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Menu Planning – Dinners & Deals

Have a busy life? MyFrugalAdventures.com lists weekly meal plans– ideas that I am using for meals this week! Updated every week with new ideas, I share my menus, recipes, and family dinner plans with you.

25
May
2012

Recipe: Watermelon Agua Fresca

05/25/2012

Here is a yummy idea if you want something cool and refreshing for the summer.

If you are not familiar with agua fresca it is a delicious and totally guilt free summer beverage. You can adapt this in all sorts of ways to accommodate your tastes and it comes together really quickly.

My kids love when I make this and they think they are getting a special treat when this is actually really healthy.

So agua fresca is not a smoothie- it is closer to a flavored water.  It is really light and is perfect on nice summer evening or with spicy foods. I make this for my girls all the time when the adults are having margaritas or when we have Mexican food.

You can use any fruit you have on hand- usually the fruits with a lot of water work best like cantaloupe and watermelon.  My very favorite way to make agua fresca is with pineapple but you can really use almost anything- strawberries, raspberries, peaches, honeydew…. and you can even jazz it up a little more by adding rum or sparkling water.

You can serve this over ice- I try to serve it really well chilled and I skip the ice.

 

Watermelon Agua Fresca
Print
Recipe type: Beverage
Author: My Frugal Adventures
Prep time: 5 mins
Total time: 5 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Chopped watermelon- 4 Cups
  • Cold Water- 1 1/2 Cups
  • Fresh Lime Juice- 2 tablespoons (I like it limey so I double that)
  • Agave- 1-2 tablespoons (You can use sugar or honey as a substitute)
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
  2. I like a nice smooth drink so strain the juice into a pitcher. There is a foamy melon mixture that winds up on top of the strainer (my kids love this part)- just keep pushing it through the strainer with a spatula.
  3. Serve well chilled.

See? Easy peasy! A great way to use up an abundance of fruit you might have during summer!

Does anyone else make agua fresca? I’d love to hear what kind of twist you put on this drink.

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22
May
2012

Recipe: Mexican Grilled Corn

05/22/2012

This is my absolute favorite time of year because we get the delicious fresh, sweet corn in season and even better it is so incredibly cheap!  Ears of corn just dropped to $.20 each in my area and I could seriously eat corn each and every night through summer.

So if you are looking for a way to jazz up dinner I wanted to share my version of Mexican Grilled Corn.

You can buy this from street vendors all over Mexico and it is really some of the best tasting street food I have ever had.  I have seen lots of variations on Mexican Street Corn but this is just my super simple way to throw it together in just a few minutes.

Recipe: Mexican Grilled Corn
5.0 from 1 reviews
Print
Recipe type: Side Dish
Author: My Frugal Adventures
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 20 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Cortija cheese (or substitute queso fresco cheese)
  • Mexican Crema or Mayonnaise (to lighten this up use sour cream or plain greek yogurt instead)
  • Garlic Salt
  • Chili Powder
  • Fresh Lime Wedges
  • 4 ears of sweet corn
Instructions
  1. Grill your corn or boil it until tender. While the corn is still warm, slather on mayo. Roughly chop your queso fresco or cortija cheese and roll the corn in the cheese. Sprinkle with garlic salt and chili powder.
  2. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze just before eating. Don’t be stingy with the lime because it really adds a zip to this corn.

 

 

So you can seriously substitute whatever you have on hand in this recipe.  The mayo sounds a little frightening but just trust me here and give it a try.

The cortija or queso fresco can be found in the deli cheese area or some stores might have a Mexican foods section.  I find the cortija to  be slightly saltier so that one is a better choice if you want to use sour cream or greek yogurt.

If you can’t find these cheeses you can also use grated Parmesan.  I used Mama Garlic which you can find at Target and all sorts of stores but you can also just use Garlic Salt or if you have fresh cilantro on hand chop that up.

If you prefer not to eat the corn on the cob, just grill it up and slice the strips of corn off the cob into a bowl.  Mix all the ingredients in with your warm corn and it will still be delicious.

And one last tip is to make sure to get the fresh limes.  It really adds a lot to the dish and I use 2 wedges for one ear of corn.

 

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18
May
2012

Recipe: Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup

05/18/2012

I made a big batch of this soup for my lunch this week and thought I’d mention it to you guys as well.

