And as usual, I didn't think to take pictures....
The Meal Plan from last week:
Sun (L) leftover brats (S) Skillet Lasagna
Mon (yoga) leftover Lasagna
Tues - leftover lasagna
Wed - Chicken Broccoli and Rice
Thurs (yoga) - leftovers
Fri (off) - Sheet pan salmon
Sat (L) leftovers (S) leftovers
Lunches - a mishmash of fruits, veggies and leftovers
Skillet Lasagna (modified from America's Test Kitchen TV Show Ckbk) gluten free option
I've been in the mood for lasagna, but didn't want to commit to a 9x13 pan for two of us. Yes, I could freeze some, but I've been trying to reduce what I have in the freezer, not add to it. Which reminds me, I need to defrost the basement freezer...
This was a bit time consuming, so perhaps not the best for a weeknight meal unless you've got a bit of extra time. Original recipe calls for a "meatloaf blend" of pork, veal and beef, which just isn't available in my corner of the States. I waffled about using Italian sausage and went with half pork and half beef - because I told the Husband I would make him Cranberry meatballs next week.
The flavors in this dish are bright and a bit bland. If I were to make this again, I'd use Italian Sausage.
Serves 6 (I got two suppers for two and two lunches for one out of this)
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 lb pork/beef mix (I recommend Italian sausage)
10 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2" pieces
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup packed)
1 cup Ricotta cheese (I used cottage cheese)
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
1) Place diced tomatoes into a 4 cup measuring cup. Add water until mixture measures 4 cups.
2) Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until onion begins to brown (6-8 minutes). Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook about 30 seconds. Add ground meat and , breaking it apart into crumbles, until no longer pink. **I recommend draining any excess fat off at this point.
3) Scatter the pasta over the meat but do not stir. Pour the diced tomatoes with their juice and the tomato sauce over the top. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender (10-20 minutes).
4) Remove the skillet form the heat. Dot with heaping spoonfuls of ricotta or cottage cheese. Cover with parmesan (My notes: preheat the broiler and place pan under broiler until cheese is nicely melted and lightly browned). Let stand 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with basil. Serve.
Chicken with Broccoli and Rice (modified from America's Test Kitchen TV Show Ckbk)
Another comfort-food type dish. I did a couple of modifications - I used chicken thighs instead of breasts, I used white and wild rice (not a pre-packaged blend, I precooked the wild rice then added to the dish with the white), I used fresh broccoli that I blanched and drained (I needed broccoli for another dish), and I did not mix in the cheddar cheese but sprinkled it over the top instead.
Serves - 6ish.
4 (6-8oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
1/2 cup AP flour
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup onion, mincd
1 1/2 cup long grain white rice (I used 1 cup white, with 1 cup pre-cooked wild rice)
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 (10oz) pkg frozen broccoli florets, thawed (I used 10oz fresh broccoli, blanched, and drained)
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tsp hot sauce
1) Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour to coat and shake off any extra. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the chicken well on one side only, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2) Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan (My notes - since I used chicken thighs, I skipped this step and browned the onions in the rendered chicken fat - flavor boost!). Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice and garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3) Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits. (My notes - this is where I added the pre-cooked wild rice). Cover and cook over medium heat until [most] of the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is cooked through (about 165* for thighs). About 10-15 minutes.
4) Remove chicken, brushing off any bits of rice, and transfer to a warm plate. Cover with foil and set aside. Return skillet of rice to medium-low heat, cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender (another 8-12 minutes).
5) Remove from heat, gently stir in broccoli, half of the shredded cheddar cheese, and hot sauce. Return chicken to top, sprinkle with remaining cheddar, and let stand until cheese is completely melted (my notes - I put under the broiler for a minute or so - until cheese was bubbly).
Kimchi Soup (Ckng Lght) vegetarian option*, gluten free option**
Delicious! Easy! Warming! Make it!
Makes about 2 servings.
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
 |
| Photo from Cooking Light |
2 tablespoons garlic cloves, sliced (about 4 garlic cloves)
1 (1-in.) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 (32-oz.) pkg. unsalted chicken or vegetable broth*
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce**
1 to 2 tablespoon gochujang
7 ounces silken tofu, cut into 4 1/2-in-thick x 3 1/4-in.-long slices (from [14-oz.] pkg.)
1 1/2 cups kimchi (I drained before adding to soup)
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high; add scallions, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring often, until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add broth, soy sauce, and gochujang; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and add tofu and kimchi, stirring once, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with Korean chives, if desired.
Sheet Pan Salmon with Potatoes and Broccoli (Cooks Country) gluten free
So easy! Delicious! One of the few times I can say, I made this as written. No changes. Wait, except one. I didn't have chives for the "dressing" so I skipped it. Oh, and I didn't skin the salmon. Easier done after it's baked. Other than that, made as written!
And I'll admit, I'm not a broccoli fan, but in this recipe it works. Especially with the honey mustard. From start (pulling stuff out of the fridge) to finish (food on the table) maybe an hour total with time to clean up. This is good enough that I would serve it company, perhaps with some crusty bread or a Caesar salad on the side . Recommended!
 |
| photo from Cooks Country. |
| 2 | teaspoons plus 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
| Salt and pepper |
| 1 | pound small red potatoes, unpeeled, halved |
| 1 | pound broccoli florets, cut into 2-inch pieces |
| ¼ | cup minced fresh chives |
| 2 | tablespoons whole-grain mustard |
| 2 | teaspoons lemon juice |
| 1 | teaspoon honey |
| 4 | (6- to 8-ounce) center-cut skinless salmon fillets, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick |
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Pat salmon dry with paper towels, then rub all over with 2 teaspoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.
2. Brush rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Toss potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Arrange potatoes cut side down on half of sheet. Toss broccoli, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in now-empty bowl. Arrange broccoli on other half of sheet.
3. Roast until potatoes are light golden brown and broccoli is dark brown on bottom, 22 to 24 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
4. Meanwhile, combine chives, mustard, lemon juice, honey, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, pinch salt, and pinch pepper in bowl; set chive sauce aside.
5. Remove sheet from oven and transfer broccoli to platter, browned side up; cover with foil to keep warm. Using spatula, remove any bits of broccoli remaining on sheet. (Leave potatoes on sheet.)
6. Place salmon skinned side down on now-empty side of sheet, spaced evenly. Place sheet in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees. Bake until centers of fillets register 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 11 to 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer potatoes and salmon to platter with broccoli. Serve with lemon wedges and chive sauce.
No comments:
Post a Comment