June 23, 2010
Happy Summer!
I want to apologize for my continued inconsistency in posting. This summer has been much busier than I expected it to be and this week is no different! I'm still cooking and trying new recipes but typing them up and making a shopping list is the hard part! Instead of posting on a consistent weekly basis over the summer, I will try and post when I can. This may be 2-3 recipes a week or 5 new recipes every other week. Check back frequently and enjoy cooking!
June 12, 2010
Week 21 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.
• Add desired sides as necessary to meals this week.
NOTES:
• Make salsa ahead of time or at least 1 hour before cooking pork chops so it has time to chill (put in freezer to chill quicker).
INGREDIENTS
SALSA:
• ¾ lb tomatillos (green tomatoes with a thin shell/skin)
• 1 ear shucked corn
• ¼ c. finely chopped red onion
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp minced seeded jalapeño pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ c. diced peeled avocado
PORK:
• 4 (6-ounce) bone-in loin pork chops (about 1 inch thick)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare grill.
2. To prepare salsa, discard husks and stems from tomatillos. Place tomatillos and corn on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until browned, turning tomatillos and corn occasionally. Place tomatillos in a food processor; process until smooth. Cut kernels from ear of corn. Combine tomatillo puree, corn, onion, and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl; gently stir in avocado just before serving.
3. To prepare pork, sprinkle pork with 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until done. Serve pork with salsa.
• I hate heating my oven to 500 degrees to make pizza when it’s hot outside so I do it on the grill instead. It makes a soft dough with a nice crunch on the bottom.
• Make your own pizza dough (it’s surprisingly easy, especially if you have a good mixer with a dough hook!). See my entry from April 6 for a recipe.
• Make your own pizza sauce (see my entry from May 7 (Week 17)).
INGREDIENTS
• Homemade pizza dough (see note above) or your favorite frozen or refrigerated kind
• Homemade pizza sauce (see note above) or your favorite store-bought brand
• Small amount of cornmeal
• Toppings & cheese of choice for pizza. Some ideas: sautéed spinach with garlic and feta; sautéed Vidalia onions & sweet sausage; spicy breakfast sausage with roasted bell peppers; caramelized onions (slice and sauté in a tbsp or two of butter over low heat until softened & caramelized, stirring continuously) with gruyere cheese and mushrooms.
DIRECTIONS
1. On a floured surface, divide dough (about 1 lb of dough) into 4 equal pieces; shape each into a ball. Roll out each ball into a 5- to 6-inch-wide round. Brush tops lightly with olive oil.. Place each round, oiled side down, on baking sheets. With your hands, flatten rounds to 1/8 inch thick and 7 to 8 inches wide. Lightly brush top side with oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Let stand, covered loosely with a clean kitchen towel about 25 minutes.
2.Turn on grill to medium heat and cover (350-400 degrees). Using a large spatula, slide pizza rounds (cornmeal side stays up) onto grill. Cook until pizza crusts are golden brown on bottom, about 2 minutes.
3. With a wide spatula, transfer crusts to baking sheets, browned sides up. Cover crusts with topping choice and slide from baking sheet back onto grill. Shut grill lid and cook until topping is hot and pizza bottoms are crisp and brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill.
NOTES:
• You will use the extra rice for the next day’s meal (fried rice). Grill more chicken than what the recipe calls for if you want to make chicken fried rice (vs. vegetarian). If there are more than 3 “big” eaters in your family, double the rice recipe to be sure you have enough for the following night’s recipe.
• If using wood or bamboo skewers, it’s good to soak them in water for 1 hour before sliding veggies on them. This prevents them from burning on the grill (and charring your veggies to the skewer).
INGREDIENTS
Chicken:
• ¼ c. soy sauce
• 4 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3 slices fresh ginger root
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Veggie(s) of choice (do a mixture of veggies like mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, onions on kabobs – see Recipe 3 from Week 20 for instructions).
Rice:
• 1 large chunk of fresh ginger (about 3 inches long)
• 2 ¾ c. chicken broth
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 ½ c. rice (try basmati or jasmine rice for this recipe! Long-grain white will also work fine. Brown is ok too although you’ll have to cook it longer).
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt & pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, oil, honey, ginger root, and garlic. Heat until hot & just starting to bubble.
2. Place chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish. Pour soy sauce mixture over, and set aside to marinate in fridge for at least 15 minutes or all day if desired.
3. Meanwhile, prepare rice. Cut ginger chunk in half lengthwise and again lengthwise if it’s very thick. Place the ginger slices on a cutting board and place the flat side of a large knife over each ginger piece, giving each slice a rap with your fist or heel of your hand to break down the fibers and release the juice. Combine ginger with all other ingredients (except rice). Bring to a boil then stir in rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes (or according to the instructions on the rice that you’re making). Let stand off heat for 5 minutes then uncover and fluff with a fork.
4. Preheat a grill for medium-high heat. Drain marinade from chicken into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Set aside for basting.
5. Lightly oil the grill grate. Cook chicken on the prepared grill 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until juices run clear. Baste frequently with remaining marinade. Chicken will turn a beautiful golden brown.
6. Serve with rice and veggie(s).
NOTES:
• Use leftover rice from Recipe (3).
INGREDIENTS
• Leftover ginger rice from Recipe (3)
• Leftover chicken from Recipe (3) (if there was any leftover), chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 ear of fresh corn, boiled 10 minutes, cooled, and cut from cob
• 1 c. green peas, cooked
• 1 small bunch green onions/scallions, chopped
• 3-4 eggs, lightly beaten
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add leftover ginger rice and cook, stirring once in awhile until rice is heated and golden. Push rice to the side of the pan and add a little oil (or use cooking spray) to the middle. Pour in beaten eggs. Let sit 30 seconds to a minute then stir with a rubber spatula (keeping rice still on the sides). Stir again and mix into rice when eggs are soft-set.
