Friday, December 10, 2010

December Meals

Creamy Chicken and Chile Enchiladas - Britta

Vegetable Lasagna - Cheryl

Chicken Salad Sandwiches (Costco) - Jeana

Pesto Chicken Parmesan - Julianne

Chicken, Mushroom, Pesto Pizza - Kim

Asian Beef and Snow Peas - Kimberly

Shrimp Scampi or Chicken Cordon Bleu - Tawnee

Vegetable Lasagna

Sauce:

6 Tb Olive oil
½ C Onion
4 Cloves minced garlic
¼ Fennel bulb, chopped
½ Red pepper, seed & dice
½ C Shredded carrot
1 28 oz. Can diced tomatoes
2 C Tomato sauce
2 Tb Fresh oregano
2 Tb Fresh basil
1 ½ C Dry white wine or chicken broth
¼ lb. Chopped mushrooms
2 tsp. Sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper

Filling:

1 C Fresh or frozen spinach
3 C Ricotta cheese
1/3 C Parmesan
2 Tb Fresh basil
1 tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Nutmeg
2 Eggs, beaten
2 C Mozzarella
2/3 C Parmesan
1 lb. Oven ready Lasagna noodles

For sauce, sauté oil, onion and garlic in large pot. Add the next 8 ingredients. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes until vegetables are soft and the sauce cooks down and starts to thicken slightly. Add the last 4 sauce ingredients; simmer 5 minutes. Puree in blender. You should have about 6 cups.

For filling, combine all 8 ingredients in large bowl. Combine mozzarella and 2/3 cup parmesan in a separate bowl.

Grease a 9x13 pan. Coat the pan with 1 cup of sauce. Top with one layer of noodles, then 1 cup of ricotta mixture. Top with 1 light layer of spinach and ½ cup cheese mixture. Top with 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers 3 more times, ending with 1 layer pasta, sauce, then cheese.

Bake 375 for 30 minutes until bubbly and starts to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

From frozen, bake covered 45 minutes or until bubbly. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes or until cheese just starts to brown.

Creamy Chicken and Chile Enchiladas

1 lb. chicken breasts
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 4.5 oz. can chopped green chiles
tortillas
2 10 oz. cans Old El Paso green chile enchilada sauce

Boil chicken until cooked through. Combine hot chicken, cream cheese, and chiles in mixer with whisks on. Mix until chicken is shredded and everything is mixed well. Pour a little enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan. Spoon chicken filling onto tortillas. Top with cheese, roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Pour rest of enchilada sauce on top and between each enchilada. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees until hot and cheese is melted.

Friday, November 12, 2010

November Meals

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos - Britta

Pumpkin Waffles with Buttermilk Syrup - Cheryl

Sizzlin’ Good Chicken - Diana

4 Can Soup - Jeana

Baked 4-Cheese Pasta - Julianne

Red Curry with Coconut Milk and Thai Egg Rolls - Julie

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad - Kim

Killer Chili - Kimberly

Beef Stew - Melanie

4 Can Soup

1 can Italian tomatoes
1 can chicken broth (I like more juice, so I add 2 cans)
1 can green beans, drained
1 can carrots, drained
I like to add some pasta and some meat so I have included macaroni and precooked chicken.

Add all ingredients together and simmer for 5 minutes. Top with grated cheese as you serve.

Beef Stew

2 TBL flour
1 lb beef or pork stew meat
2 TBL cooking oil
3 ½ cups vegetable juice cocktail
½ cup chopped onion
2 tsp instant beef bouillon granules
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp dried basil, crushed
½ tsp dried thyme, crushed
2 ¼ cups cubed, peeled potatoes
2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery

(This is the original recipe above. I also included peas and corn)

Place flour in a plastic bag. Add meat cubes, a few at a time, shaking to coat. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven brown meat, half at a time, in hot oil. Return meat to saucepan. Add juice cocktail, onion, bouillon granules, garlic, basil, and thyme. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 1 to 1 ¼ hours for beef (30 minutes for pork) or till meat is nearly tender. Add potatoes, carrots
and celery (peas and corn). Cover, simmer 30 minutes more. Skim fat. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

Crock-pot directions: Prepare and brown meat as above. In the bottom of a 4 quart crock-pot layer onion, potatoes, carrots and celery (and peas and corn).
Sprinkle with bouillon granules, garlic, basil and thyme; add meat. Pour 2 ½ cups vegetable juice cocktail over meat. Cover; cook on low heat setting for 10-12 hours
or till meat and vegetables are tender.

Notes:

1. Since this serves 4, I increased the ingredients by 1.5 times and included corn and peas.
2. You will probably want to add 3 ½ to 4 cups of the vegetable juice cocktail (depending on how brothy you like your soup)
3. When I made it in the crock-pot, it took <10 hours on low.

Red Curry with Coconut Milk

1 Tbs. Vegetable Oil
1 small onion chopped finely
2 ½ tsp. Red Curry Paste (I used Mae Ploy from the Asian Market)
2 teas minced garlic
1 cup coconut milk
½ cup chicken stock
1-2 Kaffir lime leaves (whole)
2 lemongrass stocks (in 2 inch pieces)
1 Tbs. fish sauce
2 Tbs. palm sugar or brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
12 oz. chunked chicken (raw)
1 red or green pepper cubed
½ cup sliced bamboo shoots
½ cup thinly sliced carrots
½ tsp. cornstarch mixed with ½ tsp. water (thickener)
4 large sweet Thai basil leaves finely sliced
Jasmine Rice

Heat oil in wok or large frying pan and cook onion for a few minutes. Add red curry paste and minced garlic and cook, stirring for a minute. Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, lime leaves, lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and let it return to a boil. Stir in cubed pepper, bamboo shoots, and sliced carrots. Simmer on med.-low 10 min. or until vegetables are tender and chicken cooked through. Remove lemongrass and lime leaves. Add the cornstarch paste and stir continuously until thickened. Top with Thai basil leaves and serve over Jasmine Rice.

From Frozen:

Defrost

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a large frying pan or wok. Stir fry garlic, carrots, peppers, and bamboo shoots for a few minutes. Add defrosted curry/chicken mixture and simmer until all is warmed through. The curry will be pretty thin. If you like it thicker add more cornstarch water mixture. Serve over Jasmine Rice.

Killer Chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours
Total Time: 7 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup water

This recipe is mild. If your ideal chili burns your tongue, add red pepper flakes, jalapeno and habanero chilies and, of course, more chili powder.

Preparation:
Cook ground beef in heavy skillet until brown and drain. Mix all ingredients except water in 3-4 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours until vegetables are tender. Turn heat to high. Add water to chili, stirring well. Uncover and cook for about 15 minutes, until slightly thickened.
8 servings

Pumpkin Waffles with Buttermilk Syrup

Waffles

2 C Flour
2 T. Baking powder
1 T. Cinnamon
1 T. Sugar
½ tsp. Nutmeg
¼ tsp. Salt
4 Egg yolks
4 Egg whites
1 C Pumpkin
1 T. Vanilla
1 ½ C Milk
¾ C Margarine, melted

Mix all dry ingredients in bowl. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then set aside. Mix all the other wet ingredients separately, then gently stir into the flour mixture until just combined – don’t over-mix or the waffles will be tough. Genlty fold egg whites into the batter. Cook in waffle iron.

*You can use the same batter to make pancakes, but don’t beat the egg whites.

Syrup

¼ C Butter – NOT margarine
½ C Buttermilk
1 C Sugar
1 tsp. Light corn syrup
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Vanilla

In medium-large pot boil the butter, buttermilk, sugar and corn syrup. Remove from heat and add vanilla and soda. The mixture will bubble a lot so make sure your pot is big enough. Serve over warm waffles.

Sizzlin’ Good Chicken

Ingredients for chicken:
3 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. steak seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 - 1 1/2 lbs. chicken
1 green pepper
1/2 onion
1 small zucchini
1 cup fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes

Ingredients for noodles:
1 pkg. noodles
1 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. steak seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lime

Sauce for chicken: In a small bowl, mix together oil, steak seasoning, garlic, pepper. Put chicken, green pepper, onion, and zucchini in a ziplock bag. Pour oil mixture into bag. Toss to coat. Marinate in the fridge at least 1 hour. In a large skillet, stir fry chicken mixture until chicken is done. After the chicken is done, add mushrooms and sundried tomatoes and stir fry for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add extra seasonings to taste.

For the noodles: Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles. In a small bowl, mix together oil, steak seasoning, garlic, pepper. Pour oil mixture over noodles until they are coated with seasonings. Serve the chicken over the noodles. Sprinkle with lime.

