A Healthy Ten Day Menu

On the water taxi to Galapagos Islands

It’s true that I love to travel. Although I don’t travel as much as some I travel quite often. This week has me leaving for Madrid, Spain to attend Pueblo Ingles language school for Spanish speaking individuals looking to improve their english skills by attending a week long course all in English. My part is being a volunteer providing conversation daily one on one, or in small groups so the individuals can be exposed to a variety of accents. There are other volunteers from North America, as well as the UK, New Zealand, and Australia.

What on earth you ask do I expect to get from this? I hope to learn about the Spanish culture, and especially the amazing cuisine I have heard about in Spain. It’s always good as a cook to be exposed to different styles of cooking to enhance the creative process that cooking demands.

Pueblo Ingles pays for my room and board at a pretty cool resort, that if you follow this link you can read the reviews and see pictures of the resort:http://www.tripadvisor.ie/Hotel_Review-g1104138-d1373072-Reviews-Abadia_de_Los_Templarios-La_Alberca.html

One of the challenges I have in leaving the country for ten days is providing healthy meals for my wife who doesn’t hardly ever cook. I have spoiled her all these years by cooking virtually all our meals, except when we go out to eat. This is the first time I have attempted to have this many days worth of lunch and dinner ready to heat and eat for her, and it’s been interesting to say the least. Most of the recipes are mine, but not all have been added to my blog. Just in case you ever have to do something like this I share with you the menu I devised, and some of the recipes.

Ten Day Menu Plan

Wednesday November 6th

Breakfast: Steel cut oatmeal with a side of applesauce

Lunch: Salmon Salad Wrap with baby greens

Dinner: Maitake Mushroom Chowder with Couscous Salad

link to chowder recipe: http://www.fastandfuriouscook.com/392/

Thursday

Breakfast: Steel cut oatmeal with a side of peaches

Lunch: Italian Tomato Soup. Link to soup recipe at:

http://www.fastandfuriouscook.com/on-diet-and-nutrition/

Dinner: Coconut-Vegetable Thai Chowder

Friday

Breakfast: Steel cut oatmeal with almond butter toast

Lunch: Green salad with cauliflower and sunflower seeds, dressed with Cranberry vinegrette

Dinner: Salmon salad on greens and Vegetable lasagna. Link to lasagna recipe:http://www.fastandfuriouscook.com/?s=lasagna

Saturday

Breakfast: Fried farm fresh egg on toast

Lunch: *Vegetable fried rice with peanuts

Dinner: Chicken curry on brown rice

Sunday

Breakfast: Blueberry, banana and fresh apple smoothie

Lunch: Ramen soup with added frozen peas

Dinner: Go out to neighborhood Indian restaurant/take out

Monday

Breakfast: Steel cut oats with applesauce

Lunch: Italian Tomato Soup Bean and rice burrito with side of salsa

Dinner: Steamed Edamame starter, Vegetable fried rice

Tuesday

Breakfast: Granola or steel cut oats

Lunch: Bean and rice burrito with side of avocado, and salsa. Link to bean and rice recipe:http://www.fastandfuriouscook.com/spicy-black-bean-brown-rice-lunch-wraps/

Dinner: Baked Salmon Cake with side of steamed peas and carrots. Link to salmon cake recipe:http://www.fastandfuriouscook.com/salmon-cakes-with-chipolte-tartar-sauce/

Wednesday

Breakfast: *Steel cut oats with peaches

Lunch: Green salad with a side of hummos and chips

Dinner: *Sauteed Fire Roasted Portabellos on linguine

Thursday

Breakfast: Steel cut oatmeal with applesauce

Lunch: Black beans and rice, or eat at work

Dinner: Chicken curry on brown rice, or chest nut rice

Friday

Breakfast: Steel cut oats and a fresh apple

Lunch: Lasagna and side green salad

Dinner: Baked salmon with chestnut rice

Notes:

Wednesday night take peaches out of freezer and thaw in fridge.

Thursday night take Lasagna out of freezer and thaw in fridge.

Friday night take curry out of freezer and thaw in fridge.

Saturday, In a large saute pan heat 1 teaspoon of oil in pan on medium heat with fried rice and cook stirring for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup peanuts and cook for two more minutes.

3-4 pm cook 2 cups brown rice with 3 cups water in rice cooker for curry dinner.

Tuesday night take peaches out of freezer and thaw in fridge.

Wednesday night start 5 cups of water heating on stove to boil pasta. When water is boiling add past stirring constantly for the first minute.

Start saute pan heating up with 1 teaspoon oil on medium hi heat for 1 minute. Add 2 cups of Phillips Fire Roasted Portabellos and cook stirring for 5-7 minutes or until piping hot. Serve on top of pasta.

Thaw curry in fridge for tomorrow night’s dinner.

Thursday night thaw salmon, and chestnut rice in fridge.

Friday night heat oven to 400 degrees. Using a small(gold colored) baking pan and rack that fits in it put salmon skin side down and bake for 20 minutes. Season salmon with a sprinkle of Spike and ground black pepper.

Heat chestnut rice in covered oven proof baking dish with a spray of oil at the same time you are baking salmon.

Steam some green beans if you like.

You can see it’s fairly extensive, and most items reheat in 5-7 minutes. I plan on posting about the trip after I return, but share with you my favorite healthy soup recipe I developed last year.

Italian Tomato Soup

Italian Tomato Soup

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1 clove fresh garlic minced, or 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 14.5 oz can of kidney beans

1 15.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 5.5 oz can of V-8 vegetable juice

1 vegetable or chicken cube,(bullion)

4 cups water

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup of small shell pasta, uncooked

2 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 cup fresh spinach

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Optional,1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

In a 4-5 quart pot add enough of the water to cover the bottom about a quarter inch and heat to simmering. Add onion and garlic and cook on medium low for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add canned tomatoes, beans,red pepper flakes, rest of the water, V-8, bullion cube, and dried herbs. Cook at a simmer for 20 minutes covered stirring twice. Remove cover, turn heat up to a boil, and add pasta, stirring every 30 seconds for three minutes to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom. Cook for 8 minutes uncovered keeping it at a slow boil. Stir in broccoli and cook for 3 minutes simmering. Stir in spinach and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in parsley and serve.

Serves 4

Note:

*This is a thick soup, but you can add an additional cup water if you want it thinner.

*Green beans can be substituted for broccoli.

*Kale can be substituted for spinach.