To try: Fiesta shrimp

Possible Costco recipe: buy frozen peeled shrimp there?  Also, I'm told pine nuts freeze well up to a year.  If that's true, and a can of RoTel Fiesta could sub for the salsa, this becomes a pantry recipe.

Olive oil spray

3/4 lb. shelled shrimp

1 cup tomato salsa

3 Tbsp. pine nuts

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook shrimp and salsa in an olive-oiled pan 2 to 3 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. Sprinkle with pine nuts, salt and pepper. Makes 2 servings (313 cal each).

Sugar math!

There are about 10 tsp of sugar in 12 oz. of soda. That's 0.83 tsp
per oz.

My plastic drink bottles are 20 oz. If I filled them with soda I'd
be getting 16 2/3 tsp of sugar, or 5.5 Tbsp, or just over 1/3 cup of
sugar.

My iced-tea pitcher is probably 64 oz. So I'd have to shovel 53 tsp
of sugar, or 17.7 Tbsp, or a cup and 1.7 Tbsp.

So, as a rough rule of thumb, if I make a full pitcher of tea and put
less than a cup of sugar in it, I'm doing better than soda! Or a
half-pitcher and a half-cup, etc.

Baked Sweet Potato with Cinnamon Butter

2-4 sweet potatoes

Scrub the potatoes well; prick them with a fork. Bake on rack 55 min
at 400 degrees. The skins may loosen off; if storing in Tupperware
to eat later it may be good to go ahead and peel them at this point.

1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp sugar

Blend together; form into log using plastic wrap; refrigerate. Serve
potatoes with a coin or two of butter (or mix curry powder and olive
oil).

Pepparkakor

* 8 ounces butter
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
* 1 egg
* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 2 teaspoons ground ginger
* 2 teaspoons ground cloves
* 1/4 cup orange juice
* 2 teaspoons orange zest

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in egg, corn
syrup, orange juice, and orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking
soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; stir into the creamed mixture
until combined.
3. Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness, and cut into shapes with
cookie cutters. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool
cookies on wire racks.

The new frontier in laziness

Fresh fruit, vegetables, oatmeal and snacks. I've been putting lots of effort into cooking three entrees (divided into 10 meals), with sides, per week. But I also want to increase my "raw" food intake -- and that shouldn't require cooking. Plus I want to start eating breakfast, and in fact grazing more often; a food diary revealed that I will eat something every three hours, even if all that's available to me is walking to the Coke machine for another soft drink (did I mention I'm trying to cut way back on soft drinks?) Also, I recently learned steel-cut oats can be prepared in the microwave -- I don't know why, but I assumed the healthier oatmeal would not also be quick.

In this new world order, I'd like to see what I can get done with two ten-minute entrees, possibly a side dish that requires prep, and various healthy "raw" sides. I'll require four each of two veggie sides and two fruit sides each week (bananas and minisalads being popular enough to stay on constantly); four of one breakfast item plus four oatmeals. Does this add up to 24? Yes it does!

Let's see if I can put together two week-plans, to alternate:

WEEK ONE
Lemon-herb chicken with carrots; beef ravioli (3 servings each)
Veggie sides: 4 salads and 4 carrots-with-yogurt cheese
Fruit sides: 4 bananas, 2 raspberry/cream cups, 1 apple/cheese (= 2 srv)
Breakfasts: 4 yogurt cups with blueberries, 2 oatmeals + 2 snack oatmeals

WEEK TWO
Berry potstickers; orange stirfry beef
Veggie sides: 4 minisalads and 4 carrots-with-yogurt cheese
Fruit sides: 4 bananas, 2 peach cups, 1 apple/cheese (= 2 srv)
Breakfasts: 4 yogurt cups with blueberries, 2 oatmeals + 2 snack oatmeals

WEEK THREE
Brown sugar chicken; red beans/rice with chicken
Veggie sides: 4 minisalads and 4 srv green beans with almonds
Fruit sides: 4 bananas, 2 peach cups, 1 apple/cheese (= 2 srv)
Breakfasts: 4 yogurt cups with blueberries, 2 oatmeals + 2 snack oatmeals

Tasty Pecan Breading

The tasty coating I am currently chowing down on contains:

Crushed pecans
Breadcrumbs
Sugar
Black pepper
Kosher salt
Onion powder
Garlic powder or garlic salt

(Keep it refrigerated)

A fresh (and light on cooking) week

Sweet Cream Cheese Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 teaspoon butter
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
8-10 pecans, crumbled

Preheat oven to 450.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and Dijon mustard.
Place chicken breasts flat in baking dish and trim them.
Spread with cream cheese, then mustard mixture. Sprinkle with nuts.
Bake 17 minutes.

