April 30, 2010

Week 16 Recipes & Shopping List

NOTES:

• If you're a new visitor to this blog, please read "how to use this blog" off to the right-hand-side.
• Check NOTES under each meal for ahead-of-time preps.
• By clicking on “older posts” at the bottom of this page, you can look back at previous week’s recipes.
• If you are looking for a particular recipe, use the search box at the right-hand-side then scroll to the top of the page to see search results.
• If you didn’t see the Strawberry Pancake Roll-Up recipe, check it out (see post from earlier this week). They are SOOO good!


RECIPE 1: MARGHARETI PIZZA

NOTES:
• Make your own pizza dough (see my entry from April 6) or use a store-bought dough of your choice. It’s also worth asking your favorite local pizzeria if they will sell you a ball of their fresh-made dough to use that day.
• Either use leftover refrigerated pesto from last week or buy a pkg of fresh basil leaves.

INGREDIENTS
• 1 14.5 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes (with Italian seasoning or with roasted garlic), whizzed briefly in a food processor to a chunky purée
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup lightly packed basil leaves (or use the leftover refrigerated pesto from last week’s recipe)
• 2/3 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices (about 2 cups)
• About 1 tsp. dried oregano
• Your own homemade thin crust pizza dough, store-bought, or picked up from your local pizzeria (see my NOTE above)

DIRECTIONS
1. To make pizza sauce, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking in a medium pot. Add garlic and swirl in hot oil until it starts to smell good, about 15 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, to thicken and cook off the "canned" flavors, at least 25 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. If NOT using leftover refrigerated pesto from last week continue with this step to make the basil oil to drizzle on pizza: while sauce is cooking, put 1/4 cup olive oil and basil leaves in a food processor and whirl to finely chop basil, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Stir 1 tbsp. basil oil into tomato sauce as it's cooking, along with 1 pinch salt. Pour remaining basil oil into a small bowl and cover surface with a thin layer of olive oil.
3. Roll out your pizza dough and spoon 3 to 4 tbsp. tomato sauce onto dough, leaving at least a 1/2-in. border. Bake 3 to 6 minutes, or until crust looks dryish but not browned. Remove pizza from oven and top with fresh mozzarella slices, then 1 generous pinch oregano. Return to oven and cook about 5 minutes more, or until crust is golden brown and firm but not rock hard. Transfer pizza to a cutting board and drizzle with basil oil.


RECIPE 2: SHRIMP, BLACK BEAN & AVOCADO SALADS
(Modified from Taste of Home)


• The dressing was good but I might add a pinch of cumin and a little vinegar next time (either white or red wine vinegar) – try 2 tbsp.
• For kids, arrange the veggies on a plate in a fun way and use the smaller pieces of the lettuce (the light green crunchy ones closest to the core) - kids like the “crunch.” If they don’t like shrimp, try cutting it up into smaller pieces (sometimes seeing it whole and the tail is scary) and letting them dip it into whatever they like.

Ingredients - Salad
• 1 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled & deveined, rinsed & patted dry with paper towels
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Romaine lettuce – either buy a bunch and wash & cut up yourself or buy the pre-bagged kind
• 1 c. canned or cooked frozen corn
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 sweet red pepper, chopped (or thinly sliced)
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced thin

Ingredients – Cilantro Lime Dressing: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
• 7 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ c. minced fresh cilantro
• ¼ c. fresh lime juice
• 1-1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp red or white wine vinegar (optional)

Directions
1. In a large skillet heat the 2 tbsp olive oil and add spices (garlic through cumin) and stir until fragrant. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turn pink – about 4ish minutes, flipping over once. Set shrimp aside.
2. Mix ingredients for the dressing if you haven’t already. In bowls, combine the lettuce, corn, beans, and red pepper. Top each bowl with the shrimp and avocado slices. Drizzle with dressing.

RECIPE 3: POCKET PITAS WITH FALAFEL, VEGGIES, & YOGURT SAUCE
NOTES:
• Either buy pitas or try my easy whole wheat pita recipe (below). Double the recipe to have leftovers. We like to use them the next morning and stuff with scrambled eggs, sausage and cheese for a delicious breakfast.
• The picture isn’t very pretty but they are delicious!
Recipe 3.1 is the falafel, veggies and yogurt sauce. Recipe 3.2 is the homemade pitas. The House Hummus Recipe (optional) is Recipe 3.3.
• Try the House Hummus Recipe (3.3, see below) instead or the yogurt sauce or along with. The Hummus Recipe is easy and not only good with this recipe! Use it to spread on toast for a healthy snack or use it for dipping veggies or tortillas chips.

