Weekly Meal Plan #14

Wow-what a great first week of 2011! I hope you all had a great week, too!  It was actually nice to be back at school, in a routine, and working with my students.  I had a student teacher for 8 weeks before winter break.  I really enjoyed that experience.  Still, it's really nice to be back in the saddle with my kids. 

Despite the busy week, I found a couple new favs in terms of meals to have in the back pocket.  I don't know about anyone else, but the Tomato Florentine Soup from last week was so warm and cozy.  It had a great robust flavor, and although it had just a little protein in it, it was very tasty and filling!  I hope you enjoyed it, too. 

Here we go again!  So old, some new...all for you!  I was excited to find the P.F. Chang's recipe, as the hubs and I LOVE P.F. Chang's.  I am crossing my fingers that it turns out just as yummy! 

Side note-it's my little puppy's (not so little anymore) 3rd birthday on Monday.  Happy Birthday, Zeusy!

The night we adopted him.

Our big boy.

January 9-January 15

Sunday - To Die for Crock Pot Roast
Monday - BBQ Chicken
Tuesday - Beef Carnitas Empanada
Wednesday - Ragu Stuffed Peppers
Thursday - Mostaccioli with Vodka Sauce
Friday - Brown Rice, Tomatoes and Basil
Saturday - P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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BBQ Chicken

This is a crazy simple meal.  At our local fresh produce store, they have already cut and seasoned BBQ Chicken.  It’s an entire half of a chicken.

To cook it, we cut up red potatoes, onions and red peppers, layer them at the bottom of a dutch oven, drizzle them with olive oil, place the half chicken on top, and pop it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 60 minutes, or until internal thermometer reads 180 degrees.   That’s all folks!

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Mostaccioli with Vodka Sauce

Betty Crocker Easy Italian 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped prosciutto or fully cooked ham
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup vodka (or chicken broth)
• 1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream
• 1/2 cup sliced large pitted ripe olives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 package (16 oz) mostaccioli or penne pasta
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In 10-inch skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat.  Cook garlic and onion in butter about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender.
2. Stir in prosciutto and chicken.  Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is brown.  Stir in vodka.  Cook uncovered until liquid has evaporated.
3. Stir in whipping cream, olives, parsley and pepper.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer uncovered about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. 
4. Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta as directed on package.  Add pasta to sauce; toss gently until pasta is evenly coated.  Sprinkle with cheese. 

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The Grocery List

1 beef roast, any kind
1 half pre-seasoned BBQ chicken
12 oz beef carnitas (check local fresh market for pre-made version or check recipe)
2oz proscuitto or fully cooked ham
1lb chicken breasts
8oz water chesnuts
8oz mushrooms
4-5 leaves iceburg lettuce
2 red potatoes
3 medium red onion
5 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 1/2 lbs tomatoes
1 bunch fresh parsely
Garlic
2oz saffron threads
8oz brown rice
16oz mostaccioli or penne pasta
1 small can tomato paste
1 small can sliced olives
1 package brown gravy mix, dry
1 package dried Italian salad dressing mix
1 package ranch dressing mix, dry
1 jar Ragu pasta sauce (3 cups)
Couscous
8oz package raisins
Cider vinegar
Red wine vinegar
Rice wine vinegar
Soy sauce
Ketcup
Lemon juice
Sesame Oil
Hot mustard
Garlic and red chile pasts
Vodka (or 8oz chicken broth)
Flour
Baking powder
Sugar
Brown sugar
Butter
8oz heavy whipping cream 
8oz grated asiago or fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan

*Remember that you might have several of the oils and other ingredients from previous meal plans!  Check that pantry!

Weekly Meal Plan #13: Happy New Year!

January 2-January  8
 
I can't believe it's already 2011!  Time really flies by...especially as you get older.  Weird, huh?  As a kid, time sometimes seems to come to a complete stand still, like when waiting for something exciting to happen.  Ah, memories.  As adults we just have to embrace that time feels as though it goes by more quickly and make every moment count!  Here's to making the first meal plan for 2011 count!

This weeks I've got a couple new recipes for us to try from two new cookbooks I received over the holidays.  Thank you, Kate, for the Betty Crocker Easy Italian cookbook, and thank you, Char, for the CyberFeasts & Foodstocks cookbook!  Here we go!

