Dinner With What I Had

Well I went to the store to get stuff to stock up our cabinets (ie: cornbread mix, mac n cheese, can goods, etc) Well I forgot to look to see what I wanted to make for dinner before I went to the store so I could get some special ingredients if needed. Needless to say, this is what dinner consisted of (green beans, chicken, spices, and Kraft Blue Box):

This meal turned out pretty well :) It wasn't like I could mess it up or something. I was a bit nervous because I had never made a pouch out of aluminum foil to cook meat in and I have a hug texture thing with my food. Esp, chicken. If it doesn't even look right I refuse to eat it. J could say it tastes amazing and I still wont touch it. I put lemon pepper, a tad of garlic salt and some lemon zest in the pouch and cooked it on 375 for about 45mins. I also put a little bit of brown sugar in our green beans and it was overall a good meal. J approved.

And this was the final meal. Minus the Mac N Cheese, I don't like it to touch anything else lol.

Farmer's Porkchops

Since J and I were off for two days together I wanted to make a meal we had never tried before. We were tired of chicken and beef recipes so we went with pork! I looked and looked through my recipe books and found this great recipe in Paula Dean's "The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook". I had never made a white sauce before and was terribly intimidated. I don't know why but I was. Any who this turned out to be a great meal & def. added to the list to make again.

Ingredients:

8 medium potatoes (I used red potatoes)
1/2 medium onion (I omitted this, we hate onions)
Salt & pepper, to taste
White sauce (see recipe below)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
8 center-cut pork chops, about 1/2 inch thick (We used 4)
1/3 cup vegetable oil

White Sauce:

8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 to 2 tsp salt
1/2 to 3/4 tsp pepper
4 cups milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or chives (optional)

Directions:
Melt butter; remove from heat. Stir in flour; add salt and pepper.
Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly.
Add milk, 1 cup at a time. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat and simmer 1 to 2 minutes, then let stand at least 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in parsley or chives, if desired, we didn't desire :)

Directions For Meal:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel potatoes; slice 1/4 inch thick and cover with cold water. If you are going to use onions slice them into thin slices & then cut the slices in half. Start the white sauce now so it will be cooking and thickening as you prepare the potatoes in the dish.

You can either use a well-greased 15x10 casserole dish or if you don't have one like me I sprayed Pam into a large 13x9 glass bake ware dish. It was pretty full but never bubbled over the top.

Next, drain potatoes and layer them in the bottom of the desired dish. If you're adding onions place 1/2 over the potatoes and then layer more potatoes and then more onions, etc. Once all of the ingredients are in place salt & pepper them to taste.

Once the white sauce is done and has thickened up quite a bit pour the sauce over the potatoes and place in the oven & bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Start the pork chops by dredging them in the flour/season salt mixture. Lightly fry the chops; however, don't cook them all the way. Once the chops have browned place them directly on top of the potato/white sauce mixture and place uncovered in oven for about 45 minutes. Serve & enjoy!

Zesty Lime & Cilantro Chicken

Easiest chicken recipe you'll ever make. Ive wanted to make this over and over recently but our dear grill is broken :( We have tried this on our George Foreman grill we received as a wedding present and it does well. I would just recommend taking out the cilantro because it tends to burn and smoke up the kitchen. oops :)

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup of Lime Juice (fresh or you can use the little green bottle, I do.)
4-5 Medium Minced Garlic Cloves (Minced or pressed will work)
A good bit of FRESH Cilantro (Don't use dried!!)
2 Tablespoons Honey
[[sometimes I add a little lemon juice as well, helps keep the chicken tender]]

Directions:
You can marinade in a Ziploc bag or pan. The bag is easier when cleaning up. First take the honey and lime juice and mix together so the honey is Incorporated and not so thick. Then place into the container in which you have selected to marinate your chicken in. Add minced garlic and chopped cilantro. I usually poke a few holes in the chicken for max flavor results.

Let marinade for at least 20 mins, a hour or two would be best. Once marinated place on grill and cook away. Remember to keep your chicken from drying out cook on low/med heat slowly.