2. Add cooked corn and peas and mix into rice/eggs. Season with salt and pepper and stir in chopped scallions.
• 1 frozen pie crust or make your own
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (save a little oil for frying potatoes)
• 4-5 small red potatoes, diced and cooked in boiling water about 8-10 minutes or until tender, drain and pat dry with a paper towel.
• 1 large leek, thinly sliced
• 2-3 c. spinach, chopped
• 1 ½ c. swiss or provolone cheese, shredded
• 3 eggs
• 1 c. evaporated milk
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat about 1 tbsp oil (use leftover bacon grease if desired) in a saucepan and add cooked, diced potatoes. Let cook about 5 minutes or until beginning to brown on bottom then stir and cook 3 minutes more. Remove from heat.
2. In the same sauce pan, sauté leeks in a little oil until softened. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add potatoes to leeks and spinach and set aside.
3. For a homemade crust: preheat oven to 425 and place a double-layer of foil over crust (before filling). Bake at 425 for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 4-5 minutes or until crust is dry. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and remove pie crust. If using a frozen crust, follow directions for the pre-baked pie crust on package. This helps to maintain a crispy and not soggy crust on the quiche.
4. While pie crust is pre-baking, Beat eggs, evaporated milk, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.
5. In the hot pie crust place ingredients in this order: crumbled bacon, 1 c. shredded cheese, leek/potato/spinach mixture, egg mixture, then top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake (place over a cookie sheet if you’re worried it might overflow) at 350 for about 30 minutes or until browned on top and set in the middle (test with a toothpick).
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 as necessary this week
Meat/Fish
• 4 bone-in pork chops (about 1-inch thick) (1)
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (3)
• 4 slices bacon (5)
Veggies/Fruit
• Garlic – 1 cloves (1), 4 cloves (3)
• Corn on the cob – 1 ear (1), 1 ear (4)
• Onion – 1 red onion (1),
• Cilantro – 3 tbsp chopped (1), ½ c. chopped (4.5)
• Tomatillos – ¾ lb (green tomatoes with a thin shell/skin) (1)
• Lime – 1 (1)
• Jalapeno – 1 (1)
• Avocado – 1 (1)
• Toppings of choice for pizza (see Recipe (2) for ideas or go with your old favorites) (2)
• Ingredients for homemade pizza sauce – canned tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic (see May 7, Week 17) or your favorite store-bought brand (2)
• Fresh ginger (one 4-inch long chunk) (3)
• Veggies for kabobs (optional) (see Recipe (3) ingredients for ideas) (3)
• 1 c. frozen peas (4)
• Green onions/scallions – 1 small bunch (4)
• Fresh spinach – 2-3 c. chopped (5)
• 1 large leek (5)
• Potatoes – 4-5 small red (5)
Breads & starches
• Homemade pizza dough (see April 6 entry) or your favorite refrigerated or frozen kind
• 1 ½ c. rice (try basmati or jasmine although white or brown will also work) (3), (4)
• 1 frozen pie crust or make your own (5)
Spices/Sauces/Vinegars/Oils/Condiments
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Honey – 2 tbsp (3)
• Sesame oil – 4 tsp (3)
• Soy sauce – 2 tbsp (3)
Dairy
• Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, for pizza (1)
• 1 ½ c. swiss or provolone cheese, shredded or thinly sliced (5)
Other
• Olive oil
• Small amount of cornmeal (1)
• Store-bought pizza sauce (if not making your own) (2)
• Chicken broth – 2 ¾ c. (3)
• Eggs – 3-4 (4), 3 (5)
• Evaporated milk (in a can) – 1 c. (5)
• 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.
• Add desired sides as necessary to meals this week.
RECIPE 1: Grilled Pork Chops with Tomatillo, Corn & Avocado Salsa
From Cooking Light
NOTES:
• Make salsa ahead of time or at least 1 hour before cooking pork chops so it has time to chill (put in freezer to chill quicker).
INGREDIENTS
SALSA:
• ¾ lb tomatillos (green tomatoes with a thin shell/skin)
• 1 ear shucked corn
• ¼ c. finely chopped red onion
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp minced seeded jalapeño pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ c. diced peeled avocado
PORK:
• 4 (6-ounce) bone-in loin pork chops (about 1 inch thick)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare grill.
2. To prepare salsa, discard husks and stems from tomatillos. Place tomatillos and corn on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until browned, turning tomatillos and corn occasionally. Place tomatillos in a food processor; process until smooth. Cut kernels from ear of corn. Combine tomatillo puree, corn, onion, and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl; gently stir in avocado just before serving.
3. To prepare pork, sprinkle pork with 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until done. Serve pork with salsa.
RECIPE 2: Pizza on the Grill
NOTES: 
• I hate heating my oven to 500 degrees to make pizza when it’s hot outside so I do it on the grill instead. It makes a soft dough with a nice crunch on the bottom.
• Make your own pizza dough (it’s surprisingly easy, especially if you have a good mixer with a dough hook!). See my entry from April 6 for a recipe.
• Make your own pizza sauce (see my entry from May 7 (Week 17)).
INGREDIENTS
• Homemade pizza dough (see note above) or your favorite frozen or refrigerated kind
• Homemade pizza sauce (see note above) or your favorite store-bought brand
• Small amount of cornmeal
• Toppings & cheese of choice for pizza. Some ideas: sautéed spinach with garlic and feta; sautéed Vidalia onions & sweet sausage; spicy breakfast sausage with roasted bell peppers; caramelized onions (slice and sauté in a tbsp or two of butter over low heat until softened & caramelized, stirring continuously) with gruyere cheese and mushrooms.