Pie-Inside Apples

From Alton:

3/4 cup oats
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch kosher salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced
4 Braeburn apples (Fuji will substitute)
4 teaspoons honey

In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients and diced butter. Rub mixture briskly between finger tips until it forms small moist clumps in a loose sandy mixture. Refrigerate while preparing the apples.

Cut a small layer off the bottom of each apple to create a flat, stable bottom surface. With a small paring knife, cut a cylindrical cone out of the top of the apple, moving about 1 inch outside of the core, similar to removing the top of a pumpkin when carving a jack o'lantern. Remove the top and discard. With a melon baller or a teaspoon, remove the remaining core and seeds, taking care not to puncture the base of the apple.

Place apples on a baking sheet or pie dish and fill each center with a teaspoon of honey. Spoon in mixture, packing lightly until heaped and overflowing over sides of the apples.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees on the top or middle rack for 40 minutes or until filling is golden brown and the tip of a paring knife can be inserted into the side of the apple with little or no resistance. Let apples stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Capellini pomodoro

Cheater's version, anyway:

1/2 head garlic
14.5oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh basil
olive oil
angel-hair pasta

(This recipe makes only 2 servings; you can double it easily but only
one canful of tomatoes will fit in my pan at once)

Peel the garlic and roast it in a tin-foil packet with olive oil, 40
min at 325.
Drain the tomatoes thoroughly.
Shred or chiffonade the basil.
Cook the pasta.
When garlic is ready, mash it with a fork.
Fry up the tomatoes a little bit. Add the garlic and basil; flip
around till aroma is pleasing. A little salt doesn't hurt.
Pour over pasta.

Individual Black-Eyed Pea Salad

This quarters the recipe (the original, posted below, makes 12-18 servings, so this should make 4 servings or so).

1/2 cup red onion or sweet onion, finely chopped

1/2 bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped

1/4 cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 dash Tabasco sauce

1/8 cup vegetable oil

Fresh basil to taste, sliced (optional)

1 large can black eyed peas, with snaps

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate before serving, preferably overnight.

Here's the full recipe for the black eyed pea salad, which gets better the longer it marinates. It's good to make it at least a day in advance, and by day 3 it's usually heavenly. The recipe also makes enough marinade for up to 7 or 8 cans of peas, in case you're feeding an army.

Black Eyed Pea Salad

1-2 cups red onion or sweet onion, finely chopped

1 or 2 bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped (red bell, green bell or a combination)

1-2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped

1 cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 dashes Tabasco sauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Fresh basil to taste, sliced (optional)

4-6 small cans black eyed peas, with snaps

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate before serving, preferably overnight. Makes 2-3 servings for each can of peas.

Alton tips on CFS

He uses the tenderizer my mom does, but I also just tried perforating
it with a knife -- goes pretty quickly.

He salts and peppers the meat first, then flour/egg/flour, then lets
it set up on a cooling rack 10-15 minutes to get a good crust.

Finally, he doesn't use a whole lot of oil -- and he knows it's ready
to put the steak in when it starts to "shimmer."

Alton's Peach Cakes

Simplified from original, and made for 2. (Just double if you have 4 ramekins.)

Looks pretty quick and easy, and all you have to buy at the store is peaches (1 for 2 people, 2 to feed 4 people) and a cup of buttermilk. (Plus whipped cream or ice cream if you want it.)

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 peach, peeled and cut in slices or chunks
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/16 tsp baking soda
1/16 salt
1/2 Tbsp melted butter
1/6 cup sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk*, room temperature
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Place in each ramekin (recipe is for 2 ramekins): 1/2 Tbsp butter, half the brown sugar, half the peach pieces. Combine the dry goods in one bowl, the wetworks in another (this includes the sugar; start by melting butter in a little bowl), and then put them together but stir only enough to combine. Pour half into each ramekin over the peaches. Bake on middle rack 20-25 min.

Let cool 5 min, run a knife around the inside edge of the ramekin, cover with a plate and invert to release. Alton suggests whipped cream or ice cream!

*Emerils.com says: Buttermilk Substitute

If a recipe calls for buttermilk and all you have in your refrigerator is regular milk, you can make an acceptable substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Let this stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, or until you see the milk thicken to the consistency of buttermilk.

Crab Rangoons

My husband loves these little dudes, and I always have extra
potsticker wrappers left after potstickers. A speculative version,
based as always on someone else's real version (in this case the Cape
Cod Times):

4 oz. cream cheese
1lb can claw crab meat (pick out all the shell parts)
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

Fill and fry as quickly as you can (canola oil in bottom of deep wok,
30 sec each side). Too many at once lowers the oil temp. Drain on
rack.

