Macaroni Salad with bacon, peas and creamy dijon dressing

Macaroni Salad with Bacon, Peas, and Creamy Dijon Dressing


The tangy dressing contrasts well with the smoky bacon, sweet bell pepper, and red onion.


Dressing:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Salad:
8 ounces uncooked large elbow macaroni
2/3 cup fresh green peas
2/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
2/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3 lower-sodium bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

To prepare dressing, combine first 9 ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Cover and chill.

To prepare salad, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; add peas during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain. Combine pasta mixture, bell pepper, and next 4 ingredients (through rind) in a large bowl. Toss pasta mixture with half of dressing. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Toss salad with remaining dressing, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon; serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup salad and about 1 teaspoon bacon)

CALORIES 208 (30% from fat); FAT 7g (sat 3.2g,mono 2.2g,poly 1.4g); PROTEIN 8.6g; CHOLESTEROL 16mg; CALCIUM 44mg; SODIUM 454mg; FIBER 2.3g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29.1g

Cooking Light, JULY 2006

Smoked Gouda Grits

Smoked Gouda Grits


These creamy, smoky grits are great with roasted meats at dinner or with ham and eggs at breakfast.


1 teaspoon butter
4 cups chopped onion (about 2 large)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups uncooked quick-cooking grits
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375°.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth, milk, and salt; bring to a boil. Gradually add grits, stirring constantly with a whisk; simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat; stir in cheese, egg substitute, and pepper. Spoon grits mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

CALORIES 199 (27% from fat); FAT 5.9g (sat 3.3g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 10.7g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 195mg; SODIUM 469mg; FIBER 1.1g; IRON 1.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.3g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005

Balsamic Vinegar Chicken & Veggies

Balsamic Vinegar Chicken

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic-minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Season the flour with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture. An easy method to use for coating is to put flour, salt & pepper mixture into a Ziploc bag; then add chicken, shake and remove. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium/high heat and sauté the chicken until it is nicely browned on each side (about 2-3 minutes per side). Reduce heat to low. Add the garlic to skillet and sauté for 1 minute. Add the vinegar and chicken broth. Cover tightly and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter and cover with foil. Set aside. Continue simmering the sauce, uncovered, over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Pour sauce over the chicken and serve.

Balsamic Glazed Vegetables

Ingredients

Baby packaged fresh carrots
1 package broccoli heads
½ cup water
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter

Place veggies in a pan with water and vinegar. Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook ten minutes. Remove lid and increase heat, to allow water and vinegar to reduce and glaze the veggies, about five to seven minutes. When glazed to a sweet rich brown color, add butter to coat veggies lightly. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Rojas menu

1. Lasagna Rolls
2. Soup with twice baked potatoes
3. Creamy egg and noodle bake
4. Mozzarella Chicken skillet
5. Macaroni Salad with bacon, peas, and creamy dijon dressing and Cubano Sandwich
6. Smoked Gouda grits w/ some meat or salmon skewers (on sale at Schnucks this week)
7. Balsamic Vinegar Chicken and veggies

Cubano Sandwich

Pressed Cubano with Bacon


Garlic oil gives these sandwiches a crisp, flavorful crust. Hawaiian rolls provide a slightly sweet contrast to the salty ham, pickles, and mustard. To make this easy supper even quicker to prepare, use precooked bacon. Serve with banana peppers.


1 teaspoon extravirgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 (3-ounce) Hawaiian rolls, sliced in half horizontally
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
8 (1/2-ounce) slices reduced-fat Swiss cheese, divided
4 bacon slices, cooked and halved
12 dill pickle slices
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
6 ounces thinly sliced 33%-less-sodium ham
2 ounces thinly sliced deli roasted turkey breast

Combine oil and garlic.

Spread cut sides of rolls evenly with mustard. Place 1 cheese slice, 2 bacon halves, 3 pickle slices, and 1/2 teaspoon cilantro on bottom half of each roll. Divide ham and turkey evenly among bottom halves of rolls; top each serving with 1 cheese slice and top half of roll. Brush garlic oil evenly over outside of rolls.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 sandwiches to pan. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches, and press gently to flatten. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until cheese melts and bread is toasted (leave cast-iron skillet on sandwiches while they cook). Repeat with remaining sandwiches.


