What's For Dinner?

Dinner for Sunday, February 26, 2006

2006-03-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

Pork sandwiches au jus.

Dinner for Saturday, February 25, 2006

2006-03-23T13:04:00.000-08:00

Cold day--chicken and rice soup. Homemade bread. MMM.

Dinner for Friday, February 24, 2006

2006-03-23T13:02:00.000-08:00

Leftovers--again! Just look at the last few posts... That's what we had.

Dinner for Thursday, February 23, 2006

2006-03-23T13:00:00.000-08:00

Sauted chicken and rice pilaf. When you make rice pilaf, don't forget to use chicken broth as I did. It really makes a big difference.

Dinner for Wednesday, February 22, 2006

2006-02-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

Baked Rigatoni--comfort food for hump day. See January 8, 2006 for recipe. Add a salad and some fresh pineapple and enjoy.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

2006-02-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night is drum lesson night and Brando, the drum teacher, comes to our house right after dinner. I am very careful not to make broccoli on Tuesday nights. This evening we had North Woods Bean Soup (recipe January 7, 2006) and homemade foccacia. I hope it smelled good!

Monday, February 20, 2006

2006-02-23T13:16:00.000-08:00

I was taken out to lunch today by a friend (to celebrate my birthday--I'm so blessed!). We went to the Cheesecake Factory and I had a lunch sized salad of which I could only eat half. I think I was still full from last night. So dinner was leftovers: leftover salad, leftover chili, leftover Indian, leftover deep dish pizza. I love leftovers!

Dinner for Sunday, February 19, 2006

2006-02-23T13:12:00.000-08:00

Today was my birthday and perfect in every way except for the weather. It was so cold that we could only go for a short walk with our dog. Part of the day's perfection was dinner, which I did not make. We went to Saffron, a small, excellent Indian restaurant in Brookfield. A rare gem in the land of franchises. I cannot remember the name of anything we had but we all had something different and it was all very, very good. They even brought me a little dish of mango and honey ice cream with a candle in it in honor of the day!

Dinner for Saturday, February 18, 2006

2006-02-23T13:09:00.000-08:00

The wind-chill was well below 0 all day today. It seemed like a good excuse for homemade deep dish pizza. We have had this before in the blog, and I promised to add the recipe but haven't done so yet. Soon...

Friday, February 17, 2006

2006-02-23T13:07:00.000-08:00

When I asked my son if there was anything he would like for dinner, he commented that we hadn't had stir-fry for a while. I made Sweet and Sour Pork (see January 11, 2006 for recipe).

Thursday, February 16, 2006

2006-02-23T13:05:00.000-08:00

Homemade Chili for a very chili night. See recipe on December 30, 2005. Serve with cornbread.

Dinner for Wednesday, February 15, 2006

2006-02-23T13:01:00.000-08:00

This is one of the easiest dinners: Philidelphia Cheesesteak sandwiches. I buy Rolladen, which is very thinly sliced beef from the butcher. It comes rolled up and while it is still rolled up, I slice it thinly, then saute it with a little Lawry's seasoned salt. You can also saute onions with it, and even red or green peppers if you really want to be fancy. Then put the cooked beef on hoagy rolls (I like Turano French Rolls), top with mozzarella cheese, broil until cheese melt, and serve.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

2006-02-23T12:58:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day dinner was Chicken Sate with Ponzu Sauce (my daughter's favorite--see January 24 for recipe), Asian slaw (also her favorite), cornbread (my son's favorite) and broccoli (loved by my husband and myself). After dinner, my daughter and I walked 2 miles to the grocery and bought a chocolate ganache cake with sprinkles.

Dinner for Monday, February 13, 2006

2006-02-23T12:45:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had Slow-Roasted Beef, which is a chuck roast, cut into pieces and roasted in beef broth (see recipe, January 21st) . Everyone like this a lot and it is great with mashed potatoes and gravy (made with the strained and de-fatted broth).

Dinner for Sunday, February 12, 2006

2006-02-15T17:36:00.000-08:00

Comfort food for a cold day: lasagna. No recipe, just noodles, sauce, hamburger, cottage cheese, mozzarella and parmessan cheese. I'm certain there are much better lasagnas but my daughter likes this one, and she made it so I'm not complaining.

Dinner for Saturday, February 11, 2006

2006-02-15T17:35:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day Party+a group of 13-year old girls=Pizza (carry-out from Dominos).

Dinner for Friday, February 10, 2006

2006-02-11T08:13:00.000-08:00

At last, everyone can eat everything again. Tonight I made Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce, a Cooking Light recipe. Here it is (as modified by me):

Mix together and let sit about 10 minutes:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 8 strips (I used more chicken because I knew this would be popular)
1 T brown sugar
2 1/2 T soy sauce (as always, low-sodium)
1 t grated lime rind (I used about 1 t fresh lime juice because the rind didn't look very good)
1 t minced garlic (bottled)

Make sauce by mixing the following with a whisk:
2 T brown sugar
3 T soy sauce
2 T fresh lime juice
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 t minced garlic

Broil chicken for 10-12 minutes, turning once or twice as needed.

