Comfort Food: Weekly Menu 2/11/13

It's winter and even in L.A., we're turning on the heat at night these days, which means that the last thing we feel like eating for dinner is anything cold. This is a meaty kind of a menu, but as I've said before, there are at least three members of my family who could probably live on  meat and chocolate alone. So how could I not make some cookies for dessert with these dinners? This chocolate cookie recipe comes right from the bag of Gold Medal Flour and it is my absolute favorite. For those in town, come on over, I still have some.

If comfort food is up your alley these days, here are some favorites from past Weekly Menus that you might like:

• Weeknight Bolognese
• Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup
• Bacon Macaroni Casserole
• Chicken and Biscuits
• Italian Sausage Soup 

 Enjoy!

 

All American Chili

The addition of sausage to this chili sets it apart. This makes a big batch and we found that the leftovers tasted great - maybe even better - a couple of days later. 

Sides: Toppings like shredded cheddar, sour cream, green onions and hot sauce; cornbread

Shortcuts

• Use pre-chopped onion from the produce section

Make Ahead Notes

• Combine dry seasonings ahead and set aside for later
• Chop onion and bell pepper and set aside for later 
• Rinse and drain beans and set aside for later
  

Ingredients

• 6 ounces mild or sweet turkey Italian sausage
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/4 cups Merlot or other fruity red wine
• 2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained

Directions

• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage, onion, and the next 4 ingredients (onion through jalapeño) to pan; cook 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble.
• Add chili powder and the next 7 ingredients (chili powder through bay leaves), and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves. Serve with toppings.

Adapted from this Cooking Light recipe

Crispy Pork Medallions

This dish broke us out of our usual go-to marinated pork tenderloin recipes.

Sides: Baked sweet potatoes, sauteed or steamed sugar snap peas

Make Ahead Notes

• Combine dry seasonings and set aside for later

 Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 8 medallions
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (I used about a tsp of dried instead)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450°.
• Rub mustard evenly over pork medallions. Combine panko, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Dredge pork in panko mixture. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pork; sauté 2 minutes or until golden brown. Turn pork. Place skillet in oven; bake at 450° for 8 minutes or until pork reaches 145°. Let stand 3 minutes.

 Recipe from Cooking Light

 

Mozzarella-Stuffed Pesto Turkey Meatballs

You break into a meatball and melty mozzarella oozes out. It's hard to resist a meatball with pesto AND a gooey center. I halved this recipe and still had leftovers.

Sides: Spaghetti with marinara sauce, green salad

Shortcuts

• Use quality pre-grated Parmesan cheese

Make Ahead Notes

• Chop parsley and onion and set aside for later  -  if you have a mini food chopper, throw the onion and parsley in together
• Cut mozzarella into cubes and set aside in the fridge for later

Ingredients

• 3 pounds ground turkey
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 egg
• 1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup prepared pesto
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 (24 ounce) jars marinara sauce

Directions

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees.
• Place the ground turkey, onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, pesto, milk, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Mix until evenly blended, then form into 1 3/4-inch meatballs. Make a hole in the meatball with your finger and place a cheese cube in the hole. Seal the meatball around the cheese and place on a nonstick baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the meatballs. 
• Bake in the preheated oven until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center, about 30 minutes. Heat the marinara sauce in a saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer, and place the baked meatballs in the marinara sauce for about 2 minutes.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com
 

Extra Credit: Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

 I'm not a fan of crispy, flat cookies, so these, in my opinion, are perfection. They turn out chewy and chunky every time. I recommend you only slightly soften your butter and then take some time to chill the dough before baking. If the dough is too warm, your cookies will indeed spread and be flatter than you might like.

Make Ahead Notes

• Measure out dry ingredients and set aside for later
• Set butter out to soften a bit 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter, slightly softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (24 ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions 

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• In large bowl, beat butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff).
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by tablespoonfuls or a cookie/ice cream scoop 2 inches apart.
• Bake 11-13 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool 1-2 minutes, remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Recipe from Gold Medal Flour bag and originally called "Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies"

New Dish Challenge Pt 2: Weekly Menu 2/4/13

Hello friends, and I'm sorry for the recent hiatus. Sometimes life is anything but easier, simpler or better, and that's what it's been like here as a home improvement project that should have taken a week dragged on for five. Five weeks with spotty access to the kitchen and no access to a table, plus a lot of take-out kind of slowed me down in the cooking department. So I shifted my "try new dishes" challenge and am continuing it into this month. I can feel the cooking energy coming back!

