Grilled Chicken and Pesto Sandwiches with California Salad

This recipe will make four hearty sandwiches. The crisp, clean taste of the salad is a nice complement to the rich pesto sauce.

Pesto Chicken sandwich ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 8 slices sourdough or other firm white bread
• 4 slices Mozzarella cheese
• Grilled red pepper, sliced thin
• 4 teaspoons pesto sauce (my easy basil pesto or my recipe for parsley pesto)

Preparation:
Prepare the salad ahead of time and place in the refrigerator to chill.
Pound the chicken slices between two pieces of plastic wrap with a meat mallet.
Cut each pounded piece in half.
Spray an indoor cooking grill with cooking spray and preheat it.
Salt and pepper the chicken, then place on the grill and cook for three minutes.
Spray a cooking pan with cooking spray and preheat it.
Lay the bread slices out and place a slice of Provolone on four of them and a tomato on top of the cheese.
Lay the grilled chicken on the other slices and top with pesto sauce.
Put the sandwiches together.
Cook the sandwiches until brown on both sides and the cheese is melted.
Serve piping hot.

California Salad ingredients

• Spring salad mix
• ½ cup of walnuts, chopped
• ½ cup of craisins or raisins
• ½ a navel orange, peeled and sliced
• Raspberry vinaigrette
• (Optional) Crumbled bleu cheese or feta cheese as a garnish

Salad preparation:
Toss all the ingredients together with a dash of vinaigrette.
Top with bleu or feta cheese if desired.

Photo/roboppy on Flickr
 
Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Potato Gnocchi in a Marinara Sauce

This is another perfect dish for when you have to use up a few things before going shopping, or when you are waiting for payday. It’s filling and it’s simple, using basic ingredients that should already be in the pantry. It will feed 4-6 people, depending on how hungry they are.

Ingredients for gnocchi:

• 4-6 russet potatoes
• 1 ½ cups of flour
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• (Optional) 1 tablespoon fresh parsley and 1 tablespoon fresh basil

How to make gnocchi:
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, about 20 minutes.
Run cool water over the potatoes, then slip the peels off.
Mash the potatoes with a masher.
Stir in the flour, butter, salt, egg, and herbs if you are using them.
Stir with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients pull together.
Place the dough on a floured surface, and knead ten times.
Pull handfuls of the dough off the main ball and roll into snakes.
Slice into pieces about 1 inch thick and 1 inch long.
When the marinara sauce is ready, drop the gnocchi into boiling salted water and cook just until they float to the top.
Drain the gnocchi and stir them into the marinara sauce.

Ingredients for quick marinara sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed, or 1 tablespoon crushed organic garlic from a jar
2 cans (13 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
(Optional) 2 tablespoons red wine (The red wine adds body to the sauce.)

How to make the marinara sauce:
Stir the ingredients together in a saucepan.
Allow to simmer over low heat while making the gnocchi.

Serve the gnocchi and marinara sauce Parmesan cheese on top and with a fresh green salad and plenty of crunchy croutons.

Photo/RDPeyton on Flickr

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Spanish Rice and Chicken One Pot Meal

This recipe was born one night while I tried to use up all the things in the pantry and refrigerator before going shopping again. It turned out so good, my family declared it a hit.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breast tenderloins
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup of jalapenos, chopped (I used canned. If using fresh, one chopped and seeded pepper will be just right.)
• 1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small can of sliced black olives
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cups of rice
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin

Preparation:
Saute the chicken breast tenderloins in a few tablespoons of the chicken broth. After cooking, cut them into chunks and return to the pan.
Cook the onion and celery in a few tablespoons of chicken broth, just until tender.
Add all the ingredients to the pan, and cook over medium heat until the rice is done, about 20 minutes.
Serve it with a salad.

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Lemon and Basil Creamy Pasta

This dish goes together in a flash and tastes impressive. The rigatoni is a big pasta, perfect for scooping up the creamy sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound rigatoni
• 1 small bunch of asparagus, trimmed
• 1 small bag of broccoli
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon basil (fresh if you have it, otherwise 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Zest of ½ of a lemon

Preparation:
Boil water for the rigatoni and cook it 15 minutes or according to package directions.
During the last 4 minutes, add the trimmed asparagus and broccoli to the boiling pasta water.
Stir together the cream, basil, parmesan, and lemon zest.
Drain the pasta and vegetables.
Add the cream sauce to the pasta and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Dinner Magic Menus March Week 4

Dinner Magic Menus March Week 4

View the complete Shopping List for March Week 4.