Ingredients – Falafel & Yogurt Sauce (3.1)
• 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans
• ¼ c. shredded carrot
• 3 tbsp sesame tahini, divided (tahini is simply ground sesame seeds, look for it near the pb or in the asian food section)
• 2-3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• ½-1 tsp ground cumin (per tastes)
• 1/3 c. plain yogurt – use the leftover greek style from your pita recipe if making your own pitas (see below)
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tomato, sliced thin
• 1 cucumber, sliced thin
• Crunchy lettuce
• Pitas – whole wheat are best! Either make your own (really easy recipe, see below) or use store-bought. Cut them in half then open the middle (if not already open) to create a pocket in each half to be able to stuff falafel in.

Directions – Falafel & Yogurt Sauce
1. Preheat oven to 425. Rinse and drain beans and in a large shallow bowl, mash with a large fork the beans along with carrot, flour (start with 2 tbsp), tahini, 1 tbsp water, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. The beans do not need to be completely smooth – it’s ok if there are some chunky pieces.
2. Grease a cookie sheet with olive oil. Shape the bean mixture into small patties (about 2 inches in diameter). Add more flour if mixture is sticky and won’t form easily into patties without sticking to your hands. Place the patties on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake for 1o-15 minutes or until crispy and browned, turning once.
3. For the yogurt sauce, mix the yogurt, remaining tahini, and lemon juice. Add warm water by the tbsp if sauce is stiff.
4. Stuff the pitas with falafel, tomato, lettuce and sauce (either for dipping or drizzle inside pita). Let kids stuff their own pita “pockets”.

Homemade Whole Wheat Pitas (3.2)

Ingredients
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 pkg dry yeast (about 2 ¼ tsp)
• 1 c. plus 2 tbsp warm water
• 10 oz all-purpose flour
• 1 c. whole wheat flour, divided
• 2 tbsp greek style yogurt such as Fage (use leftovers for your yogurt sauce above)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Cooking spray

Directions
1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in 1 c. plus 2 tbsp warm water in a large bowl and let stand 5 min. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add the all-purpose flour, ¾ c. whole wheat flour, yogurt, oil and salt to the yeast mixture. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth.
2. Then, either by hand or with the dough hook on your mixer, knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Add 1 tbsp of the whole wheat flour at a time to prevent dough from sticking to hands (although the dough will be sticky).
3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double, about 45 min.
4. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Divide dough into 8 portions and gently roll each portion into a 5 ½ inch circle. Place 4 circles on a cookie sheet or pizza pan heavily coated with cooking spray. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let sit 10 min.
5. Bake, one sheet at a time for 8 min or so until puffed and lightly browned. Some will puff better than others – this is normal! Cool on a wire rack. Cut in half then open up pocket with fingers or with a knife to be able to stuff.

House Hummus (3.3) – optional but a good one to know for other recipes or for dipping!

Ingredients
• 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• ¼ c. reserved liquid from beans
• 3-5 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 ½ tbsp tahini sauce
• Minced garlic, to taste – 2-3 cloves
• ½ tsp salt (or more to taste)
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil

Directions
1. Blend above ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Chill for several hours before serving. Mix it up! Try adding one or more of the following: chopped jalapeno, chopped roasted red pepper, sautéed and pureed spinach, chopped kalamata olives, spices like curry, cumin, cayenne, etc.



RECIPE 4: BAKED CHICKEN WITH MARINARA & FRESH MOZZARELLA
(from Real Simple)
Photo by Ellie Miller from Real Simple
NOTES:
• Fry the chicken ahead of time but don’t place chicken on the marinara sauce until ready to bake – otherwise the chicken gets soggy.
• I didn’t take a picture of this one (so I’m including the one from the recipe I used) because my husband was in charge of cooking it and left it in too long! It was still delicious though! 

