Lunchtime Tuna Mac

Finding packable lunch dishes that Middle Sister is willing to eat has become a real challenge. I hope I've found a winner with this one.

This was a truly frugal dish--all the vegetables were already in the fridge, left over from other meals. We used up the last of the mayo in the jar, and the pasta was left over from dinner. This way, nothing got wasted.

LUNCHTIME TUNA MAC

1 can chunk light tuna, mixed with 1 TBL mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups cooked pasta (I used mini fusilli)
2 or 3 TBL mayonnaise
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 TBL milk
1 baby carrot, minced
3 bell pepper strips, minced
1 tbl onion, minced (NOT dry minced onion)

Mix it all together and refrigerate overnight. I divided it into 2 lunch portions immediately, so the morning lunchbag packing will be really easy.

Crab Fries

Last night at a minor-league baseball game, I tried Chickie & Pete's Crab Fries for the first time. We ALL liked them (spicy but addictive!) so I knew I needed to figure out a way to do them at home. I found a few recipes on various websites and cobbled together the best ideas from this one and that one. Here's what we'll be trying on Tuesday.

CRAB FRIES
Fast-Food style fries
1 TBL Light Olive Oil
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Oregano, ground
1/2 tsp Basil
1 tsp Salt
1 TBL Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp Pepper, black

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450. Cover baking sheet with foil and brush with olive oil.
Mix all dry ingredients.
Drizzle potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle seasoning over potatoes and mix to coat. (This is going to be messy, I can tell!)
Cook as directed on package.

UPDATE: These were great! I changed up the directions a little and omitted an ingredient. What you see above is what I did and we were all happy with the result.

Menu Plan week of May 31, 2009

HA! I'm back on track and getting this done on SUNDAY!

SUNDAY: Grilled chicken drumsticks, baked potatoes (yam for me) and green salad

MONDAY: Hawaiian Chicken with pineapple, jasmine rice, green beans

TUESDAY: Honey Pork Chops (I'm trying this recipe) with Crab Fries.

WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti. I know, not our usual day. But we need a fast "before the baseball game" dinner.

THURSDAY: Chicken & dumplings, Cracker-Barrel style.

FRIDAY: Baked flounder

SATURDAY: We'll be celebrating our niece's graduation, so no cooking will be done here.

Menu Plan Week of May 24, 2009

SUNDAY: Steak fajitas, macaroni salad, vegetable platter

MONDAY: Pork souvlaki, roasted potatoes & carrots

TUESDAY: Cajun Chicken Strips, tater tots, green beans

WEDNESDAY: Pizza (1 Barbecue Chicken, 1 regular) and salad

THURSDAY: Spaghetti and salad

FRIDAY: Salmon

SATURDAY: Something on the grill, I think....

Menu Plan Week of May 17, 2009

Once again, I'm way behind. I have been writing my plan in my fabulous planner, so I do know what we're eating...

SUNDAY: Mexican steak, rice pilaf, mixed vegetables

MONDAY: Beef paysanne, noodles

TUESDAY: Chicken piccata, red potatoes with butter and parsley

WEDNESDAY: Flips

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Pizza

SATURDAY: burgers, hot dogs, sausage & peppers, macaroni salad, Dr. Pepper Baked Beans, vegetable platter

Home Cookin'

...like MY mom and grandmoms never used to make. You see, we're Yankees.

If you're a Yankee like me who is smitten with the Mitford series by Jan Karon, you might enjoy the Mitford Cookbook, which my mom found today at Borders bookstore, marked down to $3.99! This is a $30 cookbook, folks!

The actual title is Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader. It's got recipes (4 for cornbread alone!) and little excerpts from books. The recipes are organized by which Mitford novel mentions them, and there's a handy index in the back if you want to find your recipes some other way.

This is a reader's cookbook, not just a book of formulas. There are tips, stories of Karon's own family traditions, and more.

I'll be savoring this one.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Get the recipe with nutrition information at Cook and Count!

German Style Chicken

This German Style Chicken recipe was a lot like a pot pie. My big kids liked it a lot.

The recipe calls for a 2-qt dish but it was REALLY full and hard to serve without making a big mess. I will use a 9X13 next time I make this.

I added 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables so I could have a one-pot meal. I also left off the Parmesan cheese topping, though next time I might add the cheese in with the sauce.

Here's the recipe with my changes:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cup chicken broth
1-1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 oz egg noodles, cooked & drained (I used mini bow ties)
3 cup chicken; cooked & diced
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly stir 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in broth and milk. Reduce heat, simmering until thick, about 10 minutes. Blend in lemon juice and seasonings. Combine cooked noodles, vegetables and half the sauce, tossing gently to blend. Place in the bottom of a buttered 9X13 casserole. Top with chicken and remaining sauce. Bake until bubbling and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Menu Plan Week of May 10, 2009

SUNDAY: burgers and hot dogs at my in-laws'

MONDAY: Dr. Pepper Roast Pork, alfredo noodles, vegetables

TUESDAY: German Style Chicken

WEDNESDAY: Pulled pork sandwiches (using the leftovers from Monday)

THURSDAY: Pot roast, noodles, gravy, vegetables

FRIDAY: Spaghetti

SATURDAY: Honey Mustard Chicken, roasted potatoes & sweet potatoes, vegetables

Buttermilk Baked Chicken and Baked Potato Wedges

Two great tastes that go great together! And they bake at the same temperature (for the same time, if you use BIG pieces of chicken) so it makes dinner prep really easy.

Both these recipes came from Alicia's Recipes. I'm copying them below and in the case of the chicken, including the changes I made.

Buttermilk Baked Chicken
vegetable oil for baking sheet
1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
salt and pepper
4 pounds chicken parts, rinsed and patted dry

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F. Generously rub a baking sheet with oil. In a large bowl, stir together the buttermilk, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the buttermilk mixture, turning to coat evenly. Working with one piece at a time, remove chicken from liquid, letting excess drip back into bowl; dredge in the bread crumb mixture, turning to coat evenly. Place coated chicken pieces on prepared baking sheet. Bake until chicken is golden brown, about 35 to 50 minutes (depending on the size of the pieces). Leave enough space between the chicken pieces so that they crisp evenly all the way around. Serves 8.

Baked Potato Wedges
3-4 med. potatoes
2-3 tbsp. melted butter
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 dashes parsley
Salt and pepper

Instructions
Scrub potatoes. Do not peel. Cut each potato lengthwise in quarters. Stir together melted butter, garlic powder and parsley. Arrange potatoes skin side down on a shallow baking pan. Brush seasoned butter over cut surfaces of potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for about 1 hour or until golden brown and tender when pierced.

Menu Plan for May 3 through 9, 2009

SUNDAY:

MONDAY: Chicken Parmesan Bake and Italian Bread

TUESDAY: Buttermilk Baked Chicken and Baked Potato Wedges with mixed vegetables (entering the Alicia and Annie recipe contest!)

WEDNESDAY: "Homemade hamburger helper" with corn

THURSDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs

FRIDAY: Um, something meatless!

SATURDAY: Another First Communion party

Menu Plan for Last Week, April 26 - May 2

SUNDAY: Barbecued chicken on the grill, pasta salad

MONDAY: tacos (used canned tomato sauce instead of water in the tacos. It really tasted good!)

TUESDAY: Hawaiian chicken, rice, vegetables

WEDNESDAY: spaghetti

THURSDAY: Chicken Enchilada Soup

FRIDAY: Sports banquet at the kids' school

SATURDAY: we attended a First Communion party