Meg's Meal Planning

dinner

Roasted Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Kale

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Roasted gnocchi and butternut squash with kale mixed in a creamy, healthy Alfredo sauce. A hearty, vegetarian dinner that is perfect for the winter months.

gnocchi and butternut squash

Everything about this dish, I just love. From the roasted gnocchi to the soft and tender kale to the healthier Alfredo sauce, I’m pretty positive you will fall in love with this meal. It’s the perfect family dinner for a cold winter night. Pour yourself a nice glass of wine or curl up under a blanket on the couch and enjoy this seasonal meal.

Roasting the gnocchi gives the pasta a slight crispiness, but if that’s not your thing, you can always boil them instead. Roasting them is just one less pan to wash! Using precut butternut squash is a huge time saver, which is what I did for this recipe. If you choose to use a whole butternut squash, just make sure to peel and cut into bite size pieces and adjust your baking time.

Butternut squash gnocchi

Almost every time I see a recipe that calls for traditional Alfredo sauce or heavy cream, I stay away. I prefer something lighter and healthier. That’s what makes this Alfredo sauce the perfect in between – you get the taste of the traditional sauce without the heavy cream. This sauce is made with milk; I used whole milk to make it a little richer.

If you really want to get fancy and make homemade gnocchi, find my recipe here! But for the sake of time, I used store bought gnocchi.

Gnocchi with butternut squash

Roasted Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Kale
 
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Roasted gnocchi and butternut squash with kale mixed in a creamy, healthy Alfredo sauce. A hearty, vegetarian dinner that is perfect for the winter months.
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Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, separated
  • 12 oz butternut squash, cut into bite size pieces
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup milk
  • 17.5 oz package of gnocchi
  • 2 cups kale washed and chopped
  • Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast butternut squash on baking sheet with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
  2. Meanwhile melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat, whisk in flour for about 3 minutes.
  3. Whisk in chicken broth and milk, bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. It will continue to thicken once you let it sit and once poured over the gnocchi. Careful not to let sauce boil over.
  4. In large pan heat 1 tbsp olive oil over low heat, add gnocchi and cook 4-6 minutes or until tender. Transfer gnocchi to a plate.
  5. In the same large pan, add kale and cook until welted, add the Alfredo sauce, stir to combine.
  6. Add butternut squash and gnocchi to pan and stir well. Remove from heat.
  7. Top with parmesan cheese.

 

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kale, butternut squash, gnocchi

Quinoa fried rice

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Gluten free, paleo friendly, and dairy free quinoa fried rice with healthy vegetables like carrots and mushrooms. Pair it with grilled chicken or tofu for extra protein.

fried rice quinoa

I love making a big batch of quinoa to use for lunches for the week. Prep it over the weekend and you’ll find it helps control some of the craziness of what I call the “dinner rush” The time from 5-6:30pm when you cook dinner, feed the toddler, give the baby the a bottle, convince the toddler to eat dinner, feed the baby puree foods, start bargaining with the toddler to eat, give the baby a bath, then the toddler a bath because he has FOMO, put the baby to bed, do the dishes, put the toddler to bed, all while trying to eat yourself! Just typing that was exhausting.

Quinoa fried rice is an easy prep ahead meal, you can add chicken or tofu for some more protein. I followed this recipe for grilled chicken.

Quinoa fried rice

Quinoa fried rice
 
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Gluten free, paleo friendly, and dairy free quinoa fried rice with healthy vegetables like carrots and mushrooms. Pair it with grilled chicken or tofu for extra protein.
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Cuisine: Quinoa
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and diced, about 1 cup
  • 10 mushrooms diced
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 4 tablespoon coconut aminos
  • 1 tbsp. toasted sesame seed oil
  • 2 green onions, chopped
Instructions
  1. Cook 1 cup quinoa according to package directions. Set aside into medium bowl.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over skillet, add carrots and mushrooms, sauté for 8 mints or until soft.
  3. Make a well and add eggs and stir apart breaking up the eggs into small pieces, add the garlic and ginger and stir for about 30 secs.
  4. Remove from pan and add to quinoa. Let cool.
  5. Once cooled add coconut aminos, sesame seed oil, and green onions. Stir together.