NOTE: You can use fresh tomatoes instead of sundried. After the mushrooms are added to the chicken, cook for 1 minute. Then, remove from heat and top with tomatoes.

Friday, October 8, 2010

October Meals

White Chili - Britta

Hot Ham and Swiss Sandwiches and Frozen Fruit Cocktail - Cheryl

Asian Chicken Rice Bowls - Diana

Baked Ziti - Jeana

Japanese Curry and Gyoza - Julianne

Chicken Salad Sandwiches (Costco) - Kim

Chicken Enchiladas - Kimberly

BBQ Chicken Pizza - Margaret


Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole and Orange Rolls - Naomi


Artichoke, Sundried Tomato and Chicken Pasta - Tawnee

Baked Ziti

Makes either a very full 9 x 13" pan or 2 8 x 8" pans, and it freezes very well.

1 lb. ziti noodles
1 small onion, diced
1 lb. ground beef
2 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I used traditional Prego)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
6 oz. provolone, sliced (can be found next to the pre-packaged lunch meats or in the deli section)
2 Tb. parmesan cheese, grated

Brown onion with the beef. Drain. Cook ziti noodles and drain them. Pour 1 jar of spaghetti sauce into meat and 1 jar of sauce into the noodles. Put ingredients in 9 x 13" pan in the following order:
1. Pour half of the noodle/sauce mixture into pan.
2. Layer provolone slices on top.
3. Spread all the sour cream on top of provolone.
4. Put half of meat/sauce mixture on top of that.
5. Sprinkle on all the mozzarella cheese.
6. Pour remaining noodles on top of mozzarella.
7. Pour remaining meat mixture on top.
8. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 min. at 350*.
Remove foil and bake 5 more min. to make cheese bubbly. Enjoy!

Hot Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

1 small onion, grated
½ lb. Butter
1 ½ Tb Poppyseeds
1 tsp. Worcestershire
3 Tb. Mustard
12 Slices Swiss cheese
2 lbs. Thinly shaved deli ham
1 Dozen sesame hamburger buns

Cook and stir the first 5 ingredients just until melted. Chill 1 hour. Spread generously on buns. Top with ham and cheese. Wrap each sandwich in foil and bake at 250 for ½ hour. They can also be frozen in foil – then baked at 250 for 1 hour.

Frozen Fruit Cocktail

3 ½ cups sugar
2 quarts water
6 oz. Frozen orange juice concentrate
6 oz. Frozen lemonade concentrate
1 Watermelon, cut with melon baller
2 Cantaloupes, cut in chunks
2 Green honey dew melons, cut in chunks
3 lbs. Green grapes
3 lbs. Peaches, diced
1 lb. Blueberries, fresh or frozen

In large saucepan, bring sugar and water to boil; stir in the frozen juices and remove from heat.

In large bowl, combine all fruit. Put mixed fruit in freezer bags or containers, leaving ½ inch space on top. Pour hot syrup over top.

Seal and freeze. Use within 6-8 months. Makes about 12 pints.

To serve, thaw partially. Divide into salad bowls and top with Sprite, ginger ale or club soda. You want to eat it when it’s slushy but not completely thawed.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

1 Pizza crust (homemade or Boboli)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/3 cups BBQ sauce, divided
6 oz Provolone cheeses, grated
6 oz Gouda cheese, grated
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped
fresh cilantro

Directions:

In large Ziploc bag, combine chicken and 2/3 cup of BBQ sauce. Marinate in fridge for 4 hours or overnight.

To cook, place chicken and marinate in small baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Let chicken cool, then slice into thin pieces.

Sprinkle ~ of the grated cheeses over crust. Spoon 2/3 cup BBQ sauce over cheese; cover with chicken and onion. Sprinkle on remaining cheese.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes at 450 degrees. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve. Makes 1 12" pizza.

Asian Chicken Rice Bowls

(Like Hawaiian Haystacks, but with an Asian twist. Like the ones from Rumbi.)

1 bottle of Asian salad dressing
Seasonings: 1 tsp. ginger, 1 tsp. garlic powder
Chicken
2 cups dried rice, mixed with 4 cups water and cooked

You can cook the chicken any number of ways. My favorite way is to cook it in your crock pot. Pour 1/2 of the bottle of salad dressing and the seasonings into your crockpot. Add chicken. Cook 3-4 hours on high, 5-6 hours on low. When it is done, you can shred it and mix it with the sauce in the crockpot.

***You can also marinate the chicken in 1/2 bottle of dressing and then cook it-grill, bake, however you want to do it. Honestly, you can use whatever cooked meat you have on hand. This recipe is great for any leftover meat from another meal.

Spoon rice into bowls; spoon chicken mixture over the top. Top with pineapple and other toppings. Pour more salad dressing over the top for more flavor.

Toppings: Anything you typically put on a salad
Tomatoes, Shredded Cheese, Canned Pineapple, Green Onion
Other Optional Toppings: Soy sauce, Sweet Chili sauce, Avocado, Matchstick carrots, Zucchini - grated or cubed, cooked, Peppers (Jalapenos, sweet, or Serrano), Cucumbers, Sushi grade fish, Sushi ginger, Mushrooms, Peas (raw or cooked), Steamed asparagus, Green beans, Cilantro, Green Peppers, Chow Mein Noodles, Celery
Crushed Nuts - peanuts, almonds or cashews

Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

Sally Welton's recipe

Mix together: 3 beaten eggs
1 c. half & half
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
1 c. grated Swiss cheese
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 c. diced ham

24 oz. frozen hashbrowns (shredded)
1/2 c. melted butter

Thaw hashbrowns in microwave (or overnight). Add melted butter to the hashbrowns and return to the microwave until warmed throughout. Spread the hashbrowns into a 9 x 13 pan. Then add above ingredients, stir around a bit in the pan to combine them. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes. **Note - when I made them for the freezer meals, I just mixed everything together without fully thawing hashbrowns or warming them with the melted butter, and they turned out great still**

Orange Rolls

My orange and cinnamon rolls are the same bread dough (that I also use for regular rolls or breadsticks too), with separate filling
recipes. This is a great quick bread recipe when you’re short on time!

Dough: (makes 1 cookie sheet, about 17-20 rolls or one pan of breadsticks)
5 1/4 cups flour
2 TB sugar
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 TB melted butter
2 1/2 TB yeast
1 tsp salt

In mixer combine water, yeast, sugar, butter and salt. Allow the yeast to activate. Mix in flour to form a soft dough. I always add 5 1/
4 cups slowly and generally add a little extra - it varies every time - just make sure the dough is not too sticky. Roll the dough out on
a floured surface into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Then spread the orange or cinnamon filling on top of dough...

Orange filling:
2 TB orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup white sugar
1-2 TB grated orange rind (opt.)
7 TB softened butter—not melted!

Cinnamon filling:
3 tsp cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
7 TB softened butter – not melted!
1 TB honey ( opt.)

Roll dough from long side to long side, making a long roll. Cut with dental floss or string about 3/4 inch thick. Put in greased cookie
sheet. Allow to rise 20 minutes. Bake 350 around 20-25 minutes until slightly brown on top. Frost the whole pan of rolls while still
warm.

Frosting:

1/2 tsp vanilla
2 TB sour cream
1/2 block cream cheese
1/4 cup milk
3 cups powdered sugar

And add these for orange roll frosting:
2 TB orange juice concentrate
1 TB grated orange rind (optional)

Beat the cream cheese with sour cream and vanilla and, then add all the milk and sugar and beat until smooth. (This is almost more of
a thick glaze than frosting, it will be slightly runny).

Friday, September 10, 2010

September Meals

BBQ Pork Sandwiches - Amanda

5 Bean Soup and Whole Wheat Bread - Britta

Herbed Eye-of-Round and Twice Baked Potatoes - Cheryl

Taco Soup - Diana

Rosemary Chicken Alfredo - Jeana

Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Oven Roasted Potatoes - Julianne

IKEA Swedish Meatballs and Homemade Rolls - Julie

Chicken Breasts with BalsamicVinegar and Garlic - Kim

Italian Chicken and Panzanella Salad - Kimberly

Barbecued Spareribs and Roasted Potatoes - Melanie

Rosemary Chicken Alfredo

Cook alfredo noodles per package instructions. Grill desired amount of chicken and spice to taste (I used a general "Italian seasoning")

Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1 (8oz) package cream cheese
2 tsp garlic powder
2 cups milk
6 oz grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp pepper

Melt butter in saucepan. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with whisk until smooth. Add milk a little at a time, whisking out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Toss noodles with sauce and top with chicken and mozzarella cheese. Top with desired spices (I used rosemary, and Italian seasoning).

