quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
“Canada fish” and tortellini, peas and onions.
These are Poppop originals.
While on a bow and arrow bear hunting trip to Canada with my good friend Butch and a couple of other guys. That’s a whole ‘nother story. We were on a lake and caught some pike. I fixed them this way and Butch always likes me to fix what he calls “Canada fish”
Turn the oven on at the lowest possible setting. We’re going to keep the fish warm while we finish the Canada Sauce.
1 pkg. buitoni cheese tortellini
1 med size onion, chopped
1 ½ cups frozen peas
about ¾ cups olive oil
Put about 2 qts. water on to boil. Put the oil in a med. sized frying pan. Med heat. Add the onions and cook only until translucent. We don’t want them anywhere near brown. Add the peas. When the oil starts to bubble again after it recovers from the shock of the cold peas remove it from the heat. The water should be boiling by now. Add the tortellini and stir it right away. These cook pretty fast and we want them a little under done. When they’re a little under done drain and add to the onions and peas. Toss a few times to coat the tortellini with the oil so it won’t stick together. When the Canada sauce is almost done we’ll put the pan back on and finish it up. There might be a little left over. Just let it cool then, zip lock, freezer.
2 or 3 or 4 tilapia fillets. Remember you can buy them frozen and bagged up to keep in the freezer waiting for you. You can use any kind of fish that will hold up to sautéing ,,,,salmon, sea bass, halibut even catfish. I like tilapia, they come perfect sized for portions and are real easy to work with. If they are frozen just put them in a bowl of water for about 10 minutes and they should be ready to go.
2 lemons, sliced
about 1 and 1/2 cup of white wine
a couple of good pinches (about a tsp) of dried dill
about1 tbsp. of butter
a little flour for dredging and thickening
about 4 or 5 tbsp. olive oil
Put the olive oil in a frying pan big enough to handle the fish. Med. high heat. Put about 1 ½ cups flour in a plate and dredge the fish in it then cook the fish in the hot oil. Remove the fish to a plate and put in the oven. Put the butter in the pan. When melted put a big pinch of the flour in and immediately whisk it with the turner thing you used to handle the fish. Add the sliced up lemons and the dill. Stir it up for just about a minute or 2 to get the juice out of the lemon slices. Add the wine and fast simmer until it is reduced by about half and thickened. Salt and pepper to taste. While it is reducing put the tortellini pan back on and toss it while you reheat it. Put the Canada sauce on the fish and
SERVE IT UP!! With some grated parmesan for the tortellini, some good crusty bread, maybe some extra virgin olive oil for dipping and the rest of that white wine!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Chicken and dumplings
Another warm and fuzzy, quick and easy meal
3 boneless chicken thighs or 4-6 chicken tenders
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
salt and pepper to taste
1 (12 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough
In a large pot over high heat, combine the chicken with enough water to cover, and boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain some of the water from the pot, leaving about 1-1/2 cups in the pot.
Remove chicken pull or cut it into bite size pieces; return to pot.
Reduce heat to medium, and add the can of soup. Season with salt and pepper. Pull 1/2 of the biscuit dough into pieces, and add to the soup. Simmer over medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through.
SERVE IT UP!! Don’t forget some good bread and maybe a little salad and maybe some white wine!
Chicken and dumplings
Another warm and fuzzy, quick and easy meal
3 boneless chicken thighs or 4-6 chicken tenders
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
salt and pepper to taste
1 (12 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough
In a large pot over high heat, combine the chicken with enough water to cover, and boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain some of the water from the pot, leaving about 1-1/2 cups in the pot.
Remove chicken pull or cut it into bite size pieces; return to pot.
Reduce heat to medium, and add the can of soup. Season with salt and pepper. Pull 1/2 of the biscuit dough into pieces, and add to the soup. Simmer over medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through.
SERVE IT UP!! Don’t forget some good bread and maybe a little salad and maybe some white wine!
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
We're going to do cheeseburgers in paradise tonight. The original post was on feb. 17th
Enjoy!! or maybe you have something saved in the freezer that you may want to zap!
We're going to do cheeseburgers in paradise tonight. The original post was on feb. 17th
Enjoy!! or maybe you have something saved in the freezer that you may want to zap!
Monday, March 30, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Chicken Parmesan
Let me tell you what Gammy and I did the other night. We didn’t go to the store, but we had chicken tenders, garlic bread and tomato sauce, from our meatballs and spaghetti a couple of Sundays ago, in the freezer. Sliced tomatoes will work real good in a pinch or store sauce. We also had some baby spinach in the fridge.
Pre heated the oven to 375.
Put some chunks of the frozen tomato sauce or the store sauce, in a small pot with a little water and med heat. Floured the chicken tenders and fried them up in a little olive oil then put them in a casserole dish that I had put just a small spoon of the tomato sauce on the bottom. Put some more sauce on top of the chicken. Then shredded some mozzarella cheese on top, a touch more sauce, a little dried basil, a little more dried oregano, drizzled with a little olive oil and topped with parmesan cheese. Put it in the oven.
Chopped up 2 cloves of garlic and put that in a frying pan with some olive oil, med low heat, just long enough to get the garlic fragrant, about 1 ½ min. Then added a few handfuls of spinach. Turned it while it wilted and then removed from the heat to be reheated a little when the chicken is just about ready to come out of the oven.
We had some garlic bread in the freezer and put a few pieces in the toaster oven.
It all was done and we sat down to a great, easy meal. Oh yeh, squeeze a little lemon on the spinach when it’s done. would you believe we also had some wine!?
Chicken Parmesan
Let me tell you what Gammy and I did the other night. We didn’t go to the store, but we had chicken tenders, garlic bread and tomato sauce, from our meatballs and spaghetti a couple of Sundays ago, in the freezer. Sliced tomatoes will work real good in a pinch or store sauce. We also had some baby spinach in the fridge.
Pre heated the oven to 375.
Put some chunks of the frozen tomato sauce or the store sauce, in a small pot with a little water and med heat. Floured the chicken tenders and fried them up in a little olive oil then put them in a casserole dish that I had put just a small spoon of the tomato sauce on the bottom. Put some more sauce on top of the chicken. Then shredded some mozzarella cheese on top, a touch more sauce, a little dried basil, a little more dried oregano, drizzled with a little olive oil and topped with parmesan cheese. Put it in the oven.
Chopped up 2 cloves of garlic and put that in a frying pan with some olive oil, med low heat, just long enough to get the garlic fragrant, about 1 ½ min. Then added a few handfuls of spinach. Turned it while it wilted and then removed from the heat to be reheated a little when the chicken is just about ready to come out of the oven.
We had some garlic bread in the freezer and put a few pieces in the toaster oven.
It all was done and we sat down to a great, easy meal. Oh yeh, squeeze a little lemon on the spinach when it’s done. would you believe we also had some wine!?
Sunday, March 29, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Lasagna
This is sorta special
Lasagna is such a great Sunday, everybody get together meal,,,, well,,,,, serve it with some salad and fresh Italian bread,,, it’s special!!
Lasagna is made up of 4 parts ,,, pasta ( big lasagna noodles) good sauce, meat and cheese. Sounds simple don’t it,, but it’s how you put it together and what else you do with it that makes the difference.
Noodles,, you can use any lasagna noodles that need to be cooked. Put them in boiling water until about halfway done. (firm but not quite ready). Drain and drizzle with a little olive oil. Gently stir or toss so that all the pasta is coated with oil to keep them from sticking together or you can buy lasagna noodles that will cook and get soft for serving in the casserole dish without boiling. I can’t tell the difference when they both are done.
Sauce,,, if you saved some of the poppop’s spaghetti and meatballs from a couple of Sundays ago you can use that and it will solve your sauce and meat problem. If you didn’t you can use marinara sauce off the shelf.
Meat,,,, you can do 1 or both of the following,,, cook up some Italian sausage in a frying pan until it doesn’t leak any more. Let it cool and slice it thin. Meatballs,,,, Mix up 1 lb of ground beef, about 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese and 1 egg with your hands. Put it in a frying pan and cook it as you break it up as it cooks with a turner thing.
Cheese,,,,, you will want to have at least 3 kinds of cheese,,, mozzarella, provolone and ricotta.
Now I’m going to come off the wall a little bit and slice, real thin, a small eggplant and a couple of zucchinis.
Put a little of the sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish big enough to handle all the ingredients.
Start with a layer of the pasta,,,then all the rest of the stuff in layers until the dish is full. You have to have enough liquid (sauce) to fill the dish to the top of all the ingredients and to have some to spoon on the portions for serving. Drizzle it with olive oil, top with parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for about ½ hour. Uncover and cook for another 10-15 minutes more.
I know I’ve been a little vague about amounts of this and that, but it’s hard to screw up this dish.
The difference comes out in the thoughts you put into it while you are putting all the stuff together. It’s a Sunday, family thing.
Maybe a salad and good crusty bread and Chianti!!
Lasagna
This is sorta special
Lasagna is such a great Sunday, everybody get together meal,,,, well,,,,, serve it with some salad and fresh Italian bread,,, it’s special!!
Lasagna is made up of 4 parts ,,, pasta ( big lasagna noodles) good sauce, meat and cheese. Sounds simple don’t it,, but it’s how you put it together and what else you do with it that makes the difference.
Noodles,, you can use any lasagna noodles that need to be cooked. Put them in boiling water until about halfway done. (firm but not quite ready). Drain and drizzle with a little olive oil. Gently stir or toss so that all the pasta is coated with oil to keep them from sticking together or you can buy lasagna noodles that will cook and get soft for serving in the casserole dish without boiling. I can’t tell the difference when they both are done.
Sauce,,, if you saved some of the poppop’s spaghetti and meatballs from a couple of Sundays ago you can use that and it will solve your sauce and meat problem. If you didn’t you can use marinara sauce off the shelf.
Meat,,,, you can do 1 or both of the following,,, cook up some Italian sausage in a frying pan until it doesn’t leak any more. Let it cool and slice it thin. Meatballs,,,, Mix up 1 lb of ground beef, about 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese and 1 egg with your hands. Put it in a frying pan and cook it as you break it up as it cooks with a turner thing.
Cheese,,,,, you will want to have at least 3 kinds of cheese,,, mozzarella, provolone and ricotta.
Now I’m going to come off the wall a little bit and slice, real thin, a small eggplant and a couple of zucchinis.
Put a little of the sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish big enough to handle all the ingredients.
Start with a layer of the pasta,,,then all the rest of the stuff in layers until the dish is full. You have to have enough liquid (sauce) to fill the dish to the top of all the ingredients and to have some to spoon on the portions for serving. Drizzle it with olive oil, top with parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for about ½ hour. Uncover and cook for another 10-15 minutes more.
I know I’ve been a little vague about amounts of this and that, but it’s hard to screw up this dish.
The difference comes out in the thoughts you put into it while you are putting all the stuff together. It’s a Sunday, family thing.
Maybe a salad and good crusty bread and Chianti!!
Friday, March 27, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Broiled lemon, garlic shrimp
This is fast and easy. You can do your favorite carb, but choose a fast one, maybe potatoes/sweet potatoes in the microwave and some salad made before you start the shrimp. Or, maybe you have some leftover aglio e olio!
About 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined or as many as you want to serve. This recipe will serve 2-3
3/4 cup butter
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1 lemon cut in half
some grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dried basil
Preheat oven on broiler setting. Remove tails from shrimp and with a sharp knife butterfly them. Arrange them on cookie sheet that has been sprayed with pam..
In a small saucepan, melt butter with garlic and juice squeezed from the lemon. Add the basil. Brush onto shrimp. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over shrimp.
Place pan on top rack, and broil shrimp for 4 to 5 minutes turning with a fork or tongs once, until done. Serve with remaining butter mixture for dipping.
SERVE IT UP!! With some crusty Italian bread and some white wine. Try soave or pino grigio or Chablis or montrachet ($). Serve the wine real cold.
Broiled lemon, garlic shrimp
This is fast and easy. You can do your favorite carb, but choose a fast one, maybe potatoes/sweet potatoes in the microwave and some salad made before you start the shrimp. Or, maybe you have some leftover aglio e olio!
About 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined or as many as you want to serve. This recipe will serve 2-3
3/4 cup butter
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1 lemon cut in half
some grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dried basil
Preheat oven on broiler setting. Remove tails from shrimp and with a sharp knife butterfly them. Arrange them on cookie sheet that has been sprayed with pam..
In a small saucepan, melt butter with garlic and juice squeezed from the lemon. Add the basil. Brush onto shrimp. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over shrimp.
Place pan on top rack, and broil shrimp for 4 to 5 minutes turning with a fork or tongs once, until done. Serve with remaining butter mixture for dipping.
SERVE IT UP!! With some crusty Italian bread and some white wine. Try soave or pino grigio or Chablis or montrachet ($). Serve the wine real cold.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Chicken Scarpariello
This is good and easy. Add your favorite pasta or potato to this with a salad or veggie of your choice.