DIRECTIONS
1. On a floured surface, divide dough (about 1 lb of dough) into 4 equal pieces; shape each into a ball. Roll out each ball into a 5- to 6-inch-wide round. Brush tops lightly with olive oil.. Place each round, oiled side down, on baking sheets. With your hands, flatten rounds to 1/8 inch thick and 7 to 8 inches wide. Lightly brush top side with oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Let stand, covered loosely with a clean kitchen towel about 25 minutes.
2.Turn on grill to medium heat and cover (350-400 degrees). Using a large spatula, slide pizza rounds (cornmeal side stays up) onto grill. Cook until pizza crusts are golden brown on bottom, about 2 minutes.
3. With a wide spatula, transfer crusts to baking sheets, browned sides up. Cover crusts with topping choice and slide from baking sheet back onto grill. Shut grill lid and cook until topping is hot and pizza bottoms are crisp and brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill.
RECIPE 3: Grilled Asian Chicken with Ginger Rice
Chicken recipe from allrecipes.com
NOTES:
• You will use the extra rice for the next day’s meal (fried rice). Grill more chicken than what the recipe calls for if you want to make chicken fried rice (vs. vegetarian). If there are more than 3 “big” eaters in your family, double the rice recipe to be sure you have enough for the following night’s recipe.
• If using wood or bamboo skewers, it’s good to soak them in water for 1 hour before sliding veggies on them. This prevents them from burning on the grill (and charring your veggies to the skewer).
INGREDIENTS
Chicken:
• ¼ c. soy sauce
• 4 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3 slices fresh ginger root
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Veggie(s) of choice (do a mixture of veggies like mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, onions on kabobs – see Recipe 3 from Week 20 for instructions).
Rice:
• 1 large chunk of fresh ginger (about 3 inches long)
• 2 ¾ c. chicken broth
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 ½ c. rice (try basmati or jasmine rice for this recipe! Long-grain white will also work fine. Brown is ok too although you’ll have to cook it longer).
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt & pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, oil, honey, ginger root, and garlic. Heat until hot & just starting to bubble.
2. Place chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish. Pour soy sauce mixture over, and set aside to marinate in fridge for at least 15 minutes or all day if desired.
3. Meanwhile, prepare rice. Cut ginger chunk in half lengthwise and again lengthwise if it’s very thick. Place the ginger slices on a cutting board and place the flat side of a large knife over each ginger piece, giving each slice a rap with your fist or heel of your hand to break down the fibers and release the juice. Combine ginger with all other ingredients (except rice). Bring to a boil then stir in rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes (or according to the instructions on the rice that you’re making). Let stand off heat for 5 minutes then uncover and fluff with a fork.
4. Preheat a grill for medium-high heat. Drain marinade from chicken into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Set aside for basting.
5. Lightly oil the grill grate. Cook chicken on the prepared grill 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until juices run clear. Baste frequently with remaining marinade. Chicken will turn a beautiful golden brown.
6. Serve with rice and veggie(s).
RECIPE 4: Fried Rice with Scallions, Peas, and Fresh Corn
NOTES:
• Use leftover rice from Recipe (3).
INGREDIENTS
• Leftover ginger rice from Recipe (3)
• Leftover chicken from Recipe (3) (if there was any leftover), chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 ear of fresh corn, boiled 10 minutes, cooled, and cut from cob
• 1 c. green peas, cooked
• 1 small bunch green onions/scallions, chopped
• 3-4 eggs, lightly beaten
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add leftover ginger rice and cook, stirring once in awhile until rice is heated and golden. Push rice to the side of the pan and add a little oil (or use cooking spray) to the middle. Pour in beaten eggs. Let sit 30 seconds to a minute then stir with a rubber spatula (keeping rice still on the sides). Stir again and mix into rice when eggs are soft-set.
2. Add cooked corn and peas and mix into rice/eggs. Season with salt and pepper and stir in chopped scallions.
RECIPE 5: Spinach, Leek, Bacon and Potato Quiche
INGREDIENTS
• 1 frozen pie crust or make your own
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (save a little oil for frying potatoes)
• 4-5 small red potatoes, diced and cooked in boiling water about 8-10 minutes or until tender, drain and pat dry with a paper towel.
• 1 large leek, thinly sliced
• 2-3 c. spinach, chopped
• 1 ½ c. swiss or provolone cheese, shredded
• 3 eggs
• 1 c. evaporated milk
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat about 1 tbsp oil (use leftover bacon grease if desired) in a saucepan and add cooked, diced potatoes. Let cook about 5 minutes or until beginning to brown on bottom then stir and cook 3 minutes more. Remove from heat.
2. In the same sauce pan, sauté leeks in a little oil until softened. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add potatoes to leeks and spinach and set aside.
3. For a homemade crust: preheat oven to 425 and place a double-layer of foil over crust (before filling). Bake at 425 for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 4-5 minutes or until crust is dry. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and remove pie crust. If using a frozen crust, follow directions for the pre-baked pie crust on package. This helps to maintain a crispy and not soggy crust on the quiche.
4. While pie crust is pre-baking, Beat eggs, evaporated milk, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.
5. In the hot pie crust place ingredients in this order: crumbled bacon, 1 c. shredded cheese, leek/potato/spinach mixture, egg mixture, then top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake (place over a cookie sheet if you’re worried it might overflow) at 350 for about 30 minutes or until browned on top and set in the middle (test with a toothpick).