Homemade Rolls

3/4 cup shortening
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

Cream above ingredients well in a mixer. Then add:

1 1/2 cups warm water
4 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp. yeast

Mix all ingredients well. Sticky dough. Let sit 1 hour. Stir down. Shape into rolls or put in fridge until needed.

For crescent shaped rolls, split dough into 2 or 3 depending on how large you want your rolls. Roll them out into circles and cut like a pizza. Spread with melted butter then roll them up starting at large end first.

Let rise about an hour or until almost double in size. Bake at 350 for 15-25 minutes.

IKEA Swedish Meatballs

The meatballs are all fully cooked. You can heat your meatballs in the oven in a dish or I like to defrost them in the microwave and then put them in an empty fry pan. This was you can get a nice brown to them.

Boil or bake the potatoes.

The gravy is easy - boil 1 cup water, then add the 1/2 cup cream (defrosted) and the packet. Stir well. Simmer for 3 minutes.

Serve meatballs, potatoes and gravy with Lingonberry Jam (Lingonberries are similar to cranberries but not as tart) on the side.

Roasted Potatoes

potatoes (peeled or unpeeled)
salt and pepper
olive oil
rosemary and/or thyme

Cut potatoes in medium-sized chunks. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Sprinkle a couple tsp of rosemary and/or thyme over the potatoes and toss to coat. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam and pour the seasoned potatoes out on the cookie sheet. Bake for about 30 min. at 350 until done.

Barbecued Spareribs

3-4 lbs. pork spareribs
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 c. catsup
1 tsp. paprika

Sprinkle spareribs with salt and pepper. Place in a roaster and cover with onions. To make sauce, combine remaining ingredients and pour over meat. Cover and bake at 350 for about 2 hours. Baste and turn ribs once or twice. Uncover last half hour for browning. Makes 6 servings.

BBQ Pork Sandwiches

3 lb pork roast.
3-4 whole garlic cloves
1 med onion
2 cups water
1 18 oz. bottle of sweet baby rays BBQ sauce (for later after the meat is all the way cooked and shredded)

Place the first 4 ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-12 hours
Drain liquid, remove cloves and shred the pork with two forks. Make sure you remove any fat chunks.
Pour the BBQ sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Serve on Hamburger buns and enjoy!

Taco Soup

Directions:
Boil 1 can v-8 juice & 1 can tomato soup. Add 1 package chili powder or taco seasoning. Squeeze lime juice into mixture. I have already done this for you. All you need to do is heat it on the stove or in the microwave.

NOTE: When we make this, we do it the way above. I know that many people like beans and canned tomatoes in their taco soup. So, I also added a can of beans and diced tomatoes to my meal. I also added an extra amount of seasonings so you can add more to your taste. If you want to add any of these things, do so before you heat it up.

Toppings: chips, shredded cabbage, sour cream, grated cheese, onion, green peppers, lime

Other ideas: chopped tomatoes, chopped olives, ground beef

Oven Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

1 1/2 pounds small new red potatoes (about 15), scrubbed and dried
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 to 6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pare a narrow strip of peel from the middle of each potato. In a large bowl mix the oil, garlic, and rosemary; add the potatoes and toss well. Transfer the potatoes to a shallow baking pan and roast until potatoes are tender when tested with the tip of a knife. Serve hot. These can also be chilled and served with fried chicken or ham.

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Use fresh herbs and lemon juice to give plain baked chicken fantastic flavor. This combination of flavors also works well with turkey cutlets or white fish fillets.

Ingredients

1 spray(s) cooking spray
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4 oz halves
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
2 tsp rosemary, fresh, chopped
2 tsp parsley, fresh, chopped
1/4 cup(s) canned chicken broth
1/2 medium lemon(s), quartered (for garnish)


Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a small, shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.

Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to prepared pan and drizzle with oil; sprinkle with lemon juice, rosemary and parsley. Pour broth around chicken to coat bottom of pan.

Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. Garnish with fresh lemon and serve. Yields 1 chicken breast half per serving.

Herbed Eye-of-Round

3 lb eye of round roast
⅓ c olive oil
¼ c grated onion
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried marjoram leaves
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
¼ tsp pepper
Salt

Combine everything but the roast and salt. Pour into plastic bag, add roast and marinate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle salt all over the meat and place in a roasting pan or baking dish – make sure the fatty side is face up. Do not cover or add water. Place the roast in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 475 degrees. Roast for 18 minutes (6 minutes per pound) then turn off the oven and let the roast sit in the hot oven until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees. Do not open the door at all during this time!

Remove roast from oven and let sit 20 minutes. Slice thin against the grain, top with leftover juices from pan.

(Not recommended for crock pot)

Twice Baked Potatoes

6 medium baked potatoes2 Tb butter, melted
½ c sour cream
¼ tsp salt
½ c shredded cheddar
Chopped green onions and crumbled bacon (opt.)

Slice baked potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out most of the insides and mix with remaining ingredients. Add milk to thin if needed. Scoop potatoes back into skins. Top with green onions and bacon. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until hot.

Italian Chicken and Panzanella Salad

Italian Chicken Marinade

Half a 16oz bottle Italian-style salad dressing
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. In a shallow baking dish, mix the salad dressing, garlic powder, and salt. Place the chicken in the bowl, and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours. (For best results, marinate overnight.)
2. Preheat the grill for high heat or preheat a skillet.
3. Lightly oil skillet or grate. Discard marinade, and grill/cook chicken 8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.


Panzanella Salad (bruschetta in a bowl)

1 loaf Italian bread, torn into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup olive oil
kosher salt and pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
3 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
3-5 basil leaves, shredded
3-5 mint leaves, shredded
3 TBS red wine vinegar
¼ cup green onion diced
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium cucumber


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. In a small bowl combine red wine vinegar and green onion
3. In a large bowl, toss bread with 1/3 cup olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and garlic. Lay bread on a baking sheet, and toast in the preheated oven until golden, about 5 minutes; allow to cool slightly.
4. While the bread is in the oven, dice tomatoes and cucumber. Whisk 1/4 cup of olive oil into the red wine vinegar mixture.
5. Gently toss together the bread, tomatoes, cucumber, basil and mint. Toss with the red wine vinaigrette and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry. Season the flour with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture (see #4). Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and saute the chicken until it is nicely browned on one side (about 3 minutes).

2. Add the garlic. Turn the chicken breasts and scatter the mushrooms over them. Continue frying, shaking the skillet and stirring the mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the vinegar, broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover tightly and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

3. Transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter and cover with foil. Set aside. Continue simmering the sauce, uncovered, over medium high heat for about 7 minutes. Swirl in the butter or margarine and discard the bay leaf. Pour this mushroom sauce mixture over the chicken and serve over noodles.

4. Note: Several reviews I read said they did not use the flour mixture. They liked it better without the flour mixture.

Friday, August 13, 2010

August Meals

Beef and Broccoli and Pudding Mix Cookies - Amanda

Crock Pot Greek Pitas - Britta

Shish Kabobs - Cheryl

Beef Stew - Diana


Steak and Everything Sandwiches - Jeana

Spinach Tomato Ravioli - Julianne

Pesto Pasta with Chicken - Kim

BBQ Pork Burritos - Kimberly

Chicken Tikka Masala - Tawnee

Steak and Everything Sandwiches

1 ½ Green bell pepper sliced 4 oz. Cream cheese
1/3 Onion sliced 1 lb. Roast beef
1 Cup sliced mushrooms 6 hogi buns
(or small can)

Sautee green pepper, onion, and mushrooms in small amount of oil. Tear or cut roast beef into small pieces and then place in skillet with vegetables. Cook until roast beef is warm. Add cream cheese and cook until it is melted. Toast buns if you desire. Place meat and vegetable mixture on buns.

Provolone cheese optional to melt on buns.

Beef Stew

2 pounds of stew meat-cut bite sized or pot roast cut up
Celery & carrots cut up –about 2 to 3 cups total
2 tablespoons dried onion
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 teaspoon beef broth
Dash of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasonings (basil, thyme, oregano)
One can corn, drained
One can beans, drained
Two cans diced tomatoes
Can of tomato sauce
One can of water
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS: You can also add the following to your crockpot meal
3 medium potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup chopped zucchini
More of the vegetables I have included

Layer all ingredients in a crock pot and cook all day on low. I have precooked the meat, so you can cook at a shorter time in you need to. Or, you can cook this on your stove top. Bring all ingredients to a boil. Then, turn to low and cook for 1 hour.