1 whole chicken cut into pieces or as many chicken tenders as you want to serve
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
Salt & Pepper
1 Teaspoon Oregano
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, Peeled & Sliced
1/2 Cup Chopped Onions
1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup White Wine
Juice From 1 Lemon
3 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix together the flour and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture. In a heavy, ovenproof skillet, large enough to hold all of the chicken pieces, heat the olive oil, and then brown the chicken well on all sides over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the oil by having the heat too high. Once all of the pieces are well browned, remove them to a plate. Add the onion and cook until soft, and then add the garlic. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the wine, and stir the browned bits at the bottom while you reduce the wine by half over medium high heat. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the rosemary to the sauce. Return the chicken pieces to the skillet, and spoon the sauce over top. Bake the chicken until done, about 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken to a warmed platter, and bring the remaining sauce to a boil. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Mix the tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of softened butter. Add the remaining butter to the sauce in the skillet, and mix well. If the sauce is thin, stir in asome of the flour , wisking continuously to prevent lumps. Once the sauce has thickened, add the parsley, and pour the sauce over the chicken on the platter.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some good crusty bread and the rest of that white wine!!
Chicken Scarpariello
This is good and easy. Add your favorite pasta or potato to this with a salad or veggie of your choice.
1 whole chicken cut into pieces or as many chicken tenders as you want to serve
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
Salt & Pepper
1 Teaspoon Oregano
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, Peeled & Sliced
1/2 Cup Chopped Onions
1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup White Wine
Juice From 1 Lemon
3 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix together the flour and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture. In a heavy, ovenproof skillet, large enough to hold all of the chicken pieces, heat the olive oil, and then brown the chicken well on all sides over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the oil by having the heat too high. Once all of the pieces are well browned, remove them to a plate. Add the onion and cook until soft, and then add the garlic. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the wine, and stir the browned bits at the bottom while you reduce the wine by half over medium high heat. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the rosemary to the sauce. Return the chicken pieces to the skillet, and spoon the sauce over top. Bake the chicken until done, about 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken to a warmed platter, and bring the remaining sauce to a boil. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Mix the tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of softened butter. Add the remaining butter to the sauce in the skillet, and mix well. If the sauce is thin, stir in asome of the flour , wisking continuously to prevent lumps. Once the sauce has thickened, add the parsley, and pour the sauce over the chicken on the platter.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some good crusty bread and the rest of that white wine!!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Poppop and gammy’s fast and easy chicken and roast peppers.
Poppop and gammy’s neat meal. Poppop has had a little wine while watching tv so bear with him.
We were a little late getting home and needed to go with what we had on hand, so this is it.
It sorta starts with roasted peppers. Poppop keeps some roasted peppers in the fridge all the time. You can get some in the super market in the canned veggie department either in olive oil or water. I obviously prefer olive oil.
4-6 chicken tenders
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
1 roasted pepper cut up into bite sized pieces. I don’t know what to tell you here about how much except that a small jar of roasted peppers off the shelf will work. If you would like to learn the way poppop does it just email me at poppop0440@yahoo.com
1/3-1/2 lb of penne pasta
dried basil
balsamic vinager
put a med sized pot of water with a dash of salt on to boil. When it boils add the pasta and stir immediately. Lower the heat a little and keep stirring regularly until almost done. put a frying pan big enough to handle the chicken and the pasta on med high with a little olive oil. Cook the chicken until firm to the touch. Remove and cut up into about ¾ inch sized pieces.
Add the garlic, roasted peppers, a dash or 2 of the basalmic vinager, the chicken and a big pinch of dried basil and the drained pasta (it should be done by now).Add some shredded mozzarella cheese. Toss it a while and ,,,,,,,,,,,,,
SERVE IT UP!! We liked this a lot! Guess what?! We had some Italian bread, olive oil for dipping, some spinach salad and some Chianti!
Poppop and gammy’s fast and easy chicken and roast peppers.
Poppop and gammy’s neat meal. Poppop has had a little wine while watching tv so bear with him.
We were a little late getting home and needed to go with what we had on hand, so this is it.
It sorta starts with roasted peppers. Poppop keeps some roasted peppers in the fridge all the time. You can get some in the super market in the canned veggie department either in olive oil or water. I obviously prefer olive oil.
4-6 chicken tenders
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
1 roasted pepper cut up into bite sized pieces. I don’t know what to tell you here about how much except that a small jar of roasted peppers off the shelf will work. If you would like to learn the way poppop does it just email me at poppop0440@yahoo.com
1/3-1/2 lb of penne pasta
dried basil
balsamic vinager
put a med sized pot of water with a dash of salt on to boil. When it boils add the pasta and stir immediately. Lower the heat a little and keep stirring regularly until almost done. put a frying pan big enough to handle the chicken and the pasta on med high with a little olive oil. Cook the chicken until firm to the touch. Remove and cut up into about ¾ inch sized pieces.
Add the garlic, roasted peppers, a dash or 2 of the basalmic vinager, the chicken and a big pinch of dried basil and the drained pasta (it should be done by now).Add some shredded mozzarella cheese. Toss it a while and ,,,,,,,,,,,,,
SERVE IT UP!! We liked this a lot! Guess what?! We had some Italian bread, olive oil for dipping, some spinach salad and some Chianti!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Shrimp and Artichoke Pasta Recipe
1/3 -1/2 pound of your favorite pasta
2 Tbsp basil pesto. Remember, builini brand in fancy cheese section
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
10-12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined. (Hope you have some in the freezer.)
1/2 cup frozen peas
10 frozen (or canned) artichoke heart quarters, thawed, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion (scallions) or regular onions if scallions are not available
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
½ Tbsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat to boiling a pot with at least 2 quarts of water in it. Put in the pasta. Lower the heat a little and stir right away. Stir regularly and cook until al dente.
Once the pasta is done, and before draining the pasta, scoop out about a cup of the pasta water and put aside. Drain the pasta. Return it to the pot add the pesto, a little of the water, toss and keep it warm. You can put it in a preheated oven at warm or 175 setting or leave it in the pot on the top of the stove on an idle burner next to the one you’re going to use for the shrimp, etc. turn it occasionally so different sides are near the “hot” burner.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and shrimp and cook, tossing or stirring, for 1-2 minutes, until the shrimp is just pink. Add the peas and artichokes, lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for an additional minute. Add the green onions (scallions), basil and parsley, reduce the heat to med/low. Add the pasta, about a Tbsp. of the water and drizzle with a little olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, grated parmesan cheese and toss.
SERVE IT UP!!! With ,,,you know, crusty Italian bread and some white wine! Montrechet or pinot grigio or ice cold chablis!
Shrimp and Artichoke Pasta Recipe
1/3 -1/2 pound of your favorite pasta
2 Tbsp basil pesto. Remember, builini brand in fancy cheese section
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
10-12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined. (Hope you have some in the freezer.)
1/2 cup frozen peas
10 frozen (or canned) artichoke heart quarters, thawed, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion (scallions) or regular onions if scallions are not available
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
½ Tbsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat to boiling a pot with at least 2 quarts of water in it. Put in the pasta. Lower the heat a little and stir right away. Stir regularly and cook until al dente.
Once the pasta is done, and before draining the pasta, scoop out about a cup of the pasta water and put aside. Drain the pasta. Return it to the pot add the pesto, a little of the water, toss and keep it warm. You can put it in a preheated oven at warm or 175 setting or leave it in the pot on the top of the stove on an idle burner next to the one you’re going to use for the shrimp, etc. turn it occasionally so different sides are near the “hot” burner.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and shrimp and cook, tossing or stirring, for 1-2 minutes, until the shrimp is just pink. Add the peas and artichokes, lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for an additional minute. Add the green onions (scallions), basil and parsley, reduce the heat to med/low. Add the pasta, about a Tbsp. of the water and drizzle with a little olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, grated parmesan cheese and toss.
SERVE IT UP!!! With ,,,you know, crusty Italian bread and some white wine! Montrechet or pinot grigio or ice cold chablis!
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Pork Tenderloin In Wine and Garlic Sauce
Serves 2
You are going to need to “multitask” the carb. and veggie while you do the pork. A salad made before you start the pork recipe and potatoes nuked in the microwave are the easiest. Or maybe you have something leftover in the fridge from another day that could be heated up.
1 small pork tenderloin
Cracked Black Pepper
Salt
3/4 Cup any dry red wine i.e. Chianti, cabernet, sangiovese, etc.4 Large Garlic Cloves 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
Turn oven on to just “warm” setting or as low on the temperature dial as it will go. Less then 200 if poss.
Mince the garlic then mash it with side of the knife. Set aside in a small bowl.Cut the pork into ½ - ¾ inch slices. Cover with the cracked pepper and press the pepper onto the pork so the meat is crusted with the pepper. Add the olive oil to a frying pan, and cook the pork over high heat, until it is cooked. It should be on the firm side, but not like a hockey puck.. Put on a platter or plate and put in the oven to keep warm while we make the sauce. . Add the wine, the garlic and the butter to the pan drippings and cook until the wine has reduced by more than half and has become thickened. Serve the pork medallions on a platter with the sauce spooned on top.
SERVE IT UP!! With the carb., veggie, some good crusty Italian bread and the rest of
Pork Tenderloin In Wine and Garlic Sauce
Serves 2
You are going to need to “multitask” the carb. and veggie while you do the pork. A salad made before you start the pork recipe and potatoes nuked in the microwave are the easiest. Or maybe you have something leftover in the fridge from another day that could be heated up.
1 small pork tenderloin
Cracked Black Pepper
Salt
3/4 Cup any dry red wine i.e. Chianti, cabernet, sangiovese, etc.4 Large Garlic Cloves 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
Turn oven on to just “warm” setting or as low on the temperature dial as it will go. Less then 200 if poss.
Mince the garlic then mash it with side of the knife. Set aside in a small bowl.Cut the pork into ½ - ¾ inch slices. Cover with the cracked pepper and press the pepper onto the pork so the meat is crusted with the pepper. Add the olive oil to a frying pan, and cook the pork over high heat, until it is cooked. It should be on the firm side, but not like a hockey puck.. Put on a platter or plate and put in the oven to keep warm while we make the sauce. . Add the wine, the garlic and the butter to the pan drippings and cook until the wine has reduced by more than half and has become thickened. Serve the pork medallions on a platter with the sauce spooned on top.
SERVE IT UP!! With the carb., veggie, some good crusty Italian bread and the rest of
Sunday, March 22, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Chicken Florentine
Don’t get scared. This is easy
Sometimes I add a slice of prosciutto on top of the chicken before the spinach. You could serve this on some soft polenta, or with garlic mashed potatoes on the side or pasta aglio e olio. Serves 2 or you could double it and save some in the freezer in zip lock bags ready to go on a no brainer no cooking night.
4-8 chicken tenders or 2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1/4 Cup Flour2 handfuls of. fresh Spinach. I like to keep a bag of pre washed baby spinach in the fridge.
3 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cups Prepared Tomato Sauce (Or Your Favorite Homemade Sauce)
Salt & Pepper
4 Slices Mozzarella Cheese
Rinse the spinach in water, dry and coarsely chop. Place the spinach in a medium saucepan with 1 tablespoons of the butter. Cook until it is wilted, remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
Pound the chicken breasts until they are an even thickness of about 3/4 inches or just go with the tenders. Season the flour with salt and pepper, and dredge the chicken in the flour until they are lightly coated. In a large frying pan that will hold all of the chicken, melt the remaining butter, with the oil until hot. Cook the chicken until browned on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side. Top the chicken with the prosciutto (if your doing prosciutto) and the spinach. Top each with a slice of mozzarella. Carefully pour the tomato sauce into the skillet around the meat, being careful not to cover it. Cook uncovered over medium heat until bubbling, and then reduce the heat and simmer about 8-10 minutes more.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some crusty Italian bread and some Chianti!!
Chicken Florentine
Don’t get scared. This is easy
Sometimes I add a slice of prosciutto on top of the chicken before the spinach. You could serve this on some soft polenta, or with garlic mashed potatoes on the side or pasta aglio e olio. Serves 2 or you could double it and save some in the freezer in zip lock bags ready to go on a no brainer no cooking night.
4-8 chicken tenders or 2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1/4 Cup Flour2 handfuls of. fresh Spinach. I like to keep a bag of pre washed baby spinach in the fridge.
