Our 10 day forecast looks like this:

And I have caught my kids' cold. So I am on the prowl for warm, fuzzy comfort foods that are low in carbs and dairy free. A tall order. I can do some modifications to make things dairy free and I can always make a small separate version of a dish for DS2 who cannot have milk/cheese/sour cream/etc. I have been hankering for casseroles in particular. Any suggestions would be appreciated.





Monday - cream of tomato soup, grilled cheese, carrot & celery sticks with dip
Tuesday - turkey & black bean chili (from freezer), salad, tortilla chips
Wednesday - turkey & spinach egg casserole(based on breakfast casserole recipe), salad
Thursday - beef stew
Friday - baked planko encrusted tilapia, baked sweet potatoes, steamed zucchini

Check out more menus at www.orgjunkie.com

Frech Fried Broccoli

Obviously not the healthiest way to eat broccoli but tasty!

French Fried Broccoli Recipe
Modified from a recipe By youtoo1955
A unique, yummy way to serve broccoli

Ingredients

* 1 and 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli floweretts washed and drained well on paper towels
* 1/2 cup flour
* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 tablespoon beaten egg or egg substitute
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 1/2 cup water
* oil for deep frying


Directions

1. Heat oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees
2. mix flour, cornstarch, and baking powder together
3. in a seperate bowl mix together well the egg, teaspoon of oil and water.
4. Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix well
5. dip serveral pieces of the broccoli at a time in the batter
6. do not crowd the broccoli in the deep fryer so it will not stick together
7. deep fry for 2 minutes or until the batter turns a nice golden brown
8. drain on paper towels
9. season with salt and pepper to taste

Menu Planning Monday

Monday
Chardonnay pork loin roast, whole wheat pasta with spinach cheese sauce, sauted asparagus and applesauce. Low carb mini almond cheesecakes.

Tuesday
turkey & black bean chili (from freezer - add extra veggies), cornbread muffins, salad

Wednesday (library & grocery store)
Mediterranean Tilapia, spinach, orzo

Thursday
Mom is going OUT! Take out or quickie dinner for DH and kids.

Friday
chicken & apple sausage with peppers and onions on rolls, coleslaw, apple slices

Saturday
Take dinner to a friend

Sunday - My baby is THREE!
William's birthday choice

Low Carb Mini Almond Cheesecakes

Verdict - big thumbs down. The dog liked them.


1 1/2 cups almond meal
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Splenda

2 8oz packages cream cheese at room temp
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons Splenda (or to taste)


Melt butter. Mix with almond meal and splenda. Divide evenly between 12 lightly sprayed muffin tins and pat down with tamper or fingers. Set aside.

Mix together cream cheese, eggs, extracts and splenda. Beat until smooth. Divide evenly on top of the crusts in the 12 muffin cups.

Bake at 350* for 25 minutes, until tops are cracked and golden. Cool. Refrigerate. ENJOY!


Modified from these recipes.

Menu Planning Monday

www.orgjunkie.com

I was trying to find the time to really plan well this week - including carb counts for recipes and finding some carb-friendly baked goods recipes. But instead time has got the best of me and I am just trying to get a basic menu plan down.

Monday - Leftover turkey and black bean chili
Tuesday - take out steak sandwiches
Wednesday - flax pasta, turkey & mushroom sauce, salad
Thursday - baked tilapia, spinach, leftover pasta w/ "butter" sauce & parsley
Friday - (bake cakes)pork roast, mixed veggies, applesauce, mashed sweet potatoes
Saturday - the boys' birthday party! Something easy or take out for dinner
Sunday - leftovers or sandwiches

Menu Planning Monday

As we ring in the new year we have wonderful news to celebrate with old friends of ours. A family has been born and we are hoping to meet our friends' new baby boy on New Years Day! Although as I type both DH and DS2 have the sniffles - we are hoping a cold doesn't descend upon our home as 2007 ends. I am planning on spending NYE day, while DH works a short day and my boys play nicely together (I can hope, right?) making a vat of chili to freeze and baking up banana bread to take to our friends so they can spend more time lavishing that new baby with love than worrying about the next meal.

The challenges of integrating a low carb menu along with dairy free while at the same time using whole foods as often as possible and working with in a budget proves to be even more daunting when trying to make festive treats. Our New Years day eats are really quite out there but hopefully will keep everyone happy and full while keeping sensitive bellies well and blood sugars in check.



The menu for the week - an eclectic week between the holiday and cooking in bulk to share...

Monday (NYE)
make many loaves of banana bread
make turkey & black bean chili to freeze
for dinner - Asian Hot Pot, korean spare ribs, flax noodles

Tuesday - Happy New Year!
(visiting friends with new baby - taking them lunch to share, banana bread and freezer meals)
Appetizer night -buffalo chicken dip
, Texas caviar, guacamole, dinosaur chicken, spicy hummus, soy-flax chips, carrots & celery sticks, tuna salad stuffed tomatoes, sliced fruit

Wednesday -
leftover chili, cornbread, salad

Thursday -
Tom Ka Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup), salad

Friday -
baked tilapia, baked sweet potatoes, steamed zucchini


Check out more menus at Laura's

Christmas Breakfast Casserole

This was a fantastic breakfast for a lazy Christmas morning at home. This is not a low-fat or even remotely healthy dish so definitely a holiday special. I prepped the casserole the night before and on Christmas morning, while I brushed my teeth DH threw the casserole in the oven and it cooked while we opened gifts. We took it out and it cooled to just perfect temp in time for us to sit down and enjoy breakfast together. I also prepped a dairy-free version the night before (with eggs, sausage, bacon, peppers, green onions, Earth's Balance, soymilk and brown rice (since the croutons had cheese)).I served breakfast with a diary-free banana bread that friends dropped off yesterday and the oranges from our stockings. Delish! Recipe adapted from Charleston Breakfast Casserole on allrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound bacon, chopped and browned
* approx 1/2 pound breakfast sausage, chopped and browned
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* 3 cups croûtons (enough to cover the bottom of the casserole dish) **
* 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (or enough to cover the croutons)
* 9 eggs
* 1 3/4 cups milk
* 1 red bell pepper, diced
* 2 green onions, diced
* 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
* salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in the microwave, or in a small pan on the stove over low heat. Spray a 9x12 inch baking dish with vegetable spray. Place croûtons in the bottom of the dish, and drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle with grated Cheddar cheese.
2. Sprinkle cheese with pre-cooked bacon & sausage.
3. Crack the eggs into a bowl, whisking to break up the yolks. Add milk, peppers, mustard, a few good turns of fresh cracked sea salt and black pepper, and beat until well-combined. Pour over the croutons and cheese.
4. Refrigerate overnight. Place in cold oven - turn oven on to 325* and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove and let sit for 10-20 minutes before serving.


**Purchase prepared croutons or make croutons with day old bread cut in to cubes, drizzle with melted butter or butter substitute (or olive oil), sprinkle with seasoning of choice (parmesan, garlic powder, salt & pepper, herbs) - bake at 400*, flipping once, until brown and crisp