One Bold Flavor: Weekly Menu 4/8/13

Hello friends! Were you away on a spring break trip recently like we were? While out of town, we ate out for every lunch and dinner, so by the time we came home, I was looking forward to home-cooked meals. But after eating a lot of restaurant meals, what comes out of your own kitchen can seem pretty bland by comparison.

This week's recipes have something in common - each dish features at least one BOLD flavor, such as pesto, balsamic vinegar or hoisin sauce. What do I mean by bold? Rich, complex, sweet, creamy, tart, bright... the kind of flavors that will wake you up for spring.

Need some other recipes with bold flavors? Try these past faves:

• Salmon with Hoisin Glaze 
• Honey-Soy Marinated Flank Steak
• Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

 Enjoy!

Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce

 The original recipe called for homemade pesto sauce, but I substituted some awesome pesto from a local farmer's market and that really streamlined this dish. This was a huge hit in our house.

Sides: Simple green salad with a vinaigrette

Shortcuts

• Use high quality pre-grated Parmesan cheese

 Make Ahead Notes

• Dice tomatoes and refigerate
• Fill pot with water and place on stove for cooking pasta later
  

Ingredients

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup high quality prepared pesto sauce (use the amount based on your taste - you can add gradually to the cream-butter mixture to see how much you like)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 12 ounces dried pasta (a shape such as cavitappi, fusilli)
• 2 whole tomatoes, diced

Directions

• Cook pasta until al dente.
• Heat cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add pesto and stir. 
• Drain pasta and place in a serving bowl. Pour pesto cream over the top. Toss to combine. Add diced tomatoes and toss quickly. Serve immediately.

Adapted recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Soy-Balsamic Roasted Chicken with Rosemary

Your kitchen will smell like heaven while this is cooking.

Sides: Couscous or mashed potatoes - something to soak up that sauce!

Make Ahead Notes

• Mix first 5 ingredients (vinegar through pepper) in baking dish and set aside for later
• Chop rosemary
• Peel and chop shallots

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/4 cup honey
• black pepper
• One 3.5- to 4-pound chicken, cut into pieces (cut breasts through bone in half horizontally)
• 8 shallots, peeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

• Heat oven to 425° F. Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, rosemary, honey, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a 9-by-13-inch or another shallow 3-quart baking dish. Add the chicken, turn to coat, and place skin-side down.
• Toss the shallots with the oil in a medium bowl and arrange on top of the chicken.
• Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Turn the pieces skin-side up and continue to roast, basting occasionally, until the shallots are tender, the chicken is glazed, and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh registers 165° F, 15 to 20 minutes more. (Tent the dish loosely with foil if the chicken browns too quickly.) 
• OPTIONAL: Preheat the broiler. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet, skin side up. Broil on the middle rack of the oven just until the skin is crisp, about 4 minutes.

Adapted recipe from Real Simple

Sesame Pork Wraps

This is a go-to recipe in our house that's fun to eat and can be made spicier or saucier at the table, depending on your tastes. I always double this recipe.

Sides: Steamed edamame beans, pan-fried pot stickers

Shortcuts

• Use jarred, grated fresh ginger (usually found near jarred, minced garlic in grocery stores)

Make Ahead Notes

• Combine oil, ginger, salt, pepper, and garlic in bag and add pork (already trimmed and cut into strips); marinate all day if needed
  

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork tenderloin
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 moo shu shells or flour tortillas
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• Sliced green onions

 Directions 

• Trim fat from pork, and cut into thin strips. Combine pork and next 5 ingredients (pork through garlic) in a zip-top heavy-duty plastic bag; seal bag, and shake well to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes or longer as needed.
• Heat moo shu shells or tortillas according to package directions.
• Coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray; and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add pork mixture; stir-fry 4 minutes or until done. Do not overcook the pork! It should still be slightly pink in the middle to keep it juicy.
• Divide pork mixture evenly among warm moo shu shells or tortillas. Drizzle hoisin sauce over pork mixture, add green onions and roll up.

 Adapted recipe from Cooking Light

Extra Credit: Chickpea & Spring Green Salad

This salad was so good, I made it twice in one week recently after trying it. It's a great side dish, but would also be perfect for lunch on its own or with soup.