 

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quinoa fried rice and chicken

Smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich

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Vegetarian chickpea and avocado sandwich is a quick and simple lunch to throw together. Diary free, plus full of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. 

smashed chickpea sandwich

Day four of eating gluten and dairy free in the month of February. Today was definitely the hardest to stay on course. I’m not getting cravings, but it’s because I’m home and not at work. Does anyone else find they snack more when they are doing stuff around the house? At lunch I wanted to reach for a yogurt or make a ham and cheese sandwich. I like to eat lighter for lunch – a salad or sandwich – so that’s why this smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich was the perfect choice.

This smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich is diary free, without any mayo or yogurt to bind the ingredients together; instead the creamy avocado does the trick. The cranberries and lemon add a fun tang and the spinach adds some healthy greens! The recipes makes two servings – I used gluten free bread which is much smaller than regular bread. If you aren’t using gluten free bread, it will make one serving.

Smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich
 
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Vegetarian chickpea and avocado sandwich is a quick and simple lunch to throw together. Diary free, plus full of protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • ½ cup chick peas, drained and rinsed
  • ½ avocado, diced
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp dried cranberries
  • Four slices gluten free bread
Instructions
  1. Add the chick peas to a bowl, smash with a fork
  2. Add in the avoacdo and stir together
  3. Add the lemon juice and dried cranberries
  4. Toast your bread and add the smashed chick peas and avocado mix
  5. Top with your favorite toppings-spinach, sliced tomato, etc

 

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Smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich

Banza rice four ways

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Easy meal prep using high-protein chickpea rice. One pot of rice prepared into four different salads for easy lunches and/or dinners that you won’t get bored of.

Four Banza rice meals

 

Meal prep is taking over my Instagram feed: #mealprepsunday anyone? I’m all about preparing food in advance to make the work week less hectic, but one thing I can’t understand is how people can enjoy eating the same thing for lunch or dinner every day. Five. Days. Straight. Doesn’t get that boring?

In cooking Banza rice four ways, I used one main ingredient to create four very different tasting meals. Banza rice is made from chickpeas; it kind of looks like orzo pasta but has much more protein to fill you up. It has 11 grams of protein, five grams of fiber, and only 25 grams of net carbs/per serving, so there’s no need to add extra protein.

In less than one hour, you can make four healthy and satisfying dishes. And the ingredient list is simple, calling for most ingredients to be used more than once. So your grocery list stays small!

Rice with tomatoes

Rice with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and a balsamic glaze.

Banza rice four ways

  1. Rice with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley – the simplest of the four recipes. The freshly grated parmesan cheese is what elevates this one.
  2. Rice with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and a balsamic glaze. This Italian-inspired dish will remind you of your favorite caprese salad.
  3. Rice with chopped cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and chickpeas with a red wine vinaigrette. This Mediterranean inspired dish was my favorite of the four!
  4. Rice with fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, and a balsamic glaze. Use the same glaze from dish number 2!
Banza cheesy rice

Rice with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley

Banza rice four ways
 
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Recipe type: Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 bags (8 oz) of Banza chickpea rice
  • 1 mini cucumber, sliced in half length-wise, then sliced in half again, chopped into tiny pieces
  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh mozzarella, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh spinach, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 cup feta cheese, set aside
  • 1 cup sun dried tomatoes, set aside
  • ½ cup chickpeas, side aside.
  • ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Pour balsamic vinegar into small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer until thickens, about 20 minutes.
  2. While vinegar is cooking, cook pasta according to package directions, drain and run cool water over. Set aside.
  3. While the balsamic vinegar and pasta are cooking, start your prep work for the rest of the ingredients. First, prep the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, parsley, basil, fresh mozzarella, and spinach. Then set aside.
  4. Next, grate the parmesan cheese, set aside.
  5. In small bowl, make the red wine vinegar dressing. Add EVOO, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Stir, set aside.
  6. Gather four equally sized containers and scoop 1¼ cup of rice into each container.
  7. To the first container, add ⅛ cup parsley and parmesan cheese, stir.
  8. To second container, add ½ pint cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil, and half of the balsamic glaze, stir.
  9. To the third container, add cucumbers, ½ pint cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, ½ cup feta cheese, ⅛ cup parsley, and the red wine vinegar dressing.
  10. To the fourth container add the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, ½ cup feta cheese, and the other half of the balsamic glaze.

 

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Chickpea lunches

Easy Pork Ramen Soup

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This easy pork ramen soup is made with left over pulled pork and will quickly become one of your family’s new favorites.

