Week of Nov 25, 2012

Sun -  Brie or Goat Cheese Sliders

Chicken Broccoli Bake

Mon - Chicken and Broccoli Bake
Tue - Alferdo with Ham and Peas
Wed - Chili Skillet
Thur - Ramen and Vegetables On Pot Dish
Fri - Oven Beef Strogenoff

Brie or Goat Cheese Sliders
Follow recipe here for Sliders
I will be using leftover homemade rolls and cheese from Thanksgiving, instead of using buns and Mayo.

Chicken and Broccoli Bake
http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/chicken-and-broccoli-bake/d479785c-7500-47dd-87f3-e698dd371914

Alfredo with Ham and Peas  

1 tsp. olive oil

1 Ham Steak, cut into cubes, any bone or fat discarded

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1 jar (1 lb.) Alfredo Sauce

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

8 ounces linguine, cooked and drained

Directions

Heat olive oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat ham and peas, continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in Alfredo Sauce and black pepper.

Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until warmed. Serve over hot linguine (prepared according to package).

Three Bean Chili

1 lb ground beef

1 can refried beans

1 15.5 oz can Kidney beans

1 14 oz cans diced tomatoes with jiuce (use ones with chilis, for hotter chili)

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 onion, diced

2 small cloves garlic

1/2 green and/or red bell pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp cummin

1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp onion powder

1 tbsp oil

In a large skillet, brown beef, drain. Remove. Sauté onions and bell peppers in oil on medium until onions are translucent. Add garlic, cook until fragrant. Add beef, beans, tomatoes with the juice, paste, and seasoning to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and/or fresh chopped onions on top, if desired.

Ramen and Vegetables On Pot Dish
2 (3 oz) Ramen Noodle Soup
1 (12-16 oz) package frozen Asian mixed vegetables or stir fry mix
1-2 lb of your favorite stir fry meat (thinly sliced chicken, pork, or beef) (or whole shrimp)
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tsp honey
1 tsp rice whine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground (powdered) ginger
Chopped scallions (green onions, optional)
Boil Ramen noodles and veggies for 3 minutes, until noodles are tender. Drain. Mix together water, soy sauce, honey, vinegar  ginger, and the flavor packets from Ramen packages in a small bowl. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat, add oil and cook meat until done. Stir in noodles, veggies, sauce mix. Top with chopped scallions.

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving Menu:
Roasted Turkey with Stuffing
Sage, Sausage and Apple Dressing 
Cranberry Orange Sauce
Warm Spinach and Squash Salad or Roasted Veggies
Special Green Beans
Mac n' Cheese
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Rolls (see bread recipes)
Buttermilk pie
Whoopie Pies
Thanksgiving Cookies

DAY BEFORE TO DO:
Rolls (see bread recipes)
Butermilk Pie http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/olivias-buttermilk-pie-recipe/index.html  I will be adding a shot of whiskey to this recipe and putting it into a bottom pie shell.

Whoopie Pies

Cookie part:

1 box Cake Mix (any flavor)

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Filling part:

3/4 cup (175 mL) butter (11/2 sticks), softened

2 oz (60 g) cream cheese, softened

1 cup (250 mL) powdered sugar

1 jar (7.5 oz/213 g) marshmallow creme

 Cookie: Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, mix cake mix, butter, vanilla and eggs with spoon until soft dough forms. On cookie sheets with parchment, drop dough using a leveled large scoop (3 tbsp scoop) 2 inches apart. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until surface appears dry. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely.

Filling: Beat together butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and marshmallow cream on medium-high speed until well blended.

To assemble whoopie pies: turn the cookies bottom side up. Using medium scoop (2 tbsp scoop), scoop filling onto each cookie bottom. Top with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge. Wrap each cookie individually with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Roast Sweet Potatoes 2 pounds sweet potatoes. peel and cube. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake on a sheet pan at 350F for 20 minutes (they will finish baking tomorrow). Refrigerate for thanksgiving.
Roast Squash for salad remove seeds. cut into quarters. Drizzle with olive oil and bake on a sheet pan at 350F for 1 hour (or until tender) turning squash over once. Refrigerate for thanksgiving salad.
Roast Garlic: one head of garlic, cut off top so cloves are exposed. Put in the middle of a sheet of foil. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap foil around garlic so it is enclosed. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

Cranberry Orange Sauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange marmalade or jam

1 cup water

1 (12 oz) package Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, rinsed and drained

Directions:

Combine water and sugar, jam  in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil; add cranberries, return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time.