Sometimes you try a new dish and right away you know you're going to want to make it a LOT. That's the case with Italian Chicken, which my hairdresser shared with me last month. Make it and report back.

Thanks!

Italian Chicken

Does this look pretty or what? It's totally company-ready.

Sides: Freshly  cooked pasta

Make Ahead Notes

• Chop tomatoes and artichokes; combine and set aside until later
• Chop fresh basil and set aside for later
  

Shortcuts

• Though I haven't tried this, I think you could use drained, canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh in a pinch

Ingredients:

• 4-5 ripe Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 1 can artichoke hearts (plain, not marinated), drained and chopped
• 2-3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp each of salt & pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 TBSP flour
• 5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with S&P
• 3/4 to 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese ( I used an Italian cheese blend from Trader Joe's)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:

•  Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 13x9 baking pan.
• Combine the first seven ingredients well (tomatoes through flour) in a medium bowl.
• Lay the chicken breasts in the pan and add the tomato mixture around the edges of the pan and between the chicken breasts (don't cover the breasts completely)
• Bake at 350 for about 30-35 minutes or until *nearly* cooked through. Turn oven to broil setting.
• Pull out the dish and sprinkle the chicken evenly with the cheese. Return to the oven and broil 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
• Sprinkle with the fresh basil and serve.

Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

 Keep the skin on to roast the chicken even if you're not a skin fan. The chicken will stay much juicier that way. Other than the chicken, you probably have all the ingredients on hand for this dish.

Sides: Fresh steamed, sliced carrots and rice or couscous

Make Ahead Notes

• Combine honey, mustard, oil and salt and set aside for later

Ingredients:

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup smooth Dijon mustard
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup honey
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 pounds chicken thighs (or legs)
• Salt
• 2 sprigs rosemary (or a generous sprinkling of dried rosemary)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions: 

• Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix mustard with the honey, and olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and taste. Add more salt and mustard until you get the flavor where you want it.
• Salt the chicken lightly and lay the pieces skin-side up in a shallow casserole dish. Spoon the honey mustard sauce over the chicken. Place the rosemary sprigs in between the pieces of chicken.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until the thighs read 175° on a meat thermometer, or the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife. Remove the casserole pan from the oven, use a spoon to spoon off any excess chicken fat that has rendered during the cooking.
• Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper over the chicken before you serve.

Recipe from Simply Recipes
 

Pasta with Pork Bolognese

Open the wine and dinner is ready in under 30 minutes. For real.

Sides:  Salad with Caesar dressing or Balsamic vinaigrette

Make Ahead Notes:

• Chop basil and set aside for later
• Grate carrot and set aside for later

Ingredients:

• 9 ounces refrigerated fettuccine(I used dried tagliatelle from Trader Joe's instead)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 12 ounces lean ground pork
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 1 2/3 cups marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

• Cook pasta per directions. Drain.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork, carrot, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes or until pork is done. Add wine; cook 1 minute. Add marinara, 1/4 cup basil, salt, and pepper; bring to a simmer. Pour sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil.

 Recipe from Cooking Light

 

Extra Credit: Roasted Green Beans & Potatoes

One pan, one oven, one temperature... two side dishes. Wish I could do this more often!

Make Ahead Notes

• Scrub potatoes. If you want to cut them ahead, submerge them in a bowl of cold water until you're ready to use them to prevent browning
• Rinse and cut green beans
  

Shortcuts

• Buy a bag of pre-rinsed, trimmed green beans

Ingredients:

• 1 lb red potatoes, quartered or small golden potatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced or quartered, divided
• 1/4 tsp  each coarse salt and pepper, or to taste
• 8 oz fresh green beans, trimmed & halved

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425F with a rimmed baking sheet inside. 
• Toss potatoes with half of the oil and garlic, then season with salt, pepper. Transfer potatoes to preheated baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. 
• Toss the green beans with half of the oil and garlic, then season with salt, pepper. Add to the baking sheet with the potatoes. Turn potatoes once.
• Roast for 10 more minutes.

