Menu Monday Is Back!!

I've finally started cooking again and I'm focusing heavily on easy, healthy(ish) dinners that can also make good leftover lunches.  I typically don't get home until after 6, so meals that I can prep ahead of time or throw in a crockpot are amazing.  During colder weather I definitely go for heartier foods, so I'm trying to find a healthy balance.  

Over the last few weeks, A LOT of Italy people were posting pictures of Oktoberfest and the mountains and it had me craving some goulash.  This is not exactly healthy, but it is really tasty, so I had to make some.

Tangent:  One time Ralph and I took a trip to Austria and I, no lie, ate goulash for every. single. meal.  I love that stuff.

I found {this} recipe and tried it out last week.  I cooked mashed potatoes to go along with it and it definitely hit the spot.  I will say, I think there is some secret ingredient that the little Austrian grandmothers use in their goulash, so mine was just a tiny bit off, but all in all it tasted pretty darn close.  Maybe the secret ingredient is the mountain air.  Who knows.

Anyway, this week my menu is looking something like this:

Monday- Vegetable soup (recipe below)
Tuesday- Spinach, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Stuffed Spaghetti Squash (Recipe found {here}.  I'm not roasting the seeds, and I'll assemble in the morning and have Ralph pop them in the oven when I'm on my way home.)
Wednesday- Dinner with friends
Thursday-  Roasted Vegetables and Chicken
Friday-  Crockpot Chili

Vegetable Soup Recipe (So easy and good! My good friend Cheryl taught me how to make this a few years ago because I thought hers was the best.)

1-2 lbs. ground chuck (sometimes I use ham hocks, it just depends on my mood)
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can green beans
1 can butter beans
3-4 potatoes, diced
1 small package baby carrots
1 small head of cabbage cut and diced
1 large can of Heinz tomato juice
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground chuck and drain.  Add everything else to the pot.  Note: do not drain canned vegetables.  If using frozen vegetables, add some extra vegetable stock.  (I've cooked it both ways, and it turns out the same).  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Turn heat down and simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender.  Serve with corn bread.

What are your favorite, easy, cold weather meals?