Carrots and Yogurt Cheese Dip

Snack pack of carrots
32 ounces low-fat or non-fat yogurt that says "contains" "live" or "active"
Packet of ranch mix

Line a large sieve with 4 layers of damp cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Spoon the yogurt into the sieve, cover, and chill for at least 3 and up to 12 hours.

Stir with the ranch mix... or garlic/herb mix... or spread it on crackers with smoked salmon and capers...

Simple Lasagna

Untested, but doesn't seem too bad.

At fancy grocery:
1 cup ricotta
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp basil
2 Tbsp Italian parsley
2 Tbsp thyme
2 Tbsp oregano

At regular grocery:
1/2 lb Italian sausage
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
garlic (3 cloves, minced)
2 14oz cans diced stewed tomatoes
6 lasagna pasta noodles

Cook the pasta noodles al dente.

Crumble, saute and drain the sausage. When it's kind of cool, mix with the ricotta and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella.

Clean out the pan and saute the garlic, herbs and spices in a little olive oil. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Set aside.

Layer: Tomato mix; 2 noodles; Sausage mix; noodles; tomato mix; sausage mix; noodles; tomato mix; extra mozzarella.

Bake 25 minutes at 350.

Cheat: Italian breaded pork chops

Just so I don't forget this option. Super-easy and juicy if I don't overcook.

Buy pork chops.
Dredge in Italian bread crumbs.
Fry.

easy, no? Recommendations include frying a 1-inch chop only 2-3 min per side, then setting on a wire rack/cookie sheet in 325 over for 4-6 minutes to drain and finish cooking without getting tough.

Experiment: Chicken Four Ways

Get yourself four chicken breasts and a lot of tinfoil.  Preheat the oven to 400. 

Make four packets with one breast each, put them in a baking dish and let 'em go for 25 minutes. Open packets, check them and then bake another 5 min.

(In my limited experience it takes taters longer than this so might pull out the chicken and let the veggies keep going, if a packet has veggies in it.)

Grocery store: 8oz-can pineapple chunks, can diced tomatoes, red bell pepper, ginger, green onions, garlic, carrots

Ginger-scallion steamed chicken

(marinating overnight first is a possibility, but increases the raw-chicken yuk factor. Also, the secret here may be oyster sauce.)

1 1/2 Tbsp soy, 1 Tbsp rice wine, 1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp sugar, 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp ginger

1 green onion, diced

Sweet teriyaki chicken

Layer: green onion, chicken, 8oz can drained pineapple, strips of red bell pepper; top with mix of teriyaki/ginger/brown sugar

Honey mustard chicken

Dijon mustard, honey, pepper, carrots

Italian chicken

Diced tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese to coat

Empanadas

It appears that Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry shells are an acceptable substitute for making your own empanada dough. I cheer this opinion. The basic idea appears to be:

Thaw the pastry
Cut in circles
Fill, fold and crimp, using egg mix as glue, and piercing the top with a fork
Brush with egg mix (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water)
Refrigerate 30 min -- or freeze
Bake 25 min at 375 (or 30 min at 375 if frozen)

One idea for filling is a tomatillo salsa/garlic/queso fresco/shredded chicken combo. More abound.

Bacon, tomatoes and spinach

Alongside the chicken carbonara, one could and should (I feel) also use that tasty bacon for other purposes.

Warm Bacon Dressing
(adapted from Alton Brown)

Top a salad of spinach and thinly-sliced red onion with this dressing.

8 slices bacon
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Fry the bacon and crumble it, reserving 3 Tbsp of the fat. Whisk the vinegar, sugar and mustard into the fat over low heat. Season with salt and pepper; add bacon and pour over salad.

BLT in a Bowl
(Alton again; he gives it the proper name of panzanella, a Tuscan salad)

4 cups cubes of French bread, left out to dry overnight
6 slices bacon
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
2 cups rough-chopped heirloom tomatoes or halved pear tomatoes
2 cups chopped romaine (spinach?)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp basil and/or mint chiffonade (leaves rolled together, then cut into long thin strips)

Cook and chop the bacon; pour drippings over the bread and toss. Sear the grape tomatoes, cut side down, 5 min until caramelized.

In a bowl, combine the vinegar, salt and pepper; slowly whisk in olive oil in a thin stream until emulsified.

Combine everything -- bread, maters, , bacon, lettuce, basil/mint and vinaigrette -- toss and serve.

Rosemary-cheese chicken bake

From this interesting-looking site, where I went looking for information on how to start rosemary cuttings:

Chicken Van Dam

3 chicken breasts
15g (half ounce) butter
220g (8 oz) cream cheese
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary.