Recipe adapted from The Curious Country Cook

Best of Extra Credit: Weekly Menu 1/21/13

Hello friends! While my "New Dish Challenge" for January is still underway, so is a house remodeling project that has gone on much longer than expected. Though the kitchen has been available to me each night to make dinner, my time at the computer to write blog posts has been limited as our family tries to vacate the house for workers each day.

So I thought this might be a good time to recap some of my favorite "Extra Credit" dishes from the last six months of this blog. "Extra Credits" are snacks, baked goods or side dishes  - tasty items that supplement day-to-day meals.

Enjoy and stay tuned for fresh Weekly Menus soon!

Baked Oatmeal 

Your house will smell like an oatmeal cookie and you'll have a warm breakfast in no time.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Cooking spray

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. 
• Combine the milk, applesauce, vanilla, butter, and egg. 
• Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well. 
• Pour oat mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. 
• Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Adapted from this Cooking Light recipe

 

Extra Credit: Homemade Granola Bars

 These are nothing like packaged granola bars. You can taste every ingredient - that's a good thing. They make a great option for school lunches and snacks before sports practices and games.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½  C. quick oats
• ½  C. crisp rice cereal
• ½  C. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½  C. brown sugar
• ½  tsp. salt
• ½  C. canola oil
• ¼  C. honey
• ½  tsp. vanilla

Note: I always have to add a little more honey than the recipe calls for to get it sticky enough to spread in the pan, so you may want to have extra on hand.

Directions:

• Preheat to 350 degrees.
• Spray a square baking pan really well with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
• Mix all ingredients (except for the chocolate chips) really, really well - you may need to use your hands. Taking your time also allows the wet ingredients to sort of soak into the dry components. If your mixture seems dry after mixing then you may need to add a little more oil and/or honey - a teaspoon or two at a time - until it starts to clump up a little. 
• When your granola mixture is not too wet, not too dry, then stir in the chocolate chips.
• Press the remaining granola into your pan. Press mixture firmly, compacting it as well as you can.
• Bake for 17-22 minutes. They are ready to remove from oven when the tops are golden.  If they don't cook long enough they may not hold their shape. If they cook too long they will get too dry and may not hold their shape.
• Let the granola bars cool COMPLETELY. Leave them all day or overnight - cover the pan with a dry towel if you're cooling them overnight.
• Invert the pan onto a cutting board and use a long knife to cut into bars. Wrap bars individually in waxed paper.

Find the recipe on AnotherLunch.com

Extra Credit: Crash Hot Potatoes

 This alternative to the usual baked potato is from the Pioneer Woman blog. They are simple and they never fail to be a HIT.

Make Ahead Notes

• Boil potatoes ahead and allow to cool slightly; do not refrigerate before baking
  

Ingredients

• 12 whole New Potatoes (or other small round potatoes)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt to taste
• Black Pepper to taste
• Rosemary (or other herbs of choice) to taste 

Directions 

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
• On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
• With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
• Sprinkle potatoes generously with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
• Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

 Recipe from The Pioneer Woman blog

Roasted Corn, Avocado & Bean Salad

Make a batch of this to eat over several days as a healthy snack or lunch. Only add the avocado right before serving.

Ingredients for shopping list:

• I can black beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ bag of Trader Joe’s roasted corn, defrosted
• 1-2 ripe, diced avocados (add this last, right before serving)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (if cilantro’s not your thing, try diced red onion or green onions instead)
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently toss to combine. Add the avocado right before serving to avoid it going brown. You can tailor this salad easily to your liking with add-ins like different beans, chopped fresh tomatoes or garlic. And here’s how to turn it into a fast app: buy the “scoops” tortilla chips and spoon about a tablespoon of this salad into each chip to serve.