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 as necessary this week
Meat/Fish
• 4 bone-in pork chops (about 1-inch thick) (1)
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (3)
• 4 slices bacon (5)
Veggies/Fruit
• Garlic – 1 cloves (1), 4 cloves (3)
• Corn on the cob – 1 ear (1), 1 ear (4)
• Onion – 1 red onion (1),
• Cilantro – 3 tbsp chopped (1), ½ c. chopped (4.5)
• Tomatillos – ¾ lb (green tomatoes with a thin shell/skin) (1)
• Lime – 1 (1)
• Jalapeno – 1 (1)
• Avocado – 1 (1)
• Toppings of choice for pizza (see Recipe (2) for ideas or go with your old favorites) (2)
• Ingredients for homemade pizza sauce – canned tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic (see May 7, Week 17) or your favorite store-bought brand (2)
• Fresh ginger (one 4-inch long chunk) (3)
• Veggies for kabobs (optional) (see Recipe (3) ingredients for ideas) (3)
• 1 c. frozen peas (4)
• Green onions/scallions – 1 small bunch (4)
• Fresh spinach – 2-3 c. chopped (5)
• 1 large leek (5)
• Potatoes – 4-5 small red (5)
Breads & starches
• Homemade pizza dough (see April 6 entry) or your favorite refrigerated or frozen kind
• 1 ½ c. rice (try basmati or jasmine although white or brown will also work) (3), (4)
• 1 frozen pie crust or make your own (5)
Spices/Sauces/Vinegars/Oils/Condiments
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Honey – 2 tbsp (3)
• Sesame oil – 4 tsp (3)
• Soy sauce – 2 tbsp (3)
Dairy
• Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, for pizza (1)
• 1 ½ c. swiss or provolone cheese, shredded or thinly sliced (5)
Other
• Olive oil
• Small amount of cornmeal (1)
• Store-bought pizza sauce (if not making your own) (2)
• Chicken broth – 2 ¾ c. (3)
• Eggs – 3-4 (4), 3 (5)
• Evaporated milk (in a can) – 1 c. (5)
June 4, 2010
Week 20 Meals & 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.
• Starting this week, you’ll see at least one or two recipes for the grill. Summertime is here and there is nothing better than yummy grilled meats & veggies!
• The ribs in Meal (2) require 3 hours of baking before grilling for 30 minutes so plan ahead. The ribs can actually be baked then stored in the fridge up to one day ahead of time so you can just throw them on the grill when you’re ready to eat them (see more info in NOTES under Meal (2)).
• 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.
• For Sides: Meals (1), (2), and (3) include sides this week. Meals (4) and (5) do not need a side but you could add a side salad or veggie if desired.
INGREDIENTS - SALADS
• ½ c. chicken broth
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray
• 8 c. torn romaine lettuce
• 1 c sliced cucumber (about 1 small)
• Pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 4 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
• 2 (1/4-inch-thick) slices red onion, separated into rings
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
DIRECTIONS – SALADS
1. Preheat grill to medium heat (350 degrees).
2. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl. Brush the chicken with 2 tablespoons dressing; set remaining dressing aside.
3. Place chicken on grill coated with cooking spray; cook for 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done (170 degrees). Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
4. Combine the romaine lettuce and the next 4 ingredients (through red onion slices) in a large bowl, and toss with the remaining salad dressing. Divide the salad evenly among 4 plates; top each serving with sliced chicken, and sprinkle with feta cheese.
INGREDIENTS – QUICK SOFT ITALIAN BREADSTICKS (1.5)
• 1 c. warm water (70 to 80)
• 3 tbsp softened butter
• 1 ½ tsp salt (see note by garlic powder below)
• 3 c white all-purpose flour (or bread flour if you have it)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (I used a mixture of oregano, basil, black pepper and a little crushed red pepper)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (if using garlic SALT, omit the other 1 ½ tsp salt)
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
• Topping: 1 tbsp melted butter & 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS – BREADSTICKS
NOTES:
• Homemade breadsticks in about 30 minutes! Great with salads or soups.
• Be careful not to overbake them or they will become tough.
1. Place all ingredients (except toppings) in a large mixer fitted with a dough hook.
2. Mix on medium speed until dough has a formed a ball, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times.
3. Remove and knead by hand on a lightly floured surface several times.
4. Divide dough into 18-24 portions (depending on how large you want your breadsticks).
5. Roll out by hand into 4-6 inch rope-like pieces and either twist each piece, “braid” two pieces together, or leave in rope style. Place on a greased cookie sheet, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
6. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Immediately brush with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
NOTES:
• This homemade Chipotle Maple BBQ sauce calls for a lot of ingredients but it’s worth it! Double the recipe and freeze some for next time. Store-bought sauce will work fine too…nothing can make these ribs taste bad!
• The ribs need to bake for 3 hours in the oven before grilling for 20-30 minutes. You can prepare sauce (if making homemade) and bake ribs (steps 1 and 2) up to one day ahead of time then just continue with step 3 when you’re ready to make dinner. Leave ribs out at room temp for 30 minutes or so before grilling or leave on grill longer to heat through.
• Baking the ribs make them tender and juicy. Grilling them for 30 mintues gives them that crispy outside and griled flavor. Yum!
Ingredients
• Fresh ears of sweet corn with husks and silks removed
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 ½ lbs (about 2 slabs) baby back ribs
• 1 12-oz bottle beer
• Sea salt, to taste (or regular salt if you don’t have sea salt)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 c. Chipotle Maple BBQ sauce (2.5) - see ingredients below - OR your favorite bottled sauce
For sauce:
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
½ c. maple syrup
½ c. firmly packed light brown sugar
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced (note: not 3 CANS, just 3 peppers)
1 c. white vinegar
¼ c. Worcestershire sauce
½ c. apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
Juice of 2 lemons (about 6 tbsp)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp dry mustard
2 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. For the sauce (if making your own): Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 30-35 minutes or until sauce is thickened and reduce by about ¼. You can refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
2. For ribs, preheat oven to 350°. Spread onion slices evenly on a rimmed baking sheet, and place ribs, bone side down, on top. Pour beer over ribs, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and cover tightly with foil. Bake 3 hours or until tender.
