Week of Oct 19, 2014

Sun - Ground Beef Tacos Salad
Mon - Zuppa Tuscana
Tue - Fried Pork Dumplings
Wed - Hamburgers
Thur - Pork Chops
Fri- Spaghetti Marinara (boxed and jarred, according to directions)

Taco Salad

1 (about 11 oz) sack Doritos or any corn tortilla chips

1-2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (using left over from roast chicken) OR 1 lb Ground Beef, browned, crumbled and drained

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 package taco seasoning

1 cup lettuce or cabbage

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 can black beans

Handful cilantro leaves, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Beef Taco Salad

2 cups each shredded Monterey Jack and sharp Cheddar cheese

Salsa and sour cream or salad dressing (optional)

Sprinkle chicken with taco seasoning. Heat chicken and beans, on stove or microwave until hot. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, remaining onions, jalapenos, cilantro, and the juice of the lime in a large bowl. 

Layer salad: chips on bottom, then meat mix, veggie mix, handful of lettuce or cabbage, top with cheese, and salsa and sour cream or salad dressing.

Zuppa Tuscana

Zuppa Tuscana2 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 large baking potatoes, sliced
1 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

In a large sauce pot, 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.)

Pan Fried Pork Chops

4-6 (about 1 1/2 lb) pork chops

3/4 + 1/4 cup  milk

1 egg

3/4 cup bread crumbs (I use Progresso Italian)

Oil to coat the bottom of the pan (veg or canola)

flour coating:

1/2 cup AP flour

1 tbsp seasoning salt (such as Johnny's)

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic salt

To bread the chops you will need: 2 bowls, 2 paper plates, 1 non-stick cooling rack, a fork. Set up the assembly line: bowl with 3/4 cup of milk, paper plate with flour coating, bowl with 1 egg and 1/4 cup milk beaten together, paper plate with bread crumbs, and last the cooling rack. Put all the chops in the 1 st bowl. let set in the milk for 5 minutes. One chop at a time, place on the flour and coat with the coating. Dip in the egg mix. the place on the bread crumbs and coat the chop. Lay on the cooling rack until all chops are breaded.

To cook the chops, heat the oil in a large skillet (with a lid) on med-high heat. Add chops one at a time, being careful not to splatter yourself. Cover, and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the bottom side is golden brown and top is starting to turn from pink to white. Turn and cook until done. Middle of chop should reach 160F. Let rest 5 minutes on the cooling rack to drain oil. Serve with mashed potatoes and milk gravy (recipe follows).

Milk Gravy

About 1 tbsp Pan drippings from meat (chops, bacon, sausage, ect)

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp leftover flour coating (or AP flour + seasoning salt)

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups milk

Scrap the pan and get the chucks out. Melt the butter in the pan on high heat. using a whisk, add the flour coating mix to the pan, turn down the heat to low and stir for 2 minutes or until it smells nutty. Turn the heat back up to high and add the milk, constantly whisking. Boil until the gravy comes to the thickness you like (remember it will continue to thicken off the heat for a bit). Taste, add salt and pepper as necessary.