Put the breasts in a baking dish.

Melt the butter and saute the garlic a bit; stir in cream cheese and rosemary.

Pour cheese mixture over the chicken and bake until chicken for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

To try: Chicken carbonara

As usual I'm going to take a recipe from a reputable source (Mario Batali) and hash it beyond recognition. For protein I plan to add a little chicken, and for repeatability's sake I'm going to cut this down to one serving (raw egg = no microwaving, or so I think).

(Thank you, Mario, for teaching me that carbonara means a coal miner's wife!)

1 helping pasta
2 oz pancetta or bacon, cut in 1/3" dice
1 egg, separated
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
black pepper
sliced cooked chicken

Render and brown the pancetta in a pan (leave in pan with the fat). Cook the pasta. Whisk the egg, Parmesan and pepper. Add the pasta and a tablespoon of pasta water to the pan and heat, shaking, 1 min. Add egg mixture and chicken and toss until fully incorporated. Plate and top with more Parmesan.

Sounds to me like about 15 minutes cooking time; I'm sure the idea of reheating is antithetical, but it's worth a try if this is tasty.

To try: Capellini pomodoro

Warning: You will get "Tu Vuo' Fa' L'Americano" stuck in your head.
At least I do.

Angel-hair pasta
Garlic
Can diced tomatoes
Fresh basil

Cook the pasta.
Chop the basil and drain the tomatoes.
Rough-chop the garlic and saute it in a little olive oil.
Add the tomatoes and basil to the pan and toss around long enough to
warm them up.

Serve over the pasta!

Emeril points out you can keep basil in a glass like flowers. Cut the
stems on a slant.

To try: Roasted garlic cream pasta

Had a marvelous version with rosemary at a good restaurant. Chicken
probably doesn't hurt.

Many similar recipes run thus:

Roast a LOT of garlic and squish it. Mix with a cup or two of heavy
cream, bring to boil. Simmer 5 min and add herbs and 1/2 cup grated
Parmesan.

Purchasing garlic already roasted at a fancy grocery = cheating, but
that's OK with me. In fact, the fancy grocery probably lets you
purchase penne and maybe even grated cheese in small amounts, too.

Cheat like you mean it

To pad out a week's menu with minimal effort and only one dirty saucepan, add:

Red beans and rice: Cook 1 box Zatarain's red beans and rice; add 1 package cooked chicken from cold cuts section of grocery store. 3-4 meals.

Doofer squares (my family's name for store-bought ravioli, because they're not Mom's ravioli but they'll do-fer now): Boil 1 package Buitoni or similar ravioli 10 min. Top with favorite pasta sauce. 3 meals.

Raspberry chipotle potstickers: Boil 1 box HEB pork potstickers (in the appetizers section of the frozen food aisle) 5-6 min. Drain and serve with Fischer & Wieser Raspberry Chipotle sauce as dipping sauce. 2 meals.

Cheat: Raspberry chipotle potstickers

Grocery store potstickers are a hit-and-miss affair, but when topped with Fischer & Wieser's Raspberry Chipotle Sauce it almost doesn't matter if they are bland. HEB's pork potsticker appetizers come about 10 to a box, cook up in 5 min, and when topped with sauce they are a reasonable substitute for the wild boar/berry sauce potstickers I miss from a local restaurant that closed a few years ago.

File this under "Cheat like you mean it": simple entrees that pad out a week's cooking with minimal effort.

1 box HEB pork potstickers
F&W Raspberry Chipotle sauce

Boil 2-3 cups water, add potstickers, cook on high 5-6 minutes, drain. Serve with sauce as a dipping complement. (Also a salad!)

3-2-1 margaritas

(Use the empty limeade can to measure the 2nd and 3rd ingredients)

Into the blender:

One 6oz can frozen limeade
2/3 can silver tequila
1/3 can orange liqueur
Fill blender with ice.

On the rocks:

3 oz limeade
2 oz silver tequila
1 oz orange liqueur
over ice.

I tend to like sweet margaritas, but not bad margaritas (though many people consider those two to be synonymous). This recipe, made with limeade instead of the usual frozen lime juice, came out yummy.

Definitely get the best tequila you can. Silver = tasty. We found Don Julio on sale. Patron is the Mercedes-Benz. An extremely noticeable difference from the cleaning-fluid-flavored stuff in plastic bottles.

