Week 38 Notes

• I only had 3 recipes worth posting this week.

Week 38, Recipe 1: Hash Brown Quiche with Ham & Cheese

NOTES

• The original recipe called for 3 c. of shredded, frozen hash browns, thawed and drained but I used 3 cups of shredded fresh potatoes and squeezed the extra moisture out of them in a clean dishcloth over the sink.
• Recipe modified from Paula Deen.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 c. shredded potatoes (or see NOTES above to use frozen hash browns)
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 c. half-n-half
• 3/4 c. diced cooked ham
• 1/2 c. diced green onions
• 1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Squeeze the liquid out of your freshly grated potatoes by placing them in a clean dishcloth and wringing it several times. Pat potatoes as dry as possible. Toss them with melted butter.
3. Press the hash browns into a 9-inch pie plate into the bottom and sides to form a crust. Bake for 20-25 min or until golden brown and starting to crisp (you may have to cover with foil if the top starts to brown quickly.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. When the has brown crust is ready, pour the egg mixture over it and return it to the oven.
5. Lower the temp to 350 and bake for 30-45 minutes or until the quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed.

Week 38, Recipe 2: Tortellini with Tomato-Cream Sauce

NOTES

• Original recipe from Taste of Home
• This recipe needs to be made and served immediately. To plan ahead, remove your frozen spinach from the freezer the night before you'd like to prepare the meal so that it thaws completely.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pkg (16 oz) frozen or refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 14-1/2 oz can Italian diced tomatoes
• 1 10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry / or 2-4 c. chopped fresh
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 c. whipping cream
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese + extra for topping

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion in oil until tender.
2. Add garlic; cook 1 min longer. Add the tomatoes, spinach, basil, salt and pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until the liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the cream and cheese. Bring to a light boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 8 minutes.
4. Drain tortellini and toss with sauce. Sprinkle with additional cheese.

Week 38, Recipe 3: Shrimp & Snow Pea Stir-Fry

Photo from Cooking Light by Randy Mayor; Bob Gager

NOTES

• This recipe came together very quickly and had lots of flavor.
• Recipe modified from Cooking Light, November 2004

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small red bed pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 small red onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 1 c. snow peas, trimmed (usually found in the fresh veggies in a package)
• 1 1/2 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (to toast, place in a hot, dry skillet for 3-5 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring several times)
• Hot cooked rice

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

2. Combine the ginger through the garlic and stir with a whisk. Set aside.

3. Add the bell pepper and onion to the skillet and stir-fry 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add snow peas and shrimp. Stir-fry 3 minutes or until shrimp are done.

4. Add the sauce mixture and cook 1 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over hot rice.

Week 37, Recipe 1: Au Gratin Potato Chicken Chowder

NOTES

• The original recipe, from Taste of Home, calls for 1 pkg (4.9 oz) au gratin potatoes. I peeled and sliced up my own potatoes - about 2 medium - and sliced them very thinly with the slicer on my cheese grater meant for slicing potatoes. You could also slice them thinly with a knife.
• Gluten-free eaters - not sure if this would be gluten-free if you bought the packaged potatoes so check the ingredients (which I'm sure you do all the time anyway).

INGREDIENTS

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, sliced au gratin or sliced thinly with a knife (see NOTE above)
• 2 c. hot water
• 1 1/2 c. milk - 2% or whole
• 1 1/4 c. chicken broth
• 1 15 1/4 oz can corn or 1 small pkg frozen corn
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 3 c. cooked shredded or cubed chicken (if you buy a rotisserie chicken, you'll use 1/2 for this recipe and 1/2 for Recipe 4)
• 2/3 c. evaporated milk

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large soup pot, cook bacon slices (you can cut them up if necessary) until crisp. Drain on a paper towel and crumble when cool. Reserve 2 tbsp of bacon drippings in the soup pot.
2. Saute onion in the bacon drippings until tender over low heat. Add the potatoes through pepper and cook, uncovered, at a low simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Reduce heat and stir in chicken, evaporated milk and bacon; heat through. Discard bay leaf.

