Menu Plan Monday

Last week was filled with great recipes. I created a cheesy meatloaf, made some herbed pork chops from an Ordinary Mom and even ventured out into the baking world. This week will be a little bit more low key. For some reason I'm worn out and am down in the dumps. I think I'm just home sick. Anyway, I hope everyone has a great week! Eat Well!

For more menu ideas please visit our hostess Laura at www.orgjunkie.com.

Monday

Soft tacos

Tuesday

Herbed cornish hens

Wednesday

Fried Chicken* family recipe

towards the end frying, sprinkle a bit of sugar on top

Thursday

Sour cream chicken

Friday

Date night

Saturday

Warm steak & potato salad

Sunday

USMC SOS

Herbed Pork Chops

This week I tried this herbed pork chop recipe. I just tweaked it a bit since I only used what we had on hand. They were great!

Creamy Herbed Pork Chops
4 boneless pork chops
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash seasoning
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon basil
2 teaspoons flour
1 beef bouillon cube
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons water

Trim fat from meat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large skillet cook chops in margarine or butter over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn chops and add carrot and garlic. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes more or till no pink remains. Remove chops, reserving drippings,carrots and garlic.
For sauce, stir parsley, flour, basil, Mrs. Dash (or whichever herbs you like), bouillon cube and pepper into drippings and carrot. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Stir in water. Return chops to skillet and heat through.

Cheesy Meatloaf

Ok, we can all safely say I'm not the best at taking food pics. lol Not the greatest pic of meatloaf, but it was the best I've ever had. The P man ate it up too. I will always make my meatloaf like this from now on. Believe me- so will you! Yummmm!

Cheesy Meatloaf
Courtesy Nicole

Ingredients:
1 pkg lean ground beef
1 roll sausage (I used hot)
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 pound Colby cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 F. In a bowl, mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a loaf pan. Bake for around 45 minutes. Let it sit for around 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Banana Bread Muffins

I'm not much of a baker, but it's growing on me. We had about 5 bananas that were going to go bad soon so I thought I'd put them to use. I found this recipe and tweaked it a bit. As you can see I made them into muffins instead of a loaf. They were delicious! The only thing I didn't like was how dense they were. I'd like to make another banana bread that is lighter. So if you have any suggestions, bring them on! Thanks!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons allspice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
5 mashed overripe bananas

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, allspice and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs, vanilla extract and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Menu Plan Monday

Last week I forgot to post my Menu Plan. I had a nice menu planned but ended up experimenting most of the week instead. I made this chicken and last night made this pot roast which was sooo good. I added carrots, garlic powder, onion powder and bell pepper to this recipe. It added so much flavor. Here is the menu for the week. Just a side note- we do eat healthy sides with our meals. I just put the main item on the list. (Just so my Mom will know I'm eating my veggies) lol I hope everyone has a great week! For more meal plan ideas please visit our host Laura at www.orgjunkie.com.

Monday
Chicken Suiza Enchiladas*

Tuesday
Mini cheese meatloaves

Wednesday
Salmon wrapped in parma ham

Thursday
Creamy herbed pork chops

Friday
Date night- we found a casino that has all you can eat Seafood (we have coupons) yay!

Saturday
Grilled steaks with chimichurri sauce

Sunday
Funky Chicken w/Sesame Noodles

Chicken Suiza Enchiladas:
You can also use leftover turkey or chicken. (Suiza is Spanish for Swiss)

8 corn tortillas, stacked and wrapped in foil
1 1/4 green salsa (salsa verde)
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 chopped cilantro
11/2 cups (8 oz) diced cooked turkey or chicken
6 oz. reduced-fat Swiss cheese, shredded
1 jar (7 oz) roasted red pepper, sliced

1. Place tortillas in oven. Heat to 425F. Have a shallow 2 to 2 1/2 qt baking dish ready.
2. Mix salsa, sour cream and cilantro in a medium bowl. Spread 1/2 cup over bottom of baking dish. In another bowl, combine chicken, 1 cup cheese and roasted peppers. Remove tortillas from oven.
3. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up; place seam side down in baking dish. Pour remaining salsa mixture over top.
4. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes until bubbly. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Jalapeno Mustard Chicken

All I can say about this chicken is YUMMO! On my way home from dropping my nephew off last week I stopped by one of those fruit stands on the side of the highway. (I love those places!) I bought a bunch of junk snack food and a jar of jalapeno honey mustard. Well, well, well... this stuff is just about the best mustard ever! It's sweet and hot all in one bite. That night I tenderized some chicken breasts and basted a sauce using this mustard over them. It was soooo good! I served it with Salvadorean rice that I learned to make from one of my best friends. Enjoy!

