Friday, January 3, 2014

January 5, 2014

Sunday
Calzone
Ingredients
16 whole Frozen, Unrisen Dinner Rolls (I Use Rhodes) Note: Can Also Use Frozen Bread Loaves.
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
1 pound Breakfast Or Italian Sausage
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
15 ounces, fluid Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1-1/2 cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese
2 whole Eggs
1/2 teaspoon Salt
 Black Pepper To Taste
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley
 Marinara Sauce, For Serving
1 whole Egg Beaten
 
Preparation Instructions
Place frozen rolls (or frozen bread loaves) on a baking sheet to thaw. Cover with a tea towel and let thaw and rise for 2 to 3 hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Add sausage and cook until brown, crumbling the sausage as you stir. Add Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Remove from pan and allow cooling on a plate. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, salt, pepper, and parsley. When sausage is cool, stir it in. Set aside.
When rolls are thawed and risen, roll them out on a lightly floured surface until paper thin. Spoon 3-4 tablespoons (approximately) filling onto half of the dough circle. Fold half of the dough over itself, then press edges to seal.
 
*Note: If you want a larger calzone, use frozen bread loaves and use about 1/4 to 1/3 of the loaf for each calzone.
 
Brush surface of calzone with beaten egg, then bake for 10-13 minutes, or until nice and golden brown. Serve with warm marinara sauce.
 
Roasted zucchini
Ingredients
1 lb zucchini, each cut lengthwise twice, and then cut in half across the middle
1 Tbsp fresh minced garlic clove
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
Method
Preheat oven to 450°F. Make sure there is a rack on the top rack spot in the oven. Align the zucchini pieces on a cookie sheet, skin down. Mix the garlic in with the oil in a small bowl. Spoon or brush garlic oil over all of the zucchini pieces. Place in heated oven on the top rack. Set the timer for 5 minutes and check to see if the zucchini is beginning to brown at the end of 5 minutes. If not, continue to add 2 or 3 minutes at a time until the zucchini begins to brown. Once it begins to brown, remove from oven and place in a bowl. Mix in Herbes de Provence. Add salt and pepper to taste.
 
Monday
Meatloaf
1 pound ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
 
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats OR seasoned breadcrumbs
 
Choose any combination of veggies to add
1/2 cup chopped onion OR
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper OR
8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice OR
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
 
Topping:
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf. Do not bake in a loaf pan, just use it to shape the uncooked meatloaf and then cook on a sheet pan.
 
Roasted potatoes
Ingredients
 4 medium potatoes – Russets work well
 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
 ¾ tsp salt
 ¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp paprika
 1/8 tsp pepper
 2 tbsp olive oil
 
Directions
1.     Pre-heat oven to 400° F
2.     Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray*
3.     Wash potatoes and peel (or don’t peel – my boys want them peeled)
4.     Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes
5.     Toss cubed potatoes with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper.
6.     Spread in single layer on baking sheet.
7.     Roast in oven for 35 – 40 minutes or until crispy on outside but soft inside.
 
Steamed Broccoli
Ingredients
1 bunch of broccoli
Many options here
Olive oil, butter, flax seed oil, or mayonnaise
Lemon zest or juice, balsamic vinegar
Toasted almonds, toasted sesame seeds
 
Method
Rinse out well your broccoli, and break into large, bite-sized florets. Cut off the stem and peel off the thick skin around the stem. Quarter or halve the stem lengthwise.
Bring 3/4 to 1 inch of water to a boil in a saucepan with a steamer. (Note that is you don't have a steamer, you can simply put the broccoli directly into an inch of boiling water.) Add the broccoli to the steamer and cover; reduce heat to medium and let cook for 5-6 minutes. The broccoli is done when you can pierce it with a fork. But be careful not to overcook the broccoli. As soon as it is pierce-able, remove from heat, place in serving dish.
Dress to taste with butter, olive oil, flax seed oil, mayonnaise, lemon zest or juice, balsamic vinegar, toasted almonds, or sesame seeds.
 
