Menu Planning

I try to plan menus by week of what we will have for dinner each night.  It helps so we don't waste too much food and if we are too busy we can plan to eat out.

This week's menu:

Monday - we are on our own, I have a meeting to attend.
Tuesday - spaghetti and meatballs - a comfort food I was craving
                I am going to use jarred sauce and some frozen meatballs for ease of preparation.
Wednesday - Tilapia packets, recipe from Woman's Day magazine
Thursday - Asian Baked Chicken, recipe from All You magazine
Friday - not sure yet, maybe homemade pizza, maybe eat out....

I often peruse magazines for new recipes.  My favortie magazine is All You.  It has recipes, menu planners, coupons, and lots of good tips and tricks articles.

I also tend to peruse in the grocery store Woman's Day and Women's World.

Brands....

Recently we have been eating some quick and easy meals.  Here are a few of the new items I have found to make meals interesting, healthy, and delicious!

Golden Temple Simmer Sauces

A Canadian company that is owned by The J.M. Smucker Company of Orrville Ohio.  We found these at the Smucker store and really like them.  We tried a new flavor the other night, Butter chicken Sauce.  The easy part... brown chicken pieces and add sauce, stir and let simmer.  You can buy the online from Smucker's Online store.  We served over white or brown rice. Tada!  A meal.

Mama Mary's whole wheat pizza crusts

I found these at Marc's for $2.98 a package of 2 crusts!  They even include a bag to wrap up the second one to use later.  They are 12 inch crusts and bake well in the oven on the rack.  1/6 piece of a 12 inch crust at 170 calories, 5g of fat and 2g of fiber compared to a Boboli regular 12 inch crust which has 180 calories 2g of fat and 1g of fiber. 

Nash Brothers Trading Company Homestyle Organic Waffles

I found these waffles the other day in the grocery store bargain bin for 99 cents, No they were not expired!  Serving is 2 waffles for 190 calories 6g of fat and 2g of Fiber.  Our big sell was 2 waffles was a serving compared to Eggo Homestyle waffles a serving of 2 waffles had 190 calories, 7g of fat and 0g fiber.

Out to Dinner again!

Too much work, too tired to cook!  So we went out to our favorite local (around the corner) Mexican Restaurant.

Brian tried their new fish tacos and I had a Hawaiian Burrito.

So.... the recipe of the day is from our Easter dinner.

Cheese Ravioli with Artichoke Aioli

1 large bag of frozen cheese ravioli
2 10oz packages of frozen artichoke hearts, chopped
1 bunch of green onions, sliced
1/4-1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
salt
fresh ground pepper

Saute artichoke hearts and green onions in olive oil until soft.  Salt and Pepper to taste.
Cook ravioli as directed and drain. 
Pour sauce into bowl and gently toss with artichoke sauce to coat.

Sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese to taste.

Simple Meal

This was a quick, simple, and healthy meal.  The only trick is to defrost the fish if it's frozen! 

2 Norwegian salmon filets, grilled

4 cups of white converted rice
1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes (or you favorite flavor)

Cook rice as directed.  Add 1 can of tomatoes and stir.  Mix with seasonings as you like, I added salt free garlic and herb seasoning.


2 cups of frozen peas
3 T of margarine
fresh ground pepper

Put frozen peas in a microwave safe bowl and dollop margarine on top and sprinkle with pepper to taste.  Microwave 2-3 minutes until warm to your taste.

Your favorite Pinot Noir

Home Late/Dining Out

Our original plan was to have chicken and some couscous and a salad.  I did not leave work until 5:45pm which meant I get home about 7pm so my husband nicely decided we should eat out.

Here is the best deal on the dining out market!

Dinner for two at the Gyro Delight!

2 fresh pitas
A ton of gyro meat, not really but not really...
fixins - tomatoes, onions, olives and Tzatziki sauce
2 Spanikopita
2 Tyropitakia
2 Dolmas
Garden salad
Seasoned rice or fries (we got the rice)

All this for $8.55

Rack of Lamb

If you usually serve leg of lamb, this cut of lamb was quite different and refreshing.  Although be advised a frenched rack of lamb can be very expensive.  We were able to get it from a local butcher.

6 racks of lamb, frenched and white fat scraped off
6T of EVOO
3/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 tsp sea salt
3 tsp fresh ground black pepper
3 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
3 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
3 tsp fresh sage chopped
3T fresh flat parsley, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups beef stock
1T unsalted butter

Mix fresh herbs and salt and pepper and garlic in food processor and mix until chopped and well blended. 
Brush mustard on the meatier side of the lamb.  Coat with herb mixture. 
Coat bottom of pan with 1/2 of olive oil and heat.  Put lamb in seasoned side down and sear.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Remove lamb from pan and place, seasoned side down, into roasting pan.  When all lamb has been seared and are in roasting pan(s), place in oven and bake until thermometer reaches 130 degrees.  Remove at 130 degrees and cover with foil to rest.
 
In the meantime, scrape the bits off the bottom of the searing pan and put in sauce pan and mix with dry white wine, beef stock, garlic and butter.  Stir together and season with salt and pepper.  
Cook until reduced by 1/2. 
 
©Loretta Paganini

Easter Dinner

The next few days I will post some of the recipes we made for Easter this year.  My mother and I attended an Italian Easter Dinner cooking class and got some great ideas.  All of it came out delicious.

Our menu:

Rack of Lamb
Yukon Gold mashed potatoes
Steamed asparagus
Cheese ravioli with asparagus and onion aioli sauce
Spring Salad
Ham
Angel food cake w/ fresh strawberries

Happy Easter!

Holy Saturday meal

On our last day of Lent eating no meat we had fish.

We had an appetizer of a fresh spring Artichoke with Curried mayonnaise.

1 medium sized fresh artichoke, stem shortened
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
About 1/2 T of curry powder
Blend the curry powder and mayo to make the dip.
Place the articoke in a bowl with a little water at the bottom, cover with plastic wrap.
Microwave on high about 2 minutes.

To serve, peel the leaves off the artichoke and dip the ends in the mayo and eat, scraping off the tender inside of  the leaf.


Mahi Mahi
2 Wild Mahi Mahi filets
  (note the dark meat portion is a little different taste than the white meat portion)
Tastefully Simple Sangria Salsa topped the fish
Grill on foil on medium heat for about 20-25 minutes until fish is tender

Grilled Asparagus - see recipe on March 27th

Salad -- this one was quick and easy
1 bag of Garden Salad
8 grape tomatoes, halved
6 mozzarella fresca balls and some oil drizzled on salad
1 oz. of Stilton cheese with apricots
2 roasted red peppers, chopped

Toss all ingredietnts together.  Serve with your favorite salad dressing.

April Fools!

and lazy fools!  Tonight we had Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean burgers on the grill.  It was 80 degrees and a great day for grilling. 

I made Alexia's Sweet potato fries in the oven.  I spray non-stick cooking spray on the baking pan and on the fries and they cook with a nice light crispness.

The burgers are good for those who like a big burger with the works.  They are spicy, but not too spicy, and thick and full of flavor.  Top with ketchup, mustard, light mayo, tomato, onion ... the works and you gotta a burger with less fat than a regular restaurant burger.