-overs from last week, I got sick and didn't stick to my menu plan as well as I had planned when Prince Charming took over cooking for some days. So here is my plan for this week:

1. Monday -- Salmon-noodle casserole (Core)
2. Tuesday -- Baked Macaroni and Cheese (WW Core +3 points)
3. Wednesday -- Creamed corn with spicy shrimp (WW Core)
4. Thursday -- Baked spaghetti (core)
5. Friday -- Beef Stroganoff (Core)
6. Saturday -- Shrimp "Scampi" Pasta (Core)
7. Sunday -- Crockpot: vegetable and shrimp chowder (Core)

Salmon-noodle casserole
Cooking spray
6 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, elbow macaroni or penne
1 c onion(s), chopped
1/2 c sweet red pepper(s), chopped
1/2 c green pepper(s), chopped
1 c FF skim milk
2 large eggs
2 TBS chives, fresh, minced
1/4 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dill, dried
6 oz canned salmon, picked over for bones
1/2 c FF or soy Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350*. Coat a 3-qt casserole dish with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of water to boil; add pasta, stir and bring to a boil again. Cook until pasta is completely tender, about 8 to 10 minutes; drain; return pasta to pot and set aside.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add onion and peppers. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until onions start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add to pasta pot.

Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, beat eggs in a small, heatproof bowl. Slowly pour half of warmed milk into eggs, while beating constantly. Pour mixture back into saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens to consistency of custard sauce, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in chives, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir seasoned sauce into pot.

Add salmon to pasta pot and spoon mixture into prepared casserole dish. Bake until mixture is piping hot and top is browned, about 20 minutes.

Serves 4-6


Baked macaroni & cheese

12 oz uncooked whole-wheat macaroni
12 oz can of FF evaporated milk
8 oz 2% reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese1 TBS Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350*.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, heat milk over low heat on the stove, add cheese, and whisk until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into a 1.5 qt casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.

Creamed corn with spicy shrimp
24 oz frozen corn kernels
1/3 c finely chopped onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1.5 TBS canola oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1/2 c + 1 TBS basil, loosely chopped

Place half of corn in a food processor or blender; add 1/2 c hot water. Process/blend until pureed. Set aside.

Spray frying pan with nonstick spray. Saute onion until soft. Add the unprocessed corn kernels and 1/2 c water. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until corn is almost tender 6-8 minutes. Stir in pureed corn, and salt and pepper to taste; cook, stirring, about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok, over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add pepper flakes, garlic, and shrimp. Stir-fry until cooked and pink, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with lemon juice and 1/2 c basil. Stir remaining TBS basil into corn. Spoon corn into bowls and top with shrimp.

Serves 4


Baked spaghetti
Don't be intimidated by the length of this recipe. It's not difficult.

2 c canned diced tomatoes
2 c tomato sauce
1 c water
1/2 c diced onion
1/2 c diced green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley leaves
1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
1.5 tsp House Seasoning, recipe follows
1.5 tsp seasoning salt
1.5 tsp Splenda (use sugar if you prefer; it's 0 WPAs in this quantity, over this many servings)
2 small bay leaves
1.5 lb lean ground beef
8 oz uncooked whole-wheat spaghetti
1 c grated or shredded soy or FF cheddar **
1 c grated or shredded soy or FF Monterey Jack **

**All cheddar will work fine, too.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

Crumble the ground beef in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining. Drain the fat from the meat, and then add the ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for 20 more minutes.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta and then a little less than 1/2 of each cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese, return it to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 more minutes. Cut into squares before serving.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 c black pepper
1/4 c garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months


Beef Stroganoff

3/4 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak
1 tsp olive oil
14 oz. can beef broth with onions
2 cups fresh mushrooms
3 cups uncooked whole wheat egg noodles
1/2 cup FF sour cream.

Slice the beef across the grain into thin strips. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the meat over med-high heat. Add broth and mushrooms and bring to a boil. Stir in dry noodles. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 10 minutes or until noodles are cooked through. Stir in sour cream and let it warm through. Serve immediately. Recipe says it makes 4 servings (it was more like 2 generous portions for me).

I did "tweak" a few things to fit what I had in the house - I used spray PAM instead of olive oil because I had already used my oil allottment for the day. I seasoned my beef before cooking and threw a handful of frozen diced onions in while cooking it because I didn't have beef broth with onions in it. I also used canned mushrooms because that is what I had on hand. I found it needed some salt and pepper (but then again I salt and pepper EVERYTHING).

Shrimp "Scampi" Pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
28 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
2-3 cups broccoli
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; sauté 1 minute. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth, broccoli, salt, and pepper; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 30 seconds. Add parsley and juice; toss well to coat. Cook 1 minute or until shrimp and broccoli are done. Serve over WW pasta.

Crockpot: vegetable and shrimp chowder
2 c diced onions
1 c sliced carrots
1 c chopped fresh or frozen broccoli
1 c diced celery
Cooking spray
2 c peeled and diced baking potatoes
10 oz package frozen corn
4 c chicken broth
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 c Dijon mustard
1 c fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onions, carrots, and celery in cooking spray for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Place in slow cooker. Add potatoes, corn and broth. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. During the last hour of cooking, add shrimp, mustard and parsley.

Serves 6-8