Ingredients
• Chicken breasts (1/2 or 1 per person)
• Salt & pepper
• 1-2 c. bread crumbs
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 1 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Directions
1. If chicken breasts are thick, place between two sheets of plastic wrap and lightly pound out to ½-inch thickness with the flat side of a kitchen mallet.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then dip in beaten eggs, then breadcrumbs. Fry in oil over medium heat until golden. Be sure to keep a thin layer of oil on the bottom of the pan so that the crust doesn’t burn and/or stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Pour the marinara sauce in a large shallow baking dish. Top sauce with chicken then the slices of mozzarella. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.
Picture by Ellie Miller from Real Simple

RECIPE 5: SLOW COOKER SLOPPY JOES
(Modified from Taste of Home)

NOTES:
• The original recipe says to cook on low for 4 hours. I cooked mine for almost 7 hours (I need a programmable slow cooker!) and they were still great.
• The original recipe calls for 1/4 c. packed brown sugar which I left out to suit our tastes. Add if you want!

Ingredients
• 1 ½ lbs beef
• 1 c. chopped green pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 ½ c. ketchup
• 1 envelope sloppy joe mix
• ¼ c. packed brown sugar (optional)
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 pkg hamburger buns
• Hamburger dill pickles to put on sandwiches (optional)

Directions
1. In a large skillet, cook the beef, pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the ketchup, sloppy joe mix, brown sugar (if using) and mustard.
2. Transfer to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until ready to serve.

Shopping list:
NOTES:
• I have organized the shopping list by category and then within each category by meal. After each item you’ll see a number in parenthesis which corresponds to the meal number. That way you can easily pick which recipes you want to try and then find those items (or cross items out) on the list.
• Under Veggies/Fruit I have italicized anything that is a veggie or fruit but NOT found in the fresh fruits and veggie area of the supermarket.
• For Sides: Add sides to the meals as necessary. Really the only meals this week that would need a side are recipe (4) and (5). Try garlic bread and a green cooked veggie with (4) and a side salad or raw veggie sticks with (5).
Please note that Recipe 3.1 includes the falafel, the veggies to go with the pitas and the yogurt sauce. If you are making your own pitas (rather than buying), see recipe 3.2 for the ingredients for homemade whole-wheat pitas and if you want homemade hummus with your pita sandwiches see recipe 3.3. Ingredients for 3.2 and 3.3 are NOT included in the shopping list.

Meat/Fish
• 1 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined (2) (if you buy it without being deveined, it’s usually cheaper but it’s a pain to devein it by hand)
• Chicken breasts – ½ or 1 per person (4)
• 1 ½ lbs ground beef (5)

Veggies/Fruit
• Garlic: 2 cloves minced (1), 3 cloves minced (2), 2 cloves minced (3)
• 1 c. lightly packed basil leaves OR use the leftover refrigerated pesto from last week’s recipe (1)
1 14 ½-oz cans chopped tomatoes (with roasted garlic or Italian spices) (1)
• Romaine lettuce – either a large fresh bunch or buy the pre-bagged kind (2) and (3)
Frozen or canned corn – 1 c. (2)
• 1 large sweet red pepper (2)
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced thin (2)
• Minced cilantro – ¼ c. (2)
• 1 lime (2)
• Carrot – ¼ c. shredded (3)
• 1 lemon (3)
• 1 cucumber (3)
• 1 tomato (3)
• 1 green pepper (5)
• 1 large onion (5)

Breads & starches
• Pizza dough – homemade (see my recipe form April 6), store-bought, or ask your local pizzeria if you can purchase their fresh dough (1)
• Whole-wheat pita pockets (store-bought or homemade). If making your own, see my recipe 3.2 and add those ingredients to your shopping list.
• Bread crumbs – 2 c. (4)
• Hamburger buns (5)

Spices/Sauces/Vinegars/Oils/Condiments
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Dried oregano – 1 tsp (1)
• Chili powder – ½ tsp (2)
• Ground cumin – ¼ tsp (2), 1 tsp (3)
• 2 tbsp white or red wine vinegar (2)
• Tahini sauce – 3 tbsp (3) (Tahini is simply ground sesame seeds, look for it near the pb or in the asian food section)
• 1 packet sloppy joe mix (5)
• 1 ½ c. ketchup (5)
• 1 tsp yellow mustard (5)
• Hamburger dill pickles (5) (optional)

Dairy
• Fresh mozzarella – 2/3 lb (1), 1 lb (4)
•1/3 c. plain yogurt (3). If making your own pitas, you’ll need 2 tbsp of greek style yogurt such as Fage so you can use leftovers of that here