Pudding Mix Cookies

Makes 3 dozen

4 1/2 cups of flour
2 t. baking soda
2 C. butter
1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup of M'n M's

Preheat the oven to 350. Cream together the wet ingredients and beat in the pudding mix. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Mix together the dry ingredients and then blend in the wet ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips and m'n'm's . Drop spoonfuls on the cookie sheet and bake @ 350 for 10-13 mins. Enjoy!

Beef and Broccoli

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 10-14 once pkg. of frozen broccoli
1 1/2 cup of rice
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup of beef broth
1 T. worcestershire sauce
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
French fried onions

Brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Add broccoli and remaining ingredients, except the rice. Simmer for 15 mins. Cook Rice according to directions. Top the beef and broccoli mixture over the rice add the cheese and french onions and serve.

Crock Pot Greek Pitas

4 chicken breasts
Salt
Lemon pepper
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Pitas

Place chicken in crock pot. Sprinkle with salt and lemon pepper. Add onion. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4 hours. Take meat out and shred with a fork. Put back in pot and add oregano and yogurt. Mix and add to pitas.

BBQ Pork Burritos

3 lbs pork shoulder
1/4 tsp whole cloves
1/2 TBS mustard
1 tsp Jane's salt mix
1 cup Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce
1 TBS white vinegar
1/3 cup chopped union

Cook pork shoulder in crock pot with cloves and two cups water on high for 6 hours. While cooking, combine remaining ingredients and set aside. Drain pork, remove cloves, shred with two forks, stir in sauce mix, and cook an additional hour on low. Serve on tortillas with shredded cheese and diced tomatoes.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Marinade:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 long skewers (or a George Forman Grill)

Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. In a large Ziplock bag, combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, pepper, ginger,
and salt. Stir in chicken and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Preheat a grill for high heat.

3. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill until
juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.

4. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute.

Mango Lassi

Season with cumin, paprika, and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low
heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken and simmer for 10
minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, serve over rice and garnish with fresh cilantro. We
also like to have our version of Naan of making the uncooked torteas (Not as good as the
real thing, but still good to scoop up the rice and Masala with).

Ingredients
2 cups plain yogurt
1 cup milk
2 cups chopped mango (peeled and stone removed)
7 teaspoons sugar, to taste
A dash of ground cardamom or cinnamon (optional)

Directions
Put mango, yogurt, milk, sugar and cardamom into a blender and blend for 2 minutes, then pour
into individual glasses, and serve. Can sprinkle with a little cardamom. The Lassi can be kept
refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Makes about 4 cups.

Spinach Tomato Ravioli

1 (16 ounce) package cheese tortellini (I am actually using ravioli instead)1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tortellini/ravioli , and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
2. While you get the tortellini/ravioli going, combine the tomatoes, spinach, salt, pepper, basil and garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until the mixture begins to bubble.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, milk and cream. Stir this mixture into the saucepan along with the Parmesan cheese. Heat through, then reduce heat to low, and simmer until thick, about 2 minutes.
4. Drain the tortellini, but do not rinse, then pour them into the saucepan with the sauce. Stir to coat, and serve.

Pesto Pasta with Chicken

1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into strips
1/2 cup pesto sauce


1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until tender, then stir in chicken. Season with red pepper flakes. Cook until chicken is golden, and cooked through.

3. In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. Toss to coat evenly.

Shish Kabobs

Marinade:

1/3 c soy sauce

1/2 c olive oil

1/3 c fresh lemon or lime juice

1/4 c Worcestershire

1 ½ Tb garlic powder

3 Tb dried basil

1 ½ Tb dried parsley

1 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp Tabasco


Mix in blender, marinate steak for 8 hours or overnight.

Friday, July 9, 2010

July Meals

Parmesan Ranch Chicken - Amanda

Margarita Chicken Wraps - Britta

Rosemary Grilled Chicken - Cheryl

Caesar Chicken Wraps - Diana

Spinach Manicotti - Jeana

Cilantro Lime Chicken and Mexican Green Rice - Julianne

Hickory Smoked/Peppered Tri-Tip and Garlic Shrimp Kabobs - Julie

Chicken, Mushroom, Pesto Pizza - Kim

Asian Beef and Snow Peas - Kimberly

Grilled Glazed Trout Sandwiches
- Melanie

Garlic Shrimp Kabobs

1 pound shrimp
1/4 c. olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
pinch of parsley - fresh or dried

2 hours prior to grilling, prepare the marinade. Place shrimp on kabobs and cover with marinade. Store in refrigerator until ready to grill. Grill for 2-3 min. on each side or until pink. Do not overcook.

Hickory Smoked/Pepperd Tri-Tip

1-2 lbs. Tri-Tip roast
olive oil
Worcestershire sauce (about 1/4 to 1/2 c.)
1-2 tsp. hickory liquid smoke
salt
garlic powder
crushed black peppercorns
crushed red pepper

In a dish large enough to marinate, drizzle olive oil over meat and rub into it. Generously pour Worcestershire sauce over meat. Then spread liquid smoke. Now sprinkle on both sides - salt, garlic powder, crushed black peppercorns - and just a little crushed red pepper.

Marinate for a couple hours then cook on a hot grill. Grill on high 5 min. on each side to give it a nice seared crust, then cook an additional 20+ min. on medium. Basic rule of thumb is for every pound of Tri-Tip, cook for 30 min. at 325 degrees. It is best medium-rare to medium. Pull it off when the center reaches about 140 degrees.

Parmesan Ranch Chicken

1/2 c. cornflake crumbs
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 oz. dry ranch dressing mix

6 boneless chicken breasts
3/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
26 oz. marinara or spaghetti sauce

In shallow bowl, combine cornflake crumbs, 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, and ranch mix. Coat both sides of chicken with mix. Place in 9 x 13 in. pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spray tops of chicken with nonstick cooking spray to keep moist. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min. Just prior to serving, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Heat marinara sauce and serve over cooked pasta and chicken.

Caesar Chicken Wraps

1 bottle of Caesar salad dressing
spices - garlic, onion powder, Italian seasonings
2 pounds chicken
chopped onion

tortillas
toppings: lettuce, green onions, tomatoes, cucumbers

Cook chicken, 1/2 bottle salad dressing, seasonings, and chopped onion in a crockpot. Frozen: 5-6 hours on high. Thawed: 4-5 hours on high.
Or grill or bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.
After chicken is cooked, slice. Serve on tortillas and add toppings.

Margarita Chicken Wraps

Basting Sauce

1/2 tsp. lime zest
1/4 c. lime juice
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. oil
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients in saucepan with medium heat. Bring to boil, stirring to thicken. Broil chicken 10-15 min. or grill. Baste with sauce for last 5 min. Drizzle remaining sauce over chicken. Cut into strips and serve on tortillas with tomato, avocado, and Cilantro Sauce.

4 chicken breasts
4 tortillas
Tomato, diced
Avocado, diced
Lime - if desired for garnish

Cilantro Sauce

1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 Tbsp. sour cream
1 7 oz. can Tomatilla salsa
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 bunch cilantro
1 Tbsp. lime juice

Combine everything in blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.

Mexican Green Rice

1 onion, chopped fine
2 Poblano peppers, cored, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. cumin
1 14 oz. can green enchilada sauce
1 cup long-grain rice
1 1/4 c. water
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Saute onion, peppers, garlic, & cumin and 1 t olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add enchilada sauce, rice and water and bring to boil. Cook over low heat, stirring every 5 min. until rice is tender, about 20 min.

Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. To add even more green color, you can add 1/4 c. parsley or 1 c. chopped spinach. For more heat, add a minced jalapeno.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
2 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp. salt
cooking spray

To prepare chicken, combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss and let stand for 3 min. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 tsp. salt. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat grill pan with cooking spray. Cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.

Grilled Glazed Trout Sandwiches

¼ cup + 2 TBL Dijon mustard
¼ cup prepared horseradish, drained
2 TBL honey
4 – 6 ounce skinless salmon fillets *
Vegetable oil, for rubbing
Salt and fresh ground pepper
4 Kaiser rolls – split, toasted with glaze
4 red lettuce leaves
8 thick bacon slices, cooked until crisp
½ Granny Smith apple, cut into 12 thin slices

* for Meal Exchange, I substituted the salmon with trout. Follow the same recipe and cooking instructions. Note: I grill the trout with the skin on then remove after it’s
cooked and place on toasted roll.

Light a grill. In a small bowl, mix the mustard, horseradish and honey. Rub the salmon with oil and season with S&P. Grill the salmon over moderate heat, skinned side down, until lightly
browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and grill for 3 minutes longer, until the salmon is almost cooked through. Turn the salmon again and spread each fillet with 1 TBL of the horseradish glaze. Turn and grill until glazed, about 30 seconds.

