Week of March 1, 2015

BLT Pasta

Sun - Eating out! My Birthday
Mon - Salsbury "Steak" 
Tue - Slow Cooker Enchilada Chicken
Wed - BLT Pasta
Thur - Rice-a-Roni Chicken Skillet
Fri - French Toast

(BLT Pasta) Bacon, Linguini & Tomato Toss

Recipe

 12 slices bacon, divided

 4 cups (1 L) chicken broth

 2 cans (14.5 oz each)  Italian-style diced tomatoes (3½ cups/875 mL)

 1 medium onion 

 4 garlic cloves, pressed

 1/2 tsp (2 mL) crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

 12 oz (350 g) uncooked linguini pasta

 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

 1 cup (250 mL) loosely packed fresh parsley, divided

 4 oz (125 g) cream cheese

 1 oz (30 g) Parmesan cheese, grated

Halved grape tomatoes (optional)

1.         Slice bacon crosswise into 1/4-in. (6-mm) strips using Santoku Knife. Place into (12-in./30-cm) Skillet; cook over medium-high heat 8-9 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from Skillet; drain on paper towels. Drain Skillet, leaving 1 tbsp (15 mL) drippings in Skillet.

2.         Meanwhile, place broth and diced tomatoes in Large Micro-Cooker®. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 6-8 minutes or until hot; carefully remove from microwave. On clean Cutting Board, finely chop onion usingFood Chopper. Return Skillet to heat; add garlic pressed with Garlic Press and pepper flakes, if desired. Cook 10-20 seconds or until fragrant. Add onion; cook 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Carefully add broth mixture, pasta, half of the bacon and salt. Simmer, covered, 9-10 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked but still firm, stirring occasionally.

3.        Finely chop parsley using Chef's Knife; reserve 1 tbsp (15 mL) for garnish. Cut cream cheese into cubes. Grate Parmesan cheese using Rotary Grater. Cut grape tomatoes in half, if using. Remove Skillet from heat. Stir in remaining parsley, cream cheese and grape tomatoes, if desired. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes or until pasta is tender and sauce is thickened. Serve with remaining bacon, Parmesan cheese and reserved parsley.

Yield: 6 servings Nutrients per serving: Calories 450, Total Fat 18 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 45 mg, Carbohydrate 49 g, Protein 18 g, Sodium 1500 mg, Fiber 3 g

Rice-a-Roni Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
1 teaspoon each paprika and garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons margarine, butter or spread with no trans fat, divided
1 (5.0 ounce) package of RICE-A-RONI® Chicken & Mushroom flavor
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1-2/3 cups water
1/4 cup of milk
Preparation Steps
1. Sprinkle paprika, garlic salt and lemon pepper over chicken. In large skillet over medium high heat, melt 1 tablespoon margarine. Add chicken; cook 2 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet, set aside.
2. In same skillet over medium heat, sauté rice/vermicelli mix with remaining 1 tablespoon margarine until vermicelli is golden brown.
3. Slowly stir in 1-2/3 cups water and Special Seasoning; bring to a boil. Place Chicken over rice. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 15 minutes.
4. Stir in bell pepper. Cover; cook 5 more minutes or until rice is tender and chicken is no longer pink inside. Transfer chicken to serving plates. Stir 1/4 cup milk into rice; heat through. Serve rice alongside chicken.

Week of Feb 22, 2015

Sun -  Amelia's Birthday Dinner - Pancakes, Eggs, and Bacon
Mon- Make you Own Pizzas
Tue- Nachos
Wed- Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Thur- Chop-Chop Stir Fry

Biscuit and Gravy, Hash browns, Apple Slices

Fri- Chicken and Rice Casserole

Nachos Supreme
Ingredients:
6  (7-inch) flour tortillas or chips
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican-style cheese blend, divided
8 ounces cooked lean (90%) ground beef
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup black beans
1 tomato, diced

3 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican-style cheese, divided
1/2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut each tortilla into 6 wedges. Starting at outside edge of Large Round Stone, arrange tortilla wedges in a circle with sides overlapping and points toward center; repeat to cover entire surface of baking stone. Bake 8-10 minutes or until chips are lightly browned and crisp; remove from oven.
2.  Meanwhile, combine cooked ground beef and salsa. Thinly slice lettuce, dice tomato and thinly slice green onions using Chef's Knife. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese evenly over hot tortilla chips. Top evenly with beef mixture, lettuce, tomato, onions, olives and remaining cheese.

