Posts tagged ‘Easy meal planning’
Recipe of the Week – Meatball Sandwiches
(From the Cooking for the Kids Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Meatball Sandwich
Okay, so you know you are making turkey with all the fixings but what about the other meals for your extended family weekend. We are having the full Thanksgiving dinner here. One son and family is coming from Chicago and another is living down here. The turkey is the easy part, now what do I serve when they get here and what about the rest of the weekend. As of this writing we still don’t know what time the Chicago group is scheduled to arrive. As meal planners we like to anticipate and plan meals; our guests on the other hand, wing it. We thought about the meatball sandwiches for the night of their arrival as it is something you can keep warm in the oven and serve at a moment’s notice accompanied by a salad; besides the kids will eat it.
The 22 lb turkey awaits its turn as the main act in the frig until Thursday. I’m not much for leftover turkey so Friday’s meal looks like ribs.
Meatball Sandwiches
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 6 |
| Category: | Cooking for the Kids |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 3 | Tb | olive oil, divided |
| 1 | medium | onion, minced |
| 1.5 | lb | beef, ground |
| 0.75 | lb | pork, ground |
| 2 | Tb | garlic powder |
| 1 | tsp | oregano, dried |
| 1 | Tb | salt, kosher |
| 1 | tsp | pepper, fresh ground |
| 1 | slices | bread, day-old |
| 0.25 | cup | milk, 2 % |
| 32 | oz | tomato sauce |
| 1 | medium | bread, Italian |
| 2 | Tb | cheese, Romano, grated |
Heat 1/3 of the oil in a sauté pan, add onions and sauté until slightly golden. Remove and cool. In a large bowl mix the ground beef and pork, adding in the garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl place the day old bread and the milk. Allow to sit for 3 minutes. Squeeze the bread of excess milk, break into small pieces and add to the meat. Add in the onions and mix thoroughly to combine. Using a 1/8th cup ice cream scoop form the meatballs. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and add just enough meatballs to allow movement. Sauté until brown and remove to an oven-proof pan. Repeat until all the meatballs are browned. Add the tomato sauce to the oven-proof pan and place in 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Cut bread lengthwise and place meatballs on bread, cover with sauce and sprinkle the Romano on top and serve.
Note: Sprinkle 2/3 cup of grated mozzarella on top; place in broiler, open-faced, until cheese melts for a special treat.
More Cooking for the Kids at emealsforyou.com
Keeping It Simple – Warm Chicken Salad
From the Salad Collection at emealsforyou.com
Warm Chicken Salad
After a weekend of large meals we couldn’t decide on Sunday night’s dinner. We really didn’t feel like eating too much but knew if we skipped dinner altogether that wouldn’t work either. Maybe because we have been on a “heavy” meal trend lately; something simple and tasty seemed perfect. Fresh salad with some leftover chicken hit the spot; we did add a piece of garlic bread.
On another note a friend recently apologized for making a crock-pot meal for her family while she was at work. She thought because I cook I would not approve of crock-pot meals. I told her that the crock-pot chicken she was making would be just fine and by far better then all the additives she would be feeding her family had she purchased take-out. We advocate making good food for your family. The cooking method doesn’t matter; sitting down for a family meal is what matters.
Warm Chicken Salad
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 2 |
| Category: | Salad |
| Meal: | Other (General) |
| 4 | cup | lettuce, mixed |
| 0.5 | tsp | garlic powder |
| 0.125 | Tb | oregano, dried |
| 2 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 1 | Tb | vinegar, red wine |
| 6 | oz | chicken breast, cooked , skinless and boneless with pan juices |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
Place lettuce in a bowl; add garlic powder, oregano, oil and vinegar. Toss and place in center of plate. Heat chicken and pan juices. Cut chicken into slices and place on salad. Spoon pan juices on top and serve.
More simply delicious meals and recipes at emealsforyou.com.
- Warm Chicken Salad
Recipe of the Week – Capt Jim’s Asparagus Lasagna
From the Starch/ Pasta Collection at emealsforyou.com
Capt Jim's Asparagus Lasagna
After completing a long road trip for a visit to our “old” neighbors in Virginia we settled in to enjoy the company, weather and especially the food. Capt Jim, as we call him on this blog and our website, emealsforyou.com, has dedicated a lot of his time to perfecting the art of cooking. We looked forward to his fresh baked bread but had no idea he was preparing short ribs for dinner the first night. We thought he would have a hard time upstaging these wonderfully tasty and tender ribs the next night but were more than pleasantly surprised by his Asparagus Lasagna on Saturday. The lasagna was perfectly cooked and all the flavors blended together to form a spectacular visual as well as a true gourmet entrée. Jim finished the evening off with a delightfully flavorful but light Grapefruit Granita for dessert.