New Dish Challenge: Weekly Menu 1/14/13

Try 14 new dishes in one month. Yup, that's the challenge I've taken on for January and so far, I'm happy to  report that there was only one fail (not pictured here - you're welcome). Why the challenge? To branch out and try some new techniques. To use some cooking gear, such as the brown roasting dish you see in the chicken pic above, that has seen no action since purchase. To continue expanding my family's palate. And perhaps most importantly, to keep giving you the eye candy and easy ideas that make weekly menu planning possible. In case you need a little more oomph, check out these tips on getting started with weekly menu planning for your family.

Thanks for checking out these new dishes. Please let me know if you try them and like them!

Sage & Garlic Roast Chicken with Pomegranate Black Pepper Glaze

 

This dish sounds like it will be fancy and complicated, but it is most definitely not. Your kitchen will smell amazing and you'll look like a pro even though the effort is minimal.

Shortcuts

• Use pre-chopped root vegetables, such as butternut squash, from the produce section

Make Ahead Notes

• Soften butter and chop sage; combine butter, sage, garlic and salt and set aside for later (try not to let it "harden" up in the fridge)
• Clean chicken and set it at room temp and dry for about 30 minutes before cooking.

Ingredients

• 4-5 pound fryer chicken (be sure to remove giblets and rinse cavity)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 4 Tablespoons softened butter, unsalted
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 cups (16 oz) pomegranate juice
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• Pomegranate seeds and sage leaves for garnish (optional)
• Cubed seasonal vegetables; prep as needed and roast alongside the chicken (suggestions: butternut squash, acorn squash, new or sweet potatoes)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Finely chop the sage and garlic. Combine the butter, sage, garlic, and salt in a bowl and mix well until combined. Rub the butter over the entire chicken including the cavity and underneath the skin. Place any additional sage or garlic inside the cavity (optional). 
• Tie the drumstick ends together with cooking twine and tuck the wing tips in towards the chicken. 
• Place chicken in a roasting pan and add vegetables around the chicken. Drizzle vegetables lightly with olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Place the chicken in oven and roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 
• While the chicken is roasting, pour the pomegranate juice in a sauce pot and add pepper. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the juice has reduced by 3/4 and formed a syrup, about 15 minutes. The glaze is finished when it thickly coats the back of a spoon. Remove the chicken from the oven and pour half of the glaze over the chicken. If the glaze has hardened, heat it over low heat until fluid. Evenly spread the glaze over the chicken with a kitchen/pastry brush. Reserve leftover glaze for serving/plating. 
• Return the chicken to the oven and roast for an additional 10 minutes. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before carving. Carve and plate. Spoon pomegranate black pepper glaze over and garnish with pomegranate seeds, if desired.

Recipe from In Sock Monkey Slippers blog

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

I grew up with a butter-laden version of shrimp scampi, so this is a bright and much lighter version.

Shortcuts

• Buy fresh or frozen shrimp that are already peeled and/or deveined

Make Ahead Notes

• Rinse, peel and devein shrimp; refrigerate until ready to cook 
• Chop parsley and set aside for later
• Squeeze lemon juice into a small bowl and set aside for later

 Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 7 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Place orzo in a medium bowl. Stir in parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover and keep warm.
• While orzo cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add half of shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan. Add remaining shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer to plate.
• Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in shrimp, juice, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.

Recipe from Cooking Light

Homemade Marinara Sauce

Double or triple this recipe and freeze portions to use for things like lasagna or chicken Parmesan later.

Shortcuts

• Buy pre-chopped onion from the produce section

 Make Ahead Notes 

• Chop onion and parsley and set aside for later

 Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. 
• Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper. 
• Cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 15 minutes.

Recipe from Ina Garten, Food Network

Extra Credit: Puff Pastry "Pop Tarts"

These taste best warm after baking, but let them cool a bit because the jam inside is lava-hot if you get excited and bite into them too early.