This is a much lighter version of a broccoli cheese soup so it is perfect for summertime. This does not have canned cheese soup, cream etc… in it so it is not a super thick and creamy soup.

I prefer this recipe in the summertime and even better you can make it in the crockpot! I usually do a big batch of this once a month or so and keep it in the fridge for fast lunch or dinners.

This particular batch I just literally put together in about 5 minutes at lunchtime and turned the crockpot on and viola!  Dinner was waiting for me when I got home.

Recipe: Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
Print
Recipe type: Soup, Entree
Author: My Frugal Adventures
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 4 hours
Total time: 4 hours 10 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 20 oz of frozen broccoli
  • 2 Cups Milk
  • 1/4 cup chopped white onion
  • 3 cups of shredded cheese (this is your preference, I like Jack and Cheddar cheese but just cheddar would be great as well)
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 qt Vegetable Broth
Instructions
  1. Add the chopped onion, milk, broth and broccoli to the crock pot. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Cook on high for about 3.5 hours or on low for about 6.5-7 hours.
  3. About 10 minutes before the soup is finished cooking add the shredded cheeses.
  4. Once the soup is done take the immersion blender or regular blender and puree until creamy.
  5. Top with cheddar cheese or I like croutons for a little crunch.

 

 

I am a vegetarian and the rest of the family eats meat so quick dishes like this that I can make ahead are a lifesaver on busy nights.

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17
May
2012

Recipe: Brie, Fig and Apple Sandwich

05/17/2012

 

I made something a little different today and thought I would share the recipe since it was so simple and turned out really well.

I was making my children apple and cheddar sandwiches today and decided to try and do a little grown-up twist for mine.

I had some raisin bread on hand and slathered one side with butter and the other side with fig preserves.  I thinly sliced up a few green apples and layered those on top of the jam.

Then I added a few slices of brie cheese on top of the apples.  I am a vegetarian so that was it for me but you could also add a slice of prosciutto for an extra kick.

I just grilled it up for a few seconds on the stove and voila!

A little twist on a plain grilled cheese.  This would be a great breakfast sandwich when you are craving something sweet.

(My children did take a few bites and both of them loved the fig, raisin bread and apples but they avoided the brie.)

 

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26
Apr
2012

Recipe: Roasted Tomato Grilled Cheese

04/26/2012

 

I get asked every so often what kinds of things I make since I am a vegetarian.  Here is a little twist on a grilled cheese that is a little lighter and is incredibly simple to put together.

I make this sandwich quite often- it is very filling and really delicious. You can make this on sliced sourdough as a lighter lunch or make it on a sliced baguette for a more filling dinner.  I have had this for breakfast too with scrambled eggs.

To make the sandwich, just preheat the oven to 350°.
Place grape tomatoes on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Drizzle with Olive Oil and season with salt and pepper. (I use an herb sea salt mix)

Bake for about 25 minutes until the tomatoes start to pop.
I usually toast the bread for the last 5-7 minutes by just plopping it right on the same baking sheet.
Remove from oven and add the tomatoes to your sliced bread.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake for about 5-7 minutes until the cheese is all nice and melted.

And there you have an incredibly simple twist on a grilled cheese sandwich.

My family is having chicken for dinner tonight and I just made these to have with salad and corn on the cob.

 

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19
Apr
2012

Recipe: Cheddar Chicken Bundles

04/19/2012

 

I made this chicken dish tonight that everyone seemed to enjoy so I thought I’d post the recipe.  If you are looking for a little inspiration for something different this was really easy to put together.

I just started by seasoning and then browning a boneless chicken breast.  While that was underway, I rolled out a thawed puff pastry sheet and cut it into about a 12 inch square.

I added a thick slice of cheddar cheese and topped that with two slices of ham.

Next plop that chicken breast right on top and if you are feeling extra decadent, add one more slice of cheese. You might want to give the chicken a few minutes to cool.

Lightly whisk an egg with a little water and brush it onto the seams.  Fold up the pastry into a little bundle and flip the seam side down.

Brush a little more egg wash onto the top and bake for about 20 min at 400°.

Viola!  Now as you guys know I don’t eat chicken myself but things got quiet when I served this chicken which is always a good sign.  My husband said it was delicious but he wanted a little more cheese (so that second slice is what I will do next time and I will probably pound out the chicken breast to make it a little thinner.)