It was a great visit; with great friends and more than great food. I only hope we can return the favor when they come to our home.
Capt Jim’s Asparagus Lasagna
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 8 |
| Category: | Starch/ Pasta |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 2 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 9 | sheets | lasagna noodles |
| 16 | oz | sun-dried tomatoes, in oil |
| 1.5 | cups | basil leaves, whole |
| 1.25 | cups | cheese, parmesan, grated |
| 0.25 | lb | pancetta |
| 1 | medium | onions, diced |
| 2 | cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1 | lb | asparagus |
| 1 | 16 oz. container | cheese, ricotta |
| 1 | tsp | salt, kosher |
| 0.5 | tsp | pepper, fresh cracked |
| 2 | cups | cheese, mozzarella, shredded |
| 2 | Tb | butter, unsalted |
Boil salted water; add 1 TB olive oil and pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Rinse and drain pasta; separate sheets. Combine sun-dried tomatoes and basil in a food processor; remove to a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Brown pancetta in a sauce pan; remove when done. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, add the onions and garlic and sauté until tender. Cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces and add to the pan and cook until tender. Remove asparagus and onions from the pan to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the ricotta, salt and pepper. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle some of the sun-dried tomato mixture over the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking pan. Place a layer of the lasagna sheets in the pan; add half of the asparagus mixture; spread evenly over the pasta. Sprinkle 1/3rd of the mozzarella and 1/3rd of the remaining Parmesan on top; repeat the pasta and mixtures; ending with the a pasta layer and the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Dot the top with the butter and bake until heated through and golden. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Note: You may substitute any good ham for the pancetta and a good low-moisture cottage cheese for the ricotta.
See more of Capt Jim’s recipes at emealsforyou.com
Recipe of the Week – Peach Melba Crisp
From the Dessert Collection at emealsforyou.com
Peach Melba Crisp
I advocate meal planning to save money and save your sanity. Planning your meals makes it easier to feed your family great meals that are cost effective and offer good nutrition. Our website emealsforyou.com provides numerous aids, ideas and hundreds of meal plans and recipes to choose from. Having said all this we also advocate using fresh, local produce whenever possible. This helps support your regional or local Farmers’ Markets and also provides great food.
Our normal Saturday includes stops at the local Farmers’ Market and lo and behold the fresh peaches are starting to show up. Now we are really fond of the peaches from the Carolinas but have to wait a few more weeks, so we settled on the Georgia peaches. We had a dinner party planned that evening with slow cooked ribs and I thought a Peach Crisp would top off the evening. I noticed I had an abundance of raspberry jam in the fridge so I decided to add that to the recipe. Boy what a difference. The jam blended into the nooks and crannies and provided a visual and well as very tasteful addition to what was going to be a good crisp; raising it to a great crisp.
This quick and easy dessert may become your go-to dessert for those backyard bbq’s or to take to a friend’s for a dessert party. We had ours with good vanilla ice cream; why not, when you go this far a few more calories won’t hurt that much. Go to go now and walk my 3 miles; it might be guilt from the dessert.
Peach Melba Crisp
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 8 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 1 | spritz | PAM |
| 2.5 | cups | flour, all-purpose |
| 2 | cups | sugar, granulated |
| 2 | lb | peaches, fresh |
| 0.5 | cup | sugar, brown |
| 3 | Tb | raspberry jam |
| 1 | cup | fruit juice, any fruit |
| 1 | Tb | cinnamon. ground |
| 4 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 1 | Tb | sugar, finishing |
Spray bottom of 10 X 10 baking pan with PAM; mix 1/2 of the flour and 1/3 of the sugar together. Sprinkle enough in pan to cover bottom about 1/2 “ thick. Peel peaches and cut into slices, mix with brown sugar and arrange evenly around pan. Place dabs of the jam on the peaches. Mix remaining flour and the remaining sugar together, cover top with remaining flour/sugar mixture, add fruit juice. Sprinkle top with cinnamon. Cut butter into small pieces and dot top of crisp. Sprinkle top with the finishing sugar. Bake @ 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crunchy
You may can find the rib recipe as well as many great summer dessert recipes at emealsforyou.com
Recipe of the Week – Fresh Tomato Pesto
(From the Vegetarian Entree Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Fresh Tomato Pesto on Angel Hair Pasta
It’s November and we still have tomatoes on the vine, what a treat. As I look out at the garden even the basil hasn’t given it up for the season. Not wanting this gift from Mother Nature to go to waste I decided on making a fresh tomato pesto. Talk about fast prep, the whole thing took just about 5 minutes; not counting cooking the pasta. It’s important not to rinse your pasta and to put it back into the hot pot. Pour the pesto on top and mix thoroughly; the heat from the pasta will melt the cheese.
