Monday Menu

Anyone remember me? Gosh, I can't believe I have let so much time pass without posting. I could make a lot of excuses, but what a waste of time. Instead, to get back in the cooking mode, I made my week's menu-something I haven't done in 2 months. So here goes:

Monday: BBQ Sandwiches, Carrot Salad, Chips & Dip (Made from leftover Pork Ribs)

Tuesday: Chalupas w/Homemade Salsa & fixings

Wednesday: Chicken Casserole (except I cooked chicken instead of using canned and used pre-cooked shredded bacon), Grapes & Blueberries, Salad, Bread

Thursday: Lemon Pepper Chicken, Twice Baked Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus

Friday: Chicken w/Fresh Basil over gluten free pasta, Salad, Foccacia Bread (I'm experimenting to make this gluten free)

Saturday: Potato Soup (Still need to put up the gluten free version of this soup), Fresh Pineapple,

Sunday: Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Greens

As always, this menu is subject to change. Looking at it, it seems rather dull this week-not much new to try. Most likely that will change.

Chili Rellenos

Sorry I haven't been around for awhile. If you are in the mood for a little bit of Mexican Food, here is one of my favorites. My mom used to make these when I was growing up. We ate them plain, but Michael likes them with green chili.

1 large can roasted green chilies
8 oz. grated monterrey jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped onions or a bunch of green onions
2 eggs
oil for frying, about 1/2 inch deep

The secret to keeping the egg batter is to chill your bowl. I use a glass measure and place it in the freezer for 10 minutes before I beat the eggs.


Separate the yokes from the whites, adding whites to frosty bowl. Save the yokes to add later.

Beat egg whites until stiff. That means when you turn the mixer off and pull out the beaters, white peaks form and fold over in a nice curl like a fancy ice cream cone.


Some people add 1 TBS of flour here. I don't since I'm cooking gluten free. But I do add the yokes into the whites and gently fold them in. They fold in nicer when you beat them first instead of plopping them as I have done.


But since the bowl is chilled, the egg whites are very forgiving.



Mix the cheese and onions together. Open can of chilies, rinse and remove seeds and membranes. You can leave them whole or split one side open. This batch of chilies had a lot of skin still attached that should be removed. Then stuff them with the cheese mixture. I tried to leave mine whole, but they split apart multiple times. If this should happen, gently squeeze the chili around the cheese. If you use fresh grated cheese instead of pre-grated, it sticks together fairly well.


The stuffed chilies...I know, not terribly pretty.


Spoon egg mixture about the length of a chili into hot oil. Important-do not place hot spoon back in egg mixture. Have a plate or spoon holder to set it in until you are ready for the next one.


Gently place stuffed chili onto egg.


Using a spatula, quickly push egg up around sides of chili.


If you can't get it to cover the chili, you can spoon a bit more egg onto the top.


Let it cook until sides begin to lightly brown. The egg cooks rather quickly, usually in less than a minute. Gently flip them over to brown the other side.



Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

Can be eaten naked, with sour cream or guacamole. Even better is if you have a pot of green chili waiting to be poured over the rellenos. Superb!

If this is too much trouble, and you aren't eating gluten free, you can take the stuffed chilies and wrap them in egg roll wrappers instead of the egg mixture. This will make a very crisp outside. But I can't think of them as authentic Mexican food when fried in egg roll wrappers. Still tasty and less messy. You choose.

Not-so-blackened Tilapia

6-8 Tilapia Filets
2 TBS olive oil
1 lemon, cut in wedges

Blackened Seasoning:
1 TBS garlic powder
1 1/2 TBS onion powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. crushed parsley
1 tsp. crushed oregano
1 tsp. red pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Mix seasonings together. Sprinkle liberally on both sides of fish fillets. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Fry fish a couple of minutes each side, turning only once. Fish will flake easily when cooked. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top. This is a quick meal, especially if you have the seasoning mixed ahead of time. I served this with Mushrooms & Asparagus, Quick Potatoes, and pineapple chunks and Michael loved it.

Simply Mushrooms & Asparagus

1/2 bunch of asparagus
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 TBS butter
garlic salt

I microwave the asparagus (after breaking off tough ends, and slicing into 1 inch pieces) on auto-cook until slightly tender. Heat butter in skillet. Saute mushrooms for a minute, then add asparagus. Sprinkle with a bit of garlic salt and continue to stir fry until desired doneness. Serve immediately.

