March 5, 2010 Meatless with Hot and Cold Pasta
March 5th, 2010 | 
Author: Many of you have requested “meatless meals” for Fridays during Lent and this is a delicious one. SO EASY. The recipe says up to 3 hours before but you could even do 1 hour. If you want an appetizer try Carla’s Grilled Eggplant which is found in my appetizer section. Enjoy!
Hot and Cold Pasta
Ingredients:
Fresh Basil (one package) or one bunch
2-3 garlic cloves
at least 3 beautiful tomatoes
FRESH mozzarella cheese (it comes packed in water, amount depends on you)
extra virgin olive oil, at least one # pasta (spaghetti or linguini)
freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
sea salt and pepper(optional)
In a.m., night before or 3 hours before….chop tomatoes, chop basil and slice garlic. Put all in a bowl with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil and some Sea Salt. Stir and cover, let sit out until dinner.
Time for dinner… cook pasta according to instructions, don’t forget to add salt and cook al dente. Cut up in cubes the fresh mozzarella. Drain pasta and put back in pot, along with the tomato/basil mixture (REMOVE SLICES OF GARLIC if sliced garlic is just too much for you b/c we have already blended the flavors), add more olive oil if needed. Plate up and add fresh mozzarella cubes to pasta on plate and lots of romano cheese. You can add the mozzarella to all of the pasta in the pot but sometimes if it is too hot it will melt too much and be difficult to serve. Add pepper at any time,if you wish.
Remember: 1 # of pasta is enough for 4 people not 8 as it often says on the package. I prefer Ronzoni Smart taste pasta. If you have leftover fresh mozzarella simply change the water that it is packed in every 2 days and it will keep fresh for a while. Extra basil you can always freeze.
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March 3, 2010 Corn Souffle and you!
Whatever you are having for dinner, corn souffle is just a wonderful side! Lots of times I will pair this with pole beans or collard greens and your meat…all of this can be done in advance, which is great! Enjoy.
Corn souffle: 1 can creamed corn, 1 can whole corn (drained), 1 box JIFFY corn muffin mix, 1 cup milk (skim, whole…whatever you have!), 2 eggs, 1 stick butter (melted) Dump everything together, stir and add to Pam sprayed 9×13′ish pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or so.
I always double this recipe because it is so good. You can still cook it in same pan but maybe just a little bit longer. It is browned just a bit and kind of shiny looking. I cut a lrage square, press ‘n seal it and then put it in a baggie w/ a label for freezing…comes out fantastic for another time.
February 24, 2010 Chicken Cacciatore
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Debi and I’m The Weekly MenuMaker. I have a wonderful husband, Alex and 2 incredible kids, Kendall and Ricky. (we also now have a puppy, Rosie) When I was growing up, no matter what, we always sat at the table together for dinner. Thanks to my mom and my grandmother, many of those recipes I still serve to my family today. No matter how hectic things get it is good to know that we can take a breather and enjoy a good meal together! I hope that the recipes on this site help you try to bring dinner back to the table, you can totally do it and your family will be thrilled that you did. Any questions, just leave a comment or email me at weeklymenumaker@gmail.com.
Chicken Cacciatore is one of my all time favorites. Yum. I just love putting the sauce all over the yellow rice, it is so delicious. This recipe is not your traditional Chicken Cacciatore but it is the way my mom fixed it for us and it is delicious. Thanks, mom! Also, thanks to my sister, Lisa who tried it out in the crockpot. You can cook it any way that you want.
Crock pot version: 10 pieces chicken, bone in, skin removed, 2- 28 oz. cans crushed tomato (I like Hunt’s brand), 1/2 teaspoon oregano, salt and pepper to taste, 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 large onion chopped (may be sweet onion or Spanish onion or you may buy onion already chopped), 2 large tablespoon sugar, 1/2 cup red wine, 12 or more green olives, 3 oz. bottle capers (may be the least expensive brand and drain it), 1/3 to 1/2 cup raisins.
Salt chicken and put in crock pot. Mix everything else together and pour on top of chicken. Cook on low for 8 hours. ( If you do not wish to put raw chicken in the crock pot then you may broil it in oven to brown it beforehand.) Serve chicken with sauce and also put some sauce on yellow rice.