Cream tacos, pecan chicken, rosemary chicken and potatoes

Yield: Good (12)
Labor: 3 hrs total -- not bad, but the raw chicken means you gotta
do it all in one night.
Flavor: High -- all these taste great.
Cost: Low (about $3.30 per)

Have on hand: Tinfoil, olive oil, large rosemary shrub growing outside

Store:
6-pack of chicken
red potatoes
garlic
lemon
salad greens
Can of chicken-and-mushroom soup
Can of diced green chilis
1 cup half-and-half
corn tortillas

Prep:
Crush pecans and stir with 1/2 cup breadcrumbs.
Salt and pepper some flour for dredging.
Set out two 12" squares tinfoil on a cookie sheet.
Get rosemary, clean and chop it.
Mince garlic.
Make salads.

Potatoes:
Preheat oven to 450. Put potatoes in oiled baking dish; sprinkle
with oil, and rosemary. Bake 25 min. Clean out the dish after.

Rosemary Chicken Packets:
Lower oven to 400.
Oil the foil. Put a chicken breast on each square; sprinkle garlic,
rosemary, zest and lemon juice. Seal packets and place on cookie sheet.
Bake 25 min (can do simultaneously with Pecan Chicken)

Pecan Chicken:
Trim up chicken. Coat thick parts in Caesar dressing, roll in pecan
mix and bake 25 min at 400.

Cream tacos:
Lower oven to 325.
Dredge thin chicken parts in flour and saute.
Mix soup, chilis, half-and-half. Tear tortillas into 4 or 5 pieces each.

Layer in pan: Soup mixture, tortillas, cheese, tortillas, soup,
chicken, gravy, cheese, tortillas, soup, cheese, tortillas, soup,
cheese.
Bake covered (tinfoil works in a pinch) at 325 for 1 hour. Uncover
and allow to brown on top.

Rosemary Chicken Packets

Need tinfoil and a baking dish, plus olive oil.

chicken breasts
red potatoes
garlic
rosemary
lemon

Chop the rosemary and garlic. Oil a 12" square of tinfoil; place a
chicken breast on it and sprinkle with some of the garlic, rosemary,
lemon zest, lemon juice. Repeat. Seal the packets (leaving air room
inside). Put the packets on a cookie sheet.

Chop the potatoes. Oil a baking dish. Toss in the taties and sprinkle
with garlic, rosemary and oil.

Bake the chicken and potatoes 25 min at 400. Potatoes might need
higher temp or more time to get brown and tender.

Mom's Salmon Patties

This is why my shortcuts don't give good results. I remember Mom's
salmon patties from when I was a kid and they were really good. She
doesn't skip steps.

Sayeth the Mom:

Here is my recipe for salmon patties. You have to season them pretty
highly to kill the canned salmon taste.

Salmon Patties

1 can sockeye red salmon, all skin and bones removed
(or I use 2 small cans salmon "fillets" that I get at Costco)

1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp Wasabi powder
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
2 Tbsp dried onion flakes Adams brand
1 or 2 Tbsp instant potato flakes (or use bread crumbs)
1 egg
Some lemon juice
Panko bread crumbs to coat patties

Form patties, roll in bread crumbs, sauté til browned.

To try: Chicken in foil packet

The Parmesan recipe below is adapted from one in the Pittsburgh Post-
Gazette.

Possible combos:
Chicken tenders, marinated overnight in soy, oyster sauce, ginger
juice, sesame oil and rice wine, with green onions.
Also possible:
Chicken breast, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, red potatoes;
Layer: green onion, chicken, 8oz can drained pineapple, strips of red
bell pepper; top with mix of teriyaki/ginger/brown sugar

More ideas, great instructions here: http://www.lowfatlifestyle.com/

tip_archive/archive_nov03.htm
Tons of recipes: http://www.alcoa.com/reynoldskitchens/en/recipes/

recipe_search.asp

Parmesan Chicken Packet

4 tsp grated Parmesan
1 to 2 tsp garlic salt
1 chicken breast
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup sliced carrots
2 small red potatoes, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400. Lay out a double-thickness of tin foil, 12"
square, on a cookie sheet.
Chop potatoes and carrots.
Combine Parmesan and garlic salt.
Rub olive oil on chicken, then press it into the cheese mix, both sides.
Put chicken on tin foil; surround with the veg (don't crowd). Drizzle
remaining oil on chicken; salt and pepper the veg.

Seal foil tightly and bake 25 min. Open packet carefully (watch out
for the steam) and bake 5 minutes longer.

This recipe feeds one person, but it can be doubled or tripled as
needed. Cooking time will vary according to the size of the chicken
breast. To speed things up, chicken tenders may be substituted. Or
the chicken breast can be cut in strips.

Mother Hubbard meals

AKA "Whatever's in the cupboard."

I noticed that Amy's Salmon Croquettes were made entirely from ingredients that could be kept in the pantry. That observation plus our recent ice storm made me think that starting a list of meals that could be made without going to the store at all would be a good idea. I'll add to it as I can.

