Weekly Menu 3/17+

Saturday		corned beef & cabbage pot-o-gold potatoes orange fluff
Sunday		rotisserie chicken pasta and pesto cream sauce coffee cake
Monday		dr pepper pork roast cheesy grits salad
Tuesday		ez chicken tacos carrot sticks broccoli salad grapes with vanilla yogurt
Wednesday		el rancho grande squash
Thursday		chicken alfredo broccoli angel hair pasta banana split cake
Friday		eggs pancakes orange slices/Cuties

St Patrick’s Day

Corned Beef

                Buy a nice slab of brisket that’s already corned and cook it in a crock pot all day.

Cabbage (Food.com via Kay)

Servings:  8-10

1 large green cabbage , about 3 - 3 1/2 lbs, coarsely chopped

1 medium onion , coarsely chopped

2 eggs

1/2 cup light cream

1/2 cup shredded gouda cheese , can use cheddar

1/2-1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 cup crushed cracker (or crushed croutons)

3 tablespoons butter , melted

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease/spray a large casserole dish; set aside.

Cook the cabbage and onion in boiling salted water for 7-8 minutes; drain.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the cream, shredded cheese, salt, pepper and celery seeds. Toss this mixture with the cooked, drained cabbage mixture.

Pour into prepared casserole dish.

In a small bowl mix together melted butter and crushed crackers/croutons. Evenly sprinkle over the cabbage casserole.

Bake at 350, uncovered for about 25 minutes.

http://www.food.com/recipe/baked-cabbage-167590#ixzz1hE2QoOQj

               

Pot-o-Gold Potatoes

Orange Fluff

1 c sour cream

1 package orange sugar-free jello

8 oz container cool-whip

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

Combine sour cream and jello, fold in cool-whip and then oranges. 

Sunday

1.       The Pioneer Woman just released her new cookbook this week and several of her bloggy friends posted recipes from the new book.  So I’m posting and linking to their sites, plus they are giving away copies of the book too.  My book must still be in the mail.  I’m sure she meant to send me one. 

Rotisserie Chicken Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce (Pioneer Woman via Kevin and Amanda)

3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper, each
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
12 oz fettuccine pasta

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil, then add 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 12 ounces pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside. Meanwhile, make the pesto.

2. To the work bowl of a food processor, add basil, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic cloves, and salt and pepper. Process while slowly drizzling in olive oil. Next add the cream and butter to a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat. Pour in the pesto, stir until well combined, and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and stir until melted and combined.

3. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and gently stir together. At this point you can either plate and top with hot rotisserie chicken, or if your chicken is already chopped and is cold from the fridge, go ahead and add it to the pasta and stir together for 2 minutes to heat up the chicken.

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman’s Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce.

 

Coffee Cake (Pioneer Woman via I am Baker)

1 cup butter

2 tablespoons instant coffee  

1 cup boiling water

2 cups AP flour

2 cups sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

2 tsp baking soda

1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Start by melting the butter on a saucepan on the stove. Once the butter is melted, add in the instant coffee. Pour in the boiling water and remove from heat. Whisk until full combined and then set aside.  In large bowl, add flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Pour butter mixture over and whisk together.  In separate bowl mix buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Pour over batter and whisk until fully combined.  Prepare pans. I used two 8in rounds. Pour batter into pans and cook for 13-16 minutes or until am inserted toothpick is removed clean.

I let the cakes cool to room temperature then cut them each in half, creating four layers instead of two. I them placed all the layers in the freezer for two hours.

To assemble cakes, place one layer on cake stand and cover in whipped cream cheese frosting. (I used a can whipped frosting) Place another layer and add more frosting. Continue until all four layers are in place.

Monday

Dr Pepper Pork Roast (Pioneer Woman)

1 whole Large Onion

1 whole Pork Shoulder ("pork Butt") - 5 To 7 Pounds

Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 can (11 Ounce) Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce

2 cans Dr. Pepper

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

Peel the onion and cut it into wedges. Lay them in the bottom of a crockpot.

Generously salt and pepper the pork roast, then set it on top of the onions in the pan.  Pour the can of chipotle peppers over the pork (include the sauce.) Pour in both cans of Dr Pepper. Add brown sugar to the juice and stir in.  Place lid tightly on pot.  Cook all day. Remove meat from pot and place on a cutting board or other work surface. Use two forks to shred meat, discarding large pieces of fat. Strain as much of the fat off the top of the cooking liquid as you can and discard it. Return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid, and keep warm until ready to serve. (You can also refrigerate the meat and liquid separately, then remove hardened fat once it's cold. Then heat up the liquid on the stovetop and return the meat to the liquid to warm up.

