Dinner Diva Menu Week of 1/11

Sunday: Gouda-Stuffed Chicken with Apples, crusty french bread, spinach salad

Gouda-Stuffed Chicken with Apples
4 (4 oz) skinless boneless chicken breasts
3 oz smoked gouda, sliced thinly
2 T. flour
2 t. oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 c. apple cider
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T. honey
2 granny smith apples, peeled and cut into 12 wedges

Cut a horizontal slit in each chicken breast to form a pocket. Divide cheese evenly among pockets. Dredge chicken in flour.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken; cook 7 min on each side or until done; remove from pan, keep warm

Add broth, cider, and garlic to pan; bring to a boil. Add honey and apples; cook 10 min or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally.

Spoon apples and sauce over chicken. Yeild: 4 servings



Monday (Vegetarian): Cavatappi With Spinach, Beans and Asiago Cheese, Commercial garlic bread or garlic cheese bread

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=222380


Tuesday: grilled tilapia, wheat pilaf (commercial, such as Near East), steamed broccoli


Wednesday: White Chicken Chili, Saltines, fruit salad

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Jalapeno pepper, minced
4 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
1 teaspoon powdered cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup cooked white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
8 ounces cooked chicken breast, cubed (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Directions:
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in soup pot until tender. Add Jalapeño, chiles, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt, and saute another minute. Stir in chicken broth, beans, and chicken. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in cilantro and cheese and serve.

Thursday: Chili-Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Use the leftover white chili from Wednesday, and ladle over pre-baked potatoes. Top with cilantro and shredded cheddar


Friday: Leftovers or Out to eat (we are going on an actual date!)

Saturday: Pizza night

Dinner Diva Menu Week of 1/3

Happy New Year!

Sunday: (Vegetarian) Mexian Casserole
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1949713

Monday: Chicken Fried Rice
2 T. olive oil, divided
6 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 T. soy sauce, divided
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 T. dark sesame oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
2 C. cooked rice
1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peapods or snow peas
1 T. sesame seeds

Heat two teaspoons oil. Add chicken; cook 5 min or until done. Combine chicken and 1 T. soy sauce in a small bowl; set aside.

Wipe pan with paper towel. Add 1 t. oil and heat until hot; add eggs and stir fry 2 minutes or until scrambled, stirring constantly. Remove eggs from pan; set aside.

Wipe pan with paper towel. Add 1 T. oil and 1 T. sesame oil. Add green onions and garlic; cook 20 sec. Add rice, carrots, and peas. Stir fry 1 min. Add chicken, eggs, remaining 2 T. soy sauce, and sesame seeds. Cook 5 minutes, stirring every 30 sec.

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: grilled cheese, canned soup
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1949704

Thursday: (Vegetarian) breakfast for dinner: cheese omelettes, fresh fruit

Friday: Tuna Noodle Casserole
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1949756

Saturday: Pizza and games night

Christmas Eve

I changed my mind. For Christmas Eve, I've decided to try a crab-stuffed flank steak, grilled marinated tomatoes, potato-stuffed bell peppers, roasted asparagus, and garlic bread. I'm hosting a party for 10, so hopefully this will be enough food!

For the steak:
butterfly a flank steak and flatten with a meat pounder.

Stuff with this crab mixture:
1 lb fresh lump crab meat, shell pieces removed (or, to save time and money, use artificial crab in the flake or lump shape--I've used this before, many times, and it still tastes awesome!)
1 1/3 c. soft breadcrumbs
1/3 c. minced green onions
1/3 c. fresh parsley, chopped
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. 2% milk
1 t. hot sauce
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

This link may help if you're not sure how to stuff a flank steak:
http://www.cuisineathome.com/main/videos/50-butterflyingFlankSteak.php

Stuff with crab and roll up, tie with kitchen string and bake at 375 for 40 min, or longer if you like your steak more well done.

Dinner Diva Menu Week of 12/13

Sunday: Out

Monday: grilled steaks, steamed broccoli, baked sweet potatoes

Tuesday: cereal for dinner!!!!!

Wednesday: pork chops and sauerkraut

Ingredients
4 pork chops, approximately 4 ounces each
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
14 ounces sauerkraut, fresh or canned
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 small apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 cup beer
Directions
Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown pork chops on both sides. Set aside. Rinse and drain sauerkraut, pressing excess liquid out. Mix sauerkraut, onion, apple, parsley flakes, and celery seed. Put pork chops in a baking dish, then cover with sauerkraut. Pour beer and drippings from skillet over. Cover tightly and bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes.

Thursday: hot dogs, edamame for the kids, and for me:

Spicy Chinese Noodles (for one)
3 oz pasta
3 T. peanut butter
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. rice vinegar
1 1/2 t. honey
dash cayenne
2 T. scallions, finely chopped

Cook pasta; drain. While pasta is cooking, combine in a small saucepan the peanut butter, soy suace, vinegar, honey, and cayenne

Mix together the pasta and the peanut butter sauce. if pasta is too dry, add a little fat-free chicken broth to think the sauce.. Garnish with the scallions.

Friday: herbed chicken and orzo

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chicken/herbed-chicken-and-orzo/

Saturday: Pizza

Christmas Week Menu

Sunday, December 20: Taco Soup



http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-live/tex-mex-chicken-taco-soup-recipe/index.html



Monday, December 21: grilled pork chops, steamed broccoli, pillsbury biscuits



Tuesday, December 22: beef stir fry, rice, egg rolls



Wednesday, December 23: grilled steak, potato stuffed grilled bell peppers, sauteed asparagus, grilled tomatoes, french bread



http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1056988

I use this recipe for the tomatoes marinade: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1941030 and then I grill them for 20 minutes in a grill basket, instead of roasting them for 7.5 hours. They are FABULOUS!

Thursday, December 24: stuffed pork tenderloin,

Dinner Diva Menu Week of 12/6

Monday: omelettes, fresh fruit



Tuesday: Meal Swap Day, my turn to cook: Chicken Cordon Blue, spring salad, breadsticks



Wednesday: grilled steak, steamed broccoli, baked sweet potatoes

Thursday: Meal Swap Day: Kary's turn to cook

Friday: sloppy joes we didn't have last week, coleslaw, baked beans

Saturday: Pizza Night

Sunday: grilled salmon, steamed green beans, steamed brown rice

Dinner Diva Menu Week of 11/29

Sunday: Grilled chicken breasts, steamed peas, steamed brown rice





Monday: Meal Swap Day, my turn to cook: Grilled Cornish Hens, roasted tomatoes, asiago cheese bread, fruit salad

To grill the hens, rinse inside and out and pat dry. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and fresh ground pepper, inside and out. Place in heavy duty foil roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Place uncovered on preheated grill, over indirect heat (leave center burner on low), for about 15 min per pound.

Tomatoes:

1 T. sugar

1 T. olive oil

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. dried basil

1/2 t. dried oregano

1/4 t. pepper

4 lbs roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise, about 16 tomatoes

cooking spray

Oven to 200. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Arrange tomatoes, cut side up, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Roast at 200 for 71/2 hours. 8 servings.

Bread: http://www.ehow.com/how_2159328_asiago-cheese-bread.html

Tuesday: sloppy joes, cole slaw, baked beans





Wednesday: grilled steak, Cauliflower, baked sweet potatoes





Thursday: mealswap day, Kary's turn to cook





Friday: leftovers





Saturday: Pizza