Sunday, February 13, 2011

Dinner Menu for February 13-19

Happy Valentine's! Here is the dinner menu for this week.

Menu:
1- Tuscan Stew with Salad
2- Cheddar Soup with Salad and Dipping Bread
3- Shrimp Curry with Rice
4- Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
5- Mediterranean Casserole

Recipes:

Tuscan Stew
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic minced
½ pound mushrooms sliced
¼ cup shallot(s) sliced
7 ounces roasted red peppers drained and rinsed
14½ ounces stewed tomatoes
19 ounces cannellini beans
2 teaspoons basil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

In a skillet, sauté mushrooms and shallots in the oil. Add to slow cooker with remaining ingredients, except for cheese. Cover; cook on Low 6-8 hours.Sprinkle with cheese before serving.

Cheddar Soup
3 tablespoons butter
1 small jar diced pimentos
1 small onion, diced
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 can chicken stock
2 cups half and half
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt and peper to taste

In a heavy pot, melt butter and saute onions and pimentos. Cook until the onions are tender and transparent, about 7-10 minutes. Sprinkle flour into the pot and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the chicken stock and half and half and cook until it is almost boiling. Slowly add the shredded cheddar, stirring constantly. Turn the heat to low and add salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Serve immediately with good French bread to dip into the soup.

Salad (With dinner 2 nights and a few lunches)
2 heads of Romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
4 cups baby spinach
1 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup croutons
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
Shredded parmesan (as little or as much as you like)
Dressing of your choice

Note: As you can see I will be serving salad twice this week. I usually make a big bowl of salad at the beginning of the week with lettuce, spinach, shredded carrots, and sliced red onion. I make enough for both dinners and a few lunches all at once. When I am ready to serve the salad I add tomatoes, ground pepper, croutons, and shredded cheese. You can mix and match your own favorite salad ingredients. Some other things that I like to add from time to time are: sprouts, snap peas, edamame, and red pepper.

Shrimp Curry with Rice

Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
1  pound  boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
1/2  cup  bottled stir-fry sauce (such as Annie Chun's or Kikkoman)
1  tablespoon  vegetable oil
1  bag (12 ounces)  fresh mixed pre-cut vegetables (broccoli,
carrots and cauliflower blend)
1  medium-size  sweet red pepper cut into 1/2-inch strips
1  small  red onion, thinly slices
1  tablespoon  cornstarch
Ramen noodles, optional

In a medium-size bowl, combine chicken and stir-fry sauce; set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high
heat until very hot. Add mixed vegetables, pepper and onion. Cook 8
minutes or until slightly tender, stirring frequently. Remove from
skillet and set aside.

Add chicken mixture to skillet and cook about 4 minutes or until
cooked through, stirring frequently. Return vegetables to skillet with
chicken. Stir together about 1/3 cup water and cornstarch and add to
skillet. Let cook about 1 minute to heat through. Serve with cooked
ramen noodles, if desired.

Mediterranean Casserole
2 tablespoons  olive oil
1 pound  small white potatoes, cut into quarters
2 large  Italian frying peppers, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon  salt
1/4 teaspoon  black pepper
3 cloves  garlic, peeled and chopped
4  3/4-inch-thick cod or halibut fillets, about 5 ounces each
1/4  cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch wedges
2 tablespoons  lemon juice
1/4  cup  flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat oven to 400°F. Grease an oval 2-quart casserole dish with 1
tablespoon of the olive oil. Spread potatoes and peppers over bottom
of the dish. Season with 1/8 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.
Bake at 400°F for 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring
occasionally.

Scatter garlic over potatoes and peppers. Season fish with
remaining 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper and place on top of the
potatoes. Distribute olives and tomatoes over the casserole. Drizzle
with lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with
parsley.

Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.


Grocery List:

Tuscan Stew
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic minced
½ pound mushrooms sliced
¼ cup shallot(s) sliced
7 ounces roasted red peppers drained and rinsed
14½ ounces stewed tomatoes
19 ounces cannellini beans
2 teaspoons basil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Cheddar Soup
3 tablespoons butter
1 small jar diced pimentos
1 small onion, diced
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 can chicken stock
2 cups half and half
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt and peper to taste

Salad
2 heads of Romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
4 cups baby spinach
1 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup croutons
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
Shredded parmesan (as little or as much as you like)

Shrimp Curry with Rice
6 - 8 fresh serrano chiles (2 oz total)
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped, peeled ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound tomatoes, chopped
1 cup finely grated fresh or dried unsweetened coconut
2 pounds large shrimp in shell, peeled and deveined
White rice

Mediterranean Casserole
2 tablespoons  olive oil
1 pound  small white potatoes, cut into quarters
2 large  Italian frying peppers, thinly sliced
3 cloves  garlic, peeled and chopped
4  3/4-inch-thick cod or halibut fillets, about 5 ounces each
1/4  cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch wedges
2 tablespoons  lemon juice
1/4  cup  flat-leaf parsley, chopped


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