Saturday, July 11, 2009

Dinner Diva Menu Week of 7/18

Sunday: Chicken Ceasar Salad (so simple, in fact, it comes from real simple magazine!)

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1044814

Homemade Croutons:

I often bake bread, but homemade bread doesn't last long. I take the leftovers and grind them up in my food processor for fresh breadcrumbs, which I freeze, or I cube them and make my own croutons, which I also freeze. Homemade croutons are healthier than storebought because you can control the amount of fat and sodium that go into them. They're also, obviously, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly because they don't require as much packaging or fuel to ship them from factory to store and from store to your home. Plus they're really yummy!

Cube day old bread. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Dust with garlic powder. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden. Cool.



Monday: Carne Esada, pico de gallo, whole wheat tortillas


http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/carne_asada/


Tuesday: Chicken Caesar Wraps (use leftovers from Sunday)



Wednesday: Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole, Pillsbury Biscuits


http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/cheesy-tuna-noodle-casserole-75570.aspx



Thursday: Leftovers


Friday: Teriyaki-Ginger Pork Tenderloin, rice, commercial cheese rangoons


1 1lb pork tenderloin

cooking spray

1 1/2 T. teriyaki sauce

1 1/2 t. cornstarch

1 15 oz can pineapple chunks in own juice

Trim fat from pork. Slice tenderloin into 1/2 inch thick slices; flatten slices with palm of hand. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over med-high heat until hot. Add pork, and cook 3 min on each side or until browned.

Combine teriyaki sauce and remaining 3 ingredients, stirring well. Add to pork in skillet. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes.

Put pork on a bed of rice on each plate. Spoon sauce over pork.


Saturday: homemade deep dish pizza, salad, breadsticks (storebought, canned, or homemade)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/chicago-style-italian-sausage-and-pepper-deep-dish-pizza-recipe/index.html

Vegetarians, I'm sorry I didn't include you this week, but feel free to substitute tofu for the chicken in the Chicken Caesar Salad and in the wraps, and also Pizza is easy to make vegetarian.

Dinner Diva Menu Week of 7/12

Sunday: Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya I didn't make from last week's menu

Monday: Pan-Seared Shrimp Po' Boys, carrot and cabbage slaw
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1906355

Combine 4 cups shredded green cabbage and 1 cup shredded carrot in large bowl. Combine 3 T. reduced fat mayo, 1 T. cider vinegar, and 1/4 t. celery seeds in a small bowl. Add mayo mixture to cabbage mixture; stir well.

Tuesday: leftovers

Wednesday (Vegetarian): Bow Ties with Tomatoes, Feta, and Balsamic Dressing
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1906376

Thursday: Bison burgers, homefries, marinated cukes and toms

(email me for a great homemade hamburger bun recipe!)

Homefries: Oven to 400. french fry cut or wedge several potatoes (I use one and a half potatoes per person) and combine the cut potatoes with 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a zip top bag. Shake bag to coat fries evenly. Spread fries out in a single layer on baking sheet and bake at 400 for about an hour, turning every 15 minutes. Serve with ketchup.

Chili-cheese fries: make as directed above, adding 1 t. chili powder to the bag. When fries come out of the oven and are still hot, sprinkle generously with shredded cheddar or mexican blend cheese.

Marinated Cukes and Toms:

1 english cucumber, thinly sliced
1-2 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup light italian dressing, or light olive oil vinaigrette
freshly ground black pepper, if desired

Combine vegetables and dressing in zip top bag. Chill several hours. Serve with fresh ground black pepper, if desired.

* feta cheese is also delicious sprinkled on top of these!

Friday (vegetarian): spaghetti, garlic bread, salad

Saturday: pizza or leftovers (try spaghetti sandwiches!)