Saturday, August 20, 2011

Eggplant Sandwiches with french fries

TUESDAY
Eggplant Sandwiches

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Servings: 3
"Roasted eggplant in a French roll with feta cheese, basil and garlic mayonnaise"
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 small eggplant, halved and sliced
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons olive
oil, or as needed
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 (6 inch) French sandwich rolls
1-1/2 small tomato, sliced
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons chopped
fresh basil leaves
DIRECTIONS:
You have scaled this recipe's ingredients to yield a new amount (3). The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield (2).
1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil, and place them on a baking sheet or broiling pan. Place the pan about 6 inches from the heat source. Cook under the broiler for 10 minutes, or until tender and toasted.
2. Split the French rolls lengthwise, and toast. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and garlic. Spread this mixture on the toasted bread. Fill the rolls with eggplant slices, tomato, feta cheese and basil leaves.

Serve with french fries

Strawberry Glazed Pork Chops with Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts

MONDAY
Strawberry Glazed Pork Chops 
Servings 4
Ingredients
Strawberry preserves 1/2 C.
Red wine vinegar. 3T.
Canola or olive oil 1/4 C
Lemon juice 1t
Pork loin chops 4
Assembly Directions:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together preserves, vinegar, oil and lemon juice. One recipe will make about 1 cup.
Place pork chops in freezer bag. Pour marinade over pork chops.

Freezing Directions:
Seal, label, and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw pork chops in the refrigerator overnight.

To Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray. Place pork chops on baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest piece of pork reads 160 to 170 degrees.


Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts
2007 Ellie Krieger, All Rights Reserved
From FoodNetwork

Prep Time:5 minInactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time:20 min
Level:
--
Serves:
6 servings, serving size 3/4 cup

Directions
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and pepper
Put the broth and quinoa in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and grain is tender.

Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove nuts from pan and set aside. Heat the oil in the same skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and begin to brown, about 6 minutes.

When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in the pine nuts, onions, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Serve with steamed cauliflower

Butternut Squash Pizza with Rosemary

Butternut Squash Pizzas with Rosemary
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 50 Minutes
Servings: 4
"Individual 'pizzettes' with roasted onions and butternut squash, seasoned with rosemary and finished with Parmesan or Asiago cheese."
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1/2 butternut squash - peeled, seeded,
and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
salt and black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 (16 ounce) package refrigerated pizza crust dough, divided (we're going to make our own. Click here for recipe)
1 tablespoon cornmeal
2 tablespoons grated Asiago or
Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place sliced onion and squash in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; toss to coat.
2. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until onions are lightly browned and squash is tender; set aside.
3. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). On a floured surface, roll each ball of dough into an 8 inch round. Place the rounds on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal (you may need 2 baking sheets depending on their size). Distribute squash mixture over the two rounds and continue baking for 10 minutes, checking occasionally, or until the crust is firm. Sprinkle with cheese and remaining tablespoon olive oil. Cut into quarters, and serve.

Braised Venison Roast

SATURDAY
Braised Venison Roast

Cook time 3 1⁄2 hours
Description

Ingredients

4 lb Venison Roast
1 onion (Cut into thin slices)
3 T Olive Oil
1 Bottle of Guiness Beer

Instructions
Brown the roast on all sides in the olive oil in a cast iron Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the sliced onion and stir just a bit so that it gets a little coated by the oil. Pour the full contents of the bottle of Guinness over the roast and onions. Now turn down the heat to about medium low, cover with a very tight fitting lid and braise the roast for about 3 hours. Do NOT allow this to go dry. Check it periodically and if the fluid level is diminishing, feel free to add either water or more Guinness to make up the difference. Once the roast is fork tender, it is time to make a bit of a roux to thicken the sauce. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, then add 4 tablespoons of flour, whisk together for a minute or two to cook the flour. You don’t want it tasting raw. Add the roux to the hot broth of the venison roast and whisk into a beautifully thickened sauce that can be served over potatoes, rice, or roasted vegetables.

We're going to make some mashed potatoes and steamed edamame.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Okra Casserole

OKRA AND ONION CASSEROLE
Printed from COOKS.COM
2 c. sliced okra
1 c. buttered bread crumbs
2 tbsp. salt
1 chopped onion
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. chopped bell pepper
Combine all ingredients except 1/4 cup bread crumbs. Spoon into greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with reserved bread crumbs and bake 5 more minutes. Serves 4.