Ingredients

• One box frozen puff pastry (such as Pepperidge Farm)
• 3/4 cup (8oz.) fruit jam
• 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
  

Directions

• Place puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allow it to defrost
• Preheat to 375.
• Mix the jam with the cornstarch/water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool. Use to fill the pastry tarts.
• Using a pizza cutter, cut out 12 rectangles from the puff pastry sheets.
• Place a heaping spoonful of the jam mixture in the middle of 6 rectangles. Top with remaining 6 rectangles and crimp the edges together with a fork.
• Bake the "tarts" at 375 F for 16-18 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen and  Food Coma Blog

Resolve to Have People Over: Weekly Menu 1/7/13

Happy New Year, friends! After going somewhat dark here on the blog over the past couple of weeks to unplug and enjoy family and friends, I'm back and inspired by the "cook new things" challenge on one of my favorite blogs, Dinner a Love Story. The challenge I'll take on is to cook 14 new dishes in the next month.  That sounds a little crazy now that I see it in writing.

While I ramp that up after doing no cooking on vacation, I bring you some Easier Simpler Better favorites. The theme this week is "Resolve to Have People Over" because I want to make a bigger effort this year to invite friends over for dinner, especially friends that we don't see as often as we'd like. So many times I psyche myself out when it comes to inviting friends over for dinner. "I won't have time to pull it off! There won't be enough food! The house is a bomb!" But I'm trying to remember how I feel as a guest. Food pretty much always tastes better when someone else made it for you. It's such a nice break to have someone else figure out what's for dinner. Guests will happily bring a salad or dessert. No one will notice if the floor is vacuumed.

Here are some favorite no-fail recipes that are great for sharing and can be easily doubled. And they can mostly be made ahead so you can enjoy your good company when they arrive. Cheers!

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Sides: Baked sweet potatoes

Shortcuts

• Buy feta cheese that's already crumbled

 Make Ahead Notes

• Slice Romaine lettuce, tomatoes and basil; chop tomatoes and parsley

Ingredients

• 3 cups skinned, shredded roasted chicken breast (I use store-bought rotisserie chicken)
• 3 cups hot cooked penne (about 6 ounces uncooked pasta)
• 2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
• 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/3 cup creamy Caesar dressing
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; toss well to coat.

Recipe adapted from MyRecipes.com

Orzo with Shrimp, Feta Cheese & White Wine

Side: Crusty Italian bread

Shortcuts:

• Use pre-grated Parmesan cheese
• Buy frozen, raw shrimp that are already peeled and de-veined

Make Ahead Notes:

• If using fresh, grate the Parmesan cheese ahead, lightly cover and put in fridge for later
• If using frozen shrimp, place them in a colander and run cool water over them for a minute or two to start defrosting. Drain and place in a covered bowl in the fridge until ready to cook.
• Rinse, dry and chop basil to use later. If you have a kid who’s handy with scissors, have them cut up the basil with a clean pair.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush 11x7-inch glass baking dish with oil. Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain well and return orzo to same pot. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 cup feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and 2 tablespoons basil; stir to blend. Arrange orzo mixture in prepared dish.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and sauté until slightly pink, about 2 minutes (shrimp will not be cooked through). Arrange shrimp on top of orzo. 
• Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to same skillet. Add garlic and sauté over medium-high heat 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with juice; cook 1 minute. Stir in wine, oregano, crushed red pepper, and remaining 1/4 cup basil. Simmer uncovered until reduced to thick sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper; spoon over shrimp. 
• Bake orzo until heated through, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup feta cheese and serve.

Find the recipe on Epicurious

Honey Lime Chicken Burritos

 

Sides: Guacamole + chips or the avocado and black bean salad found in a previous Weekly Menu

Short Cuts

• Use rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the chicken yourself
• Use bagged, shredded cheese

Make Ahead Notes

• If shredding cheese yourself, do this ahead and put in fridge for later
• Juice the limes; mix up the honey-lime mixture and set aside for later

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
• 1 12-15 oz. bottle salsa verde (green salsa)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 8-10 flour tortillas
• 4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

• In a large bowl; whisk together honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder and salt.  Add cooked, shredded chicken to the lime mixture.  Let sit 10 minutes.
• In a 9×13 pan, pour 3/4 of the salsa verde bottle to cover the bottom of the pan.  Set aside the remainder sauce.
• Take a flour tortilla and fill with a couple tablespoons of  chicken and cheese.  Roll up and place seam side down in the salsa verde pan.  Repeat process until all tortillas are filled.  After you have removed all of the chicken, there will be some remaining lime sauce in the bowl.  Add the remaining salsa verde and heavy whipping cream to the lime sauce and mix.  Pour mixture over the filled burritos and cover with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is brown & bubbly.