Easy ramen noodle

Do you ever get a craving for a certain kind of food or a particular dish? That’s how I was feeling recently with ramen noodle soup. I went out for my first Pho experience and loved it! Pho is a Vietnamese soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, a few herbs, and meat. The portion was so large that I took half of it home, cooked my own noodles, and added it to the broth to enjoy another day. 

Ramen noodle soup easy

Ramen noodle soup has become very popular. The springy noodle and texture is a perfect match for the hearty broth. There are a few different types of noodles you can use – fresh, dried, or instant. And the options for toppings are endless. From simple vegetables and seasonings to meat and sauces that can be prepped in advance. And the most important ingredient of them all…the egg. Soft boil or poached are the two most common choices. For this recipe, I decided to use a soft boiled egg. Fun fact: it was my first time making a soft boiled egg. 

Easy Pork Ramen Soup
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
  • ¼ cup yellow onion, diced
  • 4 gloves garlic, minced
  • 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, pulled and chopped
  • Two bunches of baby bok choy, washed and sliced length-wise
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp miso paste
  • 1 cup pulled pork
  • 14 oz stir fry noodles or ramen
  • Green onion
  • Fresh cilantro
Instructions
  1. To soft boil egg, fill pot with water and heat over high heat. Once boiling, use a slotted spoon and place eggs into water. Cover, turn to a simmer, and cook 5-6 minutes. Immediately place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Leave in ice bath for 10 minutes, then remove and set aside.
  2. While the egg is cooking, heat sesame seed oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Add the onion and saute 2-3 minutes. Then add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
  3. Add the bok choy, stir together and cook for 1 minute. Then add 1 cup of broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Add the rest of the broth, soy sauce, miso paste, and pork. Cover and simmer until the pork is heated through, about 10 minutes.
  5. While the soup mixture is simmering, cook the ramen noodles according to package directions.
  6. To serve, place noodles into a bowl and top with soup mixture. Peel the eggs and carefully slice in half lengthwise. Add 1 egg to each bowl.
  7. Top with green onions and cilantro.

 

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Easy ramen noodle soup

Easy Lasagna Skillet

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Easy lasagna skillet is a classic spin on a family tradition. Easier and faster to make, whip up this family favorite tonight!

Lasagna skillet

There’s no better feeling than sitting down to dinner as a family with one of your favorite comforting meals. This easy lasagna skillet with meat fits the bill. Simmered tomatoes mixed with Italian seasoning, ground meat, and gooey cheese will leave the entire family running to the table for dinner.

Skillet easy lasagna

Easy Lasagna Skillet
 
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Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • Salt and peper to taste
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1½ cups ricotta cheese
  • 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 cups part skim mozzarella
  • 6 no boil lasagna noodles
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat cast iron skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Cook beef until no long pink and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
  2. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, around 4-6 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, parsley, and 1 ½ cup mozzarella.
  4. Transfer the meat mixture to a bowl. Lay 3 noodles horizonally and 1 vertically in skillet. It is ok if they overlap. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the nodles, then spoon half of the meat mixure on top. Repeat with more noodles, ricotta mixture, and the remaining meat sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake until the noodles are tender, around 23 to 25 minutes.
  5. Remove foil. Broil 3-4 minutes until some of the noodle edges begin to crisp. Sprinkle and broil with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese until the top is golden brown. Let rest 5 minutes.

 

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Easy skillet lasagna

Souper Bowl

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Happy last week of January/first week of February. This week’s theme is all about the Super Bowl! The New England Patriots are back in the big game, so they’ve inspired a week all about soups!

Monday – Orzo soup. You can also use chicken in place of the turkey.

Tuesday – Chicken gnocchi soup. I recommend keeping a close eye on the gnocchi cooking in the crockpot, or just cook it separately. It is easy to overcook.

Wednesday – One pot skinny lasagna soup

One Pot Skinny and Cheesy Lasagna Soup

Thursday – Crockpot chicken tortilla soup

Crockpot chicken fajita soup

Friday – Chili Mac

slow cooker chili Mac

Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs

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There is nothing more tasty than fresh, homemade spaghetti and meatballs. Pair with a good glass of red wine and you have the perfect night!

homemade pasta and meatballs

Homemade spaghetti is not something I make often (spaghetti, yes; homemade, no), but every time I do, I wonder why I don’t it more often? It’s not hard or time consuming. I know, I know, boiling water and dropping in a box of pasta is much quicker. However, it just doesn’t give you, or your belly, the same satisfaction.