Artichoke Chicken and Olives

FRIDAY
Artichoke Chicken And Olives


Category: Chicken
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast halves and/or thighs
2 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 or 9 oz) pkg frozen artichokes
1 c chicken broth
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 c sliced pitted ripe olives (or 1/4 cup capers, drained)
1/4 c dry white wine or chicken broth
3 tbsp quick cooking tapioca
2-3 tsp curry powder
3/4 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 c hot cooked couscous
DIRECTIONS:
Rinse chicken & set aside. In a 3 1/2 qt crock pot combine mushrooms, undrained tomatoes, frozen artichoke hearts, chicken broth, onion, olives, & wine/broth. Stir in tapioca, curry powder, thyme, salt, & pepper. Add chicken. Spoon some of the tomato mixture over chicken. Cover & cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Serve with hot cooked couscous. Serves 6. Per serving - 345 calories, 6g total fat (1g saturated fat), 60mg cholesterol, 531 mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate (with couscous?), 9g fiber, 30g protein
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2007-2011 SlowAndSimple.com Printed from SlowAndSimple.com 08/06/11

Brats, homemade sauerkraut and spaetzle

THURSDAY
Gym night. Use up Chicken Brats, sauerkraut and spaetzle

Burgers, corn on the cob and pasta salad

WEDNESDAY
Gym night so easy dinner.
Make the pasta salad at least a night to two nights before.

Simple Salad with fresh artisan bread

TUESDAY
Simple salad with fresh artisan bread

Eggplant Tofu Stirfry

MONDAY
Eggplant Tofu stir fry
We've made something like this before but this time we're going out more on our own.

2 to 3 Japanese eggplants, skin peeled off
1 block tofu, cut into square chunks
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
handful mushrooms
onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 tsp, ginger, diced
soy sauce
Thai chili sauce
sesame oil
peanut oil
chicken broth
cornstarch

This is actually very simple. Saute the celery, carrots and garlic in the peanut oil until slightly tender. Add the chopped onions, and eggplant and mushrooms. Saute until eggplant and mushrooms are slightly wilted. Add tofu and allow to cook fully. Remove everything from wok. Now add the sesame oil, ginger, thai chili sauce, soy sauce, chicken broth and cornstarch. Allow to thicken some. Add celery, carrot, garlic, tofu and eggplant mixture and toss lightly to thoroughly coat. Serve over jasmine rice.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

THURSDAY
Crockpot Salsa Chicken
Serves 4
2 chicken breasts
1 cup of salsa
1/4 cup of white wine
1/2 diced onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of cumin
salt, pepper, hot sauce to taste

Add chicken breasts, salsa, white wine, diced onion, garlic cloves, and cumin to crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken and add salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Serve!

We're going to actually use this for quesadillas. Once we get home and the chicken is done, we'll chop up some extra onions, some bell pepper, and grate some cheese and voila. Quickie dinner!

Butternut Squash with Pecans and Blue Cheese

WEDNESDAY
Butternut Squash With Pecans And Blue Cheese

4-1/2 lbs butternut squash
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 stalks fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup pecans
1 cups crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese (we use Gorgonzola since blue cheese is not exactly Edward's fav)
Instructions:
Heat the oven to 425°F.
Halve the squash, leaving the skin on, and scoop out the seeds, then cut into 1-inch cubes; you don't need to be precise, just keep the pieces uniformly small.
Put into a roasting pan with the oil and strip about 4 stalks of thyme of their leaves, sprinkling over the butternut squash. If you can't get any fresh thyme, sprinkle over dried. Roast in the oven for about 30-45 minutes or until tender.
Once out of the oven, remove the squash to a bowl and scatter over the pecans and crumble over the cheese, tossing everything together gently.
Check the seasoning and add the last couple of stalks of thyme, torn into small sprigs, to decorate.
Serves 6-8

Serve with salad and Naan bread

Chai Cherry Chicken Crockpot Recipe

Sandra Lee's Chai Cherry Chicken (crockpot) Recipe
Ingredients
2 1/2 lb Chicken Thigh,raw
1 cup Frozen Dark Cherries
1/2 cup Cherry Preserves
1 cup Chopped Onions Fresh Frozen
1/2 cup Port wine
350 ml Chai (tea Bag)
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Directions
Brown chicken under broiler for 6 minutes. Mix wine and preserves in a separate bowl. Put all ingredients into crockpot. Cook on low 4-6 hours.
Categories
Course: Main Dish


We're going to serve this with fresh sauteed swiss chard, onions and a bit of kale from the back yard along with rice.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

English Roast beef with gravy and mashed potatoes along with sauteed haricot vert

SUNDAY
English Roast Beef
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 3 Hours
Ready In: 3 Hours 20 Minutes
Servings: 8
"A delicious pot roast with a fabulous gravy seasoned with sage and mint. A delightful recipe for a Sunday dinner with friends."
INGREDIENTS:
5 pounds beef round roast
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
1 medium onion, sliced (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1/8 teaspoon seasoning salt (optional)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried mint
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Season the roast with salt and pepper to taste. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the outside of the roast on all sides in the butter. After the roast is browned, add 1/2 cup water to the pan, and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sage, and 1/2 teaspoon of mint onto the roast. Place onion and garlic into the pan if desired, and season with seasoning salt and red pepper flakes, if using.
2. Cover the pot, and place the roast in the oven for 2 to 3 hours depending on how well done you prefer the meat to be. 2 hours for rare, and 3 for well done. Removed finished roast to a pan to keep warm.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet. Whisk flour into melted butter until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 cup cold water. Mix until a smooth paste is formed. Return to medium heat, and season with remaining sage and mint. Stir in the liquid from the roasting pan, and boil, stirring constantly until the gravy is thickened. Remove from heat. Slice the roast and serve with gravy poured over the meat.

