Need new meal ideas.

We make a menu every month before going grocery shopping. It helps me stay on track & keeps the "What's for dinner?" question at bay. I've been searching the internet trying to find new & healthy recipes to try and I thought I would ask here too. What's your fave recipe? Share it, please! I really need ideas! Thanks.

Orzo Salad ( 4 servings):
5 olives, any kind you like
1/8 cup feta crumbles
1/2 box of barilla orzo (uncooked)
1 cup frozen (or about 6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 medium sized onion (yellow or red)
2 tbsp evoo
1/2 lemon, squeezed (zest too, if desired)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp freeze dried basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (1/8 tsp ea)

--> 1,402 calories for entire dish, 351 calories a serving

--> If you substitute the Orzo with (3/4) cup dry Quinoa, the calories per serving is: 278 calories

** If you choose Quinoa, your dish will have a total of: 4g more fiber, 3.5g more fat, 75g less carbs, 1g less sugar, 13g less protein, 10% less iron. **

So, its best to use Quinoa and have this dish with lean grilled protein: fish, chicken, etc.

I love meal planning! I do ours weekly though, but it's a great help throughout the week.

Wow, I thought I would never get to the end of recipes. That should do her for a while!!!! I copied many myself. Thanks for taking the time do to this. I know it was greatly appreciated/

You should deff try www.skinnytaste.com i go there daily! She post new recipes all the time and there are hundreds on there! Its a very organized site . My favorite recipe so far is the skinny chicken parm. It was only 224 calories per serving, plus it tasted awesome!

Ham & Bean soup:

2 cups dried great northern beans
5 cups chicken broth (low sodium is best)
3 cups water
1 two ham hocks
2 -3 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon dried savory
1 medium onion , chopped
3 medium carrots , chopped
2 celery ribs , chopped (I also put in a handful of the chopped celery leaves)
1 large potato , cut into cubes (optional, but very good)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:
1 Place beans in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; add water to cover by 2”.
2 Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes.
3 Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain.
4 Add broth, water, ham hock, bouillon and seasonings; bring to a boil.
5 Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3 hours.
6 Sauté’ onions, carrots and celery in oil; add to soup along with cubed potato.
7 Cover and simmer 1 hour longer.
8 Debone ham and cut into chunks; return to soup.
9 Skim fat - if there is any
10 Mash some of the beans once they get soft. - total cooking time is about 6 hours but well worth it
11 Great served with corn bread.

Nutritional Facts for Neighborhood Ham and Bean Soup
Serving Size: 1 (306 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 10
Amount Per Serving
% Daily Value
Calories 201.3

Calories from Fat 24
12%
Total Fat 2.7 g
4%
Saturated Fat 0.5 g
2%
Cholesterol 0.1 mg
0%
Sodium 687.4 mg
28%
Total Carbohydrate 33.1 g
11%
Dietary Fiber 9.1 g
36%
Sugars 3.1 g
12%
Protein 11.7 g
23%

Low fat cornbread:

This low fat cornbread is particularly wonderful when served warm. Have some ready when you next make a batch of chili.
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutesIngredients:

•1 cup yellow cornmeal
•1/2 cup whole wheat flour
•1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I use cake flour)
•1/4 cup sugar
•1 tsp baking powder
•1/2 tsp baking soda
•1/2 tsp salt
•1 egg, lightly beaten
•1 1/4 cups low fat buttermilk
•2 tbsp canola oil

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk egg, buttermilk and oil. Add wet mix to dry and stir until just moist. Empty batter into glass dish and bake until lightly golden and until the top springs back slightly when pressed—about 25 minutes. Cool for a few minutes, then serve while still warm.

Makes 16 squares.

Per Serving: Calories 96, Calories from Fat 23, Total Fat 2.6g (sat 0.3g), Cholesterol 14mg, Sodium 133mg, Carbohydrate 15.7g, Fiber 1.2g, Protein 2.5g

Mini Turkey Burgers wrapped in butter lettuce

- I only add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to pan

- Ground Turkey Meat
- Chopped onions and bell peppers (for color and taste of course)
- Black pepper and cayenne pepper (I like it spice)
Combine ingredients together and form patties

Top with:
- Light swiss cheese (I cut 1 slice into thirds for 3 burgers)
- 1 tablespoons of hummus for each burger (substitute for mayo/ketchup or other condiments you're use to)

Mini Turkey Burgers wrapped in butter lettuce

- I only add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to pan

- Ground Turkey Meat
- Chopped onions and bell peppers (for color and taste of course)
- Black pepper and cayenne pepper (I like it spice)
Combine ingredients together and form patties

Top with:
- Light swiss cheese (I cut 1 slice into thirds for 3 burgers)
- 1 tablespoons of hummus for each burger (substitute for mayo/ketchup or other condiments you're use to)

this sounds delish!

I have a group on facebook.........find me there (Christi Rouse-Deloach) and I can add you to the group. I post recipes there

I am going to have to come back later when I have time to see what is posted.

One of my go-to recipes is stir fry. I don't know how many people you are feeding, but I make mine for one. First, whenever I buy organic brown rice, I cook the whole package, and then separate it out into 1-cup portions and freeze them. That way I'm not waiting 45 minutes on my rice to cook.

I thaw a 4 oz piece of chicken and cook it in a skillet with no oil. Then I slice the chicken, p-lace it back in the skillet, and add a bag of Westpac Stir fry blends. They come in several different kinds. While this is cooking, I put one of my frozen rice portions into the microwave.

After the veggies are cooked, serve the mixture over the rice and add a tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce, or add some Mrs Dash. The entire meal has about 530 calories, and it's very satisfying. PLUS you get in 5 servings of veggies!

I love the idea of making your rice and then freezing it...brilliant!