My Crazy Week + A Short Menu

Once again, I have to apologize for the lack of menus in the next two weeks. I know, I know. May has/will be the craziest month of 2013 for me yet and that's saying a lot. I promise things will slow down soon (even though my husband doesn't believe me) and I will be back on track with blogging! This weekend I'm headed to Rockingham, NC and Greenville, SC to celebrate Mother's Day with all of our family. From there, I'm headed up to Concord, NC to speak at the 2013 Nutrition Assistants' Multi-State Conference. I was very honored when asked to speak at this event and I'm happy to be sharing my couponing and meal planning knowledge. Just when I get back to Wilmington Nick and I are headed down to Savannah, GA for the weekend to work a little and play a lot :) I would love to hear any suggestions of places to eat, shop, visit, etc. while we're there!

Moms - share this menu from StarNews with dad and the kids so they can treat you extra special and give you the day off on Sunday - you deserve it! Yep, those are the dirty pot holder hands of yours truly. Maybe I should invest in some new ones that actually match...

Below are three recipes inspired from the Greek-related items on sale at Lowes Foods this week. All recipes are four servings. Not a full menu but something is better than nothing, right?

I hope you all have a great Mother's Day weekend!

Shopping List

Pasta:

Barilla penne pasta - $1

Tribe hummus - $1.75

1 pint grape tomatoes - $2.99

½ lb broccoli crowns - $.99

Fresh cilantro - $.99

Lowes Foods 15 oz can garbanzo beans - $.99

Lowes Foods Kalamata olives, 6 oz can - $3.69

Chicken pitas:

Toufayan whole wheat pita bread - $2.49

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - $2.79/lb

1 small red onion ~ $1.25

1 cucumber - $.99

2 roma tomatoes - $.80

Fresh Express lettuce trio - $2

Greek potatoes:

6 red potatoes ~ $3

1 lemon - $.79

Hummus crusted chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - $2.79/lb

2 zucchini ~ $2.25

2 yellow squash ~ $2.25

1 onion ~ $.80

Tribe hummus - $1.75

1 lemon - $.79

Pasta with garbanzo beans, charred tomatoes & broccoli

8 oz penne pasta

¼ cup pasta water

1/2 cup plain hummus

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 pint grape tomatoes

½ lb broccoli crowns, chopped

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp paprika

1/2 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1) Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving ¼ cup pasta water. Whisk hummus into reserved pasta water.

2) Meanwhile, heat oil in large heavy skillet (cast-iron works best) over high heat. Add grape tomatoes and broccoli; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until blackened in spots, shaking skillet occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.

3) Add garbanzo beans, garlic, and paprika to tomato mixture. Crush about half of the tomatoes to release their juices. Add pasta and enough hummus mixture to coat. Mix in olives and cilantro; toss and serve.

Grilled chicken pitas with Greek potatoes

Chicken pitas:

4 whole wheat pita pockets

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cut into strips

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, chopped

8 tomato slices

4 Tbsp hummus

Lettuce mix, chopped

Preparation

1) In a large bowl, mix lettuce, onion, tomatoes and cucumber.

2) Spread 1 Tbsp of hummus in each pita pocket.  Stuff each pita with lettuce mixture and chicken.

Greek Potatoes:

6 red potatoes, cut into evenly sized wedges

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp garlic powder

4 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Preparation

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Add potatoes and the rest of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Toss until potatoes are well coated.

3) Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the coated potatoes in a single layer and drizzle with any remaining marinade left in the bowl.

4) Bake at 400 degrees for about 30-45 minutes, turning potatoes about halfway through the cooking time.

  

Hummus crusted chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ tsp salt, divided

½ tsp pepper, divided

2 zucchini, chopped

2 yellow squash, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup hummus

1 lemon

1 tsp paprika

Preparation:

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2) Place chicken breasts in a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Season each chicken breast with salt and pepper and top each with hummus. Spread hummus over chicken breast so that they are entirely covered. Squeeze juice of half the lemon over chicken. Sprinkle with paprika.

3) In a large bowl, toss the zucchini, squash and onion with olive oil until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.

4) Place all of the vegetables in an even layer on a baking sheet. Squeeze the other half the lemon juice over vegetables.

5) Bake both dishes for about 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Toss vegetables halfway through cooking.