Week 37, Recipe 2: Spicy Bean Burritos

NOTES

• Original recipe from Annie's Eats
• For lunch leftovers, take your tortilla with the bean filling inside and fold in half. Cut up your toppings and take separately in a container. When ready to eat, warm your burrito in the microwave under a damp paper towel or clean dish cloth, add desired toppings then fold and enjoy.

INGREDIENTS
For the bean filling:

• 2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. minced chipotle in adobo sauce (I buy a can of it, take what I need then freeze the rest in the freezer in a zip-lock bag. Next time you need some, remove the frozen chunk and cut off what you need).
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 2/3 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 6 tbsp. fresh salsa or a salsa of your choice
• 6 (9- or 10-inch) flour tortillas, warmed

For serving (optional toppings):

• Shredded cheese
• Diced tomatoes
• Shredded romaine lettuce
• Chopped green onions (optional)
• Sour cream
• Avocado slices or guacamole

DIRECTIONS
1. To make the bean filling, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic through the cayenne and stir, cooking just until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Add the drained/rinsed beans and the broth to the pan.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for 5-10 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the salsa and mash the mixture with fork or a potato masher.
3. Spoon about a third of a cup of the bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top each serving with desired toppings and roll the tortilla up tightly while folding in the ends, burrito style, and serve immediately.

Week 37, Recipe 3: Quick Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwiches

Photo found from Google images as I forgot to take one of ours. However, in my sandwich the cheese actually melts more than in the picture above.

NOTES

• For an easy weeknight dinner and not the usually grilled cheese, try a grilled ham & Swiss (or provolone) sandwich. Dress it up by adding brown or spicy mustard, a tomato slice, etc. We prefer ours with just ham & Swiss cheese.

INGREDIENTS

• High quality deli ham
• High quality sandwich bread
• Slices of Swiss, provolone or cheese of choice
• Anything to dress it up that you'd like: tomato slice, brown/spicy mustard, etc.
• Butter, for spreading on bread

DIRECTIONS
1. Butter each slice of bread on one side.
2. Top a slice of bread (butter side down) with desired amount of ham and a slice of cheese. Top with second slice of bread (butter side up).
3. Heat a skillet to medium low and place bread in skillet. Cover with a lid and cook on low or medium low (depending on your stove) until bread is nicely browned. Flip and cook on the other side. The key is to cook low enough so that the ham and cheese melt together.

Week 37, Recipe 4: Creamy Chicken & Biscuits

NOTES

• Love, love, love this biscuit recipe! It's from an earlier recipe of mine, Biscuits with Sausage Gravy. It's so easy to make and so yummy!
• The creamy chicken recipe is a combination of my own creation and several things I've made in the past. We've made this several times recently. A comfort food for sure.

INGREDIENTS

• For biscuit recipe, see the link above in NOTES.
• 4 c. chicken broth + 1 c. water and 2 tsp chicken bouillon seasoning or 2 bouillon cubes
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 c. fresh chopped parsley (optional)
• about 1/2 package frozen carrots & peas mix
• about 1 lb of shredded cooked chicken breast (either cook your own in boiling water for 30 min or so, cool & shred or do it the easy way and buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it, dividing it up for two different recipes)
• 1/4 c. heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
1. To make biscuits, see link above in NOTES.
2. For creamy chicken, heat 4 c. broth and 1 c. water in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. When just simmering, add the bouillon seasoning or cubes. Keep warm.
3. In a large soup pot, melt the butter and saute onion over low heat about 10 minutes (do not brown onion).
4. Add 1/2 c. flour and stir to incorporate (will be a chunky mixture).
5. Add hot chicken stock and stir with a whisk to incorporate, 1 minute.
6. Add salt, pepper, shredded cooked chicken, frozen veggies and parsley if using.
7. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until veggies are tender.
8. Stir in 1/4 c. heavy cram and heat through.
9. Split biscuits in half and serve creamy chicken over bottom half then place top of biscuit on top.

