Meg's Meal Planning

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Oven Baked Pork Schnitzel

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Super easy oven baked Pork Schnitzel is an easy week night recipe. Pair it with potatoes and a salad for an easy and satisfying dinner.  

Pork Schnitzel

Looking to get in the fun of celebrating Oktoberfest? Then try this easy oven baked Pork Schnitzel. It’s healthier than pan frying, but tastes just as delicious. It also is a great make ahead meal and stores well in the freezer.

Pork schnitzel is a popular German dish prepared by breading and frying thin pork cutlets. Although there are many varieties of schnitzel like chicken, veal, and turkey. Pork is one of my personal favorites. The key to a good schnitzel is a meat mallet. You need to pound the pork very thin.  Skip the gym and have this be your arm work out!

Baked port schnitzel

Oven Baked Pork Schnitzel
 
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Super easy oven baked Pork Schnitzel is an easy week night recipe. Pair it with potatoes and a salad for an easy and satisfying dinner.
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 boneless pork chops, pounded until ¼ inch thick
  • ½ cup flour
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp roasted garlic powder
  • 2 eggs whisked
  • 1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. Combine flour and spices in shallow bowl. Eggs in another, and breadcrumbs in another
  3. Dip each piece of pork into flour, shaking off excess. Then dip into egg, then bread crumbs. Place pork on a lightly oiled wire rack over baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip and bake another 5 minutes.

 

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Healthy oven baked pork schnitzel

Week of Sept 24th

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Week of Oct 1st

Monday – Grilled salmon with corn orzo salad. 

Grilled salmon with orzo salad

Picture by Saving Dessert

Tuesday – Eggplant parm. Meal prep tip-dip the eggplant in egg and bread cakes, bake once. Then layer in pan with sauce and cheese and bake again the night you’re eating it.

eggplant parm

Wednesday – Healthy Mexican chicken quinoa skillet. 

Mexican chicken quinoa skillet

Thursday – Easy Skillet Italian Chicken and Potatoes

chicken and potatoes

Friday– Lemon herb Mediterranean quinoa salad

lemon herb salad

Easy Skillet Italian Chicken and Potatoes

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Easy Italian chicken and potatoes cooked in a skillet, seasoned with thyme, rosemary, and oregano – a classic, staple dinner that anyone can easily throw together. 

potatoes and chicken

This easy skillet Italian chicken and potatoes is a perfect meal on a fall night. The inviting flavors of thyme, rosemary, and oregano season the potatoes and chicken wonderfully. The potatoes are nicely browned and have the perfect amount of crunch!

Even better, this dinner recipe uses only two pans. There is nothing more upsetting than a sink full of dishes to clean at the end of the night. Am I right?!

chicken and potatoes dinner

To eliminate a step, you’ll want to use chicken cutlets. Chicken breasts works fine too if that’s what you have on hand, but you’ll have to pound them thin first.

Easy Skillet Italian Chicken and Potatoes
 
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Easy Italian chicken and potatoes cooked in a skillet, seasoned with thyme, rosemary, and oregano - a classic, staple dinner that anyone can easily throw together.
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Recipe type: Chicken
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ lb baby yellow potatoes, quartered
  • 1 lb chicken breasts pounded thin or chicken cutlets
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp butter, divided
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • ½ tsp dried rosemary
  • ½ tsp drired oregano
  • ½ tsp roasted garlic seasoning
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Parboil the potatoes for 8 minutes. This will help them cook faster in the oven.
  2. While the potatoes are boiling, season chicken with salt and pepper. Then dip in flour, shaking off excess.
  3. Meanwhile, in large skillet over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp butter and chicken. Cook 5-6 minutes/side until browned or until internal temperature reaches 160. Transfer to plate and cover.
  4. In same skillet over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp butter, drained potatoes, and herbs. Cook for 4 mintues, stir, then cook another 4-5 minutes until golden and tender.
  5. Transfer chicken back to pan and heat together.

 

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easy Italian chicken and potatoes

Lemon herb Mediterranean quinoa salad

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Lemon herb quinoa salad combines all the tastes of a fine Mediterranean dish – cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon, and avocados. Served over kale for a delicious and simple dinner. 

Herb mediterranean salad

Mediterranean flavors are my jam lately. What’s not to love!? It’s all simple ingredients that are just good for you! Although if I had my way, I would add a ton of olives! But I know everyone isn’t a fan of them (especially in my house), so I didn’t include them in this recipe. But if you’re a fellow olive lover, feel free to add kalamata or black olives!

This lemon herb quinoa salad is chock full of yummy tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocado. To make sure you stay satisfied and full, it also has quinoa for some protein. All on top of kale! Remember, don’t skip the step where you massage the kale leaves. It sounds strange but really makes a difference.