3 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cups Prepared Tomato Sauce (Or Your Favorite Homemade Sauce)
Salt & Pepper
4 Slices Mozzarella Cheese
Rinse the spinach in water, dry and coarsely chop. Place the spinach in a medium saucepan with 1 tablespoons of the butter. Cook until it is wilted, remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
Pound the chicken breasts until they are an even thickness of about 3/4 inches or just go with the tenders. Season the flour with salt and pepper, and dredge the chicken in the flour until they are lightly coated. In a large frying pan that will hold all of the chicken, melt the remaining butter, with the oil until hot. Cook the chicken until browned on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side. Top the chicken with the prosciutto (if your doing prosciutto) and the spinach. Top each with a slice of mozzarella. Carefully pour the tomato sauce into the skillet around the meat, being careful not to cover it. Cook uncovered over medium heat until bubbling, and then reduce the heat and simmer about 8-10 minutes more.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some crusty Italian bread and some Chianti!!
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Sunday Lamb Chops
OK it’s Sunday and you want a special meal but you don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen.
Get some thick lamb chops. My first choice is rib but loin is real good too.
And let’s go with sweet potatoes and sautéed broccoli with garlic.
Cut up the broccoli. Use a little more than you think because it shrinks up a bit as it cooks. After you cut the florets off the big stalks then split them in half so you have some flat surfaces that will lie on the pan and cook easier. Use a frying pan that is big enough for the broccoli to spread out, not pile up. A couple of tbsp. of olive oil and start it cooking real slow. Toss regularly. You may have to add some more oil. The broccoli will absorb some. Chop up the garlic. About 1 med. clove per serving of broccoli. Or more, or less, depends on your taste for garlic, and put it aside.
Put the sweet potatoes in a microwave friendly bowl and stick them with the tip of pointy knife a few times (sometimes they explode). Start them nuking.
Heat up a frying pan for the lamb chops med high. I like to sprinkle a little garlic powder and black pepper on them. It’s up to you. You will like the lamb cooked a little rarer (more rare?) than you like your beef. When you put the chops on add the garlic to the broccoli. Turn up the heat a little and toss often as the lamb cooks.
When the potatoes are done you can cut them lengthwise and put some butter and pepper in them or scoop them out of the skins, mash them up a little and serve them that way.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some good crusty bread and some red wine. I’m going to go with some a decent California cabernet.
Sunday Lamb Chops
OK it’s Sunday and you want a special meal but you don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen.
Get some thick lamb chops. My first choice is rib but loin is real good too.
And let’s go with sweet potatoes and sautéed broccoli with garlic.
Cut up the broccoli. Use a little more than you think because it shrinks up a bit as it cooks. After you cut the florets off the big stalks then split them in half so you have some flat surfaces that will lie on the pan and cook easier. Use a frying pan that is big enough for the broccoli to spread out, not pile up. A couple of tbsp. of olive oil and start it cooking real slow. Toss regularly. You may have to add some more oil. The broccoli will absorb some. Chop up the garlic. About 1 med. clove per serving of broccoli. Or more, or less, depends on your taste for garlic, and put it aside.
Put the sweet potatoes in a microwave friendly bowl and stick them with the tip of pointy knife a few times (sometimes they explode). Start them nuking.
Heat up a frying pan for the lamb chops med high. I like to sprinkle a little garlic powder and black pepper on them. It’s up to you. You will like the lamb cooked a little rarer (more rare?) than you like your beef. When you put the chops on add the garlic to the broccoli. Turn up the heat a little and toss often as the lamb cooks.
When the potatoes are done you can cut them lengthwise and put some butter and pepper in them or scoop them out of the skins, mash them up a little and serve them that way.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some good crusty bread and some red wine. I’m going to go with some a decent California cabernet.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Chicken soup, a little quick and easy comfort food
1carton (26-ounce) reduced-sodium chicken stock or broth
1cup water
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1med. size onion, chopped
about 2 cups cooked, shredded (or chopped up) chicken. You can get a roasted chicken in the supermarket and put the extra in the fridge for something tomorrow night or maybe lunch at work or school.
¼-1/3 pound(s) egg noodles
1 TBSP. dried parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
¼ cup white wine (optional)
In a 4 or 5 qt. pot, bring stock, water, carrots, celery, and onion to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in chicken, noodles and parsley; cover pot and continue to simmer 7 minutes, or until noodles are just tender, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some good crusty bread, maybe some salad and maybe the rest of that white wine!
Chicken soup, a little quick and easy comfort food
1carton (26-ounce) reduced-sodium chicken stock or broth
1cup water
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1med. size onion, chopped
about 2 cups cooked, shredded (or chopped up) chicken. You can get a roasted chicken in the supermarket and put the extra in the fridge for something tomorrow night or maybe lunch at work or school.
¼-1/3 pound(s) egg noodles
1 TBSP. dried parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
¼ cup white wine (optional)
In a 4 or 5 qt. pot, bring stock, water, carrots, celery, and onion to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in chicken, noodles and parsley; cover pot and continue to simmer 7 minutes, or until noodles are just tender, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some good crusty bread, maybe some salad and maybe the rest of that white wine!
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Garlic Bread
Tip of the day: Make your garlic bread ahead of time. Buy 2 large loaves of French or Italian bread. Cut into slices about ¾ inches thick.
2 ¼ lb. sticks of butter room temp. or do them in the microwave in 10 second zaps until soft but not mushy
5 or 6 cloves of garlic
1 ½ Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dried basil
If you have a food processor put everything (not the bread) in and pulse until blended. If no processor, chop up the garlic then mash it with the side of the knife until minced. The smaller the better. On the cutting board blend the garlic with the other ingredients using the knife as a spatula.
Get out a cookie sheet or baking pan. Spread the butter mixture on one side of the bread slices. Not thick. Spread it out. Put the slices you are going to use tonight aside and put the rest on the cookie sheet and put it in the freezer for about 15 min. Then put them into a large zip lock bag and store them in the freezer for other nights. If you have extra garlic mixture, save it in the freezer in a small zip lock for the next garlic bread making night.
Put today’s slices in the toaster oven on toast setting until you get the degree of toasted that suits you.
Garlic Bread
This isn't a meal just something we do in our house so we can have good homemade garlic bread whenever we want it.
Tip of the day: Make your garlic bread ahead of time. Buy 2 large loaves of French or Italian bread. Cut into slices about ¾ inches thick.
2 ¼ lb. sticks of butter room temp. or do them in the microwave in 10 second zaps until soft but not mushy
5 or 6 cloves of garlic
1 ½ Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dried basil
If you have a food processor put everything (not the bread) in and pulse until blended. If no processor, chop up the garlic then mash it with the side of the knife until minced. The smaller the better. On the cutting board blend the garlic with the other ingredients using the knife as a spatula.
Get out a cookie sheet or baking pan. Spread the butter mixture on one side of the bread slices. Not thick. Spread it out. Put the slices you are going to use tonight aside and put the rest on the cookie sheet and put it in the freezer for about 15 min. Then put them into a large zip lock bag and store them in the freezer for other nights. If you have extra garlic mixture, save it in the freezer in a small zip lock for the next garlic bread making night.
Put today’s slices in the toaster oven on toast setting until you get the degree of toasted that suits you.
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Salsa catfish (or Tilapia or whatever)
2 med. size skinned catfish fillets. If you can’t get catfish in your area you could use tilapia and reduce the cooking time to about 5 min. Sea bass or red fish about 8-10 min.
1 ½ - 2 cups picante sauce. Any good salsa of your choice will work. Hardez makes some good ones.
2 cups cooked rice. Or any other carb that you like. More often than not I fry up some thin sliced potatoes and onions in a pan with some olive oil while the fish is cooking.
Heat up a frying pan that is big enough to hold the fish. Add about 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Add the fillets. Pour Picante Sauce (or salsa) over the filets. Simmer catfish on low flame for about 20-30 minutes. Reduce the cooking time for other kinds of fish.
Do up your rice or potatoes and the salad while the fish is cooking. Uncle Ben’s or some other kind of prepared rice will be done in time.
SERVE IT UP!! Your good! Don’t forget some good bread, some olive oil for dippin’ and some wine!
Salsa catfish (or Tilapia or whatever)
2 med. size skinned catfish fillets. If you can’t get catfish in your area you could use tilapia and reduce the cooking time to about 5 min. Sea bass or red fish about 8-10 min.
1 ½ - 2 cups picante sauce. Any good salsa of your choice will work. Hardez makes some good ones.
2 cups cooked rice. Or any other carb that you like. More often than not I fry up some thin sliced potatoes and onions in a pan with some olive oil while the fish is cooking.
Heat up a frying pan that is big enough to hold the fish. Add about 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Add the fillets. Pour Picante Sauce (or salsa) over the filets. Simmer catfish on low flame for about 20-30 minutes. Reduce the cooking time for other kinds of fish.
Do up your rice or potatoes and the salad while the fish is cooking. Uncle Ben’s or some other kind of prepared rice will be done in time.
SERVE IT UP!! Your good! Don’t forget some good bread, some olive oil for dippin’ and some wine!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Pasta, chicken and roasted asparagus
1 lb. thin asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. thyme
salt to taste
½ lb. pasta
4-8 chicken tenders
1 tsp. lemon zest
juice srom 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. pepper
Parmesan cheese for serving
Preheat oven to 450° F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Toss asparagus with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil, thyme, and 1/4 tsp of the salt in a large roasting pan. Spread out into an even layer and roast 8 to 10 minutes, until crisp-tender.
While asparagus roasts, add pasta to the boiling water and stir a few times; cook according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken and sprinkle with some salt. Stir-fry 3 minutes, until browned. Add lemon zest; stir-fry 1 minute longer, until chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice, some more salt and pepper. Drain pasta and return to pot; add asparagus and chicken mixture and toss. Divide over 6 plates. Top each serving with Parmesan cheese.
YOUR GOOD!! Serve it up with some good bread and some wine!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Grilled Salmon with pasta
click here for the pasta aglio e olio recipe.
Go to the fish person and tell him/her what size salmon fillets you want. I hold my fingers up about 2-2 1/2 inches apart and tell him to cut them from the middle of the fillet. If you don't want the skin on ask him to skin them for you. (don't forget to say please and smile)
This marination thing is optional. I put them in a zip lock bag with about 1/2 cup olive oil, a little garlic powder, some black pepper, a dash of balsamic vinager and about 1/2 cup white wine. Squeeze out the air. zip it shut. swush the fish around a little to mix up the stuff and leave it in the fridge while you make the salad and get the pasta aglio e olio ready.
Put the fillets on a heated up stove top grill or in a frying pan at med high and hot to go. Cook them about 2-3 minutes per side. They should be easily flaked when ready to go.
SERVE IT UP!! with the pasta, salad, crusty bread and the rest of that white wine!!!
Grilled Salmon with pasta
click here for the pasta aglio e olio recipe.
Go to the fish person and tell him/her what size salmon fillets you want. I hold my fingers up about 2-2 1/2 inches apart and tell him to cut them from the middle of the fillet. If you don't want the skin on ask him to skin them for you. (don't forget to say please and smile)
This marination thing is optional. I put them in a zip lock bag with about 1/2 cup olive oil, a little garlic powder, some black pepper, a dash of balsamic vinager and about 1/2 cup white wine. Squeeze out the air. zip it shut. swush the fish around a little to mix up the stuff and leave it in the fridge while you make the salad and get the pasta aglio e olio ready.
Put the fillets on a heated up stove top grill or in a frying pan at med high and hot to go. Cook them about 2-3 minutes per side. They should be easily flaked when ready to go.
SERVE IT UP!! with the pasta, salad, crusty bread and the rest of that white wine!!!
Monday, March 16, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Mexican shrimp with tostadas
We mix precooked shrimp, our favorite salsa, and canned Mexicorn to create this easy tostada. This can be an appetizer or a meal. It’s easy and good. You can put the shrimp from the freezer to the fridge in the morning or just put them frozen into some water with a little salt for about 5-10 minutes. Boil the shrimp, peel and clean. Put them in some ice water for a few minutes. You can find the tostada shells in the potato chip section at the super market. The salsa should be nearby and the mexicorn (or something like it) will be with the canned veggies.
Cooked medium-size shrimp
Canned Mexicorn
Salsa verde
Tostada shells
Avocado slices
Toss cooked medium-size shrimp and canned Mexicorn with a purchased salsa verde. Spoon over heated tostada shells; top with avocado slices.
HOW EASY IS THAT!! SERVE IT UP !!!! with some ice cold cerveza! (beer)
Mexican shrimp with tostadas
We mix precooked shrimp, our favorite salsa, and canned Mexicorn to create this easy tostada. This can be an appetizer or a meal. It’s easy and good. You can put the shrimp from the freezer to the fridge in the morning or just put them frozen into some water with a little salt for about 5-10 minutes. Boil the shrimp, peel and clean. Put them in some ice water for a few minutes. You can find the tostada shells in the potato chip section at the super market. The salsa should be nearby and the mexicorn (or something like it) will be with the canned veggies.
Cooked medium-size shrimp
Canned Mexicorn
Salsa verde
Tostada shells
Avocado slices
Toss cooked medium-size shrimp and canned Mexicorn with a purchased salsa verde. Spoon over heated tostada shells; top with avocado slices.