This week is usually close to Easter and ham is available in the grocery stores. We’ll take advantage of that, making a baked ham, then using the leftover ham to make Creamy Ranch Potatoes with Ham and Triple Decker Ham and Cheese Sandwiches. After that, a Spanish Paella calls for a bit more ham, and the Waffle Dinner may have ham added to it.

You’ll need an inexpensive box wine for the meals this week. It will be used in the Coq Au Vin and to make a Sangria to go with the Paella. A red or white is fine, whichever is your preference.

Bacon and Artichoke Pizza

Baked Ham with Orange Pineapple Glaze

Creamy Ranch Potatoes with Ham

Triple Decker Ham and Cheese Sandwiches with Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Spanish Paella

Waffles for Dinner

Easy Coq Au Vin (White or Red Wine)
New Potatoes with Walnuts and Parsley

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Dinner Magic Shopping List March Week 4

This shopping list is for the Dinner Magic Menus March Week 4.

Meats:
Spiral sliced ham for baking, or one large ham, bone-in (8-10 pounds)
1 pound bacon
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins
1 whole fryer chicken, cut up (Watch a video to learn how to cut up a chicken at home.)
½ pound linguica sausage (a substitute may be chorizo or other spicy sausage)
1 pound of shrimp or prawns
½ pound bay scallops
12-18 mussels

Dairy:
Real butter, (not margarine)
8 ounces of half and half
1 dozen eggs
4 ounces sliced Provolone
4 ounces sliced Jack cheese
4 ounces grated Cheddar cheese
2 cups of grated Mozzarella cheese
8 ounces of sour cream
Milk or buttermilk

Frozen Food:
1 small package winter mix vegetables (or your own preference for a side dish)
1 package of frozen peas

Fresh Produce:
6 sweet potatoes
4 pounds of small red potatoes
1 orange
Spring salad mix
3 tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 bunch parsley
3 onions
1 bunch green onions
1 red or green bell pepper
8 ounces mushrooms (presliced if you prefer)
1 head of garlic, or 1 jar crushed organic garlic

Canned Food:
1 can (13 ounces) pineapple chunks
1 small jar chopped green olives or green olive tapenade
1 can or jar (8 ounces)of artichoke hearts
1 small can sliced black olives
1 jar pizza sauce
1 small can tomato paste
4 cups of organic chicken broth
2 cups organic beef broth

Dry Food and Staples:
Olive oil
6 ounces of chopped walnuts
1 loaf wheat bread
White flour
Cornmeal
Rice
Sugar
Yeast for baking
Baking powder

Spices and Condiments:
Salt and pepper
Cloves, paprika, saffron, Italian herb mix (oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage)
Dijon style mustard
1 jar (12 ounces) orange marmalade
1 jar mayonnaise
1 package buttermilk dressing mix
1 box red wine

Other items for your own personal shopping list:



Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Bacon and Artichoke Pizza

Bacon and Artichoke Pizza

The dough ingredients can be set in the bread machine in the morning before you leave for work. Put the bread machine on a delay cycle to have the dough ready to come out of the machine when you get home.

Ingredients for the pizza dough
1 cup and 2 tablespoons of water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Italian herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage)
1 package or 2 ½ teaspoons of yeast

Preparation
Place the dough ingredients in the bread machine.
Set the machine to the cycle for dough.

Ingredients for the pizza toppings
½ pound of bacon, chopped
1 cup of artichoke hearts
1 small can sliced black olives
1 jar of pizza sauce
2 cups of mozzarella cheese
Other toppings you might like

Preparation of the pizza recipe
When the dough is ready, form it into a ball and roll it out to a large circle.
Lay on the pizza pan or pizza stone and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Spread the pizza sauce on the dough.
Place ½ the cheese on the sauce.
Cover with toppings.
Put the rest of the cheese over the toppings.
Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes. The crust should be lightly browned and the cheese bubbly.
 

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Easy Coq Au Vin with White Wine or Red Wine

Easy Coq Au Vin (In white or red wine)
New Potatoes with Walnuts and Parsley

Coq Au Vin simply means chicken in wine. You may use red wine or white wine for this dish.

