Meals for the week of...January 25, 2010

Monday: Honey-Mustard Ham Steaks, Roasted Asparagus, and Crescent Rolls

Tuesday: BBQ Meatloaf, Corn, and Salad

Wednesday: Chicken Asian Stir-fry served on Ramen Noodles

Thursday: Spaghetti and Salad

Friday: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Honey-Mustard Ham Steaks - recipe from Betty Crocker's Best Loved Recipes

Unless you have two ovens, making both the asparagus and the rolls in the oven could be a little more time consuming. Good thing is that both the asparagus and the rolls only need about 10-15 mins each in the oven. My first step for tonight's meal is to get the rolls in the oven. After I get the rolls in I will start cooking the ham. When the ham is simmering for the 15 mins I will prep the asparagus and when the rolls have finished I will toss the asparagus in. As the asparagus is cooking I will finish up the ham and all should be ready about the same time. I may warm the rolls slightly by tossing them in the still warm oven after turning it off when the asparagus is cooking. I do have a toaster oven that I can cook the rolls in but I may give the shuffle a try to see how manageable it is.

Honey-Mustard Ham Steaks

1/4 cup water

2 T honey

1 T dijon mustard

1 pound fully cooked smoked ham sliced (about 1ch thick), cut into 4 serving pieces

1/2 cup sour cream

1 green onion, sliced

1. Mix water, honey and mustard in a 10-inch skillet. Add ham. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer about 15 minutes, turning once, until ham is heated through. Remove ham from skillet; keep warm.

2. Stir sour cream into mixture in skillet; heat 1 minute. Pour over ham. Sprinkle with onion.

Sides: Roasted Asparagus and Crescent Rolls

Roasted Asparagus - recipe from myrecipes.com

2 bunches asparagus (about 2 lbs)

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup packed freshly shredded parmesan

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Hold the end of an asparagus stalk and bend until it snaps off. Repeat with remaining stalks and discard woody ends.

2. Toss asparagus with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. Arrange asparagus in an even layer in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake until asparagus is crisp-tender and cheese is browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve hot or warm.

BBQ Meatloaf - recipe from Cooking Light's 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Cookbook

1 lb ground round (I've always used ground beef)

1/2 cup barbecue sauce, divided

1/4 cup frozen chopped onion, pressed dry (I've never found this item so I used dried minced onion)

1/4 cup Italian-seasoned dry breadcrumbs

2 egg whites

1/4 tsp pepper

Combine meat, 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, onion, breadcrumbs, egg whites, and pepper in a large bowl; stir well.

Shape mixture into a 7x5-inch loaf on a rack in a roasting pan. (I've never done this - I just toss the meat mixture into a loaf pan.) Spread remaining 1/4 cup barbecue sauce over loaf. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or to desired degree of doneness.

Sides: Canned or frozen corn and Salad

Chicken Asian Stir-fry served on Ramen Noodles

2 chicken breasts, diced

Teriyaki sauce (amount depends on how much flavor you like)

Soy sauce (amount depends on how much flavor you like)

Frozen/fresh vegetables, steamed

Ramen Noodles Beef (or similar flavor) cooked according to package

Cook diced chicken breasts in a wok or large skillet. Add teriyaki and soy sauce to chicken as it cooks. When chicken is cooked thoroughly add steamed vegetables and additional sauces for flavor. When warmed through add noodles only (drain from soup) to chicken and vegetable mixture.

Spaghetti and Salad

1 package spaghetti noodles

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 package pre-washed and cut lettuce

Cook noodles according to package while warming sauce. Add sauce to noodles and serve with salad.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Whole wheat bread

Butter

Sliced cheddar cheese

1-2 can Tomato Soup

Butter one side of each piece of bread. In a heated skillet, place bread butter side down and layer with sliced cheese and top with another piece of bread, butter side up. Cook until browned and flip to brown other side. While cooking sandwiches, heat soup according to directions.