I served this with rice pilaf which is my newest favorite side dish (see January 30th for recipe)

Dinner for Thursday, February 9, 006

2006-02-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

Pasta with Angelina Deli's spaghetti sauce, a side of browned ground beef for those who want meat, grated parmessan cheese, steamed broccoli, and fresh pineapple. Comfort food.

Dinner for Wednesday, February 8, 2006

2006-02-11T07:50:00.000-08:00

Today we visited the doctor who put our sick one on the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. Now they also recommend Gatorade so she had toast and Gatorade for dinner. The rest of us had Market Day Crispy Chicken (which I really liked, but it's not the healthiest entree) and, of course, cornbread made with baking powder. Add a salad and some fruit and vegetable and voila!--dinner.

Dinner for Tuesday, February 7, 2006

2006-02-11T07:47:00.000-08:00

We are still nursing our sick one so I wanted to make a meal that she could eat. Tonight we had scrambled eggs, biscuits, etc.

Monday, February 6, 2006

2006-02-11T07:41:00.000-08:00

One child home sick--sore throat, headache, etc. This calls for homemade chicken soup. I used up some chicken thighs that I had purchased by mistake (with bone and skin). I boiled them, used that broth and the meat, some noodles, carrots and onion. It was okay, not great. But I did make some homemade bread to go with it and that is always great.

Dinner for Sunday, February 5,2006

2006-02-11T07:40:00.000-08:00

Soccer game at 6 PM so frozen pizza at 7:30. A great salad makes is a good meal.

Dinner for Saturday, February 4, 2006

2006-02-06T05:37:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had Barbequed Country Style Spare Ribs. I highly recommend this dinner because it is so easy and makes great leftovers. The recipe can be found in the posting for January 5, 2006. I served it with cornbread; however, I forgot to put in the baking powder so the cornbread turned out more like polenta--moist and dense. No one complained and it all got eaten. At least it was something different.

Dinner for Friday, February 3, 2006

2006-02-06T05:22:00.000-08:00

Tonight was Soba Noodles with Broccoli and Chicken. This dish is essentially soba noodles, which are buckwheat noodles found in the oriental section of some grocery stores, and sauted (or stir-fried) chicken with red pepper and mushrooms and broccoli, and a light sauce. The sauce consists of: 1/4 cup sake or chicken broth, 2 T rice vinegar, 3 T soy sauce, 1 t honey, and 1/2 t crushed red pepper. This dish was okay (something different at least), but not great. I can't say I recommend it.

However, I can recommend what I did with the extra noodles. The recipe above only called for 1/2 a box of noodles. We have a 16 year old son who can eat 1/2 a box of noodles himself, so I made the whole box. I made a peanut sauce for the extra noodles. Here's the recipe:

6 T water
1/4 c creamy peanut butter
2 T brown sugar
2 T soy sauce
2 T rice vinegar
1 1/2 t bottled ginger
1 1/2 t sesame oil
1 t bottled minced garlic
1/2 t corn starch

Mix and boil 1 minute or until thickened. Toss with noodles. This is very good!

Dinner for Thursday, February 2, 2006

2006-02-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

Leftover beef stew (see January 10th for the recipe) . It doesn't get much easier. I bought some very nice rolls from Breadsmith bakery, and that made it a little more palatable (I think) for my son. The rest of us really enjoy leftover stew. Serve with a nice green salad, some canatloupe, and an apple for my son. I found a really lovely apple called Pacific Rose at Brennan's. It is very expensive but a real treat--crisp and sweet-- in the middle of a Wisconsin winter.

Dinner for Wednesday, February 1, 2006

2006-02-02T17:46:00.000-08:00

We had enough turkey left over from last night to serve it cold alongside cheese ravioli (from Market Day), marinara sauce (from Angelina's Deli), broccoli (also Market Day), and orange slices. Very good, very very easy.

Dinner for Tuesday, January 31, 2006

2006-02-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

This is an old standby: fajitas with grilled turkey. I purchased a very nice 1/2 turkey breast from Sendik's (they took off the skin and boned it as well). I cut it into 4 fairly uniform, thin pieces. Then I rubbed each piece with the following:

1 T of each of the following: dried basil, oregano and parsley
2 t garlic powder
1 t each pepper and paprika
1/2 t onion powder
2 T olive oil

Now, you are supposed to let it sit for an hour in the fridge, but I don't always think that far in advance, so you can just grill it right away if you want. They cook fairly quickly. When done, slice thinly and serve with all the usual fajita fixings: sauted onion and red pepper, lettuce, cheese, salsa, whatever.

Dinner for Monday, January 30, 2006

2006-02-02T17:32:00.000-08:00

A new recipe tonight: garlic chicken with rice pilaf. This was very good.