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

CALORIES 432 (30% from fat); FAT 14.5g (sat 6.3g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 27.1g; CHOLESTEROL 49mg; CALCIUM 292mg; SODIUM 1053mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 3.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 47.6g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2004

rummaging through cupboards

Don't think I cook pork loin, etc everyday! ;-) I hadn't tried any of these recipes before posting, I just decided to post them so I could remember them as ones I wanted to try out. I went through my cupboards this week and searched for recipes on-line based on random ingredients I had; it ended up being fun trying to find recipes based on just a couple ingredients, like I did a search for coconut milk and pork loin, and the one I posted is what came up!!

Ham, Cheese, Pepper Melt

Oh my! Vanessa you posted some awesome recipes! I feel silly posting something so simple but here goes...

I love to make this sandwich for lunch on the weekends. It's really easy and has so much flavor! I make it on a griddle like I would make a grilled cheese sandwich, but I beef it up with a couple slices of cheddar cheese, fresh ham, and sliced red peppers. Use a thick bread (I love wheat) and it's pretty hearty. Yum :)

Coconut Rice with Sauteed Pork Loin

The rice part of this ended up being a bit more time consuming than I think it's worth on a regular cooking basis. The ginger pesto is tasty but again, time... The rice is more moist when cooked as they suggest and also with a bit more flavor. I didn't do a special marinade for the pork, bc mine already had one; I like how sauteed pork loin tastes and it's nice and fast.

Coconut Rice with Sauteed Pork Loin

1/2 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup ginger, minced
1/4 cup green onions, minced
1/4 cup minced cilantro
2 cups Basmati rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup diced onions
1/4 cup + 1 tbl. light oil
2 tablespoons ginger pesto
3 pieces pork loin (2.5 oz)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

To make ginger pesto, mix together oil, salt, ginger, green onions, cilantro and pepper.
Cook rice with coconut milk, chicken stock and diced onions. Cook as if using only water.
When rice is cooked, dollop with a little ginger pesto.
Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup salad oil in a wok. Dust onions with flour, salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour, and fry in oil until golden brown. Place on paper towel to drain. In a separate wok, heat remaining 1 Tbs of oil.
Dust pork with flour, salt and pepper. Cook in hot oil about 2 minutes on each side.

Serve pork over rice and top with fried onions.

http://www.thatsmyhome.com/momsdiner/pork/sauteed-pork-loin.htm

THAI CHICKEN SATAYS

I cooked this a few days again and it was really yummy, if you like trying a different kind of chicken marinade. It definitely has that curry, coconut milk flavor to it. It's actually a really fast and easy meal, if you do the marinading ahead of time which it recommends. I served it with the pita and I spread the plain yogurt on pita, sprinkled some cilantro, put a slice of cucumber, and then the chicken - yummy :-) PS - I didn't put the chicken on skewers and they turned out fine.

1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 pound chicken tenders
6 (6-inch) pita bread rounds, cut in half
chopped fresh cilantro
plain yogurt

1. Combine 1 cup yogurt, coconut milk, curry, lemon juice, ginger, salt, pepper and garlic in medium bowl; reserve 1/3 cup marinade. Add chicken to remaining marinade; cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
2. Soak 12 (10-inch) wooden skewers in water 30 minutes; set aside.
3. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Thread chicken onto skewers. Place skewers on broiler rack coated with nonstick cooking spray; place rack on broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat source 4 to 5 minutes. Turn skewers; brush with reserved marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Broil 4 minutes more or until chicken is no longer pink in center.
4. Remove chicken from skewers. Fill pitas with chicken and top with cilantro and dollop of yogurt.

Serving Suggestion : Serve with a fruit salad including pineapple, mandarin oranges and bananas.

Submitted by: RC
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1618,129180-255195,00.html

Baked Lasagna Rolls, Cooking Light

Ingredients

2 cups Dragone part skim ricotta cheese
1¼ cup Dragone Mozzarella part skim cheese, shredded
¼ cup Dragone Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups shredded baked
chicken breasts*
8 cooked lasagna noodles
1 ½ cup tomato sauce

* As a time-saver, use a rotisserie chicken from your grocer’s deli. Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Mix first eight ingredients, reserving ¼ cup of mozzarella for baking, set aside.
3. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on countertop. Lay noodles flat atop plastic wrap, top each noodle with a layer of ricotta mixture and ¼ cup chicken.
4. Starting at one end, roll one noodle at a time.
5. Fill the bottom of a baking dish with ½ cup of tomato sauce.
6. Lay rolls seam-side down, cover with remaining tomato sauce, and sprinkle with ¼ cup mozzarella cheese. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Nutritional Info: Calories: 405 (34% from fat); Fat: 15.3 g (saturated fat: 8.4 g, mono. fat: 4.5 g, poly.: 1.2 g); Protein: 36.4 g; Carbohydrate: 29.1 g; Fiber: 2.0 g; Cholesterol: 116 mg; Iron: 2.7 mg; Sodium: 841 mg; Calcium: 458 mg
http://www.dragonecheese.com/dragone/Lasagna/recipes/6_chicken.html

Santa Anna's Black Bean Casserole

I just cooked this today, and I really liked it - it's like an easy cheesy enchilada recipe.