Lasagna Rolls

J told me to put this at the top of the list for his favorite meals. It's a pretty simple and easy to follow recipe. You can make more than you'll need and store in an air-tight container and freeze for later use.

Ingredients
12-14 Lasagna Noodles
2 cups Ricotta Cheese (Store Brand Works Fine)
1 Package Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 Can Tomato Sauce(Med-Large Can)
1 lb ground beef Cooked & Drained
Salt & Pepper To Taste. (Note: I LOVE using McCormick's Mediterranean Spiced Sea-Salt, I sprinkle it in the tomato sauce and boiling water for the noodles.)

[[Note: To get more fat out of the hamburger meat, I cook meat until 90% done and then add enough water to cover the meat. Let meat/water start to boil and drain]]

Directions:
Preheat oven 350F & cook/drain meat. When meat is finished add 1/2 can of tomato sauce and let simmer while you cook the lasagna noodles per the package directions (Drain & Cool of course). Next, combine mozzarella cheese & ricotta cheese in large mixing bowl. Mix the two so the mozzarella cheese is evenly distributed. Pour the sauce/meat mixture into the bowl with the cheese mix. Stir, blend, whatever you wish to call it.

I usually place a sheet of wax paper on the counter top and under the bowls to help with cleanup :)

To assemble, spread 2-3(Maybe 4, you'll know best) Tbsp of mixture on the noodle & roll up. I place them sitting upright and once the dish is full pour extra tomato sauce on top and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Uncover and top lasagna rolls with mozzarella cheese and place back in oven to melt cheese.

Unstuffed- Stuffed Peppers

J and I hate peppers but we love the mix inside the stuffed peppers. So, duh, take it out right? Indeed we did, and love it.

1 Lb ground beef
1 Garlic glove
4 Servings rice- We use Uncle Bens but use whatever, even min rice if you want.
2 Cups Tomato Sauce
1 Cup Shredded Cheese, I love Colby Jack blend.

Start rice first if not using Minute Rice. Brown ground beef and drain excess fat (Hint: When meat is just about done pour enough water over the meat and let heat up and then drain the meat. More fat is removed that way). Add tomatoe sauce and let simmer.

Meanwhile, cook rice if using regular rice. Add garlic & heat for 2-3 minutes on medium. Stir in rice, cover, and heat over medium heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top just before serving, making sure that the cheese melts. Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Fried Tortellini with Marinara Cream Sauce

I haven't tried this recipe yet; however, on the next day J and I have the day off together you bet Ill be making these scrumptious looking things. I love watching Paula's Party (Paula Dean's show) and one night she made these lovely fried tortellinis. They look really easy and simple to make. Yields 4-6 servings. Cook Time: 10mins

Ingredients:
For the Tortellini you'll need:
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
1/4 cup fresh goat cheese, softened
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 (16oz) package of fresh pasta sheets

For the Breading:
Peanut oil, for deep frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and pepper

For the Marinara Cream Sauce:
1 jar prepared marinara sauce
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions for the tortellini: Mix together ricotta cheese, goat cheese, grated Parmesan, 1 egg, black pepper and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg in a bowl.
Lay out the pasta sheets on a lightly floured surface. With a pizza cutter or sharp knife cut the sheets up to make 2 by 2-inch squares of dough. Place about 2 teaspoons of the cheese filling in the center of each square. Beat the remaining egg and lightly brush around circumference of the dough. Fold each square in half diagonally to make a triangle around the filling. Press out any air from the center so that the dough is fit smoothly around the filling. Wrap the triangle around your index finger and press the tips together. The third point of the triangle should fold forward to make the proper tortellini shape. Place the finished tortellini on a lightly floured baking sheet.
Cook the fresh tortellini in a large pot of simmering water for about 3 minutes or until they float. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Directions for the breading:
Preheat oil to 375 degrees F.
Place the flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Put the beaten eggs into another. In a third bowl, toss together bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley.
In small batches, bread the tortellini in the flour, then the egg, and then the bread crumb mixture, shaking off any excess.
Fry the tortellini in batches in the oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined sheet tray to drain and season with salt and pepper while still hot.

Directions for the marinara cream sauce:
In a large saucepan, combine sauce, cream and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
(Picture from foodnetwork.com)