"Where has she gone?" the three people who read my blog have been asking. My dear devoted friends, fear not. I've just been in rehearsals for a play. And since it is a new work that is still being developed as I hurriedly type this, it has been consuming my time and thoughts. But as tech week has rolled around, I thought it best to be inspired by past successes (see parts one and two from last year) and try to prepare for it with the tenacity of a younger Whoopi Goldberg,
You're welcome.
As always I try to be cost efficient and health conscious (at least to start with) even though in the end, we all know I'm going to go home and drink a hot toddy and eat dark chocolate when I get home at 12:45am. But here's my attempt this time, using mason jars from the Crafty Beaver...
Recipes #10, 11 and 12: Layered Taco Mason Jar, Pesto Chicken Antipasto Mason Jar,
and Mediterranean Medley Mason Jar
Choice of libation: Double shot of espresso. This week I am made of caffeine.
Choice of music: Running lines under my breath. Seriously. Can't stop, won't stop.
This entire process took me 45 minutes for all 3 recipes and I ended up with 12 jars of food. Ridiculous. As soon as I got home from the store, I threw the chicken tenders in to marinate in the pesto. You can use store bought. But I also have a great recipe I like to use for walnut sage pesto. Let that soak in for about 45 minutes. Then toss the chicken in the skillet until cooked through.
While the chicken's soaking, I browned some lean turkey meat with cumin, chipotle chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper, but you can also just dump in some taco seasoning.
Then you just build your jars! From the bottom up, this one was
salsa, diced tomatoes, red onions, avocado, ground meat, spinach and scallions.
From the bottom up, this is lemon basil vinaigrette, diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, red onions, pesto chicken, artichokes, feta, spinach and scallions.
From the bottom up, this jar has extra virgin olive oil, tomatoes, red onions, red peppers, skim mozzarella, pesto chicken, pepperoni, spinach and scallions.
And voila! A week's worth of healthy-ish meals! There's enough variety in here that you won't get tired of them and the longer they soak in their "dressings", the better everything tastes anyway! GOOD JOB ON WINNING AT TECH WEEK!
(Remember: If you wanna be somebody
if you wanna go somewhere
you better wake up and make all of your week's dinners in one day so that you don't blow all your cash on Lunchables from Seven Eleven)
stolen and adapted from lexiscleankitchen.com
Each of these make about 4 jars of food
for the taco jar:
homemade or store bought salsa
2 diced tomatoes
1/2 red onion
(I skipped the plantains, but go for it if you're feeling it)
taco seasoning (or your own spice mix)
ground meat (I did lean turkey)
spinach
scallions
for the antipasto jar:
diced pesto chicken
roasted red peppers
2 tomatoes diced
1/2 red onion
pepperoni
skim mozzarella cheese
spinach
scallions
for the Mediterranean jar:
"loaded turkey meatballs" (except I cheated and just added more pesto chicken)
lemon basil vinaigrette
1 diced cucumber
1 diced tomato
1/2 red onion
1 jar marinated artichokes
feta cheese
spinach
scallions
Cook the meat. Add seasoning.
Chop the veggies.
Layer to your heart's content.
