Week 3 Menu

Monday

Herb Crusted Shrimp with Oven Fries

Ingredients:

¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1½ pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 package frozen French fries

Directions:

1. Bake French fries according to package directions.

2. While French fries are baking, coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

3. Combine the basil, mint, parsley, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt, in pepper in a bowl.

4. Add the shrimp and toss to coat.

5. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer on a baking sheet.

6. When French fries are done baking, set the oven to 450 degrees F.

7. Place the shrimp in the oven; bake until opaque and cooked through (about 6 minutes).

8. Serve the shrimp with the French fries. Makes 4 servings.

Tuesday

Pasta Twists with Broccoli Sauce

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
2 medium stalks broccoli
1 large red bell pepper
¾ pound pasta twists (about 4½ cups)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
¾ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. Finely chop the garlic and onion.

3. Separate the broccoli tops from the stems, cut the stems and tops into bite-size pieces. Coarsely chop the red bell pepper.

4. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until Al Dente, 10 to 12 minutes, or chording to package directions.

5. While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, warm of 1 Tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.

6. Add the garlic onion mixture and stir-fry until browned, about 5 minutes.

7. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon oil, the broccoli tops and stems, the bell pepper, oregano, salt, and black pepper.

8. Stir fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

9. Add the heavy cream and Parmesan and bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat.

10. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.

11. Drain the pasta and toss with the vegetables and sauce. Serve with warm Italian bread.

Wednesday

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef or 1 pound lean ground turkey or Boca Crumbles

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper2 teaspoons flour3/4 cup Dr. Pepper (or regular cola)1/2 cup ketchup1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard1 Tablespoon white vinegar1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Mix ground turkey and ground beef together in a large bowl.

2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the meat with the onion and green pepper. Drain.

3. In large bowl, mix all other ingredients well. Pour over hamburger meat in skillet.

4. Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Serve on hamburger buns.

Thursday

Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

(Prep Time: 20 minutes. Cooking Time: 10 minutes)

3 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded (pre-cooked rotisserie or leftover chicken works great)
1 head butter or Bibb lettuce (I prefer butter lettuce for this recipe)
½ cup julienned raw carrots
½ cup julienned cucumber
¼ cup chopped green onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup finely chopped peanuts

Peanut Sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup peanut butter (either crunch or smooth)
1 ¼ cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Make peanut sauce by heating olive oil in a medium skillet and sautéing the onion until tender. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring over low heat until blended. Additional broth can be added if sauce is too thick.
2. Arrange chicken, lettuce and vegetable on a platter. Place cilantro and chopped peanuts in separate small bowls.
3. Serve by placing a desired amount of chicken and vegetables on a lettuce leaf and top with cilantro and peanuts. Spoon a small amount of sauce on top. Roll lettuce up burrito fashion.

Serves: 4

 Friday

Crabby Patties

2 (7.1 ounce) cans crab meat, drained well
½ medium onion, chopped
½ cups seasoned dry breadcrumbs
2 eggs beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine crab, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, salt and pepper. Then heat oil and butter in a large skillet on medium low. Using disposable rubber gloves (my preference) form 1-2 Tablespoons of crab mixture into a patty (1 ½ “-2” in diameter). Place patties in pan and brown on both sides. It may take 4-5 minutes per side to brown. Remove patties to a paper towel lined plate and blot off any excess oil.

Makes approximately 14 (2”) patties
Serves 6

Saturday

Go out to eat

Sunday

Ranch Fried Chicken and baked beans

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 ¼ pounds)
Ranch dressing
Italian-Style dry bread crumbs
Olive or vegetable oil
4 sandwich rolls
brown sugar baked beans (recipe below)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Prepare brown sugar baked beans according to recipe below place in oven.

3. While beans are baking, dip chicken breasts into dressing, and coat with bread crumbs.

4. Heat oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat.

5. Cook chicken in oil 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, until outside is golden brown and juice is no longer pink when cut through thickest part.

6. Serve on sandwich rolls with baked beans on the side.  Makes 4 servings.

Brown Sugar Baked Beans

Ingredients:

2 15 ounce cans pork and beans
1 onion, chopped
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup brown sugar, packed

Directions:

1.  Mix all ingredients together in ungreased 13"x9" baking dish.

2.  Bake uncovered, add 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Week 2 Menu

Monday

Taco Salad

Prep Time and Cooking Time: 30 minutes

1 pound, lean ground round or ground turkey

1 small onion, diced

½ package taco seasoning

6 ounces (1/2 of a large bag) of taco flavored Doritos, crushed

Romaine Lettuce, chopped into small slices (I use 2-3 large heads for my family and it really tastes better chopped rather than torn)

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 cups, shredded cheddar cheese

1. Brown meat and onion until cooked well. Add taco mix and stir. Set aside.

2. Mix other ingredients in a large bowl and add meat (meat should be warm when you add it)

3. Add an amount of dressing that suits your taste and toss well (if you make the recipe below, you will have left over dressing).

