Menu Plan Monday

After a long break I'm back to menu planning this week. I'm trying to be good about calorie counting again so I've got several lower calorie favorites of ours plus one new one. (I aim for under 400 calories). Some of the higher calorie starchy sides I'm making just for the rest of the family. I'm really excited about the pork tacos that are on the menu for tomorrow!! The pineapple salsa sounds like such a great summery finish. Here's our menu for the week.

Sunday - Cheeseburgers (mine was on a deli flat instead of a bun & had 2% cheese) with french fries for the guys

Monday - Chicken Chow Mein (291 calories)

Tuesday - Pork tacos with pineapple salsa (345 calories)

Wednesday - Crunchy onion chicken (331 calories) with sauteed squash or green beans depending on what I can find and fruit

Thursday - Garlic-mustard grilled beef skewers (from Bobby Flay - Foodnetwork.com)with parmesan roasted broccoli and fried potatoes

Friday - Dijon chicken (286 calories) with roasted asparagus and rice

Chicken Chow Mein - from Parents Magazine
Ingredients

1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 lb. fresh or dry lo mein noodles
1/4 cup canola oil, divided
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated, sliced 1/8-inch thick
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 cups packed spinach
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions

1. Mix cornstarch and soy sauce in a bowl. Add chicken; marinate for 5 minutes.

2. Boil the noodles in a large pot of salted water until al dente, about 5 minutes for fresh, 10 to 15 minutes for dried. Drain and transfer to a bowl filled with ice water. (It helps prevent the noodles from getting soft and sticky.) When theyre cold, drain and toss them with 1 Tbs. canola oil.

3. Meanwhile, heat 2-1/2 Tbsp. oil on high in a large pan. Stir-fry chicken until almost cooked through, about 6 minutes; remove. Add 1/2 Tbsp. more oil to pan; stir-fry ginger, scallion whites, and garlic until oil is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the noodles, chicken, and spinach and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with scallion greens if your child likes them.

For more great menu ideas go to www.orgjunkie.com.