Weekly Menu

Friday, February 25, 2011



Garden Minestrone
Cracker Crumb Chicken
Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry with whole grain rice
Andrea's Veggie-filled Burgers


Veggie-filled Burger Recipe
1 med sweet potato
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
1 med onion
1lb or so diet lean hamburger
Steak seasoning to taste (probably 1.5 TBSP)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp onion powder
2 TBSP steak marinade (I get this at the best of Missouri so I am not sure you can find it in the store)

Directions:  Peel all 4 vegetables and shred. Mix shredded vegtables with rest of ingredients. Let sit in fridge at least 1 hour and up to 24.

Press patties into whatever size you like. I made 9 last night. Warm up non stick skillet with 1tsp of olive oil. Cook burgers 4-5 min each side or until finished. I covered the skillet with a lid for at least the last minute just to make sure they are done.


Produce
1 onions
2 zucchinis
1 stalk celery
1 head garlic
1 bunch fresh spinach
1 sweet potato
1 yellow swash
1 broccoli head
Ginger root

Meat
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1lb 93/7 ground beef
3/4lb lean sirloin beef

Bakery

Groceries
2 cans vegetable broth
1 can Great White Northern beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 bottle red wine
1 package shell pasta
Ritz crackers
Bread crumbs
Steak marinade
Corn starch
1 can reduced-sodium chicken broth
low-sodium soy sauce
whole grain rice

Herbs/Seasonings
Parsley
Oregano
Basil
Parsley
Thyme
Garlic salt
Steak seasoning
Onion powder
Red pepper flakes

Frozen
Green beans

Dairy
2 eggs
Butter

Chinese Garlic Chicken

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Before I get started with this recipe, let me tell you that I really flubbed up the process.  The taste was still good but I did not follow directions very well.  If you look at the linked site, the separation of the marinade isn't not very distinct so I ended up marinading the chicken with all of the ingredients and then cooking the whole thing.

Chinese Garlic Chicken adapted from About (dot) com
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts


Marinade (They didn't have this quite as distinct as I do)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry

Other: (or this)
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 green onions, finely chopped on the diagonal
a few drops sesame oil
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon chili paste
Oil for stir-frying

Directions:  Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes. Place in a bowl, mix in the marinade ingredients and marinate for about 20 - 25 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the garlic and green onions. Combine the sesame oil, light soy sauce, sherry and chili paste in a bowl and set aside.

Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add the marinated chicken. Stir-fry briefly on high heat, then add the garlic and green onion. Add the remaining ingredients and combine (total cooking time should be about 5 minutes). Serve hot with rice. Serves 4.

Garlic Chicken Recipe by Rhonda Parkinson.

Modifications:
-I marinaded and cooked the whole thing.
-I added a splash of marsala wine.


Here's what you'll need:

Mince up the garlic.

Chop up the onion.

This is where I start to mess it up.

I put everthing in the bowl and marinaded the chicken for 25 minutes.


Cut the chicken in to bite-sizes.

Stir and marinade for 25 minutes.

After marinading, add the chicken to a hot wok or skillet with some canola oil.  I had also cooked a bag of "boil in a bag" brown rice.  Once it was finished, I added it to the wok to crisp up a bit.

Here's what you'll end up with:
Our Thoughts:
Despite the obvious preparation flaws, this dish was really good.  I have never used chili paste before and I was afraid that it was going to be too spicy but we couldn't taste the spice at all.  In fact, I could have standed to use a little more of the chili paste but I was afraid the kiddos wouldn't be able to handle it.

Hope you enjoy!
April




Beef and Sweet Onion Sandwiches

Monday, February 21, 2011

Beef and Sweet Onion Sandwiches adapted from Better Homes and Gardens
1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef sirloin or top round steak, cut 1 inch thick
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 of a large sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 16-ounce loaf Italian flat bread (focaccia) or twelve 1-inch slices sourdough or marbled rye bread
2 cups fresh spinach leaves or fresh basil leaves
1 cup roasted red sweet peppers, drained and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips (about 1/2 of a 12-ounce jar)

Directions:  Trim fat from steak. Use your fingers to press pepper onto both sides of steak. In a large skillet cook steak in hot oil over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until desired doneness (145 degrees F for medium rare to 160 degrees F for medium), turning once. Remove from skillet; keep warm.

