Saturday, May 30, 2009

Saturday
Posole
Ingredients
2 T. canola oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. cumin powder
1 T. Chili powder
1 T. oregano, dried
2 cans yellow corn
2 cans hominy
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth or bullion
2 pounds lean Pork loin, cut up in cubes
Nutritional Info
Fat: 9.0g
Carbohydrates: 14.0g
Calories:189.0
Protein: 13.9g
Brown pork in oil. Remove from pan. Saute onions, bell pepper and garlic in leftover oil. Add cumin, oregano, chili powder. Add back in the pork, broth, and canned tomatoes. Let simmer on low for an hour (or until tender). Add corn and hominy and let simmer another 30 min or so til flavors blend.
Serves 16

Sunday
Grilled Shrimp Salad

Ingredients
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Olive oil cooking spray
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
4 cups salad mix
1 jalapeno pepper
1 tsp minced or grated fresh Ginger
Nutritional Info
Fat: 13.6g
Carbohydrates: 10.5g
Calories:222.0
Protein: 14.9g
Instructions:
1. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high.
2. Toss shrimp with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Stir in teaspoon salt and teaspoon pepper. Lightly spray grill or grill pan with olive oil spray, and cook shrimp about 2 minutes per side or until just cooked through. Transfer shrimp to a plate to cool.
3. Dice jalapeno, grate ginger. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, jalapeno, ginger, remaining teaspoon salt, and more pepper to taste.
4. In a medium bowl, combine red onion and dressing To serve, place 2 cups salad mix on each plate and the onion mixture; sprinkle with equal amounts of feta, top with about 6 shrimp. Serve immediately.
Number of Servings: 2

Serve with bolillo

Monday
Bratwurst, fried apples and spaetzle

Tuesday
Shrimp and Mango Salad
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
3/4 pound cooked shrimp
1 large mango, deseeded, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy or tamari sauce
Juice of 1 large lime
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp minced jalapeno pepper
4 cups arugula
4 small vine-ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
Preparation:Place shrimp, mango and green onions in a medium bowl. Whisk fish sauce, soy/tamari, lime juice, brown sugar and minced pepper. Pour over shrimp and mango mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Divide arugula between four salad plates or bowls. Top with one-fourth of the shrimp and mango. Garnish edge of salad plate with tomatoes.
Serves 4

Wednesday
Use up Albondigas soup. Serve with bolillo rolls

Thursday
Use up pesto. Serve with pasta and simple salad.

Friday
Avocado and Papaya Salad recipe
Ingredients:
2 large avocados.
1 small papaya fruit.
1 ruby red grapefruit.
1 small head of lettuce.
2 tablespoons of olive oil.
1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
Salt and black pepper, to taste.
Preparation Instructions:
Peel the avocados and the papaya, then remove the pits and seeds.Cut the fruit into one inch pieces and mix them together in a suitably sized bowl.Using a sharp knife, peel the grapefruit, then segment it, removing the thin membrane from each of the segments.Cut the segments in half then add to the fruit mixture.Wash the lettuce and break into leaves.Place the the leaves on a platter and put the fruit mixture on top of them.Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a suitably sized bowl to produce the dressing.Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
Serve.

Saturday
Low Fat Asian Crockpot Chicken
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
2 medium to large carrots, cut into thirds, then quartered lengthwise
1 red pepper, chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tsp water
Preparation:Coat the inside of a 3-4 quart crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Place vegetables on the bottom, then lay chicken pieces on top. Combine ginger, garlic, orange juice and soy sauce. Pour over chicken and vegetables. Cook for 6-8 hours on low. Add cornstarch slurry about 30 minutes before the end of cooking to thicken the juices.

Sunday
Apple, Pecan, Cranberry, and Avocado Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 10 Minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients:
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
1 tablespoon chopped salted pecans
1/2 apple, cored and diced
1 tablespoon diced red onion
2 tablespoons grated carrot
1/4 avocado, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette salad
dressing, or to taste
Directions:
1. Place spinach, cranberries, pecans, apple, onion, carrot, and avocado into a bowl. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette, and toss to coat.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Menu Plan for next two weeks