Week 37, Recipe 5: Basil Shrimp with Feta & Orzo

Cooking Light photo

NOTES

• Recipe from Cooking Light, March 2000
• This is a really yummy way to make a one dish seafood meal.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 regular-size foil oven bag or 2 large sheets of regular foil
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 - 1 c. (depending on family size) uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup diced tomato
• 3/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Coat inside of oven bag with cooking spray or one large sheet of foil. Place the bag/sheet on a large shallow baking pan.
3. Cook the pasta in boiling water 5 minutes then drain. Place the pasta in a large bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon oil and next 7 ingredients (through pepper). Place the orzo mixture in prepared oven bag or on sheet of foil.
4. Combine shrimp and basil. Arrange shrimp mixture on orzo mixture. Fold edge of bag over to seal or place second sheet of foil on top of first and seal sides together tightly.
5. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until the shrimp are done. Cut open bag with a sharp knife, and peel back the foil. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil.

Week 37 Shopping List

NOTES

• I apologize as once again I did not get a shopping list typed up this week for the five previous recipes.

New posts next week!

Oops, I meant to post this earlier...due to spring break, a sick toddler and vacation, I will not be posting recipes this week. Check back next week! Thanks!

Week 36, Recipe 1: Skillet Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli

NOTES

• Modified from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, slicked into 1-inch pieces
• Salt & pepper
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 onion, minced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz pasta (penne, ziti, rigatoni, etc.)
• 2 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1 bunch broccoli, stems discarded and florets cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 c. roasted red peppers (cut into 1/4-inch slices) OR fresh red pepper slices
• 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS
1. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned on one side, stir and cook again for about 4 minutes total (not completely cooked). Transfer chicken to a bowl.
2. Add 1 more tbsp of butter, the onion, red pepper flakes, oregano, and 1/2 tsp salt to the skillet. Cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 sec.
3. Sprinkle the pasta evenly into the skillet. Pour in the broth and cream over the pasta. Cover and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the broccoli and peppers. Cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta begins to soften and the broccoli turns bright green, about 8 minutes.
5. Stir in the chicken and accumulated juice. Cover and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
6. Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp butter and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Week 36, Recipe 2: Fried Potato Frittata

NOTES

• An easy dinner (only 5 ingredients) that's a favorite of ours!
• You can pre-boil and then fry (or just pre-boil and fry later) the potatoes to make the actually prep time quicker.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large Russet potato, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes
• 8 eggs
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Salt and Pepper
• Canola oil
• Cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400. Cube the potato into bite-size pieces and boil for about 5-7 minutes until just slightly tender (either eat one or use a fork to test tenderness). Drain potatoes.
2. Heat a large skillet with a little oil and cook onions until softened. Remove and reserve. 
3. In the same pan, add 2-3 tbsp canola oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add potatoes and spread out so they are in a single layer (or as close to a single layer as you can get). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let cook, without stirring, for 5 minutes or so until the bottoms of the potatoes are nicely browned. Stir, add a little more oil if necessary and cook 5 or so minutes longer.
4. In a large bowl, beat 8 eggs, 1 tsp of salt and preferred amount of pepper. Add fried potatoes and stir to combine.
5. Reduce the skillet to medium and add a little more oil, tilting pan to coat bottom and side.
6. Add potato/egg mixture and let cook for 3-5 minutes. When the edges are starting to set, lift them with a spatula and let the runny egg in the middle run underneath.
7. Place skillet in oven (place foil over the handle of your skillet if there is rubber on it) for about 10 minutes or until eggs are set. I usually put the skillet under my broiler for a minute or two after baking it to brown it up nice and make sure the middle is completely set.
8. Remove from oven and using a spatula, lift frittata out of pan and place on a serving plate. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Week 36, Recipe 3: Spinach & Cheese Lasagna Rolls

Forgot to put extra mozzarella cheese on top!

NOTES

• A fun (an easy) way to prepare lasagna!
• Modified from Fix, Freeze, Feast Cookbook
• The cookbook I have makes at least three meals a a time and freezes two of them. I cut this recipe in half and made two meals for a family of 3 (with leftovers). Modify accordingly to suit your family's size or double to make some extra for the freezer! To freeze the rolls, place the rolls on a cookie sheet and freeze for 1/2 and hour or so and then place in ziplock bags.
• The amounts of cheeses are approximate and can be more or less if desired.

