I have a dear friend whose husband was in a bad car accident last November. He suffered a traumatic brain injury & her world has been turned upside down. He has been healing all of these months and is not home yet. As you can imagine, keeping up with meals has been a challenge. Her daughter asked me to make a simple meal plan with some quick meal ideas for her Mom to make, in between trips to caring for her husband.

My friend likes simple, healthy food, so I hope this plan will serve her well & the grocery list make shopping convenient for her.

6 Super Simple Dinner Recipes

This plan has one chicken dish, one ground beef dish, one fish dish, 2 vegetarian soups and one “brinner” or breakfast for dinner.  This will give 6 meals total.

These dinner recipes are super simple, quick and easy, & are made using Trader Joes groceries.

Serve each meal with a big, green leafy salad and one another type of vegetable on the side, if desired.

 

Chicken

Balsamic Slow Cooker Chicken  & Roasted Potatoes

 

 Buy:

4 organic chicken breasts

organic chicken broth (in a box)

balsamic vinegar

brown sugar, 3 cloves garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried rosemary

Red potatoes

 

Slow Cooker Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 boneless, skin-less chicken breasts

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

salt & pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, brown sugar and garlic; set aside. 

Season chicken breasts with basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt & pepper.

Place chicken breasts into a 6 qt slow cooker. Stir in balsamic vinegar mixture. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.  

 

Roasted Red Potatoes

Wash potatoes. Cut into 1/4. Put in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil & seasons with salt, pepper & some dried rosemary. Toss (I use my hands) then place in a single layer once again. Bake 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom and able to prick with a fork.

 

………………………………….

Soup #1

Easy Black Bean Soup with $.99 Pretzel Bread

 

Buy:

15 ounce can black beans

frozen corn

salsa

vegetable broth

cumin

$.99 cent pretzel bread (small loaf, comes in a paper sleeve)

 

Make:

Using recipe below, which really just takes minutes, make the soup.  Serve in bowls with pretzel bread for dipping.

 

Easy Black Bean Soup
{happy herbivore}

15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed (or not:))
1 cup salsa
11/2 cups vegetable broth (more or less, depending on desired thickness)
1/2 tsp cumin
dash of hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

tortilla chips (optional)

Place 1 cup beans, salsa, broth and cumin in a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add remaining ingredients except chips. Stir to combine and heat thoroughly over low. Once warmed, serve and garnish with broken chips.

 

……………………………..

 

Fish

Swai Fish Filets on a Bed of Wild Rice, Veggie & Salad

 

To Buy:

Swai frozen fillets (any white fish if Swai is not available)

frozen multi-grain rice packs

dried dill

butter

 

Make:

Line baking sheet with foil. Lay out thawed fish filets. Sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and dill. Add a pat of butter on to of each filet. Bake 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until no longer opaque in the middle and flakes easily. Serve with rice, veggie & salad.

 

…………………………..

Beef

Sloppy Joes with Mashed Potatoes

 

Buy:

1 lb Organic, grass-fed beef

hamburger buns

mashed potatoes (in a bag in the freezer section)

ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, lemon, chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, paprika, oregano

 

Make:

Use this recipe for Sloppy Joes, but substitute the lentils for the ground beef.  So easy! Serve on buns with a side of mashed potatoes.

 

…………………………….

 

Soup #2

Easy Tomato, Pesto, Tortellini Soup

 

Buy:

Organic Tomato Soup (in a box)

Container of prepared pesto (in refrigerator section)

Container of fresh tortellini pasta (in refrigerator section)

Sourdough bread (optional)

 

Make:

Pour the tomato soup into a sauce pan. Let come to almost a boil, then reduce heat.  Add tortellini pasta and cook for 4-6 minutes or according to package directions. Taste one to make sure it is tender. Last step, add 2 large spoonfuls of prepared pesto & swirl into the soup. Serve with crusty bread.

 

…………………………..

“Brinner” (Breakfast for Dinner)

Toad In a Hole + Nitrate-Free Bacon

 

Buy:

Organic Eggs

Bread

Nitrate-Free Bacon (get the ‘already cooked’ kind, in the bacon area)

Frozen berries (your choice, I like blackberries)

 

Make:

Make Toad In a Hole using this recipe. Heat bacon for just seconds in the microwave according to directions. Serve with slightly thawed berries.

 

Trader Joes Shopping List

 

15 ounce can black beans

frozen corn

salsa

vegetable broth

cumin

$.99 cent pretzel bread (small loaf, comes in a paper sleeve)

Tortilla chips (optional)

 

Fish Dish Ingredients

Swai frozen fillets (any white fish if Swai is not available)

multi-grain or organic brown rice packs (in freezer section)

dried dill

butter

 

Beef Dish (Sloppy Joes) Ingredients

1 lb Organic, grass-fed beef

hamburger buns

mashed potatoes (in a bag in the freezer section)

ketchup

mustard

Worcestershire Sauce

lemon

chili powder

brown sugar

cumin

paprika

oregano

 

Tomato, Basil, Tortellini Soup Ingredients

Organic Tomato Soup (in a box)

Container of prepared pesto (in refrigerator section)

Container of fresh tortellini pasta (in refrigerator section)

Sourdough bread (optional)

 

“Brinner” (Breakfast for Dinner) Ingredients

Organic Eggs

Bread

Nitrate-Free Bacon (get the ‘already cooked’ kind, in the bacon area)

Frozen berries (your choice, I like blackberries)

 

Misc.

Bagged Salad Greens to eat with each meal

Frozen sides of veggies to eat with each meal

Something Sweet (I love Trader Joe’s bag of Nutty Bites)

Wine {smile}

…………………….

Would you be willing to know more about our dear friends and consider giving toward a fund we set up to help lighten the load? We are getting close to the goal and I know every bit helps and so appreciated!

If you are unable to give, will you pray for them? The journey has been long and the road is hard. I know your prayers will bring continued peace & healing.