Other
• Olive oil and cooking oil (such as canola)
• Cooking spray
• 1 can black beans (2)
• Small amount of flour (3)
• 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) (3)
• 2 eggs (4)
• 1 jar marinara sauce (4)
• ¼ c. packed brown sugar (5) (optional)

April 25, 2010

Fun weekend breakfast

STRAWBERRY PANCAKE ROLL-UPS
(from Sunset)



NOTES:
  • Scroll down to see recipes I posted this past Friday (Week 15).
  • This is a perfect weekend breakfast to take advantage of the strawberries just coming in to season.
  • You can make the strawberry sauce & cream cheese mixture (steps 2 & 3) up to two days ahead. That way in the morning you just have to make the pancakes.
  • This recipe will serve at least 4 people
  • The stawberry sauce (step 2) is a great sauce for topping ice cream, yogurt, strawberry shortcake, waffles, etc.
INGREDIENTS

A little more than 2 lbs fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled (stick a plastic straw up through the bottom of the strawberry and out through the top to hull)
6 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
1 c. milk
Salad oil
 
DIRECTIONS
1. Thinly slice 2 cups strawberries & set aside. Do not do this step if you are making the strawberry sauce & cream cheese ahead of time (do it when making pancakes).
2. In a blender or food processor, whirl remaining strawberries until smooth. Press through a fine strainer into a bowl (in order to get rid of seeds), extracting as much liquid as possible with the back of a spoon or a spatula; discard residue. Whisk 1/4 cup sugar and the lemon juice into strawberry purée.
3. In the blender or food processor (no need to rinse), whirl cream cheese and 1/2 cup of the strawberry purée until blended and smooth.
4. For pancakes, in a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. In another bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, and milk just to blend. Whisk milk mixture into flour mixture just until evenly moistened.
5. Place a nonstick griddle or a 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat; when hot, coat lightly with oil and adjust heat to maintain temperature. Spoon batter in 1/2-cup portions onto griddle and cook until pancakes are browned on the bottom and edges begin to look dry, about 2 minutes; turn with a wide spatula and brown other sides, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. As pancakes are cooked, transfer to baking sheets and keep warm in a 200° oven. Coat pan with more oil as necessary to pan to cook remaining pancakes.
6. Spread each pancake with about 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture and roll up. Set two roll-ups on each plate, top evenly with sliced strawberries, and drizzle with a little strawberry purée; serve with remaining purée to add to taste.

April 23, 2010

Week 15 Recipes & Shopping List

NOTES:

• If you're a new visitor to this blog, please read "how to use this blog" off to the right-hand-side.
• Check NOTES under each meal for ahead-of-time preps.
• By clicking on “older posts” at the bottom of this page, you can look back at previous week’s recipes.
• If you are looking for a particular recipe, use the search box at the right-hand-side then scroll to the top of the page to see search results.
• There are several yummy sandwiches this week. Buy a large loaf of good sourdough or ciabatta and use for both of those recipes.
• Stay tuned for a DELICIOUS RECIPE for using those in-season strawberries you'll find right now - Strawberry Pancake Roll-Ups. I'll post that when I get a chance this weekend.




RECIPE 1: CHICKEN & MUSHROOM PANINI
(Modified from Cooking Light)
(Photo from Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley from www.myrecipes.com)

NOTES:
• This recipe will make 4 sandwiches.

INGREDIENTS
• 2 c. sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• ¼ c. mayo
• 1 tbsp capers
• Cooking spray
• Ciabatta or sourdough bread, sliced
• 8 oz chicken breast (either grilled (on outdoor grill or on grill pan on stove), sliced in thin strips
• Sliced fresh tomato or chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed without oil) (optional)
• 4 slices provolone cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook chicken on grill outside or on a grill pan coated with cooking spray on stovetop.
2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook mushrooms and garlic in oil for 3-ish min or until mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Combine mayo and capers in a food processor (or chop capers by hand) and pulse until well combined. Spread 1 tbsp mayo mixture over 4 slices of bread and top with mushrooms, chicken, cheese, and tomato (if using).
4. Heat a large grill pan over medium heat (or heat a skillet if you don’t have a grill pan) and coat with cooking spray. Add sandwiches to pan and past a heavy skillet or bowl on top of sandwiches; press gently to flatten sandwiches. Cook 2 min on each side or until bread is toasted (leave skillet on top of sandwiches while they cook).

