A Plan, no really!

Since I had a doctor's appointment today, I didn't have time to also go to Project Perry today. I will be going Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Because of that I've had time today to figure out my menu for this week though. For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/06/menu-plan-monday-june-22nd-giveaway.html


Monday: steak, baked potatoes, broccoli
Tuesday: Turkey Cutlets with Orzo-Spinach Salad and Butter-Braised Squash
Wednesday: chili with oven fries (leftover chili with oven-baked homemade fries)
Thursday: Salmon with Garlic Aioli and Lemon Couscous
Friday: Italian Spaghetti Sauce With Meatballs

Grilled Steak
Serves 4 to 6.

1 1/2 to 2 pounds steak
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (optional)

Combine soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and oil; pour over steak. Marinate at least 8 hours in refrigerator. Turn steak frequently to keep coated with marinade.

Remove steak from marinade; grill, turning to cook both sides, over medium coals to desired doneness. Slice thinly across grain to serve.

The Baked Potato
If you're cooking more than 4 potatoes, you'll need to extend the cooking time by up to 15 minutes.
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Serves: 1 potato per person

1 large russet potato (If it looks like Mr. Potato Head(r), you've got the right one.)
Canola oil to coat
Kosher salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees and position racks in top and bottom thirds. Wash potato (or potatoes) thoroughly with a stiff brush and cold running water. Dry, then using a standard fork poke 8 to 12 deep holes all over the spud so that moisture can escape during cooking. Place in a bowl and coat lightly with oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and place potato directly on rack in middle of oven. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drippings.

Bake 1 hour or until skin feels crisp but flesh beneath feels soft. Serve by creating a dotted line from end to end with your fork, then crack the spud open by squeezing the ends towards one another. It will pop right open. But watch out, there will be some steam.

Turkey Cutlets with Orzo-Spinach Salad and Butter-Braised Squash
http://www.cookingbytheseatofmypants.com/

Turkey Cutlets:
1 pkg (16 oz.) Turkey Cutlets
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. Olive Oil (for Cooking)
Orzo Spinach Salad:
1/2 package Orzo pasta, cooked al dente and drained
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 large mushrooms (2 cups) sliced
9 oz. spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter Braised Squash:
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium yellow squash, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut in strips
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Turkey Cutlets:
Preheat oven to 150 degrees.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet with 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.

Mix salt, pepper and flour together on a serving plate or shallow baking dish. Flour each turkey cutlet lightly on both sides, shaking off any excess flour. Cook in batches in skillet for approximately 2 minutes per side, or until just cooked through. Place on baking sheet in warm oven while cooking remaining turkey.

Turkey can sit in warm oven for up to 20 minutes before serving.

Orzo Spinach Salad:
Heat olive oil in a large, high sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms begin to smell earthy and are a deep color. Add spinach in handfuls, stirring constantly to wilt leaves evenly. Add more as the volume in the skillet becomes manageable.

Add garlic and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add cooked orzo and stir to combine. Add tomatoes and toss gently. Taste for seasoning.

Serve hot with a bit of grated Romano cheese if desired.

Butter Braised Squash:
Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add squash and cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften. Add bell pepper and continue cooking, stirring often, until squash is translucent and soft, but not mushy. Season and serve immediately.

Wendy's-Style Chili
Makes about 12 servings.
Wendys Chili Tidbits:
For spicier chili, add 1/2 teaspoon more black pepper.
For much spicier chili, add 1 teaspoon black pepper and a tablespoon cayenne pepper.
And for a real stomach stinger, add 5 or 6 sliced jalapeno peppers to the pot.
I use diced canned tomatoes with chilies in place of the green chili and chopped tomatoes and if you want thicker chili use tomato paste instead of tomato sauce. (Original recipe also called for 2 cups water but it was way too watery). You can also make this in the crockpot - this makes A LOT!

2 pounds ground beef
One 29-ounce can tomato sauce
One 29-ounce can kidney beans (with liquid)
One 29-ounce can pinto beans (with liquid)
1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)
1/2 cup diced green chili (2 chilies)
1/4 cup diced celery (1 stalk)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1-3 tablespoons chili powder (depends on how hot your chili powder is)
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain off the fat. Using a fork, crumble the cooked beef into pea-size pieces. In a large pot, combine the beef plus all the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.

Wendy's Chili Seasoning
Recipe By: Gloria Pitzer

2 Tablespoons red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon seasoned salt
1 Tablespoon dry minced onions, crushed very fine
1 teaspoon dry parsley flakes, rubbed to dust
1 teaspoon granulated garlic, crushed to dust
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning mix

Stir all ingredients well together and store in a bottle with tight cap. Keep at room temp and use within 6 months.