Add onion to drippings in skillet. (Add more oil, if necessary.) Cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until onion is nearly tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in mustard; remove from heat.

Meanwhile, if using focaccia bread, cut into six wedges; split each wedge in half horizontally. If using bread, toast bread, if desired. To serve, cut steak into bite-size strips. Top bottom halves of focaccia bread or six bread slices with spinach, steak strips, roasted pepper strips, onion mixture, and remaining focaccia bread or bread slices.

Makes 6 sandwiches

Nutrition Facts

Calories335, Total Fat (g)8, Saturated Fat (g)3, Monounsaturated Fat (g)2, Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1, Cholesterol (mg)46, Sodium (mg)227, Carbohydrate (g)41, Total Sugar (g)2, Fiber (g)4, Protein (g)26, Vitamin A (DV%)0, Vitamin C (DV%)121, Calcium (DV%)10, Iron (DV%)18, Starch (d.e.)2.5, Vegetables (d.e.)1, Lean Meat (d.e.)2, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Modifications:
-I used steak seasoning.
-I did not use roasted sweet red peppers.  (we don't like them)

Here's what you'll need:

Trim the fat from the meat.

Press the salt or seasoning into the meat.

Slice up an onion.

Put some oil in a pan on medium heat and put the steak in.

Cook to your likeness.

Take the steak out and throw the onion in the pan.

When the onions start to get soft, then put the Dijon mustard in and stir around.


Slice up the steak

Build your sandwich.  Add the spinach (and peppers).

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:
I hate to say it but we didn't like this one very much.  There were a couple of factors:  1)The bread really overwhelmed the rest of the flavors.  I took one bit with the bread and then pulled everything off and just ate it with a fork and it was much better.  2)When you pulled the meat off and ate it by itself, you could tell that it wasn't a high quality meat and it wasn't the tenderest cut of meat.

I actually liked the combination of the spinach, onions, and Dijon mustard.  I think that this would be great as a side on its own or maybe put it in a food processor for a couple of pulses and make a "creamed" spinach sort of dish.

The best thing about the meal was the sides:  Parmesan couscous and Roasted Sweet Potatoes along with some roasted asparagus.

Hope you enjoy!
April

2-Only if there are some major changes

Weekly Menu

Friday, February 18, 2011



Complete Chicken Dinner in the Slow Cooker
Chinese Garlic Chicken served with rice
Savory Pot Roast
Beef and Sweet Onion Sandwiches served with Roasted Garlic Sweet Potatoes


Produce
Onion
Potatoes
1 head Garlic
Bunch of green onions
3lb Yukon potatoes (about 6)
Carrots
Large sweet onion (Vidalia or Walla Walla)
Fresh spinach
3-4 large sweet potatoes

Meat
8 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 boneless beef chuck eye roast (2-1/2lb)
1-1.5lbs beef sirloin or top round steak

Grocery
Tin Foil
BBQ sauce
Olive Oil
Soy Sauce
Dry Sherry
Sesame Oil
Chili paste
A1 Steak Sauce
Dry Onion-Mushroom soup mix
Dijon mustard
1 jar Roasted Red Sweet Pepper

Frozen
Corn on the Cob

Dairy
Shredded cheddar cheese

Bakery
Crusty bread

Overnight Caramel French Toast

Monday, February 14, 2011

Holly over at Homebody posted this recipe back in December and I have just been waiting for a good time to use it.

Overnight Caramel French Toast adapted from Homebody
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
12 slices bread
6 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:  Combine sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Place 6 slices of bread over syrup. Top with remaining 6 slices. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla and salt. Pour evenly over bread; cover and chill 8 hours.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until lightly browned and eggs are set. Serve immediately.

Here's what you'll need:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine brown sugar, corn syrup (or maple syrup), and butter in a saucepan.  Stir constantly until a small simmer.

