Weds, Sept. 26:
Chicken Fajitas with Avocado Corn Salad
Extra Prep:
While chopping bell pepper & onion, chop extra for Thurs to save time tomorrow!
Thurs, Sept. 27:
An Altered Version of Frito Chili Pie that used pork sausage, bell pepper, and mushrooms!
Extra Prep:
Halve and scoop out spaghetti squash. Brush with olive oil & sprinkle with garlic salt. Cover with Saran wrap.
Optional Prep: Dice onions, carrots, garlic, ginger, or apricots to save even more time Friday.
Fri, Sept. 28:
Chickin Tagine with Apricots, Almonds & Chickpeas and Moroccan Spiced Spaghetti Squash
Sat, Sept. 29:
Roast Chicken with Herb Butter and Roasted Acorn Squash with Chile Vinaigrette
Tip: Have a late brunch, and make this early afternoon for afternoon & evening grazing. No need to make 3 different meals if you don't want to!
Sun, Sept. 30:
Family Birthday Dinner at the In-laws :)
Mon, Oct. 1:
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro Jalapeno Slaw & Freezer Fries
Tues, Oct. 2:
Easy Indian Chicken Curry and Dal Palak with Naan & Basmati Rice
Friday, September 28, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Easy Parmesan Garlic Biscuits
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 8 - 10 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients:
1 cup Bisquick
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan
1 T butter, plus more for serving
1/4t roasted garlic powder (more or less depending on your preference)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F.
Combine 1 cup Bisquick with 1/3 cup milk and mix well. Add Parmesan and stir to combine. Roll dough into ping pong sized balls, flatten between your palms, and place on a foil lined cookie sheet. Mix 1T butter with garlic powder (I recommend Archer Farms Roasted Garlic Powder) and spread on top of biscuits. Bake in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Note: If you buy Parmesan that's "shredded" you'll want to add it to a food processor, blender, or coffee grinder for about 15 - 30 seconds. If you don't have any of those a knife works fine too!
Ingredients:
1 cup Bisquick
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan
1 T butter, plus more for serving
1/4t roasted garlic powder (more or less depending on your preference)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F.
Combine 1 cup Bisquick with 1/3 cup milk and mix well. Add Parmesan and stir to combine. Roll dough into ping pong sized balls, flatten between your palms, and place on a foil lined cookie sheet. Mix 1T butter with garlic powder (I recommend Archer Farms Roasted Garlic Powder) and spread on top of biscuits. Bake in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Note: If you buy Parmesan that's "shredded" you'll want to add it to a food processor, blender, or coffee grinder for about 15 - 30 seconds. If you don't have any of those a knife works fine too!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Link: Awesome General Tso's Chicken Recipe!
Check out this recipe for General Tso's Chicken by Mama's Kitchen over on Food.com. The sauce cooks up just like what you would get from a restaurant. After my first meal with it I immediately wanted to try different variations (add sriracha? ginger? sub ponzu for some of the soy sauce?). There's so many options to make this sauce exactly what you want it to be. Oh, and I would saute a little chopped bell pepper and onion into the meal for some veggies (and color!).
Meatballs Eggplant Parmesan
Prep time: 1 hour | Cook time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4 - 6
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup beer
1 medium or 2 small eggplant
1/2 lb. pasta of your choice
1 package Al Fresco Tomato Basil Meatballs (or your choice)
1/2 jar Classico Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce (or your choice)
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2T red wine (optional)
olive oil
canola oil
salt
pepper
Directions:
Combine 1 cup flour with 1 cup beer and whisk until smooth. Set aside for 1 hour.
Place eggplant slices into a colander nestled over a bowl, and salt well. (Don't worry, you'll rinse this salt off later) Let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse your eggplant and set aside.
Heat 1/2T olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat, and add meatballs. Mix to coat with oil, and fry a few minutes stirring often.
Fill a large pot with water, add salt and oil and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain well, combine with 2t olive oil and set aside.
When meatballs are browned, remove to a plate and set aside. Add 2t olive oil and onion, and saute a few minutes. When onions become translucent add garlic, stir to combine, and saute another minute. Add wine Reduce heat to simmer and add tomato sauce, being careful to avoid splatter. Return meatballs to the pan and mix to coat. Simmer.
Fill a large pot with 1.5 - 2" oil (I use canola) and heat over medium high. Dredge eggplant in 1/2 cup flour mixed with salt and pepper. Coat eggplant with batter and, when the oil is hot, add a few pieces being careful not to crowd them. Fry until golden brown, flipping once half way through cooking.
Place pasta on plate, top with meatballs and sauce, and top that with a few slices of eggplant.
Note: To complete the meal serve with my parmesan garlic biscuits or garlic bread of your very own, and a fresh green salad (Caesar salad would be fantastic).