Lemon mediterranean salad

Lemon herb Mediterranean quinoa salad
 
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Lemon herb quinoa salad combines all the tastes of a Mediterranean dish - cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon, and avocados. Served over kale for a delicious and simple dinner.
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Serves: 1-2
Ingredients
  • ½ cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice)
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 cups of kale, washed and chopped
  • Extra virgin olive oil (for kale)
  • 1 mini cucumber, quartered
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half
  • ¼ cup red onion, sliced
  • 1 avocado, sliced
Instructions
  1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, make the salad dressing. Whisk together in a small bowl olive oil, lemon juice, water, red wine vinegar, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside.
  3. Add kale leaves to a large bowl, drizzle extra virgin olive oil and salt to taste. Massage kale with hands for 1 minute.
  4. Add cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado to kale. Add in quinoa.
  5. Drizzle lemon herb dressing on top.

 

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Lemon herb mediterranean quinoa salad

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Corn Salad with a Lime Tahini Dressing

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End of summer salad with roasted cherry tomatoes, corn, black beans, avocado with a tangy lime tahini dressing. This easy salad is healthy and refreshing!

spinach salad with Tahini dressing

The end of summer is always a sad thing. Fortunately for me, I live in New England and love all four seasons, especially fall. Actually, I love the start of every new season. But knowing my beach days are ending is a little upsetting!

This summer salad with roasted cherry tomatoes, corn, black beans, and avocado makes the transition a little easier! The roasted cherry tomatoes taste so amazing you might just want to pick them out of the salad and eat them all.  Click here for the garlic roasted cherry tomatoes recipe.  I had them made in advance, so if you aren’t doing so, making the salad will take a little longer.

Roasted tomatoes and corn salad

Best part of this healthy salad recipe is the homemade, tangy lime tahini dressing. Only five simple ingredients elevate this salad to another level of salad greatness!

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Corn Salad with a Lime Tahini Dressing
 
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End of summer salad with roasted cherry tomatoes, corn, black beans, and avocado with a tangy lime tahini dressing. This easy salad is healthy and refreshing!
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 8 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup garlic roasted cherry tomatoes (see above for recipe)
  • 1 ear of corn, cooked and cut from the cob
  • ½ cup black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ¼ cup red onion, sliced thin
  • ½ avocado, diced
  • ¼ cup Tahini
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tbsp cilantro
  • ½ tsp lime juice
  • ¼ salt
Instructions
  1. Add spinach to a large bowl.
  2. Add garlic roasted cherry tomatoes, corn, black beans, red onion, and avocado. Stir together.
  3. Add tahini, water, cilantro, lime juice, and salt to a food processor or Nutri bullet. Blend together.
  4. Pour dressing over salad.

 

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Roasted tomatoes and corn salad with lime tahini dressing

Week of September 10th

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Meal plan for Sept 10th

Monday – Braised chicken thighs with marinated peaches. The link for the marinated peaches doesn’t work, so google it and it will come up.

Braised chicken and peaches

Tuesday – Pasta salad with sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese, kalamata olives with a sun-dried tomatoes dressing

Sun dried tomato pasta salad

Wednesday – Spicy Hawaiian Chicken Burgers.

Spicy Hawaiian Turkey Burger

Thursday – Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake.

Lentil Brown Rice bake

Friday – Gnocchi with cherry tomatoes and zucchini ribbons. If you can’t find zucchini anymore add fresh basil instead.

Gnocchi with zucchini ribbons and cherry tomatoes

The 50 Best Items From Trader Joe’s

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In honor of Trader Joe’s opening in my hometown, I’m sharing my list of the 50 best items from Trader Joe’s. Appetizers, condiments, coffee, desserts, dinner ideas, snacks and more can be found in this extensive list. Comment below with your favorite!

Trader Joe's Shopping trip

Appetizers

1. Mac and cheese bites – If you buy anything from this list, this should be it. Darn delicious!

2. Arancini bites – Bite-sized rice balls filled with just the right amount of oozy, melted cheese.

3. Chicken and beef mini tacos – These make a great finger food when hosting family or friends. Heat in the oven and serve. Easy and simple.

Black bean dip4. Black bean dip – I always keep one of these jars handy. It’s an easy appetizer when hosting family or friends.

5. Spanakopita – An authentic spinach and cheese filled pie. Trader- Joes greek spanakopita

6. Pastry bites with feta cheese and caramelized onions – What’s not to love?!

7. Unexpected cheddar cheese – One of Trader Joe’s most famous products. Hints of Parmesan, which provides an unexpected yet sophisticated flavor. Try it on sandwiches, eggs, pasta, or just on its own.

8. Spinach and cheese stuffed mushrooms – Whole mushroom caps, piled high with spinach and cheese filling and topped with crispy breadcrumbs.