RECIPE 2: PENNE & SAUSAGE CASSEROLE
(From Taste of Home 2010)
NOTES:
This recipes makes TWO 13 x 9-inch casseroles. Freeze one or halve the recipe.
• I made this the night before (through step 3) and then took out of fridge the next evening for about ½ hour to bring to room temp before baking.
• The original recipe calls for 4 c. fontina and 4 c. mozzarella. I didn’t have fontina on hand so I used all mozzarella with some parmesan.

Ingredients
• 1 ½ lbs penne pasta
• 1 lb Italian sausage (turkey or pork)
• 1 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 ½ c. dry red wine or beef broth, divided
• 2 cans chopped tomatoes (I used the roasted garlic kind)
• 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 c. beef broth
• 4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 c. shredded fontina cheese
• Minced fresh parsley (optional)

Directions
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a large pot, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside.
2. In the same pot, sauté the mushrooms and onion in oil until tender. Add garlic and oregano, cook 1 min longer and stir in 1 c. wine. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, sausage and remaining wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer 15 min.
3. Drain the pasta. Spread ½ c. sauce in each of two greased 13x9-inch rectangular baking dishes. Divide half of the pasta between the dishes; top each with 2 ½ c. sauce and 1 c. each of the cheeses. Repeat layers.
4. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 min longer or until bubbly and the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with minced parsley if desired.


RECIPE 3: ROASTED EGGPLANT & RED PEPPER SANDWICHES
(Modified from Cooking Light)

NOTES:
• This recipe makes 2 sandwiches so double accordingly.
• A recipe next week will use the rest of the pesto.
Ingredients
• 8 ½-inch thick eggplant slices
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• ½ of a large red bell pepper
• 4 1-oz slices of ciabatta bread (or sourdough)
• 2 tbsp refrigerated pesto (or make your own with pine nuts, fresh basil, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and parmesan)
• 1 c. baby arugula or mixed greens
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Slices of provolone cheese or soft goat cheese

Directions
1. Preheat broiler and arrange sliced eggplant in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant with 1 tsp oil. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise, discard seed and membrane and place ½ of pepper, skin side up, on baking sheet.
2. Flatten pepper with your hand. Broil eggplant and pepper for about 4 minutes; turn eggplant over (but not bell pepper). Broil about 4 min longer until eggplant is softened. Broil bell pepper until the skin is blackened. Place bell pepper in a zip-top plastic bag or brown paper bag and seal. Let stand for 15 minutes then peel and discard skins and slice into thin strips.
3. Broil bread slices for 2 min or until lightly browned, turning once. Place provolone on bread and broil until slightly melted (if using goat cheese instead, wait to spread that on the top bread slice – see below). Remove bread from oven and spread 1 tsp pesto over cheese, then layer sandwiches with eggplant and red pepper. Toss arugula or mixed greens with a little olive oil and black pepper and place over red pepper. Top with remaining slice of bread (if using soft goat cheese instead of provolone, spread 2 tbsp on top slice of bread).


RECIPE 4: CILANTRO-LIME CHICKEN WITH AVOCADO SALSA
(from Cooking Light)
Photo from: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro from www.myrecipes.com

Ingredients
 • 2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
• 2 ½ tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
• 4 6-oz skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• ¼ tsp salt
• Cooking spray
For salsa:
• 1 c. chopped tomato
• 2 tbsp finely chopped onion
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 avocado, peeled and finely chopped

Directions
1. To prepare chicken, combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl; toss & let stand 3 min. remove chicken and discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with ¼ tsp salt.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat (or your outdoor grill) and coat pan with cooking spray. Cook chicken about 6 min on each side or until done.
3. To prepare salsa, combine tomato and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a medium bowl. Add avocado; stir gently to combine. Serve salsa over chicken.

RECIPE 5: COLD SESAME PEANUT NOODLES
NOTES:
• This is a make-ahead recipe since the noodles need to be chilled. You may need to add a little water before serving.
• You will want to double the recipe for a family or 4 or larger.
• Serve with cooked veggies (stir-fry blend) on the side.
• To toast sesame seeds, heat in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing every minute or so until lightly browned (about 7 -10 min)

Ingredients
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 chopped green onion, including green part
• 1 tbsp unsalted peanut butter
• 1 tbsp Tahini sauce (ground sesame seeds)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• Hot water (1/2-1 c.)
• 8 oz soba, rice or ramen-type noodles

Directions
1. Place the garlic, ginger, scallion, peanut butter, tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame seeds and hot water in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Cook the noodles according to the package direction. Drain & rinse with cold water (this keeps the noodles from sticking).
3. Toss the noodles with the sauce.
4. Refrigerate until chilled through, at least 3 hours. Toss again.