For the dressing: you can use bottled Italian dressing or mix together:

¼ cup wine vinegar

¾ cup oil

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon each, salt and pepper

½ teaspoon garlic and onion powder (or 1 clove garlic, minced)

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon mustard

Tuesday

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

Prep Time: 25 minutes. Cooking Time: 6 hours)

4 chicken breasts or thighs (boneless, skinless preferred)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon each, salt and freshly ground pepper

1 medium onion, diced

1 (16 ounce) can, diced tomatoes

1 Tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon sugar

Place olive oil in a fry pan placed on the stove over medium heat. Place chicken breasts in pan and brown on both sides while seasoning each side with salt and pepper (if it splatters a lot, either turn down the heat or tent with foil). Once chicken is golden brown on both sides, remove chicken and place in the bottom of a Crock Pot™ or Slow Cooker. Drain any oil from fry pan (dab with a paper towel if needed) and add diced onion. Sauté the onion for 1-2 minutes without browning. Add diced tomatoes including the liquid from the can to the onions and add oregano and sugar. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Pour tomato mixture over chicken breasts. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Check to assure chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve over rice or pasta.

(Serves 4) 

Wednesday

BBQ Onion Burgers

1.25 pounds ground beef (80-85% lean) or use pre pattied boca or morningstar burger

2 Tablespoons bottled Barbeque Sauce

¼ large onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

4 slices cheese, if desired

Place ground beef in a medium size mixing bowl.Add remaining ingredients. Use a spoon or your hands to mix. Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal portions. Loosely shape each portion into a 1” patty. Try not to press or pack the meat too tightly. Grill on one side, with the lid down, 3-5 minutes, flip and cook an additional 3-5 minutes or until done to your liking. During the last minute of cooking time, place sliced cheese on top, if desired, and allow to melt. Serve on buns with desired condiments.

Serves 4

Thursday

Harvest Tuna Melts

(Prep Time 10 minutes Broiling Time 2 minutes)

¼ chopped onion (3 Tablespoons)

2 stalks celery, diced

½ apple, chopped

2 (6 ounce) cans water packed tuna, drained

5 Tablespoons Mayo or Miracle Whip

¼ teaspoon, freshly ground black pepper

4 English Muffins split in half

1 Tomato

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Combine onion, celery, apple, tuna, salad dressing and black pepper in a medium sized bowl. Place English Muffin halves on a foil lined baking sheet and broil for 1-2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and top each English muffin half with 1/4 of the tuna mixture. Top each with a tomato slice and cheddar cheese. Broil for 2-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serves 4

Friday

Pizza Pasta

Ingredients:

1 medium green pepper, cut into a 2" long strips (about 1½ cups)

½ Cup thinly sliced pepperoni

2 cups spaghetti sauce

1/3 cup pitted ripe olives, cut in half

3 cups rotini pasta, cooked and drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)

Grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook the pepper and pepperoni in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until the pepper is tender crisp, stirring often.

2. Stir the spaghetti sauce and olives into the skillet. Heat to a boil.

3. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the pasta in mozzarella cheese. Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Makes 4 servings.

 Saturday

Coca-Cola Chicken

Ingredients:

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, flattened to ¼ inch thickness 

1 12-ounce can Coca-Cola

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup honey barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

2. Cover and turn heat to medium.

3. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Uncover, and cook an additional 10 minutes until done. Serves 4.

Herbed Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients:

3 large potatoes 

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 

1/2 teaspoon oregano 

1/2 teaspoon thyme 

1/2 teaspoon sage 

1/2 teaspoon rosemary 

2 Tablespoons oil 

celery salt, to taste 

garlic salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Cut the unpeeled potatoes into 1/4 inch slices.