Salmon croquettes
Spaghetti (if you skip the homemade meatballs, sniff)
Red beans and rice (if you skip the addition of the cooked chicken, which I do like)

Cream tacos, salmon croquettes, pecan chicken

Lots of baking this week. I wonder if that will cut down on labor?

Will probably have leftover cheese and eggs, so make tortilla soup and breakfast tacos the next week. Is fancy salmon better than pink?

Fancy store: 4 Tbsp wheat germ

Grocery: 6-pack chicken breasts; 14.75 oz can salmon, 2 eggs, can chicken/mushroom soup, can diced green chiles, grated cheddar/Jack, 1 cup half-and-half, corn tortillas.

Have on hand: Chicken broth, garlic breadcrumbs, pecans, garlic Caesar salad dressing, olive oil, flour.

Crush pecans and stir with 1/2 cup breadcrumbs. Salt and pepper some flour for dredging.
Moosh up salmon, 2 eggs, wheat germ, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs; make into patties and bake 8-15 min at 425. Lower heat to 400 and clean the baking dish.
Trim up chicken. Coat thick parts in Caesar dressing, roll in pecan mix and bake 25 min at 400.
Dredge thin parts in flour, saute til just brown.
Add 2 Tbsp flour to oil in pan, stir to brown flour, add chicken broth to deglaze pan, stir to thicken.
Mix soup, chilis, half-and-half. Tear tortillas into 4 or 5 pieces each.
Layer in pan: Soup mixture, tortillas, cheese, tortillas, soup, chicken, gravy, cheese, tortillas, soup, cheese, tortillas, soup, cheese.
Bake covered at 325 for 1 hour. Uncover and allow to brown on top.

To try: Tomato-Cheese Torta

6 oz goat cheese
4 oz cream cheese
8 cloves garlic, peeled, smushed and chopped
1/2 cup pesto (at least)
1/2 cup chopped up fine oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, including 1 - 2 tsp of the marinade
and/or roasted sweet peppers
crackers

Mix cheeses and garlic. Line a small bowl with plastic wrap and put 1/3 of cheese mix on bottom. Top with pesto. Add 1/3 cheese mix. Layer tomatoes/peppers. Add 1/3 cheese mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate from 2 hours to 4 days. Invert and remove wrap to serve with crackers.

Cream tacos

A family recipe. Serve with ranch-style beans, baked in oven alongside the tacos.

Chicken breasts, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp flour, plus more for dredging
Chicken broth
1 can chicken and mushroom soup
1 can diced green chilis
1 cup half-and-half
Shredded jack and cheddar cheese
Corn tortillas

Mix salt and pepper into dredging flour and coat the chicken pieces. Saute in olive oil just till browned.

Add 2 Tbsp flour to oil in pan, stir to brown flour, add chicken broth to deglaze pan, stir to thicken.

Mix soup, chilis, half-and-half. Tear tortillas into 4 or 5 pieces each.

Layer in pan: Soup mixture, tortillas, cheese, tortillas, soup, chicken, gravy, cheese, tortillas, soup, cheese, tortillas, soup, cheese.

Bake covered at 325 for 1 hour. Uncover and allow to brown on top.

Week: Tortellini soup, chicken piccata, lemon stirfry

Yield: Fantastic -- 16 meals.
Cost: $3.25 per meal -- pretty good.
Labor: Not too bad, call it 3 hours over 2 nights. (More if you toss in breakfast tacos)
Flavor: All tasty (see note below)

Ingredients plus eggs, sausage and tortillas cost about $60; estimate $52 for 16 dinners (4 piccata, 6 soup, 5 stirfry, plus extra tortellini and popcorn chicken) = $3.25 per meal, pretty good.

I found myself not looking forward to the soup (same as with King Ranch Chicken -- I felt like, oh well, I made this so I better eat it, but when I did I enjoyed it). Try a real Italian sausage, and maybe the onion, next time -- and remember that it actually tastes better after a day in the fridge.

Day Zero: Shopping

Fancy store: 1/2 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 lb. Italian sausage

Regular store: cheese tortellini, thin chicken breasts, flank steak, 4-cup box beef broth, 2 cups diced tomatoes, 8 oz tomato sauce, angel hair pasta, lemon, garlic, ginger, snow peas, green pepper. (Add eggs, sausage and flour tortillas if doing breakfast tacos.)

