Monday Menu, October 27, 2008

SUNDAY: Mark's Pot Roast (that's definitely a "keeper"--it's a great way to make a cheap cut of meat taste expensive!), noodles, gravy, mixed vegetables, Outback Steakhouse bread

MONDAY: ranch-breaded chicken tenders, hash-brown casserole, salad, peas rustica

TUESDAY: Teriyaki pork, brown rice, green beans

WEDNESDAY: roast chicken, stove-top stuffing, vegetables

THURSDAY: spaghetti and meatballs

HALLOWEEN: hot dogs and mac & cheese, Chicken Fajita Soup (We usually have at least one extra child and one extra grownup, so it will be sort of a "buffet" thing here.

SATURDAY: I have an SFO meeting all day. Looks like it might be a pizza day.

Looking ahead to Sunday: a request has been made for a Loaded Baked Potato Bar. Sunday might be a good day for that!

Sunday breakfast and dinner recipes

I bought a chuck roast the other day intending to cube it up for stew. But I decided to look around for other ways to use the chuck roast. This recipe for Slow Cooker Beef with Root Vegetables looks good! This might be our Sunday dinner along with some Portuguese Easter bread. Or maybe this version of pot roast!

MARK'S POT ROAST

3 lb. chuck roast
Olive oil as needed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pint beef stock
1 cup red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
2 bay leaves
Chopped thyme, rosemary and parsley to taste
4-5 red potatoes
4 large carrots
20 pearl onions or 2 medium Spanish onions
4 cloves garlic, chopped

Take the widest covered pot you have and place it on the stove on high heat. Brush the roast with olive oil and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Add oil to the pot, wait till it starts to smoke and sear the roast on each side until browned. Remove the roast, add the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping the browned bits off the bottom, as the wine comes to a boil. Add the stock and tomato paste, return it to a boil, and then reduce it to a simmer. Add salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary. Add the meat back into the pot and cover. Place the pot in a 350 degree oven or maintain it at a very gentle simmer on the stovetop for two hours. Meanwhile, peel and cut the potatoes into quarters and place them in a bowl of water to prevent them from browning. Cut the carrots into large chunks. Peel the pearl onions and leave them whole or peel and quarter the Spanish onions. At the 90 minute point add all of the vegetables and garlic. Cook for another half hour or until the vegetables are tender. If it takes a little longer than two total hours that's fine. A little extra cooking time will not harm the meat. Add the chopped parsley just before service.

Deborah just posted these Cinnamon French Toast Cups over at her Tast.ie food blog! I HAVE to try these. I've been meaning to do the French Toast Cups anyway, and this cinnamon version...how can you miss?

Cinnamon French Toast Cups

(makes 8)

• 3 eggs
• 2 fl. oz / 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 5 slices bread, cubed

Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F

Whisk the eggs with all the ingredients except bread. Once well combined add the bread and toss to coat. All the liquid should be soaked up.

Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or butter 8 holes. Spoon the bread mixture into each muffin hole.

Bake for ten minutes until cooked through and slightly crispy on top. Glaze and serve.

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered/icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp milk

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Pour over toast cups.

Citrus Chicken with Carrots

I used to make this ALL the time when Big Brother was a little kid. It's great with rice. I can't even think of how long it's been since we've had this, and I don't know that my younger 2 kids have ever eaten it! I'm glad I still had the recipe.

Get the recipe, with photos and nutrition information, at Cook and Count.

Cooking with Alicia & Annie: Amish Cornbread

Tonight I thought cornbread would be a nice addition to the Taco Skillet we were having for dinner. I'm a fan of corn muffins, and am always in search of the Perfect Corn Muffin. But sometimes muffins are a pain. You have to have the little Muffin Papers, and there are always drips on the muffin pan. Cornbread is just like a big muffin without the hassle.

I found a recipe for Amish Cornbread at Alicia's Recipes.

1 c. sifted flour
1/4 c sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. yellow cornmeal
1 egg, well beaten
1 c. milk
5 tbsp. shortening, melted and cooled

Instructions
Sift first 4 ingredients. Mix in cornmeal. Blend egg, milk, shortening until mixed. Add to dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Use greased (bottom only) 8x8x2 pan. Bake 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

The only change I made to this recipe was to use an 8-inch round pan rather than square, because my square pans have gone, full of treats, to a friend's house.

I had a little technical difficulty when I poured the melted shortening, which was, I guess, not cool enough, into the cold milk and beaten-egg mixture. That was a mess. The shortening immediately solidified in little pieces. So I put the whole bowl into the microwave to warm it up and stirred it until it was smooth(er).

The texture if this cornbread was very cake-like. It was a moist, smooth texture with a fine crumb. But the cornbread itself seemed to be "missing something." I think it might be good with butter instead of shortening--so I'll try this again.

This post is an entry in the Amanda's Cookin' "Cooking with Alicia & Annie" Contest.

Menu Plan October 20, 2008

SUNDAY: Dinner at a ceremony for an Eagle Scout from our troop

MONDAY: Barbara's Crunchy Chicken & Rice Casserole (I have lots of leftover rice and some leftover crunchy noodles from Saturday night's Chinese-food run...this will be a great way to use those up. I'll be using the Cream of Whatever soup mix as the base for this.

TUESDAY: Taco Skillet, corn

WEDNESDAY: Hawaiian Chicken, rice, green beans

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Homemade pizza OR Shrimp & Scallop Creole; if I skip the sausage I can have a meatless Friday dinner....

SATURDAY: Burgers with pepper-jack cheese; tater tots

Note to Self: Ideas for Next Week's Dinners

Barbara's Crunchy Chicken & Rice Casserole

Spaghetti on Thursday, of course, because it gets UGLY around here if I deviate from that routine!

Hawaiian Chicken & rice

Easy dinner with easy cleanup needed Tuesday since Cub Scouts come here at 7

Do we need a dinner plan Sunday?

We have Tater Tots! They would be a good side for....um....maybe burgers on Saturday.

Skillet Taco

Cream of Whatever Soup Mix

2 C powdered milk
3/4 C cornstarch
1/4 C instant chicken bouillon granules
2 t dried onion flakes
1 t crushed dried thyme
1 t basil - crushed dried
1/2 t pepper

1/3 cup mix and 1 1/4 cup water

Source

Menu Plan October 13, 2008

SUNDAY: We had dinner at my parents' house: pot roast with potatoes and onions.

MONDAY: Pork with Onion, Garlic and Fennel; saffron rice; vegetables.

TUESDAY: Chicken piccata; rice; vegetables.

WEDNESDAY: I'm considering the Dinosaur BBQ Mac & Cheese Shepherd's Pie, but that could change....

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Chick-Fil-A for Big Brother's Habitat for Humanity trip to Gulfport, MS

SATURDAY: Something on the grill, maybe burgers with pepper-jack cheese!

Cooking with Alicia & Annie: Apple Muffins

Apple Muffins



I made this recipe for the Cooking with Alicia & Annie contest. Here's the original recipe:

Wet Mix
2 cups grated raw apples
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Dry Mix
1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
1 cup self-raising flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, prepare pans. Thoroughly combine the wet mix ingredients. Combine the dry mix ingredients and mix thoroughly into the wet mix. Spoon into pans and bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12. Nice sprinkled with equal parts degrees F brown sugar and spice. These are lovely moist muffins and hardly need to be buttered. They will keep will, but are best kept refrigerated and then warmed before eating. Variations: Apple Raisin and Nut: Add 1/2 cup chopped raisins, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and 1 Tbsp grated lemon or orange rind to the wet mix. Apple and Date: Add 3/4 cup of finely copped dates and 1 Tbsp grated lemon rind to the wet mix. Apple and Bran: Substitute the wholemeal and self-raising flour with 1 cup of flaky bran and 1-1/2 cups degrees F self-raising flour.