I made this dish to celebrate the bonus from the garden but also to use up some goat cheese I had in the fridge; got the first part right; forgot to put the goat cheese on top. Either way, with or without the goat cheese this is a great and quick dinner.
Fresh Tomato Pesto on Angel Hair Pasta
| Recipe Summary | |
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 6 |
| Category: | Vegetarian Entrée |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 0.5 | cup | basil leaves, whole |
| 3 | cloves | garlic, chopped |
| 1 | cup | tomatoes, cherry |
| 0.75 | cup | cheese, Romano, grated |
| 0.5 | cup | oil, olive |
| 0.5 | tsp | salt, kosher |
| 2 | Tb | capers |
| 1 | lb | pasta, angelhair, cooked |
Place the basil, garlic and tomatoes in a food processor. Pulse until a course chop. Add cheese, reserving 2 Tb, oil and salt and pulse until blended. Mix in capers but don’t pulse. Serve over hot pasta and sprinkle with reserved cheese.
Add dollops of goat cheese to make this a special meal.
More recipes like this at emealsforyou.com
Recipe of the Week – Stuffed Seckel Pears
(From the Appetizer Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Seckel Pears
Stuffed Seckel Pears
I wanted to show you the raw seckel pears as many of you are unfamiliar with them. They are available for only a few weeks at this time of the year and look like miniature versions of regular pears; think golf ball size. Anyway they are tarter and usually firmer than their larger cousins. I love fruit and cheese as an appetizer. It is usually a surprise to my guests and always a good choice when you want something a little different. If you don’t like blue cheese you can use cream cheese.
“Pair” this appetizer with a crisp white wine and enjoy the change of seasons.
Stuffed Seckel Pears
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 6 |
| Category: | Appetizer |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 12 | medium | seckel pears |
| 2 | oz | cheese, goat |
| 2 | oz | cheese, blue |
| 1 | Tb | honey |
| 0.125 | tsp | pepper, fresh cracked |
Cut seckel pears in half, scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Place cut side down on a parchment papered baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until a knife easily slides into it. Cool the pears. Mix the blue and goat cheeses together. Spoon mixture into the cavity in center of pears; drizzle with honey and pepper. Serve at room temperature.
See more like this at emealsforyou.com
Recipe of the Week – Oven-dried Tomatoes
(From the Vegetable Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Oven-dried Tomatoes
I am a little tardy in writing this post; we are on vacation in NJ and I have been very busy in the kitchen. I have been making some of our old favorites and some new ones that I wanted to try. Feasting on Bouillabaisse, short ribs and pan-roasted salmon one night and then Watermelon Gazpacho and Shrimp Bisque the next. Desserts were Tiramisu, Carrot Cake and a double chocolate cake.
So now to the reason for this post. My mother-in-law still buys for 5 although she is the only one still here. Searching for a few tomatoes in the frig I came up with about 12 rather large NJ tomatoes. As it is harvest time in many regions everyone will probably be overloaded with tomatoes. The attached recipe is for plum tomatoes but any type will work. Additional, the house smells great when the tomatoes are in the oven.
Oven-dried Tomatoes
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 6 |
| Category: | Vegetables |
| Meal: | Veggie – Book Group (Theme Meal Plans) |
| 6 | medium | tomatoes, plum |
| 1 | pinch | salt, kosher |
| 3 | Tb | sugar, brown |
| 2 | cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1 | pinch | thyme, dried |
| 1 | pinch | pepper, fresh ground |
| 2 | Tb | oil, olive |
Cut tomatoes in thirds lengthwise, place on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper, garlic and thyme. Sprinkle with a drop or two of olive oil. Bake at 250- degrees for 2 1/2 hours.
Note: may be re-heated prior to serving.
More recipes at emealsforyou.com
Recipe of the Week – Acorn Squash Risotto
(From the Starch Category at www.emealsforyou.com)
Acorn Squash Risotto
It’s rainy and cool in Cincy today so my mind turns to comfort food. Acorn squash used to be available only in the fall; but now with the year-round availability of vegetables, it’s not just seasonal veggie. For some reason I have been thinking about risotto lately. There is something about the creaminess of the rice along with the sweetness of the acorn squash and the tangy Romano cheese that makes it perfect for a mid-week dinner. I will serve it with a fresh lettuce salad, from my garden I might add, and some crunchy bread.
So here’s to rainy days, warm risotto and a glass of red wine, enjoy!