Cheesy Grits (Pioneer Woman)

1 whole Onion, Diced

1 whole Red Bell Pepper

3 whole Chilies (any Variety, Hot Or Mild)

4 cups Stone Ground Grits

6 cups Low Sodium Chicken (or Beef) Broth

3 cups Water

2 cups Half-and-half

2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and butter.  Add diced onion, bell pepper, and chilies and cook for five minutes or so. Pour in grits, then add chicken (or beef) broth and water. Stir, then bring to a boil . Reduce the heat to low, then cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, add half-and-half. Cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until grits are tender. Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese.

Serve pile of grits with stewed meat (liquid and all) over the top. Sprinkle on sliced green onion for color.

Broccoli

Tuesday

1.       I ate the leftovers of these chicken tacos while I was in St Louis and it was delicious.  Don’t worry K, you can’t taste the orange juice a bit, but then you don’t like cilantro either. 

Weeknight Chicken Tacos (America’s Test Kitchen)

3T butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp minced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

¾ c fresh cilantro

½ c orange juice

1T Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ lbs boneless chicken

1 tsp mustard

Salt & pepper

Flour tortillas

Melt butter in 12” skillet, add garlic and chipotles and cook until fragrant.  Stir in ½ c of the cilantro, oj and Worcestershire and bring to a boil.  Add the chicken and simmer, covered over medium-low heat, about 10-15 minutes, flipping the chicken half way through.  Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.  Increase heat to med-high and cook until liquid is reduced to ¼ c, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in mustard.  Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the skillet.  Add remaining cilantro and toss until well combined.  Season with salt and pepper

Broccoli Salad

2c chopped broccoli

½ c cheese cubes

¼ c slivered almonds

½ -1 c chopped strawberries (or another berry if the strawberries don’t look good at your store)

½ c mayonnaise

½ t apple cider vinegar

2T sugar

Combine broccoli, almonds and cheese.  In a separate bowl mix mayo, vinegar and sugar until combined.  Mix with broccoli.  Chill (if you have time).  Just before serving add strawberries.

Carrot Sticks

Grapes with vanilla yogurt

Wednesday

1.       This is so much fun to say, especially if you really roll your R’s.  Reminds me of Sra. Chapman’s Spanish class…Erre con erre cigarro…. Sorry I got side tracked. 

El Rancho Grande

2 c cooked ground beef

6 tsp (1 packet) taco seasoning mix

1 small bell pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

½ c chopped celery

16 oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained

2 c water

1 c egg noodles (6 oz)

Sautee the veggies, then add in remaining ingredients and simmer 20 minutes.  Top with American cheese if desired (who wouldn’t desire that?). 

Yellow Squash

Thursday

1.       This is the easiest and yummiest alfredo; try it sometime soon!

Chicken Alfredo

¼ c flour

6-8 boneless chicken pieces

½ tsp salt

2T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T minced onion

1 ½ c whipping cream

1/3 c grated parmesan cheese

½ tsp black pepper

1T chopped parsley

Salt chicken and then dredge through flour.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, in multiple batches if needed.  Cook, turning once until golden; about 2-4 minutes per side.  Remove chicken and place in a 9x13 pan.  Heat 1tsp oil and cook garlic and onion; 1-2 minutes.  Add cream, parmesan and pepper.  Cook until sauce is bubbly and slightly thickened; 2-3 minutes.  Spoon sauce over chicken in dish.  Bake 8-12 minutes at 375.    Sprinkle with parsley.   

Broccoli

Angel Hair Pasta (with Pesto if you like)

Banana Split Cake

1 ½ c graham cracker crumbs

¼ c sugar

1/3 c butter, melted

2 pkg 8 oz cream cheese, softened

¾ c sugar

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

6 medium bananas

¼ c chocolate syrup

2 c cold milk

2 pkgs (4 serving size) vanilla pudding

2 c thawed Cool Whip

12 maraschino cherries

1c chopped pecans (optional)

Mix crumbs, ¼ c sugar and melted butter in a 13x9 pan; press firmly and freeze 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese with remaining sugar until well blended.  Spread carefully over crust; top with pineapple.  Drizzle chocolate syrup over pineapple.  Slice four of the bananas over the pineapple/chocolate.  Pour milk into bowl and mix in pudding.  Beat until well blended.  Gently stir in 1 c of the cool whip; spread over banana layer.  Top with remaining cool whip.  Place 12 cherries on top so that when cut each piece will get one. 

Friday

Eggs

Pancakes

Cuties