Recipe adapted from The Krazy Coupon Lady site

Baked Stuffed Pasta Shells

Make Ahead Notes 

• Chop herbs - have a kid cut them with clean scissors if you can
• Combine cheese filling and refrigerate for later
• Cook pasta shells - be sure to rinse well with cold water and drain 
• If possible, assemble the shells completely and just bake when you are ready to eat

Ingredients

• 12 ounces jumbo pasta shells
• 1 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (Reserve 1/4 cup)
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 lbs ricotta cheese
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 8 ounces spaghetti sauce (jarred or homemade)
• fresh basil, chopped, for garnish 

Instructions

• In an 8 quart pot, bring water to a boil and cook shells for 8 minutes or until al dente.
• Drain and cool immediately with cold water.
• Drain and place open side down on paper towels.
• In a medium bowl, combine the rest of ingredients except the spaghetti sauce.
• Reserve the 1/4 cup of Mozzarella.
• Place a thin layer of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of a 12 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Spoon the cheese mixture into each pasta shell and place open side up, in a single layer, in prepared pan.
• Pour the rest of sauce over the stuffed shells.
• Loosely cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
• During last 5 minutes of baking, remove foil and sprinkle remaining Mozzarella cheese on top.
• Bake 5 more minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped basil.

Recipe from Food.com

How to Reuse Stuff: Holiday Cards

I bet you have a big, beautiful pile of holiday cards from friends and family right about now, just like we do. While most of them may be photo cards, there will probably be a handful that are the good, old fashioned illustrated kind. Before you toss them, set them aside for a low-effort craft that recycles the cards for the next holiday into gift tags. You may be more inclined to just shell out $1.49 for sheets of peel and stick gift tags, and believe me, I have those too. But this little project is something my mom did with me starting when I was around 7 or 8, and now my kids love to do it. Once you get them started, they may want to do it all on their own. If nothing else, you'll feel a little greener for doing it!

The supplies

• Illustrated holiday cards (not photo cards)
• Pinking shears to make a decorative edge when you cut. These are optional - a straight edge with standard scissors is fine too.
• A hole puncher
• A "To/From" stamp and ink pad. This is optional - you can write in "To" and "From" yourself.
• Thin ribbon

How to make gift tags recycled from holiday cards:

1. With pinking shears or regular scissors, cut out a good image area from a card, making sure that the back side is blank.
2. Punch a hole near the top edge of the tag.
3. Use your stamp and ink to add "to" and "from" on the back of the tag or just write it yourself.
4. Tie a length of thin ribbon through the punched hole.
5. Now you have cute, semi-homemade gift tags!

One-Dish Dinners: Weekly Menu 12/17

Some evenings, one dish is about all I can handle. Oh, you too? If I can get a protein plus veggies and maybe a pasta or potato into a single dish, I feel like I've gotten away with something.

I have to share some details about how we eat our dinners because yours may go down like this too. Tonight, I tried the Baked Chicken Fajitas for the first time, which I served with baked beans on the side. That's a weird side for fajitas, I know, but I had mistaken the can in my pantry for refried beans earlier in the day. All in all, the dish was a success, but here's how success looked: my husband and I ate the fajitas, assembled the conventional way with lots of hot sauce. My cave woman 9-year old mowed the chicken and onions... then more chicken. My 6 year old ate no chicken, as far as I could tell and stuffed her tortilla with baked beans and shredded cheese, but nothing else, and called it good. My 4 year old ate an empty tortilla, maybe a few beans, a fistful of shredded cheese and a pear that he begged for from our fruit bowl.  I share this because no matter how well composed these home-cooked dinners may look and sound to you in the pictures and descriptions, we always have some level of improv and deconstruction at the table. I say keep calm and keep cooking.