Make Ahead Notes

• Drain and rinse beans, allow to dry a bit
• Slice green onions and radishes
• Grate cheese
• Combine vinaigrette ingredients

Ingredients

• One 15-oz can of chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained & rinsed
• 3 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves, washed and spun dry (arugula is a good addition too)
• 6 green onions thinly sliced, bulbs + greens included
• 3 medium radishes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
• 1 oz semi-hard cheese, freshly grated, such as Asiago or Pecorino 

For vinaigrette

• Zest & juice from one small lemon
• 5 – 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• Generous amounts salt (about 1/2 tsp) & freshly ground pepper (about 1 tsp)

Directions

• In a large bowl combine chickpeas, spinach, green onions and radishes. Toss to mix.
• In a small bowl, combine lemon zest & juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper. Whisk well to combine and emulsify the oil. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
• Drizzle vinaigrette over salad, tossing as you go; stop adding when most of the spinach leaves are coated, but there is no dressing gathering at the bottom of the bowl (I used only about half the total amount of dressing). Reserve remaining dressing. Toss well and allow the spinach leaves to wilt slightly; add grated cheese and toss again. Cheese should dissolve into the dressing somewhat, making the dressing richer but without adding an overall cheese flavor. Taste and adjust amounts of vinaigrette, cheese, salt or pepper. Serve immediately.

Adapted recipe from Local Kitchen blog

Slow Cooking for Weeknights: Weekly Menu 4/1/13

Do your weeknight evenings involve shuttling kids to and from sports practices, games, theater rehearsals or other activities right during dinnertime? This seems to be a theme in our household right now as I have two kids playing softball and my husband is head coaching both teams, which breaks up a typical dinner routine on most days. Since many of you seem to be in the same boat, I thought I'd round up the slow cooker dinner recipes that I've tried with great results over the last year, all in one place.

Cook slow, eat well... enjoy!

Balsamic Brown Sugar Pork

This is probably the most popular recipe featured on this blog. Try it and I can almost guarantee it will be in regular rotation in your house.

Sides:
Cole slaw and rolls

Shortcuts:

• Use a "cole slaw kit," which is a bag of shredded cabbage with a pouch of dressing included. Fresh Express is an option.

Make Ahead Notes:

• Prep the glaze ahead and reheat when you need it toward the end of the pork's cooking time
• Cut up watermelon for a side dish
• Slice the rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 (2-pound) boneless pork loin
• 1 teaspoon ground dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

1. Mix together sage, salt, pepper, and garlic.
2. Rub the mixture over the pork. Add it to the slow cooker and pour 1/2 cup water in the bottom of the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
3. One hour before the pork is cooked, put the brown sugar, cornstarch, balsamic, water, and soy sauce in a sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a bubble over medium heat. It will thicken.
4. Pour half of the glaze over the pork. Reserve the rest to serve alongside.
5. Cook the pork for another hour.
6. Shred the pork with a fork. It will fall apart, it is so tender.
7. Serve with the remaining glaze.

 Originally found on BakedBree

Slow Cooker Shredded Salsa Verde Beef

A slow cooker recipe that has less than five ingredients, if you don't count the toppings. Can't get much easier than that on a weeknight.

Sides: Corn bread, guacamole and any other toppings you like, such as shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, hot sauce and lettuce

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast (or any humble beef roast)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups salsa verde (I used Herdez Salsa Verde)
• Tortillas

Directions:

• Place roast in crock pot. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Pour salsa verde over roast.
• Cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours. When done, the roast should shred easily with a fork.

Recipe from Food.com

Crock Pot Mongolian Beef

The sweet-salty combo of the sauce in this made it a winner with kids.

Sides: Rice and sauteed snow peas

Shortcuts

• Use jarred, minced ginger, usually found near jarred garlic
• Use jarred, minced garlic
• Buy bagged shredded carrots
  

Make Ahead Notes

• Cut steak and refrigerate for later
• Chop green onions

 Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds beef flank steak, cut into stir fry sized strips
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 3 medium green onions, chopped

Directions

• Coat flank steak pieces in cornstarch. Add remainder of ingredients to crock pot and stir well to combine. 
• Place flank steak into the crock pot and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours. Serve over rice or noodles, if desired.

Recipe from Once a Month Mom

Crockpot Sesame Honey Chicken

This was an ideal meal to eat before shuttling kids to practices on a weeknight.

