Week of April 29, 2012

Sun - Mushroom Baked Pork Chops
Mon - Meatloaf
Tue - Creamy Lemon-Pesto Chicken (Pampered Chef)
Wed - Goulosh http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/bobbys-goulash-recipe2/index.html
Thur - Tequila-Lime Chicken
Fri - Eating out

Mushroom Pork Chops

2 lb (4-6 peices) bone in, thin cut pork chops1 can condensed mushroom soup2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce1 tsp each salt and pepperwater as needed2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp flour combined, to thicken gravy/saucePreheat oven to 350f. In a 9x13 oven safe pan, mix mushroom soup with 1 1/2 cans full of water until combined. Add Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper, mix. Place chops in soup mix, making sure not to overlap. Spoon sauce over top to coat. Bake, covered with foil, for 2-3 hours until fork tender. Keep liquid level up to just below covering chops. Add more HOT water as needed. When chops are done, take out to thicken sauce if necessary. To thicken sauce, combine 2 tbsp each butter and flour (do not use margarine). Whisk in sauce and boil until it reaches desired thickness. Replace chops in sauce. Serve immediately. Serve with mashed potatoes and a veggie. (We like seasoned green beans with this).
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil, for turkey only

Meatloaf

2 lb lean ground beef (or 1 beef 1 turkey for low fat)

1 1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Topping: 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 tsp BBQ sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar. Mix in a bowl.

Mix ingredients together until incorporated, do not over mix. Place in a loaf pan, best to use a meatloaf pan that has a way to drain fat off bottom. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until temp reaches 160F in center. Add topping sauce 20-30 minutes before done, if desired. Allow to stand 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Creamy Lemon-Pesto Chicken & Linguine (Pampered Chef Recipe)

Ingredients:
1   lemon 2   tbsp (30 mL) butter, melted 2   tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour 1   cup (250 mL) 2% milk 1   garlic clove, pressed 1/2   cup (125 mL) prepared basil pesto		6   boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 oz/125 g each) 1   tbsp (15 mL) Citrus & Basil Rub 12   oz (350 g) uncooked linguini pasta 2   plum tomatoes 1/4   cup (50 mL) thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions:
1.	Zest lemon using Microplane® Zester to measure 2 tsp (10 mL). Combine butter and flour in Classic Batter Bowl; whisk until smooth. Add lemon zest, milk and garlic pressed with Garlic Press to butter mixture; whisk well. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 3-4 minutes or until thickened, stirring every 60 seconds. Add pesto; mix well.
2.	Season chicken with rub. Place chicken in Deep Covered Baker, overlapping as necessary. Pour sauce over chicken. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 12-15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) in thickest part of chicken and centers are no longer pink. Carefully remove baker from microwave using Oven Mitts. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes.
3.	Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Set pasta aside and keep warm. Seed and dice tomatoes. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta; garnish with tomatoes and basil.
Yield: 6 servings  Nutrients per serving: U.S. Nutrients per serving: Calories 480, Total Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 75 mg, Carbohydrate 50 g, Protein 34 g, Sodium 500 mg, Fiber 3 g  U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 low-fat meat, 1 fat (3 carb)  Cook’s Tips: If desired, store-bought lemon-pepper seasoning can be substituted for the Citrus & Basil Rub.  Rice or other types of pasta such as spaghetti can be substituted for the linguine, if desired.

Tequila Lime Chicken

Week of April 22, 2012

Sun - Meat Lasagna 
Mon - Chicken Fried Rice and Wonton Dumplings
Tue -  Pot Roast
Wed - Nachos http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/macho-nachos-recipe/index.html
Thur - Pork Chops with Applesauce http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/pork-chops-with-golden-apple-sauce-recipe/index.html
Fri - Pizza (frozen, prepared according to package)

Lasagna

1 1/2 - 2 boxes (about 16 pieces) of packaged or fresh lasagna noodles, cooked el dente

16 oz ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 cup of three Italian cheese blend (Romano, parmesan, mozzarella)

2 tsp each salt and pepper

4 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella or cheddar/mozzarella mix, or Italian mix)

2 jars/cans of favorite marinara/spaghetti sauce

1 lb italian sausage, browned and crumbled

Mix ricotta, egg, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of italian blend cheese in a mixing bowl. In a 9x13 pan, spread a lite layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Next, put a layer of noodles - about 4 noodles slightly overlapping. Scoop small spoonfuls of ricotta mixture on noodles (no need to spread, it will melt). Top with sauce, sausage, and cheese. Repeat two more times. Last, add another layer of noodles, sauce and shredded cheese.