3. Brush both sides of ribs with BBQ sauce (either the homemade or store bought). Grill over medium heat, meat side down, 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly charred and crispy, basting several times with sauce. Flip ribs over, and baste cooked side liberally. Close grill lid, and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, basting often. Remove from heat; let rest 10 minutes. Cut individual ribs apart, and serve warm.
4. For corn, brush with olive oil and salt and grill over medium heat, covered for 15-20 minutes, turning every 3-5 minutes.
NOTES:
• You can premix the spice rub and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Double this recipe – you’ll want some to store and have on hand! You can also use this rub for red meat.
• To save time, chop up veggies (except the eggplant) for kabobs ahead of time and mix ingredients for veggie marinade and store in a container in fridge until ready to use. Veggies need to marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
• If using wood or bamboo skewers, it’s good to soak them in water for 1 hour before sliding veggies on them. This prevents them from burning on the grill (and charring your veggies to the skewer).
INGREDIENTS
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground mustard
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion salt (or granulated onion)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp cayenne (omit this if you don’t want them to be a little spicy)
• Assorted veggies for kabobs (3.5): mushrooms, bell peppers (cut into 1 – 1 ½ inch chunks), zucchini and yellow squash (cut into ¾-inch slices), eggplant (cut into ½-inch slices/wedges), tomatoes (quartered), onion (cut into chunks).
• Veggie marinade (3.5): ¼ c. dry white wine (cooking wine), ¼ c. honey, 3 garlic cloves, minced, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 ½ tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix ingredients for the veggie marinade. Reserve ¼ c. to serve over cooked veggies if desired. In a rectangular baking dish or other large shallow bowl, combine veggies and the veggie marinade. Toss to coat. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
2. In a small bowl combine all the rub ingredients (garlic powder through cayenne).
3. Rub over chicken breasts.
4. Coat grill with cooking spray and grill until chicken measure 170 degrees.
5. For Kabobs, grill each about 3-5 minutes per side, turning once until tender. Tomatoes take less time (1 minute per side) and eggplant may take a little longer than the other veggies.
NOTES:
• I pre-made the rice & bean mixture, salsa, and boiled small chunks of potatoes for about 10 min until softened ahead of time and stored them in separate containers in the fridge. When we were ready to eat, we simply reheated the rice & bean mixture and fried the potatoes in a skillet on the stove then assembled the burritos.
Ingredients
• 1 ½ c. cooked rice
• 1 can black beans
• ½ green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ¼ - ½ c. water
• Diced potatoes, cooked (see NOTES above)
• Corn salsa (from Cooking Light) (4.5): 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 ear), 1 1/4 cups chopped tomato, 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Toppings: avocado, shredded lettuce, sour cream, Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
• Flour tortillas
Directions
1. Prepare corn salsa by mixing all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside or place in fridge.
2. Sauté onion, green pepper, and garlic on medium-low heat until veggies are tender.
3. Add cilantro, salt, cumin, chili powder, cooked rice, beans, and water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until water is mostly evaporated.
4. Fry potatoes in a saucepan in oil until browned on one side (about 5 minutes). Give them a stir and cook about 3-5 min longer.
5. Prepare burrito toppings of choice.
6. Heat tortillas wrapped in a damp paper towel or kitchen hand towel in microwave until warm. Fill with bean and rice mixture, potatoes, corn salsa, and other desired toppings. Fold in sides of burrito then roll up starting with end closest to you.
• Sorry, I forgot to take a pic of this one!
• This recipe will make two smaller casseroles for 8-inch square baking dishes. You can eat one for dinner and freeze the other or make one large casserole in a rectangular baking dish.
• Make this casserole the night before then pop in the oven when you’re ready to eat the next evening.
• To reheat the casserole, thaw in fridge overnight, let sit out at room temp 30 minutes before baking then bake at 350 for about 45-55 minutes until bubbly.
Ingredients
• 1 pkg (16 0z) penne pasta
• Cooked cubed or shredded chicken (use as much or as little as you want or leave it out all together)
• 4 c. (16 oz shredded Italian cheese blend (or just mozzarella if that’s what you have))
• 3 c. fresh baby spinach
• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes (use ones with garlic and basil or other appropriate seasonings if you have them)
• 1 15-oz Alfredo sauce (or make it homemade – see Week 8, Recipe (5))
• 1 10-oz jar prepared pesto (or make it homemade)
• 1 ½ c. milk
• ½ c. seasoned (or plain) bread crumbs
• ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil
Directions
1. Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, cheese (except Parmesan), spinach and tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, pesto and milk. Drain pasta and add to chicken mixture; toss to coat.
2. Transfer to two greased 8-inch square baking dishes. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil; sprinkle over casseroles.
3. Cover and bake at 350 for 40-45 min or until bubbly (see NOTE above for what to do with second casserole).
• 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: Meals (1), (2), and (3) include sides this week. Meals (4) and (5) do not need a side but you could add a side salad or veggie if desired.