INGREDIENTS

• 28 oz of lasagna noodles (about 25-30 noodles)
• 12 oz crumbled feta cheese (2 1/2 c.)
• 16 oz low-fat cottage cheese (2 c.)
• 16 oz part-skim ricotta cheese (1ish c.)
• 1/2 c. shredded Asiago cheese
• 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 5-10 oz frozen chopped spinach, cooked according to package directions, cooled and then squeezed to remove extra water
• Marinara sauce (2 c. per pans you're baking right away)
• Extra mozzarella cheese to top for the pan(s) your baking right away

DIRECTIONS
1. Boil noodles (you may have to do this in batches or in two different pots) until flexible but not completely cooked (a few minutes shy of the time on the package directions). Drain.
2. Meanwhile mix feta, cottage cheese, ricotta, Asiago, Parmesan, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in cooked, drained, and squeezed-dry spinach leaves.
3. Place partially cooked noodles on a clean work surface in a single layer.
4. Spread a little filling (2-3 tbsp) down the length of each noodle and roll up. Place noodles seam side down in a greased baking dish (for the ones your making right away) and place the ones you're going to freeze in a baking sheet or dish and freeze for 30 minutes then remove and place in ziplock bags.
5. For the pan you're baking right away, spread 2 c. marinara sauce over noodles (and extra mozzarella cheese if desired). Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350.
6. To bake frozen rolls, remove from freezer and place in a greased baking dish. Let thaw in the fridge. Follow same baking instructions as in step 5.

Week 36, Recipe 4: Good Eats Meatloaf with Veggies

Good Eats Photo

NOTES

• Modified from Alton Brown (Food Network)
• Make and freeze if desired. Meatloaf freezes well.
• Original recipe calls for 18 oz ground chuck and 18 oz ground sirloin. I used about 2 lbs of ground beef because that's what I had in the freezer.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 ounces garlic-flavored croutons
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and broken
• 2 garlic cloves (whole)
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 18 ounces ground chuck
• 18 ounces ground sirloin
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• For glaze (optional): 1/2 c. catsup, 1 tsp ground cumin, dash Worcestershire sauce, dash hot pepper sauce, 1 tbsp honey

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 325. In a food processor, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, & chili powder. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture and place into a large bowl.
2. Combine the onion, carrot, garlic cloves, and red pepper in the food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped but not pureed.
3. Combine the veggie mixture, meat, and bread crumb mixture. Seaon with salt and add egg. Combine throughly but avoid squeezing the meat.
4. Place this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold into the shape of the meatlof. Onto a parchment lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray.
5. If using a glze, combine the catsup, cumin, Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce and honey. Brush the glave ontot he meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.
6. Bake for around 45-60 minutes until cooked through or a thermometer inserted in the middle reads 160.

Week 36, Recipe 5:Pasta & Bean Soup

NOTES

• Modified from Taste of Home magazine
• This is a great soup! Double it if you want extra leftovers.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 potato, peeled and chopped into small pieces
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 14-1/2 oz cans reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 15-oz can white kidney/cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 14-1/2 oz can Italian stewed tomatoes, chopped and undrained
• 1/4 c. minced fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp pesto (or make your own by putting 10 basil leaves in your food processor and adding enough olive oil to puree it into a smooth texture. Add about 1/4 tsp salt).
• 1/4 c. uncooked orzo pasta or 1/2 c. uncooked small bowtie pasta (farfallini)
• 1-2 c. fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 c. grated cheese (Parmesan or Romano)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large soup pot, saute the onion, potato, celery and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the broth, beans, tomatoes, parsley, and pesto. Bring to a boil and then stir in pasta.
2. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-5 minutes or until pasta is tender.
3. Add spinach and cook just until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Week 36 Shopping List

NOTES
• Sorry, no shopping list this week. I didn't have time to type it up.

Week 35, Recipe 1: Panera Bread's Creamy Tomato Soup

NOTES

• I found this recipe online and said it's from the 2006 Panera Bread Cookbook. I modified it just a little bit. Delicious!
• I made a creamy tomato soup not that long ago but I was craving it again and I think this recipe (with the croutons) might be one of my favorite soups!
• I used high quality canned tomatoes but can't wait to try this again in the summer with fresh.

