Simple Menu for Your Vacation

Simple Menu for Your Vacation:

Try this five-day menu that feeds four people and requires just 15 ingredients. They include everyday staples, farm stand finds, and items available in even the smallest supermarkets.

Shopping List
8 plum tomatoes
5 red onions
1 bunch fresh parsley
3 lemons
12 cups mixed baby greens
1 (8-ounce) jar refrigerated mild chunky tomato salsa
4 ounces feta cheese
1 (6- to 8-ounce) jar pitted kalamata olives
1 (16-ounce) bottle extra virgin olive oil
1 small jar coarse-grained Dijon mustard
1 (16-ounce) box penne or rigatoni pasta
1 (20-ounce) sourdough baguette
1½ pounds lean ground beef
3 pounds frozen skin-on salmon fillets
4 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves

 

Meal 1

Pan-Seared Salmon with Kalamata Olives and Salsa Cruda

Ingredients:

• 2 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 (8-ounce) skin-on frozen salmon fillets, thawed
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

1. Combine first 5 ingredients, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a small bowl. Mix well, and set aside.

2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salmon with pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place salmon in skillet, skin sides up; cook 5 minutes on each side or until skin is crisp and fish flakes easily with a fork.

3. Transfer salmon to serving plates, and top each fillet evenly with tomato mixture.

 

 

Meal 2

 

 

Feta-Stuffed Burgers with Grilled Onion on Sourdough

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 3/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 2 ounces feta cheese, cut into 4 (1/2-ounce) pieces
• 4 (1/4-inch-thick) red onion slices

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 crusty sourdough bread slices
• 4 teaspoons coarse-grained Dijon mustard
• 12 plum tomato slices

Preparation:

1. Sprinkle beef with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; gently mix, and shape into 8 thin patties.

2. Place 1 piece feta cheese in center of each of 4 patties. Top with remaining 4 patties, pressing edges to seal.

3. Brush onion slices with 2 teaspoons oil, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook on a lightly greased grill pan or in a skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes on each side or until tender and slightly charred. Transfer to a plate, and keep warm. Add burgers to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate, and keep warm. Brush bread slices with remaining 4 teaspoons oil. Add to pan, and toast about 1 minute on each side or until lightly golden.

4. Spread Dijon mustard evenly on 1 side of each bread slice. Top each with 1 onion slice, 3 tomato slices, and 1 burger. Serve immediately.

 

Meal 3

Crispy Chicken with Lemon, Parsley, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 

Bread chicken in a sourdough breadcrumb mixture and serve over a bed of simple greens flavored with lemon juice and olive oil.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 ounces sourdough bread (about 3 slices), torn into smaller pieces
• 4 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon coarse-grained Dijon mustard

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 4 cups mixed baby greens

Preparation

1. Place bread in a food processor; process about 1 minute or to coarse crumbs. Transfer breadcrumbs to a large plate.

2. Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to an even thickness. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Brush each chicken breast half evenly with mustard, and roll in breadcrumbs to coat.

3. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add chicken, and cook 7 minutes on each side or until golden brown and thickest portion registers 165°.

4. Meanwhile, combine lemon juice, parsley, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in remaining 1/4 cup olive oil.

5. Place 1 chicken breast half onto each of 4 plates; top evenly with parsley mixture. Serve immediately with mixed greens

 

 

Meal 4

Grilled Salmon Salad with Salsa Dressing

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons coarse-grained Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1 (1-pound) frozen salmon fillet, thawed
• 4 ounces sourdough bread (about 5 slices), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2/3 cup refrigerated mild chunky tomato salsa
• 8 cups mixed baby greens

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Combine mustard, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a shallow bowl; add salmon, turning to coat. Chill 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool.

3. Remove salmon from marinade; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook salmon on a lightly greased grill pan over medium heat 5 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer to a cutting board, and let cool 5 minutes. Cut into pieces or break into chunks.

4. Whisk together salsa, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Season to taste with additional salt, if necessary. Place mixed baby greens and croutons in a large bowl; add salsa mixture, tossing well to coat. Divide among 4 plates, and top evenly with salmon.

 

Meal 5

Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Tomatoes, Parsley, and Olives

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 (16-ounce) box rigatoni or penne pasta
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 red onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
• 4 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta, and cook according to package directions; drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, 12 minutes or until onions are golden and very tender. Stir in tomatoes, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until tomatoes start to wilt. Add olives; cook 30 seconds. Stir in pasta and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute or until mixture is heated through. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Serve pasta hot or at room temperature.

 

Vacation Menu Plan: Make-Ahead Meals to take on your Vacation. Courtesy of www.thrivinghomeblog.com

Breakfast:

Savory Breakfast Muffins - This is one of my husband’s favorite grab-and-go breakfasts. I will make these ahead and freeze them in freezer bags. Then, to reheat, just wrap in a moist paper towel and microwave for about 1 minute (or until thawed completely and warm). 15 muffins

 

 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb breakfast sausage (cooked, drained, crumbled) OR 1 cup chopped ham

·         1 medium-sized green or red pepper, finely chopped

·         1/2 medium-sized onion, finely chopped

·         1-2 T oil

·         salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste (for sautéing veggies)

·         2 cups homemade baking mix or all-natural baking mix (find in health food section)

·         1 cup cornmeal (Hodgson Mills is a great brand with no added ingredients)

·         1/2 tsp. salt

·         1/4 tsp pepper

·         1/4 tsp. garlic powder

·         3 eggs

·         1 1/2 cups buttermilk

·         5 T melted butter

·         1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Spray muffin tins with cooking spray and set aside.