Monday menu

Gosh it's been a long time. I'm trying to catch up here. Tonight for dinner, Michael decided that what we had may be his new all time favorite meal ever. Wow! He may even want it for his birthday dinner. Now this could create a problem. We had fish, which a couple of the kids will NOT eat. And his birthday just happens to fall on Christmas Eve. I do like everyone to be happy around the holidays, so we will have to see. In the meantime, I'm posting my menu for the week, including tonight's dinner so I don't forget the husband's favorite meal, lol. Also including what I ended up serving for my inlaws 60th anniversary dinner, which was chosen based on Elisabeth's celiac, Ethan's gluten-free, casein-free diet, and my sil's allergy to soy, eggs, & peanuts.

Saturday Anniversary: Hot Wing Dip w/celery sticks and Fritos, Avocado Black Bean Salsa & Chips, Glazed Pork Loin, Spicy Glazed Chicken, Crash Potatoes, Roasted Broccoli, Spring Salad w/raspberry dressing and CAKE. (The pork and hot wing dip were not soy free.) And yes, there really isn't anything new on this menu. I'm not brave enough to try a totally new menu item when serving 30 people.
Sunday: Potato Soup, (I just realized I never posted my gf version) leftover Avocado Black Bean Salsa and chips, grapes
Monday: Leftover pork made into BBQ pork sandwiches, Steak Fries, leftover Spring Salad
Tuesday: Chicken Rice Casserole, Salad
Wednesday: Blackened Tilapia, Easy Red Potatoes, Mushrooms & Asparagus, Pineapple chunks
Thursday: Chicken Marengo, Rice, Salad
Friday: Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Corn, Salad

Chicken Rice Casserole

A couple of nights ago, I wanted quick food. I was tired and just did not feel like cooking. I hope I can remember what I did to make this. There was almost none of it left at the end of the meal and everyone enjoyed it.

1/2 lb. bacon (gluten free)
1 can chicken
1 cup rice
1 TBS chopped parsley
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream (Daisy brand is gluten free)
1 cup grated cheese
1 chicken bouillon cube (gluten free)

Cook rice, adding bullion cube to water. Slice bacon as in Chicken Bacon Pita (which is NOT gluten free, but delicious for those who don't care about such things.) Brown in skillet, then add onion and cook until tender. Drain bacon and onion on paper towels to remove fat. Place in baking dish. Mix in remaining ingredients, topping with cheese. Bake about 20 minutes at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly.

New Chili

I added another photo to this recipe. It is gluten free and makes a lovely fall soup. You can make it with chicken tenders instead of turkey-which is what I did today. I posted this back in February of 2008, but am updating gluten free recipes, so thought I'd post it again. Eliminate the turkey/chicken and it can be vegetarian.

I was reading Heth's Blog about a new chili recipe she tried. It looked so lovely, I just had to try it. She posted pictures of each of her children tasting it and what they thought. It was hilarious. Check it out.

The original recipe comes from Better Homes & Garden and is called New World Chili. I did my best to follow the recipe. Here are the very attractive ingredients. (Heth displayed them so lovely I thought I'd try the same.)

1 lb. turkey breast tenderloin, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash or pumpkin
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth (gluten free)
1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 cups shredded fresh spinach
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers, shredded (1 cup)

In a 5-quart slow cooker combine turkey, undrained tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce, squash, onion, the 1/2 cup chicken broth, corn, cranberries, jalapeño pepper, chili powder, and garlic.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours. If desired, stir in additional broth to reach desired consistency. Stir in spinach just before serving. Sprinkle each serving with cheese. Makes 6 servings.

I used 1 1/2 lbs turkey tenderloin and browned in 1 TBS olive oil with onions and garlic before placing in crockpot. I cooked it on high. I added 2 cups additional broth. I considered using hot green chilies or canned jalepeno, but opted to stick with as close to the original as I could.

Brussel Sprouts

I'm not sure why I'm including this recipe. Michael HATES brussel sprouts. Something about having to eat them while growing up. When we married he let me know of his two despised foods: Brussel sprouts and Lima Beans

Oh well.
3-4 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms (I like the crimini mushrooms)
3 TBS butter
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1-2 TBS lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Cook brussel sprouts either in the microwave with a bit of water or on the stove with water. Drain. Mix lemon juice and mustard. Melt butter in skillet and stir-fry mushrooms. Add the brussel sprouts. Stir fry together, then add parsley & lemon juice mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.
(Sorry the photo is blurry. That's just life sometimes.)

Gluten Free Cranberry Bread

Once again, Pamela's Baking Mix came to my rescue in baking. I wanted to make a cranberry bread in preparation for the holidays, gluten free of course, and chickened out on mixing flours and chose to use a gluten free baking mix instead.