2 cups chopped onion (I just used one big onion)
1 1/3 cups chopped green pepper (I used one red pepper instead)
14 oz can stewed tomatoes
3/4 cup favorite salsa
1/2 tsp garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained
8 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese (opt but suggested)

In a large skillet over medium heat, combine first 6 ingredients, bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in beans. Spread 1/3 of the bean mixture over the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Top that with half of the tortillas, overlapping as necessary and half of the cheese. Add another 1/3 of the bean mixture, then remaining tortillas and bean mixture. Cover and bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and let stand for 10 minutes. Garnish with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes. For more of a Mexican flair, add slices of avocado on top or your favorite guacamole.

Have fun with your Mexican tortilla casserole recipe.

http://chetday.com/casserolemexicanrecipe.htm

Bok choy stir-fry

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/poultryrecad/r/bokchoychicken.htm?p=1

Bok choy, broccoli and mushroom stir-fry
INGREDIENTS:
3 medium chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
3 large bok choy stalks with leaves
mushrooms, sliced
bunch of broccoli

Marinade: 1 TB Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, 1 green onion, diced, 2 tsp cornstarch (I just used whatever instant marinade I had, and added a little cornstarch to it with green onions)

Sauce:
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 TB water
• 2 tsp white rice vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt

At end: 1 teaspoon cornstarch , 4 teaspoons water

PREPARATION:
Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.

Separate the bok choy leaves and stalks, and cut both cross-wise into thin strips.

Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and set aside.

COOK:
Heat wok and add 2 TB oil. When oil is ready, add the chicken and stir-fry until it turns white and is nearly cooked. (Stir-fry in two batches if necessary). Drain the stir-fried chicken on paper towels.

Clean out the wok and add 2 - 3 TB oil. When oil is ready, add mushrooms and broccoli, add the bok choy stalks. Stir-fry briefly and add the leaves.

Heat sauce to bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch/water mixture to the sauce and stir rapidly to thicken. Add the chicken and veggies. Mix through and serve hot. Serves 4.

Make rice.

Nutritional Breakdown per serving (based on 3 servings and 4 TB oil for stir-frying): 451 calories (kcal), 21 g Total Fat (18 g Monounsaturated Fat), 57 g Protein, 5 g Carbohydrate, 137 mg Cholesterol, 818 mg Potassium, 424 mg Sodium, 1g Fiber

Nessa's Menu thru Fri. Aug. 3rd

1. Baked Mac N'cheese
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_18422,00.html
2. Roasted pork loin with Veggies
3. Chicken Stir-fry with Bok Choy and Garlic Sauce
4. Pizza
5. Bella's Chicken with mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes
6. Chicken sausage tossed with peppers, black beans, and pasta
7. Pork tacos

8. Tortilla black bean casserole
9. Baked Lasagna rolls
10. TJ sauce with chicken and rice
11. Thai Chicken satays
12. Coconut rice with sauteed pork loin

Rojas menu

1. Baked Stuffed Shells
2. Pork Stew with Tomatillos
3. Crockpot chicken with salsa, corn and beans (I think I'll turn them in to enchiladas)
4. Buffalo Chicken Rolls
5. Baked Chicken Lasagna Rolls
6. Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken on the side or top haven't decided.
7. Meal from my friend Sara down the street (I'm making a double recipe of the shells for her)

Balsamic Vegetables

This is a quick veggie side, especially great on a hot summer day!

Slice up fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and broccoli. Layer "standing up" in a glass dish. Pour balsamic vinegar over it and salt and pepper. (A little balsamic goes a long way.) Cover and let stand in the fridge appx 1 hour. So simple, but so good!

Nessa's Menu thru 21st

1. Tofu Stirfry
2. Peach Love (See Lauren's recipe below)
3. Turkey hot dogs and Baked mac n'cheese
4. Zucchini, Sausage and Feta
5. Sundried tomatoes, pasta and chicken dish
6. Chicken chiliquiles
7. Roasted veggies and b-cue chicken - balsamic vinegar roast

SNACKS
Sushi
Trail mix
Fresh fruit

Black bean and corn salad

MARINADE:
Equal parts red wine vinegar and olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

ADD:
1 Garlic clove, minced
1/4 c. green onion, diced
1 can black beans
5 corn on cob, cooked and cut off
2 tomatoes, diced

Peach Jalapeno Love

This is such a fun idea. Thanks Vanessa for starting this blog. I decided yesterday that I am committing to one year of cooking with out repeating a recipe. I was inspired by a girl I haven't met in Ft. Collins, CO who hasn't repeated for 5 years! I thought it would force myself to get out of the rut and try new things...since I am such a creature of habit!