Meat/Fish
• Chicken breasts – 2-4 boneless skinless (1), 4 boneless skinless (3), cooked cubed or shredded chicken (amount of your choice or leave out completely) (5)
• 3 ½ lbs (about 2 slabs) baby back ribs (2)
Veggies/Fruit
• Garlic – 2 cloves (1), 4 cloves (2.5), 3 cloves (3.5), 3 cloves (4)
• Romaine lettuce for salads (1)
• 1 cucumber (1)
• Tomatoes – 4 plum or 2 regular-sized (1) 2 large (4.5)
• Onion – 1 small red onion (1), 1 large white or yellow (2), 1 medium white or yellow (4), 1 small red onion (4.5)
• Fresh ears of corn-on-the cob - however many you want per person (2), 1 (4.5)
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (2.5) – if you can’t find crushed or don’t have them on hand, use diced or whole and pulse in your food processor for a few seconds
• 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (2.5)
• 2 lemons (2.5), 1 (4.5)
• Various assorted veggies for kabobs (3.5): mushrooms, bell pepper, zucchini & yellow squash, eggplant, tomatoes, onion
• 1 green bell pepper (4)
• Cilantro – 3 tbsp chopped (4), ½ c. chopped (4.5)
• 1 large russet potato (4)
• Toppings for burrito: avocado, chopped lettuce (4)
• 3 c. baby spinach (5)
• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes with Italian seasonings or garlic & basil (5) – if you can’t find crushed, buy whole or diced and pulse in your food processer for a few seconds
• 1 10-oz jar prepared pesto (or make your own) (5)
Breads & starches
• 1 ½ c. cooked rice (4)
• Flour tortillas (4)
• 1 16-oz pkg penne pasta (5)
Spices/Sauces/Vinegars/Oils/Condiments
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Dried oregano – 2 tsp (1)
• Small amount of sugar (1), (1.5)
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar (1)
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (1.5) or use a mixture of oregano, basil, & red pepper
• Garlic powder – 1 tsp (1.5), 1 tbsp (3)
• Homemade BBQ sauce ingredients (2.5) or your favorite bottled sauce
• ½ c. maple syrup (2.5)
• Brown sugar - ½ c. (2.5), 1 tbsp (3)
• 1 c. white vinegar (2.5)
• ¼ c. Worcestershire sauce (2.5)
• ½ c. apple cider or unfiltered apple juice (2.5)
• Dry mustard - 2 tbsp (2.5), 1 tbsp (3)
• 1 tbsp paprika (3)
• 1 tsp onion salt or granulated onion (3)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary (3)
• Cumin – 1 tsp (3), 1 tsp (4), ¼ tsp (4.5)
• 1 tsp dried thyme (3)
• ½ tsp cayenne (3)
• ¼ c. dry white (cooking) wine (3.5)
• ¼ c. honey (3.5)
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (3.5)
• 1 tsp chili powder (4.5)
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce (4.5)
Dairy
• Feta cheese – ¼ c. (1)
• Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated – 1 tbsp (1.5), ½ c. grated (5)
• Butter – 4 tbsp (1.5)
• Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded to top burritos (4)
• Sour cream – for topping burritos (4)
• 1 ½ c. milk (5)
• 4 c. Italian cheese blend, shredded or mozzarella (5)
Other
• Olive oil
• Pitted kalamata olives for salads (1) – get however many you need at your grocer’s olive bar if they have one
• Chicken broth – ½ c. (1)
• All purpose flour or bread flour – 3 c. (1.5)
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1.5)
• 1 12-oz bottle beer (for baking ribs) (2)
• 1 can black beans (4)
• 1 15-oz can Alfredo sauce (or make your own, see Week 8, Recipe (5))
• ½ c. seasoned or plain bread crumbs
• If you're a new visitor to this blog, please read "how to use this blog" off to the right-hand-side.
• Starting this week, you’ll see at least one or two recipes for the grill. Summertime is here and there is nothing better than yummy grilled meats & veggies!
• The ribs in Meal (2) require 3 hours of baking before grilling for 30 minutes so plan ahead. The ribs can actually be baked then stored in the fridge up to one day ahead of time so you can just throw them on the grill when you’re ready to eat them (see more info in NOTES under Meal (2)).
• 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.
• For Sides: Meals (1), (2), and (3) include sides this week. Meals (4) and (5) do not need a side but you could add a side salad or veggie if desired.
RECIPE 1: GREEK GRILLED CHICKEN SALDAS & QUICK SOFT ITALIAN BREADSTICKS (1.5)
Modified from Cooking Light and Quick Cooking (http://www.recipezaar.com/)
INGREDIENTS - SALADS
• ½ c. chicken broth
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray
• 8 c. torn romaine lettuce
• 1 c sliced cucumber (about 1 small)
• Pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 4 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
• 2 (1/4-inch-thick) slices red onion, separated into rings
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
DIRECTIONS – SALADS
1. Preheat grill to medium heat (350 degrees).
2. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl. Brush the chicken with 2 tablespoons dressing; set remaining dressing aside.
3. Place chicken on grill coated with cooking spray; cook for 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done (170 degrees). Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
4. Combine the romaine lettuce and the next 4 ingredients (through red onion slices) in a large bowl, and toss with the remaining salad dressing. Divide the salad evenly among 4 plates; top each serving with sliced chicken, and sprinkle with feta cheese.
INGREDIENTS – QUICK SOFT ITALIAN BREADSTICKS (1.5)
• 1 c. warm water (70 to 80)
• 3 tbsp softened butter
• 1 ½ tsp salt (see note by garlic powder below)
• 3 c white all-purpose flour (or bread flour if you have it)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (I used a mixture of oregano, basil, black pepper and a little crushed red pepper)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (if using garlic SALT, omit the other 1 ½ tsp salt)
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
• Topping: 1 tbsp melted butter & 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS – BREADSTICKS
NOTES:
• Homemade breadsticks in about 30 minutes! Great with salads or soups.
• Be careful not to overbake them or they will become tough.