Sunday - Chicken and Garlic Ravioli with Peppers and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Monday -Veggie BBQ Pizza
Tuesday - Poblano Chicken
Wednesday - Tomato Florentine Soup
Thursday - Creamy Burrito Casserole
Friday - Salsa-Fied Turkey and Rice
Saturday - Beefy Tomato Stew over Noodles

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Chicken and Garlic Ravioli with Peppers and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Betty Crocker Easy Italian

Ingredients

• 2 packages refrigerated chicken and roasted garlic-filled ravioli
• 1/2 cup julienne sun-dried tomatoes in oil and herbs, drained.  Reserve 2 tbs oil.      
• 1 bag frozen bell pepper and onion stir-fry, thaw, drained. (I'm considering making my own bell pepper and onion mixture.  I'm figuring 1-2 peppers and 1 large onion should do the trick.) 
• 2 cups shredded provolone cheese

Directions

1. Cook and drain ravioli as directed on package.
2. Heat reserved oil over medium heat in a 12-inch skillet.  Cook bell pepper mixture in oil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in tomatoes and ravioli.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until hot.
3. Sprinkle with cheese; remove from heat.  Cover; let stand 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve immediately.  Makes 6 servings

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Veggie BBQ Pizza

Ingrediants:

• 1 Boboli Thin Crust Pizza
• 1 C Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (or any kind you like)
• 1 C chopped red onion
• 1 C chopped sweet red pepper
• 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper
• 1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to suggested temperature on the Boboli package.  
2. Spread BBQ sauce over pizza crust.  Top with red onion and sweet red pepper.  Sprinkle with crushed red pepper.  Cover entire pizza with mozzarella cheese.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese over mozzarella.  
3. Bake for 10 minutes.

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Poblano Chicken
Cyberfeasts and Foodstocks 

Ingredients

• 3 large poblano chili peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 3 tbs butter 
• 3 chicken breats, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups grated Monterey jack cheese

Directions

1. Melt 2 tbs butter in skillet.  Saute peppers and onion until limp.  Remove from pan and puree peppers and onions with milk and sour cream in blender.  Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Melt remaining butter in skillet.  Saute chicken 5-8 minutes.  Chicken doesn't need to be done, but the pink should be mostly gone.  Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Place chicken in a casserole dish and pour the pepper-onion mixture over top.  Liberally sprinkle the top with cheese.  
4. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until cheese is lightly browned.  Serve over rice.  Makes 4 servings

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Tomato Florentine Soup
Cyberfeasts and Foodstocks

Ingredients

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 tbs diced basil
• 1 1/2 tsp fined chopped oregano
• 2 oz diced country ham
• grated mozzarella cheese 

Directions

1. Heat oil in heavy saucepan.  Add onion and garlic, cook until soft. 
2. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, broth, spinach, wine and herbs.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 35 minutes. 
3. Add diced country ham and simmer for 10 more minutes.  Serve warm, garnished with Romano cheese.  Makes 2 servings.  

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Beefy Tomato Stew over Noodles
Fix-it and Forget-it Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs cubed stewing beef
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups stewed tomatoes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2-1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• water
• 12 oz bag noodles (I might use rotini for this one!)   

Directions

1. Combine meat and flour until cubed are coated.  Place in slow cooker.
2. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and onion.  Add water to cover. 
3. Cover.  Simmer on low heat for 6-8 hours.
4. Serve over cooked noodles.  Makes 8 servings.  

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The Grocery List

3 large red onions
2 medium red peppers
3 large poblano chilies
Garlic
4 medium tomatoes
1 bunch spinach
Frozen chicken breasts
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
1.5 lbs cubed stew meat
1 package diced country ham
2 packages of chicken and garlic ravioli
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can refried beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 jar salsa
1 jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1 package of taco seasoning
1 Boboli pizza crust
1 package flour tortillas
1 box of noodles
1 bottle BBQ sauce
32 oz sour cream
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
16 oz of shredded cheddar cheese
16 oz of shredded provolone cheese 
Milk  
*Red wine (red cooking wine should work)

Enjoy!

~Chef Val  
*edit 

Weekly Meal Plan #12

December 12 - December 18

Baby, it's cold outside!  Well, not quite that cold yet, but I couldn't resist opening that way. ;-)  But watchout...tomorrow night in Chicago the windchill is supposed to be 25 degrees below zero!  Yikes!  Bundle up out there! 