Mac n' Cheese omit bacon. Assemble, and refrigerate, bake day of

DAY OF
Sage, Sausage, Walnut and Apple Dressing

1 stick butter, unsalted

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 large stocks celery

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 pound Italian bulk sausage

2 garlic cloves, pressed

3 tsp poultry seasoning

4 tsp dried sage

2 tsp dried parsley flakes

2 tsp dried thyme

1 cup chopped walnuts

24 oz toasted/dry bread cubes

1 1/2 - 2 cups (1 pint) vegetable stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Melt the butter in a large skillet and sauté the onions, celery, garlic, apples, and sausage, breaking up the sausage as you cook. When sausage is done add the seasonings and walnuts. Add the bread and moisten with the vegetable stock, add a little at a time stirring continuously, until all bread is moistened. Season stuffing with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place into a buttered casserole dish and bake (at same temp as turkey) for 35-45 minutes, or until top is browned.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
4 baking potatoes, peeled and diced
4 roasted garlic cloves, pressed
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt and pepper
Boil potatoes in a large stock pan until tender, do not over cook. Mash with potato masher or a ricer keep in pan. Add garlic, butter, sour cream and salt and pepper. Mix over low heat until butter is melted and everything is incorporated. Serve in a serving bowl immediately. 

Special green beans: 
1 Ham Steak
2 lb Fresh Green Beans
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 sliced almonds, if desired
Boil or steam the green beans with ham steak (cut into small pieces) including any fat or bone that was in it, until the green beans reach desired doneness. Drain and remove fat/bone. Toss with toasted almond slices, salt and pepper.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

sweet potatoes (roasted yesterday)

5 ounces graham crackers

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced, plus more for greasing the baking dish

1 (10 1/2-ounce) bag mini marshmallows

Directions

Coat the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish with 2 tablespoons butter. Ground the crackers, spice, butter, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor until the mixture forms lumps slightly larger than peas.

Spread sweet potatoes out in the 13X9 dish. Sprinkle with craker mixture. Then top with marshmallows. Bake until the marshmallows are golden, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

Week of Nov 18, 2012

Sun - Garlic and Herb Beef Tenderloin (Pampered Chef Recipe)
Mon - Italian Wedding Soup
Tue - Country Beef and Veggie Skillet (Campbell's Recipe)
Wed - Frozen Lasagna (boxed, prepared according to package)
Thur - See Thanksgiving Menu
Fri - Turkey Soup

Garlic and Herb Beef Tenderloin (Pampered Chef Recipe)
BEEF
1 tsp oil
4 beef tenderloin fillets (4-6 oz each)
1 tbsp Crushed Peppercorn and Garlic Rub (or steak seasoning)
SAUCE
1 shallot
1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
1 pjg (5.2 oz) garlic and herb flavored cheese spread (OR 2/3 cup chive cream cheese)
1/3 cup chicken broth
Prepare beef: Add oil to stainless steal skillet over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes until shimmering. Season fillets with rub. Cook undisturbed for 3-5 minutes or until browned. (will move easy ready, if it sticks it's not ready) Turn fillets over cook another 3-5 minutes or until reaches 140F for medium rare. Remove fillets to plate and tent with foil.
Sauce: finely chop shallot. Return skillet to heat and cook shallot 30-45 seconds or until softened. Add wine. Whisk to loosen bits from pan. Add cheese, cook until melted. Add broth and cook additional 30-45 seconds or until heated through. Serve with fillets and mashed potatoes.
4 servings. 1 fillet and 2 tbsp sauce: 400 calories, 32g fat, 2g carbs, 24g protein.

Italian Wedding Soup
1 (14 oz) package of frozen meatballs, thawed and browned OR homemade meatballs
12 cups Chicken Broth
1 lb of Escarole, chopped
2 cups Ditalini pasta
Bring broth to boil in a large soup pot. Add pasta, escarole  and meatballs, boil until pasta and escarole is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Top with grated Parmesan Cheese, if desired.