Inspiration for beer battered eggplant came from Maple Spice, check 'em out!
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup beer
1 medium or 2 small eggplant
1/2 lb. pasta of your choice
1 package Al Fresco Tomato Basil Meatballs (or your choice)
1/2 jar Classico Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce (or your choice)
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2T red wine (optional)
olive oil
canola oil
salt
pepper
Directions:
Combine 1 cup flour with 1 cup beer and whisk until smooth. Set aside for 1 hour.
Place eggplant slices into a colander nestled over a bowl, and salt well. (Don't worry, you'll rinse this salt off later) Let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse your eggplant and set aside.
Heat 1/2T olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat, and add meatballs. Mix to coat with oil, and fry a few minutes stirring often.
Fill a large pot with water, add salt and oil and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain well, combine with 2t olive oil and set aside.
When meatballs are browned, remove to a plate and set aside. Add 2t olive oil and onion, and saute a few minutes. When onions become translucent add garlic, stir to combine, and saute another minute. Add wine Reduce heat to simmer and add tomato sauce, being careful to avoid splatter. Return meatballs to the pan and mix to coat. Simmer.
Fill a large pot with 1.5 - 2" oil (I use canola) and heat over medium high. Dredge eggplant in 1/2 cup flour mixed with salt and pepper. Coat eggplant with batter and, when the oil is hot, add a few pieces being careful not to crowd them. Fry until golden brown, flipping once half way through cooking.
Place pasta on plate, top with meatballs and sauce, and top that with a few slices of eggplant.
Note: To complete the meal serve with my parmesan garlic biscuits or garlic bread of your very own, and a fresh green salad (Caesar salad would be fantastic).
Inspiration for beer battered eggplant came from Maple Spice, check 'em out!
Chicken Mushroom Mac
Prep time: 20 to 45 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes to 1 hour | Servings: 4 - 6
Ingredients:
1/4 - 1/3 lb pasta, cooked & drained (leftover pasta works great for this!)
8oz sharp cheddar
1/2 cup ricotta
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
1/4 teaspoon season salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
dash cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
4 medium button mushrooms, sliced
1 cooked chicken breast, chopped into bite size pieces (I deboned a leftover roast chicken breast, and reserved the bones for stock)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a medium sized casserole dish.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat. Saute onion until translucent. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes, or until starting to brown, stirring frequently.
While the mushrooms saute combine ricotta, dried mustard, season salt, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. Add milk and stir well.
Reserve 1/4 - 1/3 cup grated cheddar. Combine the rest of the grated cheddar, ricotta mixture, cooked pasta, mushroom mixture, and chicken. Pour into greased casserole dish and gently press down. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil and mix well (be sure to stir this gently, as it will be hot!). Top with reserved grated cheddar, and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.
Note: Prep and cook times vary depending on whether you have prepared chicken and pasta on hand. I would recommend this recipe for a weeknight when you've already got leftover cooked chicken in the oven and just want to snaz it up for a fast dinner. Cooking the pasta the day of is easy to do, just set the pot on to boil before you begin to heat the butter for the onions.
If you are cooking your chicken the day of several methods work. Poached chicken would probably be the best, roast chicken is a favorite of mine, and even a sauteed boneless breast would work great in this recipe!
Inspiration recipe found over at Smitten Kitchen, under Easiest Baked Mac-and-Cheese
Ingredients:
1/4 - 1/3 lb pasta, cooked & drained (leftover pasta works great for this!)
8oz sharp cheddar
1/2 cup ricotta
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
1/4 teaspoon season salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
dash cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
4 medium button mushrooms, sliced
1 cooked chicken breast, chopped into bite size pieces (I deboned a leftover roast chicken breast, and reserved the bones for stock)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a medium sized casserole dish.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat. Saute onion until translucent. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes, or until starting to brown, stirring frequently.
While the mushrooms saute combine ricotta, dried mustard, season salt, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. Add milk and stir well.
Reserve 1/4 - 1/3 cup grated cheddar. Combine the rest of the grated cheddar, ricotta mixture, cooked pasta, mushroom mixture, and chicken. Pour into greased casserole dish and gently press down. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil and mix well (be sure to stir this gently, as it will be hot!). Top with reserved grated cheddar, and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.
Note: Prep and cook times vary depending on whether you have prepared chicken and pasta on hand. I would recommend this recipe for a weeknight when you've already got leftover cooked chicken in the oven and just want to snaz it up for a fast dinner. Cooking the pasta the day of is easy to do, just set the pot on to boil before you begin to heat the butter for the onions.
If you are cooking your chicken the day of several methods work. Poached chicken would probably be the best, roast chicken is a favorite of mine, and even a sauteed boneless breast would work great in this recipe!
Inspiration recipe found over at Smitten Kitchen, under Easiest Baked Mac-and-Cheese
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