Category: MISC

WEEKLY MENU

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

 DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
Monday 6/20 CEREAL SANDWICHES Recipe Experiment Night
Tuesday 6/21 TOAST LEFTOVERS TOASTED ONION SALISBURY SLIDERS
Wednesday 6/22 YOGURT SOUP ARROZ CON POLLO
Thursday 6/23 FRUIT CHEESE & FRUIT TWISTED PEPPER STEAK
Friday 6/24 OATMEAL C.O.R.N. FRENCH ONION CHICKEN
Saturday 6/25 GERMAN PANCAKE leftovers MANDARIN CHICKEN & NOODLES
Sunday 6/26 SAUSAGE SPINCAH BAKE OUT CHICKEN FLAUTAS

POWER SALAD

Power Salad Adapted from JJ Twigs
1 bunch/bag of spinach
1 can of black olives, drained
1 can of mandarin oranges, drained
1 container feta cheese
Handful of raisins
Handful of sunflower seeds
Some red onion
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:  I seasoned the chicken breasts and put them on the grill until finished.  I combined all other ingredients.  Once chicken was done, I sliced it up and added it to the salad.

Modifications:
-I left off the bacon bits.
-I added grilled chicken (an extra cost at the restaurant)

Here’s what I started with:
Season the chicken with salt and pepper or your favorite poultry seasoning and grill until chicken juices run clear.  Build your salad with the other ingredients.  Slice the chicken and place on top of salad. Serve with your favorite dressing.

Here’s what you’ll end up with:

A couple of week’s ago we went out to this local restaurant and I ordered their Power Salad and it was SO good.  The ingredients were so easy that I decided to make it at home.  They serve it with a sweet dressing much like this one but, personally, I found that the mandarin oranges added just enough juice to the salad for me.
This is a very healthy, delicious salad and we will be having it all summer long.  Of course, you could add any fruits or vegetables to this salad that you may have on hand.

Tabbouleh (Lebanese Parsley Salad)

Tabbouleh is a well known Lebanese dish, and they even have a National Tabbouleh Day held each summer in Beirut. I am sure like many nationally known dishes each family has their own version of how they make it. Some will use flat leaf parsley and some use curly parsley, but where mine differs from an authentic Lebanese tabbouleh is the amount of parsley. They use mostly parsley and a little bulgar thrown in, so it’s mostly green in appearance.
I still have to get used to eating mostly parsley, which is supposed to be very good for you. The bulgar (cracked wheat)used in the salad is small or fine, which is soaked soft before using. If you can only find medium soak it a little longer. I used sumac in mine, but you can skip it if you can’t find it, it’s a little lemony in flavor.

Dressing:
1 tablespoon sumac
1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp Lebanese mixed spice

Mmmm..smell that nothing like beautiful squeezed lemons…so fresh…gosh I sound like Giada!

Ingredients:
2 bunches flat leaf parsley (washed and dried)
4 green onions (sliced thin)
1 handful fresh mint or basil (sliced thin)
1/2 cup bulgar (soaked and drained well)
3 tomatoes (diced)
salt and pepper
Cabbage or romaine lettuce leaves for serving

After the parsley is washed and dried chop it finely, try not to overwork the parsley…you don’t want to bruise it. Make sure parsley and the bulgar are dry, mix together in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss together until well mixed, squeeze on the lemon juice, and then olive oil, you don’t want it too wet, just nice and moist. Salt and pepper and one last toss together and you have a refreshing summer salad!

Of course you can adjust the amounts and ingredients to what you like. I made it once with diced cucumbers…just a small amount mind you, but my husband (who doesn’t like cucumbers) could really taste them in the salad, and he didn’t like that. So now I leave them out. Oh, and you can make yours more authentic by adding mostly parsley and making it look green!

Fire Day Friday: Grilled Chicken with Oregano, Lemon, and Feta Cheese

If you follow my blog (Jenn’s Food Journey), then you may have heard me mention that I used to be a personal chef.  Well, I tried to be a personal chef.  It didn’t work out the way I had hoped, but that’s ok.  At the time, it worked out for the best.  I just wasn’t truly ready for that task and I was trying to work a full time job on top of it.  What I did learn was that although I love to cook, I did not love to cook for 8 hours straight…two or more days a row.  It just wasn’t for me.  I started to really dislike cooking and I knew that was not what I wanted.  So, I packed up my short lived career and was completely ok with it.  What’s nice, is I have learned so much since then and, well, I can always go back to it if I ever choose to 🙂

I tell this story because this recipe was actually a recipe that one of my clients requested as one of their “fresh” meals…. i.e… not a meal that I would freeze for him.  It, of course, was called for baking the chicken and it’s good that way.  But, if you know me at all, you know I would rather grill than bake any day… but especially when it’s over 100 degrees!!
This is a perfect recipe to make on a busy week night when you have little time to actually spend in the kitchen (or by the grill) yet want a delicious and almost elegant meal.  Ok, it’s at least delicious!