HOW EASY IS THAT!! SERVE IT UP !!!! with some ice cold cerveza! (beer)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Chicken Piccata serves 2
Multitask some pasta or potatoes of your choice while you do the chicken.
4-8 chicken tenders
1/4 cup flour
salt & pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
For The Sauce:
1/3 Cup white wine
juice from ½ lemon and the peel!
1/4 Cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. capers
1 1/2 Tbsp. dried parsley or 4 Tbsp. chopped fresh if available
Salt & Pepper
preheat oven to 200 degrees
Mix the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken tenders in the seasoned flour. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy frying pan, and add the chicken tenders to the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side over medium heat, until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate. Keep the chicken warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce.
Add the wine to the pan and cook over high heat until reduced by half. Add the lemon juice (and throw in the peel) and chicken broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the butter and using a whisk blend it into the sauce. Add the capers and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Return all of the cooked chicken to the frying pan, and heat in the sauce.
SERVE IT UP!!!! With some pasta or potatoes, salad and some good Italian bread and the rest of that wine!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
PopPop’s spaghetti and meatballs serves 6
A great meal! Worth the time and effort!
This is a Sunday thing. Nothing quick about it.
You might want to double or triple or quadruple the recipe and put the leftovers in zip-loc bags for fast meals during the week. We put up some bags with just sauce so we can use it for pizza or chicken parmesan, etc. (Just break up the sauce before unzipping the bag and dump it in a small pot with a little water in the bottom and heat it up.)
The Sauce
2 Tbsp. good olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
Salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Teaspoon dried oregano
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 small dried bay leaf
½ tsp. ground thyme
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
1 Large Can (32 oz.) crushed Tomatoes. I like Progresso
1 Pound of spaghetti or pasta of choice
Heat up the olive oil in pot big enough to hold everything. I try to use one with the thickest bottom I have. If you only have thin bottoms, put a baking pan or a big frying pan on the burner then the pot. This will help keep the sauce from sticking. Add the garlic and onion. Sauté until translucent. Add the paste, tomatoes and herbs. Bring to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. Turn mixture down to a simmer. Make the meatballs and drop into the sauce as you get them formed. Do not stir for the first 10- 15 minutes or until the meatballs begin to firm up.
Meatballs
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork or veal. If you can’t get just a half a pound, go with a pound. What the hell?
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 Egg
1 Cup bread crumbs
a couple of dashes of red wine
1/3 cup water
Mix all the ingredients together with your hands. You might want to wear rubber gloves or plastic bags. Yeh, plastic bags. Shape into golf ball sized balls, and gently drop into the simmering sauce. You can substitute or add Italian sausage to the sauce. I would suggest browning the sausage in a pan a little bit before adding to the sauce. You don’t have to, but poppop does.
Continue to cook for 2-3 hours over very low heat, stirring every 10 min. or so and adding extra water as needed if it gets too thick. Be sure to stir everything up off the bottom so it doesn’t stick (it will want to). I use a big Teflon pancake turner and go slow and easy getting all the solids that have settled to the bottom since the last stir. Go easy so you don’t bust up the meatballs. When the sauce is done you might want to add a little sugar. The parsley usually takes the tartness out of the tomatoes, but if it still has a bite to it a little sugar will solve it. Use the pasta of your choice, I prefer penne or linguine. Serve over the pasta cooked al dente, with parmesan cheese at the table.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some salad, crusty Italian bread and some good Chianti or Sangiovese.
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
helpful (I hope) tips
1 pound all-purpose flour = 4 cups
1 pound cake flour = 4 3/4 cups
1 pound pastry or graham flour = 4 1/2 cups
1 pound granulated sugar = 2 to 2 1/4 cups
1 pound brown sugar = 2 to 2 1/3 cups
1 pound sifted confectioners’ sugar = 4 cups (approx)
1 pound oatmeal = 2 2/3 cups
1 pound rolled oats = 4 3/4 cups
1 pound butter = 2 cups
1 pound shortening = 2 to 2 1/3 cups
1 pound cheddar cheese = 4 cups, grated
1 cup eggs = 5 to 6 medium eggs
1 cup egg whites = 7 to 10 medium eggs
1 cup egg yolks = 12 to 14 medium eggs
1 pound finely chopped meat = 2 cups
1 pound cocoa = 4 cups
1 ounce chocolate = 1 square
6 oz. chocolate chips = 1 cup (approx)
9 oz. jar jelly or jam = 1 cup (approx)
4 medium apples = 4 cups sliced apples
3 medium bananas = 1 cup mashed banana
8 medium peaches = 4 cups sliced peaches
1 pint strawberries = 2 cups sliced strawberries
1 pound raisins = 2 1/2 to 3 cups
1 pound onions = 2 1/2 cups chopped
1 pound nuts = 4 cups chopped (approx)
Kitchen Tidbits:
_ 1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup
_ 1 cup of whipping cream = 2 cups whipped
_ 1 cup uncooked rice = 3 1/2 cups cooked
_ 1 envelope Gelatin = 4 leaves = 1/4 ounce
_ 1 pkg. yeast = 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup
1 cup of whipping cream = 2 cups whipped
1 cup uncooked rice = 3 1/2 cups cooked
1 envelope Gelatin = 4 leaves = 1/4 ounce
1 pkg. yeast = 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
Quick Tips For The Kitchen
Strawberry Tip: Wash freshly picked strawberries & then take a wide plastic straw and insert it at the bottom of a strawberry–then push the stem out.
Measuring Tip: Rinse measuring cup in hot water before using syrup, oil, etc. Will pour out clean and not stick to cup. Sugar In Fruit Pies: When making pie, sprinkle the sugar under the fruit instead of on top. This prevents pie from boiling over.
Baking Fruit Pies: Cut four small slits into top pie crust and stand one piece of tubed pasta into each slit (choose pasta at least 2 or 3 inches long–cannelloni and cut ziti work well). The juices will bubble up the pasta ‘pipe’ and back down into the pie–instead of running all over your oven. Once pie has finished baking, remove pasta.
Pie Dough Rolling: Try rolling pie dough between two sheets of waxed paper, the dough is easier to manage and doesn’t stick to the table or your rolling pin. Once the dough is in the desired shape and thickness, peel off the waxed paper and place directly in the pie plate. Cut off the excess.
Bigger Cakes From Mixes: To make a bigger cake from a mix, add 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp. baking powder..
Icing Cakes: For one layer cakes, turn the cake upside down before icing so that the top is perfectly flat and even. When icing two cake rounds or squares, place a layer of frosting on the top of one round, then place the other round upside down on top for a perfectly flat top. If the cake rose high and uneven in the middle when baking, you may need to slice a bit off across the top to lay it flat.
Neatly Cut Fudge: Use a pizza cutter to easily slice through flats of fudge and candy squares. Make sure the baking has been chilled or thoroughly set before cutting. The process is fast and easy and the result is nice, neat squares.
Freeze Cookie Dough: Try preparing a few batches of cookie dough at once and freezing the extra that you won’t be baking that day. You can roll the dough in logs first before freezing (wrap the dough really well) and then just slice off and bake what you need whenever you crave freshly baked cookies.
Soften Butter: I cut into small pieces on a cutting board and using the side of a big knife I smear it out on the board after a minute it’s soft enough to use. A few different methods for speeding up the process of getting soft butter right from the fridge (without melting it): Grate the butter into a bowl–comes down to room temperature faster; Microwave for a few seconds at a time–watch closely because you don’t want to zap it too long; Cut butter into squares and put them into a bowl, insert bowl in a pan of warm–not hot–water.
Remove Dough Quickly From Hands: Keep a small bowl of cornmeal nearby while kneading and working with dough. If you need to quickly answer the phone, the door, or rescue a runaway toddler while your hands are full of sticky dough, rub dry cornmeal on your hands. This removes dough faster than washing your hands in soap and water.
Mashed Potato Warmer: Is there ever enough stove top space when preparing large meals (like at Christmas or Thanksgiving)? Here’s a way to get the mashed potatoes done early and out of the way: Prepare your mashed potatoes an hour or two before serving the meal and store them in the slow cooker (on low heat). Serve with the rest of the meal and they’re still hot and tasty :).
Fluff Up Mashed Potatoes: Try adding a healthy pinch of baking powder to the potatoes when mashing them. For fluffier mashed potatoes, use an electric mixer to whip air into them. Any other additions? Me, I’m a real butter and splash of milk potato masher-er ;).
Mixing Raw Hamburger: If you can’t stand mixing raw hamburger by hand and the wooden spoon just won’t do, try covering each of your hands in a clean plastic bag (or baggy) and dig in. The plastic bags will still give your hands and fingers free movement, yet keep them free from raw meat contamination. Did you know: Meatloaf aficionados declare that the ingredients must be mixed by hand or the meatloaf is doomed?.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches: Try slathering mayonnaise on the outer sides of the bread instead of butter when making grilled cheese sandwiches. Makes a nice and crispy sandwich as well as tastes delicious. Another favorite addition of mine is chopped green onions melted in the sandwich with the cheese. Sweet, at least the green onions are healthy!
Cabbage Salad Kicker. Cabbage Salad would be Coleslaw I believe. My mother always made hers with slivers of apple mixed in with the coleslaw (delish!).
Slicing Meat Thin: If you need really thin sliced meat when cooking stir-fry recipes or other dishes, try partially freezing the meat before making your cuts. This will make the meat easier to slice very thin since it will hold firm while slicing, no more uneven cuts from the raw meat mushing underneath the knife blade.
Stop Meat Edges From Curling: When grilling steaks or frying up pork chops, sometimes the edges can curl and the meat no longer sits flat in the pan or on the grill. To help prevent that, just cut a slit in the fat along the edge of the meat every inch or so before cooking.
Baking Soda Meat Tenderizer: You can use baking soda as a meat tenderizer. Two different ways to do this: Sprinkle baking soda all over the meat, rub it in a bit and then let sit (refrigerated) for several hours. You could also make a baking soda/water paste and slather it over the meat. Let it marinate for several hours. Rinse meat before cooking to remove all the baking soda.
Baking Soda Test: Do you have an old box of baking soda in the pantry and you’re not sure whether or not it’s still good? Fill a small cup half full with vinegar and drop a teaspoon of baking soda in it. If things start fizzing, the baking soda is active.
Fresh Fruit & Veggies Washing Tip: Sprinkle wet fruit and veggies with baking soda then gently scrub and rinse. This cleaning method safely removes dirt and residue off produce.
Prevent Bacon Spatters: Bacon can be quite a messy item to prepare, try lightly dusting the bacon with flour before frying. This helps prevent the spatters and meat shrinkage.
Veggie Roasting Racks: Try roasting a chicken or roast on top of long slices of celery or carrot sticks. The vegetables act like a roasting rack plus add flavor to the meat. You can eat the vegetables too, yum! Not only do the veggies work well as a roasting rack, there’s one less item to wash ;).
Potato Flakes Thickener: Add dried instant potato flakes to homemade soups and sauces to thicken the consistency. This won’t change the flavor at all and is a sure trick when a dish sauce turns out too watery or thin.
Natural Peanut Butter Storage: Here’s a tip sent in by reader Beth: Regarding natural peanut butter, the type that separates after it sits for a while. Store the unopened jars in the cabinet upside down. The oil will want to rise to the top again and will pass through the solid part to do so, basically stirring itself
Squeezing Lemons For Juice: For those who suffer from arthritis or hand pain, use a nutcracker to mangle and squeeze wedges of lemons to juice them. Otherwise jab a fork into the fruit flesh, squeeze both ends of the wedge together (towards the fork) and then twist the fork every which way. Lots of juice!
Herb & Spice Storage: To help preserve flavor, herbs and spices are best stored in airtight containers, out of sunlight and away from heat sources. Store the jars and containers in the pantry or a cupboard. Keeping spices and dried herbs in cute glass jars over top of the stove is a popular practice, but it does negatively affect the flavor of your spice collection.
Make Your Own Celery Flakes: Instead of cutting off the leafy tops of celery and tossing away, try making your own celery flakes. Simply wash and dry the leaves well, place in oven at 180° F. until crispy dried (a few hours), crumble and store in an air tight container. Use the celery flakes in cooking dishes such as soups, stews, stuffing and anything else you’d like to add a little flavor.
Crystalized Honey Fix: If your honey has crystalized, place the bottle or container in a pot full of hot water and let it sit for about 1/2 hour or until the honey is melted. Stir the honey well and the crystals will be gone.
Soften Marshmallows: Slice open the top of a marshmallow bag then place in a large ziploc freezer bag. Freeze. Remove the amount of frozen marshmallows you need as you need them. Thaw and they’re soft and ready to use. If you have hard marshmallows in the pantry, try tossing a piece or two of sliced bread in the bag. Seal, then check after a few days. The marshmallows should be soft again.