Country Beef and Veggie Skillet (Campbell's Recipe) http://www.campbellskitchen.com/recipes/recipedetails?recipeid=24235&fm=internal_search

Turkey Soup
10 cups Turkey Broth (recipe below)
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stocks, chopped
1 cup peas (frozen is fine, thawed)
2 cups egg noodles
2 cups leftover turkey meat, chopped
BROTH:
In a large soup pot, bring to boil, add left over bones of turkey, 2 carrots chopped, 1 onion cut into quarters, 3 celery stocks chopped, 3 bay leaves. Reduce to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until bones brake apart from each other when pinched with tongs, about 3 hours. Skim fat off, if desired, during cooking every 30 hour. Strain. Reserve liquid (broth) and throw out solids.
SOUP:
Bring broth to boil in a large soup pot. Add pasta, and veggies, boil until pasta and veggies are tender. Add turkey and boil until hot.

Week of Nov 11, 2012

Sun - Fish and Corn Chowder (Rachel Ray)
Mon - Chicken and Rice Casserole
Tue - Shake and Bake Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Casserole
Wed - Pasta e Fagioli
Thur - Chicken Cordon Bleu (Tyler Florence)


Fish and Corn Chowder
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/fish-and-corn-chowder-recipe/index.html
Because I don't like fish but my family does, I will be using chicken stock instead of fish stock and adding the cooked fish to their bowls at the end.

Chicken and Rice Casserole
4 skinless, boneless breast filet
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I perfer Campbell's Healthy Choice)
1 1/2 cans of water
2 cups dry Long Grain White Minute Rice
2 tsp+ each Salt and Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Salt
Grease a 9x13 pan with butter. Sprinkle Chicken Breasts with salt and pepper - both sides. Mix rice, salt, pepper, garlic, soup and water in the pan. Evenly spread out rice. Place chicken on top. Cover with foil. Bake in 350F oven for 40-60  minutes, or until rice is done and chicken is no longer pink and liquid is adsorbed. Serve with a vegetable or salad.

Shake and Bake Pork Chops made according to package.
Sweet Potato Casserole
2 cans Yams or Sweet Potatoes, drained
1 cup candied walnuts or pecans (recipe below)

• 3 tbsp butter, melted, plus more for casserole dish
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnomon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper
• In a mixing bowl, mash yams or sweet potatoes. Mix in sugar, salt, seasonings, egg and butter. Whisk until smooth. Butter a 2-qt casserole dish. Spread yam/potatoes in dish. Sprinkle the nuts on top. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until slightly puffed and browned.

• Candied Pecans (Foodnetwork recipe):

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup pecan halves
  • 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pecans and cook, stirring, until golden brown and toasted, 3 minutes. Add the sugar and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer to a piece of waxed paper to cool.

  Yield: 1/2 cup candied pecans

Pasta e Fagioli

·                                 1/8 pound (about 3 slices) pancetta, chopped

·                                 1 lb Italian Sausage (hot or mild)

·                                 2 dried bay leaves

·                                 1 medium onion, finely chopped

·                                 1 small carrot, finely chopped

·                                 1 rib celery, finely chopped

·                                 4 large cloves garlic, chopped

·                                 Coarse salt and pepper

·                                 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained

·                                 1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, drained

·                                 1 large (18 oz) crushed tomatoes with liquid

·                                 1 (26 oz) can pasta sauce (I use Hunts Meat)

·                                 1 can (1 1/2 cups) of stock

·                                 2 cups dry ditalini

·                                 Grated Parmigiano or Romano, for topping

Directions

Heat a deep pot over medium high heat cook and chop up sausage. Remove sausage, and add pancetta. Brown the pancetta. Then add the chopped vegetables, and garlic. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomatoes with liquid, pasta sauce, and stock to pot and raise heat to high. add bay leaves. Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Remove bay leave.