Shopping list:

NOTES:
• I have organized the shopping list by category and then within each category by meal. After each item you’ll see a number in parenthesis which corresponds to the meal number. That way you can easily pick which recipes you want to try and then find those items (or cross items out) on the list.
• Under Veggies/Fruit I have italicized anything that is a veggie or fruit but NOT found in the fresh fruits and veggie area of the supermarket.
• Add sides to the meals as necessary. Side salads go good with the sandwiches (1) & (4). Serve a rice or black beans with (3), and cooked veggies with (2) & (5).
• Please note that recipe (2) makes two large casseroles (one extra to freeze). If you only want to make one, you will want to cut all ingredients from recipe (2) in half.
• Please note that recipe (3) makes 2 sandwiches so double the recipe accordingly (exception: 1 eggplant and 1 red pepper will be plenty for up to 4-6 sandwiches).
• Please note that for a family of 4 or larger you will want to double recipe (5).


Meat/Fish
• Chicken: 1 8-oz breast (for 4 sandwiches) (1), 4 6-oz breasts (4)
• 1 lb Italian sausage (2)

Veggies/Fruit
• Mushrooms: 2 c. sliced (1), 1 lb sliced (2)
• Garlic: 1 tsp minced (1), 6 cloves (2), 1 clove (5)
• Sliced fresh tomato or sun-dried tomatoes (packed without oil) (1) (optional), 1 large tomato (4)
2 14 ½-oz cans chopped tomatoes (with roasted garlic or Italian spices) (2)
1 15-oz can tomato sauce (2)
• Fresh minced parsley (optional) (2)
•Onions (white or yellow) – 1 large (2), 2 tbsp finely chopped (4), 1 green onion (5)
• Eggplant- 1 large (3)
• Red bell pepper – 1 large (3)
Refrigerated pesto – 2 tbsp (or make your own with pine nuts, fresh basil, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and parmesan) (3)
• Mixed green or baby arugula (arugula is spicy so go with mixed greens if that suits you better) – 1 c. (3)
• Cilantro – 2 tbsp minced (4)
• 1 lime (4)
• 1 avocado (4)
• Fresh ginger – 2 tsp grated (5)

Breads & starches
• 1 large loaf good ciabatta or sourdough (1), (3)
• 1 ½ lb penne pasta (2)
• 8 oz soba, rice or ramen-type noodles (or 16 oz if doubling the recipe) (5)

Spices/Sauces/Vinegars/Oils/Condiments
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Capers – 1 tbsp (1) (you’ll find these in a small jar near the pickles)
• Oregano – 1 tbsp (2)
• Dry red cooking wine – 1 ½ c. (2) (or beef broth)
• Unsalted peanut butter – 1 tbsp (5)
• Tahini sauce – 1 tbsp (5) – you can usually find this near the peanut butter or near the Asian food. I’ll use it in a recipe next week too and it’s great for making homemade hummus (recipe to come next week).
• Soy sauce – 1 tsp (5)

Dairy
• Provolone cheese slices (1), (3) (you’ll need 1 slice per sandwich for these two recipes) or if you prefer, use soft goat cheese for (3) instead of provolone
•4 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded & 4 c. fontina cheese, shredded (2) OR use 7 c. mozzarella and 1 c. parmesan

Other
• Oil
• Cooking spray
• Mayo – ¼ c. (1)
• Beef broth, 1 c. (2)
• Sesame seeds, 1 tbsp (5)


April 16, 2010

Week 14 Recipes & Shopping List

NOTES:
• If you're a new visitor to this blog, please read "how to use this blog" off to the right-hand-side.
• Check NOTES under each meal for ahead-of-time preps.
• By clicking on “older posts” at the bottom of this page, you can look back at previous week’s recipes.
• If you are looking for a particular recipe, use the search box at the right-hand-side then scroll to the top of the page to see search results.