Serve with mashed potatoes and Sauteed Garlic Haricot Vert
1 pound fresh or frozen haricot vert (French green beans), trimmed
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt to taste
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
Instructions:
If you are using fresh haricot vert, cook in a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes; shock in ice-cold water, drain and set aside. If using frozen, thaw and drain.
In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter until bubbling but not browned. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute until softened, about 30 seconds. Add the beans and toss a couple of times. Add the salt and pepper and continue to saute until all is hot throughout, approximately 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Cobb salad

MONDAY
Cobb Salad
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 50 Minutes
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS:
4 slices bacon
2 eggs
5/8 head romaine lettuce, shredded
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken meat
1-1/4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
5/8 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
2 green onions, chopped
5/8 (8 ounce) bottle Ranch-style salad
dressing
DIRECTIONS:
You have scaled this recipe's ingredients to yield a new amount (4). The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield (6).
1. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover completely with cold water. Bring water to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
3. Divide shredded lettuce among individual plates.
4. Evenly divide and arrange chicken, eggs, tomatoes, blue cheese, bacon, avocado and green onions in a row on top of the lettuce.
5. Drizzle with your favorite dressing and enjoy.

Serve with Naan bread

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Mango Blueberry Quinoa Salad

THURSDAY
Mango Blueberry Quinoa Salad:
quinoa
cucumber
red rice
chickpeas
lemon & basil oil dressing (see recipe below)
mixed sprouted peas and beans (green peas, adzuki beans and chickpeas or similar)
raisins
blueberries
mango

Lemon & Basil Oil Dressing:
basil infused sunflower oil
lemon juice
salt
roasted garlic puree (garlic and rapeseed oil)
sugar
lemon zest
pepper

Mexican Night!

WEDNESDAY
Bean Burritos with Nopal Salad

The bean burritos, once again is all our recipe.  I take pinto beans and sometimes some black beans, throw them in the crockpot the day before and let cook until they're relatively done.  On Wednesday night I'll be taking the already cooked beans and then refrying them with 2 slices of bacon, a bit of salt and pepper.  This way our refried beans don't have quite as much of the junk that canned refried beans do.


Nopal Salad: Ensalada de Nopalitos by Karen Hursh Graber © 2006

The market ladies in Puebla sell this salad ready-made, ladling it into plastic bags to "take-out." The basic recipe consists of nopales, green onions and cilantro; other ingredients, such as tomatoes, can be added to taste. I like to dress the salad lightly with a little bit of olive oil and lime juice, although many people do not. It can be used in tacos or as a garnish on tostadas, and is a good accompaniment to grilled meat, chicken or fish.

Ingredients:

3 cups diced nopales, cooked until tender and rinsed under cold water
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
1/2 cup diced radishes
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 fresh lime
1/4 teaspoon crumbled, dried oregano leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 serrano chiles, finely chopped (optional)
Preparation:

Place the nopales in a salad bowl with the other vegetables and the cilantro. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper, and pour over all. Toss to blend well.

Serves 4-6.

Asian Orange Tofu Stir Fry

TUESDAY
Asian Orange Tofu Stir Fry
For the sauce:

3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons orange zest
1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
dash of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon water
Everything else:

8 ounces extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into small cubes
1 small head of broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 small zucchini squash cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil


Pour all the sauce ingredients, except the corn starch and tablespoon of water, into a medium saucepan, and set it over medium-high heat. Once it starts boiling, turn off the heat, and set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan (or wok if you have one) over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and fry until crispy and brown, about five minutes. Remove the tofu from the pan.
Mix the cornstarch and water. Make sure the cornstarch is not lumpy. Put the broccoli and peppers into the pan and fry for a minute or two; then add the sauce. Add the tofu back into the pan. Then stir in the cornstarch slurry. Cook for a minute or two longer until the sauce has thickened. Serve over rice.
MONDAY
Avocado Salad
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 10 Minutes
Servings: 4
"Fresh avocados tossed with sweet onion, green pepper, tomato, cilantro and lime juice."
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/4 avocados - peeled, pitted and diced
5/8 sweet onion, chopped
5/8 green bell pepper, chopped
5/8 large ripe tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons chopped
fresh cilantro
3/8 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
You have scaled this recipe's ingredients to yield a new amount (4). The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield (6).
1. In a medium bowl, combine avocados, onion, bell pepper, tomato, cilantro and lime juice. Gently toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.

We're going to serve this over some fresh salad greens with toasted tortillas with cheese melted on top. I'll possibly make some Creme Fraiche to dip the tortillas in as a treat.

Here are the instructions on how to make Creme Fraiche.

Mango Chicken Kabobs with Rice

SUNDAY
This one is all our own.  We're using a marinade from Tropical Pepper Company.  Kabobs, in my opinion are super easy to make.  Simply marinate your meat, cut up some veggies and then skewer the meat and veggies and toss them on the grill, cook until done.