How to Keep Cookies Soft: Keep cookies moist and chewy by throwing a few slices of apple in your cookie jar to keep cookies soft. Don’t do this if you like crispy or crunchy cookies ;).
Reuse Butter Paper Wrapping: Save the paper or foil wrap from blocks or squares of butter and use them to grease baking pans. Keep the paper refrigerated in a separate baggy. Not only do they do an effective job buttering the pans, it also puts to good use something we often toss freely.
Muffin Tin Use: After stuffing peppers and tomatoes, arrange in a muffin tin before sticking them in the oven. They’ll stay upright and keep their shape perfectly! You could also do this with baked apples or other round or stuffed items.
Fill Empty Muffin Tins With Water: If your muffin or cupcake recipe doesn’t fill all the spots in your muffin pan, fill the empty places 3/4 full with water. This will help protect those slots from darkening or getting scorched.
Easily Color Shredded Coconut: If you’d like to color shredded coconut for toppings on cakes and desserts, simply put the coconut in a clean jar (only one half jar full at a time), add a few drops of food coloring in your choice of color, then cap the jar and shake it until all the coconut is evenly tinted. page.
Add Flavor To Cooked Vegetables: Toss in a bouillon cube or two to the boiling water instead of salt when cooking vegetables. Adds a delicious flavor to the veggies. Another alternative is to add a couple roughly halved cloves of garlic to the boiling water, then lightly tossing veggies in butter once cooked. page of tips.
DIY Non-Slip Bowls: No need to buy expensive mixing bowls with rubber bottoms–just set a bowl on top of a damp cloth and no more worries about it sliding around while you’re mixing something.
Cheesecloth In A Pinch: If you’re out of cheesecloth you can use a sheet of paper towel or a coffee filter to line a colander or strainer and then strain liquid. Single use only and you may have to do in batches.
Open Tight Lid Jars: If tapping around the lid with a knife won’t loosen a jar lid, try putting on a pair of latex gloves then twisting the lid off. This gives a good grip that won’t slip. Another helper: cut a square of leftover nonslip shelf liner and keep that on hand to unscrew lids.
Separate Eggs With A Funnel: If you don’t have an egg separator and need just an egg white or yolk for a recipe, you can use a small kitchen funnel. Crack the egg gently then break into the funnel. The white of the egg will flow through the funnel leaving the yolk behind. No funnel? You could also clip a corner off a ziploc bag and use that as a funnel. Make sure to place the funnel inside a glass so the egg white is contained ;).
Reuse Nylon Mesh Bags: If you buy veggies that are bagged in nylon mesh, you can use that mesh for various cleaning jobs around the house and yard. Just wad up the bag and use it as a scrubber.
Finding Broken Glass Under Soapy Water: If you break glass in soapy water while doing dishes, to prevent cutting yourself while looking for it you can use a tall clear drinking glass or a wide clear glass bowl–keeping the top part above the bubbles, push the glass into the water and use it as a lens to look around and find the broken pieces.
Extra Oven Rack: Take out the extra oven rack when baking and you can use it for the cooling rack. Works for cakes, cookies, hors douvres, whatever you like. If you’re baking smaller items that might fall through, simply cover the rack with tinfoil first (fold foil tightly over the edges). Works like a charm!
Put Out A Stove Top Grease Fire: Douse the fire heavily with salt or baking soda. Turn off the heat as soon as it’s safe to do so without being burned. This is a great way to use expired baking soda or the boxes you just replaced in the fridge, keep those in the cupboard beside your stove. Teach children how to do this as soon as they’re old enough to start cooking.
helpful (I hope) tips
1 pound all-purpose flour = 4 cups
1 pound cake flour = 4 3/4 cups
1 pound pastry or graham flour = 4 1/2 cups
1 pound granulated sugar = 2 to 2 1/4 cups
1 pound brown sugar = 2 to 2 1/3 cups
1 pound sifted confectioners’ sugar = 4 cups (approx)
1 pound oatmeal = 2 2/3 cups
1 pound rolled oats = 4 3/4 cups
1 pound butter = 2 cups
1 pound shortening = 2 to 2 1/3 cups
1 pound cheddar cheese = 4 cups, grated
1 cup eggs = 5 to 6 medium eggs
1 cup egg whites = 7 to 10 medium eggs
1 cup egg yolks = 12 to 14 medium eggs
1 pound finely chopped meat = 2 cups
1 pound cocoa = 4 cups
1 ounce chocolate = 1 square
6 oz. chocolate chips = 1 cup (approx)
9 oz. jar jelly or jam = 1 cup (approx)
4 medium apples = 4 cups sliced apples
3 medium bananas = 1 cup mashed banana
8 medium peaches = 4 cups sliced peaches
1 pint strawberries = 2 cups sliced strawberries
1 pound raisins = 2 1/2 to 3 cups
1 pound onions = 2 1/2 cups chopped
1 pound nuts = 4 cups chopped (approx)
Kitchen Tidbits:
_ 1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup
_ 1 cup of whipping cream = 2 cups whipped
_ 1 cup uncooked rice = 3 1/2 cups cooked
_ 1 envelope Gelatin = 4 leaves = 1/4 ounce
_ 1 pkg. yeast = 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup
1 cup of whipping cream = 2 cups whipped
1 cup uncooked rice = 3 1/2 cups cooked
1 envelope Gelatin = 4 leaves = 1/4 ounce
1 pkg. yeast = 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
Quick Tips For The Kitchen
Strawberry Tip: Wash freshly picked strawberries & then take a wide plastic straw and insert it at the bottom of a strawberry–then push the stem out.
Measuring Tip: Rinse measuring cup in hot water before using syrup, oil, etc. Will pour out clean and not stick to cup. Sugar In Fruit Pies: When making pie, sprinkle the sugar under the fruit instead of on top. This prevents pie from boiling over.
Baking Fruit Pies: Cut four small slits into top pie crust and stand one piece of tubed pasta into each slit (choose pasta at least 2 or 3 inches long–cannelloni and cut ziti work well). The juices will bubble up the pasta ‘pipe’ and back down into the pie–instead of running all over your oven. Once pie has finished baking, remove pasta.
Pie Dough Rolling: Try rolling pie dough between two sheets of waxed paper, the dough is easier to manage and doesn’t stick to the table or your rolling pin. Once the dough is in the desired shape and thickness, peel off the waxed paper and place directly in the pie plate. Cut off the excess.
Bigger Cakes From Mixes: To make a bigger cake from a mix, add 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp. baking powder..
Icing Cakes: For one layer cakes, turn the cake upside down before icing so that the top is perfectly flat and even. When icing two cake rounds or squares, place a layer of frosting on the top of one round, then place the other round upside down on top for a perfectly flat top. If the cake rose high and uneven in the middle when baking, you may need to slice a bit off across the top to lay it flat.
Neatly Cut Fudge: Use a pizza cutter to easily slice through flats of fudge and candy squares. Make sure the baking has been chilled or thoroughly set before cutting. The process is fast and easy and the result is nice, neat squares.
Freeze Cookie Dough: Try preparing a few batches of cookie dough at once and freezing the extra that you won’t be baking that day. You can roll the dough in logs first before freezing (wrap the dough really well) and then just slice off and bake what you need whenever you crave freshly baked cookies.
Soften Butter: I cut into small pieces on a cutting board and using the side of a big knife I smear it out on the board after a minute it’s soft enough to use. A few different methods for speeding up the process of getting soft butter right from the fridge (without melting it): Grate the butter into a bowl–comes down to room temperature faster; Microwave for a few seconds at a time–watch closely because you don’t want to zap it too long; Cut butter into squares and put them into a bowl, insert bowl in a pan of warm–not hot–water.
Remove Dough Quickly From Hands: Keep a small bowl of cornmeal nearby while kneading and working with dough. If you need to quickly answer the phone, the door, or rescue a runaway toddler while your hands are full of sticky dough, rub dry cornmeal on your hands. This removes dough faster than washing your hands in soap and water.
Mashed Potato Warmer: Is there ever enough stove top space when preparing large meals (like at Christmas or Thanksgiving)? Here’s a way to get the mashed potatoes done early and out of the way: Prepare your mashed potatoes an hour or two before serving the meal and store them in the slow cooker (on low heat). Serve with the rest of the meal and they’re still hot and tasty :).
Fluff Up Mashed Potatoes: Try adding a healthy pinch of baking powder to the potatoes when mashing them. For fluffier mashed potatoes, use an electric mixer to whip air into them. Any other additions? Me, I’m a real butter and splash of milk potato masher-er ;).
Mixing Raw Hamburger: If you can’t stand mixing raw hamburger by hand and the wooden spoon just won’t do, try covering each of your hands in a clean plastic bag (or baggy) and dig in. The plastic bags will still give your hands and fingers free movement, yet keep them free from raw meat contamination. Did you know: Meatloaf aficionados declare that the ingredients must be mixed by hand or the meatloaf is doomed?.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches: Try slathering mayonnaise on the outer sides of the bread instead of butter when making grilled cheese sandwiches. Makes a nice and crispy sandwich as well as tastes delicious. Another favorite addition of mine is chopped green onions melted in the sandwich with the cheese. Sweet, at least the green onions are healthy!
Cabbage Salad Kicker. Cabbage Salad would be Coleslaw I believe. My mother always made hers with slivers of apple mixed in with the coleslaw (delish!).
Slicing Meat Thin: If you need really thin sliced meat when cooking stir-fry recipes or other dishes, try partially freezing the meat before making your cuts. This will make the meat easier to slice very thin since it will hold firm while slicing, no more uneven cuts from the raw meat mushing underneath the knife blade.
Stop Meat Edges From Curling: When grilling steaks or frying up pork chops, sometimes the edges can curl and the meat no longer sits flat in the pan or on the grill. To help prevent that, just cut a slit in the fat along the edge of the meat every inch or so before cooking.
Baking Soda Meat Tenderizer: You can use baking soda as a meat tenderizer. Two different ways to do this: Sprinkle baking soda all over the meat, rub it in a bit and then let sit (refrigerated) for several hours. You could also make a baking soda/water paste and slather it over the meat. Let it marinate for several hours. Rinse meat before cooking to remove all the baking soda.
Baking Soda Test: Do you have an old box of baking soda in the pantry and you’re not sure whether or not it’s still good? Fill a small cup half full with vinegar and drop a teaspoon of baking soda in it. If things start fizzing, the baking soda is active.
Fresh Fruit & Veggies Washing Tip: Sprinkle wet fruit and veggies with baking soda then gently scrub and rinse. This cleaning method safely removes dirt and residue off produce.
Prevent Bacon Spatters: Bacon can be quite a messy item to prepare, try lightly dusting the bacon with flour before frying. This helps prevent the spatters and meat shrinkage.
Veggie Roasting Racks: Try roasting a chicken or roast on top of long slices of celery or carrot sticks. The vegetables act like a roasting rack plus add flavor to the meat. You can eat the vegetables too, yum! Not only do the veggies work well as a roasting rack, there’s one less item to wash ;).
Potato Flakes Thickener: Add dried instant potato flakes to homemade soups and sauces to thicken the consistency. This won’t change the flavor at all and is a sure trick when a dish sauce turns out too watery or thin.
Natural Peanut Butter Storage: Here’s a tip sent in by reader Beth: Regarding natural peanut butter, the type that separates after it sits for a while. Store the unopened jars in the cabinet upside down. The oil will want to rise to the top again and will pass through the solid part to do so, basically stirring itself
Squeezing Lemons For Juice: For those who suffer from arthritis or hand pain, use a nutcracker to mangle and squeeze wedges of lemons to juice them. Otherwise jab a fork into the fruit flesh, squeeze both ends of the wedge together (towards the fork) and then twist the fork every which way. Lots of juice!
Herb & Spice Storage: To help preserve flavor, herbs and spices are best stored in airtight containers, out of sunlight and away from heat sources. Store the jars and containers in the pantry or a cupboard. Keeping spices and dried herbs in cute glass jars over top of the stove is a popular practice, but it does negatively affect the flavor of your spice collection.
Make Your Own Celery Flakes: Instead of cutting off the leafy tops of celery and tossing away, try making your own celery flakes. Simply wash and dry the leaves well, place in oven at 180° F. until crispy dried (a few hours), crumble and store in an air tight container. Use the celery flakes in cooking dishes such as soups, stews, stuffing and anything else you’d like to add a little flavor.
Crystalized Honey Fix: If your honey has crystalized, place the bottle or container in a pot full of hot water and let it sit for about 1/2 hour or until the honey is melted. Stir the honey well and the crystals will be gone.
Soften Marshmallows: Slice open the top of a marshmallow bag then place in a large ziploc freezer bag. Freeze. Remove the amount of frozen marshmallows you need as you need them. Thaw and they’re soft and ready to use. If you have hard marshmallows in the pantry, try tossing a piece or two of sliced bread in the bag. Seal, then check after a few days. The marshmallows should be soft again.