RECIPE 1: BEEF, VEGGIE, & TATER BAKE
Based off a recipe from Taste of Home


NOTES:
• This is a great casserole that even kids will love!
• I made the meat mixture ahead of time then just had to bake the tater tots for 10 min, spread meat mixture on top and bake 20 minutes longer. I did not thaw the broccoli since I made it ahead of time and it had time to thaw in fridge.

INGREDIENTS
• 4 c. frozen tater tots
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 pkg (16 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
• 1 can (10 ¾ oz) condensed cream of broccoli soup, undiluted
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 can (2.8 oz) french-fried onions, divided
• 1 ½ c. shredded cheese (you could use cheddar, Colby jack, Monterrey jack)
• 1/3 c. milk
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp pepper or more to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Place tater tots in an ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat and season with garlic powder and pepper. Drain and stir in broccoli, soup, tomato, ¾ c. French-fried onions, ¾ c. cheese & milk. Stir to combine and heat through. Pour over tater tots.
3. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese and french onions and bake 5-10 min longer or until cheese is melted.

RECIPE 2: FISH & CHIPS

NOTES:
• Be sure to keep a thin layer of oil in the pan when frying fish or the crust will stick to the pan and/or burn.
• Some liquor stores sell beer in “singles,” that’s how I bought just one Modelo Negro. If you aren’t able to do that – Modelo Negro is actually a tasty beer so enjoy the rest of the 6-pack!
• The fish needs to marinate 1 hour so plan ahead.


Ingredients
• 1 pkg frozen french fries (try sweet potato if you never have!) or make your own fries from fresh potatoes
• 1 pound cod fillets, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 1 c. dark beer (like Modelo Negro)
• Oil for frying – canola is good
• ¾ c. all-purpose flour
• Tarter sauce (store-bought or see below to make your own) and/or malt vinegar for dipping fish


If making your own tarter sauce for dipping:
• 1 c. mayo
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 ½ tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped dill pickles or dill relish
• 1 tbsp chopped capers
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Salt & pepper

Directions
1. Combine fish and ¼ c. beer in a medium bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour. Drain and sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt. Place some paper towels on a baking sheet and top with a cooling rack. If making your own tarter sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and chill if desired.
2. In a bowl, combine flour, remaining beer, and ½ tsp black pepper. Add fish to mixture and toss gently to coat. Heat 3-ish tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from bowl and shake off extra batter. Add fish to pan; cook until browned (about 3 min). Turn over and cook about 3 min longer. Place cooked fish on the cooling rack while you finish cooking the rest. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt. Serve with fries and tarter sauce (or malt vinegar).


RECIPE 3: SESAME-ORANGE CHICKEN STIR FRY

NOTES:
• Cut up the chicken and veggies and assemble the sauce ahead of time for a quick prep.
• You can vary the kind and amounts of veggies in the stir-fry to suit your family.


Ingredients - Sauce
• 1 c. water
• 1/3 c. low-sodium soy sauce
• ¼ c. cornstarch
• ¼ c. orange juice
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• ¼ tsp ground red pepper (optional)
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 14-oz can chicken broth

Ingredients – Stir fry
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 12 oz boneless skinless breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 c. fresh broccoli florets, coarsely chopped
• 1 c. chopped carrot
• 1 c. mushrooms, sliced
• 1 c. snow peas, trimmed
• ½ c. chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 c. hot cooked rice

Directions
1. To prepare sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir with a whisk.
2. To prepare stir-fry, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and stir fry 4 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan, and keep warm. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to pan. Add chopped broccoli and rest of veggies and garlic to the pan and stir-fry for 4 min or until veggies are crisp-tender.
3. Return chicken to pan, add sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 min or until sauce thickens. Serve over rice.


RECIPE 4: CHICKEN MARSALA
Better Homes & Garden Cookbook
NOTES:
• Pound out the chicken ahead of time and cut up mushrooms and green onions.


Ingredients
• ¼ c. all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp dried marjoram, crushed
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 c. slicked fresh mushrooms
• ¼ c. sliced green onions (about 2 or 3)
• 3 tbsp butter
• ½ c. chicken broth
• ½ c. dry Marsala or sherry (I’ve used white wine before and it works fine)
• Hot cooked pasta – like linguine


Directions
1. In a shallow bowl, combine flour, marjoram, 1/8 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Place chicken breast (one at a time) between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound chicken lightly to about ¼ inch thick. Lightly coat chicken pieces on both sides with flour mixture; shake off excess.
2. In a 12-inch skillet, cook mushrooms and green onions in 1 tbsp butter of medium-high heat until tender then remove from skillet. In the same skillet, cook chicken in remaining 2 tbsp butter for 5 to 6 minutes, turning to brown evenly.
3. Remove skillet from heat. Return mushrooms and onions to skillet and carefully add broth and Marsala to skillet. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season sauce to taste with additional salt and pepper.
4. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.


