We had some things come up last week and ended up skipping some of our original dinner plans - that's why there's a little overlap between last week and this week.
Michelle sent me a new cookbook for my birthday. I'm loving it, and will include some ideas from it here - although I can't really publish the recipes since they're copyrighted. If I end up making any adaptations, I'll post them that way. Thanks Michelle!
Sunday: Roast Beef + Yorkshire Pudding, potatoes, brussel sprouts
Monday: Sweet Chicken and Rice
Tuesday: Chicken with angel hair pasta, alfredo sauce and vegetables
Wednesday: BBQ Ribs
Thursday: Roast Beef Pitas
Friday: Steak Sandwiches
Saturday: Fried Chicken
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Baked Chimichangas
This is so easy to double or triple and make for a crowd!
*2-3 cups Shredded Chicken
1/2 jar Salsa
1 can Refried Beans
2 cups Shredded Cheese
**Tortillas
Combine chicken, salsa, beans and cheese in a pan over medium-low heat until well combined. Fill tortillas and bake 20 minutes.
*To make this even faster and easier, use a cooked rotisserie chicken.
**I like to use the uncooked tortillas (from Costco) - cook them before filling, although they work well with any type of flour tortilla.
You could also make these "enchilada style" by topping with enchilada sauce and more cheese before baking.
*2-3 cups Shredded Chicken
1/2 jar Salsa
1 can Refried Beans
2 cups Shredded Cheese
**Tortillas
Combine chicken, salsa, beans and cheese in a pan over medium-low heat until well combined. Fill tortillas and bake 20 minutes.
*To make this even faster and easier, use a cooked rotisserie chicken.
**I like to use the uncooked tortillas (from Costco) - cook them before filling, although they work well with any type of flour tortilla.
You could also make these "enchilada style" by topping with enchilada sauce and more cheese before baking.
Sweet Chicken
I've seen variations of this recipe from a few different sources. You can make it in into a more Asian-type of dinner by adding stir-fry vegetables or pineapple chunks.
4 Chicken Breasts, cubed
1/2 bottle Russian or Catalina Salad Dressing
1/2 jar apricot or apricot/pineapple jam
Salt & Pepper
Sautee chicken in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix dressing and jam together and stir into pan, heating until the sauce breaks down and becomes a little lighter. Serve over rice and with your choice of steamed or sauteed vegetables.
4 Chicken Breasts, cubed
1/2 bottle Russian or Catalina Salad Dressing
1/2 jar apricot or apricot/pineapple jam
Salt & Pepper
Sautee chicken in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix dressing and jam together and stir into pan, heating until the sauce breaks down and becomes a little lighter. Serve over rice and with your choice of steamed or sauteed vegetables.
Saucy Baked Chicken
This is what you do when, despite all you best intentions, you only have five minutes to prepare. It makes a decent enough Sunday dinner and it's one of those time-tested recipes (most of you have probably done this exact thing, or variations of it).
Chicken breasts (I used four, and they were frozen)
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cup Sour Cream
Salt & Pepper
Combine soup, sour cream and salt & pepper. Place chicken in oven-safe dish, cover with sauce and tightly cover dish with foil or a lid. Bake until chicken is done. The sauce is great over baked potatoes or other vegetables.
Chicken breasts (I used four, and they were frozen)
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cup Sour Cream
Salt & Pepper
Combine soup, sour cream and salt & pepper. Place chicken in oven-safe dish, cover with sauce and tightly cover dish with foil or a lid. Bake until chicken is done. The sauce is great over baked potatoes or other vegetables.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Homemade Bread
**My name is Jessica, and I’m Laurie’s sister-in-law (I'm married to her brother Dave). She has kindly invited me to contribute to her blog, so I’ll be posting recipes and tips from time to time.**
I love weekends! Saturdays are great, especially when I get to spend some time in the kitchen. Yes, you read that right. I was actually quite happy to spend most of today in the kitchen. I love to cook, but weeknights tend to get a little hectic sometimes. So…I do most of my planning and prep work during the weekend. For me, the hour or two I spend in the kitchen on Saturday is time well-spent when Monday rolls around -- and dinner goes more smoothly throughout the week.