Bake at 350, covered with foil, in the oven until warm - about 40 minutes. If desired, take foil off for the last 10 minutes to brown cheese.

Wonton Dumplings (Pampered Chef)  1/2 lb (250 g) 93% lean ground turkey   1 egg   2 tbsp (30 mL) soy sauce   1 1/2 tbsp (22 mL) Asian Seasoning Mix   1 tbsp (15 mL) plain dry bread crumbs   1 garlic clove, pressed   16 square wonton wrappers  Sauce  1/4 cup (50 mL) rice vinegar   2 tbsp (30 mL) soy sauce   1 tbsp (15 mL) Asian Seasoning Mix   1 garlic clove, pressed

1. For wontons, combine turkey, egg, soy sauce, seasoning mix, bread crumbs and garlic pressed withGarlic Press in Classic Batter Bowl. Mix using Small Mix ‘N Scraper®. 2. Spray inside of Stainless Steamer with nonstick cooking spray. Place wonton wrappers on smooth side of Large Grooved Cutting Board. Using rounded Small Scoop, place a scoop of turkey mixture onto center of each wonton. Lightly brush outer edges with water. Bring corners of each wonton up toward center. Pinch edges to seal and place into Steamer. 3. Bring 3 cups (750 mL) water to a boil in (12-in./30-cm) Skillet. Reduce heat to a simmer and place Steamer into Skillet. Cover; cook wontons 5-7 minutes or until Digital Pocket Thermometer inserted into center of wontons registers 160°F (71°C). Meanwhile, for sauce, combine ingredients in Small Batter Bowl; mix well. Carefully transfer wontons to serving platter using Sauté Tongs. Serve wontons with sauce.

Yield: 16 appetizers

Nutrients per serving: (1 appetizer and about 1 tsp/5 mL sauce): Calories 80, Total Fat 1.5 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Carbohydrate 12 g, Protein 6 g, Sodium 390 mg, Fiber 0 g

Cook's Tip: If desired, one 1-in. (2.5-cm) piece peeled fresh gingerroot, finely grated, 2 garlic cloves, pressed and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper can be substituted for the Asian Seasoning Mix in the wontons.  For seasoning mix in the sauce, substitute1 tsp (5 mL) grated fresh gingerroot and 1 tsp (5 mL) toasted sesame oil.  Serve with boxed fried rice (prepared according to package) with cooked, diced chicken mixed in.

 Pot Roast

Ingredients

3 lb chuck roast

salt and pepper

1 large onion, chopped

1 lb bag carrots, chopped or baby carrots

4 celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, pressed

6 medium red potatoes, quartered

1 tbsp thyme

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp browning liquid

5 cups beef or veggie stock

Directions

Brown roast in 2 tbsp oil on high heat preferably in the roasting pan or cast iron pot (Dutch oven) you will be using to roast meat in oven. Turning to brown on all sides. Remove meat. While still on high heat, add 1 cup of the stock, scrap pan. Add all other ingredients except potatoes to pan. Return meat and add enough stock so that liquid reaches about halfway up the side of meat. (Add more stock if needed) Bake covered with foil /lid for 3 hours at 350F. Turn meat over every hour. Remove meat. Add potatoes to pot, and return meat. the liquid should cover the potatoes. Add more HOT stock if need. Cover. Cook for one more hour or until potatoes are tender.

Roast should be fall-apart tender when done.

For Gravy:

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 tbsp butter

mix together, whisk into drippings from roast pan on high heat. Boil, whisking constantly until thickness is reached.

Week of April 15, 2012

Sun - Baked Chicken and Dumplings
Mon - Maccaroni and Cheese
Tue - Cheese Burgers  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/bacon-cheese-burger-recipe/index.html
Wed - Chicken Curry (see Week of Dec 4th, 2011)
Thur - Ground Beef Tacos
Fri - Chicken Pesto Flatbread (Pampered Chef)


Baked Chicken and Dumplings

(chicken and veggies)

1 lb diced chicken or turkey

1 can cream of celery or chicken soup

2 stalks of celery, diced

2 cloves of garlic, pressed

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 small bag of frozen mixed veggies

1 1/2 can of water

salt and pepper

Sauté the onion, celery and garlic until onion is translucent. Meanwhile, mix soup, water, salt and pepper in a 9x13 baking pan. Add all other ingredients, and mix together.