  

Sides: White or brown rice and steamed broccoli or sauteed sugar snap peas

Make Ahead Notes

• Chop onion and refrigerate for later
• Combine onion, garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, canola oil and pepper (if using) and set aside for later
  

Shortcuts

• Buy pre-chopped onion from the produce section

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts 
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 C onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 C honey (I used only 3/4 cup)
• 1/4 C ketchup
• 1/2 C soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 4 tsp cornstarch
• 1/3 C water
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 3 green onions, chopped

 Directions

• Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper and place in crock pot.
• In a bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oil and red pepper flakes (if using).Pour mixture over chicken.
• Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 2 hour.
• Remove chicken and shred.
• In a small bowl combine cornstarch and water.
• Pour sauce from crock pot into a sauce pan and add in the cornstarch mixture. Stir to combine over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring often.
• Pour sauce over chicken.
• Serve over rice and top with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.

This recipe is all over the Internet, but I grabbed it from YourHomeBasedMom.com

Chicken Makeover: Weekly Menu 3/18/13

I wanted to call this weekly menu "Poultry in Motion," but that was too nerdy, even for me. Back in October, I did a post on shaking up your chicken routine with some new dishes, and it was feeling like time to do that again. Chicken is on the menu at least once a week in our house, and sometimes more, so I'm always up for trying some new flavors or techniques.

Need a little more inspiration? Here are some other tasty options:

Baked Chicken Fajitas 

Asian Glazed Grilled Chicken 

Roast Chicken with Pomegranate Glaze

Enjoy!

Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Chicken

 Be sure to cut your chicken breasts to roughly deck-of-cards size. The bigger breasts that are usually sold will take forever to cook and will dry out.

Sides: Wilted spinach and pearl couscous (see couscous recipe with the chicken dish in this previous Weekly Menu)

Make Ahead Notes

• Combine seasonings in a small bowl and set aside for later
• Chop onion and refrigerate for later

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
• 1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes.
• Combine thyme and 1/4 teaspoon salt; sprinkle over chicken. Add chicken to skillet; sauté 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, preserves, vinegar, and pepper, stirring constantly until the preserves melt. Spoon raspberry sauce over chicken.

Recipe from Cooking Light

Crockpot Sesame Honey Chicken

This was an ideal meal to eat before shuttling kids to practices on a weeknight.

  

Sides: White or brown rice and steamed broccoli or sauteed sugar snap peas

Make Ahead Notes

• Chop onion and refrigerate for later
• Combine onion, garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, canola oil and pepper (if using) and set aside for later
  

Shortcuts

• Buy pre-chopped onion from the produce section

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts 
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 C onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 C honey (I used only 3/4 cup)
• 1/4 C ketchup
• 1/2 C soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 4 tsp cornstarch
• 1/3 C water
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 3 green onions, chopped

 Directions

• Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper and place in crock pot.
• In a bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oil and red pepper flakes (if using).Pour mixture over chicken.
• Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 2 hour.
• Remove chicken and shred.
• In a small bowl combine cornstarch and water.
• Pour sauce from crock pot into a sauce pan and add in the cornstarch mixture. Stir to combine over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring often.
• Pour sauce over chicken.
• Serve over rice and top with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.

This recipe is all over the Internet, but I grabbed it from YourHomeBasedMom.com

 

Herbed Chicken Parmesan

Try not to skip the fresh parsley in this one. If you have leftover fresh parsley and no use for it, chop it up and throw it in a green salad.

Sides: Spaghetti or another pasta shape and steamed green beans seasoned with S&P and a squeeze of lemon

Shortcuts

• Use pre-grated or shredded Parmesan

Make ahead notes:

• Combine breading mix for chicken and refrigerate for later
• Combine tomato sauce, vinegar and seasonings for use later
• Fill pasta pot with water for later

Ingredients for shopping list:

• 1/3  cup (1 ½ ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• ¼  cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• ½  teaspoon dried basil
• ¼  teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 ½  cups bottled fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• ¼  teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3  cup (1 ½  ounces) shredded provolone cheese

Directions

• Preheat broiler.
• Combine 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg white; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside.
• Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave sauce mixture at HIGH 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Pour the sauce over chicken in pan. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan and provolone cheese. Wrap handle of pan with foil, and broil 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.