Ingredients:
¼ pound of bacon
1 chicken, cut up (Learn how to cut up a chicken at home in this video.)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 cups of wine
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
¼ teaspoon of thyme
2 onions, quartered
8 ounces of sliced mushroom
3 tablespoons of flour
8 new potatoes
2 tablespoons of butter
¼ cup of chopped walnuts
¼ cup of parsley

Preparation:
Cook the bacon until it is crisp. Remove from the pan and put on a paper towel on a plate.
Sauté the mushrooms in the bacon grease, not allowing them to touch, until they are browned. Remove from the pan and put on a plate with the bacon.
Brown the chicken pieces in the bacon grease, browning on all sides.
Drain any remaining bacon grease from the pan.
Pour the wine over the chicken and add all the remaining ingredients.
Cover and simmer over medium low heat for 25 to 30 minutes.
Boil the new potatoes until they are fork tender.
Drain the water from the potatoes.
Keeping the potatoes in the pan, add the butter parsley and walnuts. Cover and keep warm.
Stir 3 tablespoons of flour into 3 tablespoons of water. Add to the Coq Au Vin, and simmer for about 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve it straight from the pot.
If you saved some cornmeal waffle quarters from the Waffle Dinner, these are delicious with the Coq Au Vin.

Photo/Yuan on Picasaweb

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Quick and Simple Spanish Paella

The ingredient list is long, but it’s mostly things you should have in the pantry already, with the exception of the sausage and seafood.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins
½ pound linguica sausage, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 large red or green bell pepper, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of paprika
2 cups of rice
4 cups of chicken broth
¼ teaspoon of saffron
1 pound of shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1/2 pound of bay scallops
12-18 mussels, scrubbed
¼ cup of chopped parsley
1 package of frozen peas

Preparation:
Cook the onion, bell pepper, and garlic in the olive oil until the onion gets tender.
Remove the onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
Add the linguica and chicken to the pan and cook until well done.
Add the tomatoes and spices to the pan and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
Cook the rice in the chicken broth with the saffron while the other food simmers.
Stir the rice into the meat mixture.
Add the frozen peas, shrimp, and stir into the paella.
Heat through about 5 minutes. Add the mussels and cook for 5 minutes longer.
Srpinkle parsley over the top.
Serve with Sangria if you desire.

Photo/MJ LaFlaca on Flickr

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Triple Decker Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Easy Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup packed spring mix lettuce leaves
1/4 cup chopped green olives
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
Dijon style mustard
12 slices wheat bread
12 thin slices baked ham
4 thick slices Provolone cheese
4 slices Jack Cheese

Preparation
Mix together the mayonnaise and chopped green olives.
Lay four slices of bread on a cutting board and spread the mayonnaise mixture on them.
Cover with a slice of ham and a slice of Provolone cheese and some lettuce leaves.
Lay four slices of bread on top of that and spread the Dijon mustard on them.
Cover with a slice of ham and the Jack cheese and more lettuce leaves.
Top with the remaining slices of bread and secure with a fancy toothpick.
Slice on the diagonal.
Serve with Broccoli Cheese Soup.

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Baked Ham with Orange Pineapple Glaze

Ginger sweet potato casserole (Just click the link for the recipe.)

Spring Salad
Hot bakery dinner rolls

This can be a simple Easter or Spring dinner for your family. Just add some of your own favorite dishes to the menu and you're set.

Ingredients:
8 to 10 pound fully cooked ham, bone in spiral sliced
Whole cloves
½ cup red wine
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 jar (12 ounces) orange marmalade
1 can (13 ounces) drained pineapple chunks
6 sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons of butter
1 small orange
2 tablespoons of half and half
2 eggs
½ teaspoon of powdered ginger
½ teaspoon of salt
4 cups of spring salad mix
1 tomato, cut up
½ cucumber, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Preparation:
Stud the spiral slices with whole cloves putting in more if you like a strong flavor and less if you like it less spicy.
Put ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven 18 to 25 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Take the temperature close to the bone.
In a small saucepan, mix wine, mustard and jam and pineapple. Warm over low heat. Uncover ham. Baste ham every 15 minutes with jam mixture during the last 45 minutes.
While the ham is cooking, prepare the sweet potato casserole.
Toss together the lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and walnuts for the salad.
Warm the dinner rolls in the oven in a tin foil wrapper.

You can use some of the leftover ham to make:

Grilled Ham and Havarti Sandwiches

Triple Decker Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Cornmeal Waffles with Ham and Eggs

Creamy Ranch Potatoes with Ham

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Cornmeal Waffles for Dinner

Side dish: Ham and Scrambled Eggs
You might also want to try San Francisco Style Eggs and Potatoes as a side dish.

Cornmeal waffles have a crunchy texture and a terrific flavor. Cut into quarters, they are perfect to serve as bread with stews, chicken, and seafood. Plan on making extra and freezing them in individual plastic bags. While you are cooking them, keep them warm in a 200 degree oven, spread out single layer on a baking sheet. Don’t stack them; they will get soggy if you do.