How to Keep Cookies Soft: Keep cookies moist and chewy by throwing a few slices of apple in your cookie jar to keep cookies soft. Don’t do this if you like crispy or crunchy cookies ;).
Reuse Butter Paper Wrapping: Save the paper or foil wrap from blocks or squares of butter and use them to grease baking pans. Keep the paper refrigerated in a separate baggy. Not only do they do an effective job buttering the pans, it also puts to good use something we often toss freely.
Muffin Tin Use: After stuffing peppers and tomatoes, arrange in a muffin tin before sticking them in the oven. They’ll stay upright and keep their shape perfectly! You could also do this with baked apples or other round or stuffed items.
Fill Empty Muffin Tins With Water: If your muffin or cupcake recipe doesn’t fill all the spots in your muffin pan, fill the empty places 3/4 full with water. This will help protect those slots from darkening or getting scorched.
Easily Color Shredded Coconut: If you’d like to color shredded coconut for toppings on cakes and desserts, simply put the coconut in a clean jar (only one half jar full at a time), add a few drops of food coloring in your choice of color, then cap the jar and shake it until all the coconut is evenly tinted. page.
Add Flavor To Cooked Vegetables: Toss in a bouillon cube or two to the boiling water instead of salt when cooking vegetables. Adds a delicious flavor to the veggies. Another alternative is to add a couple roughly halved cloves of garlic to the boiling water, then lightly tossing veggies in butter once cooked. page of tips.
DIY Non-Slip Bowls: No need to buy expensive mixing bowls with rubber bottoms–just set a bowl on top of a damp cloth and no more worries about it sliding around while you’re mixing something.
Cheesecloth In A Pinch: If you’re out of cheesecloth you can use a sheet of paper towel or a coffee filter to line a colander or strainer and then strain liquid. Single use only and you may have to do in batches.
Open Tight Lid Jars: If tapping around the lid with a knife won’t loosen a jar lid, try putting on a pair of latex gloves then twisting the lid off. This gives a good grip that won’t slip. Another helper: cut a square of leftover nonslip shelf liner and keep that on hand to unscrew lids.
Separate Eggs With A Funnel: If you don’t have an egg separator and need just an egg white or yolk for a recipe, you can use a small kitchen funnel. Crack the egg gently then break into the funnel. The white of the egg will flow through the funnel leaving the yolk behind. No funnel? You could also clip a corner off a ziploc bag and use that as a funnel. Make sure to place the funnel inside a glass so the egg white is contained ;).
Reuse Nylon Mesh Bags: If you buy veggies that are bagged in nylon mesh, you can use that mesh for various cleaning jobs around the house and yard. Just wad up the bag and use it as a scrubber.
Finding Broken Glass Under Soapy Water: If you break glass in soapy water while doing dishes, to prevent cutting yourself while looking for it you can use a tall clear drinking glass or a wide clear glass bowl–keeping the top part above the bubbles, push the glass into the water and use it as a lens to look around and find the broken pieces.
Extra Oven Rack: Take out the extra oven rack when baking and you can use it for the cooling rack. Works for cakes, cookies, hors douvres, whatever you like. If you’re baking smaller items that might fall through, simply cover the rack with tinfoil first (fold foil tightly over the edges). Works like a charm!
Put Out A Stove Top Grease Fire: Douse the fire heavily with salt or baking soda. Turn off the heat as soon as it’s safe to do so without being burned. This is a great way to use expired baking soda or the boxes you just replaced in the fridge, keep those in the cupboard beside your stove. Teach children how to do this as soon as they’re old enough to start cooking.
Friday, March 13, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Chicken with mushrooms, tomatoes and wine serves 2
This is fast, easy and good. Gammy and I do this for some good fast Italian stuff. Sometimes we cook up some pasta while we’re doing the chicken and just throw it in the pan with the chicken when it's done and toss it a little.
6-8 chicken tenders
Salt and pepper to taste
4 whole cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small can of sliced mushrooms
½ small onion chopped
1/2 cup red wine
2 plum tomatoes cored, seeded and chopped
1 Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a heavy skillet and add chicken and garlic. Cook over medium high heat until lightly browned on one side, about 1 minute. Turn and cook about 1 minute on the second side. Add mushrooms and cook, turning chicken occasionally, about 2 minutes.
Add onions, wine, tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some pasta or the carb of your choice, grated cheese, some salad, crusty bread and the rest of that red wine
Chicken with mushrooms, tomatoes and wine serves 2
This is fast, easy and good. Gammy and I do this for some good fast Italian stuff. Sometimes we cook up some pasta while we’re doing the chicken and just throw it in the pan with the chicken when it's done and toss it a little.
6-8 chicken tenders
Salt and pepper to taste
4 whole cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small can of sliced mushrooms
½ small onion chopped
1/2 cup red wine
2 plum tomatoes cored, seeded and chopped
1 Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a heavy skillet and add chicken and garlic. Cook over medium high heat until lightly browned on one side, about 1 minute. Turn and cook about 1 minute on the second side. Add mushrooms and cook, turning chicken occasionally, about 2 minutes.
Add onions, wine, tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some pasta or the carb of your choice, grated cheese, some salad, crusty bread and the rest of that red wine
Thursday, March 12, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Quick Almond Chicken, serves 2
You might want to serve this with a rice dish. See our risotto recipe from the archives or just get some Uncle Ben’s and follow the instructions on the box.
1 Garlic clove, chopped and squashed with the side of the knife blade
4-8 chicken tenders
1/4 tsp. Dill
1/2 Sweet red pepper
1 cup Green beans trimmed and cut up (optional)
1 plum Tomato
½ cup sliced almonds
1 Tbsp. Honey
½ cup good olive oil
Slice or chop all ingredients. Sauté the garlic in the olive oil, until just fragrant. Add the dill and the chicken, and sauté for about five minutes. Add the green beans and the red pepper; sauté for another couple of minutes. Add the tomato and the almonds; sauté another minute or two. Add the honey. Continue cooking just long enough to warm the honey.
SERVE IT UP!!! With crusty bread, a salad and some good wine!
Quick Almond Chicken, serves 2
You might want to serve this with a rice dish. See our risotto recipe from the archives or just get some Uncle Ben’s and follow the instructions on the box.
1 Garlic clove, chopped and squashed with the side of the knife blade
4-8 chicken tenders
1/4 tsp. Dill
1/2 Sweet red pepper
1 cup Green beans trimmed and cut up (optional)
1 plum Tomato
½ cup sliced almonds
1 Tbsp. Honey
½ cup good olive oil
Slice or chop all ingredients. Sauté the garlic in the olive oil, until just fragrant. Add the dill and the chicken, and sauté for about five minutes. Add the green beans and the red pepper; sauté for another couple of minutes. Add the tomato and the almonds; sauté another minute or two. Add the honey. Continue cooking just long enough to warm the honey.
SERVE IT UP!!! With crusty bread, a salad and some good wine!
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Quick chicken, sweet potatoes and salad
We do this sometimes when we just want to have a really quick no brainer meal and use the saved time to just sit and visit a little. I stopped at the super market and got a roasted whole chicken, 2 sweet potatoes, salad stuff (spinach, zucchini, broccoli and carrots) and a loaf of good crusty bread.
Gammy made the salad while the sweet potatoes were in the microwave. When the potatoes were done we cut into them lengthwise and put about a tablespoon of butter in each one. Then ground some black pepper in them. We put everything out on the table and served ourselves. We had olive oil for dipping the bread and some red wine.
We put the extra chicken in the fridge. We’re thinking for quesadillas tomorrow.
It was simple and real good!!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Pan grilled chicken with pasta and marinara sauce.
Gammy and I had this for supper tonight with some poppop homemade bread and red wine (can you believe we had wine?) We heated up some marinara sauce we had put up in the freezer, or
First the marinara sauce. You can buy some good already prepared stuff in the store. If you are going to do that, I like buitoni. It’s refrigerated and in the cheese section. Or, you can make batch of your own and keep the extra in the fridge or freezer for other days. It’s easy.
Marinara sauce, this will make enough for today. Add another can or 2 of tomatoes and increase the rest of the stuff proportionately and put the pot with the extra in the fridge overnight. The next day spoon it into small plastic zip-loc bags. Squeeze the air out and lay flat in the freezer for fast weeknight meals.
1 28 Ounce Can Diced Italian Tomatoes
2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper To Taste
3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Basil or 1 Tbsp. dried
Dash Of Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
1 tsp. sugar
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, and add the garlic, the basil, and pepper flakes. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, but before it takes on color, add the tomatoes. Turn the heat to high, and as soon as the sauce begins to bubble, turn back down to medium low.
Season with salt and pepper, Cook for another 10 -12 minutes and remove from the heat. Mix in the sugar. Use for any purpose that you would use your usual tomato sauce, whether it is to top pasta, in baked casseroles or for vegetables.
I put 6 thawed out chicken tenders in a bowl and added olive oil to cover, sprinkled basil, garlic powder and ground black pepper. Then a dash or 2 of red wine. Mixed it up to cover all the tenders. I put a pot on for the pasta and a frying pan for the chicken. When the water started to boil the pan was hot. Put the pasta in the water mixed it right away and added a dash of salt. Put the chicken in the pan. They both were done at the same time. We served them up on the same plate with some marinara sauce on both with some parmesan cheese for topping. We had a small dish of extra virgin olive oil for dipping the bread in. The whole thing took about 30 minutes and it was great!!
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Pan grilled chicken with pasta and marinara sauce.
Gammy and I had this for supper tonight with some poppop homemade bread and red wine (can you believe we had wine?) We heated up some marinara sauce we had put up in the freezer, or
First the marinara sauce. You can buy some good already prepared stuff in the store. If you are going to do that, I like buitoni. It’s refrigerated and in the cheese section. Or, you can make batch of your own and keep the extra in the fridge or freezer for other days. It’s easy.
Marinara sauce, this will make enough for today. Add another can or 2 of tomatoes and increase the rest of the stuff proportionately and put the pot with the extra in the fridge overnight. The next day spoon it into small plastic zip-loc bags. Squeeze the air out and lay flat in the freezer for fast weeknight meals.
1 28 Ounce Can Diced Italian Tomatoes
2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper To Taste
3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Basil or 1 Tbsp. dried
Dash Of Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
1 tsp. sugar
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, and add the garlic, the basil, and pepper flakes. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, but before it takes on color, add the tomatoes. Turn the heat to high, and as soon as the sauce begins to bubble, turn back down to medium low.
Season with salt and pepper, Cook for another 10 -12 minutes and remove from the heat. Mix in the sugar. Use for any purpose that you would use your usual tomato sauce, whether it is to top pasta, in baked casseroles or for vegetables.
I put 6 thawed out chicken tenders in a bowl and added olive oil to cover, sprinkled basil, garlic powder and ground black pepper. Then a dash or 2 of red wine. Mixed it up to cover all the tenders. I put a pot on for the pasta and a frying pan for the chicken. When the water started to boil the pan was hot. Put the pasta in the water mixed it right away and added a dash of salt. Put the chicken in the pan. They both were done at the same time. We served them up on the same plate with some marinara sauce on both with some parmesan cheese for topping. We had a small dish of extra virgin olive oil for dipping the bread in. The whole thing took about 30 minutes and it was great!!
Monday, March 9, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Salmon with white wine and dill sauce. Serves 2
2 6- 8 oz salmon fillets. I go to the fish person in the super market and tell him/her I want 2 fillets about 1 ½ inches wide (I hold up my fingers to show him how wide to cut it) cut from the center of the big piece of salmon you always see on display.
About ¾ cup of white wine
1 lemon or lime sliced up
1 Tbsp. dried dill
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 pats of butter
For the carbs tonight I’m going to recommend 2 sweet potatoes in the micro wave for about 8-10 minutes or until soft. Split lengthwise and put a pat of butter in. I then grind s little pepper in also. for a salad tonight, I’m going with sliced tomatoes and onions with olive oil and vinegar and ground pepper and dried basil and grated parmesan.
Put a frying pan on med high with enough olive oil to cover the bottom plus a little bit. Dredge the salmon in flour and cook in the pan about 4-6 minutes a side or until flaky. Remove from the heat and set aside. Put the slices of lemon in the oil left in the pan with 2-3 pats of the butter. Add the dill and the wine simmer until the wine has reduced by half. Pour it all over the salmon.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some good crusty bread and the rest of that white wine!!
Salmon with white wine and dill sauce. Serves 2
2 6- 8 oz salmon fillets. I go to the fish person in the super market and tell him/her I want 2 fillets about 1 ½ inches wide (I hold up my fingers to show him how wide to cut it) cut from the center of the big piece of salmon you always see on display.
About ¾ cup of white wine
1 lemon or lime sliced up
1 Tbsp. dried dill
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 pats of butter
For the carbs tonight I’m going to recommend 2 sweet potatoes in the micro wave for about 8-10 minutes or until soft. Split lengthwise and put a pat of butter in. I then grind s little pepper in also. for a salad tonight, I’m going with sliced tomatoes and onions with olive oil and vinegar and ground pepper and dried basil and grated parmesan.
