Menu Plan #107

Here is my menu plan for this week, Saturday through Friday. I am working out of my cabinets and freezer this week.

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Laura The Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday. Post your own plan and go there to link your plan or visit her site to glean new ideas As always, this is THE PLAN, and all plans are subject to change as the need arises or as the fancy strikes my mind. I don’t assign nights as I like to have a little freedom to cook what I want or what I have time for.I only planned 6 meals as I am finding that 7 are too many (6 may be too).Please come back and join me for Freezer Food Friday

 

 

 

 

Spicy Orange Beef

SWEET AND SOUR PINEAPPLE CHICKEN ( crockpot )

BARBECUE TURKEY CHILI ( crockpot )

Roberta’s Family Favorite Minestrone Soup ( crockpot )

HOT DOG SOUP ( turkey kielbasa & adapting to crockpot )

Mom’s Famous Tortilla Casserole ( TNT Recipe )

Steak Fajitas

Greetings to all the lurkers – please get involved!

 

 

 

Welcome to Freezer Food Friday… please share a recipe that can be at least partially prepared ahead and frozen for later use. Link it below at Mr. Linky and leave a comment….

 

 

 

Steak Fajitas

 

1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain

1  onion, thinly sliced

2  red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

1  jalapeno, seeded (if desired) and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon hot sauce

  kosher salt

4  1-quart resealable plastic freezer bags

4 teaspoons olive oil

8  8-inch flour tortillas, warmed

  store-bought refrigerated fresh salsa (optional)

  sour cream (optional)

Directions

 

1. Freeze It: In a large bowl, combine the steak, onion, bell peppers, jalapeño, chili powder, hot sauce, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.

 

2. Divide evenly among 4 bags. Freeze until ready to cook, up to 3 months.

 

3. Cook It: In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat the oil (use 1 teaspoon per serving).

 

4. Empty the frozen contents of the bags into the skillet (use 1 bag per serving). Cook, covered, stirring occasionally to break up ingredients, for 10 minutes.

 

5. Raise heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender and the steak is cooked through, 2 to 6 minutes.

 

6. Serve with the tortillas and, if desired, the salsa and sour cream.

APPLE & ONION POT ROAST

APPLE & ONION POT ROAST

 

1 3-lb. bone-less blade roast

1 Tbsp. cooking oil

Garlic salt

2 medium onions, peeled and quartered

2 Honeycrisp apples, peeled and cut into wedges

4 oz. white wine

8 oz. ginger ale

1 tsp. Herbs de Provence

1 cup beef stock as needed

2 carrots

1 parsnip

2 celery stalks

2 leeks, white part.

6-8 medium Yukon gold potatoes.

Roux

 

This meal can be prepared in a slow cooker or in a roasting pan in a 350 Fahrenheit degree oven — for roasting pan cut times by 50%. Rub roast with oil and garlic; sear in hot non-stick pan. Remove meat to slow cooker.

 

Sauté onion and place around roast. Put sliced apples on top of and around roast. Deglaze fry pan with white wine and pour over roast. Add ginger ale, herbs and stock to cover three-quarters of roast. Cover and cook 2.5 hours in slow cooker on high.

 

Wash, peel and cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Add to slow cooker.

 

Add additional stock if required. Cut potatoes into “large egg-sized” pieces and lay on top of vegetables. Cover and continue cooking until potatoes are tender.

 

Remove potatoes and vegetables to serving bowl and hold warm. Place meat on a plate and tent with foil to temper. Thicken juices with roux for gravy.

 

When meat is cooled about 20 minutes, slice and serve.

 

SWEET AND SOUR PINEAPPLE CHICKEN

 Today is Slow Cooking Thursday, hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom . Share a recipe on your blog and go link it at her blog.

 

 

 

Please come back and join me for Freezer Food Friday…

 

 

 

  

SWEET AND SOUR PINEAPPLE CHICKEN

 

Makes 4 to 5 servings

 

1 (20-ounce) can unsweetened pineapple chunks in juice

1/3 cup ketchup

¼ cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large bell peppers, preferably

1 green and 1 red, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pound chicken tenders, cut into thin strips

1 large onion, cut into thin wedges

1 cup converted long-grain white rice

1 large tomato, cut into thin wedges

 

1. Drain the juice from the pineapple into a bowl. Add the ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, pepper and ¾ cup water. Mix the sauce well.

 

2. In a 4- or 5-quart slowcooker, combine the pineapple chunks, bell peppers, chicken strips, onionwedges and rice. Pour the sauce over all and toss well to distribute the ingredients evenly.

 

3. Cover and cook on the low heat setting for 4 to 4¼ hours, stirring once about halfway through if possible, until the chicken and rice are tender. Do not overcook or the rice will become too soft.