Have on hand: butter, oil, flour, capers, chicken broth, 1/2 cup dry red wine

Day 1: (est 1 hr 30)

Reserve 2 cups tortellini and cook the rest (1 meal). Make and divide the angel-hair pasta for piccata.
Slice 2 garlic cloves, then mince some more for stirfry.
(Cook eggs and sausage now if making breakfasts.)
Brown and drain the sausage. Saute sliced garlic in drippings.
Put in big pot: sausage, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, beef broth, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup wine.
Bring to a boil; simmer uncovered 30 min.
Meanwhile: Clean and chop the snow peas. Dice green pepper. Slice flank steak and marinate in fridge.
After pot has simmered 30 min, skim off fat. Add tortellini and green pepper; simmer another 30 min.

Day 2: (est 1 hr 15)

Get beef out of fridge. Put rice in to cook.
Grate ginger and lemon zest for stirfry; add to ginger. Make stirfry sauce mix.
Put in a cup: lemon juice, 1/2 cup chicken broth and capers.
Stirfry the snow peas. Stirfry beef, then aromatics, then return beef to pan with sauce mix, turning to coat and heat. Serve over rice and snow peas.
Flour the chicken; brown in 2 Tbsp butter plus 3 Tbsp oil. Pull chicken out, lower heat and add lemon/broth mix. Bring to boil; add chicken and simmer 5 min.
Put the chicken atop the pasta. Add 2 Tbsp. butter to the pan and whisk. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Orange Stirfry Beef

I make this, like, every other week. It's also great made with lemons, and it's not bad without the citrus or with a little hot chili oil in place of the citrus, just depending on what you have on hand.

Good with brown rice and snow peas (stir-fried quickly till they turn bright green).

1 lb flank steak
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp black soy
1.5 tsp sweet or ground bean sauce (CAREFUL with the type of bean sauce.)
2 tsp rice wine

Slice the steak into thin pieces across the grain and marinate up to overnight.

AROMATICS:
Zest of 1 or 2 oranges or lemons
1 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
3 diced green onions

RESERVE:
2 tsp rice wine

SAUCE:
2 tsp sugar
0.5 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp black soy
1 or 2 tsp orange or lemon juice

Take your marinated beef out of the fridge. (Make rice and snow peas now.) Stir-fry beef quick and hot (you're almost searing the beef into little caramelized steaklets). Pull beef out into plate or bowl. Put aromatics in pan and sizzle 'em around a little bit. Return the beef to the pan with 2 tsp rice wine, then add the sauce mixture and stir-fry till it thickens up.

Green Beans with Slivered Almonds

Fresh green beans
Garlic salt
Slivered almonds
Olive oil

Wash and trim the green beans; toss with a little garlic salt. Stirfry them quick and hot, till they turn bright green (and I actually like to push it until they start to wrinkle and brown). Pull the beans out, toss the almonds into the pan and stir them until they barely toast (this time, don't push it).

Top the green beans with the almonds and perhaps a little more garlic salt. I find they reheat quite well.

Chicken Fried Steak

Serve with mashed potatoes, corn and a green salad.
This is my method incorporating tips from Stephan Pyles who based his on the Hill Top Cafe.

1 to 1.5 lb. good chuck steak (better than the traditional round steak, Pyles says)
milk
cup or two of flour
salt
black pepper
oil

(Make the corn and potatoes first.)
Trim the meat to within an inch of its life.* Pound the bejabbers out of it till it's pretty flat; soak it in milk overnight in the fridge.
Mix salt and pepper into the flour; coat the meat. Get at least a half-inch of oil pretty hot in the pan (else the meat won't be tender). You might want to try a small piece first to make sure it's good and hot. Fry the pieces a minute or two each side till golden-brown and crispy, then pull them out onto a plate and keep frying more pieces. A fork is actually best for flipping the pieces as it disturbs the flour coating less than tongs, etc. Also the fork can be used to defend your steak pieces from passing family members.


* Unusual tradition in my family is to trim the meat very carefully, resulting in lots of smaller weird-shaped pieces. Looks strange, but also actually allows a lot of control in the frying (and allows for the second tradition, which is family members swooping by and snitching a piece before the whole batch is done; my dad and I are quick with a stealthily wielded fork and can manage a whole meal before Mom even has it all on the table).

Spaghetti and homemade meatballs

Serve with a green salad and Garlic Bread Alla Mom.

(To simplify even further, I'm toying with the idea of making the meatballs out of Owen's Sage Sausage, but I haven't tried it yet to see how that would taste. I like mine a whole lot anyway. They're a simplified version of my mom's; she makes hers with eggs the real way.)

1 lb ground beef
Italian bread crumbs
As much ground fennel as you can stand to grind
Garlic salt

Combine, form into tiny meatballs and brown in olive oil. Cook pasta, top with Newman's Garlic & Basil, sprinkle with tiny meatballs. Yay!

