Aug 8 - Aug 14

Sun - Chicken Spiedies & Pasta Salad

(RDS gone rest of the week)

Mon - Shredded Chicken Tacos (Hannah's Choice)

Tue - Left overs

Wed - Spaghetti (Claire's Choice)

Thur - Pork Chops & Rice

Fri - Left overs

Jun 14 - 19

Ryan out of town this week

Sunday: BBQ Bacon Cheese Burgers
Afternoon treat: Monster Cookies

Monday: Shredded Chicken Tacos (Hannah's pick)

Tuesday: Left Overs

Wednesday: Spaghetti (Claire's pick)

Thursday: Hannah's Dress Rehearsal girls at Upkes

Friday: Hannah's Ballet Recital, Chicken Parmesan Panini's

February 9 - Feb 15th

Sunday: Afternoon Treat! Hershey's Best Brownies
My mom & I used to make these when I was younger and they are SO yummy!

Monday: Tacos

Tuesday: Pork chops & Rice

Wednesday: Chicken Caesar Salad & French Bread

Thursday: French Dips, Pasta Salad & Chips

Friday: Left overs

Saturday: Valentine's Dinner! Lasagna, Corn, & Garlic Bread

Sunday: Left overs

Pork Chops & Rice
Mom's recipe (serves 4-6 )

Boneless Pork chops
Yoshida's Teriyaki Sauce
2 Cans Beef Consume w/ Gelatin
2 Cans Minute Rice
1/4 of small onion, chopped
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning
Pepper

Brown pork chops in Yoshida's until done. Drain soup into 9 x 13 pan. Use soup cans to fill with Minute Rice and pour 2 cans of rice into the soup. Add chopped onion, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and pepper to taste. (I just shake a bit in and go for it) Mix all together and lay browned pork chops on top. Cover with foil and bake at 325 degree for 25 minutes.

Onion Beef Au Jus
Serves 4-5

1 boneless beef rump roast
1 T. Vegetable oil
2 lg. white onions, cut ¼ in. slices
6 T. butter/margarine, softened, divided
5 c. water
½ c. Soy Sauce
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Loaf French bread
1 c. (4 oz) shredded swiss cheese (sliced works fine too)

In a Dutch oven over med-high heat brown roast on all sides in oil; drain. In a lg. skillet, sauté onions in 2 T. butter until tender. Add the water, soy sauce, soup mix & garlic. Pour over roast. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 ½ hours or until tender.

Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Return meat to pan juices. Slice bread in half lengthwise; cut into 3 in. sections. Spread remaining butter over bread. Place on a baking sheet, broil until golden brown. Top with beef & onions, sprinkle with cheese. Broil until cheese is melted. Serve with pan juices.

Jan 11th - Jan 17th

Sunday: Tortolini & Garlic Bread

Monday: Left overs

Tuesday: Lemon Chicken Risotto & Orange Brownies (Kim & Ellie here)

Wednesday: Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken & Broccoli (Kim & Ellie here)

Thursday: Left overs

Friday:

Saturday: Pork Chops with Roasted Red Pepper Cream

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.

Orange Brownies
Paula Deen
24 Squares

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 eggs
2 tsp pure orange extract
1 tsp grated orange zest

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 TB orange juice
1 tsp grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 13 by 9 inch pan and set aside. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter, eggs, orange extract, and orange zest and beat with a handheld electric mixer until well blended. Pour batter into prepard pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven and pierce top of entire cake with a fork.

Glaze:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Pour glaze over cake. Cool cake and cut into squares.

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Tenders
Newman’s Own light honey mustard dressing
Rold Gold Honey Mustard Pretzels
Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Dip or marinate the chicken in the dressing. Grind up the pretzels in a food processor or use a plastic bag and rolling pin. Cover chicken with pretzels by dipping chicken in mixture or by shaking chicken in a bag of pretzel mixture. You can combine ½ cup parmesan cheese with the pretzels if you would like. You would want to combine the pretzels and cheese before covering the chicken. Bake on the silpat at 400 degrees for 15 min (tenders) or 25 minutes for the chicken breasts.