One of the things I made today was homemade bread. I have searched high and low for a good homemade bread recipe, and this one has consistently been the best, by far. It’s a definite favorite at our house.
Because the recipe makes three loaves, I usually make two loaves of bread (baking one and freezing the other) and then make a batch of cinnamon rolls or breadsticks to freeze for another day.
I found this recipe at www.allrecipes.com and you can find the specific recipe here. My notes are in red. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
3 cups warm water (approximately 110 degrees)
3 tablespoons active dry yeast
3 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
8 cups bread flour (You can use bread flour or all-purpose, I've used both.)
2 tablespoons dough enhancer (optional)
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, salt, oil, sugar, and 4 cups flour. Mix thoroughly, and let sponge rise until doubled in size. (Make sure you mix the dough well so that it has a smooth consistency. Then let it rise for at least 20 minutes. )
2. Gradually add about 4 cups flour, kneading until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn several times to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled.
3. Punch down the dough; let it rest a few minutes. Divide dough into three equal parts. Shape into loaves, and place in three 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch greased bread pans. Let rise until almost doubled.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes. The loaves may need to be covered for the last few minutes with foil to prevent excess browning. (This bread does brown very quickly, so I would recommend covering it with foil for about the last 10 minutes of baking.)
I love weekends! Saturdays are great, especially when I get to spend some time in the kitchen. Yes, you read that right. I was actually quite happy to spend most of today in the kitchen. I love to cook, but weeknights tend to get a little hectic sometimes. So…I do most of my planning and prep work during the weekend. For me, the hour or two I spend in the kitchen on Saturday is time well-spent when Monday rolls around -- and dinner goes more smoothly throughout the week.
One of the things I made today was homemade bread. I have searched high and low for a good homemade bread recipe, and this one has consistently been the best, by far. It’s a definite favorite at our house.
Because the recipe makes three loaves, I usually make two loaves of bread (baking one and freezing the other) and then make a batch of cinnamon rolls or breadsticks to freeze for another day.
I found this recipe at www.allrecipes.com and you can find the specific recipe here. My notes are in red. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
3 cups warm water (approximately 110 degrees)
3 tablespoons active dry yeast
3 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
8 cups bread flour (You can use bread flour or all-purpose, I've used both.)
2 tablespoons dough enhancer (optional)
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, salt, oil, sugar, and 4 cups flour. Mix thoroughly, and let sponge rise until doubled in size. (Make sure you mix the dough well so that it has a smooth consistency. Then let it rise for at least 20 minutes. )
2. Gradually add about 4 cups flour, kneading until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn several times to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled.
3. Punch down the dough; let it rest a few minutes. Divide dough into three equal parts. Shape into loaves, and place in three 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch greased bread pans. Let rise until almost doubled.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes. The loaves may need to be covered for the last few minutes with foil to prevent excess browning. (This bread does brown very quickly, so I would recommend covering it with foil for about the last 10 minutes of baking.)
Friday, August 22, 2008
Weekly Menu August 24-30
This is a short week of menus. Last week we ended up going to a barbeque one night, so I still have all the ingredients for an extra meal this week. And hopefully we'll go out this Friday night to celebrate someone's birthday!
Sunday: Baked Chicken and Potatoes
Monday: Sweet Chicken and Rice
Tuesday: Steak Sandwiches
Wednesday: Baked Chimichangas
Thursday: Chicken with angel hair pasta, alfredo sauce and vegetables
Sunday: Baked Chicken and Potatoes
Monday: Sweet Chicken and Rice
Tuesday: Steak Sandwiches
Wednesday: Baked Chimichangas
Thursday: Chicken with angel hair pasta, alfredo sauce and vegetables
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Fresh Mex
A lot of people refer to this as Cafe Rio style, but I like to call it Fresh Mex. All the recipes are below. You can prepare everything in advance, so it's easy for big get-togethers or just a regular night at home. Serve it in tortillas or as a salad.
