What’s for Dinner? Week 8/28/11 – 9/3/11

 Beef Recipes, Chicken & Poultry Recipes, Pork Recipes, What's Cooking?  No Responses »
Aug 302011
 

Here’s what’s for dinner this week:

    Meal Plan for Week 8/28/11 – 9/3/11

  • Sunday – Beef tips and gravy over wide noodles – Click here for recipe
  • Monday – Oven baked BBQ chicken, mac & cheese – Click here for recipe
  • Tuesday – Ham slices, mashed potatoes, corn
  • Wednesday – Burritos, tacos, black beans and rice
  • Thursday – Pizza (Digiorno’s Pepperoni Rising Crust)
  • Friday – Oven baked buffalo chicken wings – Click here for recipe
  • Saturday – Grilled top sirloin steaks, baked potatoes and broccoli

Bon appétit!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

 Chicken & Poultry Recipes  No Responses »
Aug 282011
 

This is my twist on the recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu:

I looked at many recipe sites and found lots of variations on the recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu. I wanted the traditional rolled chicken, rather than stuffing the ham and swiss into a pocket. I love the pinwheels when you slice it. It makes a very attractive dish.

Also, I was set on making a wine sauce, rather than using chicken broth. I even went out of my way to buy a bottle of sauvignon blanc for the occasion. It probably wasn’t necessary, but I was determined to make the white wine sauce the first time I attempted to make this dish. Any good dry white wine would suffice. The alcohol cooks out of the sauce, but the flavor remains. So, make sure it is a good tasting wine that you would drink. Do not use the salty tasting cooking wine. If you don’t have wine, use chicken broth. Continue reading »

Sausage Gravy with Biscuits

 Breakfast Recipes, Pork Recipes  No Responses »
Aug 232011
 

I don’t usually eat breakfast. I know they say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and they’re probably right, whoever “they” are. But I’m just not hungry as soon as I get up in the morning. My husband never eats breakfast, but he has had brunch from time to time.

Anyway, today, I was in the mood for my sausage gravy and biscuits. I made it a point to buy ground sausage when I went shopping on Friday.

Learning how to make gravy was a process for me. It took years before my gravy was edible. Now, it seems so simple. Practice makes perfect, I guess. I still use canned or packaged gravies, sometimes, for beef or chicken when I’m only cooking for the three of us, and it depends on how much liquid is left in the pan.

But, I have to make sausage gravy from scratch. I make up a batch once in awhile and have it several times during the week.
Continue reading »

What’s for Dinner? Week 8/21/11-8/27/11

 Beef Recipes, Chicken & Poultry Recipes, Fish & Seafood Recipes, Pasta Recipes, Pork Recipes, What's Cooking?  No Responses »
Aug 222011
 

Sunday – Last night, I cooked a New England Boiled Dinner, which consisted of corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes. It’s been a long time since I made it, and it was so good. Of course, I never think to take pictures before we dig in, but I did manage to salvage a few leftovers for a snapshot.

A recipe is really not required for this easy meal. It’s a one-pot meal, but you may need to use more than one pot. In a Dutch oven, just cover the brisket with water, add baby carrots (and onions if you wish), and let simmer for about 50 minutes per pound. I like my carrots and onions soft, so I start them early. After 2-1/2 hours, I started the cabbage in a separate pot, and with about 20 minutes to go I added potatoes, quartered. My 4-lb brisket was fork tender in 3-1/2 hours. I threw some biscuits in the oven while I was slicing the corned beef and setting the table. The brisket is a bit fatty, so you need to trim the fat before serving.

This can all be thrown into a crock pot/slow cooker. I like to keep brisket from getting dry, so I place that in first, then add water and spice packet. Make sure brisket is covered in liquid. Then place carrots, potatoes and cabbage on top if it fits. Cook on low for 8-9 hours.

Continue reading »

Have you ever seen sausage with eyes?

 Pork Recipes  No Responses »
Aug 152011
 

One day last year, my son, Patrick, and I went to get his hair cut. On the way home, we stopped at Fresh Market. This was the first time I’d been there. As my son and I perused the meat department, we came across this display of ground sausage. Patrick got a big kick out of it.

fresh market - ground sausage

Fresh Market Ground Sausage

 Posted by on August 15, 2011
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