So here is my first concoction.. I made it up...and it was so so good. I don't usually measure anything out so these are approximates.

1 medium sweet onion
olive oil
salt
peach salsa
peach jam
1 or 2 jalapeno finely cut
ground beef
cumin
tortillas
Mexican cheese
Cinnamon
butter

Saute olive oil, salt, and onion until onions are translucent and sweet
add 2 spoon fulls of peach jam
maybe 1/2 cup peach salsa
add jalapeno

push those to one side of the skillet and add ground beef to other side. sprinkle cumin on top of the beef and brown beef
once it starts to brown mix it all together.

Once you have the mixture. Turn the Broiler on.
cut your tortilla's in half. butter them and place them under the broiler to brown a little.
take out and add cheese to each side.
(This is the part that seems weird but it's so good) lightly sprinkle cinnamon on top of the cheese,
put back under broiler to melt.
bring back out and add the ground beef mixture to one side. Flip other tortilla on top and put butter on that side and place back under the broiler to brown.

When it comes out...you have just created PEACH JALAPENO LOVE!

Hope you enjoy.

Basic Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 c. carrots, diced
1 bunch Napa cabbage diced
3 zuccinis, diced
enough chicken broth to cover the veggies (I used water plus chicken boullion)
soy sauce to taste
pepper to taste

Saute onion, garlic, and celery in high heat oil. When transparent and soft, add cabbage and zucchinis and saute a bit. Then add the broth and carrots and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and simmer for about 15 - 20 min. Add soy sauce to taste to the pot of soup at the end.

I serve it with lime squeezed in (it's a Mexican thing!)

Serve with salad and yummy bread.

Chicken Chilaquiles

Ingredients

2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers, divided
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (11-ounce) can tomatillos, drained
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine chicken, green onions, 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, Parmesan, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Place milk and next 3 ingredients (through chiles) in a food processor or blender; process until smooth.

Heat tortillas according to package directions. Pour 1/3 cup tomatillo mixture into bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 corn tortillas in dish, and top with half of chicken mixture. Repeat layer with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture, ending with tortillas.

Pour remaining 1 1/2 cups tomatillo mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 347(28% from fat); FAT 10.9g (sat 4.5g,mono 2.9g,poly 1.9g); PROTEIN 30.9g; CHOLESTEROL 79mg; CALCIUM 272mg; SODIUM 560mg; FIBER 5.9g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.3g

Barbara Lauterbach , Cooking Light, JULY 2007

Zucchini, Sausage & Feta Casserole

2 1/2 cups uncooked ziti
8 oz chicken sausage
Cooking spray
1 tsp olive oil
5 cups thinly sliced zucchini
2 cups vertically sliced onion
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fat-free , less-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2oz) crumbled feta
1/2 cup (2oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese


1 Preheat oven to 400

2 Cook pasta in boiling water 5 min, omitting salt and fat, drain

3 Remove casings from sausage. heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage to pan; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan. heat oil in pan. Add zucchini, onion, salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook 10 minutes or until veggies are tender and zucchini begins to brown, stirring occasionally.

4 Combine broth and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan; cook 1 min. Combine zucchini mixture, pasta, sausage and feta cheese in a large bowl; toss well. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11x7 in baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 for 20 min or until bubbly and lightly browned

Yield 6 servings (serving size 1 cup)

Gnocchi with Shrimp, Asparagus, and Pesto

Ingredients

2 quarts plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
1 (16-ounce) package vacuum-packed gnocchi (such as Vigo)
4 cups (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 1 pound)
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, coarsely chopped
1 cup basil leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons preshredded Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
4 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add gnocchi to pan; cook 4 minutes or until done (gnocchi will rise to surface). Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Add asparagus and shrimp to pan; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Drain. Add shrimp mixture to gnocchi.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon water, basil, and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides. Drizzle oil through food chute with food processor on; process until well blended. Add salt and basil mixture to shrimp mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 355(24% from fat); FAT 9.3g (sat 1.6g,mono 4.5g,poly 2.5g); PROTEIN 26.5g; CHOLESTEROL 170mg; CALCIUM 108mg; SODIUM 894mg; FIBER 3g; IRON 5.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.7g