Spicy Shredded Chicken
6-7 Chicken breasts (thawed or frozen)
2 cans Rotel brand diced tomatoes with green chilis
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 dash Tobasco sauce
Juice from one Lime
Place all ingredients, except lime juice, into slow cooker. Cook on low all day. Shread chicken and place back in pot to absorb juices. Squeeze lime juice in just before serving.
Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
1 Package Ranch Dressing mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup plain milk + 1 Tbs vinegar)
1 small can diced green chilis
1/2 avacado or 1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 can Tomatillos or 4 fresh Tomatillos
Dash of Cayenne Pepper
Blend well and keep chilled. Best if made early in the day with plenty of time to stand in fridge before serving.
Lime Cilantro Rice
2 cups Rice
2-3 cloves Garlic
1/2 bunch Cilantro
Juice of 2 Limes
Finely chop garlic and cilantro. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet. Add rice, garlic and cilantro and saute 3-5 minutes. Add 4 cups of water and lime juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with fork before serving.
Fresh Salsa
Roma tomatoes
Cilantro
Green onions
Jalapeno Pepper
Salt and Pepper
Finely chop tomatoes, cilantro and onions. Season with salt and pepper.
Spicy Shredded Chicken
6-7 Chicken breasts (thawed or frozen)
2 cans Rotel brand diced tomatoes with green chilis
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 dash Tobasco sauce
Juice from one Lime
Place all ingredients, except lime juice, into slow cooker. Cook on low all day. Shread chicken and place back in pot to absorb juices. Squeeze lime juice in just before serving.
Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
1 Package Ranch Dressing mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup plain milk + 1 Tbs vinegar)
1 small can diced green chilis
1/2 avacado or 1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 can Tomatillos or 4 fresh Tomatillos
Dash of Cayenne Pepper
Blend well and keep chilled. Best if made early in the day with plenty of time to stand in fridge before serving.
Lime Cilantro Rice
2 cups Rice
2-3 cloves Garlic
1/2 bunch Cilantro
Juice of 2 Limes
Finely chop garlic and cilantro. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet. Add rice, garlic and cilantro and saute 3-5 minutes. Add 4 cups of water and lime juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with fork before serving.
Fresh Salsa
Roma tomatoes
Cilantro
Green onions
Jalapeno Pepper
Salt and Pepper
Finely chop tomatoes, cilantro and onions. Season with salt and pepper.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Smothered Chicken
Less is definitely sometimes more. This is such an easy dish to make with minimal ingredients and it's a hit with practically any side dish - a great way to get juicy, tender chicken.
Chicken Breasts
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Cheese - any cheese will do, we prefer Havarti or Provolone
Heat olive oil in pan. (I like to use an electric frying pan for this because it's roomy enough for up to five chicken breasts and cooks them evenly.) Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes per side, until lightly browned. Depending on the thickness of your chicken, they may be cooked through at this point. If not, add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover tightly. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.
Remove cover and top each piece of chicken with a slice of cheese. Place lid on pan again to allow cheese to melt quickly. Serve immediately.
Chicken Breasts
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Cheese - any cheese will do, we prefer Havarti or Provolone
Heat olive oil in pan. (I like to use an electric frying pan for this because it's roomy enough for up to five chicken breasts and cooks them evenly.) Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes per side, until lightly browned. Depending on the thickness of your chicken, they may be cooked through at this point. If not, add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover tightly. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.
Remove cover and top each piece of chicken with a slice of cheese. Place lid on pan again to allow cheese to melt quickly. Serve immediately.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Weekly Menu August 17-23
Sunday: Grilled Salmon, parsley potatoes, fresh fruit and vegetables, warm pita crisps
Monday: Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread
Tuesday: Barbeque night - burgers and dogs
Wednesday: Chicken Cashew Pasta Salad
Thursday: Tacos - fresh mex style
Friday: Quiche Lorraine
Saturday: Pasta with Sausage, Eggplant and Basil
Chicken Cashew Pasta Salad
2 cups cooked and cubed chicken, seasoned
1 (12 oz.) package radiatore pasta
1 can pineapple tidbits, including juice
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 small bunch green onions, chopped
Combine above ingredients and mix with dressing. Chill overnight or for several hours. Just before serving add:
2 medium apples, cubed
1-2 cups grapes
1 cup cashews
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cole slow dressing
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 (12 oz.) package radiatore pasta
1 can pineapple tidbits, including juice
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 small bunch green onions, chopped
Combine above ingredients and mix with dressing. Chill overnight or for several hours. Just before serving add:
2 medium apples, cubed
1-2 cups grapes
1 cup cashews
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cole slow dressing
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
Best Spaghetti Sauce
I know it's a little presumptuous to say "best," but it's our favorite. It's a good blend of seasonings to spice up the ordinary spaghetti sauce.