My girls ate most of the chicken too which is just shy of a miracle in this house.

And I had a tiny bit of scrap pastry leftover that I turned into something delicious for little old me.  I’ll post that recipe tomorrow!

 

Recipe: Cheddar Chicken Puff Pastry
Print
Recipe type: Entree, Chicken
Author: My Frugal Adventures
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • (4) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
  • Cheddar Cheese
  • Sliced Ham
  • Puff Pastry
  • Egg
Instructions
  1. Start by seasoning your chicken with salt and pepper
  2. Lightly brown the chicken breast in a saute pan
  3. Thaw and roll out the puff pastry into 12-14 inch squares
  4. Place a thick slice of the cheese you prefer onto the center of the square (I used cheddar but Gruyere would also be good)
  5. Add two slices of ham on top of the cheese
  6. Place the browned chicken breast on top
  7. Lightly wisk an egg and water and brush onto the edges of the pastry
  8. Fold into a little square bundle and place the seam side down
  9. Lightly brush the egg mixture onto the top of the bundle
  10. Bake about 20 minutes at 400°.
  11. Serve immediately.

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25
Mar
2012

Weekly Menu Plan

03/25/2012

Here is what I have planned for this week. I am including the recipe links for those of you looking for new ideas.

The menu plan is so easy now thanks to pinterest so lots of these recipes are located there!  In case you can’t tell, I stocked up on chicken this week at the grocery store.

Pizza Stuffed Chicken Breasts from Dashing Dish and green salad

Southwest Chicken Wraps from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe and corn

Maple Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes from Real Simple

Mini Cauliflower Pizza Bites from Dashing Dish and green salad

Greek Orzo Pasta with cucumber salad (my own recipe)

Grilled Salmon and Rice

And I am going to make this Fresh Fruit Cake from Design Sponge Yum!

**You can also download the free menu planning worksheet here.

 

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11
Mar
2012

Shopping Trip & Menu Plan

03/11/2012

Here is my shopping trip for the week:

Sprouts $34.77

Spinach Feta Focaccia Bread $3.99
French Rolls $2.99
Half and Half $1.49
Organic Milk $5.59
2 Bags Frozen Onions $1.99- got 20% off for frozen foods sale = $1.59 each
Cauliflower $1.55
5lbs Clementines $2.99- used $.55 coupon= $2.44
Watermelon $6.04 (that is really, really expensive but my kids wanted watermelon sooo badly.  ;)  They ate that whole thing in 2 days.)
Organic Heirloom Tomatoes $2.99
Organic 3pk Romaine Lettuce $.99
4 Mangoes $.88 each

Target Trip #1

I actually made 2 Target trips last week because I needed cold medication halfway through the week. It worked out because those new coupons came out midweek making that cereal deal even better.

Pretzel Crisps $1.99- used $1 coupon= $.99
8 Boxes Crunchy Nut Cereal $2.75- Used (2) $4/4 cereal coupons + (2) $1/3 Target cereal coupons
2 boxes NutriGrain bars $2.50- Used $1/2 coupon + $1/2 Target coupon
My subtotal after coupons was $15.99 but I had the $5 gift card from the last cereal transaction

So I paid $10.99 and got back $10 in gift cards!

Target Trip #2 $2.80

And today I stopped back by the check prices and got the following:

2 Market Pantry Whole Wheat Pasta $.98- Used $1/2 coupon= $.48
2 Market Pantry Pasta Sauce $1.00- Used $1/2 coupon= $.50
Pretzel Crisps $1.99- used $1 coupon= $.99
2 Archer Farms Whole Wheat bread $2.50- used $1.2 Target coupon= $2 each
Irish Cheddar Cheese $3.99
6 cans of Market Pantry Soup $.64- used (2) $1/3 coupons= .31 each

Subtotal was $12.80 and I used those $10 gift cards

Now most of the Target stuff is actually for a food drive at school. I just set aside $10 in total to see how much I could get. I still have two weeks to pick a few things up here and there and I will post what I came up with for the $10 once I am done.

So the grand total was $48.56.

And here is the menu plan for the week:

I also made up a big batch of iced coffee this weekend.  

 

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