INGREDIENTS

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk (2 % or whole), 1 c. cream
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar (neutralizes the bitterness of the tomatoes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (helps keep the milk from curdling)
• 4-5 cups chopped canned tomatoes (or fresh) (about 1 1/2 large cans)
• 4-5 leaves of basil, cut into thin slices with a kitchen scissors (optional)
• 1 loaf of asiago cheese bread
• Butter to spread on bread

DIRECTIONS
1. Melt the butter in a soup pot and add the onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion is softened but not browned.
2. Sprinkle the flour over the butter mixture and continue to stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Slowly add the 3 c. milk, 1/2 bay leaf, sugar, pepper and salt and continue to cook and stir until slightly thickened.
4. Stir the baking soda into the tomatoes.
5. Add the tomatoes to the milk, and bring just to a simmer. Stir in the 1 c. cream.
6. Remove from the heat and puree in batches in a food processor or blender or use an immersion blender (I don't have one but it's on my wish list!).
7. Taste and correct seasonings (adding more salt and/or pepper if necessary).
8. For croutons - Cut the bread into thick slices and butter both sides then cut into bite-size cubes.Bake cubed bread at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until crispy.
9. Top soup with slivered basil and asiago croutons.

Week 35, Recipe 2: Steak Fajitas

NOTES

• This is a quick weeknight meal. Marinate the meat all day and pre-cut lettuce & shred cheese ahead of time to save on prep.
• Modified from Simply Recipes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb of flank steak, skirt steak or strip steak
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch wide sections
• 2-3 bell peppers of various colors, stemmed, seeded, de-ribbed, sliced lengthwise into strips
• Salt
• Flour tortillas
• Fajita toppings: shredded lettuce, cheese, sour cream, avocado, fresh cilantro sprigs, etc.
• Marinade: juice of 1 lime; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 cloves garlic; peeled & minced; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded, ribs removed, finely chopped; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, including stems

DIRECTIONS
1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a shallow bowl, add steak (uncut), cover, and let sit at room temp at least one hour or marinate all day in the fridge.
2. Heat a skillet or griddle to medium high heat and add 1 tsp olive oil to pan. Add the steak, frying on each side for 3-5 minutes, or to desired doneness. If pan starts to smoke, reduce the heat a bit. Remove the steak and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. In the same pan, reduce heat to medium and add a little more oil. Add the onions, bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until the onions are slightly translucent.
4. Slice the meat against the grain into thin slices at at slanted angle.
5. Serve in warm tortillas with the peppers, onions, and any other desired toppings (see above).

Week 35, Recipe 3: Chicken with Peanut Curry Sauce

NOTES

• Yes, I know, this is the second curry recipe in two weeks. I've had this Thai red curry paste I've been needing to use up so we made this and it's delicious!
• This isn't that spicy (ok for kids) but you could spice it up by adding more curry paste.
• Recipe modified from the Food Network - Sandra Lee

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 1/2 lb chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 8 oz frozen green beans, thawed
• 8 oz frozen pepper strips, thawed
• For sauce:
• 1 1/2 c. coconut milk (not light kind)
• 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 1-3 tbsp (depending on spice level you want) Thai red curry paste
• 1/3 c. chunky peanut butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp lime juice, plus wedges for garnishing
• Cilantro sprigs for garnishing
• Cooked rice

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium0high heat. Add cut up chicken, season and saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add green beans and pepper strips and continue cooking for 3 minutes.
2. While chicken cooks, start the peanut curry sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the sauce. Pour sauce into a frying pan over the chicken and veggies and stir to combine.
3. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 6-8 minutes. Serve over cooked rice.