Changes I made: I used regular all-purpose flour since I did not have self-rising flour. I added 1 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/9 tsp salt to make up for that. I also added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the wet mix.

My review of the recipe: As I was mixing this up, the batter seemed REALLY thick. Too thick! It was more the consistency of chocolate-chip cookie dough than muffin batter. I had to actually use 2 spoons to get it into the muffin cups. I looked at some other muffin recipes that I have used in the past and noticed that all of them contained between 2/3 and 3/4 cup milk for every 2 cups flour.

The batter TASTED fabulous and I was so optimistic that I had found the recipe for the delicious apple-nut muffins that were sold at the bakery where I worked in high school. But the finished product was too dry. I'm attributing this to the lack of milk in the recipe.

I will definitely make this recipe again, adding the milk that I think is missing.

Meanwhile, I think I'll make a little bread pudding or something with the muffins that didn't quite work. There's no sense letting all those good ingredients go to waste!

Saving Money on Food

Casual Kitchen has a ton of links in this post: A Recession-Proof Guide to Saving Money on Food.

I've also recently picked up this book: The Frugal Family's Kitchen Book by Mary Webber. What an excellent book! It's more than a cookbook, which is why it's called a kitchen book. It deals with all kinds of money-saving strategies. If you know a young person or young couple just starting out on their own, this book would be an excellent gift!

Cousin Sharon's Chicken & Biscuit Stew

Get the recipe and photo at CookAndCount.wordpress.com!

Menu Plan week of October 5

SUNDAY: Heather's Tandoori Chicken (I forgot to skin the chicken first, and it was just as great WITH the skin, maybe even better!!), brown rice, green beans

MONDAY: Homemade pizza (everything's in the freezer and ready to go!)

TUESDAY: Spaghetti

WEDNESDAY: Pork ribs with barbecue sauce, roasted potatoes, vegetables

THURSDAY: Chicken Divan with noodles

FRIDAY: Linguine with Shrimp and Scallops

SATURDAY: Mexican steak on the grill, corn on the cob, baked potatoes

Kitchen Tip-O-Rama!!

Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer hosts Works-for-Me Wednesday, and this week there's a theme: Kitchen Organization.

How could I resist? As of this writing, 263 bloggers have contributed links to their posts with favorite kitchen tips.

I've already put one of them to good use and I'm sure to find others. It's worth a little time to check out these tried and true tips.

My name is Barb, and I'm a tip-o-holic. Just try and stop me.

Menu Plan week of September 28

SUNDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs (brought this to Grandma & Grandpop's house)

MONDAY: Beef Paysanne with noodles

TUESDAY: eat out (Chili's)

WEDNESDAY: Chicken Fajita Soup, Chicken Lo Mein (I had leftover chicken to use up, and I wanted soup. I also had leftover spaghetti to use up, and knew Little Brother would not deal with the spice in the soup!)

THURSDAY: Barbara's Braised & Barbecued Chicken, mac & cheese, green beans

FRIDAY: Baked flounder, rice, mixed vegetables

SATURDAY: Maybe I'll actually get around to making those beef fajitas I keep thinking about!

Chicken Fajita Soup (Slow Cooker)

This recipe is my version of Mexican Chicken Soup.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled, cut up (or 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken)
1 cup frozen corn (no need to thaw!)
16-oz jar salsa (medium)
46-oz can V-8 (store brand works)
1 can small red beans, drained (14 oz)
1 can black beans, drained (14 oz)
1 can pinto beans, drained (14 oz)
1 packet fajita seasoning (because I had it in the pantry; I will make my own next time--see below for recipe)
1 tbl chili powder (in addition to what's in the fajita mix)
1/2 small onion, chopped fine

Combine in slow cooker and cook on low 3 to 4 hours.
Serve with tortilla chips and shredded sharp Cheddar cheese.

FAJITA SEASONING
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper

VARIATION:  This is also a great soup to make "meatless."  Just omit the chicken; you can add even more beans if desired.

I shared this recipe at Lynn's Cooking Adventures!  Check out all the great soup recipes you'll find in her link party.

Fascinating Spice Information!

This post on how long spices really last and how to find spices less expensively is well worth the read. There is also a link to making your own spice mixes.

I've got 4 little "baskets" full of jars of spices in my kitchen cabinets right now. The only "blend" I buy is lemon pepper. It's easy enough to blend my own for other seasoning mixes--and I just save my old spice jars to hold them. An old oregano or basil jar is great for Italian seasoning. When a cinnamon jar is almost empty, I fill it halfway with sugar and have one of the kids shake it up. Instant cinnamon-sugar for topping waffles or muffins!

Spices are pricey, so any little way I can save on them sounds good to me (here's one that wasn't mentioned: buy it in bulk and share with a neighbor!)

Pasta For a Crowd

Last night Big Brother's cross-country team gathered here for a pre-race pasta dinner. I was making baked ziti and spaghetti and meatballs for 20 runners.

I used my 18-quart Nesco roaster (not as nice as the one pictured above--mine is an older model, in white. But it works great, so I won't complain!)

I was able to get 4 pounds of cooked pasta into the 18-qt with plenty of room to spare. There was lots of baked ziti for all. With this I used about 4 quarts of homemade spaghetti sauce, 2 15-oz tubs of ricotta, and 2 8-oz bags of shredded Italian-blend cheese.

I put the hot pasta right into the cookwell that was heating to 225, with a little sauce on the bottom first. Mixed in the sauce and cheese, lined the sides with lasagna noodles (2 rows) and covered. I only stirred once or twice in about 1 1/2 hour of cooking at around 225. It was nice and hot, not dried out at all.

One of the hungry runners told Big Brother that his mom is an awesome chef. We didn't wind up with 20 kids, but if word gets around that I fed them well, we may have more than 20 next time. I'm glad they enjoyed the dinner.

Menu Plan for September 22-28

Looking back on last week, we did OK with the plan until the weekend. Then it all went off the plan. Thursday I tried a new salmon dish that I won't even post--it was NOT a hit (and I followed the directions to the letter). Since I can't figure out how to cure it, and salmon is too expensive to ruin more than once, that was the end of that! Friday we had the Hoisin-Molasses Pork. Saturday I made some Wendy's Copycat Chili. Sunday we had Chicken Parmesan with pasta.

On tap for this week...TheDad "may or may not" be here on any given evening, depending on how things go with his dad's surgery today. It's hard to know what to plan, so this plan may go completely out the window as the week goes on. But here's where I'm going to start.

MONDAY: Chicken & dumplings

TUESDAY: Chicken piccata

WEDNESDAY: Pot roast

THURSDAY: Hash-brown quiche (on recommendation of Barbara at Bless Us, O Lord)

FRIDAY: Pasta party for Big Brother's cross-country team. Pasta for 20 teenagers!! Baked ziti, spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread and plain bread, salad and dessert.

