Week of Feb 21, 2021

 Sun - Pot Roast

Mon - Egg Casserole and Pancakes (Amelia's B-Day Dinner!)

Tue - Ground Beef Taco Salads

Wed - Baked Potato Soup

Thur - Chicken and Rice Casserole

Fri - Beef Stroganoff

Beef 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

Pot Roast (crock pot cooked)

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.
NOTE: SLOW-COOKER directions:Add vegetables to bottom of cooker. Pour in stock and bay leaves. Put roast on top and add seasonings. Cook on high for 6 hours. At the last 2 hours, mix in the flour and butter mixture.

Ground Beef Taco Salad

Beef Taco Salad

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

1 lb Ground Beef, browned, crumbled and drained

1/2 package taco seasoning

1 cup lettuce or cabbage

black bean salsa

Handful cilantro leaves, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

2 cups each shredded Monterey Jack and sharp Cheddar cheese

Tomatoes, Olives, Salsa, Sour Cream or salad dressing (optional)

Sprinkle meat with taco seasoning, add mix to coat. Heat bean salsa, on stove or microwave until hot. 

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, as desired.

Baked Potato Soup
3 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 box stock (chicken or veggie), heated
4 large baker potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup sour cream
3 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup minced chives
grated Cheddar Cheese
1/2 lb bacon, cooked crispy and broken up to chunks
Directions
In a large saucepot, over high heat melt the butter add the garlic. Cook over medium heat until fragrant. Add the hot stock and whisk to combine. Add potatoes. Add enough hot water to just cover potatoes. Stir in salt and pepper. Boil until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, cook bacon. DO NOT DRAIN potato water.
When potatoes are ready, mash in water with a masher. Leaving some lumps depending on how chunky you like your soup. Stir in the milk, cream, sour cream, and 1/2 the chopped bacon. Heat through, boil until desired thickness is reached. Serve in bowls with chives, cheese, bacon pieces and extra sour cream if desired.

Pancakes and Egg Dish
My daughter Amelia's birthday! Mickey Mouse Pancakes!
Pancakes - use pancake mix and follow directions for mixing.
Heat a griddle or large non-stick skillet to medium (325 on the griddle). Use a large scoop for Mickey's head and a leveled small scoop for each ear. Wait to flip until bubbles form. Cook to golden brown on each side and cooked through. Pancakes are temperamental, if they burn too fast turn down the heat.

Oven Beef Stroganoff
2 lb stew meat (beef cubes)
1 can condensed Healthy Request mushroom soup
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp each onion salt, garlic powder, salt and pepper
water as needed
1 cup sour cream
3 cups whole grain egg noodles
2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp flour combined, to thicken gravy/sauce
Preheat 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 seasonings, mix. Place meat in soup mix. Bake, covered with foil, for 2-3 hours until fork tender. Keep liquid level up to just covering meat. Add more HOT water as needed. Meanwhile, boil noodles, according to package.
When meat is 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. Add in sour cream. Mix with meat and noodles. Serve immediately. Serve with a green salad or a veggie. (We like seasoned green beans with this).

Week of Feb 14th 2021

 Sun - (Valentine's Day) Paella

Mon - Chicken Florentine Pasta

Tue - Carnitas

Wed - Verde Enchilidas

Thur - Pot Roast

Fri - Beef and Barley Soup

Paella

1 smoked link sausage ( like kelbasa)

1/2 lb shrimp

2 cups long grian rice

1 cup peas and diced carrots

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 sweet onion, diced

1 celery stalk

2 garlic cloves, pressed

4 cups chicken/veggie stock

olive oil

Salt and Peper

Chives, Parsely, chopped, to taste

In a large pan with a lid, heat 1 tbsp of oil on medium heat. Brown sausage. Remove. Add extra oil, if needed to have abuot 2 tblsp in the pan. Saute onions until translucent. Add garlic, stir until fragrant. mix in rice, then pour in stock. Add sausage, pepper, celery, peas and carrots. cover and cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Then put shrimp on top, turn up heat to medium, recover and cook for another 5 minutes, or until shrimp is cooked thru and have turned pink, and a crust has started to form on the bottom of pan.

Service with chopped chives and/or parsely on top.

Pork Carnitas Tacos with Slaw

Pork Carnitas - slow cooker
Place the fresh 3 lb shoulder pork roast and 2 cans (7 oz) Mild Diced Green Chilies with liquid and 1 chopped yellow onion into the slow cooker. Cook in slow cooker 8 hours on low. Shred. Serve on warmed tortillas with taco fixings - such as cheese, lettuce or cabbage, onions, cilantro, fresh lime lime juice.

Enchiladas

2+ cups cooked diced or shredded Pork (left over carnitas)

 12-16 corn tortillas (taco size)

Green Chili Enchilada Sauce (see below, can be done week before or buy premade)

1 tsp salt and pepper (each)

1 1/2 - 2 lbs Shredded Colby jack cheese

Enchilada sauce: Sauté 1 small yellow onion diced in sauce pan until translucent. Add 1 cup chicken broth bring to boil. Add 1 (7oz) can of diced green chilis, and1 diced poblano (mild), and 1diced anaheim chili (medium), or 2diced jalapenos (spicy). Take off heat. Add 1 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tsp garlic salt. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to blend until smooth. Taste add salt as needed.

Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30-60 seconds until flexible.

Spray a 9x13 rectangular baking pan with oil. Spoon a few spoonfuls of sauce to bottom of pan.

To assemble the enchiladas, place tortilla in the pan, fill with a spoonful of meat, sauce, 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 sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Heat in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until hot.

Beef 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

Pot Roast (crock pot cooked)

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.
NOTE: SLOW-COOKER directions:Add vegetables to bottom of cooker. Pour in stock and bay leaves. Put roast on top and add seasonings. Cook on high for 6 hours. At the last 2 hours, mix in the flour and butter mixture.

Beef and Barley Soup

left over shredded beef for roast (at least 1 cup)

2 box 32 once boxes of beef stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (1/2-inch) diced carrots (4 carrots)

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1 cup   (1/2-inch) diced celery (2 stalks)

2 garlic cloves, pressed

3 bay leaves

32 oz beef broth

2 cups water

1 cup   pearled barley

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large stew or pasta pot. Add oil in the pot, then put in carrots, onion, celery, and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften.

2.  Add the broth and bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves, and skim off the fat.

3. Add the barley. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. 

4. Add in the left over meat, and cook until how. 

5. Taste, add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve hot.

Week of Feb 1st

Mac n Cheese

Sun Mac 'n Cheese
Mon - Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
Tue - Chicken Fajitas
Wed - Chicken Alfredo with Bacon
Thur - Falafel with Rice Pilaf
Fri- Loaded Baked Potatoes

3 Cheese Mac n' Cheese

2 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

3 cups milk

1 cup EACH sharp cheddar, provolone, and gouda, shredded 

4 oz cream cheese

1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh black pepper

Topping (optional): 3 tbsp butter,1 cup bread crumbs. if you desire a crispy topping. Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Boil the pasta to al dente, according to package. 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 on a med-high heat. Whisk in the flour, turn down the heat to low, and keep it moving for about 2-5 minutes, until it smells nutty. Make sure it's free of lumps. Turn the heat back up to high and stir in the milk, simmer, stirring constantly, until it starts to bubble. Turn down heat to medium. Stir in cream cheese, until incorporated  Stir in 1/3 of the cheese at a time, waiting for each patch to melt. Season with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Fold the macaroni into the mix. Taste, add more salt and pepper if needed. May serve now

OR  if desired, bake to get a crispy crust: pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. top with extra cheese and/or topping. Bake for 10-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving. (baked option showed above).

Tater Tot Cheeseburger casserole

1 can of condensed cream of cheddar cheese

1 (25-30 oz) bag of tater tots

1 lb ground beef

1/2 lb bacon, browned (I will be cooking the whole 1 lb package, using the other half for alfredo)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

seasoning mix: 1/2 tsp each salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder

1. Crisp tots in oven on a cookie sheet at 425F for 10 minutes. 

2. Season ground beef, brown and drain. Set aside.

3. Layer 1/2 the tots, 1/2 the soup, 1/2 the bacon, 1/2 beef, and then 1/2 the cheese in a 2 quart casserole dish. Repeat. Bake at 350F until warm in center, about 30 minutes.

Chicken Fajitas

3 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

3 tablespoons lime juice

Zest of 1 lime

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, pressed

Salt and pepper

6-8 Fajita size Flour tortillas

Toppings if desired: sour cream, guacamole, cheese, Pico De Gallo, extra lime juice

Sprinkle meat with cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp veggie oil over medium-high heat. Cook meat, peppers, onion, and garlic until chicken is cooked through. Add lime juice and zest. Serve with warmed tortillas and toppings.

Chicken Alfredo with Bacon

1/2 lb bacon

2-3 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast

1 package (12 oz.) fettuccine, cooked and drained
1 jar Bertolli® Alfredo Sauce

Use a electric grill to grill chicken until cooked through. Slice

Cook fettuccine according to package. Heat sauce over medium heat until it comes to boil. Careful, it burns easily.
Toss hot fettuccine with hot sauce. Garnish, if desired, with fresh ground black pepper and chopped parsley.

Falafel

Falafel, Rice Pilaf, Hummas, Veggie Sticks

1 (14 oz) can white canneli beans, drained

1 (14 oz) can chick peas, drained

1 cup bread crumbs
2 large egg
1 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 small handful Italian parsley, chopped fine

1 small handful cilantro, chopped fine

Using a food processor with the chopping blade mix beans, bread crumbs, eggs, salt, pepper, cumin, oil until completely Incorporated. Add herbs, mix until incorporated. Place into a mixing bowl, add flour and fold in until completely mixed. 

Using large scoop, spoon out scoop-fulls of mix. Drop into deep fat fryer or a pan with 1/2 inch oil in the bottom of a large skillet. Drain when done. serve with tzaziki  and lemon wedges (for squirting over the falafel).