Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Recipes

I have a hard time coming up with ideas for meals for dinner. All the recipe websites have tons of recipes and you have to read through hundreds of them, most of which have ingredients I don't have or would never buy. So I decided to share my meal plan for the week for those who need some ideas. So here's what I'm making this week as well as the recipes for them.

Monday-- BLT Sandwiches

Just as it sounds. I just cook some bacon in the microwave and cut up some lettuce and tomato. Toast some bread, use Miracle whip or Mayonnaise on bread, then put the as BLT on as you want. This is great in the summer time when you don't want the stove or oven to heat up the house.

Tuesday-- Super Burritos (The twist to these burritos is that they're baked)

1 lb. Hamburger
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup cooked rice
1 4oz. can diced green chile peppers
8 10-inch flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
2/3 cup chopped tomato (opt)
2 cups shredded lettuce (opt)
1 recipe guacamole (below)(opt)

1. for filling, in a large skillet cook ground beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir in water, chili powder, and cumin. Cook about 5 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated. Remove from heat. Stir in cooked rice and can of chile peppers.
2. Meanwhile, wrap tortillas tightly in foil. Heat in a 350 oven for 10 minutes to soften.
3. Spoon about 1/2 cup filling onto each tortilla just below the center. Top filling with cheese and tomato. Fold tortillas into burritos and secure with toothpicks (Mine stayed close without toothpicks). Arrange burritos on a baking sheet, seam side down. Bake at 350 oven for 10-12 minutes or until heated through. Serve with lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa if desired.

Guacamole
2 medium ripe avocados
1/2 of a medium small onion, chopped
1/2 4oz can of diced green chile peppers, or several drops of hot sauce
1 Tablespoon of fresh cilantro or parsley, or 1 teaspoon of dried cilantro or parsley (cilantro is much better here)
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or lime juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
2/3 cup chopped tomato (opt)

1. In a food processor or blender, combine avocados, onion, Chile peppers, cilantro, lemon juice, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cover and blend until smooth. If desired stir in tomato.


Wednesday--Homemade chicken nuggets

3/4 cup plain bread crumbs (I put bread in the toaster and then in the blender to make bread crumbs)
3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 eggs beaten
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts
1/ 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (opt)

Preheat oven to 375. Coat a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese (You can also add other things like parsley, onion powder, or Italian seasoning). Place eggs in a small bowl. Dip chicken first into egg then roll chicken in bread crumbs. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes. Serve with barbecue sauce for dipping.

Thursday-- Chicken Noodle Casserole

1 8oz package of noodles
4 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup of bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine noodles, chicken, soup, milk, and cheese. Mix well. Pour into 13x9 baking dish. Top with bread crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes.

Friday--Bean Salad Wraps

4 8 inch flavored or plain flour tortillas
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped green pepper or 1 fresh jalapeno finely chopped (I use green pepper)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, or 2 teaspoons of dried cilantro
1/3 cup mayonnaise or miracle whip
1 tablespoon of lime or lemon juice
leaf lettuce

1. stack tortillas and wrap in foil. Heat in a 350 oven for 10 minutes to soften.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl mash black beans slightly. Add green pepper and cilantro. Stir in mayonnaise and lime juice.
3. To serve, spread bean mixture evenly over tortillas. Top with lettuce leaves and roll up tortillas.

Saturday-- Cheesy Chicken Breasts

1/2 cup margarine, melted
4 chicken breasts
1/3 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups grated cheese

preheat oven to 350. Pour melted butter into shallow baking dish. Coat chicken breasts in flour, then salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken in baking pan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes. In a small bowl combine milk, soup, and cheese. Pour mixture over chicken. Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes.






I hope these ideas help others. If you have any questions about any of the recipes leave a comment and I'll answer there. Happy cooking!!

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