SATURDAY: Luau chicken on the grill (never had this last week)

SUNDAY: Fajitas (never had this last week)

Menu Plan week of September 15, 2008

Last week we did pretty well, sticking to the plan until the weekend. FRIDAY we had Linguine with Shrimp and Scallops and SATURDAY we joined our in-laws for pizza.

MONDAY: Chicken Chili Blanco with salad and tortilla chips

TUESDAY: Chicken lo mein

WEDNESDAY: Hoisin-molasses roast pork, roasted potatoes, vegetables

THURSDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs

FRIDAY: Homemade pizza

SATURDAY: Beef fajitas (never had these last week)

SUNDAY: Luau Chicken on the grill

Linguine with Shrimp and Scallops--quick and easy!

If you buy the individually-quick-frozen scallops and cooked shrimp, and defrost the seafood in cold water, this dinner is done in the time it takes to cook your pasta!

This is an original recipe--my own!

1/2 lb EACH bay scallops and cooked shrimp (tails off)
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1/4 cup white wine
olive oil for the pan
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
pinch red pepper flakes

Heat oil in pan and cook garlic for 2 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT scallops and shrimp. When sauce comes to a boil, add seafood and cook just until it is heated through.
Serve over linguine.

Useful!

I love trying new kitchen gadgets. I love it even more when they work as promised! So I was happy to be asked to review the Absorb-Ease from Intromark.

Basically, this is a way to drain a greasy pan without dripping grease down your sink or aiming for an old can (and winding up dripping most of it down the sink). You just choose the right size Absorb-Ease pad and hold it into the pan, and it sucks up all that cooking grease, leaving you with nothing in the pan but your food.

GENIUS!

From the manufacturer's press release:

Intromark Incorporated introduces the "Absorbease," a
disposable sponge-like pad that absorbs grease after cooking.

The product, featured on QVC, is a sponge-like pad that is a quarter-inch thick, and is designed to collect large or small amounts of grease during cooking. The "Absorbease" can be placed directly in the cooking pan over the grease - just simply lay the pad down and it will absorb all of the grease in the pan. Once finished, it can be thrown in the garbage, avoiding the usually messy disposal of grease.

The product consists of a 7x7 inch pad that features two layers. The inside layer is made of a grease-absorbing material, while the outside layer consists of a grease permeable material that will trap the grease inside the pad. The "Absorbease" provides an alternative to dumping the grease down the drain, which causes plumbing problems. It also prevents outdoor disposal, making it environmentally friendly. Suggested retail price: $17.33 for a 64-count pack.

The product website says that these are also handy for cleaning up liquid spills. I haven't tried that yet, but surely odds are good that someone around here will spill something soon, and then we'll test it out!

**I received no compensation for this review.**

MENU PLAN for September 8-14

How did we do last week? Well, we wound up having unexpected company on WEDNESDAY so I switched the planned dinner to Chicken Marsala. On FRIDAY we had homemade pizza (again, we had guests, so I needed something I could "expand.") On SATURDAY I made a roast chicken, so the Mexican Steak was pushed to today.

MONDAY: Cajun Chicken Strips (new recipe) alfredo noodles, broccoli

TUESDAY: Teriyaki pork, rice, green beans

WEDNESDAY: Chicken piccata, roasted potatoes, vegetable of some kind

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: homemade pizza

SATURDAY: Beef fajitas

SUNDAY: Easy Chicken Puffs (new recipe)

Menu Plan for September 1-7, 2008

First of all, we never had those shrimp and scallops last week. We'll be trying them soon though.

MONDAY 1: Visiting friends for a cookout. We're bringing Portuguese Easter Bread, Dr. Pepper Baked Beans, and brownies.

TUESDAY 2: Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

WEDNESDAY 3: Hawaiian Chicken with pineapple; jasmine rice

THURSDAY 4: Spaghetti (time to make the big batch)

FRIDAY 5: Baked flounder

SATURDAY 6: Mexican Steak on the grill

SUNDAY 7: Beef fajitas

Mexican Steak

Mexican Steak
by craftchick at Family Corner

lean steaks, trim off fat (any type of steak you like)
3 valencia oranges
4 garlic cloves
1 small onion (any type)
1 T. salt
1/4 C. teriyaki sauce*
2 T. worchestershire sauce
1 T. Lemon pepper
1 Lime

Rub in all the dry ingredients. Mix in a separate bowl garlic, juice of 2 oranges (1/2 cup), 1 lime, teriyaki sauce, worchestershire sauce and salt. Mix and pour over the meat.
Slice 1 orange into 1/4 inch slices, slice onion into rings, spread on top of the meat. Cover your container and shake around, refrigerate for about 1 hour and grill. Yummy!

(I prefer to use a ziplock bag. You can even freeze this steak in the marinade to be grilled another time.)

*(I used just under 1/4 cup soy sauce and added 2 TBL brown sugar)

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Refer to the basic chicken pot pie recipe here. Filling is the same. Make pastry for a 2-crust pie.

Grease a muffin pan WELL and freeze the filling in even portions. I got 12 portions out of this recipe. Freeze a few hours. Meanwhile, make and chill the pastry.

Divide pie pastry "not quite in half." Roll the larger half a little thick and cut out 12 circles. Roll each one to make it a little bigger. These are the bottom crusts. Then roll the rest of the pastry and cut into 12 circles. I used the Pampered Chef sandwich-sealer thingy to cut the circles.

Put the frozen filling on the bottom crusts. Add top crusts and crimp. Place in WELL-GREASED (and floured) muffin pan.

If baking from this point, bake at 350 for about 35 minutes.

Next time I will brush the pie crust top with milk to make it more golden-brown.

I am not kidding about the notes to grease the muffin pan well. Let's just say I learned this the hard way.

Coming up! Dinner Ideas for September 2008

This is what I intend to cook during the month. For most of them, I have everything needed in the pantry/freezer already, unless otherwise specified.

I have ideas for 26 dinners here (counting spaghetti as a once-a-week meal)

With notes.

NEW: Chicken Posole (Family Circle magazine Sept. 2008 p. 201, uses hominy; use cooked turkey in place of chicken and cook in the small Nesco

NEW: Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes; need rolls, peppers and provolone

NEW: loaded potatoes

QUICK & MEATLESS: Shrimp & Scallops in marinara

GRILL: Burgers

GRILL: Luau Chicken (not sandwiches, just the chicken)

PLANNED-OVERS: Carnitas with cooked chicken or turkey; side of nachos with cheese & beans

HOME COOKING: Roast chicken

MEATLESS: Baked flounder with lemon pepper

HOME COOKING: Pot roast with onions and mushrooms (need mushrooms and meat)

HOME COOKING: Chicken parmesan

FAVORITES: Chicken piccata

QUICK: Teriyaki pork

QUICK & MEATLESS: Shrimp & scallops in a tomato-garlic-white wine sauce, over pasta

BREAKFAST: Homemade corned beef hash, French toast, fresh fruit

QUICK, PLANNED-OVERS: Barbecue chicken quesadillas

GRILL: Brats with sauce

FAVORITES: Chicken marsala

MEATLESS: Vegetable-cheese manicotti with marinara

PLANNED-OVERS: Beef paysanne (need mushrooms)

HOME COOKING: Country ribs

GRILL: Mexican Steak

SPAGHETTI: make the big pot in the first week of September, since we are out of sauce.