Sauté onion and peppers in 1-2 T oil (or the sausage grease) for a few minutes until soft. Season with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder while sautéing.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl: baking mix, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and garlic.

Mix together wet ingredients in a separate bowl: eggs, buttermilk, and butter.

Add sausage or ham, bell pepper, onion, and cheese to the wet mix, and stir until combined.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until combined (do not over mix).

Ladle the filling into the prepared muffin tins, filling almost to top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Muffins are done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack.

To Freeze: Wrap each muffin in plastic wrap and then fill a freezer Ziploc until full of muffins.

To Reheat: Wrap in a paper towel. Microwave on high for approx 90 seconds.

 

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes – My family plows through these when I make them, but I hate standing over the stove for an hour…especially on vacation. So, I’ll work on these ahead of time while cooking up some of these other meals at the same time. To freeze, let cool and put in freezer bags. To reheat, toast in the toaster and then microwave a short bit if needed.

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour (I use white whole wheat)

·         4 teaspoons baking powder

·         1 teaspoon cinnamon

·         pinch nutmeg

·         1/4 tsp salt

·         2 T brown sugar (or 12 drops liquid stevia)

·         2 cups milk

·         4 teaspoons melted butter, plus more for greasing skillet (or Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil lends a nice coconutty flavor)

·         2 eggs

·         1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

·         1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1 - Mix the first 4 ingredients (flour through sugar) in a large bowl.

2 - Mix the rest of the ingredients (milk through vanilla) in another.

3 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk together just until smooth, but do not over mix.

4 - Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes.

5 - Cook batches in buttered skillet on medium temperature until bubbles form on the surface. Then flip and cook until golden brown.

6 - Serve warm with butter and real maple syrup.

Oven Omelet – This is so easy to throw together! It’s basically a frittata, so you can put whatever meat or veggies you like in it. I’m going to make this ahead and add cooked bacon and some chopped spinach. Wrap tightly to freeze. To thaw, set it in the fridge for 24 hours and then bake as directed.

8-9 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (you could sub other cheeses like mozzarella, fresh Parm, swiss, or pepper jack)
1/2 – 1 cup chopped ham or cooked breakfast sausage
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp dried parsley, crushed in your hand or 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat eggs and milk until combined. Stir in cheese, meat, pepper, and parsley (or any other additions you like). Pour into a greased 8×8 or 9×9 casserole dish. Here is what it looked like before it baked.

Brownie Baked Oatmeal - I’ve made this about once a week for the past two years. Why stop for vacation? Easy to make and easy to freeze.

Ingredients:

·         2 3/4 cups oatmeal (quick or rolled oats work)

·         1/4 cup ground flaxseed (or more oats)

·         2 teaspoons baking powder

·         3/4 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 cup cocoa powder

·         1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

·         1/3 – 1/2 cup honey (or brown sugar works) (Note: I also replace some of the honey with liquid stevia to cut back on sugar sometimes.)

·         2 tablespoons melted coconut oil or butter

·         1/2 cup pumpkin puree

·         1 cup milk

·         2 eggs

·         2 teaspoons vanilla

·         Optional: 1/4 – 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the dry ingredients (the first six ingredients, through cinnamon) in a large bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (honey, coconut oil, pumpkin, milk, eggs, and vanilla).

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Mix well.

Optional: Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for about 20 minutes (or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean). Serve with warm milk on top.

 

Dinner:

Cheesy Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas – With a side salad and some fruit, this will make for a super simple dinner. Just thaw in the fridge and throw in the oven.

 

 

·         2 teaspoons olive oil

·         1/4 cup chopped onion

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

·         1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

·         1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles

·         1/3 cup prepared salsa, mild, medium or hot

·         homemade taco seasoning (see recipe below)

·         1/2-1 cup red enchilada sauce

·         4-6 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas

·         1 1/3 cups shredded Monterey Jack and or Cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 9x9 casserole dish with cooking spray.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add chicken and sauté 5 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Add taco seasonings to the meat mixture.

Stir in black beans, green chiles, and salsa and simmer 5 minutes, until sauce thickens and reduces.

Put half of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x9 casserole dish. Arrange 4-6 tortillas on a flat surface. Top each tortilla with an equal amount of chicken/bean mixture and 1-2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up tortillas and place side by side in a shallow baking dish. Add remaining enchilada sauce to the top. Then, top tortillas with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake enchiladas 15 minutes, until cheese is golden.

Note: You can easily freeze these before baking. Just be sure to thaw them out before baking.

 

Steak Kabobs – We’ll grill out one night, so I’ll pre-chop the steak and veggies and them put in bags and prepare the marinade in a separate bag. I’ll store it in the fridge and then transport it all on ice in the cooler. The day of the cook-out, I’ll simply dump the meat in the marinade for an hour or two and then thread the skewers.

Ingredients:

·         Sirloin Steak

·         1 C veg oil

·         3/4 C soy

·         1/4 worcestershire sauce

·         1 tsp pepper

·         2 cloves of garlic

·         1/4 C lemon juice

Instructions

Lay steak in a 9x9 baking dish. Mix up all ingredients and pour over your steak. Let it marinade as long as you can! (Up to 12 hours).

Chop up meat in inch cubes and slide on to kabob sticks.

You can use whatever veggies you want but we used mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and red potatoes. I gave these a light seasoning of olive oil and garlic salt and onion salt.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Cook kabobs on the prepared grill for 10 minutes, or to desired doneness