Happy Sunday, and welcome to another fresh delicious edition of Menu Plan Your Butt Off, our weekly healthy menu plan. We do all the hard work of figuring calories and points, testing recipes, and then putting them all together to form menu plans that will please your palate, your family, your wallet, and your waistline. That’s a lot of planning, which means YOU don’t have to worry about it, so you’ll have plenty of time to do T25 or go for a run.
YOU ARE WELCOME!
Enjoy the menu this week, and be sure to check back each and every Sunday for another delicious healthy menu plan.
Healthy Menu Plan for 2/16/14
Monday: Chicken with Israeli Couscous 
Tuesday: Creamy Cajun Shrimp Linguini
Wednesday: Hearty Taco Casserole
Thursday: Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Minestrone
Friday: GO OUT TO DINNER!
Saturday: Roasted Balsamic Vegetables with Creamy Polenta
Sunday: Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef
For Breakfast: Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins
For Lunch this week: Salad in a Jar
GROCERY LIST
Chicken with Israeli Couscous
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup Israeli couscous
4-6 chicken thighs, skin on
½ yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pinch of saffron (optional)
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup dry white wine (cooks off the alcohol)
1 ½ cups of low sodium chicken stock
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup frozen petit peas, thawed
½ cup of shredded Brussels sprouts
Creamy Cajun Shrimp Linguine
1 cup water
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces uncooked linguine
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1 large red bell pepper, cut into (1/4-inch-thick) slices
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt free Cajun seasoning (I found mine in the bulk spices at my local supermarket)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup fat free half-and-half
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Minestrone
4 cups vegetable stock (low-sodium, if using store bought)
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 tablespoon oregano
2 large carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 15-oz cans organic Great Northern beans, in juices
1 6-oz can organic tomato paste
Roasted Balsamic Vegetables with Creamy Polenta
1 cup dry polenta
2 cups skim milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, sliced in rounds
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
2 medium sized tomatoes, cut into chunks
pinch salt and freshly ground pepper
extra balsamic for serving
Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef
3 pounds lean beef roast, such as eye of round or top round
2 whole onions
3 Tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves minced garlic
1 Tablespoon cumin
1-½ Tablespoon oregano
1 can small can of chipotle in adobo sauce
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons vinegar – white, red wine or rice wine all work
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Plus tortillas or brown rice, and a salad
Hearty Taco Casserole
2/3 cup uncooked brown rice
1-1/3 cups plus 4 to 5 tablespoons water, divided
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup water
1 envelope lower-sodium taco seasoning
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
2 C White Whole Wheat Flour
1/3 C Raw Honey
5 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 Egg, large
1/2 tsp Salt
1 C Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt
2 C Pumpkin Filling (I used a 15-oz can of Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin)
2 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
3 tsp Cinnamon, Ground
3/4 C Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips
Salad in a Jar
Ingredients below make 1 jar of salad. Feel free to customize and use different ingredients!
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup diced red bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped broccoli florets
1/4 cup diced English cucumber
1/2 green onion, sliced
2 ounces grilled chicken
1 teaspoon sunflower seeds
1 cup romaine
1 cup arugula
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