Week of July 26, 2015

Sun - Fried Chicken
Mon - Chicken Pot Pie
Tue - French Dip Sandwiches
Wed - Cheesey Baked Tortallini
Thur - Pork Loin Roast with Wild Rice Dressing
Fri - Tequila Lime Chicken

Chicken Pot Pie

1 cup cooked, diced chicken or turkey (using leftover fried chicken, meat removed from bones and skin)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 small bag of frozen mixed veggies or peas and carrots

1 cup cooked, diced potatoes

1 tsp each salt and pepper

2 pie crust rounds (recipe below, or use ready made Pillsbury Pie Crust)

Egg wash: 1 egg and 1 tbsp water beaten together

Preheat oven to 350F. Place 1 pie crust in a 9 inch pan. In a large bowl combine chicken, soup, veggies, potatoes and salt and pepper. When well mixed, spoon into crust. Top with other pie crust round. Cut slits in top crust for venting. Brush top crust with egg wash. Cook for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

CRUST:

2 1/2 cups AP flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vinegar

8 tbsp cold butter

8 tbsp vegatable shortening

Cold water as needed (1 tbsp - 1/4 cup)

Mix flour, butter and shortening with pastry cutter until pea-sized balls form and all the butter and shortening are incorperated into the flour. Add the cold water a tbsp at a time until a dough forms.

Allow to chill for 20 minutes. Cut in half. Roll out into 2 rounds.

French Dip Sandwiches

Au Jus: 1-2 cans beef consomme or beef broth + 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

16 oz deli sliced roast beef - (2) 7 oz packages

4 hoggie rolls, split (something chewy and crusty)

4-8 slices of swiss or provolone cheese (optional)

Sprinkle meat with grill seasoning or salt and black pepper. To assemble sandwiches, cut rolls in half, lay cheese slices on one side of rolls (1-2 slices). Then using a pair of kitchen tongs, dip meat into boiling au jus sauce and pile into rolls. Set ramekins, cups or small bowls with extra dipping sauce along side the sandwiches. 

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Pork Loin Roast
1 - (4 lb) boneless pork loin, with fat left on

2 tablespoons olive oil
6-9 tbsp Garlic and Herb Pampered Chef Rub, or other rub/seasoning mix such as Mrs. Dash
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Brush meat with oil and sprinkle with rub. With your fingers, massage the mixture onto the pork loin, covering all of the meat and fat. Place in roasting pan.
Roast the pork for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and roast for an additional hour - 1 1/2 hours. Test for doneness using an instant-read thermometer. When the internal temperature reaches 160F, remove the roast from the oven. Allow to rest 20 minutes before slicing.

Tequila Lime Chicken Recipe

1/2 cup tequila

1 tbsp lime zest (about 1 lime)

6 limes, for freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp chiplote chili powder

1 tbsp minced fresh garlic (about 3 cloves)

2 tps kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

6 split boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Directions

Combine the tequila, lime juice and zest, chili powder, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but up to 24 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade. Throw away marinade. Grill (on BBQ grill or on grill pan) on medium heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. 165f with a meat thermometer.

Let stand 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Recommended: Serve with rice, warm tortillas, and lime wedges.