Garlic chicken:
Marinate boneless, skinless chicken breasts all day in the following:
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 T minced garlic (bottled works great)
1/4 t of each of the following: salt, pepper, ground cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg

When ready to make dinner, remove chicken from marinade (reserve marinade), pat dry, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and saute in some olive oil about 1 1/2 minutes per side or until browned. Add 1 cup fat free chicken broth to marinade and pour over chicken. Bring to boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes.

Rice pilaf. I had no idea how to make rice pilaf or what it was technically. According to the new Joy of Cooking, rice pilaf is simply rice sauted before being steamed. So I sauted 1/2 cup onion in olive oil (about 8 minutes), added basmati rice and sauted another 3 minutes. Then I added chicken broth according to the directions on the rice and cooked the rice. Right before serving I added a little dried parsley and some slivered almonds. Yummm.

Dinner for Sunday, January 29, 2006

2006-02-02T17:31:00.000-08:00

Tonight I prepared chicken stuffed with wild rice which I purchased frozen from Sendik's. I try not to do this too often because they are very good, but probably high in fat and salt. Still, they are fun. I served this with cornbread because that is a staple in our house, and peas.

Dinner for Saturday, January 28, 2006

2006-01-28T16:32:00.000-08:00

We had to get up early for the SAT today. I came home and took a nap and that did me in. So tonight, it's frozen pizza. Oh, well.

Dinner for Friday, January 27, 2006

2006-01-28T16:20:00.000-08:00

Steak and brats--a true Wisconsin meal except that the brats were a choice between Smart Chicken brats (which I love) and Bocca brats (which my daughter loves). The steak was for my son. We served this with Annies Macaroni and Cheese, orange slices and a Greek salad.

Dinner for Thursday, January 26, 2006

2006-01-28T16:19:00.001-08:00

Maple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin. This is nice when you want some meat. Mix together 2 t dried rosemary, 2 t lemon juice, 3/4 t salt, 1/2 t pepper, and 1 t minced bottled garlic. Rub over 1 to 1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Brush pork with some maple syrup and bake an additional 10 minutes or until internal temp is 160 degrees. This is delicious served with sweet potatoes, baked (or microwaved apples-- cut up some apples, add a little cinnamon, sugar and lemon juice, walnuts and raisins or dried cranberries--microwave until tender), or mashed potatoes. Peas also go well with this meal.

Dinner for Wednesday, January 25, 2006

2006-01-28T16:19:00.000-08:00

Sunny fritata and whole wheat baguette from Panera's. The fritata was easy but nothing special. Saute some ham, green onions and orange bell pepper. Add 8 eggs (or 4 eggs and 1 cup egg substitute) and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then cook for 3 more minutes on top of stove. Top with some cheddar cheese and put in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until the egg is set (a knife comes out clean). Serve with a salad and some fruit.

Dinner for Tuesday, January 24, 2006

2006-01-25T13:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight's meal was a big hit; it was a meal in Cooking Light selected by my daughter: Chicken Sate with Ponzu Sauce, served with Asian Slaw. The chicken is cooked and served on bamboo skewers, so to keep them from burning up, soak them for about 30 minutes before you cook the chicken.

Chicken Sate with Ponzu Sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 4 then strips lengthwise

Combine the following, and stir until sugar dissolves:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice wine
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
2 t low-sodium soy sauce
1 t sesame oil
1/4 t crushed red pepper
1 t minced garlic

Pour 1/2 of sauce over chicken and stir; let sit 10 minutes.

Thread chicken breasts onto skewers and broil for 5 minutes on each side, or until done. In the meantime, boil the marinade sauce with the rest of the sauce for several minutes. This was not called for in the original recipe but I wanted to boil off some of the alcohol as well as use the marinade as a dip.

Slaw
Buy a bag of preshredded cabbage and carrots (my bag also had shredded broccoli stems).
Combine the following with a whisk until sugar dissolves:
3 T rice vinegar
3 T low sodium soy sauce
1 T brown sugar
1 1/2 t sesame oil
Pour over cabbage mixture and toss. Add green onions and chopped dry roasted peanuts if you would like.

Dinner for Monday, January 23, 2006

2006-01-25T13:54:00.000-08:00

Some days I feel like cooking and others I don't. Today I don't so it is turkey burgers for dinner. To make it a little different I splurged on the buns. They were from a local bakery called Breadsmiths in Wauwatosa. I also sauted some onions and mushrooms to go on top. Add to that a salad, fresh pineapple, and one snack sized bag of potato chips. A quick and easy meal.