2 weeks of breakfasts

This plan makes 16 take-with-you breakfasts for procrastinating picky
eaters who can't manage to eat breakfast in the house before they
leave for work, but do have access to a microwave, a vending machine
that sells milk and a water fountain at work and aren't glared at if
they eat at their desk. i.e. me.

You do have to remember to grab one out of the fridge as you're
leaving each morning, though!

* Breakfast Tacos with Salsa
* Bowl of Peaches with sugar
* Vanilla Yogurt and Blueberries
* Bowl of Oatmeal, plus a Banana for Later

Keep on hand: sugar packets, tupperware, oatmeal, lunch sacks.

Grocery list:

thin flour tortillas
1 lb sausage
Jar of salsa
Packet of 4 active vanilla yogurts
3-5 eggs
Blueberries
Bananas
Jar of peaches

5 min:
Whatever day you're cooking dinners anyway, use the pan briefly to
scramble the eggs and cook up the sausage. Store in fridge.

20 min:
Measure .75 cups oatmeal each into 4 plastic bowls. Store with a
sugar packet.
Make 8 breakfast tacos and store 2 to a container, each with a Saran-
wrap pouch of salsa.
Measure 4 portions blueberries into baggies and store with the yogurt.
Measure 5-6 peach slices each into 4 containers and store with a
sugar packet.

For the next 16 days, rotate between the four meals. Need to record:
actual assembly time; cost; and whether I really eat all these dang
things.

Possible future (or lazy) additions: Waldorf salad (only keeps 2 days
though); Small bowl with milk + baggie of healthy cereal; Snausages +
a paper towel (not the dog food, but rather our name for those
sausage-biscuit frozen sandwiches); Cheese n' apples (drizzled with a
tsp of lemon juice?); ham n' mustard rolls?; fruit cups with mandarin
oranges?

To try: Simple Salmon Croquettes a la Amy

My nutritionist buddy says this is a good way to get brain-food fish
into kids' diet. I (of course) modified her healthy recipe, subbing
store-bought garlic breadcrumbs for the plain crumbs, herbs and
spices she included, but I did leave her wheat germ in so I don't
think I'm being too evil. Now if I only knew where to buy wheat germ
(leaping feet-first into health isn't easy!)

She also says Spanish olive oil is healthier than others, I'm
guessing something to do with the way it's produced.

14.75 oz canned salmon
4 Tbsp wheat germ
1/2 cup garlic breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp oil
2 eggs

Mash all ingredients up with a fork. Form into patties or small
balls. Cook over medium heat 5-7 min (depending on size), or bake at
425 for 8-15 min.

Black-Eyed Peas: Texas Caviar

Best way I've found to get your lucky black-eyed peas. A friend made
this from a great recipe on Allrecipes: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/

Texas-Caviar-I/Detail.aspx

1/2 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
8-oz zesty Italian dressing
15-oz can black beans, drained
15-oz can black-eyed peas, drained
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro

Toss all but the cilantro together; chill in fridge 2 hours. Toss
with cilantro to serve.

Chicken Piccata

Make alongside Waldorf salad, lemon stirfry or another recipe that uses the other half of the lemon!

No fooling around, though: Don't mess with the whole complex butter, oil, butter, oil instructions or you won't get good sauce. Do it like it says (and it is possible to overdo the lemon.)

2 chicken breasts, sliced thin
brown rice or angel hair pasta
flour
6 Tbsp butter, divided
5 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup capers

Make the pasta or rice.

Flour the chicken; brown half the chicken in 2 Tbsp butter plus 3 Tbsp oil, then add 2 Tbsp butter plus 2 Tbsp oil and brown the other half.
Remove chicken, lower heat and add lemon juice, stock and capers. Bring to boil; add chicken and simmer 5 min.

Put the chicken atop the pasta or rice. Add the rest of the butter to the pan and whisk. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

To try: Amy's Waldorf Salad

My buddy Amy made the recipe at bottom for a party and I liked it; I think I could get two fruity lunches out of it. It's supposed to store in the fridge 2 days; here's my attempt at a quarter-recipe with simplified ingredients (i.e., stuff I have on hand; if this works, I should be able to make two lunches by buying only two apples and a small bunch of grapes). The full recipe is given below. (Lemon juice is sometimes added.)

1 red Delicious apple, coarsely chopped
1 yellow Delicious apple, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup seedless grapes, red or green
1/8 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Miracle Whip
1 1/3 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp melted butter
1 Tbsp sugar

Mix the last 4 ingredients; toss with the fruit and nuts.

Full recipe (serves 8 to 10):

4 red Delicious apples, coarsely chopped
4 yellow Delicious apples, coarsely chopped
1 cup seedless grapes, red or green
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup half and half
3 Tbsp sugar

Mix the last 3 ingredients; toss with the fruit and nuts.