RECIPE 5: BAKED SALMON WITH GREEN ONION SAUCE
From Cooking Light

NOTES:
• Fish is great because it cooks quickly with minimal prep. Use this recipe on a busy night; just be sure to take the fish out of the freezer in the morning so it is thawed by dinner time.

Ingredients
• 4 6-oz salmon fillets or cut up a larger piece into fillet-sizes
• Cooking spray
• 2 tbsp chopped green onions + extra for topping cooked fish
• 1 tbsp mayo
• 1 tbsp plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp dry mustard

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425. Place fish, skin side down on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425 about 18 min or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
2. Combine 2 tbsp green onions and next 5 ingredients; spread evenly over fish. Bake 2 additional minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Serve immediately and sprinkle with additional chopped green onions if desired.


Shopping list:

NOTES:
• I have organized the shopping list by category and then within each category by meal. After each item you’ll see a number in parenthesis which corresponds to the meal number. That way you can easily pick which recipes you want to try and then find those items (or cross items out) on the list.
• Under Veggies/Fruit I have italicized anything that is a veggie or fruit but NOT found in the fresh fruits and veggie area of the supermarket.
• For Sides: Add sides to the meals as necessary. Suggestions: cottage cheese (1), side salad or a green veggie (2), (4), rice or a rice pilaf (5).

Meat/Fish
• 1 lb ground beef (1)
• 1 lb cod fillets (2)
• Chicken: 12 oz. skinless breast cut into 1-inch pieces (3), 4 skinless breasts (4)
• 4 6-oz salmon fillets or 1 or 2 large fillets, cut into smaller fillets (5)

Veggies/Fruit
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen chopped broccoli (1)
• 1 medium tomato (1)
1 16-oz pkg frozen tater tots (1)
1 pkg frozen french fries (or russet potatoes to make your own) (2)
If making your own tarter sauce (2): 1 green onion, 1 lemon, 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Onions (white or yellow) – ½ c. chopped (3), 1 bunch green onions (4), (5)
• Garlic – 2 cloves minced (3)
• Carrot – 1 c. chopped (3)
• Mushrooms – 1 c. sliced (3), 2 c. sliced (4)
• Broccoli – 2 c. chopped (3)
• Snow peas (fresh or frozen) – 1 c. (3)

Breads & starches
• 3 c. hot cooked rice (3)
• Cornstarch – ¼ c. (3)
• Pasta (like linguine) (4)

Spices/Sauces/Vinegars/Oils/Condiments
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder (1)
• ¼ tsp garlic powder (1)
If making your own tarter sauce (2): 1 c. mayo, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp chopped dill pickles or dill relish, 1 tbsp chopped capers
• Tarter sauce (2) if not making your own and/or malt vinegar for dipping fish
• Low-sodium soy sauce – ½ c. (3)
• Orange juice – ¼ c. (3)
• Sugar – 1 tbsp (3)
• ½ tsp ground ginger (3)
• Sesame oil – ½ tsp (3)
• ¼ tsp ground red pepper (3)
• ½ tsp dried marjoram (4)
• Dry marsala, sherry or white wine – ½ c. (4)
• Mayo – 1 tbsp (5)
• Plain yogurt – 1 tbsp (5)
• Lemon pepper – 1 tbsp (5)
• Dry mustard – ¼ tsp (5)

Dairy
• Milk – 1/3 c. (1)
•Shredded cheddar (or Colby jack or Monterrey) cheese – 1 ½ c. (1)
• Butter – 3 tbsp (4)

Other
• Oil
• 1 can condensed cream of broccoli soup (1)
• 1 2.8-oz can french-fried onions (1)
• 1 c. dark beer (like Modelo Negro (2) Some liquor stores sell beer in “singles,” that’s how I bought just one Modelo Negro. If you aren’t able to do that – Modelo Negro is actually a tasty beer so enjoy the rest of the 6-pack!
• Flour (4), (5)
• Chicken broth - 1 14-oz can (3), ½ c. (4)
• Cooking spray (5)