Dinner for Sunday, January 22, 2006

2006-01-23T12:51:00.000-08:00

Happy day! My husband made this dinner and it was very good. It is a Cooking Light recipe called Pork Strips with Peanut Sauce and Rice Noodles. Here is the recipe:

Combine the following and stir with whisk:
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 T rice vinegar
2 T low-sodium soy sauce
1 t bottled minced garlic
1 t bottled ground ginger
2 t fresh lime juice
1 t sesame oil
1 t chili paste with garlic
1 t honey
1/2 t cornstarch

Cut 4 (4 ounce) boneless loin pork chops into thin strips.
Slice 1 red pepper into thin strips.
Cook pork and pepper over medium-high heat until pork is done (about 6 minutes). If the pepper is really thin, add it a little after the pork.
Add peanut butter mixture to pan, stirring well; bring to boil and simmer 1 minute.

Cook rice noodles (1 6 oz package--more if you family is like ours and still likes carbs such as pasta) according to directions on package. Add noodles to pork mixture, toss gently. Serve with sliced green onions and lime wedges.

Dinner for Saturday, January 21,2006

2006-01-23T12:43:00.000-08:00

The recipe calls this dish, Slow-Roasted Beef; it is a chuck roast baked quite simply in beef broth for 2 hours at 400 degrees. I used 3 cups broth to 1 cup water to about 1 lb. chuck roast. The roast cooks down a bit so if you are big meat eaters, increase the roast size. I cooked this in a 13x9 inch baking dish, and would recommend turning the meat once after an hour. Ours got really well done, but we all like it that way. Add some thyme if you would like, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with mashed potatoes or, as we did, with gnocchi. You can make a gravy with the broth from the pan.

Dinner for Friday, January 20, 2006

2006-01-21T15:28:00.000-08:00

Pasta with chicken and walnuts. This is easy and quick, just make sure you have roaster chicken in the freezer. Make the pasta. While the pasta is boiling, saute a little garlic in some olive oil. Toast some walnuts (in the oven at 275 for 10 minutes or in a pan on a medium burner, stirring occasionally until fragrant). Thaw and chop up the chicken. Add the chicken to the pan with the garlic to thoroughly warm up the chicken. Drain the pasta, add the chicken mixture, the walnuts, a little more olive oil and some parmesan cheese. Salt as needed.

Dinner for Thursday, January 19,2006

2006-01-21T15:26:00.000-08:00

Only three of us for dinner, so we had scrambled eggs, cornbread, veggie sausages, and fruit. I also had tomato juice.

Dinner for Wednesday, January 18, 2006

2006-01-18T13:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight: spaghetti with bolognese sauce. The recipe for the bolognese sauce is from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine, with a few modifications. This can easily be doubled and frozen.

1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 dry white wine
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup milk

Saute the carrots and onion, then put in large saucepan. Brown the ground beef, rinse if you would like to remove excess fat, then return to frying pan (also rinsed out). Add garlic and saute about a minute, add tomato paste and saute about another minute. Add wine to loosen any bits of meat and brown stuff on the frying pan. Add meat mixture to saucepan with veggies. Add tomato sauce and simmer for an hour. Add milk and simmer for 15 minutes or until milk has been absorbed into sauce. Serve over spaghetti.

Dinner for Tuesday, January 17, 2006

2006-01-18T13:54:00.000-08:00

We had a hodpodge of things tonight. One child was recovering from a virus and he got steak. Two others had leftover falafels. We each had a pork egg roll and some pork and cabbage Chinese dumplings. Add to that the usual fruit, and that was our meal.

Dinner for Monday, January 16, 2006

2006-01-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

Dinner tonight was burritos. One could buy a burrito mix to flavor the ground beef, but I just used a homemade sauce that is also good for tacos. Besides burrito wrappers, you will need some grated cheese (I use a mixture of mozzarella and sharp cheddar) and perhaps some refried beans (either canned or a box mix that needs rehydration).

Here is the recipe for the ground beef mixture:

1 lb. ground beef
1 cup tomato sauce
1 T chili powder (plus a dash, according to my daughter)
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1 t minced garlic
salt to taste

To make a burrito, take a burrito wrapper (large), spoon some refried beans down the center (optional), then a little of the meat mixture, then some cheese. Roll one side around these fillings, continue to roll about 2/3 of the way across the wrapper, then fold in each side, then roll the rest of the way. Bake for about 15 or 20 minutes at 350.

This is an excellent make-ahead meal (or make-extra). You can freeze the burritos; when you are ready to eat them, microwave for about a minute or two to thaw, then bake until cheese melts and they are warmed through.

Dinner for Sunday, January 15, 2006

2006-01-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

Frozen pizza.

Dinner for Saturday, January 14, 2006

2006-01-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

Tonight we made falafels, a middle eastern dish made with ground up chick peas, served in pita bread with either a tahini sauce or a yogurt sauce. The picture we took did not do it justice so I scanned the photo from the box so you could see what it looks like (if you are not familiar with this dish). This is a meatless meal, and is quick and fairly easy if you have the ingredients on hand. I used a box mix for the falafel patties. These mixes are readily available in most grocery stores. All you have to do is combine the mix with water, let it sit for about 10 minutes, form it into small patties and fry or bake.