 Recipe from MyRecipes

Oven Fried Chicken

Most oven fried chicken recipes don't deliver on crispy skin, but this one does in a big way, plus the chicken inside is juicy and somehow cooks perfectly every time.

Sides: Steamed or roasted carrots and biscuits or if you're feeling adventurous and want to try a different grain, buy the 10 Minute Farro from Trader Joe's, cook it in chicken broth, drain and stir in grated Parmesan cheese, S&P to taste and a squeeze of lemon.

Make Ahead Notes

• Combine milk and vinegar or lemon juice in a large bowl and add chicken breasts (patted dry from package) to marinate 
• Combine flour mixture and set aside for later

Shortcuts

• Line baking pan with foil for easier clean-up 

Ingredients 

• 3-4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
• 1.5 cup milk
• 1 1/2 TBSP white vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 3/4 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• My secret is to add up to 1 TBSP of Old Bay Seasoning to the flour. If you do that, reduce the paprika to 1/2 tsp. East Coast friends need no explanation, but West Coast friends - trust me on this. You can find it in just about any grocery store near other spices. 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425. 
• Combine milk and vinegar or lemon juice in a medium bowl and set aside for a few minutes until it curdles. This is a substitute for buttermilk and it will help make the chicken juicy.
• Combine flour and dry seasonings in a large shallow bowl or pie plate.
• Melt butter in rectangular pan in oven and tilt the pan around to make sure the butter coats as much of the bottom as possible. Remove from oven - you'll now prep the chicken quickly to go in the pan.
• Dredge chicken in milk mixture, shaking off excess, and then in flour mixture until completely coated.
• Place chicken in pan skin-side down and bake for 35 minutes. Turn chicken carefully and bake another 10 minutes.
  

Adapted from a recipe found on Cooks.com

Spring Forward: Weekly Menu 3/11/13

Hello friends! It's the time of year for corned beef and soda bread, but those are the kinds of things that I think taste best prepared by someone else... at a restaurant. What I do like, however, is interpreting the St. Patrick's Day theme of green in different ways, such as the Shrimp in Green Sauce (garlicky! amazing sauce when mopped up with bread!) and the definitely not sauerkraut-like Turkey Sausage with Braised Cabbage and Leeks. Also, lamb is traditional on a lot of spring menus, specifically for Easter, but these lamb loin chops come together in about 5 minutes before grilling and fall into the "5 Ingredients or Less" category. Lamb is not in regular rotation on our menus, so even though this dish is dead simple, it feels a little special.

Enjoy. I'm off to try and get my lost hour of sleep back.

Herbs de Provence Lamb Chops

 Never tried lamb on the grill before? This is the one to try. Loin chops can be a little pricey, but since lamb is often served at Easter, start looking for good deals now.

Sides: Roasted carrots and roasted or mashed potatoes 

Make Ahead Notes

• Combine the first five ingredients (all but the lamb chops) and refrigerate until ready to use

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon dried herbes de Provence
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 8 (4-ounce) lamb loin chops, trimmed
• Cooking spray

 Directions

• Prepare grill.
• Combine first 5 ingredients; rub evenly over both sides of lamb.
• Place lamb on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Recipe from Cooking Light

Shrimp in Green Sauce

 Warning: This great, simple meal is quite garlicky, so it's a little strong for some people. Feel free to reduce the amount of garlic.

Sides: Crusty French bread to soak up the sauce

Shortcuts

• Use already-peeled garlic cloves (such as Trader Joe's)
• Buy your shrimp already shelled and deveined if you can

Make Ahead Notes

• Combine and process the first four ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use
• If shrimp are not already peeled and deveined, do that and refrigerate the shrimp until ready to use

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 cup coarsely chopped green onions
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 2 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 6 ounces sourdough or French bread, torn into 6 (1-ounce) pieces

Directions 

• Preheat oven to 450°.
• Place olive oil and garlic in a food processor; process until garlic is finely chopped, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add green onions and parsley in food processor; pulse until minced. Spoon garlic mixture into a large bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, red pepper, and shrimp to garlic mixture, and toss well to coat.
• Spoon the shrimp mixture into a shallow roasting pan, and add the wine. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until the shrimp are done, stirring once. Serve with bread.