Weekly Shout-outs:  Happy Birthday to Marty, Joe and Danielle!  Congrats to the newlyweds, Jason and April!  Good luck to my 4th and 5th grade students this week on their music program! (No, no...none of them would know of this blog, but still want to wish them luck. :-))

Since it's supposed to be so cold, let's start this week's meal plan with a warm, yummy soup!

Sunday - Cream Cheese Potato Soup
Monday - Beefy BBQ Biscuits
Tuesday - Peanut Chicken (see below)
Wednesday - Artichoke Heart Pasta (see below)
Thursday - Turkey Taco Salad (see below)
Friday - Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Saturday - Broccoli-Sausage Pasta

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Peanut Chicken

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breats, cut in chunks

Marinade:
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 cloves minced garlic
8 minced cilantro sprigs
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp chopped ginger

Combine all marinade ingredients in a blender.  Blend well.  Marinade chicken overnight.  Grill or broil and serve with vegetable of your choice!

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Artichoke Heart Pasta

1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloved chopped garlic
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz of hot water
3 Tbs butter
2 Tbs of lemon juice
1 Tbs chopped parsley
1 can artichoke heart quarters
2 Tbs of parmesan or romano cheese   
1 lb fettucine or linguini

Mix soup and hot water in small bowl until smooth.  Set aside.  In large pot, brown garlic in olive oil.  Pour soup mixture into garlic and olive oil.  Stir.  Add remaining ingredients.  Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes.  Pour over noodle and serve.  

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Turkey Taco Salad

2/3 cup salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbs cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn kernals
1 lb cooked ground turkey
3 celery stalks
8 lettuce leave
2 cups tortilla chips

Brown ground turkey.  In small serving bowl, stir together salsa, sour cream, cumin, salt and pepper to create the dressing.  Set aside.  Drain and rinse kidney beans and corn well in a colander.  Dice celery into 1/2 inch pieces. 

In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, turkey and celery and toss.  Shred lettuce and divide among 4 plates.  Spoon turkey mixture on top of lettuce.  Garnish each plate with tortillas and serve with dressing.

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Feta-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1 Tbs dried tomatoes
4 chicken breast halves
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbs cream cheese
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp olive oil

Place tomatoes in small bowl.  Cover with boiling water.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Drain and pat dry; set aside.  Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket into each chicken breast by cutting horizontally through thicken portion, but not all the way through the opposite side.  Set aside.  

In a small bowl, combine feta, cream cheese, basil and tomatoes.  Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon into each chicken pocket.  If necessary, secure opening with wooden toothpick.  Sprinkle chicken with pepper.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add chicken.  Cook for 12-14 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once.  

Serve with a side of your choice.  

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The Grocery List 

Garlic
Lettuce
Sipped dried tomatoes, not oil packed
4 medium baked or red potatoes
2 medium onions
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch of parsley
3 celery stalks
1 large head of broccoli
2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
1 pkg smoked sausage
32 oz chicken broth
12 oz penne pasta
1lb fettucine or linguini
Chunky peanut butter
White wine vinegar
Soy sauce
Peanut oil
BBQ sauce
Lemon juice
1 can artichoke hearts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn kernals
Salsa
Tortilla chips
1 pkg of cream cheese (low fat?)
1 pkg shredded cheddar cheese
Grated parmesan or romano cheese
Feta cheese
8 or 16 oz sour cream
Brown sugar
Red pepper flakes
Ginger
12 oz refrigerated flaky biscuits
Butter

Weekly Meal Plan #8 - Crazy Casserole Week!

November 7 - November 13

Hello all!  Welcome back!  I took last week off because of a crazy weekend/week that didn't allow me to plan.  Wow-do I regret not being able to!  I was pulling meals out of my brain on a whim while shopping, and not having a list cost me more.  :-(   I heart meal planning!

This week, as I was searching for recipes, I came across several casseroles I wanted to try and decided to make this week into another theme...Casseroles!  Depending on the number of people you are feeding, you may find that you eat all of the casserole in one night, or have left overs.  If you think you might have left overs, you could plan to stretch those out through the week and not make as many meals, or freeze for future use.  Plan accordingly!

Here we go!

Sunday- Easy Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie
Monday- Mom's Baked Mostaccioli (see below)
Tuesday- Best Ever Beef Stew
Wednesday- Creamy Burrito Casserole
Thursday- Tuna Noodle Casserole
Friday- Beefy BBQ Biscuit Casserole (see below)
Saturday- Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya

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Mom's Baked Mostaccioli

As the name suggests, this is my very own mother's recipe.  Extremely simple.