Here is the recipe for yogurt sauce:
Mix together
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 c. chopped cucumber
1 T chopped onion
1/2 t dried mint (optional)
1/4 t salt
1/2 t garlic, minced

Dinner for Friday, January 13

2006-01-14T08:26:00.000-08:00

Tonight's main course is something I have never made before: Spoon Bread. The recipe is from Cooking Light two minor changes: the recipe specifies reduced-fat cheddar and I used my favorite sharp cheddar; and the recipe calls for less-sodium ham and I used some more leftover honey baked ham. The photo does not do this dish justice--it is very attractive.

2 3/4 c fat free milk
2 t sugar
2 t dried thyme
1/8 t ground red pepper
3/4 c yellow cornmeal
2 large egg yolks
1 c chopped onion
8 oz ham, diced
1 c cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 c parmesan cheese
4 egg whites

Preheat oven to 375.

1. Combine milk, sugar, thyme, and pepper in a medium pan over medium-high heat. When it begins to simmer, gradually add cornmeal as you stir with a whisk. Cook 3 minutes or until thickened and smooth, stirring constantly. Pour this into a large bowl, add yolks while stirring with a whisk. Let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Saute onion until tender, then add to cornmeal mixture. Saute ham if you would like, and add to cornmeal mixture. Then stir cheeses into mixture.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently stir 1/3 of egg whites into cornmeal, then gently fold in the remaining whites. Scrape into a 1 1/2 quart souffle dish coated with cooking spray. (I was afraid to use this small a dish, but it will work.) Bake for 50 minutes or until puffed and golden brown and just set in center. Serve immediately.

Dinner for Thursday, January 12, 2006

2006-01-12T18:20:00.000-08:00

Barbeque Chicken. Today the high temperature was 54 degrees and the sun was out so it was time to fire up the grill.

Dinner for Wednesday, January 11, 2006

2006-01-12T18:19:00.000-08:00

Sweet and Sour Pork. This has a very authentic taste, and it is easy to keep the ingredients on hand.

1 lb (more or less) pork tenderloin, cut into chunks
1 T cornstarch
1 T sherry

Sprinkle cornstarch onto pork, then add sherry and toss.

Prepare sauce. Whisk together and then set aside:
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 vinegar
3 T low sodium soy sauce
3 T ketcup
1 T cornstarch

Saute pork over medium high heat. Add the following:

Snow pea pods (1/2 lb)
Green onions (1/4 cup)
1 (8 oz) can pineapple chunks
2 t bottled minced fresh ginger
1 t bottled minced garlic

Cook until peas are crisp-tender. Add vinegar mixture to pan and bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute stirring frequently. Serve over rice.

Dinner for Tuesday, January 10, 2006

2006-01-12T18:18:00.000-08:00

Beef stew. Very comforting on a cold Wisconsin day. This is my favorite recipe for beef stew. It can be made early in the day and simmer in a slow cooker until you are ready to eat.

2 lbs stew beef
2 cups chopped up carrots (we like baby carrots, thinly sliced so that they get very tender)
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped however you like them
1 1/2 cups celery, cut up however you like them
2 (14.5 oz) cans no-salt-added stewed tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine
1/2 t thyme
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper (or not)
2 bay leaves

Basically, you brown the meat and put it in the slow cooker. Saute the veggies and put them in the slow cooker. Then put everything else in the slow cooker and cook on high for a while, then low for a while. About 10-15 minutes before serving, I mix 1/4 cup flour and 1 cup water with a whisk then stir into stew. This makes a wonderful gravy.

Serve with potatoes on the side, baked or mashed. Or perhaps a nice loaf of bread. We added a salad and some fresh fruit.

Dinner for Monday, January 9, 2006

2006-01-09T14:56:00.000-08:00

It is Monday night and my favorite grocery store, Sendik's, has a special on roaster chicken. Their roaster chicken is wonderfully meaty and has no MSG (!). I get two. One to eat tonight, one to debone and freeze for later. The only problem is that you have to reserve them on Monday because it is the night they are on sale.

This morning I made rye bread with a recipe I have been eye-balling for a while. I think there must be an error in the recipe because I used a lot more flour than is called for just to make it kneadable. I will serve this with the chicken so that we can make sandwiches, perhaps with a little lettuce, red onion, and mustard. We are not really a sandwich family so I'm not sure how well this will go over. But it is always fun to have a new bread.

Dinner for Sunday, January 8, 2006

2006-01-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

This one is an all time favorite of mine because I always have all the ingredients on hand, and it is very easy, and, most of all, everyone likes it.

Baked Rigatoni

Cook 12 oz (more or less) of rigatoni as directed on package; drain
Brown 1 lb. hamburger (I rinse it to make reduce the amount of fat)

Mix the pasta and hamburger with about 4 cups of marinara sauce, plus a little mozzarella cheese. Place this mixture in 9x13 glass dish coated with cooking spray. Top with mozzarella and parmessan cheese and bake until cheese on top has melted and the whole thing is a little bubbly.