Tuesday
Tomato Soup
Ingredients
6 Tablespoons Melted Butter
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
1 bottle (46 Oz.) Tomato Juice
2 cans (14 Oz. Cans) Diced Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon (up To 3 Tablespoons) Chicken Base
3 Tablespoons (up To 6 Tablespoons) Sugar
1 pinch Salt
Black Pepper To Taste
1 cup Cooking Sherry
1-½ cup Heavy Cream
Chopped Fresh Parsley
Chopped Fresh Basil
 
Preparation Instructions
Sauté diced onions in butter until translucent. Then add canned tomatoes, tomato juice, chicken base, sugar, pinch of salt, black pepper and stir. Bring to a near boil, then turn off heat. Add in sherry and cream and stir. Add in parsley and basil to taste.
Adjust other seasonings and serve with yummy, crusty bread on a cold blustery, dreary, depressing, rainy, snowy day. Then close your eyes.
And give thanks for soups like this.
 
Awesome Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
 Ingredients
4 slices white bread
3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 slices Cheddar cheese
 
Directions
Preheat skillet over medium heat. Generously butter one side of a slice of bread. Place bread butter-side-down onto skillet bottom and add 1 slice of cheese. Butter a second slice of bread on one side and place butter-side-up on top of sandwich. Grill until lightly browned and flip over; continue grilling until cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining 2 slices of bread, butter and slice of cheese.
 
Thursday
Chicken tender
What you'll need
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (raw)
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup mashed potato flakes (we used Idaho Spuds)
1 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning mix (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons ground oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk (regular milk can also be used)
1 large egg
Wooden skewers (soaked in water for 20 minutes)
Canola cooking spray
 
How to make it
Heat the oven to 450º. Evenly coat a baking sheet with the tablespoon of canola oil. Rinse the chicken tenders, then pat them dry with paper towels; set them aside.
In a medium bowl, add the flour, mashed potato flakes, seasoning mix (if desired), salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder and stir to blend well. Add the buttermilk and egg in another medium bowl and beat with a fork or mixer until smooth.
Thread the chicken onto a soaked wooden skewer and dip each tender first in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, then back in the flour mixture. Wipe any stray coating off the skewer and place the tender on the prepared sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken and let the coated pieces sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Before baking, spray the tops generously with canola cooking spray. Your local supermarket is likely to carry a number of types of cooking spray, including varieties with canola oil or olive oil. All work by dispersing small droplets of oil over the cooking surface or food. The result is that you use far less oil than you would if you were simply coating a pan. But if these sprays are primarily oil, how can all this spraying really be calorie- and fat-free? The short answer: it isn't. A 1-second spray can add up to 7 calories and .7 gram of fat -- but that's still better than a tablespoon of oil, which adds 122 calories and 13.6 grams of fat.
Bake the chicken until the thickest part is cooked through and the coating is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes. Garnish with shaved carrot and a cherry tomato, if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
 
Peas: Steam in the microwave with garlic salt and pepper. Squeeze some lime juice before serving.
 
Baked sweet potato with cinnamon, butter and brown sugar
 
Friday
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta) 
Cooking spray 
4   (6-ounce) red snapper fillets 
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided 
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided 
1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
2 teaspoons orange juice 
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
 
Preparation
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle fish evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
3. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, shallots, and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well. Slowly add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle shallot mixture over pasta; toss well to coat.
For baby: Omit black pepper. Shred the fish into bite-sized pieces. Serve fish and a spoonful of orzo mixture in a small bowl or on a rimmed plate.
 
Green beans: Steam in the microwave with chopped dry onions, salt and pepper.
 
Saturday
Palak Theple
Ingredients
2 bunches fresh spinach/ 1 lb frozen spinach
1 tbsp dhane-jeera(cumin) powder
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup whole wheat flour (approx)
Salt and sugar(no more than 1 tsp) to taste
 
Method:
Heat oil. Add ginger garlic paste and spinach. Saute till cooked. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt, sugar, chilli powder, dhane-jeera powder, garam masala and saute. Remove from heat and add flour so that mixture can be kneaded to a firm dough. Add 1 tsp oil while kneading the dough. Roll out the dough (like tortillas) and pan fry with 1/2 tsp oil till golden brown on both sides.

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