3. Place the potato slices on well greased shallow baking pans.

4. Combine pepper, oregano, thyme, sage, and rosemary in a small bowl.

5. Brush the potato slices with oil and a sprinkle with the herb mixture.

6. Bake the potato slices for about 20 minutes or until they are well-browned and crisp.

7. Sprinkle with combined salts and serve. Serves 4.

Sunday

Fish Nuggets

Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes

1 pound white fish (I use tilapia or halibut) cut into 1-2” chunks

1 sleeve Ritz crackers (about 35 buttery crackers)

3 eggs

3-4 Tablespoons Canola oil

Place the crackers in a zip style bag and crush the crackers into medium fine crumbs using a rolling pin, set this aside. Beat the eggs in a pie plate or medium sized bowl and set this aside as well. Cut the fish into 1-2 inch squares (or ask the store to do this). Heat the canola oil on low in a large non-stick skillet. Place the cubed fish first in the beaten egg and then in the cracker crumbs. Place the breaded fish into the hot pan so that each piece of fish is touching the bottom of the pan (you may need to do a couple of batches so the fish isn’t overcrowded in the pan.) Cook over low heat approximately 5-6 minutes per side for a total of about 10 minutes or until fish nicely browned. You may want to blot off any excess oil off of the nuggets with paper towel before serving.

Serves 4

Week 1 Menu

Monday

Dinner:

Tuna Casserole with a side of green veggies

Ingredients:

Tuna Cassarole

2 cups macaroni
1 can Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup
1 can tuna
1 small package cream cheese
½ teaspoon garlic
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ cup milk
1 small onion, chopped
¼ cup grape nuts
2 Tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Cook macaroni per package directions.
2. In casserole dish mix cream of celery, softened cream cheese, milk until smooth.
3. Add tuna, garlic, dry mustard and onion. Stir in cooked macaroni.
4. Melt butter and mix grape nuts into the butter. Spread mixture over top of casserole.
5. Bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Tuesday

Dinner:

BAKED PESTO CHICKEN
ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH HERBS
FRENCH BREAD

Baked Pesto Chicken Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup basil pesto
2 plum tomatoes
shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover cookie sheet with foil.
2. Put pesto and chicken in bowl. Toss until chicken is covered.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
4. Place slices of tomato on top of chicken and sprinkle with cheese.
5. Bake another 3-5 minutes.
6. Serve with a box of angel hair pasta and herbs and French bread.

Wednesday

Dinner:

CHILI COKE ROAST
MASHED POTATOES
GARLIC GREEN BEANS

Chili Coke Roast Ingredients:

1 beef roast, 3-4 lbs.
1 can Coca-Cola
1 package onion soup mix
1 bottle chili sauce

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in crock-pot and cook for 7-10 hours depending on size of roast.
2. The meat will flake apart when done. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Garlic Green Beans Ingredients:

2 cans regular green beans, drained
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Heat green beans in saucepan with garlic powder and butter.

Thursday

Dinner:

BACON AND CHEESE QUICHE
HOME FRIED POTATOES

Bacon and Cheese Quiche Ingredients:

1 9-inch pie crust, unbaked
1 Tablespoon butter
12 bacon slices, crumbled
1 bag Italian blend shredded cheese (or mozzarella cheese)
4 eggs
2 cup heavy cream
¾ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spread crust into pie plate or quiche plate.
2. Spread crust with butter. Sprinkle bacon and cheese on crust.
3. Beat eggs with rest of ingredients. Pour into crust.
4. Bake 15 minutes. Turn down to 325 degrees and bake 40 more min. Let stand 10 minutes.

Home Fried Potatoes Ingredients:

4 red potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat.
3. Add onion and green pepper. Cook, stirring often, until soft (about 5 minutes).
4. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
5. Pour remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into the skillet and turn heat to medium-high.
6. Add potato cubes, salt, paprika and black pepper.
7. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are browned; about 10 minutes.
8. Stir in the onions, green peppers and parsley and cook for another minute.

Friday

Dinner:

HONEY PECAN PORK CHOPS
BAKED SWEET POTATOES
BUTTERED BROCCOLI

Honey Pecan Pork Chops:

1 ¼ pounds boneless pork loin, pounded thin
½ cup all-purpose flour for coating
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons butter
¼ cup honey
¼ cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. In a shallow dish, mix together flour, salt and pepper. Dredge pork cutlets in the flour mixture.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add chops, and brown both sides. Transfer to a warm plate.
3. Mix honey and pecans into the pan drippings. Heat through, stirring constantly.
4. Pour sauce over cutlets. Serve with fresh baked sweet potatoes and buttered broccoli.

Saturday

Dinner: Eat out

Sunday

Dinner:

BUBBLE PIZZA

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb. ground beef
1 jar pizza sauce
2 tubes refrigerator biscuits
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Brown the beef in a skillet and drain.
2. Stir pizza sauce into browned hamburger and simmer until heated through.
3. Quarter the biscuits and place in a 13-in x 9-in x 2-in greased baking dish. Top with beef mixture.
4. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake 5-10 more minutes.