Yield: 12 servings Nutrients per serving: Calories 160, Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Carbohydrate 9 g, Protein 10 g, Sodium 360 mg, Fiber 1 g

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 Salt
Salt and Pepper to taste
Grease a 9x13 pan with butter. Sprinkle Chicken Beasts with salt and pepper - both sides. Mix rice, salt, 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.

Week February 15, 2015

Grilled Burger and Sides

Sun - Roasted Chicken
Mon- Grilled Burgers
Tue- White Chicken Chili
Wed- Gnocchi
Thur- Ground Beef Stew over Mashed Potatoes
Fri- Pork Loin Roast

Roast Chicken - 30 Minute Chicken (Pampered Chef)
Chicken:
1 whole chicken (3½-4 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
All-in-One Chicken Dinner
Lightly spray Deep Covered Baker with oil using Kitchen Spritzer. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken cavity. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Trim excess fat using Kitchen Shears, if necessary. Tie ends of legs together with cotton string. Lift wing tips up toward neck; then tuck under back of chicken. Place chicken on Cutting Board; brush with oil using Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush.
For seasoning mixture, combine ingredients in Prep Bowl; mix well. Completely coat outside of chicken with seasoning mixture. Place chicken, breast side up, in baker.
Combine 1 cup each celery and carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces, and 3 cups red or russet potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces, in Classic Batter Bowl. Toss with additional seasoning, if desired. Arrange vegetables around chicken. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 35-40 minutes or until Pocket Thermometer registers 165F in thickest part of breast and juices run clear. Remove from microwave. Cover with lid and let rest 10 minutes (temperature will rise to 170F). Remove and use juices to make gravy.
Yield: 4-6 servings. Nutrients: per serving: Calories 490, Total Fat 29 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 165 mg, Carbohydrate 2 g, Protein 52 g,Sodium 450 mg, Fiber 0 g
Variations: Spice rubs and seasoning mixes give alternate flavors to your chicken.
(My) Gravy
drippings/liquid from baker
3-4 tbsp AP flour
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
Mix drippings and flour in a sauce pan with a whisk until incorporated. Add in chicken broth and heat to a boil. 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.

NOTE:  I will be removing leftover meat from bones for Tuesday's chili, and making chicken stock from the rest of the leftover chicken bones.

White Chicken Chili NOTE I think this recipe is a little garlic heavy - I cut the garlic in half.

Alfredo, Gnocchi, Peas, and Ham
1 jar Alfredo Sauce (I recommend Bertolli, ask for homemade version)

12-16 oz pre-made, fresh packaged Gnocchi
1 cup diced ham (or crumbled, crisped bacon)
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 green onions, chopped, if desired
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain thoroughly. Heat sauce, ham and peas in a sauce pan on med-high heat, stirring frequently. Careful not to burn the sauce, it burns easily. Mix pasta and sauce together and put on a serving plate. Top with green onions and serve.

I will also be serving a spinach salad on the side.

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.

Week of Feb 8, 2015

Garden Bean Salad with bacon

Sun - Chicken Satay
Mon - One Pot Puttanesca
Tue - Sausage Peppers and Potatoes
Wed - Garden Bean Salad with bacon
Thu - Pork Loin Roast
Fri - Pork Loin Sandwiches

One Pot Puttanesca

4 cups chicken broth (can use veggie broth for vegetarian)
2 cans (14.5 oz each) Italian-style diced tomatoes
1/2 medium onion
2 garlic cloves, pressed

1/2 cup sliced olives

7 oz artichoke hearts, drained

2 tbsp capers
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
12 oz (350 g) uncooked linguine or spaghetti pasta
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley, divided
Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the onion in oil until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
2. Carefully add broth, tomatoes, pasta, olives, capers, and pepper flakes, if desired.. Simmer, covered, 9-10 minutes or until pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally.

3. Finely chop parsley; reserve 1 tbsp for garnish. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes or until pasta is tender and sauce is thickened. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and reserved parsley.

Sausage, Peppers and Potatoes Dinner
1 lb Italian Sausage
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 medium potatoes, cubed
In a large non-stick skillet, cook ingredients together on medium heat until sausage is cooked through and potatoes are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Garden Bean Salad with bacon

I will be adding diced, crisped bacon to this dish.