Classic Oven Fries
Lemony Oven Fries: Prepare Classic Oven Fries and mix 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, and 1 large garlic clove, crushed with press, with salt, pepper, and oil in bowl. Add potatoes and toss to coat and continue with recipe.
Spicy Oven Fries: Prepare Classic Oven Fries mix 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, and 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne) with salt, pepper, and oil in bowl. Add potatoes and toss to coat and continue with recipe.
Makes 6 servings
Serving Size: 10 fries

Non-stick cooking spray
4 medium baking potatoes or sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
seasonings (optional) (Try one or several of these seasonings: salt, pepper, seasoning salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika)

Preheat oven to 475° F.

Lightly spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Wash potatoes thoroughly and dry with a paper towel.

Cut potatoes into long strips about 1/2 inch thick.

Put oil in a plastic bag (I just put into a large bowl). Add potatoes and toss to evenly coat with oil. You may add seasoning to the bag. Spread strips in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in preheated oven.

Bake at 475° F for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, take sheet out of oven and turn potato strips over. Immediately return sheet to oven and bake at 475° F for 15 more minutes.

Nutrition information Per Serving
SWEET POTATO OVEN FRIES: 130 calories, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 0.5 g, Protein 1 g, Total Carbohydrate 21 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Sodium 10 mg, Excellent Source of Vitamin A, Excellent Source of Vitamin C
OVEN FRIES: 170 calories, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 0.5 g, Protein, 3 g, Total Carbohydrate 29 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Sodium 10 mg, Excellent Source of Vitamin C



Salmon with Garlic Aioli and Lemon Couscous

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup plain dry couscous
1 lemon grated and juiced
4 (6-ounce) Atlantic salmon fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 (8.5 ounce) jar Benedicta Gourmet Creamy Garlic Aioli Sauce
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley

In medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil; add couscous, lemon peel, and lemon juice. Stir to combine; cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Rinse salmon; pat dry with paper towels.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Add oil to the skillet; swirl to coat. Add salmon, skin side up; sear for 2 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until salmon just flakes with a fork (4-6 minutes).

Transfer salmon to a serving platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Add shallots and sauté until translucent (about 2 minutes). Remove skillet from heat, deglaze skillet with wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Stir in Benedicta Aioli.

Pour sauce over salmon. Add parsley to couscous, fluff with a fork to combine. Serve couscous with salmon.

Amount:4 servings


Italian Spaghetti Sauce With Meatballs
From http://www.momadvice.com
Serve meal with a tossed garden salad.
Breadcrumbs Recipe: Making your own breadcrumbs can be easy and inexpensive. The flavor of fresh breadcrumbs versus the store bought variety is not even comparable. Store your breadcrumbs in your freezer and you will always have fresh breadcrumbs on hand. I keep mine in a freezer-safe container and when I get low, I simply make another batch. Breadcrumbs can be made out of loaf ends, stale bread, hot dog rolls, & hamburger buns- whatever you have on hand! Keep a bread bag with all of your bread in it and store it in the freezer. Once the bag is filled, it is time to make some breadcrumbs! Set your oven to broil and then lay all of the bread out on cookie sheets. You only need to broil the bread a couple of minutes (keep one eye on it because it can burn quickly). This helps just to dry the bread out and make it easier to handle. Once the bread is toasted, put this bread into my food processor. You can just have only the bread in there, or if you like the Italian seasonings type of breadcrumbs add your own seasonings (I add garlic salt, and an Italian seasonings dry blend of herbs to mine for that variety). Run the food processor until the bread crumbs are of a fine consistency. Then put these crumbs into a freezer-safe container.

1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons paste
1 egg
3 tablespoons of beef broth
Handful of parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper
3/4 cup chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 bay leaf
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl mix together turkey, bread crumbs, tomato paste, egg, beef broth, handful of cheese, and salt and pepper. Shape into meatballs (any size, just make sure they are all the same size for even cooking) and bake the meatballs for fifteen to twenty minutes or until cooked thoroughly. Carefully remove meatballs from the baking sheet and add them to the sauce. Or in a large skillet, cook meatballs in two tablespoons hot oil over medium-high heat seven minutes or until browned; remove from skillet and drain.

To make sauce, saute onion and garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar, and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer one hour and thirty minutes. Stir in tomato paste basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and meatballs and simmer thirty more minutes. Discard bay leaf. Serve over spaghetti.