Put a frying pan on med high with enough olive oil to cover the bottom plus a little bit. Dredge the salmon in flour and cook in the pan about 4-6 minutes a side or until flaky. Remove from the heat and set aside. Put the slices of lemon in the oil left in the pan with 2-3 pats of the butter. Add the dill and the wine simmer until the wine has reduced by half. Pour it all over the salmon.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some good crusty bread and the rest of that white wine!!
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Steak night !! serves 1. These amounts are per person
1 New York strip steak per serving. Sometimes they’re called shell steaks. It’s worth the extra to be sure and get prime grade. If there is no prime available settle for choice.
1 small potato per person.
½ small onion sliced or cut julienne
1 pinch of dried rosemary
3/4 cup of your frozen veggie of the day, or your favorite salad.
Put about ¾ cup of olive oil in a frying pan at med high.
Cut the potato in half lengthwise then slice the halves about ¼ inch thick slices and put them in the oil when it has heated up. Put the vegetable of the day in a pot with enough water to cover it up and a pinch of salt.
Put a frying pan big enough for the steak (s) on to get hot with just enough oil to wet the bottom. Sprinkle some garlic powder and some black pepper on 1 side of the steak and put it in the pan with the powdered side down. Then sprinkle the up side with the garlic and pepper. Put the onions and the rosemary in with the potatoes which should be getting soft but not brown yet. Turn the heat on the veggies at med high. Watch the steak. Cook it to the degree that you like it. It is easy to over cook it. If it turns out to rare you can always put it back on for a sec, but you can’t un cook it if it’s too well done. If you poke it with your finger the more firm it is the more done it is. When the steak is done the potatoes and onions and the vegetable should be done. Remove the potatoes and onions to a plate or bowl lined with a paper towel and let them drain for a little bit before serving.
SERVE IT ALL UP!!! With some good bread and some red wine!
Steak night !! serves 1. These amounts are per person
1 New York strip steak per serving. Sometimes they’re called shell steaks. It’s worth the extra to be sure and get prime grade. If there is no prime available settle for choice.
1 small potato per person.
½ small onion sliced or cut julienne
1 pinch of dried rosemary
3/4 cup of your frozen veggie of the day, or your favorite salad.
Put about ¾ cup of olive oil in a frying pan at med high.
Cut the potato in half lengthwise then slice the halves about ¼ inch thick slices and put them in the oil when it has heated up. Put the vegetable of the day in a pot with enough water to cover it up and a pinch of salt.
Put a frying pan big enough for the steak (s) on to get hot with just enough oil to wet the bottom. Sprinkle some garlic powder and some black pepper on 1 side of the steak and put it in the pan with the powdered side down. Then sprinkle the up side with the garlic and pepper. Put the onions and the rosemary in with the potatoes which should be getting soft but not brown yet. Turn the heat on the veggies at med high. Watch the steak. Cook it to the degree that you like it. It is easy to over cook it. If it turns out to rare you can always put it back on for a sec, but you can’t un cook it if it’s too well done. If you poke it with your finger the more firm it is the more done it is. When the steak is done the potatoes and onions and the vegetable should be done. Remove the potatoes and onions to a plate or bowl lined with a paper towel and let them drain for a little bit before serving.
SERVE IT ALL UP!!! With some good bread and some red wine!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Chicken Murphy and pasta with marinara sauce serves 2 (or more if you are light eaters)
First the marinara sauce. You can buy some good already prepared stuff in the store. If you are going to do that, I like buitoni. It’s refrigerated and in the cheese section. Or, you can make batch of your own and keep the extra in the fridge or freezer for other days. It’s easy.
Marinara sauce. This will make enough for today. Add another can or 2 of tomatoes and increase the rest of the stuff proportionately and put the pot with the extra in the fridge overnight. The next day spoon it into small plastic zip-loc bags. Squeeze the air out, zip shut and lay flat in the freezer for fast weeknight meals.
Pre heat oven to 350
1 28 Ounce Can Diced Italian Tomatoes
2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper To Taste
3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Basil or 1 Tbsp. dried
Dash Of Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
1 tsp. sugar
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, and add the garlic, the basil, and pepper flakes. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, but before it takes on color, add the tomatoes. Turn the heat to high, and as soon as the sauce begins to bubble, turn back down to medium low. Season with salt and pepper, Cook for another 10 -12 minutes stirring occasionaly and remove from the heat. Mix in the sugar. Use for any purpose that you would use your usual tomato sauce, whether it is to top pasta, in baked casseroles or for vegetables.
4-8 pieces chicken tenders
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 med. potatoe
1med. onion
1 bell pepper
1 small can sliced hot cherry peppers
Dredge the chicken in flour and fry in the olive oil until golden brown and put in casserole dish in the oven. Cut the potato in half lengthwise and then slice up. Put the potatoes in the pan that you cooked the chicken in and fry until they start to get brown, you might have to add a little oil. Slice up the onions and the bell pepper. When the potatoes are almost done add the onions and pepper and fry until limp and the potatoes are done. Put all of this and the drained hot peppers over the chicken. Cover and return to oven. Bake about 10-15 minutes. While the chicken is finishing up put 2-3 qts. of water on to boil with a dash of salt and cook up 1/3-1/2 lb. of your favorite pasta.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some salad, crusty Italian bread and some red wine!!
Chicken Murphy and pasta with marinara sauce serves 2 (or more if you are light eaters)
First the marinara sauce. You can buy some good already prepared stuff in the store. If you are going to do that, I like buitoni. It’s refrigerated and in the cheese section. Or, you can make batch of your own and keep the extra in the fridge or freezer for other days. It’s easy.
Marinara sauce. This will make enough for today. Add another can or 2 of tomatoes and increase the rest of the stuff proportionately and put the pot with the extra in the fridge overnight. The next day spoon it into small plastic zip-loc bags. Squeeze the air out, zip shut and lay flat in the freezer for fast weeknight meals.
Pre heat oven to 350
1 28 Ounce Can Diced Italian Tomatoes
2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper To Taste
3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Basil or 1 Tbsp. dried
Dash Of Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
1 tsp. sugar
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, and add the garlic, the basil, and pepper flakes. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, but before it takes on color, add the tomatoes. Turn the heat to high, and as soon as the sauce begins to bubble, turn back down to medium low. Season with salt and pepper, Cook for another 10 -12 minutes stirring occasionaly and remove from the heat. Mix in the sugar. Use for any purpose that you would use your usual tomato sauce, whether it is to top pasta, in baked casseroles or for vegetables.
4-8 pieces chicken tenders
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 med. potatoe
1med. onion
1 bell pepper
1 small can sliced hot cherry peppers
Dredge the chicken in flour and fry in the olive oil until golden brown and put in casserole dish in the oven. Cut the potato in half lengthwise and then slice up. Put the potatoes in the pan that you cooked the chicken in and fry until they start to get brown, you might have to add a little oil. Slice up the onions and the bell pepper. When the potatoes are almost done add the onions and pepper and fry until limp and the potatoes are done. Put all of this and the drained hot peppers over the chicken. Cover and return to oven. Bake about 10-15 minutes. While the chicken is finishing up put 2-3 qts. of water on to boil with a dash of salt and cook up 1/3-1/2 lb. of your favorite pasta.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some salad, crusty Italian bread and some red wine!!
Friday, March 6, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Baked macaroni and cheese serves 4.
Save the leftovers for a nuke it no brainer meal some other day.
Talk about quick and easy! I’ve often added shredded chicken or cubed ham or bacon cooked crisp and broken up or shrimp and/or broccoli cut in small pieces or peas or diced onion, etc., etc.
1 cup elbow macaroni
1/4 cup milk
1 (20 ounce) package frozen macaroni and cheese
ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven broiler. Grease a 1 1/2 quart microwave safe casserole dish.
Bring about 2-3 quarts water to a boil. Dash of salt. Add elbows and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Microwave frozen mac and cheese according to package directions.
Stir together macaroni, mac and cheese, milk and pepper in prepared dish. Mix well. Flatten out, Microwave on high 2 minutes or until heated through. Stir it about halfway thru the nuke process. It will be hot onthe outside and not on the inside if you don't. sprinkle with the cheeses and place under oven broiler. Broil until cheese is melted and beginning to brown, 2 to 5 minutes.
Serve it up!!! With some salad maybe and some red wine!
Baked macaroni and cheese serves 4.
Save the leftovers for a nuke it no brainer meal some other day.
Talk about quick and easy! I’ve often added shredded chicken or cubed ham or bacon cooked crisp and broken up or shrimp and/or broccoli cut in small pieces or peas or diced onion, etc., etc.
1 cup elbow macaroni
1/4 cup milk
1 (20 ounce) package frozen macaroni and cheese
ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven broiler. Grease a 1 1/2 quart microwave safe casserole dish.
Bring about 2-3 quarts water to a boil. Dash of salt. Add elbows and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Microwave frozen mac and cheese according to package directions.
Stir together macaroni, mac and cheese, milk and pepper in prepared dish. Mix well. Flatten out, Microwave on high 2 minutes or until heated through. Stir it about halfway thru the nuke process. It will be hot onthe outside and not on the inside if you don't. sprinkle with the cheeses and place under oven broiler. Broil until cheese is melted and beginning to brown, 2 to 5 minutes.
Serve it up!!! With some salad maybe and some red wine!
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Fish and Chips
This meal takes me back to growing up in New Jersey. The town we lived in when I was a real little guy had a lot of English and Scotch people and there were more “fish and chips” places than there are McDonalds now, a lot more. When you wanted to walk out while eating they served them up to you in cones made from newspapers and you put vinegar on the fries (chips). Needless to say the newspaper cones got a little oil soaked. Enough history. Don’t get scared. This is going to be real easy without a lot of hot deep fat frying.
First let’s talk about the fish. I’ve been buying frozen Tilapia fillets. They’re real easy to work with. They come in portion sized fillets and of course what you don’t use can be waiting in the freezer for you for another day. Next let’s get some frozen, blanched (partially cooked) French fries. If they don't have blanched just go with regular. They'll just take a little longer to cook. Don’t forget some salad stuff or a veggie of some kind. I’m going to get a bag of those little cleaned and skinned carrots. We’ll make them look and taste great.
Put the frozen fish in a bowl of water.
Heat up the oven to 400 degrees. Spread as many of the fries as you are going to serve on a pam sprayed cookie sheet. Not piled up on top of each other. Spread them out just 1 fry deep. Put them in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. They might take a little longer. Watch them.
Put the carrots on the stove to boil with enough water to cover and a dash of salt .
Put a frying pan on med high heat with enough oil to cover the bottom and a little more. Beat up an egg add a little milk or beer. Beat it some more to mix it in. Put some bread crumbs on a dinner plate. I always add something to the crumbs, some basil, some grated cheese, maybe some red pepper flakes, whatever. Take a fillet out of the water, pat it dry and put it in the egg batter. Cover both sides then in the bread crumbs, cover both sides. Drop a little pinch of crumbs in the oil to see if it sizzles yet. When it’s hot enough put the fish in cook for 1 ½ to 2 min. per side. Remove from the oil to the plate you are going to serve it on. The carrots should be done, firm but chewable. Drain return to the pot, mix in about a Tbsp. of butter and some dried parsley flakes. The potatoes should be done.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some lemon wedges for the fish and maybe the rest of that beer!
Fish and Chips
This meal takes me back to growing up in New Jersey. The town we lived in when I was a real little guy had a lot of English and Scotch people and there were more “fish and chips” places than there are McDonalds now, a lot more. When you wanted to walk out while eating they served them up to you in cones made from newspapers and you put vinegar on the fries (chips). Needless to say the newspaper cones got a little oil soaked. Enough history. Don’t get scared. This is going to be real easy without a lot of hot deep fat frying.
First let’s talk about the fish. I’ve been buying frozen Tilapia fillets. They’re real easy to work with. They come in portion sized fillets and of course what you don’t use can be waiting in the freezer for you for another day. Next let’s get some frozen, blanched (partially cooked) French fries. If they don't have blanched just go with regular. They'll just take a little longer to cook. Don’t forget some salad stuff or a veggie of some kind. I’m going to get a bag of those little cleaned and skinned carrots. We’ll make them look and taste great.
Put the frozen fish in a bowl of water.
Heat up the oven to 400 degrees. Spread as many of the fries as you are going to serve on a pam sprayed cookie sheet. Not piled up on top of each other. Spread them out just 1 fry deep. Put them in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. They might take a little longer. Watch them.
Put the carrots on the stove to boil with enough water to cover and a dash of salt .