I served this with broccoli, a green salad, and orange slices.

Dinner for Saturday, January 7, 2006

2006-01-09T14:36:00.000-08:00

Wisconsin Woods Bean Soup and homemade bread. We all like this one.

Recipe:
1 cup baby carrots, halved
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves
1 whole turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (you can use less if you want; the original recipe called for 7 oz. but this is the part everyone likes best, so I increased it)
4 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
1/2 t dried Italian seasoning
1/2 t black pepper (optional)
2 (15.8 oz) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (6 oz) bag fresh baby spinach leaves

1. Over medium high heat, cook carrots, onion, garlic and kielbasa; saute for 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium and cook another 5 minutes. Add the broth, Italian seasoning, pepper and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Place 2 cups of the soup in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Return this to pan, and simmer 5 more minutes.

My children do not care for the spinach, so I saute it separately and then add it to the adult soup bowls. If everyone likes it, you can add it to the soup at the last minute, after you have removed the soup from the heat.

The original recipe is from Cooking Light magazine (under North Woods Bean Soup).

Dinner for Friday, January 6, 2006

2006-01-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had something new--another recipe from Cooking Light, modified to appeal more to my family's tastes.

Tacos al Carbon

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 lb flank steak thinly sliced

Cook the three above ingredients, in this order, separately until veggies are tender and beef is cooked to your liking. They can be kept warm in one bowl, as each one is finished cooking.

Add the following to the beef and veggies:
1 T chili powder
1 T fresh lime juice
2 1/2 t olive oil
3/4 t salt
8 garlic cloves, minced

Serve in corn tortillas, warmed in microwave. Top with cilantro and/or sour cream.

Dinner for Thursday, January 5, 2006

2006-01-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had a meal loved by all: barbeque country style ribs. It is extremely easy, but the key to great taste is to buy high quality ribs. There is a world of difference in boneless country style ribs between buying them cheaply and buying really good cuts. A good cut has almost no fat; in fact, the last purchase I made had so little fat that I didn't even need to trim the pieces.

Here's the recipe:
About 3 lbs. boneless country style ribs
1 1/2 cups barbeque sauce
1 cup orange juice

Mix the sauce and the juice and pour over ribs. Bake covered at 300 degrees F for 3 hours. Uncover and increase temp to 350. Bake for 1 hour more, turning the ribs after 30 minutes. As they bake, they will fall apart a little bit. I encourage this so that each piece has more sauce on it. This makes excellent leftovers.

I served it with cornbread, oranges and sugar snap peas (some raw for my daughter, some sauted for my husband and myself).

Dinner for Wednesday, January 4, 2006

2006-01-04T09:26:00.000-08:00

Pork sandwiches au jus. This is another family favorite; it is also very, very easy. Here's the recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Combine 2 t black pepper, 1 t dried rosemary, 3/4 t salt, 1 clove garlic (minced), and 1 t olive oil in small bowl. Rub over 1 lb. pork tenderloin. Let stand 15 minutes.
3. Heat olive oil in large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook for 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Bake at 400 for 10-20 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 160. Remove from pan and cover.
4. Return pan to medium-high heat, add 1 (14 oz) can less sodium beef broth, 1/4 cup dry sherry and 1 T tomato paste; stir with a whisk to mix and scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.
5. Slice pork diagonally across grain.
6. Place slices on small, crusty French bread rolls. Serve with jus on side in small bowls. (Dip the sandwiches in the jus!)

Dinner for Monday, January 2, 2006

2006-01-04T09:25:00.001-08:00

Deep dish pizza.
Recipe will be added soon!

Dinner for Tuesday, January 3, 2006

2006-01-04T09:25:00.000-08:00

Sauted chicken, pasta, broccoli and fruit.

Dinner for Sunday, January 1, 2006

2006-01-02T18:03:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and, for tonight, a favorite: Potato and Ham Gratin. Thanks to Cooking Light magazine for this recipe, with slight alterations. (The biggest alteration is that I left out the spinach due to lack of demand for the vegetable in the gratin; I served the vegetable aside the gratin.)

Here's the recipe for the gratin:
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (finely chopped onions will do)
2 garlic cloves, minced (buy the bottled, pre-minced to make your job really easy)
1 cup chopped reduced-fat ham*
1 t salt, divided
3/4 t black pepper
1/8 t grated whole nutmeg
2 cups milk (I use skimmed, the recipe calls for 1%)
1/3 cup flour
7 cups Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs)
3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (I have also used a mix of mozzarella and parmessan)

Preheat oven to 375.