 

4. Just before serving, gently stir in the tomato wedges.

CREAMED CORN WITH JALAPENO PEPPERS

CREAMED CORN WITH JALAPENO PEPPERS

Makes 6 to 8 servings

2 cups half and half
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 packages (16 ounces each) frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 to 3 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeno peppers or 1 (4- ounce) can mild green chiles
1 cup shredded Gruyere or cheddar cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a bowl, whisk together ½ cup of the half and half and the flour until smooth. Whisk in the remaining 1½ cups half and half.

2. In a 4-quart electric slow cooker, mix together the corn, onion and jalapenos. Stir in the half and half mixture. Cover and cook on the high heat setting for 3 hours, stirring twice during the cooking time.

3. Stir in ½ cup of the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with the remaining ½ cup cheese. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the cheese is melted.

“Slow and Easy,” Natalie Haughton

5-Minute Slow-Cooker Brisket

5-Minute Slow-Cooker Brisket

Nonstick cooking spray

1 (6-pound) brisket
1 cup of your favorite Mexican-style red salsa
1 cup dark beer
1 cup of your favorite tomato-based barbecue sauce
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Spray the stoneware insert with the cooking spray.

Spray a frying pan with the cooking spray; place on the stove over medium heat, add the brisket and sear, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer the meat to the slow-cooker.

Pour the salsa, the beer and the barbecue sauce over the meat. Cover, place on the heating unit and cook on Low for 8 hours.

Remove the brisket, slice and serve on a platter with the sauce over it or served on the side. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro leaves. Serve with mashed potatoes, or potato pancakes, or on potato-flour sandwich buns.

Makes 10 generous servings

Homemade Potato Soup

Homemade Potato Soup

 

6 potatoes, peeled, cut in bite-size pieces (about 5 cups)

2 onions, chopped

1 carrot, peeled, sliced (about 3/4 cup)

1 rib celery, sliced

2 tbsp. butter, cut up

4 chicken bouillon cubes, preferably reduced-sodium

1 tbsp. parsley flakes

1 tsp. salt

Pepper to taste

4 cups water

1 can (13 oz.) evaporated milk

 

Chopped chives for garnish

 

In slow cooker, combine potato, onion, carrot, celery, butter, bouillon cubes, parsley, salt, pepper and water. Cook on low 10 to 12 hours or high 3 to 4 hours. With one hour to cook, stir in milk.

 

Top bowls of soup with chives.

 

Makes twelve (1-cup) servings

Thai-Style Pork Stew

Thai-Style Pork Stew

 

Serves: 8

 

This recipe is from Cooking Light, September 1999.

 

2 pounds boned pork loin, cut into 4 pieces

2 cups (1-by-¼-inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper

¼ cup teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup creamy peanut butter

 

6 cups hot cooked basmati rice

½ cup chopped green onions

2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts

8 lime wedges

 

Trim fat from pork. Place pork and next five ingredients (pork through garlic) in an electric slow cooker. Cover with lid, and cook on low-heat setting for eight hours. Remove pork from slow cooker, and coarsely chop. Add peanut butter to liquid in slow cooker; stir well. Stir in pork. Combine stew and rice in a large bowl. Top each serving with onions and peanuts; serve with lime wedges.

Sweet & Sour Pot Roast

Sweet & Sour Pot Roast

3 to 4 pound pot roast (the inexpensive cuts work quite well)
10 – 12 medium potatoes
1 1/2 C chopped onions
1/3 C packed brown sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp salt
1 can tomato sauce (15oz) I have substituted V8 on occasion
Optional: Meat tenderizer (I use Adolphs)

Brown roast on all sides in skillet on medium high. This can be done in oil, but I think tastier if you just do it with salt. When browned, cut off any excess fat and toss.

Place roast with drippings, along with peeled and quartered potatoes (you may cook potatoes whole, depending on size).

Mix all other ingredients in bowl, then pour over roast and potatoes. Set crock pot on medium high and cook for about 5 hours, reduce heat and cook for 3 – 4 more hours, until meat is fork tender.

Serve with your choice of bread, a side vegetable and tossed salad for a delicious and filling dinner. Garnish with parsley flakes.

Menu Plan Monday #106

Here is my menu plan for this week, Saturday through Friday. It is clear out the freezer week. No heavy cooking here.

 

Thanks to Laura The Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday. Post your own plan and go there to link your plan or visit her site to glean new ideas As always, this is THE PLAN, and all plans are subject to change as the need arises or as the fancy strikes my mind. I don’t assign nights as I like to have a little freedom to cook what I want or what I have time for.I only planned 5 meals as I am finding that 7 are too many ( 5 may be too).Please come back and join me for Freezer Food Friday

 

 

Tortilla Crusted Tilapia, salad, Pasta Side Dish

TJ Mandarin Orange Chicken, rice

Pizza

Breakfast for dinner

Tortellini in Alfredo Sauce, Garlic Toast

Tuna Helper