January 8, 2010 Bowties with Sausage and Basil
February 8th, 2010 | 
Author: Well, our good friends, Lisa and Bill gave us a huge bag of cherry tomatoes fresh from their garden (gee, all I’ve ever done is make them some lentils??!!) and I decided that I had to make some pasta! First choice, Bowties with Sausage and Basil.(I only had linguini so that’s what I used) It is so easy and you can use cherry or grape tomatoes. Thanks, Lisa and Bill, the tomatoes were delicious!
Ingredients:
Purchase Italian sausage(amount your choice, enough to accompany 1 # bowties), fresh basil (2 packs), 2 pints grape tomatoes, 5 cloves garlic, olive oil, s and p, freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, 1# box Bowtie pasta
Turn oven on 450 and spray foil lined baking pan with olive oil Pam. Put tomatoes on pan with garlic and spray with olive oil Pam and add some sea salt. Roast until garlic softens. While this is going on, take sausage out of casings and crumble into pan, cooking on medium high. You can also boil bowties right now. (make sure to salt water)When sausage cooked, drain fat and put back in pan. Add roasted tomatoes to pan, along with garlic and kind of smoosh the garlic all over the sausage and tomatoes. Remove any unwanted garlic pieces. After bowties are ready,drain and add to sausage mixture. Add olive oil, s and p to taste. Toss in fresh basil and serve with lots af freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Serve with crisp salad.
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February 3, 2010 Francie’s Chicken
The weekend is approaching, how about having some friends over for dinner? I am so exhausted from the craziness of the week that I would love to relax with some friends over dinner. Francie’s Chicken is awesome and everything pretty much goes in one pot. Serve over pasta and sprinkle with Romano Cheese. Keep it easy and serve with basic salad and a side of frozen peas. If you want an appetizer, go with Carla’s Eggplant and make it today…so easy. Hope you enjoy it and don’t forget to let me know how it goes!
This chicken was made for me by my friend Francie about 20 years ago (ugh!) and I loved it then and now. Good for company because you can make it in advance and leave it on the stove while you get ready! Thanks Francie…
Ingredients:
Bone in chicken, amount of your choice, skinless
1 large onion, chopped or 1 container already chopped
1 green pepper chopped or 1 container
8 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 or 2 pints fresh mushrooms, sliced
dried oregano, 2 teaspoons
dried sweet basil, 2 teaspoons
dried parsley, 2 teaspoons
s and p
1 bay leaf
1 cup white wine
3/4 cup green pimiento stuffed olives
1 small jar capers, drained
2 medium potatoes cut into tiny chunks
at least 1 # pasta (linguini, spaghetti, thin spaghetti)
Romano cheese
olive oil or spray olive oil
This dish is cooked in one pot stovetop. Saute salted chicken in small amount of olive oil or spray. When a bit brown on both sides add onion, green pepper and garlic. Saute on medium, adding mushrooms, continue saute and add oregano, basil, parsley, bay leaf , salt and pepper. Add white wine, olives and capers, along with tiny potato chunks. Cover and cook on low 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. (sometimes the potatoes need extra cooking time to soften) Serve over pasta and top with Romano cheese. Peas are an excellent side for this.
January 31, 2010 Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Too cold for a BBQ???? NO WAY!!! Have an indoor BBQ! This crock pot pulled pork is so good and EASY. Leftovers are freezer ready for your next indoor BBQ. I absolutely love it with coleslaw, (and I put the coleslaw on the bun, too…yum)baked beans, you name it. Thanks to my friend Marsha for this delicious recipe!
Ingredients:
1 Boston butt around 4.5 #”s or less, bone in
1 bottle apple cider vinegar(you should have some leftover)
2 tablespoons liquid smoke (or 2 1/2)
1 bottle A1 Steak Sauce (you will have leftovers)
1 squeeze bottle yellow mustard(yes, you’ll have leftover)
2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar
Place pork in sprayed crock pot fat side up, pour apple cider vinegar around pork until 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons liquid smoke onto pork. Pour enough A 1 all over pork to cover it. Get the A1 on the sides and all over, don’t be afraid! Squirt a thick zig zag of yellow mustard on top of pork and sprinkle 2 or 3 tablespoons brown sugar on top. Cook on low for 10 hours. It’s fine to stay on warm after that. To serve remove pork and pull apart in bowl. Stir up juice and add 3/4 to 1 cup of juice to pork…do not add all of the juice from crock pot or it will be too soggy. Serve on your favorite buns with your favorite BBQ sauce (if you want a thicker sauce).
NOTE: If you do not have 10 hours (like me the other day) then do the first hour on high and cut your time. If you think it is not done when you get home, kick it back up to high…you cannot ruin it. Don’t forget to freeze your leftovers.