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 lb. Mild Italian Sausage
1-2 cloves Garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
Saute together until just browned.
Place in crockpot with your choice of red sauce. (We prefer Ragu seasoned with meat.)
Let simmer half a day, or keep warm until ready to serve.
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 lb. Mild Italian Sausage
1-2 cloves Garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
Saute together until just browned.
Place in crockpot with your choice of red sauce. (We prefer Ragu seasoned with meat.)
Let simmer half a day, or keep warm until ready to serve.
Warm Pita Crisps
thanks to Stephmodo
1 Bag Pita
1/3 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
Preheat oven to 350.
Stack whole pita. Cut in half, the quarters, then eighths - to make wedges.
Place pita in a large bowl and slowly drizzle with olive oil, as evenly as possible. Toss until evenly coated.
Spread pita on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for 6 minutes.
Serve immediately plain, or with hummus or any other dip of your choice.
1 Bag Pita
1/3 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
Preheat oven to 350.
Stack whole pita. Cut in half, the quarters, then eighths - to make wedges.
Place pita in a large bowl and slowly drizzle with olive oil, as evenly as possible. Toss until evenly coated.
Spread pita on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for 6 minutes.
Serve immediately plain, or with hummus or any other dip of your choice.
Quiche Lorraine
This is a tried-and-true recipe. A few weeks ago I had planned to make this and couldn't find the recipe (it ended up being stuck in amongst the desserts) so I found one I thought sounded similar online and it didn't turn out at all the same! This one ends up with a nicely browned crust every time.
9" Pie Shell, unbaked (frozen Pillsbury crusts work pefectly)
1/2 lb. Bacon, cooked and crumbled or finely snipped (I love to use the precooked bacon for speed and convenience)
1 1/2 cups Swiss Cheese, grated (cheddar works too)
3 Eggs
1 1/2 cup Light Cream
3/4 tsp. Salt
dash Nutmeg
dash Cayenne Pepper
dash Black Pepper
Preheat oven to 375.
Sprinkle bacon over bottom of pie shell. Cover evenly with cheese.
In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients until mixture is well-combines, but not frothy. Place pie shell on middle shelf in over. Pour egg mixture in over cheese and bacon.
Bake 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden and center is firm when gently touched. Let cool on rack for 10 minutes before serving.
9" Pie Shell, unbaked (frozen Pillsbury crusts work pefectly)
1/2 lb. Bacon, cooked and crumbled or finely snipped (I love to use the precooked bacon for speed and convenience)
1 1/2 cups Swiss Cheese, grated (cheddar works too)
3 Eggs
1 1/2 cup Light Cream
3/4 tsp. Salt
dash Nutmeg
dash Cayenne Pepper
dash Black Pepper
Preheat oven to 375.
Sprinkle bacon over bottom of pie shell. Cover evenly with cheese.
In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients until mixture is well-combines, but not frothy. Place pie shell on middle shelf in over. Pour egg mixture in over cheese and bacon.
Bake 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden and center is firm when gently touched. Let cool on rack for 10 minutes before serving.
Dill Sauce
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 Tbs Dried Dill Weed
2 tsp. Lemon Juice
1 small Cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp. Sugar
Combine all ingredients and blend well. Served chilled over salmon or as a dip.
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 Tbs Dried Dill Weed
2 tsp. Lemon Juice
1 small Cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp. Sugar
Combine all ingredients and blend well. Served chilled over salmon or as a dip.
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