Menu plan Monday and Bison Briyani

So, first things first, I will share our menu plan for this week.

Monday - Leftover bison biryani (recipe to follow)
Tuesday - Stir fry with chicken and greens
Wednesday - Spaghetti squash stuffed with sausage
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Calzones with homemade sauce
Saturday - Sausage grinders with peppers and onions on homemade whole wheat rolls
Sunday - Lentil sloppy joes on homemade rolls (same as Saturday, just in hamburger bun shape)

Breakfast will be the standard: toast, cereal, eggs, smoothies and muffins.
Lunches will be leftovers, PB&J, smoothies, and fruit with nut butter.
Snacks continue to be granola bars, muffins, protein bars and veggies with hummus.

Need more ideas? Visit Orgjunkie for lots of options.

On the workout front, I was able to walk/run twice last week. That means this week I will finally reach my 3x/week goal that I set for myself two weeks ago! :) I actually came to the realization this week that I am able to train for a 5-K, as long as I take it slow (I haven't really shared on here about my medical history, but I was in a severe car accident 12 years ago that resulted in some residual joint issues. I really didn't think I would ever be able to run any extensive distance.). So, that's what I'm working towards. 5-K by Thanksgiving...hopefully!

So, onto the recipe. I have been meaning to share this recipe for awhile. It's simple, fairly inexpensive and yummy. The best part is that it's easily adaptable for my tummy-troubled toddler and she's thrilled that she's eating the same thing we are. I need to find more recipes like this! :)

Without further ado (recipe from Clean Eating magazine):

Bison Biryani

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup dry quick-cooking barley (the original recipe called for 1/2 cup, but that just didn't seem like enough)
1 medium onion, sliced into rounds
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, sliced into thin rounds
1 cup fresh mango, cubed, or 1 cup frozen cubed mango
1/2 cup frozen peas
16 oz ground bison (the original recipe called for bison sirloin tip, which is $$$. Ground bison is cheaper. :))
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Biryani Spice Blend
1 tsp cumin, ground
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
1 tsp coriander, ground (I omitted this)
1 tsp turmeric, ground
2 tsp ginger, ground

Instructions:
1. In a medium pot, bring 2 cups water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, add Biryani Spice Blend and salt to a small bowl, mix and set aside. When water comes to a boil, add barley, sir, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
2. While barley is cooking, in a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat, saute onion in oil for 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent garlic from burning.
3. Stir in spice-salt mixture, mango, peas, and bison. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir again to make sure all ingredients are nestled in cooking liquid. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Combine barley with bison mixture before plating, then top each portion with tomatoes and serve.

Cost: approx $1.33-1.60 per serving. The recipe says it serves four, but I easily got three portions from it last night (albeit one small portion for my toddler) and will get another 2-3 servings out of it tonight.
Consensus: Delicious! Pretty quick to put together and my darling daughter loved it (had to adjust the spices a bit for her).
Sorry no picture of the final product. I promise to upload it later. I hope you'll give it a try! :)

Menu plan Monday

Hey all! I hope that everyone is having a fantastic Labor Day! I know we are enjoying a low-key, relaxing morning. We are off to our local cider mill in a bit, but I wanted to share my menu plan for the week before we go. This is what this week looks like:

Monday - Grilled paninis with tomato, mozzarella and basil
Tuesday - Falafel on tortillas with tahini sauce (I think I've posted this on my last three menu plans, but still have yet to make it ;))
Wednesday - Stir fry with chicken and greens
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Cajun lentils and rice
Saturday - Stuffed spaghetti squash
Sunday - Leftovers

Breakfasts will consist of smoothies, cereal, and granola.
Lunches will be leftovers, PB&J, more smoothies, and salad.
Snacks consist of protein bars, granola bars, and fresh veggies.

Tired of the same old meals? Go to Orgjunkie or Mindful Menus for some ideas!

BTW, on the workout front, I got up early one day last week. I was discouraged because J woke up earlier than normal and I had to wait for her nap in order to get in the shower. That's always stressful on days that I work as her naps can be a tad unpredictable. So, I didn't get up early at all the rest of the week, but I am still going to try for three times this week. Have a great week!

Beth's Healthified Zucchini Bread

It's getting toward the end of zucchini season, but I couldn't let it go by without sharing my yummy zucchini bread recipe. I took Betty Crocker's version and revamped it to be healthier and J-friendly (with her tummy sensitivities, most recipes need revamping :)). So, here it is:

3 cups shredded zucchini
1/3 cup applesauce
1/3 cup olive oil (cold pressed and organic)
3/4 - 1 cup honey (or maple syrup, agave...or a combo of all)
2 tsp vanilla
4 large farm fresh eggs
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 - 3/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottoms of 2 loaf pans with olive oil.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, stir together flours, baking soda, spices, salt and baking powder.
3. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and thoroughly combine.
4. Divide mixture evenly between two loaf pans.
5. Cook for 45 minutes to one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack before taking loaves out of the pans.

You can also add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts and/or 1/2 cup raisins, if you are so inclined. The loaves will be much darker than your traditional zucchini bread because of the buckwheat flour. But, I promise it's equally as yummy. If you're looking for a super sweet zucchini bread, this is not for you. However, if you're looking for a healthier zucchini bread with the benefits of different grains and less sugar, then you need to try this recipe. :) Happy baking!