Oven version, Chicken Cacciatore: 10 pieces of chicken bone in, skin removed, 2- 28 oz. cans crushed tomato (I like Hunt’s brand), 1/2 teaspoon oregano, salt and pepper to taste, 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 large onion chopped (may be sweet onion or Spanish onion or you may buy onion already chopped), 2 large tablespoon sugar, 1/2 cup red wine, 12 or more green olives, 3 oz. bottle capers (may be the least expensive brand and drain it), 1/3 to 1/2 cup raisins, olive oil or olive oil Pam spray
Saute chopped onion in olive oil until a bit clear then mix together (in stovetop pot)everything else except for chicken and bring to light boil then lower, cover and cook on low while preparing chicken.Salt chicken and put on olive oil Pam sprayed pan. (like 9 x 13, you may need bigger or 2 depending on chicken )Broil in oven until just brown, then flip and do the same. Drain juices. Add sauce mixture to chicken and BAKE in 350 oven, cover loosely with foil tent. Bake for 30 minutes or so, make sure chicken is cooked. Serve chicken with sauce on top and also put sauce on top of yellow rice. Freezes beautifully. May put chicken and sauce in plastic container, label and freeze for easy to thaw dinner. Make sure to write on label that you need to make yellow rice to go with it!
Yellow Rice: Purchase VIGO saffron yellow rice, it is the best brand. Prepare according to package.
February 21, 2010 We got a puppy!
Well, we got a puppy and her name is Rosie. She doesn’t much like me being way “up here” on the computer so we’ve got some training to do…in the meantime we’re having a quick and easy meal: FLANK STEAK. ( and if you have any suggestions for training a precious 9 week old Cairn Terrier, let me know!)
My friend, Cathy, told me about this one. I think that I misunderstood her and I think that I do it a little different because I am not sure if you are supposed to mix the dry stuff with the olive oil but that is what I do now! Thanks, Cathy, so easy and delicious!
Ingredients:
Flank Steak
3 or more teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
pepper
Flank steak: Prepare in bowl: 3 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin ( dash pepper, if you wish)
Set grill pan on high heat. Rub 1/2 of mixture on one side of steak. Spray grill pan with olive oil Pam and sear steak on one side. Bring heat down to med high and let cook for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on size of steak. Rub remaining mixture on other side of steak and flip, cook for additional 3 to 4 minutes or until desired temperature. You may need to spray a bit more Pam before flipping. Remove to plate. Let stand for 5 minutes and then cut against the grain at an angle to serve. May also be broiled in oven. I freeze one serving size at a time in Press ‘n Seal and put in freezer baggie. Have a hungry someone? Pop a serving size in the microwave for an after school pre-meal or use it for sandwiches.
February 17, 2010 Meatless meal? Lentil Soup!
Oh my gosh, this is the easiest recipe and it makes such a healthy meal! This is enough to share with many and don’t forget to freeze individual portions or the whole thing! Super inexpensive as well…enjoy!
Purchase 2 bags dried lentils from dried bean section of store. (ex. Goya brand), 1 large onion (not red), 5 cloves garlic, 3 celery sticks, 4 or 5 carrots, 8oz can tomato sauce, olive oil, 2 bay leaves, S and P
Wash lentils in strainer and put in pot of water that the water covers lentils by 2 inches. Add celery sticks, cut in half and carrots (peeled and cut in 1/3’s)Hard boil for 2 minutes and set aside, covered for 1 hour. Saute chopped onion and minced garlic in olive oil until onion is transparent (kind of) Now, the lentils have rested for 1 hour, add garlic and onion mixture, bay leaves, about 4 to 8 oz. tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to another boil and then cook on low, covered for about an hour. You may have to add water depending on how thick or thin you like it. I serve with Alexia brand french bread rolls which you can purchase in freezer section of grocery. I also put vinegar on mine (red wine or apple cider) at the table and you can put hot sauce as well.
February 11, 2010 Chicken Marbella for your Valentine
Having a dinner party or just dinner for your sweety? Chicken Marbella is fabulous, absolutely delicious! Use white rice as a side, your favorite vegetable and our basic salad….so good. Try Endive With Goat Cheese, Walnuts and Honey as an appetizer or Carla’s Grilled Eggplant. Both are SO EASY and fantastic. Let me know what you did for dessert!
This dish is great for company because you do most of the work the day before and some of the ingredients may sound gross (prunes) but trust me it is a winner!!! HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
Ingredients:
5# chicken pieces bone in skinless
10 cloves of garlic, pressed
1/8 cup dried pregano
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1/4 cup green salad olives (pimiento stuffed)
1/4 cup capers, with some juice
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine (I use the little 4 pack bottles)
In a large Tupperware type bowl combine garlic, oregano, pepper and Sea salt to taste along with vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers (w/ a little juice), bay leaves. Stir and add chicken pieces, tossing to cover. Refrigerate overnight or all day and night. I like to have a nice bowl with lid and shake it up every now and then.
When it’s time to prepare meal: Preheat oven to 350. Put chicken in large baking pan and spoon juice over it. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pour white wine around the chicken. Bake for about 50 minutes to one hour or until done. Serve chicken with all of that good juice over the chicken and over the Jasmine rice. You will get rave reviews! Also, this freezes very well.
January 8, 2010 Bowties with Sausage and Basil
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.
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!