Savory Pork Roast with Apple Stuffing2 medium red apples, chopped (about 2 cups)1/2 cup chopped celery1/2 cup chopped onion6 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix1 cup apple juice1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted2 garlic cloves, pressed1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves, crushed1 teaspoon rubbed sage1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper1 teaspoon salt1 boneless pork loin roast (2 1/2-3 pounds)

DIRECTIONS
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine apples, celery, onion and stuffing mix in large mixing bowl. Drizzle with apple juice and butter; toss well to combine. Spoon stuffing mixture into Deep Dish Baker.2. Combine garlic, rosemary, sage, black pepper and salt; mix well and rub evenly over pork. Place pork, fat side up, over stuffing; loosely cover with aluminum foil, sealing tightly around edge of baker. Bake 1 hour, 30 minutes; carefully remove foil. Bake an additional 15-30 minutes for medium (155°F) to well (165°F) doneness. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes; carve on Reversible Bamboo Carving Board. Serve pork with stuffing.

Week of Feb 1, 2015

Sun - Baked Potato Bar

Mon - Bountiful Brunch Pizza
Tue - Easy Crescent Taco Bake
Wed - Pork Stir Fry
Thu -  Meatball Sandwiches
Fri - Fish Sticks and Chips
Sat - BBQ Ribs

Baked Potato Bar
Baked Potatoes 1 for each person
Put toppings for your potatoes out for everyone to top their own potato. Toppings I will be including are: butter, sour cream, chedder cheese, diced bacon, diced ham, chives, 3 bean chili.


Bountiful Brunch Pizza (Pampered Chef Recipe)
INGREDIENTS

Crust: 1 package (24 ounces) frozen shredded hash brown patties, thawed and broken apart, 1 egg, beaten salt and ground black pepper to taste

Egg Topping: 7 eggs, 1/2 cup milk Salt and ground black pepper to taste (optional) 1 cup chopped ham 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 1/4 cup green onion slices 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese


DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover Large Round Stone with Handles with sheet of Parchment Paper. For crust, combine potatoes, egg, salt and pepper in Classic Batter Bowl; mix well. Spread potato mixture into 14-inch circle on prepared Stone; pat down with back of spoon. Bake 20 minutes; remove from oven. For egg topping, whisk eggs and milk in Small Batter Bowl. Season with salt and black pepper, if desired. Microwave on HIGH 3 minutes; stir. Microwave an additional 3 minutes; stir. Spread cooked egg mixture evenly over potato crust; top with ham, mushrooms, green onion and bell pepper. Sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven. Bake 10 minutes. To serve, cut into wedges with Pizza Cutter.


Yield: 10 servings Nutrients per serving: Approximately 210 calories and 15 grams of fat per serving
U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving: No information is currently available.
Cook's Tips: For a special breakfast or company brunch without the last minute rush, assemble the recipe ingredients the night before. For example, place the hash brown potatoes in the refrigerator to thaw. Chop the ham and bell pepper with the Food Chopper. Slice the mushrooms with the Egg Slicer Plus®. Place in separate containers. Mix the eggs and the milk in the Batter Bowl. Cover all ingredients, refrigerate overnight and sleep tight!


Easy Crescent Taco Bake
I like to add a can of black or pinto beans to this recipe.

Stir Fry 
1 lb of your favorite stir fry meat sliced thin (chicken, pork, whole shrimp, beef, etc)
2 tbs of Asian seasoning OR 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbsp hoisin sauce (found in Asian isle at grocery store)
1 tbsp honey

Stir Fry

2 tbs oil for cooking meat
1 tbsp fresh ground ginger
1 bag of frozen stir fry veggies
Cook meat in oil on medium-high heat until done. Add other ingredients and heat until warm. Serve with steamed white rice or ramen noodles

Fish Sticks and Chips

Prep Time:
5 minutes

Cook Time:
20 minutes

Servings:3

DESCRIPTION:


Simply prepare Fish Sticks and pair with your favorite French fries – it’s like fish and chips, only more fun.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F, Gorton's Classic Breaded Fish Sticks on baking sheet and fill remainder with fries.

2. Bake for 17-19 minutes, turn sticks and fries halfway through baking, let stand for 2-3 minutes, serve and enjoy!

Week of Jan 25 2015

Curry

Sun - Out of Town for weekend
Mon - Shake-n-Bake Pork Chops (prepare according to package)
Tue - Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Wed - Swedish Meatballs
Thu - Panang Curry
Fri - Three Cheese Vegetable Sausage Pizza

Tomato Soup

Grilled Cheese and Soup

8 slices of bread

16 slices of cheese (I like cheddar)

butter

Tomato Soup (just the soup, not the toppers)

Goldfish crackers for soup

Lightly butter both sides of bread. Place 2 pieces of cheese on 4 of the bread slices. Top cheese with another slice of bread. move to a large non-stick skillet. Cover and cook on med-high/medium for 5-10 or until the bottom piece turns light golden brown. Uncover. Turn sandwiches over and cook until it's golden brown on other side. Serve hot with hot soup.

Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs

EASY Swedish Meatballs
1 (32 oz) package frozen meatballs, thawed (not Italian)
1 (10 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 package dry powdered onion soup mix
1 soup can full of milk
1/2 cup sour cream
in a large skillet brown meatballs, then remove. Add in soups, sour cream, and milk to skillet and mix. Return meatballs and heat on med-high heat until hot. Serve over Minute Rice or egg noodles prepared according to package.
CROCK-POT RECIPE: brown meatballs in oven, toaster oven or skillet before adding to crock pot. Mix soups, sour cream, and milk in crock pot, mix. Add in meatballs. 4-6 hours on medium. Serve over Minute Rice or egg noodles prepared according to package.

Yellow Panang Curry
2 tsp - 1 tbsp Panang Curry Paste (I like A Taste of Thai brand)
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 bell pepper, diced
2 carrots, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 tsp fresh ground ginger

Juice and zest of 1 lime
2 (13.5 oz) cans Coconut Milk
1 can chicken stock
2 lb chicken or pork, cubed
1 tbsp oil
In a large stock pot, cook chicken (or pork) and vegetables (except potatoes) in oil until meat is no longer pink. Add curry paste, coconut milk, ginger, potatoes and chicken stock to pot. Simmer on medium until potatoes are tender, up to 1 hour. Serve with white or jasmine rice.

Week of Jan 18, 2015

Sun - Pork BBQ Ribs
Mon - Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala
Tue - Fajitas

Steak Fajitas

Wed - Roasted Pork and Potato Duet
Thu - Stir Fry Noodles
Fri - Out of Town for weekend

Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken
1 Campbell's Skillet Sauce, Chicken Marsala, 9 Oz
1 cup chicken broth
1 (8 oz) package sliced mushrooms

Place chicken, skillet sauce, broth, and mushrooms in slow cooker on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours. Serve with 1 Steamable Package Green Beans and/or garlic mashed potatoes

Steak Fajitas
1-2 lb steak, sliced thin against grain
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 yellow or orange bell pepper, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup diced mushrooms (optional)
Salt and pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp oil
In a large saute pan (cast iron is great for this), saute veggies in oil until tender. Remove veggies cover to keep warm, add steak and seasonings and cook until reached desired doneness. Replace veggies and mix. Serve with flour tortillas, re-fried beans and Mexican rice (box or bag, contact me for homemade recipes)


Roasted Pork & Potato Duet (Pampered Chef Recipe)
INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons rubbed sage
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 center loin pork roast, rolled and tied (3 1/2-4 pounds)
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into fourths (2-3 large)
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, cut into large chunks (3-4 medium)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In Small Batter Bowl, combine sage, garlic, thyme, salt and black pepper. Rub all but 2 teaspoons of the herb mixture evenly over the surface of pork roast.
2. Place roast in Rectangular Baker. Toss potatoes with remaining herb mixture; arrange potatoes around roast. Cover with Rectangular Lid/Bowl. Bake 1 hour, 15 minutes. Using Oven Mitts, pull out oven rack and carefully remove Lid/Bowl from Baker, lifting away from you. Bake roast and potatoes, uncovered, 15-30 minutes or until Digital Pocket Thermometer inserted into meat registers 155°F for medium or 165°F for well done.
3. Remove potatoes to serving platter; set aside. Remove roast to cutting board. Loosely tent with aluminum foil. Let roast stand 10 minutes before carving.
Yield: 10 servings Nutrients per serving: Calories 580, Total Fat 25 g, Sodium 390 mg, Fiber 4 g
U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving: No information is currently available.

Stir Fry Noodles
1 lb of your favorite stir fry meat sliced thin (chicken, pork, whole shrimp, beef, etc)
2 tbsp of Asian seasoning OR 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp hoisin sauce (found in Asian isle at grocery store)
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp oil for cooking meat
1 tbsp fresh ground ginger

Steak Stir Fry Noodles

1 bell pepper, sliced
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1/2 lb snow peas
1 can water chesnuts, drained
2 carrots,sliced
2 (3 oz) packages Ramen noodles - discard seasoning packets

Add oil into large skillet or wok. Add veggies and cook until almost done on medium heat, add meat and raise heat to medium-high, cook until cooked through.
Meanwhile, cook noodles in boiling water from 3 mintues, drain.
Add seasoning and noodles to meat/veggies. Stir and heat through. Serve.