SIDE DISH IDEAS: fried rice, potatoes, pasta caprese, salad daily

Menu Plan for August 23-31, 2008

Saturday 23: Spaghetti

Sunday 24: Mexican Steak

Monday 25: Salmon Burgers

Tuesday 26: TheDad's birthday. We're going out to eat.

Wednesday 27: Mini Chicken Pot-Pies

Thursday 28: Homemade pizza

Friday 29: Shrimp and Scallops with pasta (I'll post this recipe after I finish inventing it)

Saturday 30: Brats on the grill

Sunday 31: Luau Chicken on the grill

Menu Plan for August 10-22

Sunday 10: Tandoori Chicken

Monday 11: Teriyaki Pork

Tuesday 12: Taco Skillet

Wednesday 13: Spaghetti

Thursday 14: Chicken piccata

Friday 15: Pizza

August 16-22: We're on vacation! I'm not cooking!

Menu Plan for August 1-9

FRIDAY 1--picnic with friends

SATURDAY 2--picnic with family

SUNDAY 3--Luau chicken on the grill (not the sandwich with the mayo mixture--just the marinated chicken. YUMMY!)

MONDAY 4--Beef stew (minus the potatoes) served over noodles. It was a busy day so having this stew in the freezer was a real lifesaver. No recipe, since it was Mom's stew that she sent us home in a "care package" after a visit.

TUESDAY 5--Spaghetti

WEDNESDAY 6--Pork lo mein using leftover cooked pork with hoisin-molasses sauce (that will blend in well with lo mein)

THURSDAY 7--Chicken pot pie

FRIDAY 8--Baked flounder

SATURDAY 9--We're attending a Christening party and a birthday party, so we won't be eating dinner at home.

Menu Plan for July 2008

I give up; I'm so behind I'm just going to write down what we had "for the record." Can I blame it on Summer-Vacation Brain?

1--salmon
2--Orange Sage Chicken
3--Chinese takeout
4--spaghetti
5--barbecued chicken, burgers
6--leftovers
7--Crockpot Swiss Steak Supper
8--Quesadillas
9--Spicy Orange Chicken/Chicken Piccata
10--Spaghetti
11--Cracker Barrel
12--Spanish Garlic Shrimp
13--@ Mom's (turkey London Boil)
14--@ Mom's (sandwiches)
15--@ Mom's (lamb chops)
16--fast food
17--spaghetti
18--pizza
19--Chicken Parmesan
20--Don Pablo's
21--London Broil
22--Hoisin-molasses pork; orzo
23--pizza @ Trish's
24--frozen dinner
25--Shrimp Fried Rice
26--picnic @ baseball game
27--picnic @ Pop's
28--ravioli marinara
29--Spice Glazed Chicken
30--Beef & Gravy
31--Spaghetti

Cool Contest! Cool Prizes!

dddiva at MyLoonyverse is hosting a back-to-school contest with two terrific prizes:
a BACKPACK FULL OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES
and
a BENTO LUNCHBOX!

Check it out!

This is a blog to add to your daily feed-reader, folks! She has heads-ups on all kinds of great contests, and periodically she hosts her own.

Thanks, dddiva, for hosting this contest!

A Goal

I just read over at Amy Caroline's about the Recipe Cheat Sheet. She has links to some examples. Basically, fit as many ingredient lists (and very basic temp/time directions) on a single side of 8 1/2 X 11 paper as you can. And even make it look cute! Put it in a page protector and you have the ultimate survival cookbook.

Menu Plan Monday July 7, 2008

SATURDAY: We had family and friends here for a picnic. Dinner included burgers and hot dogs, barbecued chicken, pasta salad, apple-poppyseed cole slaw (this was fabulous!), Dr. Pepper Baked Beans, and raw vegetable platter. Dessert was brownies, fruit and Lemonade Pie.

SUNDAY: Leftover surprise (it's just me here for dinner. Surprise!)

MONDAY: "Cheater's Beef Burgundy" over noodles

TUESDAY: French Toast

WEDNESDAY: Chicken piccata/Spicy Orange Chicken (2 sauces, same base chicken. Everyone's happy). Served with rice and vegetables.

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Shrimp fried rice

SATURDAY: The Boy Scouts are off to camp. The rest of us will eat up some leftovers as we are going to spend some time at my parents' house and I don't want to come home to Science Experiments in the fridge.

Apple-Poppyseed Cole Slaw

Apple-Poppyseed Cole Slaw

1 bag Cole-slaw mix (cabbage & carrots)
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, coarsely grated
½ cup onion, minced
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tbl apple juice
3 tbl sugar
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Mix cabbage, carrots, apples, & onions in large bowl. Add vinegar and toss to coat.
Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, apple juice, sugar and poppy seeds in medium bowl to blend. Add to cabbage mixture and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. This can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Toss to blend before serving.

Source: this is a slightly tweaked version of the Kitchen Madonna's recipe. I only changed it because I didn't have all the ingredients on hand, so I improvised. It was a delicious cole slaw!

Lo Mein

See the recipe and nutrition facts at Cook and Count!

Menu Plan Monday June 30, 2008

Hosted this week at Heavenly Homemakers!




SUNDAY: Grilled salmon, corn on the cob, and cold salads at Mom & Dad's

MONDAY: Chicken lo mein

TUESDAY: Something with the leftover salmon. Maybe salmon cakes and seasoned French fries.

WEDNESDAY: Chicken Francese, boiled new potatoes, vegetables

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Fourth of July! If we're home, Spanish Garlic Shrimp. Or maybe some shrimp kabobs.

SATURDAY: London broil on the grill

I'm feeling indecisive this week and there are no guarantees that I won't change my mind again! I figure it's all good as long as it doesn't involve any extra store runs.

Menu Plan for the week of June 23, 2008

SATURDAY: We changed our plan and had London broil on the grill, corn, tater tots (LOVE those Alexia brand "tater tots") and baked beans.

SUNDAY: Burgers on the grill, mixed vegetables, pasta salad (I had pepper-jack cheese on my burger. YUMMY!)

MONDAY: Chicken piccata, jasmine rice, vegetable

TUESDAY: Taco skillet, corn, salad

WEDNESDAY: Pork roast with hoisin-molasses sauce, mashed potatoes, vegetable

THURSDAY: Spaghetti--time to make the big batch!

FRIDAY: Homemade pizza

SATURDAY: We need a late, light dinner plan. At 5 PM we will be attending Mass at our "sister church" that is merging with our church. The new combined parish will be instituted by the Bishop and the new pastor will be installed. A "light reception" will follow. Who knows what that means in terms of dinner. So I'll have some Quesadillas made up, using leftover grilled chicken, and ready to cook on the griddle. A simple salad will complete the meal. If we don't need the quesadillas, then we'll just have them for Sunday lunch!

Don't forget to stop by the home of Menu Plan Monday, where HUNDREDS of bloggers visit every week to share their dinner ideas and recipes.

Information on Tomatoes and Salmonella

Check your tomatoes!

Here's a list of safe sources and types of tomatoes.

Menu Plan Monday June 16, 2008

SUNDAY: Chinese-Hawaiian Barbecued Ribs, baked beans, rice, vegetable platter (we changed Saturday's menu to steak on the grill)

MONDAY: Pulled pork sandwiches, mac & cheese, corn on the cob

TUESDAY: Lemon-Mushroom-Herb Chicken, rice, mixed vegetables

WEDNESDAY: Scarborough Fair Chicken Soup, Portuguese Easter Bread

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Homemade Pizza

SATURDAY: London broil on the grill, baked beans, corn, Tater tots

Menu Plan Monday is hosted at I'm an Organizing Junkie! Stop by and see tons of other dinner ideas!