Spread the remaining horseradish glaze on the rolls. Place a lettuce leaf, 2 crispy bacon strips and 3 slices of Granny Smith apple on each roll and set a salmon fillet on top. Close the
sandwiches and serve. Serve the remaining glaze on the side.

Spinach Manicotti

24 manicotti shells
jar of your favorite tomato sauce

Filling
2 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese
Approx. 6 cups spinach (i like to use less)
3 eggs
1 pound shredded or grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

Combine ingredients in large bowl and stir until well mixed
Spoon about 2 - 3 tablespoons into the center of the manicotti shell
Spoon your favorite tomato sauce into the bottom of the pan using enough to completely cover the bottom of the pan.
Arrange manicotti into rows in pan.
Cover manicotti with additional sauce and cheese.
Bake 350 for 25-30 minutes

Chicken, Mushroom, Pesto Pizza

1 Thin pizza crust (you can buy these in packages of 2 at Walmart)
¼ C Pesto sauce
2 Grilled chicken breasts – Season to taste
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
½ cup red, yellow, orange bell peppers – cut into strips
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

Grill chicken, season according to taste. Cut into bite size pieces. Spread pesto sauce on pizza crust. Cover pesto sauce with cheese. Top with chicken, peppers, and mushrooms. Bake according to directions on pizza package.

Rosemary Grilled Chicken

2 Tb Dijon mustard
¼ c coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tb dark brown sugar
3 Tb olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
4 lbs. chicken

Mix everything and marinate chicken 1-2 hours. Grill 10-15 minutes or just until chicken is no longer pink.

Friday, June 11, 2010

June Meals

Chile Verde - Amanda

Simple Country Ribs - Britta

Curry Chicken Salad - Diana

Pork Chile Verde - Jeana

Coconut Lime Chicken and Mango Slaw - Julianne

Crispy Chipotle Lime Tilapia with Cool Avocado Sauce - Kim

Orange-Sesame Turkey Cutlets - Kimberly

Shrimp Fajitas - Melanie

French Dip Sandwiches and Poppyseed Chicken Pasta Salad - Naomi

White Chili - Tawnee

Simple Country Ribs

2 1/2 pounds pork spareribs
2 (18 ounce) bottles barbeque sauce
1 onion, quartered
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Place spareribs in a large stock pot with barbeque sauce, onion, salt, and pepper. Pour in enough water to cover. Bring to a low boil, and cook approximately 40 minutes.
2. Preheat grill for high heat.
3. Lightly oil grate. Remove spareribs from the stock pot, and place on the prepared grill. Use the barbeque sauce in the saucepan to baste ribs while cooking. Grill ribs, basting and turning frequently, for 20 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Notes: In the reviews for this recipe, many people said they did the initial cooking in the crock pot instead of stove top. They also said you can bake the ribs instead of grilling. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes covered, and 10 minutes uncovered.

Coconut-Lime Chicken with Slaw

1 cup water
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 tsp. Asian chili-garlic sauce
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 Tbsp. cream of coconut
5 Tbsp. juice from 3 limes
1/2 head Napa cabbage, halved, cored, and shredded
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 mango, pitted, peeled, and sliced thin
1/2 cup cashews, toasted and chopped

Bring water, 1 Tbsp. fish sauce, and 1 tsp. chili-garlic sauce to boil in large skillet. Add chicken and simmer, covered over medium-low heat until chicken registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through. Transfer chicken to plate and shred into bite-sized pieces.

Whisk cream of coconut, lime juice, remaining fish sauce, and remaining chili-garlic sauce in large bowl.

Toss chicken with 3 Tbsp. dressing in second bowl. Add cabbage, cilantro, and mango to bowl with remaining dressing and toss to combine. Transfer slaw to platter, top with chicken, and sprinkle with cashews. Serve.

Chile Verde

1-2 lbs. boneless skinless pork (I like the picnic pork roast)
1-2 cans of Rotel (tomatoes with green chilies) - It depends on how spicy you like it.
1 large can Las Palmas Green Enchilada Sauce (28 oz.)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
salt and pepper to taste
garlic salt to taste

Cook pork in crock pot with 1/2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper and garlic salt. Cook until the pork is done - 6-10 hours on low. Then add the rest of the ingredients - Rotel, enchilada sauce, cream of mushroom soup. Stir all together and serve. You can serve as a burrito or as a dip. I like it better as a burrito, on flour tortillas, topped with sour cream, cheese, and salsa.

Pork Chile Verde

1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
2-3 lb. pork roast
16 oz. jar salsa verde
4 oz. can diced green chiles
19 oz. can green enchilada sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. hot sauce
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper

Put pork roast in crock pot. Add all other ingredients. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours. Shred pork roast. Stir all together and serve on tortillas. Garnish with sour cream, tomatoes, and lettuce.

Curry Chicken Salad

2 to 2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I added pepper, salt, and chicken bullion to mine)
1 pound of pasta noodles
1/8 c. curry
2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grapes, halved
1/2 cup chopped green onion
One can of diced pineapple, drained
1-2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Cook the pasta according to package directions and rinse in cold water. In a small bowl, combine spices with mayo. Place chicken and pasta in a large bowl together. Add grapes, green onion, pineapple, celery and almonds. Add mayo mixture. Mix everything together and serve.

Crispy Chipotle Lime Tilapia with Cool Avocado Sauce

1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can
1/4 cup salsa
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 tilapia fillets
1/2 (8 ounce) package tortilla chips, crushed
1 small avocado - peeled, pitted, and cut into large chunks
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 tablespoons milk
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Combine the chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, salsa, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in a blender and blend until smooth; brush the mixture over both sides of each tilapia fillet.
3. Spread the crushed tortilla chips into the bottom of a deep dish; dredge the coated fillets in the chips to coat. Arrange the fillets on the prepared baking pan.
4. Bake the fillets 15 minutes; turn and lightly spray with cooking spray. Continue to bake until golden brown, another 10 to 15 minutes.
5. While the fish bakes, place the avocado, sour cream, and 1 tablespoon lime juice and blend until smooth. Stir in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the consistency is similar to ranch dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the baked fillets to serve.

Shrimp Fajitas

Shrimp
Sliced onions
Sliced peppers (red, orange and yellow)
Shredded cheese
Salsa
Sour cream
Lettuce
Cilantro
Limes (2)
Tortillas (corn and flour)
Lemon pepper
Black beans

To properly thaw shrimp: place bag of shrimp in fridge overnight. Drain. Do not force thaw under running water.

Thaw frozen vegetables and cheese in fridge overnight as well.

Drizzle a little bit of olive oil in skillet. Heat up and sauté thawed onions and peppers until tender. Added thawed shrimp. Sprinkle lemon pepper to taste. You can also squeeze fresh lime juice over shrimp and veggies. Don’t overcook. Shrimp is already cooked so you just want to warm through.

Warm up tortillas and black beans.

Serve shrimp/veggies on a warmed flour or corn tortilla. Top with cheese, salsa, sour cream, chopped up lettuce and cilantro. Add squeeze of lime. Black beans on the side.

Poppyseed Chicken Pasta Salad

(large recipe!)

1 pound penne pasta
12 oz bowtie pasta
2-3 cans mandarin oranges
1 large can pineapple tidbits
About 1 bottle Brianna’s Poppyseed salad dressing
½-1 bottle Hidden Valley Coleslaw dressing (however creamy you like it)
1 or 2 - 12.5 ounce can(s) chicken breast
¼-1/2 cup chopped red onion (to taste)
Fresh Avocado, chopped (to taste)

Directions:

Cook pasta until done – rinse in cold water and drain. In a large bowl, combine pasta, canned fruit (drained), chicken breast (I shred with my fingers as I add it), and red onion. Add salad dressings and stir until salad is well-coated. Refrigerate at least an hour. Just before serving, add chopped avocado and add extra dressing if it looks too dry.

**Can be served as a main dish. When I do that, I add the second can of chicken. As a side dish I usually use 1 can chicken. All amounts, including fruit, can be varied to taste.**

Orange-Sesame Turkey Cutlets

Prep: 5min|Cook: 14min |Total: 1hr 19min

Ingredients:

1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pound turkey cutlets
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 cup frozen, de-fatted chicken stock, thawed
1 tablespoon minced, fresh cilantro

Directions

1. In a shallow nonmetal dish, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, oil, and garlic. Add the turkey. Turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, turning frequently.