January 28, 2010
Hi everyone! What a week it has been, let’s get the family together for a nice dinner tonight or tomorrow night! For those of you looking for an easy clean up and delicious meal then you have to try Chicken a la Tio John. I got this recipe from my brother in law John and it is all in one pan, easy and delicious…good enough for company or just for your family. I would have to say that it is a favorite of many of you out there and one of mine, too! I serve it with rice (because we LOVE rice) but you do not have to as there are potatoes in there already, a veggie and salad. (the veggie would be broccoli in the microwave or asparagus in the toaster oven for easy clean up!) Don’t forget to spin your salad early(see basic salad) Comments are always encouraged and you can go to a recipe, find “no comment” or “# of comments” under the stars and just click on that. ANY QUESTIONS?? Comment to me or email me at weeklymenumaker@gmail.com. This one is a keeper, can’t wait for you to try it!
Ingredients:
8 – 10 pieces chicken, bone in , skin removed
1/4 cup olive oil
1.5 large Spanish (or yellow or sweet) onion, chopped (or 1 container already chopped)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 pints sliced mushrooms
2 bay leaves
3-4 medium red potatoes (or any)
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth ( I like College Inn brand)
dash of sherry
s and p
Rinse and dry chicken, salt and brown stovetop in olive oil (you may try with spray or use 1/8 of cup). Remove chicken to plate. Saute chopped onions in same oil until golden. Add bay leaves, mushrooms, minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken back in pan along with wine and chicken broth. Cover and cook on medium for 25 minutes. During this time, peel and thinly slice potatoes (like a 1/4 inch rounds), Add potatoes (you could put some salt on potatoes) and cover for about 15 minutes. If potatoes are fork tender then add a little sherry (1/8 to 1/4 cup) and let sit covered for 15 minutes. Serve with rice and put juice on the rice, your favorite vegetable and a salad. Enjoy!
Several of you have requested that I chat more about the recipes (people usually don’t ask me to talk more…) so I have decided to ditch the menu for the week and let you hear about some of my favorites. Please feel free to leave comments (found at the bottom, under the stars where it says,”no comment” or the number of comments)as many people are looking for what other people like, not just what I like!
Picadillo: 3 to 4 # ground beef (I use chuck most of the time)
1 green pepper or 1 package already chopped from produce section
1 onion (not small and anything but red) or 1 package already chopped in produce
5 cloves garlic, pressed(you can get the ones already peeled and in fridge section of produce NOT THE ONES ALREADY CHOPPED IN JAR)
1 large ripe tomato(you will peel, seed and chop at home; easiest way to peel is drop tomato in boiling water for a few seconds, remove w/ tongs and peel comes right off)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon crushed oregano
1 bottle capers (you can buy the least expensive and about 3 oz), drained
1 bottle green pimiento stuffed olives (the size depends on your love of olives),drained
30 shakes red wine vinegar
4 oz. tomato sauce (but I always get an extra one or an 8 oz. can b/c I end up using more)
1/2 cup red wine ( I buy the Sutter Home cabernet in the little plastic 4 pack bottles)
5 shakes hot sauce (I use Crystal)
2 tablespoons brown sugar(you may omit and use more white)
AT LEAST 2 tablespoons white sugar (I end up using more)
12 shakes nutmeg
1/4 cup water
10 shakes salt
4 tiny boxes raisins or your own amount.
After this list you may not want to make it BUT IT IS So EASY!!!!!! PLEASE MAKE THIS! It is so good.
Brown beef (stovetop)until all red disappears and drain in colander. Put meat right back in pot. Add 1 onion, chopped, 1 green pepper, chopped, 1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped, 5 cloves garlic, pressed(or minced), 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon crushed oregano and capers (drained) to the meat. Mix and cover on medium low for about 10 minutes. Add DRAINED olives (amount your choice), about 30 shakes red wine vinegar, 4 oz. tomato sauce(I add more), 1/2 cup burgundy wine, 5 shakes hot sauce, 2 tablespoons each brown and white sugar,12 shakes nutmeg and 4 tiny boxes of raisins. Stir and cook at about medium for 5 minutes or so. Add 1/4 cup (more if needed) water and 10 shakes salt. You can taste and add anything at this point….don’t be afraid…more vinegar, sugar, wine, tomato sauce, nutmeg , salt or simply nothing. At this point I usually end up calling my mom or my sister and ask what they think it needs…like they really know, they live 3 hours away!! Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes. THIS IS THE GREATEST MEAL TO FREEZE and have on hand! Serve over white rice.
Rice: Get your rice cooker and make Jasmine rice!!! Picadillo goes over rice so make a lot.
Peas: I use Green Giant frozen Steamers bag for the microwave. Prepare according to package.
