What's for lunch 5/3/13

TRATTORIA FRIDAY 
Meatless Baked Ziti
or
Chicken Tenders with Marinara Dipping Sauce
Sauteed Spinach w/Garlic & Oil 
Fresh Fruit 

 The ziti is a white flour pasta with some protein by Barilla Plus. The ingredients are:  Semolina, Grain and Legume Flour, Blend (Lentils, Chickpeas, Egg Whites, Spelt, Barley, Flaxseed, Oat Fiber, Oats), Durum Flour, Niacin, Iron (Ferrous Sulfate), Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid.

The sauce is a Red Pack vitamin enhanced tomato sauce. The sodium at 140mg is much lower than we previously used.  Here are the ingredients: Tomato Concentrate (Water, Tomato Paste), Sugar, Soybean Oil, Potassium Chloride, Onion Powder, Salt, Citric Acid, Spice, Garlic Powder, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Black Pepper, Vitamin E (DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate), Natural Flavor, Vitamin A (Retinol Palmitate).

The chicken is a Tyson "fully cooked chicken breast nugget fritter with rib meat" with 10g of fat and 420mg of sodium.  The ingredients are: Boneless, skinless chicken breast nuggets with rib meat, water, modified food starch, sodium phosphates, salt. PREDUSTED WITH: Enriched wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), wheat gluten, salt. BATTERED WITH: Water, enriched bleached wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), modified corn starch, salt, dextrose, spices, garlic powder, xanthan gum, oleoresin paprika and annatto. BREADED WITH: Enriched wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), salt, spices, garlic powder, extractives of paprika, natural flavors (spice extractives). Breading set in vegetable oil.

The fruit and spinach are fresh. I would get the ziti and skip the chicken tenders. And as I always say load up on sides at the salad bar !!

Happy cinco de mayo !! I am making these for Sunday. They are so easy and delicious ! 

Black Bean Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw

March 11, 2011

We are on a bit of a mexican food streak around here.   When making out our meal plan last week I asked if there were any requests, as there usually are a few.  Although everyone ask for something different it was all along the same lines…tacos, tortilla soup, tacquitos. I decided to add in my own favorite tacos to round out the week.

This recipe is pretty flexible and can easily be adjusted to your family’s taste.  We used black beans alone, but for a little more protein chicken, pork or beef could be mixed in as well.  If using meat, I would probably omit one of the 2 cans of beans.

It is a great meal to make in advance, the beans and slaw just get more flavorful with time.

Black Bean Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw

Beans adapted from Smitten Kitchen, Slaw inspired by Bobby Flay

2   15 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons ground cumin

3 teaspoons olive oil

juice of one lime

Hard shell tacos

Feta cheese

Mix beans, cumin, olive oil and lime juice in a medium bowl.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Red Cabbage Slaw

1/2 head red cabbage, finely shredded

4 green onions chopped, both white and green parts

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Salt and pepper

Place cabbage, carrots and onion in a large bowl.  Whisk together the vinegar, orange juice, oil and honey and pour over the cabbage.  Add the cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

To assemble the tacos take your hard shell, add the slaw, then beans and top with a sprinkling of feta.