2. Coat a 10" no-stick skillet with no-stick spray and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add the turkey in a single layer; reserve the marinade. Cook the turkey for 2 minutes. Turn and cook for 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Place the turkey on a plate; cover to keep warm.

3. Place the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add the stock and stir until smooth. Add the reserved marinade and mix well. Reduce the heat to medium. Pour into the skillet. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the turkey. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the turkey is no longer pink in the center. Check by inserting the tip of a sharp knife into the center of 1 cutlet. Serve sprinkled with the cilantro over quinoa rice.

(Recipe Notes: To freeze, pack the cooled cooked cutlets and sauce in a freezer-quality plastic container. To use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cover and microwave on high power for 5 minutes, or until hot.)

---

Quinoa cooking instructions:

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water or broth, salt to taste. Bring to boil for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Turn heat off and cover with lid for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve. Note: Quinoa is ready when the grain appears translucent and white germ is visible in a ring around the saucepan.

Friday, May 14, 2010

May Meals

Chicken Tetrazzini - Amanda

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce - Britta

Taco Braid - Diana

Crockpot Chicken Dinner
- Jeana

Baked 4-Cheese Pasta - Julianne

Grilled Chicken Bacon Sandwiches and Spinach and Artichoke Dip - Julie

Zesty Penne, Sausage, and Peppers
- Kim

Rustic Pesto Chicken Pizza - Kimberly

Enchilada Casserole - Margaret

Asian Mushroom Lettuce Wraps - Melanie

Chicken Tetrazzini

4 cups diced chicken, cooked
4 cups chicken broth
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
8 T. butter
2/3 cup flour
2 cloves garlic
2 cups cream
1/4 cup sherry
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In skillet, brown mushrooms, onion, and garlic in 2 T. butter. Set aside.
In large saucepan, melt remaining 6 T. butter. Add flour and chicken broth. Cook, stirring continually until mixture thickens.
Add cream, sherry, vegetables, Parmesan cheese, and cooked chicken to the mixture.
Serve with your choice of pasta and salad or any other kind of vegetable.

Applebee's Spinach and Artichoke Dip

4 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 of a 16 oz. jar Alfredo sauce
12 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. minced garlic

Mix cream cheese with Alfredo sauce until smooth. Add all other ingredients. Mix thoroughly and spread mixture into a baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cheeses are bubbling and melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Grilled Chicken Bacon Sandwiches

Chicken breasts
Bacon
Buns
Provolone
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Mayonnaise

Defrost chicken and add your favorite seasonings. We do seasoned salt and pepper. Grill the chicken on your BBQ. When they are almost finished, add the cheese and crispy bacon (warm in the microwave for a few seconds) and let the cheese get melted. Spread some mayonnaise on the buns and put them all together.

Rustic Pesto Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

Rustic Crust pizza crust (cheesy herb)
2 breasts sautéed chicken cut into pieces and seasoned with lemon pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup feta cheese
½ cup basil pesto with pine nuts
1-2 tomatoes sliced
1 red onion thinly sliced or slivered
virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°.

Baste crust edges with olive oil. Spread pesto over entire pizza crust. Layer half of the mozzarella cheese, all of the feta cheese, thinly sliced red onion, chicken, tomato slices and top with remaining mozzarella.

Reduce heat to 425° and bake for 8-12 minutes.

Asian Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb ground chicken or diced boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat
3 cups finely chopped white mushrooms
½ tsp ground ginger
1 ½ Tbsp crushed garlic
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 romaine heart or iceberg lettuce, leaves separated

GARNISHES: grated carrots, diced cucumbers, chopped peanuts, chopped fresh mint, peanut sauce, hot chili oil

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and stir, breaking ground chicken into small pieces. Stir in mushrooms, ginger and garlic. Continue to stir and cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the mushroom liquid has evaporated.

Stir in soy sauce, hoisin sauce and vinegar. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 4-5 minutes to blend flavors. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter. Spoon the filling into the lettuce leaves and garnish as desired.

POT STICKERS

RECOMMENDED METHOD

1. Add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil to a non-stick skillet; coat pan evenly.
2. Place frozen pot stickers flat side down in a single layer.
3. Add 2/3 cup warm water. Cover and cook for 8 minutes or until water has evaporated.
4. Uncover, cook 1 minute or until golden brown

TRADITIONAL METHOD

1. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil
2. Add FROZEN pot stickers and stir.
3. Boil for 8 minutes. Drain and brown if desired.

To Brown: Add 1 Tbsp of cooking oil to non-stick pan. Turn heat to medium. Place boiled pot stickers flat side down and cook until golden brown.

Zesty Penne, Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
1 pound Italian sausage
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon fennel seed
Dash crushed red pepper
4 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions

1. Cook pasta as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, crumble sausage into large skillet; cook and stir on medium heat 8 min. or until done. Drain. Add bell peppers; cook and stir 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Stir in next 3 ingredients; cook 5 min. or until heated through. Add cream cheese; cook 2 min. or until melted, stirring frequently.
3. Drain pasta. Add to sausage mixture; mix lightly. Top with Parmesan.

Taco Braid

One pound bread dough or croissant rolls
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion1 packet of taco seasoning
3/4 cup chunky salsa
1 cup shredded cheese
Sour cream
Chips

Optional Toppings:
Chopped tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Mushrooms
Bell pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375`.
2. Brown ground beef and onions. Drain the grease. Then, stir in taco seasoning and water according to package directions. Add cheese until melted, and remove from heat. Add salsa and set mixture aside. (I have done this all for you.)
3. Roll out bread dough until it is thin and in a rectangle. On a lightly greased pizza pan, or round baking stone, place the dough (or roll it out on pan). Divide dough into thirds, making a slight mark with knife down each third. Then, cut every 2 inches down each side to create your braids.
4. Scoop meat mixture evenly onto the middle of the dough. Bring in each 2 inch part, first from one side then the other to form your braid.
5. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

You can garnish with bell pepper, lettuce, salsa, tomatoes, onion, sour cream, olives, etc. If you do a Taco Ring you can cut off the top of the bell pepper, fill it with salsa and place it in the middle of the Taco Ring. Then, mound lettuce, onion, tomato and olives around the pepper.

(Click the picture to go to taste of home instructions)

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

From Food Network

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells (recommended: Barilla)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 (8 to 10-ounce) package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

5 cups Arrabbiata Sauce, recipe follows
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (about 5 ounces)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of Arrabbiata sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 60 minutes (20 minutes if shells are unfrozen.)
Arrabbiata Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups jarred or fresh marinara sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.

Yield: approximately 6 cups

Enchilada Casserole

1 lb hamburger
10 tortillas
1 can refried beans
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans red mild enchilada sauce (or one large can)
taco seasoning packet
sour cream

Directions:
Cook hamburger, with taco seasoning packet (per directions of your packet). Tear up 5 tortillas in the bottom of a 9x13 pan (spray pan first with non-stick spray). Spread all of the hamburger over the tortillas. Empty can of refried beans in a bowl, add a little water, and place in microwave for 1 minute. Stir and then spread over the hamburger. Tear up the last 5 tortillas over the beans, then pour the two cans of enchilada sauce over the tortillas; lastly distribute the two cups shredded cheese over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes. Serve with sour cream over top.

Crockpot Chicken Dinner

3-4 chicken breasts
1 block cream cheese
2 cans C. of Chicken soup
1/3 c. milk
1 pkt. Italian Dressing mix

Put in Crockpot for 6-8 hours. When done, mix all together and break up chicken.
Serve over rice.

Friday, April 9, 2010

April Meals

Crockpot Chicken Tacos - Britta

Steak Stroganoff - Cheryl

Chicken Enchiladas - Jeana

Quiche - Julianne

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad
- Kim

BBQ Pork Sandwiches and Texas Moist Cake - Kimberly

Spaghetti - Melanie

Poppy Seed Chicken - Naomi

Black Bean Chicken Taco Salad - Tawnee

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

4 chicken breasts
1 can diced chilies
1/4 cup water
1 tsp chicken bullion
1/2 cup salsa
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 can pinto (or black) beans-drained.

Throw all into crockpot 6 hours on high. Take out chicken breasts and shred using two forks. Put back into crockpot and mix well.

Serve on tortillas, top with cheese, and any other ingredients desired (lettuce, tomatoes).

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

1 Cup Ranch Dressing
1 Cup BBQ Sauce
2-3 Chicken Breasts - Grilled or boiled
1 Head Romaine Lettuce
2 Tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped
1 Can Black Beans, drained
1 Can Corn, drained
¼ Cup Green Onions
¾ Cup Shredded Cheese
Tortilla Strips

Cook chicken and cut into bite size pieces. Mix the Ranch Dressing and BBQ sauce together, add chicken pieces (this can be done ahead of time and let set in the fridge for several hours).

