Week of March 7, 2021

Sun - Zuppa Toscana - Olive Garden Copy-Cat ("Sausage Soup")

Mon - Sausage and Peppers

Tue - Tostadas

Wed - Swiss Steak

Thur - Roast Chicken

Fri -  Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

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.)

Sausage and Peppers with Penne

4 Chicken Sausage links (I like the Artichoke and Mozzarella)

1 red peppers, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 can diced tomatoes with basil and garlic

3 cups penne pasta

In a large non-stick skillet, cook sausage and veggies together until sausage over medium heat. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions. When sausage is done, add in tomatoes with juice to skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, if desired.

Ground Beef Tosadas

12 corn tostada shells

1 (30 oz) can refried beans

1 lb Ground Beef (80/20 is best)

1 package taco seasoning

1 cup lettuce or cabbage

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Handful cilantro leaves, chopped

2 cups each shredded Monterey Jack and sharp Cheddar cheese

Optional toppings: Salsa, Pico de Gallo, sour cream, sliced pitted black olives, chopped yellow onion, lime juice

Sprinkle meat with taco seasoning. Brown meat, crumble and drian off fat. Warm beans as package directs.

Warm tostada shells. Top with beans, then meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, cilantro and any additional toppings as desired.

Easy "Swiss Steak"
4 steaks (cheap ones are fine, high quality steak - is NOT necessary for this recipe)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pkt onion soup mix (OR mushroom gravy powdered mix)
1 1/2 can water

1 (8 oz) sliced, button or baby portobella mushrooms
Thickener (if needed) 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp flour mixed together.
Mix soups and water together in a 9x13 pan, put in steaks. Make sure to cover the steaks with the liquid. Add in mushrooms.
Cover pan with foil, bake 350F for 3 hours. Checking liquid level (make sure all the water didn't evaporate) every hour.
If the baking liquid is lumpy stir to combine. Stir in thickener if needed. Taste gravy, add salt and pepper as necessary. Serve liquid as gravy over steaks and mashed potatoes. We like seasoned green beans as a side.

Roast Chicken
1 (5-6 lb) bone in whole chicken (completely defrosted if from frozen

1 rib celery
1 carrot

1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
handful fresh parsley and thyme sprigs
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Chop onion into 8 pieces. Cut carrot and celery into 3 pieces. Remove skin from garlic. Remove anything in cavity from chicken. Rinse and pat dry. stuff vegetables and 1/2 onion, 1/2 herbs into cavity and neck opening. Put other 1/2 onion and herbs in roasting pan. Rub chicken with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place a meat themamater (oven safe one) in thickest part of chicken. Place chicken on rack in roasting pan. add enough water in bottom to cover bottom of pan. Cover pan (use foil tent if no lid) Roast at 375 about 1 1/2 hours to 165 F internal temp. remove cover for last 20 minutes (when temp at 150 F) to crisp skin.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
1 package (6.9 ounces) RICE-A-RONI® Wild Rice flavor
2 tablespoons of margarine, butter or spread with no trans fat

broth cooking

2-1/2 cups water
6 cups chicken broth (I will be making the broth from left over bones of roast chicken)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (again, left over)

2 celery ribs, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup frozen peas

In a large skillet or soup pot, saute onion in 2 tbsp butter until translucent. Remove, set aside. Combine rice-vermicelli mix and 2 tablespoons margarine in same skillet. Saute´ over medium heat until vermicelli is golden brown, stirring frequently. Slowly stir in 2 1/2 cups water and Special Seasonings; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes. 

Add broth, carrot, celery, cooked onion, peas, chicken to skillet. Boil until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally. Add slat and pepper as needed. Serve hot.

Week of March 2021

Mon - Eating out for my birthday!

Tue - Nachos

Wed - Meatloaf

Thur - Veggie Fried Rice

Fri - Chicken Cacciatore and Spaghetti

Nachos
10 to 20 oz corn tortilla chips
1 (16 oz) can black beans
1 (7 oz) can Mexican-style corn
2-3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 cup chunky salsa

Nachos with Salad

Nachos No Salad

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 cup shredded lettuce or cabbage
• Layer chips, beans, corn, salsa and cheese on a baking sheet. Bake 5-10 minutes at 425 in the toaster oven (or standard oven) until warm and the cheese is melted. Top with green onion, tomato, cabbage and dollops of sour cream (toppings optional).
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• Vegetable Fried Rice

  

  Fried Rice, Egg Roll, Ragoon

  1 bag Vegetable Stir-Fry Mix, 16 Oz, (I like Sugar Snap Pea Mix, you can use any you prefer.)
  3 cups cooked white rice
  1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  1/4 cup soy sauce
  1 tbsp sesame oil
  1/2 cup peas and carrots frozen mix
  2 eggs
  Scramble eggs, cook. Warm up carrots and peas and veggie mix. In a non-stick skillet heat oil, vinegar and soy sauce on high - med-high. Add in rice. Stir until incorporated. Stir in eggs and veggies. Serve.
  
  
  Meatloaf (my oven recipe)
  2 lb 15% - 7% fat ground beef 
  1-1/2 cups bread crumbs 
  2 eggs, beaten
  2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  1 tsp each salt and freshly ground pepper
  1 tsp garlic powder OR 2 cloves fresh garlic pressed
  Sauce Topping: 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 tbsp BBQ sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar. Mix together in a small mixing bowl until smooth.
  
  
  Mix beef, 1 cup bread crumbs, eggs, and seasonings in a large mixing bowl with a fork or by hand. Keep adding bread crumbs until the mixture holds together when made into a ball.
  Put in a meatloaf pan with holes to allow the grease to dip out. Bake at 350F 1-1 1/2 hours or until middle is no longer pink and reaches 160F in the middle. If desired, spread the sauce topping over the meatloaf (dab off excess grease, if necessary) and leave in oven for 10 minutes.

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

4 chicken breast halves (bone in, skin on)

1 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 tbsp capers

2 carrots, sliced

1/2 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste

Directions

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Brown chicken in 2 tbsp oil in an oven safe pot. Remove chicken after skin is browned. Add veggies to pot and cook for 5 minutes or until onions are soft. Place chicken back and add other ingredients. Bring to boil then set in a 350F oven for 2 hours, or until chicken is fork tender. Serve with pasta.

Slow cooker directions: Place ingredients in Slow Cooker. Cook on High for 6 hours, stirring occasionally and checking fluid level. If the liquid gets too low, add more broth.