Chinese-Hawaiian Barbecued Ribs

Source: Nesco Roasting Yahoo group

SAUCE for up to 4 lb country-style ribs:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sherry
1 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, smashed (or 1 TBL minced garlic from a jar)
1 tbl ground ginger

Reserve some of the sauce for basting on the grill.

Use the rest of the sauce to marinate the meat at least 3 hours, or up to 1 day.

Preheat a Nesco at least 12-qt to 300, put in the ribs and marinade, and bake about 3 hours. Or place in a large roasting pan, cover with foil, and bake in your oven at 300 for 3 hours.

Grill 15 minutes, basting with reserved sauce, until crispy.

Menu Plan Week of June 8

SUNDAY: Sausage, pepper & onion sandwiches

MONDAY: Track banquet at Big Brother's school

TUESDAY: Pork Paprikas

WEDNESDAY: Chicken Marsala

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Homemade pizza (For the record, this pizza crust is nothing like Boboli, but they taste fabulous. The recipe yields 3 small pizzas. I may make one pizza "white" with just onions and Italian cheese blend. Yummmmmm....)

SATURDAY: Chinese-Hawaiian Barbecued Ribs on the grill

Menu Plan for Week of June 1

SUNDAY: Chicken on the grill

MONDAY: Quesadillas with leftover grilled chicken

TUESDAY: Ranch breaded chicken, stove top stuffing

WEDNESDAY: Went to the Diner Formerly Known as Burger King

THURSDAY: Leftover pot roast, noodles and gravy

FRIDAY: Spaghetti

SATURDAY: Homemade pizza

Menu Plan for week of May 25

SUNDAY: Just me and Big Brother; we had linguine with Shrimp Marinara

MONDAY: Picnic with friends. I brought brownies and Dr. Pepper Baked Beans.

TUESDAY: Sweet & Sour Pork

WEDNESDAY: Chicken francese

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Rainbow Stir Fry (from Michele Urvater's Monday-to-Friday Cookbook)

SATURDAY: Grilled London broil

SUNDAY: Grilled chicken

Chicken Francese

Get the recipe at Cook and Count!

Menu Plan for May 18-24

SUNDAY: Braised & Barbecued Chicken, waffle fries, green beans

MONDAY: Chili Casserole (new recipe)

TUESDAY: Chicken-noodle soup, homemade bread

WEDNESDAY: Pot roast, noodles, gravy

THURSDAY: Spaghetti & Meatballs

FRIDAY: Salmon

SATURDAY: Grilled chicken

Menu Plan for May 11-17

I'm tempted to pre-date this so I don't appear as slow as I am...

SUNDAY: We ordered Chinese take out.

MONDAY: Italian Veal Stew

TUESDAY: Fund-raiser for school at Chick-Fil-A

WEDNESDAY: Hoisin-molasses pork roast, cold sesame noodle salad

THURSDAY: Spaghetti & meatballs

FRIDAY: Spanish garlic shrimp

SATURDAY: Brats & burgers at a friend's house

Italian Veal Stew

My mom always called this "veal scalloppine" but I'm not sure that's the right term for this dish. Whatever you call it, it tastes great.

ITALIAN VEAL STEW

1 1/2 lb. veal stew (shoulder) meat, cubed & browned in a little olive oil
1 can (14 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, drained
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
Italian seasonings to taste (oregano & basil)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped
1 cup  baby bella mushrooms, whole or sliced
1 tsp capers (more if you really like them)

Simmer in a covered skillet for 1 hour. Serve over pasta. Serves 6.

Alternate methods:  I cook mine in a 4-qt roaster oven set at 325 for 1 hour. OR you can put it in the crockpot for 4 hours.

Extra, extra:  if you like a thicker stew, also add 1 8-oz can of tomato sauce.

Menu Plan for April 30-May 11

Yes, I'm super-slow at posting the menus just now.

Wed. 30 - Chicken Chili Blanco, semolina bread

Thurs. 1 - Spaghetti

Fri. 2 - Salmon cakes, curly fries, mixed vegetables (no link for the salmon cakes. It was a new recipe, and not all that great.)

Sat. 3 - Hawaiian chicken, rice, green beans

Sun. 4 - Out to dinner with Grandma for her birthday (Red Lobster)

Mon. 5 - Beef paysanne, noodles, corn

Tues. 6 - Grilled-chicken quesadillas, salad

Wed. 7 - Cashew Chicken, rice

Thurs. 8 - Spaghetti

Fri. 9 - Homemade pizza

Sat. 10 - Celebrating Cousin E's First Communion

Sun. 11 - Happy Mother's Day! I'm making Italian Veal Stew and someone else is doing the cleanup.

Menu Plan for April 20-29

OOO, I'm getting ahead of myself here! I've planned all the way through next Tuesday.

SUNDAY: Barbecued chicken, Alfredo noodles, mixed vegetables
Plan-ahead hint: cut up extra barbecued chicken and freeze. It's great in quesadillas!

MONDAY: Taco skillet, macaroni & cheese, corn

TUESDAY: Ranch breaded chicken and curly fries for the kids. TheDad and I are going out to dinner.

WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti

THURSDAY: Turkey crescent casserole, rice

FRIDAY: Salmon cakes

SATURDAY: Meatball sandwiches

SUNDAY: Hawaiian Chicken, rice, broccoli

MONDAY: Pork with Hoisin-Molasses Sauce, side dishes "to be determined"

TUESDAY: Chicken chili blanco

Oatmeal Bread

Oatmeal Bread

1 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tbl honey
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 cups bread flour
1 Tbl vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup water

Place ingredients in bread machine pan in order suggested by manufacturer. Remove after manual cycle is finished, shape and bake in oven for 35 minutes at 375. Makes a 1 pound loaf.

Source: bread machine recipe Yahoo group

Menu Plan for April 13-19

SUNDAY: Turkey with stuffing and mashed potatoes, green beans and cranberry sauce

MONDAY: Teriyaki pork

TUESDAY: Pot roast

WEDNESDAY: Turkey paprikas over spaetzel

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Homemade Boboli pizza & white pizza

SATURDAY: Turkey noodle soup and homemade bread

Hoisin-Molasses Barbecue Sauce

HOISIN-MOLASSES BARBECUE SAUCE
3 tbl sugar
1 tbl molasses
3 tbl hoisin sauce
1 tbl rice vinegar
1 tbl soy sauce
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp mustard (original recipe called for Chinese mustard but I didn't have that so I used Koszkiusko)

Mix well and use on roasted or grilled meats.

Source: Cooking Light March 2008

Orzo with Garlic and Onions

This was inspired by a Rachael Ray recipe for Chicken and Orzo. It works great as a side dish.

Visit Cook and Count for this recipe, photo and nutrition information!

Menu Plan for March 30-April 12

SUNDAY: Volunteer appreciation dinner at church; kids made their own dinner at home

MONDAY: Braised & Barbecued Chicken (that one was a keeper!)