Ziti with Tomatoes, Spinach & Gouda

This veggie-packed dish usually passes the kid taste test because it involves pasta and good cheese. You can also set aside some plain cooked pasta and a few of the ingredients to assemble a separate portion for picky eaters.

Side:  Garlic bread

Shortcuts

• Buy pre-shredded Gouda (my local store offers shredded Gouda now)

Make Ahead Notes 

• Chop vegetables and set aside for later
• Shred cheese

 Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked ziti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 cup chopped onion
  1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
  3 garlic cloves, minced
  1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
  1 (10-ounce) can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes (such as Rotel Bold Italian)
  4 cups baby spinach
  1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded, smoked Gouda cheese, divided
  Cooking spray

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach to pan; cook 30 seconds or until spinach wilts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. 
• Add pasta and 3/4 cup cheese to tomato mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with remaining  cheese. 
• Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Recipe from MyRecipes.com

Baked Chicken Fajitas

 

Chicken, peppers, onions, tomatoes and fajita seasonings... in one dish!! Though this preparation isn't exactly traditional, it is super convenient and really flavorful.

Sides: Warmed tortillas and toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, hot sauce

Shortcuts

• Although I haven't tried this, I imagine you could buy a packet of pre-mixed fajita seasoning instead of combining the seasoning blend yourself

 Make Ahead Notes 

• Coat baking pan with cooking spray; chop the veggies and put them right into the pan for later
• Chop chicken
• Mix seasonings
• You could combine all ingredients ahead and allow the chicken and veggies to marinate in the fridge; bake later

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (or use boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, mostly drained
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 flour tortillas, warmed to serve

Directions 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
• Grease a 13×9 baking dish. Mix together chicken, tomatoes, chilies, peppers, and onions in the dish. 
• In a small bowl combine the oil and spices. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and toss to coat. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve with warmed tortillas and enjoy!

Recipe from SixSistersStuff Blog

Rosemary Chicken with Pesto Potatoes

I went to the store to buy ingredients for one dinner recipe and got totally distracted by a different recipe I spied on a package of Simply Potatoes that I happened to pick up. I was powerless against the suggestion of pesto. Sounded good, and here it is!

Sides: Give yourself a break and buy a salad kit with dressing included. And make one of your kids assemble it if possible.

Make Ahead Notes

•  Mix up dry seasonings and set aside for later
  

Ingredients

• 1 package Simply Potatoes® Diced Potatoes with Onion (I found them in the refrigerated section where eggs are kept)
• 1/4 cup refrigerated pesto with basil (I used Buitoni)
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 package (approx. 3.5 lbs) fryer chicken pieces, skinned if desired

Directions 

• Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Stir together Simply Potatoes and pesto until potatoes are well coated. Spread into thin layer in bottom of baking dish. 
• In small bowl stir rosemary, salt and pepper until well blended. Rub spice mixture over chicken. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes. (NOTE: The chicken cooked just fine, but if you like your skin a bit more crispy, you may want to quickly brown the chicken skin-side down in a pan before placing it in the pan with the potatoes to bake.)
• Bake, uncovered, 40 to 45 minutes or until juices in chicken run clear. 

Recipe from Simply Potatoes

Chicken and Gruyere Turnovers

Seriously, I am a little obsessed with puff pastry right now. I wish you could see the cheesy good stuff inside. I think the fillings could be just about anything you want or have left over - ham and cheese would be really tasty. And these are a perfect accompaniment to soup for an easy weeknight dinner. We ate them with the slow cooker Butternut Squash Soup from a previous Weekly Menu.

 
Make Ahead Notes 

• Shred chicken and cheese; if you're pressed for time, just slice the cheese into thin strips
• Allow the pastry to thaw for about 20 minutes at room temperature

 Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 sheets (one 17.25-ounce package) frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 
• NOTE:  I recommend sprinkling the filling with salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

Directions 

• Heat oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, Gruyère, and peas.
• Open up the puff pastry sheets onto a baking sheet so you have two large rectangles. Cut each sheet of puff pastry in half to form 4 rectangles. Dividing evenly, top half of each rectangle with the chicken mixture. Fold over and seal the turnovers; brush the tops with the egg. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with the mustard. 

Recipe from Real Simple