2 1/2 cups baking mix
1/2 TBS Baking powder
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 TBS Poppy seeds
1 cup milk
1/3 cup melted margarine or butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 cup chopped cranberries

Mix dry ingredients well. Add eggs, butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add wet to dry ingredients, then stir in milk. Fold in cranberries. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. I baked this one for 50 minutes and think it was a little too browned. then the rest, except cranberries.

Mango Salsa

I made Tilapia w/mango salsa the other day, but thought avocado would be delicious with it. When I can get avocadoes for $1 a piece, I try to incorporate them any way I can. And the best part? Naturally Gluten Free. My mango, on the other hand, was overripe and it was difficult to get whole slices off without making mush. The taste remained delightful. My kids at the leftovers on chips the next day while Michael and I enjoyed this atop grilled tilapia.

Mango Salsa:

1 large mango, peeled & chopped
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
2-3 TBS diced sweet onion
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1 TBS fresh chopped parsley
1 jalapeno pepper, diced finely
2-3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice (juice of one lime is perfect)
salt and pepper to taste

Add ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Gluten Free Chicken Stir-fry

I just love stir-fry with lots of veggies. This is basically the Teriyaki Chicken Stir-fry recipe with just a few changes. My family liked the changes. I'm repeating the recipe here, with the additions colored.

3/4 cup Tamari soy sauce (check label for gluten free)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 TBS seasoned rice wine vinegar
1-2 tsp. garlic chili sauce
2 garlic cloves
1 inch piece peeled, grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
2-3 TBS pure cornstarch
8 oz. sliced shitake mushrooms (I usually buy the white ones, but realized the price on an 8 oz. package of white mushrooms is $1.99 while the shitake were $3.99/pound so basically the same price. The shitake taste much better IMO)
2-3 small zucchini, julienned
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 onion, cut in slivers (I like onions, but always use the mild, sweet ones)
1 red pepper, julienned
1/4 cup diagonally sliced celery
a handful of chinese snow peas
1/2 cup peanuts I used planters cocktail peanuts and rinsed the salt off before adding them.
1 can sliced waterchestnuts I didn't have these.
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS butter
Rice
Salt
Pepper

Mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl: Tamari, sugar, grated ginger, red chili sauce, vinegar, & 1 clove minced garlic. If you want it spicy, add more red chili sauce.

Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Place in a ziploc bag with cornstarch. Shake to coat chicken. In a large skillet or wok, heat olive oil. Stir-fry chicken over medium high heat until no longer pink inside and light golden brown. Fry in batches if necessary, so as not to crowd the pan. Lightly salt and pepper.

Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add butter to skillet, add remaining garlic and vegetables, except the snowpeas. Stir-fry until crisp tender.

Remove vegetables (you can add them to the dish of chicken.) Pour sauce into pan and heat. Place chicken, vegetables, peanuts and snowpeas into the sauce, stirring to coat all. If desired, 2 tsp. of cornstarch mixed into 1 TBS water can be added to thicken sauce. Serve over steamed rice.




Note: You can skip the cornstarch coating on the chicken if you want. But my family likes the coated orange chicken from Panda Express. But since it isn't gluten free, coating the chicken before frying gives it more of an authentic eating-out taste.

CrossRibRoast

A cross-rib roast is usually a very tender, full-flavored pot roast.

3 1/2-4 lb. cross rib roast or tip roast
garlic salt
onion powder
fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup red wine
1 tsp. beef base (Better Than Bouillon) or 1 tsp. beef bouillon

A cross-rib roast usually comes wrapped in twine to hold it together.
Leave twine on while cooking.
For this roast, I used a clay baking pot in the oven. This roast also works well in a crockpot. Place meat in pot, side with the most fat up. Sprinkle liberally with garlic salt, pepper, and onion powder. Place top on and bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. (My roast wasn't thawed all the way, so I did this to speed it up.) But I think it is also browns the outside a bit.

Turn the oven down to 250 degrees and bake for 2-3 hours. Add 1 cup of warm water with boullion dissolved in it and wine. Continue cooking for 2 hours or so more. It doesn't seem to matter with this type of roast if you cook it longer. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, remove twine and slice. The longer you cook it, the more the meat will fall apart and the harder to slice. But don't let that bother you, it is delicious either way.

Add 1 TBS corn starch mixed in 1 TBS cold water to the pan juices and heat in another pan until thick. Add salt and pepper to taste. Can be used as a sauce for the meat or gravy for potatoes. For a creamy sauce, use sour cream to thicken-about 1/2 cup. To change the flavor try adding dijon mustard or horseradish along with the sour cream to pour of beef if you don't make mashed potatoes.