1. Place all ingredients (except toppings) in a large mixer fitted with a dough hook.
2. Mix on medium speed until dough has a formed a ball, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times.
3. Remove and knead by hand on a lightly floured surface several times.
4. Divide dough into 18-24 portions (depending on how large you want your breadsticks).
5. Roll out by hand into 4-6 inch rope-like pieces and either twist each piece, “braid” two pieces together, or leave in rope style. Place on a greased cookie sheet, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
6. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Immediately brush with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
RECIPE 2: SWEET & SPICY GRILLED RIBS WITH GRILLED CORN-ON-THE-COB
Modified from myrecipes.com
NOTES:
• This homemade Chipotle Maple BBQ sauce calls for a lot of ingredients but it’s worth it! Double the recipe and freeze some for next time. Store-bought sauce will work fine too…nothing can make these ribs taste bad!
• The ribs need to bake for 3 hours in the oven before grilling for 20-30 minutes. You can prepare sauce (if making homemade) and bake ribs (steps 1 and 2) up to one day ahead of time then just continue with step 3 when you’re ready to make dinner. Leave ribs out at room temp for 30 minutes or so before grilling or leave on grill longer to heat through.
• Baking the ribs make them tender and juicy. Grilling them for 30 mintues gives them that crispy outside and griled flavor. Yum!
Ingredients
• Fresh ears of sweet corn with husks and silks removed
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 ½ lbs (about 2 slabs) baby back ribs
• 1 12-oz bottle beer
• Sea salt, to taste (or regular salt if you don’t have sea salt)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 c. Chipotle Maple BBQ sauce (2.5) - see ingredients below - OR your favorite bottled sauce
For sauce:
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
½ c. maple syrup
½ c. firmly packed light brown sugar
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced (note: not 3 CANS, just 3 peppers)
1 c. white vinegar
¼ c. Worcestershire sauce
½ c. apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
Juice of 2 lemons (about 6 tbsp)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp dry mustard
2 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. For the sauce (if making your own): Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 30-35 minutes or until sauce is thickened and reduce by about ¼. You can refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
2. For ribs, preheat oven to 350°. Spread onion slices evenly on a rimmed baking sheet, and place ribs, bone side down, on top. Pour beer over ribs, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and cover tightly with foil. Bake 3 hours or until tender.
3. Brush both sides of ribs with BBQ sauce (either the homemade or store bought). Grill over medium heat, meat side down, 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly charred and crispy, basting several times with sauce. Flip ribs over, and baste cooked side liberally. Close grill lid, and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, basting often. Remove from heat; let rest 10 minutes. Cut individual ribs apart, and serve warm.
4. For corn, brush with olive oil and salt and grill over medium heat, covered for 15-20 minutes, turning every 3-5 minutes.
RECIPE 3: SPICY PAPRIKA-RUBBED GRILLED CHICKEN WITH VEGGIE KABOBS (3.5)
From Taste of Home & Southern Living
NOTES:
• You can premix the spice rub and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Double this recipe – you’ll want some to store and have on hand! You can also use this rub for red meat.
• To save time, chop up veggies (except the eggplant) for kabobs ahead of time and mix ingredients for veggie marinade and store in a container in fridge until ready to use. Veggies need to marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
• If using wood or bamboo skewers, it’s good to soak them in water for 1 hour before sliding veggies on them. This prevents them from burning on the grill (and charring your veggies to the skewer).
INGREDIENTS
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground mustard
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion salt (or granulated onion)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp cayenne (omit this if you don’t want them to be a little spicy)
• Assorted veggies for kabobs (3.5): mushrooms, bell peppers (cut into 1 – 1 ½ inch chunks), zucchini and yellow squash (cut into ¾-inch slices), eggplant (cut into ½-inch slices/wedges), tomatoes (quartered), onion (cut into chunks).
• Veggie marinade (3.5): ¼ c. dry white wine (cooking wine), ¼ c. honey, 3 garlic cloves, minced, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 ½ tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix ingredients for the veggie marinade. Reserve ¼ c. to serve over cooked veggies if desired. In a rectangular baking dish or other large shallow bowl, combine veggies and the veggie marinade. Toss to coat. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
2. In a small bowl combine all the rub ingredients (garlic powder through cayenne).
3. Rub over chicken breasts.
4. Coat grill with cooking spray and grill until chicken measure 170 degrees.
5. For Kabobs, grill each about 3-5 minutes per side, turning once until tender. Tomatoes take less time (1 minute per side) and eggplant may take a little longer than the other veggies.
RECIPE 4: BLACK BEAN, RICE & POTATO BURRITOS WITH HOMEMADE CORN SALSA (4.5)
• I pre-made the rice & bean mixture, salsa, and boiled small chunks of potatoes for about 10 min until softened ahead of time and stored them in separate containers in the fridge. When we were ready to eat, we simply reheated the rice & bean mixture and fried the potatoes in a skillet on the stove then assembled the burritos.
Ingredients
• 1 ½ c. cooked rice
• 1 can black beans
• ½ green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ¼ - ½ c. water
• Diced potatoes, cooked (see NOTES above)
• Corn salsa (from Cooking Light) (4.5): 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 ear), 1 1/4 cups chopped tomato, 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Toppings: avocado, shredded lettuce, sour cream, Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
• Flour tortillas
Directions
1. Prepare corn salsa by mixing all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside or place in fridge.
2. Sauté onion, green pepper, and garlic on medium-low heat until veggies are tender.
3. Add cilantro, salt, cumin, chili powder, cooked rice, beans, and water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until water is mostly evaporated.
4. Fry potatoes in a saucepan in oil until browned on one side (about 5 minutes). Give them a stir and cook about 3-5 min longer.