Ingredients:
1 cup of flour
1 cup of cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups of milk or buttermilk
2 eggs, whipped
4 tablespoons of butter, melted
For the ham and eggs:
8 eggs
2 tablespoons half and half
1 green onion, chopped
½ cup of chopped ham
½ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of pepper

Preparation:
Mix together the dry ingredients and make a well in the center.
Add the milk, eggs, and butter, and stir only until just combined. The batter will be lumpy.
Pour ½ cup of batter on the waffle iron and cook until the timer goes off. The waffles should be golden brown and lightly crispy at the edges.
If the batter is too thick, meaning it doesn’t spread by itself across the griddle, add milk 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time till it is the right consistency.
While the waffles are cooking, whip the remaining 8 eggs with 2 tablespoons of half and half, the salt and pepper.
Stir in ½ cup of chopped ham and chopped green onions.
Spray a pan with cooking spray preheat it.
Pour in the egg mixture. Do not stir it. Instead, gently lift the edges and allow the raw egg mixture to run underneath. Do this 2 or 3 times.
Cover the pan with a lid and keep warm until the waffles are ready.
Heat some syrup in the microwave until it is warm.
Serve the waffles and eggs with syrup, whipped cream, and fruit if you desire.

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Dinner Magic Menus March Week 3

All the ingredients for these meals are listed on the Dinner Magic Shopping List for March Week 3.

Alfredo Chicken and Vegetable Linguini

Portobello Stroganoff

Beef Pepper Steak with Orange over Rice

Mu Shu Beef and Cabbage Rolls

Turkey in a Sweet and Tangy Sauce

Garlic Chicken with Thyme over Gnocchi

Chicken in Beer with Potatoes

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Dinner Magic Shopping List March Week 3

This shopping list has all the ingredients needed for the Dinner Magic Menus for March Week 3.

Meats:
2 or 3 turkey legs
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 bone-in skinless chicken breasts
1 pound of chicken breast tenderloins
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound beef round steak

Dairy:
1 small package of prepared gnocchi
8 ounces of sour cream
Real butter, not margarine

Frozen Food:
1 package of broccoli florets
1 package of frozen stir-fry vegetables

Fresh Produce:
10 russet potatoes
3 white onions
1 bunch of green onions
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
12 ounces of Portobello mushrooms
1 package of shredded cabbage for coleslaw
1 carrot or one small bag of grated carrots
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 small package of fresh baby spinach
1 head of iceberg or romaine lettuce
1 bunch of parsley
2 tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 head of garlic or one jar of crushed garlic
2 navel oranges
1 lemon
2 cups of green beans (frozen if fresh aren’t available)

Canned Food:
1 can of chicken broth
1 can of vegetable broth
1 jar of Alfredo sauce

Dry Food and Staples:
Instant tapioca
Cooking oil
8 burrito sized tortillas
Sugar
Cornstarch
Rice
1 pound spinach or regular fettucini
1 pound linguini
Grated Parmesan cheese

Spices and Condiments:
Salt and pepper
Ground poultry seasoning, ground thyme,
Dijon style mustard
Maple flavored syrup
1 bottle of stout beer or ale
Worcestershire sauce
Pearl River soy sauce
Kitchen Bouquet cooking sauce
Salad dressing of your choice
Balsamic vinegar
Hoisin sauce or plum sauce

Other items for your own personal shopping list:

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Garlic Chicken with Thyme over Gnocchi

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of crushed garlic
1 teaspoon of ground thyme
4 skinless chicken breasts, bone-in
Juice of one orange
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1 small package of prepared gnocchi (find this in the refrigerated section of your grocery)
Fresh green beans (frozen if fresh aren’t available)

Preparation:
Place the chicken in the slow cooker.
Sprinkle the garlic, thyme, orange juice, and balsamic vinegar over the top.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high 3 hours.
Cook the gnocchi according to package directions. (If you can’t find gnocchi, substitute with potatoes.)
Steam the green beans in the microwave.

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.

Turkey in a Sweet and Tangy Sauce

This easy meal cooks all day in the crock pot. All you have to do is enjoy it.

Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 onion, quartered
2 or 3 turkey legs
1/3 cup of Dijon style mustard
1/3 cup maple flavored syrup
1 tablespoon of tapioca (for thickening)
Lettuce, tomato, and cucumber for a salad
Salad dressing

Preparation:
Place the potatoes and onions in a slow cooker.
Lay the turnkey legs on top.
Mix the mustard, syrup, and tapioca together.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3 hours.
Serve with a tossed salad.

Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.