April 1, 2012

Sunday
Spicy Sausage Pasta Alfredo
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-sausage-pasta-alfredo/
Ingredients
1 (19.76 ounce) package Mild Sausage prepared according to package directions and coin-sliced
1 medium sweet bell pepper, diced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced1/2 cup red wine
1 (16 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce
1 pound penne pasta, cooked and drained
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions
In a large skillet, saute sausage, pepper, mushrooms and garlic. Add wine, continue to cook until 1/2 of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in sauce, pasta and cheese until blended. Serve immediately.

Monday
Tostada
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/grilled-chicken-tostadas-al-carbon-with-grilled-tomatillos-and-queso-fresco-recipe/index.html
Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 chipotle chile in adobo, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 pound)
Cooking spray
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 pound tomatillos, removed from husk and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 ounces queso fresco, crumbled, about 1/3 cup
Chopped onion, cilantro sprigs, and lime wedges for serving

Directions
Combine the lime juice, garlic and chipotle chile in a medium nonreactive bowl; season with salt. Add the chicken, toss well to coat, and refrigerate 2 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade; thread onto 4 (12-inch) skewers lightly misted with cooking spray. Preheat the grill to medium. Mist the tortillas with cooking spray. Add the tortillas to the grill; cook, turning once, until lightly toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes per tortilla. Meanwhile, add the chicken and the whole tomatillos to the grill; cook, turning often, until tomatillos are charred and chicken is cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the skewers from the chicken. Coarsely chop the tomatillos and toss with oil and salt to taste. Place toasted tortillas on plates; generously top with romaine, tomatillos, chicken, and queso fresco. Serve with onion, cilantro sprigs, and a lime wedge if desired.

Mango salsa
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mango-salsa/
Ingredients
1 mango - peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 green onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix mango, red bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and lemon juice. Cover, and allow to sit at least 30 minutes before serving.

Tuesday
Tomato Basil Soup
http://sites.google.com/site/monicasallen/tomatobasilsoup
Ingredients
1 family size can of condensed tomato soup (I prefer Campbell's)
1 quart whole milk or 1 can evaporated milk
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp dry basil
8 oz cheese tortilleni/ravioli (optional)
French bread

Method
Mix 1 family size can of soup with equal quantity of whole milk. Add parmesan cheese and dry basil and cook covered on low heat for 30 mins. Add cooked shells to the soup and cook for another 5 mins. Serve with French or garlic bread.

Wednesday
Amish breakfast casserole
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/amish-breakfast-casserole/detail.aspx
Ingredients
1 pound sliced bacon, diced
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
6 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese
Red grapes
Bread, toasted

Directions
1. In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion until bacon is crisp; drain. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir in bacon mixture. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
2. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until set and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with toast and grapes.

Thursday
Meatballs
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-meatballs/
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced2 eggs
1 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
salt and ground black pepper to taste2 cups stale Italian bread, crumbled
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 cup olive oil

Directions
1. Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. 2. Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add the water 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape if rolled into meatballs. (I usually use about 1 1/4 cups of water). Shape into meatballs.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Fry meatballs in batches. When the meatball is very brown and slightly crisp remove from the heat and drain on a paper towel. (If your mixture is too wet, cover the meatballs while they are cooking so that they hold their shape better.)

Mashed Potatoes
http://goodcheapeats.com/2010/06/meatballs-mashed-potatoes-and-gravy/
These make a great freezer side dish. However, you do want to thaw these babies. If not, count on nuking them before baking or extending your baking time significantly.
Ingredients
8 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter, cut into cubes

Directions
In large pot of cold water, bring potatoes to a boil. Simmer until tender. Drain water. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or hand mixer. Once smooth, mix in cream cheese, salt and pepper. Dot with butter. Serve immediately or cool, label, and freeze. If serving from frozen, bake in 350° oven for about 45 minutes or until hot through. Fluff with a fork before serving. (And feel free to add a little milk or cream if you think it’s too dry.)

Gravy
http://goodcheapeats.com/2010/06/meatballs-mashed-potatoes-and-gravy/
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup flour
2 cups beef or chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme or dill weed

Directions
In medium saucepan, melt butter. Sauté onion until clear. Whisk in flour and cook until bubbly. Whisk in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Stir in seasonings. Serve immediately or cool, package in plastic container with a lid, label, and freeze. Warm on the stovetop and whisk to blend.

Green beans with tomatoes
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/green-beans-with-cherry-tomatoes
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
2 cups cherry tomato halves

Directions
1. Place beans and water in a large saucepan. Cover, and bring to a boil. Set heat to low, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain off water, and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in sugar, garlic salt, pepper and basil. Add tomatoes, and cook stirring gently just until soft. Pour the tomato mixture over the green beans, and toss gently to blend.

