Week of January 27th

Nothing new really to post here, I'll be making Sweet Baby Ray's Crockpot chicken because I didn't make it last week, and for two nights I'm having overnight company so I'll be making meatloaf with roasted tomatoes and the other night I'll be whipping up some beef enchiladas, Spanish rice and refried beans and I don't really have recipes for those, I just make them from my head.  Oh, I will be making a new variation of potatoes to go with the meatloaf called Fluffy Baked Mashed Potatoes - if they are good, I'll share next week!

Week of January 20th

[New!] HOISIN LIME SALMON
Original recipe here.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons honey
4 center-cut salmon fillets (6 ounces each), about 1 1/2 inches thick
1/2 lime, plus several wedges for garnish
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat broiler with rack set 4 inches away from heat. In a small bowl, stir together hoisin and honey; set aside.

Spray a baking sheet or broiler pan with cooking spray. Place salmon on sheet, skin-side down. Squeeze juice of half a lime evenly over salmon; season with salt and pepper. Place under broiler, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and drizzle each fillet with 2 teaspoons hoisin mixture. Return to broiler, and cook until glaze is bubbling and salmon is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.

LASAGNA WITH SAUSAGE & KALE
Original recipe here.

Ingredients:

12 ounces spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 to 2 bunches kale (1 ½ pounds), thick stems removed
Coarse salt and pepper
8 ounces lasagna noodles (about 9 noodles), each broken crosswise into 4 to 6 pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.  In a 5-quart pot, cook sausage over medium heat, stirring often, until browned, about 5 minutes.  Stir in onions; cover, and cook until softened, 5 minutes.  Uncover; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add kale and 1/2 cup water to pot; season with salt and pepper. Cover; cook over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain; coarsely chop. Transfer to bowl with onions.

Meanwhile, cook noodles 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain; rinse under cold water.

Add noodles, tomatoes, and ricotta to the bowl; season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; smooth top with a spatula. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

SWEET BABY RAY’S CROCK POT CHICKEN

 Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts
1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce
¼ C vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
¼ C brown sugar
2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Mix everything.  Put chicken in crock pot (frozen is okay).  Pour sauce mixture over chicken.  Cook on low 4-6 hours (if doing 4 breasts, eat either right at 4 or shortly before 4 hours).

Regarding the Famous Patty Melts, I don't have his recipe but they're pretty traditional with a couple exceptions:  Ground beef patty, grilled onions, 2 kinds of cheese (havarti and American), and love.

 




 

Week of January 6th

I'm back!  One can't live on sticks of butter, gravy and Christmas cookies forever.  It's time to get dinner back in order.

Yay and thank you to my friend Kelly for the sweet new planning board for my fridge!

TURKEY & SPINACH MEATLOAF
Original recipe here.

1 1/2 cups pecans
1 pound ground turkey
10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 eggs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
pinch of black pepper

Preheat oven to 375.  In a food processor, grind the raw pecans to a medium-fine texture.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pecans with the remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Place into an oiled loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

 SHREDDED CHICKEN & SWEET POTATOES

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

2 medium sweet potatoes

3 8oz cans of El Pato tomato sauce

Can or two of black beans

Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Throw potatoes in slow cooker, throw in chicken breasts, throw in black beans, add sauce. Cook on low for 4 hours, take chicken out to shred and then mix back in.

ZUCCHINI TART WITH CRUMBLED SAUSAGE & DIJON

Original recipe here.

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed
2 small zucchini (about 1 pound), sliced
Kosher salt and pepper
1 sheet puff pastry (half a 17.3 oz package), thawed
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Green salad, for serving

Heat oven to 400.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until cooked partway through, 3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon, reserve the skillet.

Add the zucchini, 2 tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the drippings in the skillet.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.

Unfold the pastry on a baking sheet and prick all over with a fork, leaving a ½ inch border around the dough.  Spread the mustard on the pastry (avoiding border); top with the zucchini and sausage.  Bake until the pastry is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Cut the tart into 8 pieces, serve with salad.

CHILI PORK TENDERLOIN
From Diabetes Family Friendly Cookbook 2013

1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon reduced sodium soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pork tenderloin (1 pound)
1 tablespoon canola oil

In a small bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients, brush over pork.  In a large ovenproof skillet, brown pork in oil on all sides.

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.