Monday
Grilled Chicken Salad with bollilo rolls

Tuesday
Souvlaki Hoirino: Grilled Pork Souvlaki
From Nancy Gaifyllia, for About.com
In Greek: σουβλάκι χοιρινό, pronounced soov-LAH-kee hee-ree-NO
These grilled morsels of pork are so popular that I always figure on a little more than 3/4 of a pound of meat per person as a main dish. It's an easy dish to prepare, and serving on the skewers adds an authentic touch.
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds of pork shoulder, cut in 3/4 inch cubes
1 teaspoon of ground Greek oregano (rigani)
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon of sea salt
2 tablespoons of red wine (or good red wine vinegar)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Preparation:
In a bowl, pour wine (or vinegar) and oil over the pork and toss to coat. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and oregano, and toss again. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Note: If using vinegar, do not marinate longer than 2 hours or the meat can absorb too strong a vinegar taste. If using wine, the meat can be marinated for up to 2 days as long as salt is also used.
Using 8 inch skewers, thread approximately 6 pieces of meat on each. This should make about 12 skewers.
Grill the meat turning until well browned, about 15 minutes. Serve on the skewers with a squeeze of lemon.
Note: If using a gas grill, use wooden skewers. If using a charcoal grill, use metal skewers. If broiling in the oven, use either, but wooden skewers should be soaked in water for several minutes before using.
Yield: serves 3 (4 skewers per person) as a main dish.
As a meze: To prepare this recipe as a meze, use smaller skewers (5-6 inches long) and put 3-4 pieces of meat on each to make approximately 20 skewers.


Tzatziki: Traditional Yogurt, Cucumber, and Garlic Dip
From Nancy Gaifyllia, for About.com
In Greek: τζατζίκι, pronounced dza-DZEE-kee
Tzatziki is traditionally served as an appetizer and can be left on the table as an accompaniment to foods throughout the meal. The key to great tzatziki is the thick creamy texture that allows it to be eaten alone, as a dip, as a spread, and as a condiment.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
16 ounces (2 cups) of thick Greek yogurt
4 to 10 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup of diced or grated cucumber (Kirby or "English")
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
Preparation:
Prepare all ingredients in advance. Combine oil and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl. Fold the yogurt in slowly, making sure it mixes completely with the oil. Add the garlic, according to taste, and the cucumber. Stir until evenly distributed. Garnish with a bit of green and serve well chilled.
Yield: about 2 1/2 cups
Add mint or dill: Slight variations include 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh dill and/or fresh mint. Tasty additions!
Shopping Tip:
The thick, full-fat yogurts available at Greek, Middle Eastern, and specialty food markets - or a commercial full-fat strained yogurt - will give the best results. You can also make your own strained yogurt2 using full-fat, low-fat, or fat-free commercial yogurt.
Preparation Tips:
Kirby or "English" cucumbers work best (usually wrapped in plastic wrap at the market). If not available, peel and seed the cucumber3 before dicing or grating.
After dicing or grating the cucumber, pat it dry with absorbent toweling to remove excess moisture.
The longer the tzatziki is refrigerated before serving, the more intense the garlic taste will become.
Storage:
Tzatziki will store safely in the refrigerator for several days. If excess liquid accumulates on top, just pour it off.


Serve with grilled zuchinni



Wednesday
Grilled Flank steak with grilled artichoke and garlic mashed red potatoes.
Marinate in mixture of shoyu, garlic mac oil, green onions and diced garlic.

Thursday
Chicken Mole for Crock Pot Recipe #112218
by PaulaG
5½ hours 1½ hours prep
SERVES 8
1/4 cup blanched almond
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces (2 to 3 inch)
1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon anise seed
1/4 cup sesame seed
4 whole cloves
4 dried pasilla peppers, stemmed and seeded
6 dried New Mexico Chiles or dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
1-2 guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded
3-4 cups chicken stock
2 medium Roma tomatoes
3 ounces Mexican chocolate or 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 sweet white onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup raisins
salt
2 chicken, cut into serving pieces skinned (Use only the thighs, breasts and legs)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the almonds, cinnamon stick, coriander, aniseed, sesame seed and cloves on a baking sheet.
Toast in the oven for 10 minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned; remove and set aside.
Place chiles on another baking sheet and toast at 350 degrees for 10 minutes; check and stir as needed to prevent burning.
Remove the chiles from the oven and allow to cool.
When cool, break chiles lightly, and place in in a large glass bowl.
Pour 2 cups of hot chicken stock over the chiles and allow to sit for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat broiler and place the 2 tomatoes on a cookie sheet and broil for 5 to 7 minutes or until skin cracks and blisters lightly, turning about every 2 minutes.
Remove tomatoes from oven and set aside to cool before removing the skin and chopping.
Pour the chiles and stock into a blender and puree in batches until smooth.
Add the toasted almonds and spices, peeled and chopped tomato, chocolate, garlic, onion, raisins and salt to taste.
Blend until smooth, adding remaining stock as needed to make sauce proper consistency.
The sauce should be just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Strain the sauce through a medium-meshed sieve to remove seeds and pieces of chile.
Arrange the chicken pieces in the crock pot and pour sauce over.
Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or 6 to 8 hours.
At 3 to 4 hours the chicken will be firm and retain its shape.
At 6 to 8 hours, the meat will be falling off the bone.
Transfer to dinner plates and serve immediately with rice, salad and crusty bread.
Please Note: The back, neck and chicken wings can be used to make chicken stock.