While the butter is melting in the saucepan, crack your eggs and whisk.

Add the milk and vanilla to the whisked eggs.

Once the sugar mixture just starts to bubble, pull it off the stove and pour into a 9x13 baking dish.  Don't let it continue to boil.



Lay out enough bread to cover the pan.  Stack another layer of bread directly on top of the first layer.

Pour the eggs evenly over all of the bread. 

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Here's what you'll end up with:



Our Thoughts:
This was the perfect dish for weekend guests.  It took me about 10 minutes to put together on Saturday night and then we just popped it in the oven on Sunday morning.  I actually made 2 9x13 dishes and we had plenty of leftovers.  We had 6 adults and 3 kids eating it and still had 1/2 of a baking dish.  Of course, we also had bacon but I think the 2 slices of bread along with the cooked eggs made it a really filling dish.  Everyone loved it!

Hope you enjoy it!
April


Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken

Thursday, February 10, 2011



Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 6 boneless, skinless breast halves
1 cup brown sugar (it's okay. you can brush your teeth after.)
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda (stay with me...)
2/3 cup vinegar (I used white wine, but think regular white would be fine)
3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
2 T soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat free are GF)
1 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:  Plop the chicken into your crockpot. Cover with the brown sugar, pepper, chopped garlic, and soy sauce. Add the vinegar, and pour in the soda. It will bubble!

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. The chicken is done when it is cooked through and has reached desired consistency. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will be.

Serve over a bowl of white rice with a ladle full of the broth.

Here's what you'll need:

Put the chicken down in the crockpot and add all of the other ingredients on top.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:
This dish was really good.  It was sweet and the chicken was fall-apart tender.  I, personally, could have used just a touch of spicy . . . maybe some type of oriental-type pepper.  I ladled all of the sauce out of the bottom of the crockpot and put it in a separate bowl so everyone get put it all over their rice.

I served this with rice and one of Scott's very favorite dishes-EVER.   Cheesy Cauliflower

Hope you enjoy!
April


Poppy-Teriyaki Glazed Chicken

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Poppy-Teryiyaki Glazed Chicken adapted from Rachel Ray
Vegetable oil for drizzling, plus 1 tablespoon
4 bone-in chicken thighs
4 chicken legs
Salt and pepper
4 plums
1 2-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
About 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup plum preserves
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
4 scallions, whites and greens, thinly sliced

Directions:  Heat a drizzle of oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper and brown well. Remove and pour off the fat.

Halve and pit the plums and place them cut-side down in the skillet. Brown well, remove and reserve.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and sauté the ginger and garlic for a minute or two. Add the teriyaki sauce and stock and whisk in the plum preserves and poppy seeds. Simmer to thicken and combine. Once the sauce coats a spoon, add the chicken back and turn in the sauce to coat. Cover and simmer to cook through.

Serve the chicken with the plum halves and rice topped with lots of scallions alongside.

Here's what you'll need:

Half the plums and cut the pit out


Cut up some ginger root

Dice up a couple of garlic cloves

Salt and pepper some chicken and brown it in some olive oil

Once the chicken is browned, pull it out and put the plums in, face down, to brown

Once the plums are brown, pull them out


Put a little more olive oil in the pan and then throw in the ginger and the garlic

Add the teriyaki

Chicken stock

Preserves

Poppy seeds and whisk

Once the sauce starts to thicken, add the chicken back to the mixture.  I also added the plums back in.  Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:
This chicken was pretty good.  The sauce was sweet and the chicken was moist. 

I don't really know how much the fresh plums added to the dish.  I guess if we would have actually eaten the plums then that would have been something but, to be honest, I tried to take a bite of them and I just did not like it.  I think, though, that it could have been peaches or nectarines.  It wasn't the fresh fruit that made the sauce but the preserves.

I also didn't see the need for the poppy seeds.  I don't think they added any flavor at all.  Maybe they should be sprinkled on the chicken while seasoning with the salt and pepper.

Kanin loved this chicken and sauce so I am always happy when he actually eats it.

Hope you enjoy!
April