Joanna's Menu: June 30 - July 7

Saturday (6/30) - Chicken Cordon Bleu, frozen corn on the cob, croissant rolls, fruit parfait
Sunday (7/1) - Baked Mac n' Cheese, frozen broccoli
Monday (7/2) - 5-Way Cincinnati Chili
Tuesday (7/3) - Dinner with friends
Wednesday (7/4) - Spaghetti, herb cheese twists, frozen broccoli
Thursday (7/5) - Grilled Italian Marinated Chicken, Hawaiian bread (from mix)
Friday (7/6) -After Church Chicken, frozen broccoli, corn on the cob
Saturday (7/7) - Stuffed Bell Peppers

Rojas menu

I usually just list 5-7 meals for a week. I don't assign days b/c I found that there were days that I wasn't in the mood to make what was for that day then I just got confused.

1. (tonight actually) Wild rice and chicken skillet
2. Potato salad (this will probably end up being a side to some other dish)
3. Broccoli Mac & Cheese Gratin
4. Ham & Guyére Potato Gratin
5. Chicken Chilaquiles
6. Zucchini, Sausage & Feta Casserole
7. Gnocchi w/ Shrimp, asparagus and pesto


Um, yes, we like potatos and cheese!

How to cook Sushi Rice

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/sushiforbeginner/r/sushirice.htm

Red Enchilada Sauce

Combine over stove top:
1 can plain tomato sauce
3 T red chili powder
1/2 t. red chili flakes
1 T cumin
1 t oregano

Easy Spinach Pesto for Pasta or Pizza

Puree in blender:
2 c. spinach
1/2 c. fresh basil or 1 t. dried basil
1/3 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. fresh parmesan, grated
1/4 c. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 T pine nuts

QUINOA & BLACK BEAN SALAD

FYI - very strong lime flavor, very fresh and interesting flavor, I just felt great after eating it. Good for leftovers - makes a lot. I haven't cooked much with quinoa, so I'm not sure if I overcooked the quinoa or not, but it tasted a little soft - anyone else cook much with quinoa?? 'Nessa

QUINOA & BLACK BEAN SALAD --- http://kitchen-parade.blogspot.com/2005/06/quinoa-black-bean-salad.html
Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 60 minutes
Makes 8 cups

3 cups water
1½ cups quinoa
2 teaspoons table salt
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Zest & juice from 3 limes (about 5 tablespoons juice)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1¼ teaspoon ground cumin
15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1½ cups frozen corn (no need to thaw or cook)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ red onion, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, minced (see ALANNA’s TIPS)
2 cups cilantro (about 1 bunch), chopped

Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan over medium high. Rinse quinoa well under cold running water. Add salt and quinoa to water, return to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Transfer to colander to drain and cool slightly.Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add quinoa. Taste and add salt if needed. Let cool at least 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

ALANNA's TIPS
Where’s the heat in peppers? The flesh? No. The seeds? Sorry. The membranes that attach the seeds to the flesh? Yep. If your family appreciates plenty of heat, include bits of membrane.
Wash your hands well with soap after touching even relatively mild jalapeño peppers. You may not feel the burn on your fingers right away. But later, if you accidentally touch your eyes or lips, watch out!

Kitchen Parade is written for cooks in small towns and rural areas by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg whose mother originated the column in 1959.

(c) Copyright 2005 Kitchen Parade

Cucumber and Wakame Seaweed Salad

Ok, don't get grossed out on me just yet - you might actually find that you like seaweed! It's pretty healthy, being low-cal, high-fiber, good antioxidants and that sort of thing. You can buy salted wakame (just toss it in boiling water for a few seconds, then blanch it in ice water quickly to prep it) or dried wakame (in which case you just reconstitute it by putting in a bowl of water for 5-10 minutes) in the Asian section of the grocery store. If good old Fry's doesn't have it, you might have to try somewhere a little more specialized - AJ's or maybe an Asian market.

• 3 cucumbers (if using small English or Japanese ones...if not, maybe you'd only need 1 big American-sized one, seeded)
• 1.5 oz. wakame seaweed
• 1 can tuna, drained
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• 2 T. rice vinegar
• 3 T. vegetable oil
• 1/2 t. salt

Slice cucumber in 1-cm thick slices, then chop coarsely. Squeeze the water out of the wakame, and cut into 2-inch long slices. In a small bowl, combine last 5 ingredients. Add tuna, cucumber, and wakame and mix well. If you like, sprinkle a few sesame seeds over the top for garnish. (I apologize for the poor photo quality.) Serves 4.