Grilled Chicken with Oregano, Lemon, and Feta Cheese
Adapted from Cooking.com
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4-1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (I only used about 1/4 cup cause the chicken breasts were on the smaller side)

Directions:
Mix together the mayo, lemon juice, oregano, and garlic clove.  Rinse of the chicken and pat dray.  Slather the mayo mixture on both sides of each piece of chicken and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat your grill to 370 degrees.  Oil the grill grates.  Place the chicken directly over the fire and grill for 8-10 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through.  In the last 2 minutes, top with feta cheese, close the lid, and allow the cheese to melt or soften just a bit.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes before cutting into it.  Enjoy!

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with BROWNED PARSLEY BUTTER

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with BROWNED PARSLEY BUTTER
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
flour for dredging
4 tablespoons butter
1 large green onion, sliced thin
salt, pepper and paprika to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime

  • Place chicken between the folds of a clean cheesecloth towel.  
  • Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thick.
  • Cut each breast in half.
  • Generously season both sides of chicken breasts.
  • Dredge chicken in flour.
  • In a large skillet melt butter over medium high heat.
  • When butter is sizzling, but not browning, add onions and chicken pieces.
  • Generously season AGAIN!
  • Cook chicken 4-5 minutes on each side.
  • Plate chicken and keep warm.
  • Add parsley, lemon and lime juices, cooking until browned. 
  • Pour over chicken pieces.
  • Garnish with parsely.

CHICKEN POT PIE, the HEALTHY WAY

When I was growing up, we ate a few too many Swanson frozen chicken pot pies.  For years and years, I wouldn’t eat the stuff.  No way, no how.  But, not too long ago, I asked a co-worker what she was eating, and she gave me a taste, and it was delicious!  It was nothing like that frozen stuff I had growing up.  So, I got to thinking how I could make it taste good and healthy at the same time.  The solution was simple!

CHICKEN POT PIE
2 12-oz cans of white meat chicken (this is the only thing I will eat with canned chicken)
1 can 98% fat free cream of celery soup
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 bag (10-12 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
salt and pepper to taste

Mix chicken, soups, and vegetables in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour in a baking dish.  Unroll the crescent dough.  Place on top of the chicken mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until center is no longer doughy.
This is such an easy recipe.  It served my family of 5 with a serving left over.  Dividing this recipe by 6 servings, each serving has 12 grams of fat and 340 calories.  Enjoy!

BROWN SUGAR PECAN LOAF CAKE

This is a delicious cake, so good in fact that my Honey wanted me to share this with all of you for Try A New Recipe day. And in some ways it is a new recipe, because this cake, while delicious and moist only has 1/4 cup of butter in the whole cake. That has to be new.
I also think it has to do with the separation of the eggs. However, you do use all of the eggs, first beating in the yolks and then the egg whites. That has to be new.

Let’s make cake, shall we?

Brown Sugar Loaf Cake
adapted from:  cakes from scratch in half the time
by:  Linda West Eckhardt
400 degree oven – a cooks wisdom:  375 degrees at most!

the intro:  Luscious and sweet, this dark, caramel-colored sugar cake is crumbly, spicy and everything nice.

2 large eggs – room temperature or see warming tip below
1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup flour – divided
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves (original recipe called for 1/2 t, but cloves and I don’t get along!)
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Before we begin:  I do not own or use aluminum pans, it is a personal choice. This cake will be baked in my steel loaf pan. There is a theory and practice for shiny pans and it is thought to affect the end product for crust and appearance, and while this may be true, my guess is, this cake will not suffer for being baked in a pan different than prescribed by the author.