Combine all other ingredients, except chips. Toss together with chicken and sauce. Add chips just before serving and toss again. You can also serve the salad & dressing mixture over the chips instead of tossing the chips with the salad.

Another option is to warm the chicken and sauce and serve warm or hot over the salad mixture.

Black Bean Chicken Taco Salad

2 limes, juiced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Dash of salt
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
10 ounces cooked diced chicken breast
6 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 or 2 tomatoes, chopped
30 tortilla chips, crushed
½ avocado, chopped

Wisk together lime juice, oil, garlic and salt. Toss all ingredients together.

Steak Stroganoff

2 T flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1 envelope dried onion soup mix (or 2 buillon cubes + 1/4 c dried onions)
1 3/4-lb boneless beef round steak, cut into strips
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream

Combine flour and seasonings, toss with steak in crock pot. Stir in soup cans and water. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours. Stir in sour cream and extra water if needed. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Spaghetti

Olive oil tomatoes, diced (or canned diced tomatoes)
Garlic, chopped/minced tomato sauce/paste
Onion, ½ a med size, chopped ~1 tsp basil
Mushrooms, sliced ~1 tsp oregano
Olives, sliced S&P
Zucchini, diced spaghetti pasta
Artichokes, chopped Italian sausages

In a large skillet, drizzle olive oil in pan. Heat your oil up before you start sautéing your vegetables. Start with the garlic, then onions, mushrooms, olives, zucchini, artichokes and any other vegetable you care to add. I add the vegetables one at a time, cooking them down. I typically add the basil and oregano after the mushrooms, then S&P after I’ve added all the vegetables. Add your diced tomatoes and cook all veggies for about 15 mins. Add tomato sauce and paste to your desired thickness. You can use the Italian style sauce/paste, too. Cover and simmer on low for about 1-1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Cook pasta according to directions.

Italian sausages: pierce the skin with a fork and drop carefully into boiling water. Cook for about 25 mins. Remove from water and remove any excess water with a paper towel. In a skillet, heat up some olive oil and brown the sausages on all sides. You can serve the sausages whole on top of your spaghetti or slice them up and add them to your sauce.

From frozen: thaw the spaghetti sauce and heat up in a pan. Prepare the pasta according to directions. The sausages have already been boiled. So you can brown them in a skillet and serve whole or slice and add to sauce. Serve with parm cheese and bread.

Chicken Enchiladas

3-4 chicken breasts
2 cans C. of chicken soup
1/3 c. milk
1 can dices green chilies
1 pint sr. cream
2 cups cheese (divided)
Flour tortillas

Cook chicken, and cut into bite size pieces. Add soup, chilies, sr. cream milk and 1 cup cheese. Mix together and spoon into tortillas. Add remaining mixture and extra cheese on top of enchiladas. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Friday, March 12, 2010

March Meals

Chicken Noodle Soup - Britta

Hearty Lentil Soup and Mint Chocolate Brownies - Cheryl

Creamy Pesto Gnocchi with Chicken
- Julianne

Pork Carnitas and Black Bean Burritos - Julie

Chicken Lulu - Kimberly

Teriyaki Chicken - Lindsay

Johnsonville Brats - Margaret

Tilapia and Couscous - Melanie

White Chili - Tawnee

Chicken Enchiladas and Spanish Rice - Veronica

Chicken Lulu

1 green pepper, cut in strips
1 small onion
1 tsp curry powder
2 TBS butter
1 can cream of chicken
1 cup thickened broth (1/4 cup flour)
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
1 cup pineapple chunks with juice
3 cups cooked rice

Saute green pepper, onion with curry powder and butter. Stir in soup, thickened chicken broth, chicken and pineapple. Place cooked rice in a casserole dish and pour mixture over rice. *optional: sprinkle with toasted almonds and paprika. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Spanish Rice

2 c. rice
chopped tomatoes
chopped green pepper
chopped onions
4 1/2 c. chicken broth
3 tsp. cumin powder
dash of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Fry rice until slightly brown. Add veggies and cook until onion is clear. Add chicken broth, cumin powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Let cook 20-30 min. or until liquid is gone.

Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken
12 oz. sour cream
Shredded cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can milk
1 small can green chilis
10-12 corn tortillas

Boil chicken for about 30 minutes. Mix chicken with sour cream and shredded cheese. Mix cream of chicken, milk, and green chilis with mixer. Soften the tortillas with a little oil. Fill tortillas with chicken mixture. Pour sauce over, top with shredded cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 min.

Mint Chocolate Brownies

Brownie:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Mix butter, cocoa and sugar; beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift flour with salt and stir in. Spread into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20-50 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Mint Frosting:

6 Tbs butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar
1-3 Tbs milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp mint extract
Green food coloring

Beat butter and sugar. Add enough milk to make a smooth but thick frosting. Add extracts and food coloring to make light green. Spread over cooled brownies. Chill until firm.

Chocolate Topping:

Melt 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips with 4 Tbs butter. Spread over chilled frosting layer. Chill until set.

Hearty Lentil Soup

1/2 lb. ground Italian or sage sausage
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup grated carrots
1 garlic clove, minced
6 cups chicken broth
1 28-oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
3/4 cup dry lentils
3/4 cup pearl barley
1/2 tsp each dried thyme, oregano & rosemary
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded Swiss or parmesan (opt.)
1/2 cup half & half (opt.)

In large pot, break up sausage and brown with the next 4 ingredients. Drain grease. Add next 6 ingredients and boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 45 minutes or until lentils and barley are tender.

Optional: Turn off heat and stir in half & half and salt to taste. Sprinkle with cheese.

Couscous

Box of Couscous
Broccoli
Tomato

Dice up the tomato and broccoli into small pieces. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes (long enough to lightly cook them). Prepare couscous as indicated on the box. When couscous is done cooking, add the broccoli and tomatoes. Mix together and let stand for 5 minutes then serve.

Tilapia

Tilapia
¼ cup butter, melted
Parmesan cheese, grated
Italian bread crumbs
lemon

Preheat oven to 400°. Remove loins from vacuum pack and place on a cooking pan or casserole dish.

Brush lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs, or your favorite seasoning, on each side. Then sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until done. Fully cooked fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Let stand for 2 minutes then serve.

After you remove the fish from the oven, squeeze fresh lemon over the fish.

Teriyaki Chicken

Chicken breasts
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
4-6 Tbsp honey
6-8 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp ginger powder

Marinate chicken 24 hours. Put chicken with sauce in baking dish and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Baste while baking. Serve over rice or noodles.

Friday, February 12, 2010

February Meals

Baked Chicken Nuggets & Roasted Veggies - Britta

Barbequed Pork Ribs - Cheryl

Salsa Chicken - Julianne

Tom Yum Soup with Noodles - Julie

Baked Ziti and French Bread - Kim Roylance

Crockpot Enchiladas & Coconut Brownies - Kimberly Summers

Navajo Tacos
- Lindsay

Canadian Cheese Soup, Lion House Rolls, Sarah Salad, Carrot Cake - Melanie

Saucy Italian Roast - Naomi

Ham and Potatoes - Tawnee

Navajo Tacos

taco meat- recipe below
12 Rhodes rolls - thaw and flatten
sour cream
cheese
lettuce
salsa

Fry flattened rolls in oil. Serve with taco meat and toppings on top, or slice half way down and fill "pocket."

The Best Taco Meat

1 small onion, chopped
2 lbs stew meat
1-2 cloves garlic
1 can pinto beans
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 envelope taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and stir well. Cover and cook on HI for 8-10 hours. Before serving, shred meat by pulling apart with 2 forks and mix with juice. This meat is great for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or taco salad

Carrot Cake

Lion House Cookbook

1 cup sugar
½ cup oil (I use applesauce)
2 eggs, beaten
1½ cups grated carrots
1 cup unsifted flour (I use whole wheat flour)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup each ground coconut, nuts and raisins (I use ½ cup each)

Combine sugar and oil. Add eggs. Mix well. Add grated carrots. Slowly stir in sifted dry ingredients. Add ground coconut, nuts and raisins. Pour batter into lightly greased and floured 9x9 inch square cake pan. Bake at 400° for 20-30 minutes, or until tests done. Eat cake as is or you can frost with a cream cheese frosting.

