What’s for Dinner?

michelepike — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 22:38:27 +0000

I have the mid-winter taste bud blues! I can’t wait for some fresh summer vegetables to liven things up, but in the mean time I’m attempting some different flavors to revive bored taste-bud -I hope this helps you in your weekly planning as well!

Sunday: Gumbo

Monday: Beef Pot Pie

Tuesday: Penne Skillet

Wednesday: Morrocan Chicken and Rice

Thursday: Huevos Rancheros

Friday: Laksa (Malaysian Chicken Soup)

What’s for Dinner Next Week?

michelepike — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 00:43:04 +0000

Monday: Pot Roast with Roasted Carrots and Cheddar Biscuits

Tuesday: Potato Soup with Smoked Salmon Relish

Wednesday: Black-Eyed Pea Tacos

Thursday: Breakfast! Ricotta Pancakes, fruit and link sausage

Friday: Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Coconut Rice and Pineapple Salad

Tagged: Weekly Meal Plan, what's for dinner tonight

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

michelepike — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:36:44 +0000

5 eggs, separated

zest of 1 lemon

1 cup milk

1 3/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

pinch salt

Preheat grill to medium. Beat the egg yolks, Sift the dry ingredients together and combine with the yolks, add zest, milk and ricotta -combine. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into yolk mixture. Oil grill, ladle out batter to form 4 inch pancakes. Cook until bubbles form, flip and cook until golden. Serve with maple syrup, fresh fruit and breakfast meat.

Tagged: breakfast, Breakfast for Dinner

Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Coconut Rice and Pineapple Salad

michelepike — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:31:01 +0000

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

1.5 cups pineapple juice

2 Tbsp Jerk seasoning

1 whole cut up chicken

Marinate chicken 6-10 hours. Bake 400 about 30-40 minutes

Coconut Rice

1.5 cups jasmine rice

1/2 cup lightly toasted coconut

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Juice and zest of one orange

Prepare rice as directed (21/4 cups water, simmer covered 15 minutes), when rice is just complete stir in remaining ingredients, cover and let rest 5-10 minutes.

Pineapple Salad

**This makes a lot! You may want to cut in half

3 heads baby bok choy, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 cups shredded red cabbage

1/2 of a peeled, cored fresh pineapple, chopped

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

2 tsp. packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

In a very large bowl combine bok choy, cabbage and pineapple. Combine cider vinegar, brown sugar and olive oil in small bowl. Drizzle over bok choy mixture; toss to coat

Tagged: freezer meal, Jamaican, make ahead

Pot Roast

michelepike — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:26:05 +0000

1 3-4 pound Pot Roast

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

3 Tbsp Garlic Salt

4 carrots, roughly chopped

4 celery stalks, roughly chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

5 cloves garlic, smashed

5 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup cooking sherry

3-4 cups chicken stock (low sodium preferred)

4 Tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 350. Season meat with garlic salt. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in dutch oven. Sear meat on all sides 3-4 minutes per side, transfer meat to plate and pour off oil. Add vegetables and garlic cooking until just soft, about 5 minutes. Add sherry and herbs and bring to boil for 2 minutes. Add meat back to pot, add stock and cook covered about 3 hours.

When finished, place meat on platter and cover to keep warm. Remove vegetables with slotted spoon and use remaining juices to make gravy. Place dutch oven containing juices back on stove on medium high heat. Add 4 Tbsp flour, using a hand blender blend gravy until smooth. Bring to boil for 3-4 minutes, until thickened. Serve with roasted carrots, mashed potatoes and green salad.

Roasted Carrots

2 Lbs carrots, peeled and chopped

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp brown sugar

Place in baking dish, bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes stiring occasionally.

Tagged: winter recipe

Roasted Vegetable Soup

michelepike — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:49:52 +0000

Serves 8

4 beefsteak tomatoes, halved and cored

1 leek, white and pale-green parts cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 red onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch squares

4 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium vegetable broth

1 can (14 oz) ready cut stewed tomatoes

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried tyme

Sea Salt and Fresh ground pepper

1 parmesan cheese rind

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Grated parmesan and crostini for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In roasting pan, toss tomatoes with leeks, carrots, onion, eggplant garlic, and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in a single layer (tomato cut sides down) until tender, 1 hour.

In saucepan, bring vegetables, vegetable broth and parmesan rind to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes.

Using a hand blender, puree soup (or in batches using a counter top blender). Add canned tomatoes and heat soup through. Serve topped with crostini, grated parmesan and fresh basil.

Tagged: soup

Sundried Tomato Stuffed Flank Steak

michelepike — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 22:52:45 +0000

4 oz sundried tomatoes in oil
2 oz pine nuts
1 cup basil
1 lemon, juiced
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 -1-1.5 lb flank steak

Preheat oven to 425. Add first 6 ingredients to food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped. Butterfly flank steak. Place beteween two pieces of plastic wrap and pound flat with a meat mallet. Spread mixture over steak, roll, and tie with kitchen twine. Bake 30 minutes until medium rare (about 135-145 using a meat thermometer). Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before cutting. Slice against the grain and serve.

Orange Chicken with Sesame Stir-Fried Vegetables

michelepike — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 21:40:15 +0000

Orange Chicken

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
Marinade:
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Sauce:
1/3 cup orange juice*
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon chile paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 slice ginger, minced
Oil for stir-frying, as needed
Serve with steamed rice and Stir fried veggies (below)

Preparation:
Place the cubed chicken in a bowl, and add the marinade ingredients. Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce ingredients and the garlic and ginger.

Heat the wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until aromatic.

Add the chicken and stir-fry until it changes color. Push up to the sides of the wok, making a well in the middle. Add the sauce.

Combine the sauce and the chicken. Stir-fry for another minute and serve hot.

Sesame Stir-fried Veggies

2 handfulls snow peas
1 crown broccoli, cut into pieces
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 head boc choi, sliced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated or pureed
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Heat vegetable oil in skillet, cook vegetables, ginger and garlic quickly on medium high heat until just tender. Garnish with sesame seeds

Tagged: stove top

Zucchini Bundt Cake

michelepike — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:46:04 +0000

Zucchini Bundt Cake
from Dolce Italiano

2C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 C extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp vanilla
zest of 1 lemon
2 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1 C walnuts, roughly chopped
Lemon Crunch Glaze
1/4 C lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 C confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and oil until light. Add the vanilla nad lemon zest, followed by the dry ingredients, beating thoroughly to combinge. Add the zucchini and walnuts. Pour into a greased and floured 10 cup bundt pan

Bake until golden, 45-50 minutes. Use a toothpick to test doneness. While baking, combine the lemon juice and sugars in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. When the cake is done, cool in the pan about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Brush the lemon glaze onto the cake while it is still hot, it will harden as the cake cools.

Tagged: afternoon tea, cake, zucchini

What’s for Dinner this Week?

michelepike — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 02:38:03 +0000

Monday: Pesto Chicken Pasta, Salad with Lemon Vinigrette
Tuesday: Roasted Veggie Enchiladas
Wednesday: Beef-barley Soup
Thursday: Orange Chicken with Sesame Stir-fried Veggies
Friday: Salmon Salad