Recipe adapted from MyRecipes.com

Turkey Sausage with Braised Cabbage & Leeks 

 I crave this meal when it's chilly outside and I want comforting food, but don't want to eat a pile of carbs. Think your kids won't go for this? Yeah, mine don't either. But they do like the sausage on its own, plus when I serve this, I have a pack of hot dogs handy as a backup for them.

Sides: Rye bread (dill rye if you can get it) and applesauce

Make Ahead Notes

• Slice your cabbage and refrigerate for later
  

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 8 cups thinly sliced green cabbage (about 2 pounds), divided
• 1 1/2 cups sliced leek (about 3 small)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound smoked turkey sausage, cut into 6 pieces
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard or spicy, grainy mustard

 Directions 

• Coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet or Dutch oven with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add 4 cups cabbage and leek. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Stir in remaining cabbage and black pepper. Cover and cook 5 minutes; stir in broth.
• Add sausage to pan, nestling pieces into vegetable mixture. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until sausage is heated. Serve with mustard.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Pumpkin Banana Smoothie 

That large stash of canned pumpkin that I had from the fall is dwindling, but this sounded like a good option to use up some of it. It was a nice change from our usual strawberry and banana smoothies. Be sure to peel and freeze the bananas ahead - the texture really helps.

Ingredients

• 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin, chilled
• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice 
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground cloves
• 1 ripe banana, sliced and frozen
• Milk as needed to thin the smoothie if too thick when blending 
• Dash of ground cinnamon (optional)

Directions

• Combine yogurt and next 8 ingredients (through banana) in a blender, and process until smooth.
• Garnish with dash of ground cinnamon, if desired. Serve immediately.

Circumstantial Cooking: Weekly Menu 2/25/13

Sometimes getting dinner on the table is based on a precarious set of if-then scenarios tied to family and work schedules. If we get home by five, maybe we can eat by six. If I have a box of pasta in the pantry, I might be able to pull something together that doesn't involve cereal for dinner.

Despite my attempts to plan a weekly menu, the circumstances of the day always affect what makes it to the table. Here are some of my personal scenarios  - the clock's ticking, the motivation to cook again is low at best, and the cupboard is relatively bare - and favorite dishes that will get the job done.

Enjoy!

I have *maybe* thirty minutes total to get a dinner on the table.

Easy Asian Beef and Noodles

Sides: This is a one-bowl meal, so you don't really need sides. If I do serve a side, it's usually fresh sliced oranges, Asian pears or other fruit.

Make Ahead Notes

• Trim and slice rib-eye and set aside in fridge for later
• Cut green onions and set aside for later

 Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) rib-eye steak 
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, divided
• 1 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions  
• 2 cups prepackaged coleslaw (the kind without dressing)
• 2 (2.8-ounce) packages beef-flavor ramen noodle soup
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

 Directions

• Trim fat from steak; cut diagonally across grain into thin slices. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak and onions; stir-fry 1 minute. Remove steak mixture from pan; keep warm. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil until hot. Add slaw; stir-fry 30 seconds. Remove slaw from pan and add to the cooked beef; keep warm.
• Remove noodles from packages; reserve 1 seasoning packet for another use. Add the water and remaining seasoning packet to pan; bring to a boil. Break noodles in half; add noodles to water mixture. Cook noodles 2 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Stir in steak mixture, slaw, and soy sauce; cook briefly until thoroughly heated. Service with fresh green onions as a garnish.

 Recipe from MyRecipes

Italian Sausage Soup

Sides: Garlic bread

Make Ahead Notes

• Grate Parmesan or Romano cheese
• Rinse and chop basil - set aside, but do not refrigerate
  

 Ingredients

• 1 lb mild or sweet Italian sausage
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
• 1 cup uncooked small shell pasta
• 3-4 cups bagged baby spinach leaves
• 4 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions

• Heat a pot over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan, and cook about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain any excess fat.
• Add broth, tomatoes, and pasta to pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat; stir in spinach until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil.

 Recipe from MyRecipes.com



No dinner mojo left this week. Take it easy on me.

Slow Cooker Shredded Salsa Verde Beef

Sides: Corn bread, guacamole and any other toppings you like, such as shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, hot sauce and lettuce

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast (or any humble beef roast)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups salsa verde (I used Herdez Salsa Verde)
• Tortillas

Directions:

• Place roast in crock pot. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Pour salsa verde over roast.
• Cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours. When done, the roast should shred easily with a fork.