Week of Nov 4, 2012

Sun - Zuppa Toscana
Mon- Enchiladas 
Tue - Beef-a-Roni
Wed - Ham Pie
Thur Teriyaki Meatballs with Rice (Pampered Chef recipe)
Fri - Super Nachos

Zuppa Toscana

• 2 cups chopped kale
• 1 lb hot italian sausage
• 1 tbsp olive oil (if needed)
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 box stock (chicken or veggie), heated
• 3 lb potatoes, sliced
• 1 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper

In a large saucepot, over medium heat cook sausage, chop into chunks. When no longer pink, remove meat but leave oil in pan.  Add garlic, and oil if there is less then 2 tbsp of fat in the pan. Cook over medium heat until fragrant. Add the hot stock and whisk to combine. Add potatoes. Add enough hot water to cover potatoes. Stir in salt and pepper. Boil until potatoes are tender. DO NOT DRAIN potato water.

When potatoes are almost done, add the kale and cook until kale and potatoes are tender. Stir in the milk and cream. Return sausage. Heat through. Serve immediately. (If left to simmer the potatoes will begin to turn into mush and disappear in the liquid.)

Chicken Enchiladas

2 cups cooked diced or shredded chicken, salted

12-16 corn tortillas (taco size)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 large can (around 7 oz) of diced green chilies 

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsb chyenne chilli powder or Chipotle Chili Rub

1 cup of sour cream

Shredded cheese

Mix soup, chili's, sour cream in a bowl, and set aside. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30-60 seconds until flexible.

Spray a 9x13 rectangular baking pan with oil. To assemble the enchiladas, place tortilla in the pan, fill with a spoonful of chicken, cream mixture, and a sprinkling of cheese. Roll the tortilla up with the open side down. Repeat until pan is full. I usually do 12 total - 8 down lengthwise, an two sets of two on the side of the pan. Spread the rest of the cream mix over the top. Sprinkle with cheese.

Heat in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until hot.

Ham Pie

Crust use Pillsbury ready made crust according to package direction

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

8 tbsp butter

8 tbsp Crisco shortening

1 tsp white vinegar

2 tbsp - 1/4 cup water

To make crust: using a fork or a pastry blender, mix butter, shortening, salt, and flour together until it looks like small beads. Add vinegar and 2 tbsp water and mix until dough forms. If it is too dry to mix add water, a tbsp at a time until it comes together. Roll into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest 20 minutes (can be refrigerated for up to 3 days). After resting, roll out into 2 circles for your pie.

Filling

2 cup diced ham

1 can condensed cream mushroom soup

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

4 pats of butter

1 can whole corn

To assemble pie: Put 1 circle of crust in the bottom of the pan. Add 1/2 the ham to the bottom, then 1/2 the cheese and 1/2 of the corn. Spread 1/2 the soup on top. Repeat 1 more time. Put the butter on, then the top crust on. Make sure to slit a few hole on top for venting. Brush with egg wash. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until crust is golden brown.

Teriyaki Meatballs with Rice

Ingredients:
1   pound 93% lean ground turkey 1/4   cup plain dry bread crumbs 1   teaspoon peeled and finely chopped fresh gingerroot 1/2   teaspoon salt 2   teaspoons vegetable oil		3/4   cup teriyaki baste and glaze 1   small red or green bell pepper, diced 1   can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice 1/2   cup thinly sliced green onions with tops 2   cups hot cooked rice

Directions:
1.	In Classic Batter Bowl, combine turkey, bread crumbs, gingerroot and salt; mix gently but thoroughly. Form mixture into 20 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
2.	Heat oil in 12-in. Skillet over medium heat until hot. Add meatballs and cook, turning frequently using Chef's Tongs, about 5-7 minutes or until meatballs are brown on all sides. Add teriyaki baste and glaze, bell pepper, pineapples and juice; stir gently to coat meatballs evenly. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 8-10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Sprinkle with green onions. Serve meatballs and sauce over hot cooked rice.
Yield: 4 servings Nutrients per serving: Calories 450, Total Fat 12 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 90 mg, Carbohydrate 58 g, Protein 25 g, Sodium 1670 mg, Fiber 2 g  Cook’s Tips: Teriyaki baste and glaze is a thickened, bottled teriyaki sauce that can be found in the ethnic section of most grocery stores.

Super Nachos

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/super-nachos-recipe/index.html