Friday
Chili Lime Corn on the Cob
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chili-lime-corn-on-cob-10000001891965/
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon finely shredded lime zest
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
6 ears sweet corn

Preparation
1. Combine butter, zest, chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic in a small resealable plastic bag. Mush around to combine thoroughly. Chill until ready to use, then bring to room temperature.
2. Pull back husk from each ear without detaching from bottom of cob. Remove as much silk as possible and fold husk back over ears. Soak ears in water for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
3. Drain ears, open husks, dry ears with paper towels, and spread evenly with butter mixture. Fold husks back over ears and tie in place with kitchen string or strips of husk. Corn can be kept at this point, chilled, up to 24 hours.
4. Prepare grill for indirect medium heat (350° to 450°; you can hold your hand 5 in. above cooking grate only 5 to 7 seconds). If using charcoal, bank coals evenly on opposite sides of the firegrate, leaving a cooler center section; if using gas, turn all burners to high, close lid, and heat 10 minutes. Then turn off one burner and lower others to medium. Grill corn over cooler spot, covered, until tender and charred, 20 minutes. Serve with salt for sprinkling.

Slow Cooker Maple Country Style Ribs
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-maple-country-style-ribs/
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds country style pork ribs
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash ground black pepper

Directions
Combine ribs, maple syrup, soy sauce, minced onion, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, garlic powder and pepper in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 9 hours.

Simple Braised Greens
http://www.elanaspantry.com/simple-braised-greens/
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces mixed greens (kale, collard, mustard, or greens of your choice) about 3-4 cups chopped and well packed
1 clove garlic, minced
⅛ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add greens stirring to coat with oil. Stir until greens are barely wilted. Add garlic, salt and pepper flakes. Continue stirring until greens are tender. Serve.

Saturday
Moogha Gathi - Goan Style (Sprouted Moong Curry)
http://bakasoor.blogspot.com/search/label/Main%20Course
Ingredients
2 cups sprouted moong
3/4 cup fresh coconut (I use thawed frozen shredded coconut)
6 to 8 curry leaves
2 green chillies
6 - 8 black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp jaggery
3 pieces kokum/2 tblsp lime juice
2 pinches asafoetida
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 cup water
Salt to taste
3 tblsp oil

Method:
Step 1 - Heat 2 tblsp oil in a pan. Add green chillies. Fry for a minute till they get slightly charred and brown. Drain them onto a paper towel. To the same oil add the black peppercorns and coriander seeds. Saute them till the coriander seeds turn brown in color. Drain these onto your paper towel too.
Step 3 - In a mixer bowl, pour in the fried green chillies, black peppercorns and coriander seeds. Add the coconut and turmeric powder. Grind with little water to form a smooth paste. Keep aside.
Step 4 - In a large pot, add the sprouted moong and the coconut paste from Step 3. Mix well. Add 1 cup of water or as per your desired consistency. Turn on the heat and let this mixture start boiling on medium heat. Adjust flavors to your liking. It should have all the 3 flavors: spice (red chilly powder), sour (kokum) and sweet (jaggery).
Step 5 - In a small pan, take your remaining 1 tblsp oil. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the asafoetida and curry leaves. Pour this tadka into your boiling dal from Step 4. Mix and boil for 2 more mins. till the moong sprouts are completely cooked and all the flavors mix in well.
Serve hot with chapatis or over hot steamed rice.
Hope you enjoyed this as much as we did!

Tips:
Generally this curry is made with a lot of oil. Once cooked, there is a layer of oil on top of the curry. This is the authentic way of having this curry. Personally, I can live without it. Moreover, a layer of oil on top of my curries is a total turn-off for me. But if you would like to indulge in the authentic experience, do feel free to increase the oil quantity in Step 5.

To quicken this recipe, while making your masala preparation, you can steam your moong upto 80% cooked and keep them ready for Step 4. Then you need to boil this curry for just 5 to 7 minutes.

Kokum gives this curry a very specific tangy coastal flavor. Tamarind makes this curry really dark and somehow results in a weird flavor. So replace kokum with lime juice for the tangy flavor, if you cannot get your hands on some kokum.

I do not over-sprout moong for curries. Feels like thread in my mouth when I eat them. Here is how I sprout them:
Day 1 (nighttime): Rinse the moong beans thoroughly. Keep them in a vessel with a lid. Keep the vessel in your oven (oven should not be turned on), which is the warmest place in your house. If you live in a hot weather place, you can just keep this vessel on your kitchen counter.
Day 2 (morning): Drain out the water. The moong beans should have plumped up now. Rinse again. They are ready to use at this stage.But if you have time to sprout them, which increases it's nutritional value, rinse the plumped up beans again. Close the lid and again place the pot in the oven (oven should not be turned on). This time, if you think your day is really cold, turn on your oven light. The heat from the light, should make the oven a warm and cosy place for your beans to sprout.
Day 2 (evening): Use. If you don't plan to use it right away, rinse the sprouts thoroughly. Do not over handle them, else the sprouts will break off. Place them in a zip lock bag or in an air tight container and put them in your refrigerator to halt the sprouting process. This stays good for upto 3 to 4 days in your refrigerator and upto a month in your freezer.