Week 35, Recipe 4: Sesame Soba Noodles with Veggies

NOTES

• I made this ahead of time so it made for a quick dinner and GREAT lunch leftovers.
• You serve it cold or at room temp.
• Recipe modified from Annie's Eats

INGREDIENTS

• For the dressing:
• 1/4 c. reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 c. chopped cilantro
• 3 green onions, chopped
• For the salad:
• About 12 oz of soba (buckwheat) noodles, found in the Asian food section
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
• 1 c. shredded red cabbage
• 1 carrot, peeled & shredded
• 1 c. edemame (soybeans), shelled & cooked (look for this in the frozen veggies)
• toasted sesame seeds for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to blend.
2. Cook the soba noodles until just al dente (a minute shy of package directions). Drain well and rinse with cold water.
3. Transfer the noodles to a large mixing bowl and add the veggies.
4. Pour the dressing over the top and toss so noodles and veggies are evenly coated with dressing.
5. If sprinkling with sesame seeds, toast a handful of seeds in a dry saucepan over medium heat until fragrant and just starting to brown.

Week 35, Recipe 5: Chili Mac

NOTES

• This is a quick weeknight meal and very hearty.
• Tastes like chili and mac & cheese all in one!
• Modified from America's Test Kitchen Cookbook

INGREDIENTS

• Vegetable oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• salt
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 8 oz macaroni
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1-2 c. water
• pepper
• 8 oz cheese - Cheddar or Colby Jack

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the beef and cook, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
2. Drain beef if necessary and remove from pan.
3. In the same skillet add 1-2 tbsp of oil and add onion, bell pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in the macaroni, tomatoes with juice, water, and drained beef. Add the 2nd cup of water if it seems thick. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sirve hot in individual bowls and sprinkle with lots of cheese.

Week 35 Shopping List

NOTES

• The shopping list is organized) 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.

Meat/Fish
• 1 lb flank, skirt or strip steak (2)
• 1 1/2 lb chicken breast or thigh (3)
• 1 lb lean ground beef (5)

Veggies/Fruit
• Onion - 1/2 c. chopped (1), 1 large yellow onion (2), 1 (5)
• Basil - 5-6 leaves (optional) (1)
• Tomatoes - 4-5 c. chopped canned tomatoes (about 1 1/2 large cans) or use fresh but canned works well for winter version (1), 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (5), 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes (5)
• Bell peppers of various colors 2-3 (2), 1/2 red bell (4), 1 red bell (5)
• Topping for fajitas - shredded lettuce, avocado, fresh cilantro sprigs, etc. (2)
• Lime - 1 (2), 1 (3)
• Garlic – 2 cloves (2), 1 clove (4), 4 cloves (5)
• Jalapeno peppers - 1 (2)
• Frozen green beens - 8 oz (3)
• Frozen pepper strips - 8 oz (3)
• Fresh cilantro - 1/4 c. chopped (2), sprigs, for serving (3), 1/4 c. chopped (4)
• Green onions - 3 (4)
• Red cabbage - 1 c. shredded (4)
• Carrot - 1 (4)
• Edemame (soybeans) - 1 c. shelled (4) (look for this in the frozen veggies)

Breads & starches
• Asiago cheese loaf (1)
• Flour tortillas (2)
• 12 oz buckwheat (soba) noodles (4) (found in the Asian food section)
• Rice, for serving with curry (3)
• 8 oz macaroni pasta (5)

Spices/Sauces/Vinegars/Oils/Condiments
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Bay leaf - 1/2 (1)
• Cumin – 1/2 tsp (2), 1 tbsp (5)
• Thai red curry paste (found near the Asian food in a small jar) - 1-3 tbsp (3)
• Soy sauce - 1/4 c. (4)
• Sesame oil - 1 tbsp (4)
• Rice vinegar (or rice wine vinegar) - 2 tbsp (4)
• Chili powder - 1 tbsp (5)

Dairy
• Butter - 5 tbsp + a little more for spreading on bread (1)
• 3 c. 2% or whole milk (1)
• 1 c. cream (1)
• Sour cream, for topping fajitas (2)
• Cheese, for topping fajitas (2)
• Cheddar or Colby Jack cheese - 8 oz (5)

Other
• Sugar - 1 1/2 tsp (1)
• Flour - 4 tbsp (1)
• Baking soda - 1/2 tsp (1)
• Coconut milk - 1 1/2 c. (3)
• Chicken broth - 1/2 c. (3)
• Brown sugar - 2 tbsp (3)
• Chunky peanut butter - 1/3 c. (3)
• Sesame seeds, small handful, toasted (4) (optional)