Prepare to bake:  Arrange the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees. Spritz a 9X5 inch shiny aluminum loaf pan and the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the top of the pan with pan spray. Place the unbroken eggs into a bowl of (comfortable) hot water.
Make the batter:  Cream the butter until light, then add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Separate the eggs. Add 2 of the yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the egg whites and beat well.  Toss 1/4 cup of the flour with the nuts. Mix the remaining 1 cup flour with the baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Add to the butter mixture in thirds, alternately with the milk and vanilla. Fold in the nuts.
Bake the cake:  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, lay the foil, shiny side down, loosely over the top, and bake for 25 minutes.
Quickly remove the foil and continue baking until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 20 more minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely.
When cool, place on a serving platter, add a knife and let everyone serve themselves. Store any leftovers in plastic wrap to keep it moist.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!
I appreciate your time and your comments.

And for more great recipes and food and kitchen ideas, stop by Mom’s Sunday Cafe!

BLACK & BLUE COBBLER

BLACK & BLUE COBBLER BOWLS
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup whole milk
1 cup self-rising flour*
1/2 cup butter + 2 tablespoons, both melted separately
3/4 cup fine sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

  • Mix together the fine sugar and flour.
  • Whisk in the milk.
  • Whisk in 1/2 cup melted butter.
  • Pour into well greased bowls.
  • Distribute berries evenly on top of batter.
  • Mix 2 tablespoons melted butter with brown sugar until crumbly.
  • Sprinkle on tops.
  • Bake 45-60 minutes until golden and toothpick comes out clean.

*If you prefer a heavier crust, use bisquick

RASPBERRY TURKEY TENDERLOINS ~

RASPBERRY TURKEY TENDERLOINS
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/8 dried thyme
4 turkey breast tenderloins
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:  In a small saucepan, combine the jam, vinegar, mustard, orange peel and thyme.  Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.  Set aside 1/4 cup for serving.
Sprinkle turkey with salt.  Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack.  Grill turkey, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from the heat for 13-18 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees, turning occassionaly.  Baste with remaining sauce during last 5 minutes of cooking. 

Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.  Serve with reserved sauce.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Put jam, apple cider vinegar, mustard, and orange peel in a saucepan on low.

Add the thyme.

Salt the turkey breasts and put them on the grill for 16-18 minutes or until 190 degrees in the center.  Use some of the sauce to baste the turkey.

Pull off the grill and let rest.  

Pour the remainder of the sauce of the turkey breast.

Here’ what you’ll end up with:

SKILLET CHICKEN & RICE

Son2 as a Junior this past year took cooking for one of his electives… This past week he made dinner for the family…


This is the recipe he used from class… I copied it word for word straight from the cookbook he made in class… 

Boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs 
1 tablespoon oil 
1/2 cup chopped onions 
1-2 garlic cloves 
1 cup broccoli 
1 1/4 cup rice 
2 3/4 cup water 
2-3 teaspoon chicken bouillon 
Pepper, dash 
Garlic salt, dash 
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese 
Optional–1/2 cup thinly sliced red peppers and or 1/4 cup shredded carrot
1. Wash and pat dry chicken.
2. Cut chicken into thin strips about 1/4 inch wide.

3. Heat oil in Teflon frying pan or a frying pan with a lid. Be careful for smoke point.
 4. Add chicken, onions, garlic, and (shredded carrots if you choose to have them). Stir constantly browning the onions and chicken. Spice with pepper and garlic salt.
 5. Carefully add water, bouillon, and rice. Bring to a hard boil.
 6. Add broccoli and any other vegetables.
 7. Cover and lower temperature to simmer 15 minutes without looking. (Do not allow the steam to escape).
 8. After 15 minutes, check to see if rice is soft. If not, cover and cook another five minutes. Add small amount of water if needed.

9. When rice is soft, turn off temperature. Add cheese and cover with lid for 3 minutes to melt the cheese.



Happy Eating…



WEEKLY MENU

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

 DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
Monday 6/13 YOGURT SANDWICHES KRABBY CHICKEN CASSEROLE
Tuesday 6/14 TOAST LEFTOVERS PARSLEY BUTTER CHICKEN with PARMESAN GLAZED TOMATOES
Wednesday 6/15 YOGURT SOUP BAKED APRICOT CHICKEN
Thursday 6/16 FRUIT CHEESE & FRUIT PORK CHOPS with BALSAMIC BUTTER SAUCE
Friday 6/17 OATMEAL C.O.R.N. MOROCCAN BEEF and NOODLES
Saturday 6/18 OUT leftovers CHICKEN SALTIMBOCA with BROCCOLI in ORANGE SAUCE
Sunday 6/19 BACON & EGGS ??? YUCATAN CHICKEN