TUESDAY: Empanadas

WEDNESDAY: Spicy Orange Chicken

THURSDAY: spaghetti

FRIDAY: Eat out at the diner

SATURDAY: Beef paysanne

SUNDAY: Pork roast with hoisin-molasses barbecue sauce, orzo with onions and garlic, green beans

MONDAY: Lauri's Nacho Casserole

TUESDAY: Chicken paprika

WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti

THURSDAY: Tandoori Chicken

FRIDAY: Shrimp marinara

SATURDAY: Just me, Middle Sister and Little Brother. We might eat out.

Honey Chicken

TheDad and I really like Spicy Orange Chicken, but the kids don't care for the "spicy." So I invented this recipe as a way to start with the same base chicken, and just use a different sauce for the kids. It's not so bad to use 2 skillets anyway, so the chicken isn't crowded (it steams that way, and doesn't taste as good.)

Boneless chicken breast chunks
1/4 cup flour
2 tbl vegetable or peanut oil
3 tbl honey
3 tbl soy sauce
Sesame seeds (optional)

Dredge the chicken in flour. Saute it in a skillet in the hot vegetable oil.
Mix soy sauce and honey together. Add to skillet and stir.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Dinner Ideas for the Month of April 2008

In no particular order, here are the dinners I plan to cook this month. I have almost enough meat to get through this entire list, except for one pound of ground beef.

I've categorized these dinners as: Quick & Easy (including slow cooker) for those busy nights--spring track and the high-school play will make dinnertime a challenge; Meatless; Regular (for when I have more time to cook); and New Recipes.

Quick & Easy:
Spaghetti (once a week)
Chicken chili (already made & in freezer)
Chicken paprika
Pot roast
Pork roast
Beef stew (already made & in freezer--just add potatoes)
Meatball sandwiches
Hawaiian Chicken
Taco skillet

Meatless:
Spanish Garlic Shrimp
Salmon cakes
Pierogi
Shrimp Marinara

Regular:
Beef paysanne
Breakfast strata
Chicken piccata
Chicken & dumplings
Roast turkey
Tandoori Chicken
Teriyaki pork
Orange spicy chicken

New:
Kickin' Chicken Sandwich
Mexican Shepherd's Pie
Homemade Boboli pizza
*Empanadas
Cashew Lime Chicken
Melt-in-your-mouth Braised & Barbecued Chicken

Manu Plan for Easter Week 2008

SUNDAY: Boiled ham, cabbage, asparagus, red bliss potatoes, deviled eggs

MONDAY: Ham (steamed), roasted garlic mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables

TUESDAY: Visit my parents

WEDNESDAY: Chicken stir-fry, rice

THURSDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs

FRIDAY: Baked flounder

SATURDAY: Roast pork with caramelized onions

Menu Plan for Holy Week 2008

SUNDAY: London broil, mac & cheese, vegetable platter

MONDAY: Corned beef and cabbage, boiled red bliss potatoes, Granma's rolls

TUESDAY: Quick Chicken Divan, rice

WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs

THURSDAY: Pulled pork sandwiches, alfredo noodles, vegetable platter

FRIDAY: Soup and bread dinner at church

SATURDAY: Lemon-Mushroom-Herb Chicken, rice, green beans

Cheese Ingredient?

I don't generally purchase foods that are too "processed" but I make an exception when it comes to shredded cheese. I've been able to get it cheaply, and I figure the extra expense is more than made up on the band-aids I'm not using when I shred my knuckles.

Yesterday my More-Health-Conscious-Than-Me Neighbor asked if I knew anything about an ingredient they're putting in shredded cheeses: natamycin. According to the package of cheese in my refrigerator, it's a mold inhibitor.

I didn't mind when they tossed a little cornstarch in the bag of cheese to prevent the shreds from clumping, but I'm not feeling too good about this.

Guess it's time to re-stock that kitchen band-aid box.

Menu Plan Week of March 9-15

SUNDAY: Chicken quesadillas, mac & cheese, salad and vegetable platter

MONDAY: Barbara's Pork Scalloppine, boiled potatoes, broccoli

TUESDAY: Chicken stir-fry, rice

WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread

THURSDAY: Beef paysanne, noodles, green beans

FRIDAY: Flounder, Brazilian rice, and a vegetable-to-be-named-later

SATURDAY: TheDad's family will be coming here to celebrate Little Brother's birthday. (Calendar snafus meant that all the grandparents couldn't be here on the same date.) We'll be serving meatballs and sauce for sandwiches, Italian sausage and peppers, and there'll be hot dogs for the picky eaters among our guests. The birthday cake will be the twin to the one you see above (I photographed it before writing Little Brother's real name on the cake).

Menu Plan Week of March 2-8

All plans are tentative because Little Brother, AKA the Birthday Boy, is sick. So everything listed here could be tossed out in favor of other choices.

SUNDAY: Tandoori Chicken, Brazilian rice, green beans

MONDAY: Southern-style pork ribs with barbecue sauce, au gratin potatoes, lima beans

TUESDAY: Chicken-noodle soup with alphabet noodles, homemade bread, salad

WEDNESDAY: Pot roast, noodles, gravy, mixed vegetables

THURSDAY: Little Brother's birthday. He gets to pick! I'm betting he'll choose Chinese Buffet.

FRIDAY: Shrimp marinara

SATURDAY: If Little Brother is feeling well, my family will be coming to help him celebrate his big day. On the menu: Meatball sandwiches, Chicken Chili Blanco, vegetable platter and of course, birthday cake.

Beef Stew

My little Nesco is the perfect size for this stew. This recipe is actually a modified version of the one that come in the booklet with the roaster. I bought mine used, and the booklet was already marked up. This one was marked "good." The previous owner was right! With a few tweaks, here is the stew my family enjoys:

2 tbl butter
1 lb beef cubes for stew
2 small onions, quartered
handful of baby carrots
2 cans (15 oz each) whole new potatoes, drained
1 packet onion soup mix
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbl EACH cornstarch and cold water, mixed

Set roaster on 425 and melt butter. Add beef, stir, and cover to roast for 10 minutes. Add vegetables, soup, broth and pepper. Turn down to 250 and cook 3 hours. If you want to add a cup of cut green beans, do that when there's about 1/2 hour to go--just add the frozen beans right in.
When ready to serve, add cornstarch mixture and stir. Turn the roaster up until the gravy thickens.

Menu Plan Week of February 24

SUNDAY: Beef fajitas, Brazilian rice, vegetable platter

MONDAY: Ranch breaded chicken tenders, tater tots, green beans

TUESDAY: Beef stew in my little Nesco, bread, salad

WEDNESDAY: Hawaiian Chicken with pineapple, jasmine rice, broccoli

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Frozen pizza (it's just me, Middle Sister and Little Brother tonight!)

SATURDAY: Happy Birthday to Grandpop! We're going there for dinner.

Homemade Mac & Cheese

1/2 lb. macaroni, cooked al dente
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk
5 oz shredded Cheddar
1 tsp dried minced onion
3 tbl seasoned bread crumbs for topping

Mix soup, milk, cheddar and onion in saucepan over slow heat until well blended and smooth. Pour over pasta in a casserole dish. Top with seasoned bread crumbs. Bake at 350, 30 to 40 minutes.

Dinner Rolls

Rich and Tender American Dinner Rolls

This recipe appeared in Cook's Illustrated.