Put a frying pan on med high heat with enough oil to cover the bottom and a little more. Beat up an egg add a little milk or beer. Beat it some more to mix it in. Put some bread crumbs on a dinner plate. I always add something to the crumbs, some basil, some grated cheese, maybe some red pepper flakes, whatever. Take a fillet out of the water, pat it dry and put it in the egg batter. Cover both sides then in the bread crumbs, cover both sides. Drop a little pinch of crumbs in the oil to see if it sizzles yet. When it’s hot enough put the fish in cook for 1 ½ to 2 min. per side. Remove from the oil to the plate you are going to serve it on. The carrots should be done, firm but chewable. Drain return to the pot, mix in about a Tbsp. of butter and some dried parsley flakes. The potatoes should be done.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some lemon wedges for the fish and maybe the rest of that beer!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Shrimp and Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
Print Options
·Print (no photos)
·Print (with photos)
1 ½- 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3-1/2 pound fettuccine
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup heavy cream or milk in a pinch
1/2 cup white wine
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10-12 (or more) peeled, deveined shrimp (if using frozen shrimp, defrost by running cold water over them for a few minutes)
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
3 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring about a quart and a half of water to a boil with a dash of salt.
While the water is heating in the larger pot, bring a smaller pot (1-2 quarts) half filled with water to a boil. Cook the broccoli in the boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and Set aside.
Cook the pasta in the large pot of boiling water. Stir immediately after putting the fettuccine in the water ‘til it has softened enough to get all of it down in the water. Stir often and cook until al dente, or still slightly firm. Drain and toss with a little olive oil to keep from sticking.
While the pasta is cooking, combine the cream, wine, garlic, and black pepper in a large skillet and bring to a simmer over med high heat. Reduce the heat to low medium and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes until the mixture thickens.
Add the shrimp and the parmesan cheese and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp have turned pink on all sides. Toss in the broccoli, the parsley and the fettucini. Salt to taste.
NICE JOB!! SERVE IT UP!!! With some crusty Italian bread and the rest of the white wine!
Shrimp and Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
Print Options
·Print (no photos)
·Print (with photos)
1 ½- 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3-1/2 pound fettuccine
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup heavy cream or milk in a pinch
1/2 cup white wine
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10-12 (or more) peeled, deveined shrimp (if using frozen shrimp, defrost by running cold water over them for a few minutes)
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
3 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring about a quart and a half of water to a boil with a dash of salt.
While the water is heating in the larger pot, bring a smaller pot (1-2 quarts) half filled with water to a boil. Cook the broccoli in the boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and Set aside.
Cook the pasta in the large pot of boiling water. Stir immediately after putting the fettuccine in the water ‘til it has softened enough to get all of it down in the water. Stir often and cook until al dente, or still slightly firm. Drain and toss with a little olive oil to keep from sticking.
While the pasta is cooking, combine the cream, wine, garlic, and black pepper in a large skillet and bring to a simmer over med high heat. Reduce the heat to low medium and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes until the mixture thickens.
Add the shrimp and the parmesan cheese and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp have turned pink on all sides. Toss in the broccoli, the parsley and the fettucini. Salt to taste.
NICE JOB!! SERVE IT UP!!! With some crusty Italian bread and the rest of the white wine!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Pasta primavera for 1 or 2
These amounts are enough for 2 servings if it’s just you tonight save the leftovers for another “just heat it up” meal
Put about a quart (4 cups) of water with a dash of salt on to boil.
1/3 to ½ lb of pasta
¾ cup olive oil
2 small or 1 large clove of garlic
½ small onion sliced up
1 medium sized carrot
½ bell pepper
small zucchini
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 plum tomato
I’d say the onions and garlic are the only ones I wouldn’t leave out. After those basics it’s up to you what veggies you might like.
Peel, chop or slice the veggies.
The water should be boiling by now, add the pasta and stir ‘til you see it’s not going to stick together or to the bottom. Turn down the heat a little and watch it as it cooks. Stir every minute or two. It might want to boil over. If it looks that way, just pull it away from the heat for a couple of seconds and lower the heat a little more
Heat up a frying pan with a med flame. When hot to the touch add the olive oil. When hot lower to med low and add the hard veggies i.e. carrots and or broccoli if your using it. When they start to get a just little soft add everything else but the tomato save it for just before you add the pasta. Toss the veggies every minute or two.
When the pasta is softened but just short of being al dente, which means firm but servable, drain and add to the pan with the veggies toss once or twice as you finish cooking the pasta to your desired degree of softness.
Optional: squeeze a little lemon juice and/or add a dash of white wine for the last toss.
SERVE IT UP!!!! with some Italian bread and some olive oil for dipping and some of that white wine.
Pasta primavera for 1 or 2
These amounts are enough for 2 servings if it’s just you tonight save the leftovers for another “just heat it up” meal
Put about a quart (4 cups) of water with a dash of salt on to boil.
1/3 to ½ lb of pasta
¾ cup olive oil
2 small or 1 large clove of garlic
½ small onion sliced up
1 medium sized carrot
½ bell pepper
small zucchini
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 plum tomato
I’d say the onions and garlic are the only ones I wouldn’t leave out. After those basics it’s up to you what veggies you might like.
Peel, chop or slice the veggies.
The water should be boiling by now, add the pasta and stir ‘til you see it’s not going to stick together or to the bottom. Turn down the heat a little and watch it as it cooks. Stir every minute or two. It might want to boil over. If it looks that way, just pull it away from the heat for a couple of seconds and lower the heat a little more
Heat up a frying pan with a med flame. When hot to the touch add the olive oil. When hot lower to med low and add the hard veggies i.e. carrots and or broccoli if your using it. When they start to get a just little soft add everything else but the tomato save it for just before you add the pasta. Toss the veggies every minute or two.
When the pasta is softened but just short of being al dente, which means firm but servable, drain and add to the pan with the veggies toss once or twice as you finish cooking the pasta to your desired degree of softness.
Optional: squeeze a little lemon juice and/or add a dash of white wine for the last toss.
SERVE IT UP!!!! with some Italian bread and some olive oil for dipping and some of that white wine.
Monday, March 2, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Baked Salmon, serves 2
INGREDIENTS
2 6 oz. salmon fillets or steaks
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 Tbsp. butter
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Rinse salmon, and arrange in a baking pan that has been sprayed with pan.. Spread butter evenly over the fish Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dill over the fish..
3. Bake in for 20 to 25 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
Carbs and veggies!
When the fish has been in for about 10 min.
2 russet or Idaho potatoes , Zap em in the microwave for about 8 min. if not soft to the squeeze zap em some more.
While the potatoes are getting nuked, 2 cups of your favorite frozen veggie in about 3 ½ cups of water. Dash of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 1 ½ -2 min. (carrots take a little longer) Drain. Return to the pot and add 2 pats or 1 Tbsp. of butter. Stir it up.
SERVE IT ALL UP!!! With some crusty bread and some chilled white wine!
Baked Salmon, serves 2
INGREDIENTS
2 6 oz. salmon fillets or steaks
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 Tbsp. butter
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Rinse salmon, and arrange in a baking pan that has been sprayed with pan.. Spread butter evenly over the fish Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dill over the fish..
3. Bake in for 20 to 25 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
Carbs and veggies!
When the fish has been in for about 10 min.
2 russet or Idaho potatoes , Zap em in the microwave for about 8 min. if not soft to the squeeze zap em some more.
While the potatoes are getting nuked, 2 cups of your favorite frozen veggie in about 3 ½ cups of water. Dash of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 1 ½ -2 min. (carrots take a little longer) Drain. Return to the pot and add 2 pats or 1 Tbsp. of butter. Stir it up.
SERVE IT ALL UP!!! With some crusty bread and some chilled white wine!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
quick and easy meals for 1 or 2
Pork Tenderloin
Hey, it’s Sunday so let’s do some thing special.
At the store get a small (or large) pork tenderloin. They come with a few different kinds of marinades or just plain. You get what sounds good to you. I like just plain and then do it up myself. You’ll need a small box or bag of pasta. Bite sized stuff is best for what we’re going to do. penne, farfalle (bow ties), fusilli (corkscrews) etc. Also, a couple of handfuls of fresh green (string) beans. We’re going to have peach cobbler for dessert. Don’t be scared. Get a 29 oz. can of sliced peaches. If you don’t have brown sugar at home get some of that too and a small tube of biscuits. You’ve seen them, over by the milk and eggs. The flaky kind. Flaky is important. Don’t forget some vanilla ice cream!
First get the cobbler started.
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
Drain all but a very little bit of the liquid out of the peaches. Put them in a baking or casserole dish. Sprinkle about 3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar over the peaches. Cover with the biscuits as thick or as thin as you might like. Some people put them on the bottom of the dish before the fruit goes in. I like them on top and not too thick, that’s why I said get the flaky ones to give you some options. Put it in the oven. It’ll take about a half hour. Start watching it at about 20 minutes. When the biscuits are golden and the peaches are bubbly, of course it’s done. At dessert time serve it up with some vanilla ice cream on top.
Put about a quart of water on to boil for the pasta. Add a dash of salt and when boiling add the pasta. Stir it up right away and turn the heat down a bit if necessary to keep it from boiling over. Stir it often and cook until not quite done.
You can cook the pork on a grill, in a frying pan or in the oven. I like a frying pan because it gives me the option of making a little gravy after the pork is done. If you bought a marinated one just put the tenderloin on to cook right from the bag. I get it plain and coat it some with ground pepper and some garlic powder. If you don’t have a meat thermometer and have your doubts about if it is done, just take it off and cut it in half at the thickest place and see if it’s done. It should be barely pink in the middle. If not just put the 2 halves back on and finish the job. If we did a frying pan then put about ¾ cup of red wine and a pat of butter in the pan. Stir, getting the stuff left over from cooking the pork into the liquid. Simmer it until the wine is reduced by half. There’s your gravy.
While the pork is cooking rinse and trim the beans. Finely chop up 2 cloves of garlic. Put about 4 tbsp. of olive oil in a frying pan (medium heat) big enough to handle the beans and the pasta. Start the beans first for about 2 minutes and then the garlic for just an additional minute or so. Remove from the heat. Drain the pasta and add to the pan. When the pork is almost done put the pasta mix back on the heat and toss while it heats up.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some good crusty bread, some parmesan cheese and the rest of the red wine!! And then that fantastic cobbler with the vanilla ice cream on top.
Pork Tenderloin
Hey, it’s Sunday so let’s do some thing special.
At the store get a small (or large) pork tenderloin. They come with a few different kinds of marinades or just plain. You get what sounds good to you. I like just plain and then do it up myself. You’ll need a small box or bag of pasta. Bite sized stuff is best for what we’re going to do. penne, farfalle (bow ties), fusilli (corkscrews) etc. Also, a couple of handfuls of fresh green (string) beans. We’re going to have peach cobbler for dessert. Don’t be scared. Get a 29 oz. can of sliced peaches. If you don’t have brown sugar at home get some of that too and a small tube of biscuits. You’ve seen them, over by the milk and eggs. The flaky kind. Flaky is important. Don’t forget some vanilla ice cream!
First get the cobbler started.
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
Drain all but a very little bit of the liquid out of the peaches. Put them in a baking or casserole dish. Sprinkle about 3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar over the peaches. Cover with the biscuits as thick or as thin as you might like. Some people put them on the bottom of the dish before the fruit goes in. I like them on top and not too thick, that’s why I said get the flaky ones to give you some options. Put it in the oven. It’ll take about a half hour. Start watching it at about 20 minutes. When the biscuits are golden and the peaches are bubbly, of course it’s done. At dessert time serve it up with some vanilla ice cream on top.
Put about a quart of water on to boil for the pasta. Add a dash of salt and when boiling add the pasta. Stir it up right away and turn the heat down a bit if necessary to keep it from boiling over. Stir it often and cook until not quite done.
You can cook the pork on a grill, in a frying pan or in the oven. I like a frying pan because it gives me the option of making a little gravy after the pork is done. If you bought a marinated one just put the tenderloin on to cook right from the bag. I get it plain and coat it some with ground pepper and some garlic powder. If you don’t have a meat thermometer and have your doubts about if it is done, just take it off and cut it in half at the thickest place and see if it’s done. It should be barely pink in the middle. If not just put the 2 halves back on and finish the job. If we did a frying pan then put about ¾ cup of red wine and a pat of butter in the pan. Stir, getting the stuff left over from cooking the pork into the liquid. Simmer it until the wine is reduced by half. There’s your gravy.
While the pork is cooking rinse and trim the beans. Finely chop up 2 cloves of garlic. Put about 4 tbsp. of olive oil in a frying pan (medium heat) big enough to handle the beans and the pasta. Start the beans first for about 2 minutes and then the garlic for just an additional minute or so. Remove from the heat. Drain the pasta and add to the pan. When the pork is almost done put the pasta mix back on the heat and toss while it heats up.
SERVE IT UP!!! With some good crusty bread, some parmesan cheese and the rest of the red wine!! And then that fantastic cobbler with the vanilla ice cream on top.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