12 oz cooked penne noodles
16 oz jar of meat sauce
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook penne noodles as directed.  Drain and return to pot.  Mix in meat sauce.  Grease a 9in x 13in glass baking dish.  Fill dish with noodle and sauce mixture.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover with a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Serve with garlic bread!

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Beefy BBQ Biscuit Casserole

To make this dish easier, try this:

Once done with beef mixture, grease a 9in x 13 pan and place biscuits throughout the pan.  Pour in beef mixture around biscuits, and bake!  I've only ever had it this way, not in individual muffin cups and it's so easy.

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Grocery List

2 lbs. of boneless chicken breasts
1/2 lb. of cubed stew meat
1 lb. of ground beef or turkey
3/4 lb. of ground beef
1 lb. of andouille sausage
1/2 lb. of shrimp
2 large potatoes
1 small head of cabbage
1 large onion
1 celery stalk
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 bunch of fresh parsley
1 bunch of green onions
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 package of frozen veggies
1 can of green peas
16 oz. of chicken broth
48 oz. of beef broth
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cans of albacore tuna
1 can of meat sauce
1 can refried beans
Long grain rice
12 oz .of penne noodles
1 package of egg noodles
1 small pkg. of bread crumbs
Bisquick mix
1 pkg. of flour tortillas
Flour
1 pkg. of 12 ready to bake biscuits
BBQ sauce
Hot Sauce
1 can tomato juice
Brown sugar
1 pkg. of taco seasoning
16 oz. of sour cream
1 pkg. of shredded mozzarella
2 pkgs. of shredded cheddar
Parmesan cheese
Milk
Eggs

It's a long list, but most items are pretty inexpensive, especially at Aldi or Target!  Enjoy!

Weekly Meal Plan #5

October 3rd - October 9th

I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to top some of last weeks meals, but I'll definitely try!  We really enjoyed the shrimp fritters and the cheesy vegetable soup.  The soup was a perfect way to welcome to chillier whether today.  I hope you enjoyed those as well, and here we go with Week 5.  There's a repeat this week, because hubby specifically requested it.  Can you guess which one?  :-)


Sunday - Spicy Thai Slow Cooker Chicken
Monday - Beef Stroganoff
Tuesday - Pita Pizzas
Wednesday - Broccoli Sausage Pasta 
Thursday -  Salsa Chicken and Rice 
Friday -  Cajun Corn, Rice and Red Beans
Saturday - Apple Glazed Cornish Hens

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Pita Pizzas

Be as creative as you want with these!  Just find some medium/large size whole wheat pitas, add tomato sauce/pizza sauce and top with your favorite toppings!  Pop in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees.

You know one I might try?   A pita, drizzled with olive oil, topped with sliced tomatoes and basil, sprinkled with mozzarella cheese.  Mmmmm.  I'm looking forward to Tuesday.

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Salsa Chicken and Rice

This one is EASY!  You need 4 chicken breasts, your favorite salsa and white or brown rice.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray (or coat with thin layer of olive oil), lay chicken breasts flat and season with salt and pepper.  Cover chicken breasts with 1 to 1/2 cups of salsa.  If you do this an hour ahead of time, the chicken can marinade for increased juiciness! Bake chicken for 30-35 minutes, or cooked through.

Meanwhile, prepare white or brown rice.  In the name of being easy, go for instant!  Serve rice and chicken side by side with some salsa drizzled on top.

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Grocery List

2 medium red onion

Garlic

1 large head of broccoli

1 large green pepper

1 large red pepper

15oz can of red kidney beans

1 lemon

Favorite pizza toppings

Chicken breasts (10 breasts)

1 lb cubed beef stew meat or chuck steak

1 package of smoked sausage

4 Cornish hens

1 bottle Asian-style toasted sesame salad dressing

Thai chili paste

Ginger garlic paste

Cajun seasoning or chili powder

Cinnamon

Cornstarch

Peanut butter

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Tomato or pizza sauce

16 oz jar of your favorite salsa

1 can of vegetable broth

1 package of egg noodles

Penne pasta

Brown or white rice

1 package of medium/large whole-wheat pitas

16 oz container of sour cream

1 package of frozen corn kernels

12 oz unsweetened frozen apple juice concentrate