Sauce:
Jalapeno honey mustard, about 5 tablespoons
Olive oil, a few drizzles
Lemon juice, zest included
salt & pepper
balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons

I can't remember exactly how much I used of each, but you can adjust to your taste. Stir in the olive oil to the mustard, then the vinegar & lemon juice & zest. Salt & pepper to taste.

I floured the chicken breast after tenderizing them. Then pan fried then in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Brush the mustard sauce on each side as you turn the chicken. I cooked the chicken for about 10 minutes. The chicken was very juicy and tender. Delish!

Salvadorean rice:
1 cup rice
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons oil

In oil saute bell pepper, onion and tomato until onion is translucent. Add rice and cook for about 5 minutes, until the rice gets light brown. Add chicken bouillon cubes. Add water until rice is covered (I'd say about 1 1/2 cups). Salt & pepper to taste. Cover, and cook on simmer until water has evaporated. Serves around 4 peeps. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday

This week my nephew will be visiting for spring break. Needless to say we may not stick to the plan every day. I hope everyone has a nice week!

For more recipe ideas please visit our hostess, Laura at www.orgjunkie.com.

Monday
Lemon Pepper Cod

Tuesday
Venetian Mac n' Cheese*

Wednesday
On the road - eat out

Thursday
Chicken Mug Pies

Friday
Cheese Enchiladas, rice, salad

Saturday
Steaks, sweet baked potatoes, salad

Sunday
Pot roast sandwiches

*Venetian Mac n' Cheese
Courtesy Rachael Ray

1 pound medium shell pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 c. half-and-half or whole milk
1 c. chicken broth
pepper
salt
pinch nutmeg
2 tablespoons EVOO
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 small heads radicchio, shredded
1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 cup shredded asiago cheese

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook forr1 minute then whisk in the half-and-half and chicken broth. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and the nutmeg and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 6 to 7 minutes.

3. In a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the garlic and anchovy paste, if using, and cook for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and radicchio, increase the heat and cook, stirring, until the shrimp is pink and the radicchio is tender 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Preheat the broiler. Stir the parmigiano-reggiano into the white sauce. Add the pasta, shrimp and radicchio and toss. Pour into a buttered casserole and sprinkle the asiago on top. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes; serve hot.

Cashew Chicken

Not the greatest picture, but this dish was almost as good as it tastes in the restaurant. I had originally taken the recipe from weight watchers but changed it up a bit. It was actually quite easy to make and easy clean up. I was happy cause Patrick ate his veggies without even blinking an eye! (I think he accidentally ate some onions too) lol

Ingredients:
1/4 tsp black pepper, or more to taste
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
2 tsp peanut oil (I used olive oil)
1 can bean sprouts (I added this)
2 medium stalk celery, chopped
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1 3/4 oz dry-roasted cashews, chopped (about 6 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, or more to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch (omitted this)
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 cup cooked brown rice

Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook until browned on all sides, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes.Add 1 cup of broth, soy sauce, celery, bean sprouts to chicken and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth; add to skillet and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.To serve, divide rice among 4 shallow dishes. Spoon chicken mixture onto rice and sprinkle with cashews. Yields about 1 cup of chicken, 1/2 cup of rice and 1 1/2 tablespoons of cashews per serving

Leftover Salmon

I usually have issues using left over fish. I finally have come to my senses and realized I can use it in salads. We had salmon and potatoes the other night so I used the leftovers for salad with balsamic dressing. It was simple and delish. I even got the P man to have a plate. :)

All I did was mix a few tablespoons of olive oil into some balsamic vinegar along with a squeeze of lemon with lemon zest (salt & pepper). I had also added avocados and it was to die for!