Plantains: (Platanos) You may purchase super ripe (black) sweet plantains in produce department and peel and fry up or peel, spray with Pam and bake or even boil OR purchase a box of GOYA brand ripe plantains found in the freezer section of your grocer. Microwave according to instructions. For those of you who are not familiar with these, they are sweet and delicious… a must for your family!
January 18 Menu Week
Monday: Salad of the Week: Always A Hit…Salad!
Tuesday: Meatloaf, Smashed Potatoes, Broccoli, Salad
Wednesday: Puerto Rican Chicken, white rice, plantains, 1905 Salad
Thursday: Hot and Cold Pasta, Salad
Friday: Poppy Ham, Pole Beans, Corn Souffle
Salad of the Week: Always A Hit Salad
I had this at my mom’s and was “hooked”. It is sweet and I love sweet so that may be the reason. She gave me her copy of the recipe which was kind of cut off. Seems like it originally comes from someone named Sarah who calls it Evan’s salad.
Ingredients:
Amounts are up to you!
Romaine lettuce (you know that I like to use salad spinner and crisp in advance)
Dried cranberries or Craisins
Gorgonzola cheese
Mandarin oranges (canned and drained or fresh)
Pecans (Roast in oven or toaster oven at 250 and flip a couple of times until done, watch closely)
DRESSING:
1/2 cup sugar (I told you it is sweet, you may use part sugar part splenda blend that comes in a bag)
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup canola oil (I use less oil, try less and you can always add more)
1 and 1/2 teaspoon poppy seed (in spice section of grocer)
Combine and HEAT 1st 3 ingredients of dressing until dissolved using microwave. Then add lemon juice and cool. Gradually add oil, stirring continually. Add poppy seeds.
FOR SALAD: Add your choice amounts of all ingredients, add some of the dressing and toss. This amount of dressing will serve about 8 people full salads. Store extra dressing in fridge.
January 11 Menu Week
Monday: Congratulations to Lauren of San Destin, we love your kid friendly recipe for Monkey Munch! You can all be eating some in less than 15 minutes, if you get started now! Enjoy!
Tuesday: Sliced Grilled Steak on Blue Cheese Biscuits
Wednesday: Chicken Cacciatore, yellow rice, broccoli and salad
Thursday: Yugoslavian Pork, pasta and salad (buy Osso Buco ingredients)
Friday: My dad’s coming for dinner and he wants… Crock Pot Osso Buco, mashed potatoes, asparagus and salad
Always A Hit…Salad!
I had this at my mom’s and was “hooked”. It is sweet and I love sweet so that may be the reason. She gave me her copy of the recipe which was kind of cut off. Seems like it originally comes from someone named Sarah who calls it Evan’s salad.
Ingredients:
Amounts are up to you!
Romaine lettuce (you know that I like to use salad spinner and crisp in advance)
Dried cranberries or Craisins
Gorgonzola cheese
Mandarin oranges (canned and drained or fresh)
Pecans (Roast in oven or toaster oven at 250 and flip a couple of times until done, watch closely)
DRESSING:
1/2 cup sugar (I told you it is sweet, you may use part sugar part splenda blend that comes in a bag)
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup canola oil (I use less oil, try less and you can always add more)
1 and 1/2 teaspoon poppy seed (in spice section of grocer)
Combine and HEAT 1st 3 ingredients of dressing until dissolved using microwave. Then add lemon juice and cool. Gradually add oil, stirring continually. Add poppy seeds.
FOR SALAD: Add your choice amounts of all ingredients, add some of the dressing and toss. This amount of dressing will serve about 8 people full salads. Store extra dressing in fridge.
Monkey Munch
This recipe is my first “reader recipe” and it comes from a young lady named Lauren, an 11 year old from San Destin, FL . What a kid friendly recipe and it is so good! I end up keeping mine in a ziplock in the freezer and eating straight from there. You may also half this recipe. Thanks, Lauren, I just love it!
Monkey Munch
9 cups Chex cereal (any variety)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter (if you spray Pam in measuring cup before it makes for easy clean up)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Stove Method Directions: (this is the one that I do)
- Measure cereal into a large bowl & set aside.
- Heat chocolate chips, peanut butter and the butter over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Pour the cereal into melted chocolate and stir until evenly coated.
- Pour the mix into a 2 gallon ziploc bag and add powdered sugar, seal bag.
- Shake bag until everything’s well coated then put in fridge or freezer to cool.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container or keep it in ziplock.
Microwave Method Directions:
- Place the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a microwaveable bowl and melt uncovered on High for 1 minute. Stir.
- Microwave for another 30 seconds or until mixture is stirred smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Follow the rest of the directions as above in the Stove Method