(dumplings - drop biscuits)

2  cups flour

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

4 tbsp soft butter

4 tbsp shortening

3/4 cup butter milk (to make butter milk - add 1 tsp of white vinegar to 3/4 cup milk, let sit 2 minutes)

 Mix dry ingredients, butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl with a fork or pastry bender. Until it resembles peas. Add butter milk mix until it forms a dough. Scoop small dumplings out of the mix and drop into the pan on top of the chicken/veg mix.

Bake at 375 uncovered until the dumplings are golden brown and done all the way through. About 30-40 minutes.

Mac'n Cheese

Ingredients

1/2 lb elbow macaroni

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

3 cups milk

12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

salt

Fresh black pepper

Topping (optional):

3 tbsp butter

1 cup bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Boil the pasta to al dente. The water, like all pasta water, should be salted before hand until it tastes like salt water.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, simmer, stirring constantly, until it starts to bubble. Turn down heat to medium. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Ground Beef Tacos

1 lb lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup Pace Pacanta Sauce (not chunky) OR your fav salsa

1/2 tsp ground cummin

1/2 ground Cheyenne pepper

8-12 corn tortillas

Shredded Cheese

1 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped

4 Limes

2 cups shredded cabbage OR lettuce (optional)

Chop onion. Add 1/4 of the onion and 1/4 of the cilantro and the beef to a skillet. Sprinkle on cummin and cheynne. Stiring frequently, brown beef, crumble. Drain. Return to skillet, add in sauce. Heat through.

Meanwhile,  add rest of onion and cilantro, juice of 1 lime, 1 tbsp of lime zest, and 1 tsp of salt to a bowl. Mix together. 

Heat tortillas in microwave in a paper towel for about 1 minute or until hot. (OR heat with a small amount of oil on in a pan, keep warm in a warmer) 

To assemble tacos: tortilla, beef mixture, cilantro mixture, cabbage, cheese, and a dash of fresh squeezed lime juice. 

The Pampered Chef ® Chicken, Pesto & Tomato Flatbread Recipe

2-3 plum tomatoes   1/2 tsp (2 mL) kosher salt    3 tbsp (45 mL) plus 1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil, divided   1 pkg (11 oz) refrigerated thin crust pizza crust (see Cook’s Tip)   1 cup (250 mL) loosely packed fresh basil leaves    1/4 cup (50 mL) pecan halves, toasted   1 oz (30 g) Parmesan cheese, divided   2 cups (500 mL) shredded Provolone cheese (8 oz/250 g), divided   2 cups (500 mL) diced cooked chicken breasts   2 garlic cloves, pressed

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line Stackable Cooling Rack with paper towels. Slice tomatoes usingUltimate Mandoline fitted with v-shaped blade. Place tomatoes on cooling rack; sprinkle with salt. Let stand 10 minutes or until salt is dissolved. Blot tops of tomatoes with paper towels; set aside. Brush Large Bar Pan with 1 tsp (5 mL) of the oil using Chef's Silicone Basting Brush. Unroll crust onto bottom of pan, gently stretching and pressing dough to cover bottom. Bake 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, finely chop basil and pecans using Food Chopper. Grate Parmesan cheese usingMicroplane® Adjustable Grater. Combine basil, pecans, half of the Parmesan cheese, half of the Provolone cheese, chicken, remaining 3 tbsp (45 mL) oil and garlic pressed with Garlic Press in Classic Batter Bowl; mix well. Remove pan from oven to cooling rack. Sprinkle crust with remaining Parmesan cheese; top with tomatoes, chicken mixture and remaining Provolone cheese. Bake 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into squares using Pizza Cutter.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 350, Total Fat 21 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Cholesterol 45 mg, Carbohydrate 21 g, Protein 22 g, Sodium 630 mg, Fiber 1

Cook's Tip: If desired, a 13.8-oz (283-g) package of refrigerated pizza crust can be substituted for the refrigerated thin crust dough. Unroll crust over bottom of pan. Bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown. Proceed as recipe directs; baking 6-8 minutes.