Makes about 2 dozen triangular rolls.
1 1/4 cups whole milk, warmed in microwave but not hot
2 tablespoons sugar
1 package rapid-rise yeast
1 large egg, beaten lightly
3 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, plus extra for work surface and dusting rolls
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened

Put all ingredients in bread machine in order recommended by manufacturer (in mine, liquids, salt and sugar first, then flour and yeast last.)
Use dough cycle.
Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface and work dough into a cylinder until it measures about 36 inches long and about 2 1/2 inches wide. Cut the dough into triangles. Transfer rolls to cookie sheet, then cover with clean kitchen towels and let rise until almost doubled in bulk, 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions; heat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

I brushed the tops with melted butter after I took them out of the oven.

These will make nice rolls for the kids' lunches if they are sized and shaped right.

Chicken & Noodle Casserole

This is a spin-off of Amish Chicken and Noodles.

1 pound Rotelle pasta
1/2 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
3 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
seasonings: parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, dried minced onion
2 c. cooked chicken, shredded
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs for topping

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large ovenproof skillet. Stir in flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, broth and seasonings; cook and stir sauce constantly until thickened.

Combined sauce, noodles, vegetables and chicken. Adjust seasonings to taste. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot.

Menu Plan for February 17-23

SUNDAY: Maple Glazed Pork, vegetable rice, corn, cornbread

MONDAY: Chicken & Noodle Casserole

TUESDAY: Steak fajitas or steak & cheese quesadillas, rice, salad

WEDNESDAY: Meatball sandwiches, salad

THURSDAY: Sweet & sour pork, rice

FRIDAY: homemade macaroni & cheese, vegetable platter, bread

SATURDAY: spaghetti

SUNDAY: Taco Skillet (I might use shredded cooked chicken in this dish instead of beef)

Maple-Glazed Pork

From Cooks Illustrated Website:

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup maple syrup , preferably grade B
1/8 teaspoonground cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
pinch cayenne pepper
1 boneless pork loin roast, preferably blade-end, (about 2 1/2 pounds), tied at even intervals along length with 5 pieces butcher's twine
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Stir maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne together in measuring cup or small bowl; set aside. Pat roast dry with paper towels, then sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed ovenproof 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke, about 3 minutes. Place roast fat-side down in skillet and cook until well browned, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, rotate roast one-quarter turn and cook until well browned, about 2 1/2 minutes; repeat until roast is well browned on all sides. Transfer roast to large plate. Reduce heat to medium and pour off fat from skillet; add maple syrup mixture and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds (syrup will bubble immediately). Off heat, return roast to skillet; using tongs, roll to coat roast with glaze on all sides. Place skillet in oven and roast until center of roast registers about 135 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 35 to 45 minutes, using tongs to roll and spin roast to coat with glaze twice during roasting time. Transfer roast to carving board; set skillet aside to cool slightly to thicken glaze, about 5 minutes. Pour glaze over roast and let rest 15 minutes longer (center of loin should register about 150 degrees on instant-read thermometer). Snip twine off roast, cut into 1/4-inch slices, and serve immediately.

I will probably try this in the Nesco 6-qt with convection fan next time. But it worked great in my Cooks hard-anodized nonstick skillet. This was absolutely delicious and smelled amazing while it cooked. The meat was juicy and the glaze was so sweet.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Originally posted by Lizzie-boo at Family Corner.

1 1/2 lbs. pork shoulder, cut into thin strips or cubes*
2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 cup water
20 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained, reserving juice
2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin diagonal slices
1/2 medium onion, cut into chunks
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into squares
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into squares

1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce

Brown pork in hot oil. Add water; cover and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. At the half-hour point, add carrots and onions on top of pork to steam. At the 3/4 hour point, add peppers and pineapple.

Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add reserved pineapple juice, vinegar and soy sauce. Cook over low heat until thick, stirring occasionally. Pour over hot pork mixture, stir to combine, and heat gently for 10 minutes or longer.

Serve over rice.

*Boneless pork loin or pork chops, cut in strips or cubes, can also be used.

Saffron Risotto with Shrimp

The original recipe was posted by The Humble Housewife. I had to do a little "metric-to-English" conversions, and a few substitutions to accommodate what's in my pantry. So I blogged the recipe as I went along.

Pinch of saffron
2 ounces boiling water
olive oil for the pan
1 small onion, chopped really fine
1 tsp minced garlic (from a jar)
2 1/4 cups arborio rice (a 14-oz pkg)
1/2 cup dry white wine
Up to 8 cups stock (I used chicken stock; original recipe called for fish stock)
2 cups cooked, frozen shrimp (thawed and tails removed)
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbl grated parmesan
2 tbl butter
1 tbl fresh parsley, snipped (or 2 tbl dried parsley)
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Add saffron to the boiling water. Press with a spoon to release the color and flavor. Set aside.
Saute onion in the olive oil until almost translucent. Stir in garlic.
Stir in the rice until coated.
Add white wine and stir a minute.
Add stock, a cup or so at a time, stirring, and allow to simmer until the liquid is almost absorbed. Add more stock until the rice becomes creamy.
Add saffron (and water), shrimp and peas. Stir and cook until everything is hot.
Stir in butter, parmesan and parsley.
Season to taste with fresh ground pepper.

Menu Plan for February 10-16

SUNDAY: Cashew Chicken, rice

MONDAY: Steak on the grill, roasted potatoes, vegetable, Portuguese Easter Bread and gingerbread for dessert. We've got friends visiting, so the bread is a "must-do." Their daughters would be terribly sad if I didn't make their favorite bread.

TUESDAY: Roast Chicken, boiled potatoes, rutabagas, Danielle's Beer Rolls

WEDNESDAY: Scarborough Fair Chicken Soup, KM's Buttermilk Cheese Bread

THURSDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs

FRIDAY: Saffron & Pea Risotto with Tiger Prawns (ok, with medium-size shrimp because that's what was on sale this week), salad-in-a-bag, bread

SATURDAY: Pot-luck dinner at our church. My section of the alphabet was assigned to bring vegetable dishes. We're bringing a small Nesco roaster full of Dr. Pepper Baked Beans.

Menu Plan for February 3 - 9

SUNDAY: Super Bowl Food: Pepperoni Bread and Chili Cheese Dip. I think this is the first time ever that the pepperoni bread did not "explode" all over the place. It was gorgeous!

MONDAY: Pork teriyaki, rice, peas

TUESDAY: The Big Batch of spaghetti and meatballs

WEDNESDAY: Our traditional Ash Wednesday dinner: clam chowder and grilled-cheese sandwiches

THURSDAY: Chicken Marsala

FRIDAY: Pizza

SATURDAY: Chicken Chili

Menu Plan for January 27 - Feburary 2

I find myself planning and re-planning depending on who's going to be home. I hate to make a favorite for someone who won't even be here. It didn't work out well last week, when I made some pork ribs in barbecue sauce (not in the original plan) and TheDad never got any.

SUNDAY: Vegetable soup, bread and salad

MONDAY: Roast Pork with Caramelized Onions, green beans, fettuccine alfredo (thanks, Lipton!) I don't care about the sides anyway. I am too busy hogging up all the onions for myself!

TUESDAY: Chicken pot pie (never made this last week)

WEDNESDAY: Beef Paysanne

THURSDAY: Time to make the Big Batch of Spaghetti and Meatballs

FRIDAY: Pepperoni Bread, salad

SATURDAY: The Boy Scouts are camping, so it will just be me, Little Brother and Middle Sister. We'll think of something. Maybe French Toast.