Sarah Salad

Lion House Cookbook

1 head iceberg lettuce
3 strips bacon
5 oz frozen peas
¼ tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ cup shredded Swiss cheese (or cut 2.5 oz in strips)
2/3 cup chopped green onion
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup salad dressing

Wash and drain lettuce. Dry thoroughly. Dice bacon and sauté until crisp; drain on paper towels. Run hot water over frozen peas and drain. Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces into salad bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper. Add peas, cheese, onion, mayonnaise, and salad dressing. (These ingredients may be layered, if desired, with the mayonnaise spread on last. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.) Chill. Toss when ready to serve and garnish with bacon.

Lion House Rolls

Keep dough frozen until ready to bake. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place rolls evenly apart with the end of the roll facing down and facing the same direction. Cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let rolls rise for 3-5 hours, until double in size. Actual time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen. Preheat oven to 375°. Carefully remove plastic wrap. Bake rolls 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Remove rolls from oven and brush lightly with melted butter.

SPEED METHOD: place rolls in pan as indicated above. Do not cover. Preheat oven to 200°. Boil 1 quart of water, place in a shallow pan on bottom rack of oven. Place pan of frozen rolls on the top rack. Let dough rise about 1 hour, or until double in size. Do not allow to rise too high. Rolls will raise more as they bake. Remove rolls from oven and preheat the oven to 375°. Bake as indicated above.

After baking and cooling rolls place in plastic bags. They may be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days or frozen.

Canadian Cheese Soup

From Lion House Cookbook

½ cup chopped onions
¼ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup flour
1½ TBL cornstarch
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp white pepper
1 quart milk, heated
1 quart chicken stock, heated
¾ cup diced carrots, cooked
¾ cup diced celery, cooked
1 cup shredded sharp cheese
¼ cup chopped parsley

Sauté onion in melted butter until transparent but not brown (5-10 minutes). Add flour, cornstarch, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. Add milk and chicken stock and cook, stirring continuously, until thickened. Chop the cooked vegetables very fine, or mash slightly. Add them to milk mixture. Taste to correct seasonings. Just before serving, stir in shredded cheese and chopped parsley (optional). Amount of vegetable may be increased to 1 cup if thicker soup is desired.

I added some cooked long grain rice, cooked/cubed chicken, grated swiss and sharp cheddar cheese for a heartier soup.

Barbecued Pork Ribs

Marinade:
1 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. dark molasses

6-8 pork chops or country style ribs
(prick with a fork to tenderize)

Sauce:
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. chili sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. ground mustard

In small saucepan, combine marinade ingredients. Boil; remove from heat and cool. Pour over meat and marinate 8 hours or overnight. Drain, discard marinade. Place in shallow baking pan; cover and bake 375 for 30 min. Drain most but not all of juices. Meanwhile, boil and stir sauce until smooth. Brush over both sides of meat. Bake uncovered, 30 min. or until fully cooked. Serve over sticky rice or with mashed potatoes.

Tom Yum Soup with Noodles

5 cups Water
2 cans Chicken Broth
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
1 Tbs. Olive Oil (to brown Chicken in)
2 Tbs. Fresh Grated Ginger (or more to taste)
4-6 Kaffir Lime Leaves (rough them up to let flavors release)
2 Tbs. Fish Sauce
2 Tbs. Chili Paste with Soya Bean Oil ( more or less for spiciness, this is pretty mild)
2 Limes (juiced)
2 dried Thai Chili Peppers( optional-adds a little heat)
2 stalks Lemon Grass (chop into 2 inch pieces and smash to release flavors)
1 Tbs. Palm Sugar (or brown sugar)
2 Green Onions (chopped)
8 oz. Mushrooms (sliced)
1 can Coconut Milk (optional)
½ bunch Cilantro (chopped)
Asian Noodles
½ pound Shrimp
1-2 Chicken Breasts (chunked)

In large pot heat 1 Tbs. oil and lightly brown Chicken and Garlic (salt and pepper chicken to taste). Then add 5 cups water and 2 cans chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add bag #1 (Lemon grass, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Chili Peppers–optional, and Palm Sugar). Reduce heat and cover. Let simmer 15 min. Remove lid and add bag #2 (Soya Bean Oil, Ginger and Fish Sauce). At this time also add Noodles and Mushrooms. Let cook until noodles are soft. (about 5 min.) Just before serving add the Shrimp (they are already precooked and just need to be warmed through) and bag #3 (Cilantro, Lime juice, Green Onions). You can also choose to add the Coconut Milk. It makes it less spicy and adds a sweet flavor. Personally it’s better with it but my Husband likes it without. I usually add it to each individual bowl to taste. Remove Lemon grass pieces, Kaffir Lime Leaves and Dried Chili Peppers before serving. Enjoy!

Tip for storing Cilantro: Right when you bring it home from the store rinse it and chop the ends. Shake off excess water. Then put it in a cup with about ¼ inch water. Cover it with the produce bag it came in and store in the fridge. I’ve had it last for weeks this way.

(This also works great for storing asparagus)

Ham and Potatoes

Put ham in crock pot on low for several hours in 1 can of Sprite.

Put the thawed potatoes in a pan, melt butter and mix with corn flakes, sprinkle on top, COVER WITH TIN FOIL, bake at 350 for an hour, take off foil and bake until the top is crispy and the potatoes are soft.

Cook the veggies and corn bread and enjoy.

Coconut Brownies

1 box brownie mix
sweetened flaked coconut
mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2/3 c. oil
3 eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies or just use 2/3 cup oil and 3 eggs. Spread evenly. Bake 16-18 minutes or until brownie is set.

Layer coconut and chocolate chunks over brownie base. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over coconut and chocolate chunks.

Bake 20-23 minutes or until edges of coconut are deep golden brown and almonds are lightly toasted. Cool completely on cooling rack. Cut into bars.

Crockpot Enchiladas

Makes 4-6 servings

1-1/2 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 C. fresh or frozen corn (or 15-oz can, drained)
1 19-oz can enchilada sauce
2 C. (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 2-1/2 oz. can sliced ripe olives, drained (optional)
6 corn tortillas

Brown ground beef and drain. Add onion and garlic; cook over medium heat until tender and transparent. Add salt and pepper. Place 2 tortillas in bottom of crockpot. Place a third of the following in layers over the tortillas: meat, corn, sauce, and cheese. Repeat tortillas and other layers two times. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.

Baked Chicken Nuggets

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/2 inch size pieces. In a medium bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, thyme and basil. Mix well. Put melted butter/margarine in a bowl or dish for dipping.
3. Dip chicken pieces into the melted butter/margarine first, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place well coated chicken pieces on a lightly greased cookie sheet in a single layer, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

French Bread

3 cups very warm water
2 Tablespoons yeast
4 Tablespoons sugar

Mix together and let set for at 3-5 minutes

Add
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
7 ½ - 8 Cups flour

Mix all ingredients. Knead together for one minute. Dough will be stiff. Cover and let rise for 1 hour punching the dough down every 15 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each part into a long strips and roll into French bread form. Place bread on greased cookie sheet. Cut 3 slits on top of each loaf. Cover with towel and rise until double in size, about 30 minutes. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Brush hot bread with melted butter.

Optional – add ¼ cup Italian seasoning to dough mixture.

Serve with oil and balsamic vinegar.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients
1 package dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1 32 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Friday, January 8, 2010

January Meals

Chicken Stir Fry - Britta

Artichoke, Sundried Tomato, and Chicken Pasta - Julianne

Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon & Lemon Parsley Rice - Julie

Gouda Cheese and Ham Sandwiches - Kim Roylance

Orange Chicken (from Costco) - Kimberly Summers

Chicken Fajitas - Lindsay

London Broil with Mashed Cauliflower - Margaret

Pizza Braid - Naomi

Breakfast Burritos - Tawnee

London Broil and Mashed Cauliflower

London Broil

Preheat a broiler to high. Bring the steaks to room temperature about 20 minutes before cooking. Broil until just charred and crispy on top, about 6 minutes on 1 side. Flip the steak and cook until beginning to char, about 6 minutes more or until rare and temperature registers 115 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Place the steak on a cutting board and let rest, tented w/ foil for about 10 minutes. Slice across the grain and serve.

“Mock” Garlic Mashed Potatoes from Food Network Kitchens

1 medium head cauliflower
1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
¼ cup grated Parmesan
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon straight chicken base or bullion (may substitute ½ teaspoon salt)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon chopped fresh or dry chives, for garnish
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Set a stockpot of water to boil over high heat.

Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain well; do not let cool and pat cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.

In bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic, chicken base, and pepper until almost smooth.

Garnish with chives, and serve hot with pats of butter.

Hint: Try roasting the garlic and adding a little fresh rosemary for a whole new taste.