Acorn Squash Risotto
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 4 |
| Category: | Starch |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 1 | medium | acorn squash |
| 4 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 4 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 0.5 | tsp | allspice, ground |
| 1 | small | onions, chopped |
| 2 | cup | rice, Arborio |
| 4 | cup | chicken broth |
| 0.5 | cup | wine, dry white |
| 1 | tsp | salt, kosher |
| 0.5 | tsp | pepper, fresh ground |
| 1 | medium | pears, fresh |
| 0.5 | cloves | cheese, Romano, grated |
Cut, peel and seed the acorn squash, dice into ¾” pieces. Heat ½ of the olive oil in a pot with 2/3rds of the butter; add squash and sauté until brown on all sides; add allspice and stir. Remove from pot and allow to cool. Add remaining oil to pot, heat pot to medium. Add onions; sauté until softened, add rice and stir constantly until rice is light brown. Transfer squash to food processor and process until just smooth. (add a little of the broth to loosen if needed). Lower heat; add broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, until rice is just tender but not mushy. (15-20 minutes) Add white wine. Add squash, stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Add remaining butter; peel and cut pear into small dice; add to risotto. Plate and top off with grated Romano cheese.
This serves 4 as an entrée but will serve 6-8 as a side.
Recipe of the Week – Fresh Ginger Sauce
(From the Misc Category at www.emealsforyou.com)
Ravioli in Fresh Ginger Sauce
Trying to come up with something different for lunch reminded me that ravioli are not just for tomato sauce. It was time to put together a meal that was unexpected. I wanted something that was substantial yet easy to prepare. I remembered I had a some fresh ginger and decided to make the Fresh Ginger Sauce and serve it over some ravioli. Checking on the other ingredients on hand it was a go.
We serve pasta with many meals and ravioli is one of the easiest as it freezes well and is fairly inexpensive. Simply take a handful or a bag out of the freezer, heat it in boiling water for a few minutes and plate with any number of sauces or toppings. Add some sliced mushrooms or fresh spinach at the last minute to enhance the meal. Your family will think they are at an expensive restaurant, your budget will like you and the smiles you receive will brighten your day.
Fresh Ginger Sauce
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 2 |
| Category: | Misc |
| Meal: | Other (General) |
| 24 | oz | chicken broth |
| 2 | medium | scallions, sliced |
| 3 | Tb | carrots, sliced |
| 2 | Tb | ginger, fresh, minced |
| 0.5 | medium | lemon, juice of |
| 2 | tsp | cornstarch |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
| 1 | Tb | cheese, Romano, grated |
Place chicken broth (you may substitute vegetable broth) in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Slice scallions and carrots as thinly as you can, on the diagonal, add to pan. Add ginger and lemon juice and cook until carrots are tender, about 8 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove about 4 oz of the liquid from the pan, allow to cool and add cornstarch, stir to blend. Return the cornstarch mixture to the pan, increase heat slightly and stir until thickened. Serve over pasta or chicken, sprinkle with grated Romano.
Recipe of the Week – Clams, Shrimp and Mussels
(From the Appetizer category at www.emealsforyou.com)
Clams. Mussels and Shrimp
Come over and bring an appetizer. To some that sends terror, some it means a stop at the local market for one of those “shrimp rings” but to me it opens the door to bring a great dish. I like this dish because it sends wonderful garlicy smells throughout the kitchen. It is perfect because most people will find something they like in the dish. Whether you like shrimp, or mussels or clams they are all in there soaking up all the garlic and white wine.
I serve this in a large bowl surrounded by crunchy bread to sop up the juices. This is a great appetizer or serve it over pasta and call it a meal.
Pour the wine, please.
Greek Mussels, Shrimp and Clams
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 8 |
| Category: | Appetizer |
| Meal: | Small Plates Please (Picnic Meal Plans) |
| 2 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 0.5 | cup | carrots, diced |
| 0.5 | cup | onions, diced |
| 0.5 | cup | celery ribs |
| 1 | Tb | thyme, fresh |
| 6 | cloves | garlic, chopped |
| 1 | 15 oz can | tomatoes, diced |
| 12 | oz | wine, dry white |
| 2 | lb | mussels |
| 1 | lb | shrimp, deveined, shelled |
| 12 | medium | clams |
| 2 | Tb | cilantro, chopped |
| 1 | Tb | lemon zest, finely chopped |
| 0.5 | medium | lemon, juice of |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
Clean and rinse mussels and clams. Add oil to hot pan, sauté carrots, onions and celery (diced) until soft, add thyme, garlic, sauté for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, clams, shrimp and mussels, cover pan, cook until mussels and clams open, discard unopened mussels and clams. Place on serving platter, sprinkle with zest, lemon juice and cilantro.
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