Grilled Portabello Recipe
Ingredients:
Several Parge Portabellos
Butter
Garlic
Cilantro Garnish
Directions:
Clean and remove stem from Portabellos. Heat a saucepan and melt a good quantity of butter in it. When the butter starts bubbling add two or three cloves of garlic, minced. Add the mushrooms and saute until slightly browned and heated throughout. Serve sliced very thin on a plate with cilantro.

Serve with white rice

Friday
Grilled Scallops With Pineapple, Peach Salsa

Ingredients -
1 pound Sea Scallops
1 tablespoon Fresh Mint Leaves
1 tablespoon Fresh Rosemary, chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Salt, to taste
Salsa: 2 whole Peaches, pitted, diced
1 Sweet Red Pepper, seeded, chopped
1 Jalapeño, seeded, chopped
1 tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro - chopped
1/2 Red Onion, chopped
15 ounces canned Crushed Pineapple, drained

Preparation:
1. Place half dozen scallops per skewer.
2. Drizzle each kabob with extra virgin olive oil.
3. Season scallops with mint, rosemary and black pepper.
4. Place kabobs in refrigerator. Marinate for 30 minutes, up to an hour.
5. In a medium serving bowl, combine all salsa ingredients. Chill until ready to serve.
6. Preheat grill to medium heat.
7. Season scallops with salt.
8. Grill over direct heat a few minutes. Turn. Grill the other side.
9. Serve with salsa.

Make this again!!! Super duper yummy!

Mandarin-Nut Tossed Salad
Submitted By: Barbara Gibney
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 10 Minutes
Servings: 12
"'I'm a wife, mother of three and business owner,' relates Barbara Gibney of Lilian, Alabama. 'With my busy schedule, I have to cook fast dishes, but I also want nutritious foods my entire family enjoys. Even the picky eaters in our house like this salad.'"
Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package salad greens
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
3/4 cup chopped salted peanuts
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
Directions:
1. In a bowl combine the salad greens and oranges. Sprinkle with peanuts. Combine salad dressing and soy sauce; drizzle over salad and toss to coat.

Make this again! Really tasty!
Orzo with Parsley and Lemon Zest
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Prep Time:
5 min
Inactive Prep Time:
0 min
Cook Time:
12 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 servings
Ingredients
1/2 pound orzo
Coarse salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
2 large lemons, zested
Black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls
Directions
Cook orzo in salted water about 12 minutes, to al dente. Drain orzo well. Do not run under cold water. You want the cooked pasta to remain hot. Transfer pasta to a serving bowl. Drizzle orzo with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add lemon zest and parsley and toss to combine the flavors with the pasta

Saturday
Beef Bourguignon with Red Wine
Crockpot beef stew with red wine and bacon, along with carrots and other seasonings.
Ingredients:
1 lb. bacon, cooked, reserve grease
3 lbs. beef, cubed flour
1 1/2 cups red wine
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 carrots, diced
4 to 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
Preparation:Slowly cook bacon in large skillet; remove to crockpot. Dredge beef cubes in flour, brown in bacon fat. Transfer meat from skillet to crockpot. Saute vegetables and garlic in bacon fat; remove to crockpot. Gently stir beef, vegetables, bacon and wine. Add bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low 7 to 9 hours.


Add red potatoes last 2 hours of cooking time

Sunday
Pad Ga-prao
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon garlic
2-30+ small thai chilies to taste
1/2 cup (100g) ground pork (or chicken/beef)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon black soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon white sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup holy basil leaves and flowers

Directions
Smash chilies with a stone mortar & pestle if you have one, or use the side or back of a knife. Smash garlic, and set aside with the chilies.
Clean basil by picking off the leaves and flowers, and discarding the stems. Rinse and set aside.
Heat the oil in a pan until very hot on high heat. Throw in the chilies & garlic, and stir until browned. You should sneeze from the chili. (You may want to open a window.)
When the garlic is ready, add the pork. Break it up in the pan with your spatula, to make sure it cooks evenly. Fry until no longer red.
Add sugar, soy sauce & fish sauce. Stir and let absorb.
When dry, add the water and the basil leaves. Stir until basil is wilted, and serve on rice.
If you want to top with a fried egg, add a bit more oil in the pan, and allow the oil to get very hot. Crack an egg in the middle. If it’s hot enough the egg will bubble up and sizzle. When browned on the edges, flip and wait until browned on the other side. Remove and place on top of the rice.