Snacks

9. Veggie and flaxseed tortilla chips – These are my family’s favorite tortilla chips. The flavors are carrot and tomatoes, spinach and garlic, and red beet and onion.

Trader Joe's snacks 10. Trader Joe’s Salsa Authentic – Pair with the tortilla chips and you have an A+ snack.

11. Dark chocolate covered raisins, almonds, blueberries. TJ’s has them all and you will eat them by the handfuls, like these peanut butter dark chocolate cover cups. 

12. Almonds – I usually buy the unsalted, but I’ve had the salted before as well. They are addicting. The entire nut section is pretty impressive. Every kind you could want.

13. Ranch seasoned crispy chickpeas – A great, healthy snack!

14. Icelandic plain Greek yogurt – The texture is smoother and creamier than regular Greek yogurt. Try making these raspberry lemon yogurt bites. Use Trader Joe’s Icelandic yogurt or regular greek yogurt. Raspberry lemon greek yogurt bites

 

Pantry items

Where do I even start?! Every item in this store is absolutely amazing, but some of my favorites to stock up and always have in my pantry are:

15. Sun-dried tomatoes

16. Marinated artichokes

17. Whole grain Dijon mustard – For those of you who follow Whole30, you can eat this mustard. It has 0 added sugars.

18. Three-seed beet crackers – I’ve also had the sweet potato crackers and they are just as good.

19. Everything but the bagel seasoning – You NEED this in your life. Try it on avocado toast or a fried egg!

20. Champagne pear vinaigrette –Champagne pear vinaigrette This is my all time favorite salad dressing. My husband and I actually fight over it, it’s that stinkin’ good. Try it out on top of this quinoa bowl with strawberries, kale, roasted chickpeas, and feta cheese. 
Tahini

21. Organic tahini – For only $3.49, it’s much cheaper than any other grocery store. Try this lemon tahini dressing with your next salad or quinoa bowl.

22. No boil lasagne noodles – Calling all pasta lovers! These noodles cut down time on a classic family dish. Try my one pot skinny lasagne soup for an even quicker and healthier version of traditional lasagne.

Peanut butter23. Trader Joe’s peanut butters – Made with just 1 or 2 ingredients (depending on if you buy the salted or unsalted version). Both versions available in creamy or chunky.

24. Mexican-style roasted corn with cotijas cheese – The perfect side to tacos or fajitas. Try these sheet pan steak fajitas with the roasted corn as a side.

 

Dinners

Whenever I’m not sure what to make for dinner, Trader Joe’s always comes to the rescue. They have so many quick and easy dinner helpers. Seriously, you can’t go wrong!

25. Frozen green beans – LOVE these when I need to add a veggie side to my dinner; plus you can cook only what you need and save the rest. They are slightly skinnier than fresh green beans you would find in a store and, for whatever reason, my toddler son likes the size of these and gobbles them up.

green beans26. Colorful Carrot Coins – A blend of lightly seasoned orange, yellow, white, and purple carrots. An easy addition to your dinner.

27. Pulled pork in smoky BBQ sauce – Heat up and serve with a bun for sandwiches or make this incredibly tasty BBQ pulled pork enchilada.Pulled pork enchilada with black beans

28. Fire-Roasted Bell Peppers & Onions – In a skillet, heat up strips of chicken or steak then add the frozen fajita mix for an easy week night dinner.

29. Frozen veggie stir fry – I prefer adding my own meat, like their pork tenderloin. Cook it in advance, dice it up, and add to your cooked stir fry.

cheese tortellini salad30. Tortellini and ravioli – TJ’s has the best selection to choose from. Your choice of cheese or spinach tortellini, lobster or meat ravioli. Try my Italian cheese tortellini with artichokes, cherry tomatoes, and a pesto sauce or this turkey meatball and spinach tortellini soup.

31. Cauliflower pizza crust – I don’t eat gluten free, but I wanted to see what the hype was about and I don’t mind trying something healthier either! This crust was crispy and tasty. Try out my pizza recipe with pesto and sautéed cherry tomatoes. Trader Joe's cauliflower crust pizza

32. Cauliflower gnocchi 

33. Chicken dogs – Much healthier than hotdogs. Make a more adult version with this hotdog arugula salad. 

Mandarian orange chicken34. Frozen Mandarin orange chicken – This item is ranked the overall favorite in the Trader Joe’s 9th Annual Customer Choice Awards. So if you don’t want to listen to me, listen to them!

35. Marinated Carne Asada – This meat is tender, juicy, and delicious. It’s Marinated carne asadamarinated with a Mexican-inspired spice blend.