Kneading and rolling out the dough, getting your hands dirty is so rewarding! Plus, it’s a fun activity to do with your kids. It starts teaching them about food: measuring the ingredients, rolling out the dough, and watching it go through the pasta attachment.

spaghetti homemade

I followed the recipe that was included with my Kitchen Aid pasta attachment. First, I made fettuccine, then spaghetti. I must admit we all enjoyed the spaghetti better, but I learned some tips as we went.

Tips for the best homemade spaghetti 

  1. If your dough is too dry, add more water, just a little at a time
  2. If your dough is too wet, add more flour
  3. Make sure you roll it out very thin; when you think you’re done, roll it out more
  4. Cook the pasta for 3-5 minutes, but start tasting it after 2 minutes. Cooking time will depend on how thick you made the pasta and the type you are making

homemade pasta

The most important ingredient of a pasta dinner is good red wine. I want to thank my brother and The Every Day Travelers for bringing home red wine from my favorite restaurant in Positano, Italy, La Tagliata. If you ever find yourself in Positano, this is a MUST GO TO restaurant. This is non-negotiable. It is a pre-fix menu (whatever the chef feels like cooking that day). You get multiple courses: anti-pasta, salad, fries, pasta, meat, vegetables, dessert, and of course a bottle of wine. They can accommodate special diets, like vegetarian.  The next best thing other than the food is the view! The restaurant is set up high on the cliffs where guests can take in the panoramic view of Positano, the Galli Isles and Capri below.

Food from La Tagliata. Photo by the Everyday Travelers.

Views of the Amalfi Coast

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs
 
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Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 3½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt
Instructions
  1. Place eggs, water, flour, and salt in a mixer bowl of your Kitchen Aid. Using the flat beater, mix for 30 seconds on speed 2.
  2. Switch out the flat beater for the hook attachment. Knead for 2 minutes on speed 2. Remove dough from the bowl and knead by hand for 1-2 minutes. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
  3. Cut the dough into four even sections and roll out with a rolling pin. (Unopen bottle of wine works too).
  4. Attach your pasta sheet roller to front of the Kitchen Aid Mixer. Turn on to speed 2 and feed the rolled out dough through the roller.
  5. Cook immediately in a boiling pot of water for 2-5 minutes for fresh pasta.

 

 

Marinated Shrimp Quinoa Bowl

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Marinated lime shrimp quinoa bowl with black beans, cilantro, and corn. Loaded with flavor and texture! It makes a yummy and healthy lunch or dinner!

Marinated shrimp quinoa bowl

Happy 2019 friends! If you’re like me, you indulged in too many Christmas cookies and not enough greens and proteins over the holiday season. That’s why you need to try this marinated shrimp and quinoa bowl to help recharge your system with superfoods like black beans and quinoa.

quinoa shrimp bowl

The lime marinated shrimp is zesty and tasty, not a fan or shrimp? Just swap out chicken while using the same marinade. As always my quinoa bowls are for one person, double the recipe if you are making it for two. This also makes a great side dish if you’re hosting some friends or family for dinner.

Quinoa bowl

Marinated Shrimp Quinoa Bowl
 
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Marinated lime shrimp quinoa bowl with black beans, cilantro, and corn are loaded with flavor and texture! They make a great healthy lunch or dinner!
Author:
Recipe type: Quinoa Bowl
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • ½ cup uncooked quinoa
  • ¼ cup red onion, diced
  • ½ cup frozen corn, thawed
  • ½ cup black beans
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 8-10 small shrimp, thawed (I used precooked, but you can season/cook raw shrimp, too)
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Let cool.
  2. While it's cooking, combine red onion, corn, black beans, and cilantro in a bowl.
  3. In another bowl, combine shrimp with the garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Let marinate.
  4. In a third bowl make the dressing by combining the garlic, lemon juice, honey, olive oil, and Dijon mustard. Set aside.
  5. Heat skillet over medium heat and add shrimp. If using precooked shrimp, only heat for a minute or two. Be careful not to over cook. If using uncooked shrimp, then cook until pink.
  6. Add the quinoa and shrimp to the bowl with onion, beans, and corn. Pour dressing on top. Stir and serve.

 

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Lime marinated shrimp quinoa bowl