Veggies

We love fresh veggies. Last summer we would frequent the Broad Ripple Farmers Market every Saturday to purchase our veggies for the week. There is nothing better than eating fresh tomatoes, lettuces, squash, and of course Indiana sweet corn. I've been doing some research about organic veggies and came across this great local resource. The Center Valley Organic Farm and CSA is located just west of Indianapoils and services the Indianapolis area with fresh organic veggies through a Community Supported Agriculture program. You can apply to participate in the 2007 CSA through the above link...We are going to give it a try on a trial basis in late June. I'm looking forward to supporting local agriculture ventures!

Bon appetit!

April 29 - May 5

I'm back and do I have a fun week in store for you...Saturday is one of our favorite holidays...Cinco de Mayo! Have a margarita with someone you love! Chris is out of town the first part of the week, so I'm trying a few recipes out on my mom this week...Isn't that fun?

Monday: Thai Chicken Pizza from Karen Patterson Ray
Tuesday: Tomatillo Roll-up (Real Simple)
Wednesday: Apricot Crockpot Chicken (Recipes.com)
Thursday: Golden Chicken with Tomato & Olives (Real Simple)
Friday: Grilled Hot Dogs (We love Nathan's All Beef Franks - we can typically find them at Marsh Supermarket) & Homemade Macaroni 'n Cheese (Alton Brown)
Saturday: Cinco de Mayo Celebration
Sunday: Grilled Filet Steaks, Red Potato & Onion & Green Salad


Thai Chicken Pizza
Ingredients:
1 Pizza dough
1/2 cup duck or plum sauce
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 10 oz. bag shredded provolone cheese
1/2 red pepper thinly sliced
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. hot sauce
2 tsp. grill seasoning
4 chicken breasts (or Morning Star grilled 'chicken' tenders)
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1/4 seedless cucumber
4 scallions
1 c. beansprouts
palmful fresh cilantro
1/4 cup peanuts

Bake crust with duck sauce, red pepper flakes, cheese and bell peppers

In a small bowl, combine oil, soy sauce, peanut butter, hot sauce and grill seasoning (microwave peanut butter to loosen itself up) and coat the chicken with miscure and let stand 10 minutes. Cook chicken and slice into thin strips

While chicken cooks, mix honey and vinegar in bowl. Add the cucumber and coat in the dressing.

When the crust is done baking, top with chicken scallions, sprouts, and cilantro. Drain cucumbers and scatter over pizza. Garnish with peanuts. Enjoy with a big cocktail!!!!

Tomatillo Roll-up (Real Simple April 2007 pg. 298)
Ingredients:
1 3 1/2- to 4-pound rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 small red o nion, thinly sliced
1 cup tomatillo sauce (also called green salsa)
3 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets & steamed
4 pieces thin flat bread or tortillas, warmed
2 avocadoes, one diced and one sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, onion, tomatillo sauce, tomatoes and pine nuts. Add the steamed broccoli and toss. Divide the chicken mixture among the flat bread or tortillas, top with the diced avocado, and roll up. Serve with the remaining avocado and lime wedges.

Apricot Crock Pot Chicken
This recipe is great for a tasty meal when you don't have much time to cook in the evening.

6 frozen skinless, bonelsss chicken breasts (not thawed)
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup Russitan or French salad dressing
1 cup apricot preserves or jam

In 3-4 quart slow cooker, arrange chicken pieces. Mix remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and pour over chicken. Stir to coat. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender. Serve with hot cooked rice or pasta. Serves 6

Golden Chicken with Tomatoes & Olives (Real Simple May 2007 pg. 318)
1 cup long-grain rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thirds
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large yellow onion or other kind of onion, thinly sliced
1 cup large pimiento stuffed olives, quartered
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Cook the rice according to the package directions. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, about 3 mintues per side. Thansfer to a plate. Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Add the olives, garlic, and tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more. Return the chicken to the skillet, add the wine, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened, 4-6 minutes. Atir in the parsley. Divide the chicken among individual plates and spoon the sauce over the top. Serve with the rice.


Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (Alton Brown )

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Grilled Red Potato & Onion
Cut potatos into quarters (try to keep the potatos close to the same size to ensure even cooking). Dice onion and mix with the potatoes. Put the potato and o nion mixture on a large piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Fold up foil to make a packet and put directly on the grill. Grill for 1 hour.

So after I typed all of this, I realized that it's a pretty chicken heavy week...I'll try to mix things up a bit in the future.

Bon Appetit!

No soup for you!

So I'm in Kansas until Tuesday and I didn't bring any of my recipes or cook books with me...so my 2nd week with What's For Dinner is a total bust. I was reading a magazine earlier today with a recipe for ice cream pie that looked good; I'll pull it out and save it for next week.

So you're on your own...We've been eating at some of our favorite Kansas City locals...Ponak's Mexican Restaurant (where the margaritas are on tap - who needs dinner when the margaritas flow like water?!?!) and Siagon 39 for the best shrimp spring rolls and peanut sauce EVER! I'll post a few recipes later this week...

Happy Eating...

Week of April 15-21

I'm no gourmet chef, so I can't promise high class dining every night of the week. I can promise tasty and easy meals to prepare for you and your family. (I'm 'testing' these recipes a week before presenting them to you, so rest assured that I'm not just throwing new recipes your way...Chris is my guinea pig! HA!)

*Please give me feedback on the menu and recipes - I will be using lots of sources for ideas, and if you have a trusted source, please share it with me. Some of my favorite recipes come from Real Simple magazine, Food Network (especially Quick Fix Meals, Everyday Italian and Barefoot Contessa) and the Kraft Foods Magazine.

*I'm working on a way to save the recipes as a PDF so that I can just upload a link to the blog. If anyone is especially technically savvy with blogs, please let me know.