36. Salsa Verde – Add this to my carne asada tacos with a spicy cucumber.

37. Chili lime chicken burgers (frozen) or salmon burgers – Both make an easy week night meal.

 

Drinks

38. Cold brew coffee in 8 oz cans – These are the perfect grab-and-go caffeine fix. They come in either black or French vanilla. I’ve tried the French vanilla flavor and it was delicious! cold brew coffee

39. Trader Joe’s organic strawberry lemonade – Only available in the summer.

40. 100% Kauai coffee beans – Medium roast. Sweet, nutty and full bodied with chocolate notes.

 

Seasonal items 

I wanted to originally keep this list to items that were only available year-round, but there are just too many good seasonal items to not share my favorites!

41. Pumpkin cinnamon rolls – Can’t go wrong with anything pumpkin; it’s all amazing! Chocolate mousse pumpkin

42. Pumpkin cheesecake

43. Pumpkin spice whipped cream

44. Chocolate pumpkin mousse cookies

45. Dark chocolate-covered peppermint cremes – Pillowy and pepperminty perfection.

46. Popcorn tin – With flavors like Olive Oil, Sriracha Lime, Cheddar and Caramel, and Hot Chocolate. This makes a great holiday gift and is perfect to have at the house when company is over. Bonus: keep the tin and store cookies in it!

47. Dark chocolate sea salt caramels

48. Winter wassail – A classic holiday punch that is mighty tasty on its own or spiked with wine.

49. Candy cane Joe-Joe’s – AKA an Oreo cookie on steroids! Also available as gluten free and dark-chocolate covered.

50. Peaches and cream tarte – Flaky and buttery, sweet cream and sugary peach fill this delicious summer tarte.

 

 

 

Garlic Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

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Garlic roasted cherry tomatoes, perfect for snacking, adding to soups, salads, pasta, or chicken dishes! This easy recipe is also great for freezing and using later! 

garlic roasted tomatoes

Summer is coming to an end, and that means the garden is overflowing with cherry tomatoes. I honestly can’t believe how many I’ve gotten this summer. I’m out there almost every night picking a few handfuls of tomatoes.

Garlic roasting cherry tomatoes is a DELICIOUS way to use up the bountiful pickings from the garden. They are so versatile! You can throw them in nearly anything: soup, salad, quinoa bowl, or a chicken/pasta dish! And maybe most importantly, you can freeze them until fall/winter when your making more hearty meals. Of course, I also just eat them once they’re out of the oven; they are that hard to resist!

garlic roasted cherry tomatoes

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Garlic Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
 
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Garlic roasted cherry tomatoes, perfect for snacking, adding to soups, salads, pasta, or chicken dishes! This easy recipe is also great for freezing and using later!
Author:
Serves: 2 cups
Ingredients
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved length wise
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1.5 tsp roasted garlic seasoning
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Lay parchment paper or use silicone baking sheet on large rimmed baking sheet. Spread cherry tomatoes cut side up on baking sheet.
  3. Drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle with salt, Italian seasoning, and roasted garlic seasoning.
  4. Bake 15-20 minutes.

 

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roasted garlic cherry tomatoes

Fluffy Sage and Cheddar Biscuits

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These sage and cheddar biscuits will be your favorite addition to any BBQ, picnic, or get together. They are fresh, flaky, and taste best with warm melted butter.

Biscuits

Sage is a nice, earthy herb that I grow every year.  And I even just learned it’s an annual and will come back every year! One of my favorite foods to make with fresh sage are these sage and cheddar biscuits. I could eat the entire batch; they are that good!  One thing about homemade biscuits is they aren’t the most healthy for you. The recipe I followed called for 1.5 sticks of butter! Woof! I wanted to make it healthier without losing the taste. I had fun experimenting with different ingredients and it was a little trial and error, but I’ve successfully created a healthier version of sage and cheddar biscuits that cuts down on the butter from one and half sticks to only ¼ cup.

Sage biscuits

I also opted not to use buttermilk because it’s one of those ingredients I will buy and use only a little bit and the rest will go to waste. So here it is: your new favorite, heathier biscuit recipe with no buttermilk and less butter!

Cheddar sage biscuits

Fluffy Sage and Cheddar Biscuits
 
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These sage and cheddar biscuits will be your favorite addition to any BBQ, picnic, or get together. They are fresh, flaky, and taste best with warm melted butter.
Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
  • 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ¼ cup applesauce
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. In a food processor, add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Pulse, then add cheese and sage and pulse again to combine.
  3. Add butter, applesauce and pulse until the mixture starts to combine and turn coarse.
  4. In a small bowl, mix the milk and vinegar together, let sit for 1 minute, then add to the food processor and pulse until just combined.
  5. Lightly flour work surface and knead the dough. Roll out until ¾ inch thick and use a biscuit cutter to cut out 12 biscuits. If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, a 1 cup measuring cup works well too. (That’s what I use)
  6. Place biscuits on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

 

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Homemade flaky sage and cheddar biscuits