Nov 30 - Dec 5

Sunday: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, & Corn

Monday: Left overs

Tuesday: Supper Nachos w/ Chicken

Wednesday: Pork Chops with Roasted Red Pepper cream served over egg noodles (SO YUMMY)

Thursday: Shepherd's Pie & Rolls

Friday: Chicken Penne Pasta & Bread

Pork Chops with Roasted Red Pepper Cream
Cook's Country April/May 2008
serves 4 (recommends Divina jarred roasted red peppers)

4 bone in rib or center-cut pork chops (1 in thick)
salt and pepper
1 T. Vegetable oil
1/2 onion, sliced thin
6 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 (12 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
2 t. light brown sugar
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

1. Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add cops and cook until well browned and meat registers 145 degrees. about 5 min. per side. Transfer to serving platter and tent with foil.

2. Add onion to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 5 min. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, cream, roasted peppers, and sugar and simmer, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 min. Off heat, add any accumulated pork juices back to pan and stir in basil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chops. Serve

Shepherd’s Pie
Serves 6 to 8

3 lbs of ground beef
2 TB Vegetable Oil
2 medium onions, minced
Salt
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
2 TB tomato paste
1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
¾ cups dry red wine
2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce1 tsp minced fresh rosemary or ¼ tsp dried
1 1lb bag frozen pea and carrot medley (about 3 cups; do not thaw)
Ground black pepper
3 lbs. russet potatoes (about 6 med potatoes) peeled and sliced ¾ inch thick
1 ½ cup heavy cream, warmed
4 TB (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Brown the hamburger in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink and the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes.
Drain the hamburger through a fine-mesh strainer. Add 2 TB of vegetable oil to the pot and heat over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add the onions and 1 tsp salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth and wine, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the drained hamburger, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and rosemary and cook until the mixture begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in peas and carrots and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture into a 13 by 9 inch casserole dish; set aside.
Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large Dutch oven and cover by 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender (a paring knife can be slipped into and out of the center of the potatoes with very little resistance), about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, return them to the pot set over low heat, and mash to a smooth consistency. Stir in the cream, followed by the butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.With a large spoon, dollop the mashed potatoes over the hamburger filling. Using a rubber spatula, smooth the potatoes out into an even layer and push to the edges of the baking dish.Adjust an over rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Unwrap the dish and place the casserole on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top is browned, about 20-25 min.

Chicken Vegetable Pasta

3 or 4 Chicken breasts cut in pieces
2 Zucchini
2 Yellow Squash
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 pint Heavy Cream
¾ C Cheddar Jack Cheese

Cut all veggies thin, so they cook quickly. (Squash & Zucchini cut in half and then slice, bell pepper cut into thin slices and then chop into squares/bite sizes).
Brown 2 cloves of garlic in vegetable oil. Add Chicken and season with salt & pepper.
Drain off oil and juices.
Add small amount of vegetable oil and all veggies. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning. Cook until veggies are soft. Taste to check seasoning.
Start water for pasta ( mini penne is what I use)
Drain off oil/juices, as much as you can.
Add 1 pint Heavy Cream. Season again with salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning. Allow sauce to thicken while pasta is cooking. Taste sauce to check seasoning, add if necessary.
Drain and add desired amount of pasta.
Add about ½ cup of shredded cheddar jack cheese and stir in.

Use remaining cheese to top your pasta in the bowl. I serve with warm French bread.

Nov 9 - 16

Sunday: Risotto with Lemon, Chicken, & Basil. Served with rolls (VERY GOOD)

Monday: Pumpkin Waffles, Maple Syrup, and Almond whipped cream

Tuesday: Chicken Enchiladas
(Located in Recipe Binder)

Wednesday: Daddy's Birthday: Cider-Braised Pork Chops, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Rolls, & Birthday Cake

Thursday: Chicken Divan & Rolls
(Located in Recipe Binder)

Friday-Sunday: Pacific City, Oregon

Risotto with Chicken, lemon, and Basil
(Cook's Country Oct/Nov 2008)
Serves 4 (fast)

If the finished risotto is too thick, stir in hot water, a few T. at a time, to adjust the consistency.

1 C. Arborio rice
4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
6 T. unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bit sized pieces (about 3 cups)
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
2 t. grated zest and 2 T. juice from 1 lemon
1 C. grated parm. cheese, plus extra for serving
salt and pepper

1. Combine rice, 3 c. broth, and 2 T. butter in lg. bowl. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and microwave until rice is softened and most of liquid is absorbed, 10-16 min.
2. Meanwhile, melt additional 2 T. butter in med. saucepan over med. heat. Stir in onion and cook until softened, about 3 min. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 sec. Stir in hot rice mixture and remaining broth and simmer, stirring constantly, until rice is tender, 5-7 min. Stir in chicken and cook until heated through, about 1 min.
3. Off heat, stir in basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, and remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing additional Parmesan at table.

Pumpkin Waffles
2 c. flour (half whole wheat if desired)
2 TBSP packed brown sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 3/4 cup milk (maybe a little more or less)
1/2 c pumpkin
1 egg
2 TBSP. vegetable oil

Mix and drop into hot waffle iron. SO YUMMY!!!!

Cider-Braised Pork Chops
(Cook's Country Oct/Nov 2008)
Serves 6

Do not use chops thinner than 1 inch. In step, 3 separator makes quick work of defatting the sauces.

6 bone-in blade-cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick. (I used boneless)
Salt & pepper
2 TB Vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped (I only used ½ - kids and tummies)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 TB all-purpose flour
¼ Cup apple butter
1 Cup apple cider
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 TB finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat chops dry with paper towel and season with salt & pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chops in two batches, about 4 min per side; transfer to plate.
2. Pour off all but 1 TB fat from pot and cook onion over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, flour, and 2 TB of apple butter and cook until onions are coated and mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in cider and thyme, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon, and bring to boil. Add browned chops and any accumulated juices to pot, cover, and transfer to oven. Braise until chops are completely tender, about 1 ½ hours.
3. Transfer chops to serving platter. Strain sauce, then use a shallow spoon to skim off fat. Whisk in vinegar, parsley, and remaining apple butter. Season with salt & pepper. Serve, passing sauce at table.

Note: Make ahead – Chops and sauce can be refrigerated separately for up to 2 days. To serve, heat sauce and chops together over medium heat until chops are warmed through

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
(Cook's Country Oct/Nov 2008)
Serves 8 to 10

Cutting the potatoes into ½ inch pieces ensures that maximum surface area is exposed to soak up garlicky flavor.

4 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into ½ inch pieces
12 TB butter (1 ½ sticks)
12 garlic cloves, minced (1 used 10)
1 tsp sugar
1 ½ cups half & half
½ cup water
Salt & pepper

1. Place cut potatoes in colander. Rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Drain thoroughly.
2. Melt 4 TB butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook garlic and sugar, stirring often, until sticky and straw colored, 3 to 4 min. Add rinsed potatoes, 1 ¼ cups half & half, water, and 1 tsp salt to pot and stir to combine. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 25 to 35 min.
3. Off heat, add remaining butter to pot and mash with potato masher until smooth. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining half & half until liquid is absorbed and potatoes are creamy. Season with salt & pepper. Serve.