Frugal Fried Rice by the Coupon Queen (AKA SFO Mom)

Or, how to feed one mom, one teenage boy and one "tween" girl on about $1.75!

Here's the shopping list. I bought on sale and used coupons.
1 Perdue Perfect Portion boneless/skinless chicken breast (6 for 4.99, $1 off coupon, so 67 cents for one piece of chicken)
1 bag Birds Eye Steam Fresh Asian vegetables (99 cents a bag, save $1 off 2 coupon, so 49 cents for a bag)
2 cups cooked jasmine rice (1/4 lb raw rice=1 cup raw=2 cups cooked; this rice is 20 pounds for about $10 at the warehouse store so 12 cents for rice)
1 small onion, chopped fine (3 pounds for $2 and this onion was probably 1/4 lb at most, about 15 cents for the onion)
1 tablespoon minced garlic from a jar (I get maybe 100 tablespoons out of a jar, and a jar cost me $5, so 5 cents for garlic)
Some soy sauce and a splash of sesame oil (no prices on these but the amount is small)
Olive oil for the pan
I allowed a very generous 30 cents for the 2 kinds of oil and the soy sauce.

67 + 50 + 12 + 15 + 5 = $1.45

Saute onion in the olive oil. Add garlic & saute. Add cubed chicken and cook until browned. Add thawed vegetables and cooked rice. Stir until everything is hot. Stir in a little soy sauce and drizzle a bit of sesame oil over top.

Cheddar Cheese Bread

Cheddar Cheese Bread in the bread machine:
1 1/4 cups milk or water
1 1/2 Tbls butter
3/4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 1/2 Tbls sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tsp yeast

Use dough cycle. Shape into a loaf, rise 1 hour, and bake in a heavy pan at 375 for 35 minutes.

This is a really high-rising bread!

Menu Plan for mid-January 2008

I've fallen out of the habit of posting these here.

SUNDAY 13: Our anniversary! We ate out and made a fast-food run for the kids.

MONDAY 14: Hawaiian Chicken

TUESDAY 15: Spaghetti with shrimp marinara

WEDNESDAY 16: Beef Paysanne

THURSDAY 17: Spanish rice with pork and onions

FRIDAY 18: It was only me, TheDad and Little Brother, so we all went to IHOP for a pancake dinner. Little Brother loves the strawberry syrup.

SATURDAY 19: Birthday party for my brother-in-law

SUNDAY 20: Tandoori Chicken, Spanish Country Bread

MONDAY 21: Spaghetti

TUESDAY 22: Pork with maple and balsamic sauce, Cheddar Cheese Bread, Hash Brown Casserole

WEDNESDAY 23: Chicken pot pie

THURSDAY 24: Big Brother is having a birthday party, so we'll have pizza for dinner

FRIDAY 25: Baked flounder

SATURDAY 26: "Pizza, Pins and Pop" bowling party sponsored by our parish

SUNDAY 27: Chicken Piccata

Apron Contest

The Apronista is running a contest where you can win a vintage apron AND an autographed copy of The Apron Book by Ellynanne Geisel. You have until Friday to enter! Post about it on your blog and get an extra entry.

Menu Plan for the New Year

I've actually got my menu planned through next Friday. We are having a roof put on the house early next week, so I won't be able to get out to the store on those days. Since I did a freezer inventory late last week, I've got a good idea of what's already here.

NEW YEAR'S DAY: We visited TheDad's family. Dinner: Lasagna and Chicken Parmesan made by my father-in-law.

WED. JAN. 2: Tandoori Chicken, little red-skinned potatoes, green beans

THURS. JAN. 3: Beef Paysanne

FRI. JAN. 4: Too Easy Tortellini Soup (new recipe), homemade bread

SAT. JAN. 5: The whole family is attending the Oplatek Dinner at church. It's a family event featuring Polish food.

SUN. JAN. 6: Spaghetti with Italian sausage

MON. JAN. 7: Balsamic Chicken with thyme, roasted potatoes and carrots

TUES. JAN. 8: Teriyaki pork with rice and broccoli

WED. JAN. 9: Pot roast with noodles, onions and gravy

THURS. JAN. 10: Spaghetti with meatballs

FRI. JAN. 11: Tilapia; sides to be decided later

Contest at 5 Minutes for Mom!

You can win all sorts of great prizes in their contest! Check it out!

Menu Plan for the third week of Advent 2007 through 12/26

OK, so it's Friday and I have not yet done this. But I did make the plan last weekend and followed it. Doesn't that count?

SUNDAY: Chinese takeout

MONDAY: Chicken Chili Blanco, Country French Bread

TUESDAY: Spaghetti

WEDNESDAY: Spicy Chicken from the Nov/Dec. Taste of Home Simple and Delicious (it was a wing recipe but I used b/s chicken breasts), fettuccine Alfredo (thanks, Lipton) and broccoli

THURSDAY: Beef Enchiladas, macaroni and cheese, mixed vegetables

FRIDAY: Cheese ravioli with marinara sauce

SATURDAY: Chicken crescent casserole

SUNDAY: Beef barley soup, Honey Wheat Bread

MONDAY: Christmas Eve at TheDad's cousin's house: Polish food with all the trimmings

TUESDAY: Christmas Dinner: filet mignon roast, baked potatoes, green beans, bread (to be determined later)

WEDNESDAY: Christmas "The Day After" with my side of the family; Mom's making turkey and boiled ham

Menu Plan for the second week of Advent 2007

SUNDAY: Five Cheese Lasagna

MONDAY: Chicken paprika, noodles, green beans

TUESDAY: Teriyaki pork, brown rice, broccoli

WEDNESDAY: Roast chicken, sweet potatoes, vegetable

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Pizza for Middle Sister's birthday party (it's an "awake-over!")

SATURDAY: Enchiladas made from frozen leftover roast beef

Five-Cheese Lasagna in the Little Nesco

We tried this tonight and it was very good. It's a variation on a recipe from the MomsMenu forums. This recipe is designed for a 4-qt. Nesco roaster but if you don't have one of those, just use a 9X13 pan (you might need a few more lasagna noodles in that case, though!)

5-Cheese Lasagna

12 lasagna noodles
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
8 oz mozzarella-provolone blend, shredded
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1/4 tsp oregano
3 cups your favorite spaghetti sauce (I used a batch of marinara)

Mix the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese together.
Spread a little sauce on the bottom of the cookwell. Top with 3 lasagna noodles.
Add half the Cheddar-Jack mix, sprinkle with oregano, then top with sauce.
Make another layer of noodles, the rest of the Cheddar-Jack, and more sauce.
Make a third layer of noodles and top with the mozzarella-provolone mix. Add more sauce and top with the last noodles. Top the whole thing with sauce and sprinkle with Romano cheese.
Cover the cookwell and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

(If you're using a 9X13, the original recipe says to bake uncovered. I haven't tried it this way.)

Menu Plan for the first week of Advent 2007

SUNDAY: Beef Paysanne, bow tie noodles, mixed vegetables

MONDAY: Pollo con limon y ajillo, rice, green beans

TUESDAY: Spaghetti

WEDNESDAY: Roast Chicken

THURSDAY: Big Brother's Cross-Country Team Banquet

FRIDAY: Three Cheese Lasagna

SATURDAY: Beef Barley Soup from the freezer