Saute shallots and garlic until tender.
Combine milk, flour, 1/2 t pepper, and 1/4 t salt with a whisk.
Arrange half of potato slices in 8x13 casserole pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 t salt.
Spread onions, garlic and ham over potatoes. Arrange remaining potato slices on top. Pour milk mixture over top and sprinkle with 1/4 t salt. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray, bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Bake another 15 minutes. If necessary, broil for 2 minutes to lightly brown cheese.

*Here is a delicious way to use that leftover Honey Baked Ham hock. Boil it for a while, then carve off the meat and cube it. It maintains a light honey baked flavor, but seems less fatty. When I made it this way, I used all the ham I get from the hock, which is probably closer to 2 cups.

Dinner for Saturday, December 31, 2005

2006-01-02T17:59:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had steak, twice baked potatoes, a leafy green salad, peas and grapes. I purchased a whole beef tenderloin, then cut it in thin steaks (I used about half and froze the other half) and cooked them in my iron skillet. For the potatoes, I baked yukon gold potatoes until very done, scooped out the insides, mashed them with a little milk and butter and salt, put them back in the potato skins and topped them with cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted.

Dinner for Friday, December 30, 2005

2006-01-02T17:45:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had chili which was made with a recipe invented by my daughter. When she first made it, her preference was that chili have no discernable vegetables, thus it is a very child-friendly chili. It is also very easy. I make it in a slow cooker so that it can be put together any time during the day that is convenient, then simmer until you are ready to eat. We always have chili with cornbread.

Here is the cornbread recipe:
1 1/4 cups flour (you may use some whole wheat if you prefer)
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar (I add another 2 T of sugar because that is how my children like it)
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 cup milk

Mix wet ingredients in a large measuring cup (if you start with the egg, which = 1/4 cup, then add the oil, which brings it to 1/2 cup, then add the milk to 1 1/2 cups, you only get one dish dirty!). Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add wet to dry, mix only until combined. I make this in a 9" iron skillet, heated up with a little butter swirled around inside. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Here is the recipe for chili:
6 ox. turkey Italian sausage
5 cloves garlic
1 lb. ground beef
1 T chili powder
2 T brown sugar
1 T ground cumin
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
2 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained

Saute sausage and ground beef and garlic. If you want it lower in fat, rinse sausage and ground beef in a colander then return to pan and then add garlic.

Put meat mixture and everything else in slow cooker for 2 hours (more or less) on high.

Dinner for Thursday, December 29, 2005

2006-01-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

One of our children was not home for dinner and so we had what we call the western breakfast: scrambled eggs, biscuits (usually, but tonight we had leftover semolina bread, toasted), baked beans, sausage (the fake kind made by Morningstar Farms), and grapefruit.

Dinner for Wednesday, December 28, 2005

2006-01-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

This was really our Christmas dinner for we had parents visiting from the Circle City. The main dish was a Honey Baked ham. I learned something about this product. The brochure that comes with the ham says that they recommend serving it straight from the refrigerator, cold. We all prefer it warm so I microwaved moderate portions which worked out quite well. In addition, we had Honey Baked Ham Store's Sweet Potato Souffle, a leafy green salad, homemade bread (golden semolina), pineapple and, because I was not very hungry, no vegetable (I had planned on roasted green beans with almonds).

The real piece de resistance was La Buche de Noel. This is a bit of work but well worth the effort. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients
4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 t salt
1 t baking powder
2/3 cup flour

1/2 pint whipping cream
powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Beat egg whites to form soft peaks.
2. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beat to form stiff peaks.
3. Beat yolks until thick and lemon-colored.
4. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar and add the vanila.
5. Fold yolk mixture into whites.
6. Sift flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder.
7. Fold dry indredients into egg mixture.
8. Spread evenly into a greased and floured 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch jelly roll pan.
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
10. Immediately loosen sides and turn out onto a towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar.
11. Roll cake and towel together, starting at the narrow end of hte cake.
12. Cook on a rack.
13. When cool, unroll and fill with whipped cream. Gently reroll the cake.
14 Cover with frosting. Chill until served.

La Glace (Frosting)
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup butter
1/8 t salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 cups powdered sugar

Directions
1. Melt chocolate on the top of a double boiler.
2. Blend in the buter, salt and the boiling water.
3. Cool to lukewarm.
4. Gradually mix in the sugar.

Dinner for Tuesday, December 27, 2005

2006-01-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

A rare treat: out to eat! My parents took us out to eat at Chin's; dinner was enjoyed by all.

Dinner for Monday, December 26, 2005

2006-01-01T18:51:00.000-08:00

Back to the old standards: stir fry. Tonight I used chicken, red peppers, cauliflower and onion (and, of course, garlic and ginger--both from bottles). I stir fry in an iron skillet, by first cooking the chicken, then adding the vegetables. The key is the sauce, which consists of 3T soy sauce, 1 T sugar, and some chicken broth. You can use as much chicken broth as you need to make the amount of gravy you prefer. I use almost a whole can of Swanson's fat free broth. Before you put all the broth in, whisk a little cornstarch into the broth to help thicken the gravy. Serve over rice.