5. Prepare burrito toppings of choice.
6. Heat tortillas wrapped in a damp paper towel or kitchen hand towel in microwave until warm. Fill with bean and rice mixture, potatoes, corn salsa, and other desired toppings. Fold in sides of burrito then roll up starting with end closest to you.
RECIPE 5: PESTO PENNE CHICKEN CASSEROLE
From Taste of Home
NOTES: • Sorry, I forgot to take a pic of this one!
• This recipe will make two smaller casseroles for 8-inch square baking dishes. You can eat one for dinner and freeze the other or make one large casserole in a rectangular baking dish.
• Make this casserole the night before then pop in the oven when you’re ready to eat the next evening.
• To reheat the casserole, thaw in fridge overnight, let sit out at room temp 30 minutes before baking then bake at 350 for about 45-55 minutes until bubbly.
Ingredients
• 1 pkg (16 0z) penne pasta
• Cooked cubed or shredded chicken (use as much or as little as you want or leave it out all together)
• 4 c. (16 oz shredded Italian cheese blend (or just mozzarella if that’s what you have))
• 3 c. fresh baby spinach
• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes (use ones with garlic and basil or other appropriate seasonings if you have them)
• 1 15-oz Alfredo sauce (or make it homemade – see Week 8, Recipe (5))
• 1 10-oz jar prepared pesto (or make it homemade)
• 1 ½ c. milk
• ½ c. seasoned (or plain) bread crumbs
• ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil
Directions
1. Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, cheese (except Parmesan), spinach and tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, pesto and milk. Drain pasta and add to chicken mixture; toss to coat.
2. Transfer to two greased 8-inch square baking dishes. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil; sprinkle over casseroles.
3. Cover and bake at 350 for 40-45 min or until bubbly (see NOTE above for what to do with second casserole).
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: Meals (1), (2), and (3) include sides this week. Meals (4) and (5) do not need a side but you could add a side salad or veggie if desired.
Meat/Fish
• Chicken breasts – 2-4 boneless skinless (1), 4 boneless skinless (3), cooked cubed or shredded chicken (amount of your choice or leave out completely) (5)
• 3 ½ lbs (about 2 slabs) baby back ribs (2)
Veggies/Fruit
• Garlic – 2 cloves (1), 4 cloves (2.5), 3 cloves (3.5), 3 cloves (4)
• Romaine lettuce for salads (1)
• 1 cucumber (1)
• Tomatoes – 4 plum or 2 regular-sized (1) 2 large (4.5)
• Onion – 1 small red onion (1), 1 large white or yellow (2), 1 medium white or yellow (4), 1 small red onion (4.5)
• Fresh ears of corn-on-the cob - however many you want per person (2), 1 (4.5)
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (2.5) – if you can’t find crushed or don’t have them on hand, use diced or whole and pulse in your food processor for a few seconds
• 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (2.5)
• 2 lemons (2.5), 1 (4.5)
• Various assorted veggies for kabobs (3.5): mushrooms, bell pepper, zucchini & yellow squash, eggplant, tomatoes, onion
• 1 green bell pepper (4)
• Cilantro – 3 tbsp chopped (4), ½ c. chopped (4.5)
• 1 large russet potato (4)
• Toppings for burrito: avocado, chopped lettuce (4)
• 3 c. baby spinach (5)
• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes with Italian seasonings or garlic & basil (5) – if you can’t find crushed, buy whole or diced and pulse in your food processer for a few seconds
• 1 10-oz jar prepared pesto (or make your own) (5)
Breads & starches
• 1 ½ c. cooked rice (4)
• Flour tortillas (4)
• 1 16-oz pkg penne pasta (5)
Spices/Sauces/Vinegars/Oils/Condiments
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Dried oregano – 2 tsp (1)
• Small amount of sugar (1), (1.5)
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar (1)
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (1.5) or use a mixture of oregano, basil, & red pepper
• Garlic powder – 1 tsp (1.5), 1 tbsp (3)
• Homemade BBQ sauce ingredients (2.5) or your favorite bottled sauce
• ½ c. maple syrup (2.5)
• Brown sugar - ½ c. (2.5), 1 tbsp (3)
• 1 c. white vinegar (2.5)
• ¼ c. Worcestershire sauce (2.5)
• ½ c. apple cider or unfiltered apple juice (2.5)
• Dry mustard - 2 tbsp (2.5), 1 tbsp (3)
• 1 tbsp paprika (3)
• 1 tsp onion salt or granulated onion (3)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary (3)
• Cumin – 1 tsp (3), 1 tsp (4), ¼ tsp (4.5)
• 1 tsp dried thyme (3)
• ½ tsp cayenne (3)
• ¼ c. dry white (cooking) wine (3.5)
• ¼ c. honey (3.5)
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (3.5)
• 1 tsp chili powder (4.5)
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce (4.5)
Dairy
• Feta cheese – ¼ c. (1)
• Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated – 1 tbsp (1.5), ½ c. grated (5)
• Butter – 4 tbsp (1.5)
• Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded to top burritos (4)
• Sour cream – for topping burritos (4)
• 1 ½ c. milk (5)
• 4 c. Italian cheese blend, shredded or mozzarella (5)
Other
• Olive oil
• Pitted kalamata olives for salads (1) – get however many you need at your grocer’s olive bar if they have one
• Chicken broth – ½ c. (1)
• All purpose flour or bread flour – 3 c. (1.5)
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1.5)
• 1 12-oz bottle beer (for baking ribs) (2)
• 1 can black beans (4)
• 1 15-oz can Alfredo sauce (or make your own, see Week 8, Recipe (5))
• ½ c. seasoned or plain bread crumbs
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