Recipe from Food.com

Salmon with Hoisin Glaze

Sides: Steamed edamame beans and pan-fried pot stickers (I like Trader Joe's). Serve pot stickers with soy sauce seasoned with a few drops each of sesame oil and rice vinegar.

Make Ahead Tips:

• Combine the sauce for the salmon; marinate the salmon
• Combine the dipping sauce for the pot stickers

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless wild salmon fillets
• Cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

  
Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400
• Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish, such as a pie plate. Add fish to dish, turning to coat. Marinate at room temperature 8 minutes, turning occasionally
• Remove fish from marinade; discard marinade. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle fish evenly with sesame seeds. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

  Recipe is originally from MyRecipes


 

I'm scraping together ingredients from the fridge and pantry.

Vegetarian Burritos

Sides: Tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole

Shortcuts:

• Buy pre-shredded cheese
• Get layered Mexican dip at your grocery store to serve with the burritos instead of separate toppings
• Use pre-cooked, bagged rice, such as Uncle Ben’s or Trader Joe's
  

Make Ahead Notes:

• Cook rice earlier in the day, if not buying pre-cooked rice
• You can make the whole thing early in the day, cover it and throw it in the fridge to bake later. If you do that, wait to put the salsa and cheese on until right before baking. Sometimes I’ll prep this while the kids eat breakfast because the effort level is that low. If you have the pre-cooked rice, you can make these up in about 15-20 minutes, tops.

Ingredients:

• 10 flour tortillas
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 can pinto or black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can of Mexican style diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 envelope of taco seasoning
• 8 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese, plus extra for sprinkling on top of burritos
• 2 cups of cooked rice, white or brown (if using pre-cooked, bagged rice, follow package directions to warm)
• 1 cup of salsa (I prefer the fresh kind found in tubs in refrigerated section at grocery store)
• Chopped green onions (optional)
• Toppings to go on burritos: sour cream, chopped green onions, guacamole, salsa, hot sauce

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Lightly coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray
• In a large skillet over medium heat, stir together all beans, tomatoes with juice and taco seasoning. The refried beans will be chunky, so gently break them up as you mix. When mixture is heated through and well-combined, about 3-5 minutes, remove from heat.
• Set up an assembly line with the tortillas, the rice in a bowl, the cheese in a bowl, the tomato-bean mixture in the pan and the baking dish on the end.
• One by one, fill tortillas with about 3 tbsp. each of rice, tomato mixture and cheese. Try to save some cheese to sprinkle on top of burritos when baking. Roll up each tortilla gently and place seam-side down in pan. The amounts of rice, tomatoes/beans and cheese that go into each burrito don’t matter much – you really can’t go wrong. You may find that you fill only 6 burritos because you like them fuller, or 8-10 if you go a little lighter on the filling. Pour salsa over burritos and sprinkle extra cheese on top.
• Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, or until heated through. Remove foil and cook 5 more minutes or so until the cheese on top is slightly browned and melty.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Sides: Arugula or spinach salad and your favorite vinaigrette

Shortcuts:

• Buy pre-grated or shredded Parmesan cheese from the deli section
• Use jarred, minced garlic

 Make Ahead Notes:

• Fill water pot and set on stove for later
• Cut up bacon and refrigerate for later
• Rinse and chop parsley or if you have a kid who's handy with scissors, have them do the chopping into a bowl

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs 
• 3 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated or shredded
• 1/2 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 pound thin-cut bacon
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1/2 cup dry white wine 
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 pound spaghetti or spaghettini 

Directions:

• Put a large pot of water on to boil. Crack eggs into a large bowl and beat lightly. Add 1/2 cup of the grated or shredded cheese to eggs, and set the rest of the cheese aside. Finely chop parsley and add to eggs. Add pepper and whisk to combine well. Set aside.
• Cut bacon into 1/4" pieces, set aside. Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by about half. Remove from heat and set aside.
• When water boils, add salt and spaghetti. Boil pasta until it is tender to the bite. Drain well and immediately pour pasta into bowl with egg mixture. Toss to thoroughly coat pasta with egg mixture (the heat from the pasta will partly cook the egg and melt the cheese). Pour bacon mixture on top of pasta and toss to combine thoroughly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Originally from this recipe on MyRecipes

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"