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

Dec 15th - Dec 22nd

Monday: Tacos

Tuesday: Chicken Peanut Sauce

Wednesday: RDS gone - Spaghetti

Thursday: RDS gone - left overs

Friday: RDS gone - Pork Chops & Rice

Saturday: Mexican Chicken Casserole

Sunday: Left overs or Hot Artichoke Dip & Bread

Monday: Barbecue Meat Loaf, Mashed Potatoes, & Rolls

Chicken with Peanut Sauce
Shape Magazine
(serves 4 )

2 Chicken Breasts
4 TB Peanut Butter
5 TB Soy Sauce
2 TB Lemon Juice
4TB Brown Sugar
1 Bell Pepper
Water chestnuts
Green Onions
2 pkgs. Yokisoba Noodles

Brown Chicken. While Chicken is cooking chop vegetables, I add some water chestnuts. Start boiling water for noodles and making the peanut sauce. Mix peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice in small sauce pan until mixed in and thickening. Cook noodles according to package (about 3 min.) Chop or slice chicken. Drain noodles and mix it all together in a bowl. Serve with warm French Bread.

Pork Chops & Rice
Mom's recipe (serves 4-6 )

Boneless Pork chops
Yoshida's Teriyaki Sauce
2 Cans Beef Consume w/ Gelatin
2 Cans Minute Rice
1/4 of small onion, chopped
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning
Pepper

Brown pork chops in Yoshida's until done. Drain soup into 9 x 13 pan. Use soup cans to fill with Minute Rice and pour 2 cans of rice into the soup. Add chopped onion, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and pepper to taste. (I just shake a bit in and go for it) Mix all together and lay browned pork chops on top. Cover with foil and bake at 325 degree for 25 minutes.

Mexican Chicken Casserole
Cooking Light
(serves 8 )

1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chile's, divided
1 3/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (2 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese
1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed (about 6 chips)

Combine broth and 1 can of chile's in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Add chicken; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken once. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, reserving cooking liquid; cool chicken. Shred meat with two forks, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 can of chile's and onion; sauté 3 minutes or until soft. Add reserved cooking liquid, milk, Monterey Jack, cream cheese, and enchilada sauce; stir well. Stir in shredded chicken; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Place 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and chips. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Barbecue Meat Loaf
Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics pg. 269
(serves 6 )

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 onion, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
3 TB vinegar
3 TB brown sugar
2 TB prepared mustard
2 TB Worcestershire sauce

Mix together the beef, breadcrumbs, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Form this mixture into a loaf and place it in a shallow pan. Stir together the remaining tomato sauce, water,vinegar, sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire. Pour this sauce over the meatloaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, basting occasionally with the pan juices.

Serve with mashed potatoes and rolls.

Oct 12-Oct 18th

Sunday: Baked Gnocchi With Tomato and Basil & Garlic Bread
Recipe: Cooks Country Oct/Nov '08 RC

Monday: Porkchops & Rice (Kid's choice)

Tuesday: Tortolini & Garlic Bread (Kid's choice)

Wednesday: Left overs

Thursday: Garlic Lime Chicken & Rice

Friday: Shepherd's Pie & Rolls (Mom & Dad here)

Saturday: Slower Cooker Beef Stew & Rolls

Sunday: White Cheese Chicken Lasagna & Garlic Bread

Garlic Lime Chicken
Serves 6

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 tablespoons lime juice

In a bowl, mix together first 7 ingredients. Sprinkle mixture on both sides of chicken breasts.In a skillet heat butter and olive oil together over medium high heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Turn down the heat, remove the chicken (keeping warm) and add the lime juice and chicken broth to the pan, whisking up the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Keep cooking until sauce has reduced slightly. Add chicken back to the pan to thoroughly coat and serve.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Roasted asparagus (preheat oven to 400 degrees, lay your asparagus in a baking dish or pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and a smidge of thyme, bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness of asparagi), baked potatoes (try Yukon Gold potatoes?delicious!) and steamed baby carrots (add a little butter after steaming and sprinkle some nutmeg on top before serving).

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 sauce
1 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.