Pinspiring Menu Post

I am a huge fan of Pinterest. What I discovered over some reflection time this past week is that I pin a lit of things, but rarely try them. That very thought gave me the inspiration for the menu this week. It took a little bit of time to sift through the shear amount of recipe pins. Some things you pin no longer link to the original website. Some things you pin and then when you look back are really not that appealing.

What qualified as "pinspiring" to me for this menu fell under some basic categories I use for putting any menu or recipe together. First and foremost I ask myself, "Is it really gluten-free?" Many recipes claim to be gluten free, but use some ingredients that are still questionable. If it is questionable or looks way too good to pass up, I ask myself, "Can I make it gluten-free?" A lot of recipes on A Nickel's Worth of News were things I used to make before I cut gluten out of my diet. I just modify and substitute gluten-free items. Finally I ask myself, "Can I really make this at home?" Let's face it, we're busy people and really I'm not that talented in the kitchen. I already dedicate enough time to putting my meals together over the weekend. There is no need to complicate things. Here is the rundown:

Sunday 3/3          Fire Roasted Tomato, Turkey, & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans

Monday 3/4         Shortcut Veggie Burrito Bowls with Baked Tortilla Chips

Tuesday 3/5         Leftovers

Wednesday 3/6    Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken with Broccoli and Brown Rice

Thursday 3/7        Leftovers

Friday 3/8 or        Cheesy Cauliflower Pizza Sticks with Anti Pasta Salad
Saturday 3/9

Here is what you will need:

1 lb. ground turkey
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 package turkey pepperoni
1 bag romaine lettuce
1 bunch cilantro
2 bell peppers (color does not matter, whatever is on special)
1 crown cauliflower
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1 lemon
1 lime
1 bulb garlic (if you do not have any from any previous posts)
1 small knob ginger
1 bag or box brown rice
1 bag or box quinoa
1 bag corn tortillas or 1 bag baked tortilla chips (I like to make my own, but sometimes don't have time)
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (salsa style)
1 can black beans
1 bag lentils
1 can artichoke hearts (packed in water)
1 bag walnuts (I like English walnuts)
1 jar macadamia nuts
1 container liquid egg whites (or you can use regular egg whites)
1 bag frozen broccoli florets
1 bag shredded 2% mozzarella
1 bag shredded 25 cheddar

Pantry items you will need:

Olive oil
Sesame oil
Apple cider vinegar
White wine vinegar
Chili powder
Ground cumin
Dried Italian herbs
Smoked paprika
Oregano
Sesame seeds
Brown sugar
Soy sauce
Ketchup

You can check out my "Recipes to try in the Very Near Future" board. I've provided the link to my Pinterest page. I will also link the original recipe to the recipes I create this week. I'm pretty excited to try these recipes. It should be a pretty great week of good eats!