Thai Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
1 red spur chili, finely chopped (or 1/2 of a sweet red bell pepper)
4 cucumbers
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped coriander
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/3 cup vinegar
Preparation
Wash the cucumbers, cut into quarters lengthwise, then cut across into thin slices. Mix vinegar, sugar and salt together, simmer over medium heat until dissolved and the sauce slightly thickens. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Just before serving, pour the cold sauce over the vegetables, and sprinkle with chopped coriander on top.

Serve with white jasmine rice cooked in coconut milk


Monday
Pork Shoulder, onions, cabbage, carrots cooked in with pork. (I so wish poi!)

Lana's Macaroni Salad Recipe #332268
Hawaiian style macaroni salad. We lived on Oahu for 3 years and macaroni salad is a staple of life there. This is my version of the island favorite.
by Lanagirl
40 min 30 min prep
SERVES 12
1 lb elbow macaroni
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
4 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, grated
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
2 1/2 tablespoons mustard (Regular Yellow)
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions, rinse in a colander and let cool. Mix all ingredients together and let chill for a few hours.


Tuesday
Seared Ahi Tuna with Watercress, Chile, and Ginger Salad
Submitted By: Alex Bluett
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 5 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 35 Minutes
Servings: 2
"Thai influenced tuna steak with a light and aromatic salad. Ideal for summer. Make sure the tuna you get is a dark ruby red and not brown or gray. (Brown shows age/oxidization, gray shows ice damage.) Tuna should be served seared and red in the middle as it is much more tender and juicy. If you do not like it this way increase the cooking time in the pan or transfer tuna to a baking tray and oven cook it at gas mark 7 for around 4 minutes."
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 tablespoons lime juice
4 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons white sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/2 fresh red chile pepper, seeded and minced
1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separated
2 (8 ounce) tuna steaks
1 bunch watercress, trimmed
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 fresh red chile pepper, cut into
matchsticks
Directions:
1. Whisk together the ginger, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Slowly whisk in olive oil until incorporated. Set aside and refrigerate half of this mixture to be used as a salad dressing later. Whisk the garlic, lime zest, minced chile pepper, and cilantro stems into the marinade. Coat the tuna steaks with the marinade, cover, and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature.
2. Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is very hot, remove the tuna from the marinade, and place into the skillet. Sear the tuna until golden brown on both sides, and cooked to your desired degree of doneness, about 2 minutes per side for medium, depending on thickness.
3. Place the watercress in a large bowl with the cilantro leaves, cherry tomatoes, and sliced chile pepper. Pour in the reserved dressing, and toss to mix. Serve the seared tuna on a bed of salad.

Marinated chicken wings
Ingredients:
2 lb. chicken wings (cut off the tops of the wings)
[Marinade]
2 tablespoons sake or white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ginger root, minced
[Sauce] (prepare this 2 to 3 hours before use)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger root, minced
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 or 3 stalks green onion, finely chopped
tabasco to taste (optional)
Cooking time: 1 hour +
Servings: 4

Serve with white rice

Wednesday
Cheese fondue with bread, kielbasa, onion, and mushrooms.

Thursday
Turkey burgers, french fries & salad.

Friday
Apricot Ginger Chicken
Ingredients
1¼ lb (500g) chicken fillets, cubed
3 tbsp all-purpose (plain) flour
1 tsp ginger powder
1 carrot, sliced
1 zucchini (courgette), sliced
1 small pepper (capsicum), sliced
6 cauliflower florets
14fl oz (400 ml) apricot nectar (juice)
1 tsp crushed ginger
Method
1 Put the flour and ginger powder in a plastic bag and add the chicken. Toss around until coated.
3 Put the chicken and vegetables in the crock pot.
4 Mix the other ingredients together and pour over the chicken.
5 Cook on low for 8-9 hours.
Notes
Use your favorite vegetables. Add vegetables later in cooking.
Serve with rice or couscous.


Steamed veggies