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Extra Groceries
Here are some recipes for using up anything you might have leftover from your shopping list.
Cannellini Beans:
Cannellini Beans and Escarole:
Parsley: Mix into mayo for a souped-up sandwich spread or make the Pesto recipe below. Freeze pesto in an ice cube tray, then store cubes in a resealable plastic bag. These can be easily defrosted to add flavor to veggies, pasta, sandwiches, etc.
Shopping List
Meat, Fish & Poultry
5 skinless, boneless chicken breast half
1 (5 ounce) salmon fillet
Produce
1 onion
1 green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
Fresh oregano
1 small head escarole
Fresh parsley
1 head lettuce
More veggies of your choice for salad
Dairy
1 egg
8 ounces sour cream
14 ounces Cheddar cheese
Spices & Flavorings
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon white wine
2-3/4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Other
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 (12 ounce) jar taco sauce
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 (16 ounce) can cannellini beans
1/2 teaspoon honey
Pantry
Salt
Pepper
Flour
Olive oil
Mix it up with Salads
I often suggest serving a simple salad with your main dish. Why? Because it's easy and I know that's all I have the energy to make with my main dish. But easy can also get boring, so I wanted to give you some tips to keep that "simple" salad a little more exciting:
Keep it colorful. Food is always more appealing if it's also a feast for the eyes, so add colorful veggies like bell peppers, tomatoes, sprouts, carrots, etc. You can also mix different types of lettuce together.
Get nutty. Add a small sprinkling of walnuts, sliced almonds, etc. for a different flavor. (Toasted almonds are my favorite thing to add…just cook in a pan on medium heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly until golden brown.)
Crunch time. Add a little texture with sunflower seeds, dried fruit (okay, those are more chewy than crunchy, but…), or croutons.
So cheesy. Parmesan, mozzarella, pepper jack, feta--the possibilities are endless!
Getting dressed. They say (and by "they" I mean the people that know more than me) that a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar is the healthiest way to dress a salad, so give that a try--I love it.
Obviously you don't want to negate the health benefits of a salad by drenching it in a high-fat dressing, but…I have a hard time with low-fat salad dressings so as a compromise, I mix my favorite dressing with a low-fat version. The other thing I like to do to cut down on fat and calories is shake the lettuce and a small amount of dressing in a resealable bag--makes the dressing go much further.
While all these items can add flavor to a salad, the important thing to remember is you don't want to get carried away and end up adding lots extra calories and fat. A little goes a long way with all these items. (But add as many extra veggies as you like, obviously!)
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