*Have a great week!

Monday - Scallion & Potato Soup served with Club Sandwiches
Tuesday - Roast Pork Tenderloin & Asparagus with Mustard Vinaigrette
Wednesday - Sesame Chicken & Soba Noodles
Thursday - Taco Thursday
Friday - Flank Steak & Sauteed Edamamme
Saturday - Wild Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto
Sunday - Dinner @ Shapiros Deli...we had Swiss Steak - YUMMMM!

Recipes for the Week of April 15-21:

Scallion & Potato Soup (Real Simple March 2007)

Hands-on time: 10 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Serves: 4

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
18 scallions (white and green parts), sliced
1 ½ pounds new potatoes, cut into ½-inch chunks
½ cup dry white wine
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 ¼ tablespoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the scallions and cook 1 minute. Add the potatoes, wine, cream, broth, salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and sprinkle with the remaining pepper

Tip
Add flavor and texture by stirring in 1 cup frozen corn kernels during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Make your own Club Sandwiches...we love ours with turkey, bacon, lettuce, mayo and sliced avocado on toasted whole wheat bread.

Roast Pork & Asparagus with Mustard Vinaigrette (Real Simple March 2007)

Hands-on time: 35 minutes Total time: 35 minutes Serves 4

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
3 shallots, cut into small wedges
1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Heat oven to 400* F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with ¼ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast 18 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, place the asparagus on a baking sheet in a single layer. Scatter the shallots over the top. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil, season with the remaining salt and pepper, and roast until cooked through, 12-15 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and the remaining oil. Divide the pork and asparagus among individual plates and serve with the vinaigrette.

TIP
When the weather warms, take this recipe outside. Heat a grill to medium and cook the pork, covered, turning occasionally, for 20 minutes. Grill the asparagus and shallots (cut in half) for 8-10 minutes.

Sesame Chicken & Soba Noodles (Real Simple March 2007)
Hands-on time: 25 minutes Total time: 25 minutes Serves: 4

1 8-ounce package soba noodles (if you can't find soba noodles, use whole wheat spaghetti)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 7-ounce package mixed greens
3 carrots, cut into matchstick-size strips or shredded
¼ sweet onion, thinly sliced

Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions and rinse under cold water. Cut the chicken into ¼-inch slices. Heat the soy sauce and brown sugar in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add the chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 1 ½ minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining chicken. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the chicken and toss to coat. In a small bowl, whisk together the ginger, vinegar, and oil. Divide the greens, carrots and onion among individual plates. Top with the soba noodles and chicken. Serve with the vinaigrette.

Taco Thursday (ala Jill Carrel)

1 lb ground turkey, chicken or beef
1 bottle Ortega Taco Sauce
Fav. Taco toppings (lettuces, cheese, tomato, sour cream, avocado, etc.)
Hard Taco Shells
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Rice & Beans

Brown meat in a large skillet (Optional – add diced red onion to meat). Add taco sauce (1/2 bottle or more depending on how ‘saucy’ you like your tacos). Serve with your favorite taco toppings.

Flank Steak with Sauteed Edamame and Wasabi-Mustard Dressing (Robin Miller’s Quick Fix Meals from Food Network)

Cooking spray
1 pound lean flank steak
Salt and ground black pepper
Mesquite seasoning
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 teaspoons of pre-minced garlic in a jar)
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/2 (16-ounce) package frozen shelled edamame, thawed
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons country-style Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon wasabi paste

Coat a large stove-top grill pan or griddle with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat to preheat. Season both sides of flank steak with salt, black pepper and mesquite seasoning. Place flank steak on hot grill. Cook the steak 3 to 5 minutes per side, until almost cooked through but still slightly pink.. Remove and set aside. Remove steak from grill pan and let rest 10 minutes before slicing crosswise on a diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Meanwhile, heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add edamame and soy sauce and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, oil, mustard, and wasabi paste.

Arrange flank steak slices on a serving platter. Top with the sautéed edamame. Spoon wasabi dressing over edamame and steak.

Wild Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto (Robin Miller’s Quick Fix Meals from Food Network)

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 teaspoons pre-minced garlic)
8 cups sliced wild mushrooms (any combination of shiitake, cremini, oyster, etc).
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups cooked Arborio rice
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen asparagus spears (1-inch pieces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms and sauté 5 minutes, until tender and releasing juice. Add thyme and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.

To the mushrooms in the pot, add rice and broth and asparagus and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes, Stir in Parmesan and chopped parsley. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Ladle risotto into bowls and serve hot.

Serving suggestions: Toss cherry tomatoes with bottled Caesar dressing and serve alongside risotto.

Welcome!

So...you're hungry, it's dinner time and you have no idea what to do for dinner. Sound familiar?

Often this conversation would follow:
Me: "What do you want for dinner?"
Him: "I don't care, what do you want for dinner?"
Me: "I don't know, I asked you first."
Him: "How about ______?"
Me: "No, that doesn't sound good."
Him: "How about _________?"
Me: "No, that doesn't sound good either."

And so on, and so on...

It was awful. Often times, we'd end up eating out, blowing our diet and budget on take-out Chinese, Mexican and margaritas, or cheeseburgers and milkshakes. I finally got fed up with the constant struggle and started weekly meal planning and grocery shopping. Novel idea, I know!

Several friends have expressed their struggle with the idea of "What's for dinner?" I've shared my meal planning ideas with them, realized that this idea might be helpful to others, and so "What's For Dinner?" was born.

Each week, I will gather recipes from some of my favorite sources for quick, easy and healthy meals and post them here. Who knows I might even go one step further and post coordinating shopping lists.

I'll post my first week of food sometime this week for the week of April 16, 2007...Hope to see you soon!