Dinner for Sunday, December 25, 2005

2006-01-01T15:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day, a peaceful day for our family because all of our relatives are far away. This allows us to have a fun, casual dinner: homemade pizza. Here is an approximate recipe:

Crust
About 5 1/2 cups all purpose flour (although bread flour seems to work just as well)
2 cups water
1 1/2 T instant yeast (I prefer instant but you can use instead an equal amount of dry yeast, which is exactly 2 packages)
a little olive oil
2 t salt

Knead for 10 minutes. Let rise for one hour. Divide in two. Form crusts and cover with whatever toppings you like. We use pizza sauce from our local Greek deli, Angelina's, mozzarella cheese, parmessan cheese, and real sausage (not turkey or fake, as my kids call sausage made with soy protien). Someday, my children will like vegetables on pizza and I will add mushrooms, onion, olives, etc.

If you have a pizza stone, it should have been heating up in the oven at at least 500 degrees F.

Here is a great hint. Make the pizza crusts, then transfer them to parchment paper, then top them; this makes slipping them onto the stone very easy. Bake for about 7 minutes.

Dinner for Saturday, December 24, 2005

2006-01-01T15:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve! Thus, we will have our traditional meal: 2 quiches, homemade bread, a fresh fruit, and a green salad with a little red onion and feta cheese, croutons and carrots. Here is the recipe for quiche:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Make a pastry crust. Roll out and put it in a pie pan(s).

For the custard (per pie), mix:
2 cups milk or cream (we use skim, but you can use whatever you have)
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 t salt
1/8 t white pepper (we rarely add this, and the white is only for aesthetics)

Extras:
Broccoli (well cooked and really well drained)
Bacon
Swiss cheese (grated)

Put it together:
Sprinkle the cheese over the crust. Add the broccoli and bacon. Pour the milk mixture over over the cheese and broccoli and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

The really fun thing about a quiche is that you can be creative with it, customize it to your family's tastes, and add or take out ingredients at will, which is why I didn't put quantities for the extras.

Dinner for Friday, December 23, 2005

2006-01-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

Dinner doesn't get any easier than this: frozen pizza. It is inexpensive, too. Serve with a green salad and fresh pineapple. The golden pineapple have been very inexpensive lately--I believe right around $3. I have stocked up, so you will see this item frequently over the next few days.

Dinner for Thursday, December 22, 2005

2006-01-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

As it gets closer to Christmas, meals get more simple because the cook still has Christmas shopping to finish. So, tonight it is hamburgers. Actually, we use the Turkey Store turkey burgers that have already been seasoned. Add a bun, a green salad, some frozen corn (heated up in the microwave), and a fruit. Very easy, relatively healthy, and tolerated (but not loved) by everyone in the family.

Dinner for Wednesday, December 21, 2005

2005-12-21T18:05:00.000-08:00

Dinner tonight is frittata, broccoli, and fresh pineapple. This is very simple. Boil about 12 oz of spaghetti (more or less). In the meantime, beat 4 eggs with a little cheddar cheese; add a little salt. Mix the cooked pasta with the eggs and cheese a little at a time, tossing with two forks. When it is all mixed in, pour into a cast iron skillet coated with Pam or another no-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese (more or less generously) and parmessan cheese. Cook over a medium burner for 10 minutes or until egg has set, then broil until cheese on top melts and bubbles. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce.

Dinner for Tuesday, December 20, 2005

2005-12-21T17:56:00.000-08:00

Dinner tonight is corned beef, soda bread, baked beans, corn, d'anjou pears and a salad. The corned beef is very easy. Buy a nice piece of corned beef, cover with water and simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Then bake for 1/2 hour at 350 F.

Here's a recipe for soda bread:
3 cups flour
1 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 cup sugar
1 T caraway seeds (optional)
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 cups nonfat buttermilk (keep powdered buttermilk in your pantry)

Combine first 7 ingredients. Add buttermilk; stir well until it begins to come together. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead lightly, 3-4 times. Pat dough into an 8-inch round cakepan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Dinner for Monday, December 19, 2005

2005-12-19T15:32:00.000-08:00

Tonight's dinner is chicken noodle casserole, peas, a green salad and fresh pineapple. It's so easy that I don't use a recipe. First, boil egg noodles (or no-yolk noodles, broad). While the noodles are cooking, prepare a white sauce. To do this, I use a double-boiler. Combine 2 1/2 cups of milk with roughly 1/4 cup of flour in the top of the double-boiler with a whisk. Add a little salt. Cook until thickened, maybe 10 minutes. When the noodles are cooked, mix the noodles, the white sauce, and some roaster chicken (cut into bite-sized pieces) in a casserole dish. Top with cheddar cheese and bake at 350 for 15-30 minutes. If you want to make this a truely classic dish, add crushed potato chips to the top.