Menu Monday

Playing catch up today since I missed last week's Menu Monday.  LOTS of good recipes over the past 2 weeks.  Enjoy!

Kale, Tomato, and Swiss Pizza {Budget Bytes}

I used mozzarella instead of Swiss and added some red pepper flakes to the kale, but otherwise no changes. M is just not a big fan of kale, so I served this with warmed marinara sauce {also with red pepper flakes} for dipping.  Very easy, very healthy, and {I thought} very tasty.  If the dough is already made {or store-bought} it takes hardly any time to put together. A Meatless Monday-friendly meal!

Beef with Broccoli {Rainy Day Gal}

The quest is over {for now}. I have finally found my perfect make-your-own-take-out recipe!  It was even more enjoyable than getting beef with broccoli from a take-out place because I knew I was controlling the quality of the ingredients. SO SO SO tasty! 

Three notes: First, I used flatiron steak instead of flank steak.  This is a recipe where I think you could really use whatever looked good to you or was on sale.  Second, make sure you drain the marinade from the beef thoroughly and pat the beef dry. I kind of skimped on these steps and the beef steamed instead of searing and the residual marinade turned into a super-freaky texture when it hit the heat.  No bueno.  Last, even using low-sodium soy sauce, this is REALLY salty {and I say that as a total sodium fiend}. I served this with fried rice I picked up from our local Chinese place, but next time, I'll serve with totally unseasoned steamed rice.  

Best-Ever Black Bean Soup with Cilantro-Lime Rice {Iowa Girl Eats}

Love, love, loved this.  Simple, healthy, and cheap. What's not to love?! I used jasmine rice because it's what we had in the fridge, but in the future, I would use brown rice.  Honestly, the soup is so flavorful that you could pretty much use any rice.  It's really just there for texture and body.  I would also add a little more lime and cilantro than called for.  Otherwise, I wouldn't change a thing!

 Bow-Tie Lasagna {Tasty Kitchen}

Meh. I had high hopes for this popular recipe, and while M loved it, it kind of fell flat for me.  I think it's because I made the mistake of using a jar of sauce I have never tried before.  I didn't love it {Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Basil Marinara}.  It might be good on its own, but it was not tasty in this dish.  I liked the concept of it and it was easy, so I think I may play around with it á la Kate in the future and use ground turkey, whole wheat pasta, and our tried-and-true Bertolli Tomato and Basil Sauce or something homemade.

 Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore {Skinnytaste}

By far my favorite meal of the past 2 weeks. This was so unbelievably tasty.  A few things: I kept the skin on my chicken thighs.  I know that adds fat/calories, but it also adds flavor and I think it went a long way in boosting the flavor of this dish.  I used the quick method and added quartered mushrooms to it during the last 30 minutes of cooking {with the lid off}.  I served this over linguine.  Can't wait to make this again!

Enchilada Soup {family friend's recipe}

2 cans of Green Giant Niblets corn {not necessary to drain}2 cans Del Monte Mexican style stewed tomatoes {may want to chop these up more}1 can of black beans 1 can of Old El Paso enchilada sauce 3 to 4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

Combine all ingedients and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with nacho chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream if you like. 

This definitely isn't my all-time favorite Mexican-style soup recipe, but it's easy and filling and makes a TON of soup.  I would definitely use hot enchilada sauce to up the flavor.

Bon appétit!