Dinner Magic Shopping List April Week 3

This is the shopping list for Dinner Magic Menus April Week 3.

Meats:
8 ounces deli smoked turkey breast, sliced thin
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 sirloin pork chops, thin cut
1 small fryer chicken, cut up
2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins

Dairy:
4 ounces sliced Muenster cheese
1 cup vanilla yogurt
4 ounces sour cream

Frozen Food:
Broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower vegetable mix

Fresh Produce:
2 Granny Smith apples
1 nectarine or peach
1 individual size watermelon
1 honeydew or cantaloupe
1 head of garlic
1 red onion
1 yellow onion
3 bell peppers
3 tomatoes
4 cups spring salad greens
2 heads of iceberg lettuce
1 head of Romaine lettuce
8 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cucumber
1 bunch green onions
8 ounces mushrooms
4 ounces edamame
2 sweet potatoes
4 russet potatoes
1 head of broccoli
1 sprig of mint

Canned Food:
1 can (15 ounces) pineapple chunks
2 cans water packed tuna
1 can (13 ounces) black beans
1 can diced green chiles
1 can sliced black olives
1 can yellow corn
Salsa

Dry Food and Staples:
1 loaf whole wheat bread
1 package taco size tortillas
Sunflower seeds
Quick cooking pearl barley
Brown rice
Cooking spray
1 bottle rice wine vinegar
Olive oil
Sesame or vegetable oil
Salad croutons

Spices and Condiments:
Salt and pepper
Oregano, ground cumin, 1 package taco seasoning mix, sesame seeds
Dijon style mustard
Raspberry vinaigrette
Asian style salad dressing
Ranch style dressing
1 bottle soy sauce

Other items for your own personal shopping list:





More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Sesame Chicken and Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breast tenderloins
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or sesame oil
• 2 cups brown rice
• 1 small package frozen broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower
• 1 small head of lettuce, chopped
• 1 tomato, sliced
• Any flavor salad dressing

Preparation:
Mix the oil, sesame seeds, and soy sauce in a bowl.
Place the chicken breast tenderloins in the bowl and marinate for 20 minutes.
While the chicken marinates, begin cooking the rice according to package directions.
Toss the salad ingredients with 2 tablespoons of dressing.
Grill the chicken on the indoor grill until the pieces are well done and browned.
Heat the vegetables in the microwave for 6-7 minutes.
Serve the chicken over a bed of rice with the vegetables and salad on the side.

Photo/Suzanne Pitner
More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Tuna, Barley, and Black Bean Salad

This dish can be made ahead of time and allowed to sit in the refrigerator until dinner. Serve it on a bed of Romaine lettuce with extra dressing on the side.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of quick cooking pearl barley
• ½ cup Asian style salad dressing
• 2 cans water packed tuna
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
• 1 green onion, chopped fine
• 1 head of Romaine lettuce, chopped

Preparation:
Cook the barley according to package directions.
Toss with the tuna, black beans, bell pepper, and onion with ¼ cup of salad dressing
Serve over a bed of lettuce with additional dressing on the side.

You can change the flavor of this salad by choosing an Italian dressing, or a raspberry vinaigrette.

Wine pairing:
This salad pairs perfectly with Daniel Gehrs Oak Free Chardonnay or Barefoot Chardonnay.

Photo/Suzanne Pitner
More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Baked Pesto Chicken with Sauteed Spinach and Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 small fryer chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 small jar of pesto, or use my basil pesto or parsley pesto recipe
• 4 russet potatoes, peeled
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup of sour cream
• 6 cups of spinach
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ head of iceberg lettuce
• 1 cup spring mix salad greens
• 1 tomato, cut into pieces
• ½ cucumber, sliced
• Italian salad dressing
• Croutons
• Salt and pepper

Preparation:
Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.
Spray the foil with cooking spray.
Lay the chicken in the pan and spread the pesto over all the pieces.
Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
Boil the potatoes and garlic in salted water until they are tender.
While the potatoes boil, toss the salad ingredients with 2 tablespoons of Italian dressing.
Drain the potatoes and smash them with ¼ cup of sour cream.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet.
Add the spinach, and cover with a lid.
Cook the spinach about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is tender.
Serve the chicken on a bed of spinach with the potatoes and salad.

Note: For the photo above, I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I used an 8 ounce jar of sun dried tomato pesto by Classico, instead of a basil pesto. 


Photo/Suzanne Pitner

More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Chicken Soft Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breast tenderloins
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 bell pepper, cut into slices
• 1 onion, cut into rings
• 1 can of diced green chilis
• 1 can of sliced black olives
• ½ head of lettuce, chopped
• 1 zucchini, cut into thin slices
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 tomato, cut into pieces
• 4 soft taco size tortillas
• Salsa
• Ranch style dressing

Preparation:
Cook the chicken breast tenderloins in 1 tablespoon of oil.
Add the taco seasoning mix and the bell pepper and onion.
Cook until the vegetables are crisp tender.
Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Into the same pan, place the corn, green chilis, olives and 1 teaspoon cumin.
Stir and cook until the corn begins to brown.
Place in a serving bowl.
Toss the lettuce with the zucchini and tomato.
Warm the tortillas on the stove or in the microwave.
Serve the salad with the ranch dressing.
Serve the fajita ingredients in a bowl and allow the family to build their own.


More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Mushroom Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet Melon Salad

This is another meal that can be ready in about 30 minutes. This recipe is enough for four people. To increase it to a recipe for six, simply add another yam, 2 more pork chops, and 2 more cups of melon salad. Yes, there is a pork chop underneath those wonderful looking mushrooms.

Ingredients:
4 green onions, chopped
8 ounces of mushrooms
1 tablespoon real butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 sirloin pork chops, thin cut
½ teaspoon oregano
Salt and black pepper
2 sweet potatoes
1 head of broccoli, cut up into florets
4 cups of watermelon and honeydew, cut into chunks or round balls
1 sprig of fresh mint
1 cup of vanilla yogurt

Preparation:
Cook the onions and mushrooms in the butter and oil, being careful to not allow the mushrooms to touch so they brown on all sides. Cover the pan to keep them warm.
Cut the melon into chunks or round balls and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes.
Cut them into small pieces and place them in a microwave safe bowl.
Microwave on high 4 minutes or until they are tender. Cover with foil to keep warm.
While the sweet potatoes cook, preheat the indoor grill.
Place the broccoli florets in a bowl with ¼ cup water.
Microwave on high 4 minutes until they are crisp tender.
While the vegetables cook, sprinkle salt, pepper, and oregano on the pork chops.
Cook on a hot grill for 3 minutes or until the juice runs clear.
Take the melon balls out of the freezer.
Chop the sprig of mint and stir it into the melon balls.
Place one cup of melon salad into 4 dessert cups.
Top with ¼ cup of vanilla yogurt and garnish with another mint leaf.

Wine pairing:
Pair this pork dinner with the Daniel Gehrs 2008 Oak Free Chardonnay reviewed in this article.

Photo/Suzanne Pitner

More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Chicken Pineapple Kabobs with Iceberg Spinach Salad

This recipe makes enough for four skewers. If you are serving more than four people, add rice to the menu and place the cooked chicken and vegetables in a bowl over the rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 1 can pineapple chunks, with juice
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red onion, cut into quarters
• 1 nectarine or peach, cut into chunks
• 1 bell pepper, cut into large pieces
• ½ head of iceberg lettuce
• 1 cup of baby spinach leaves
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup of edamame

Preparation:
Place the cut up chicken in a zipper top plastic bag with the pineapple juice, vinegar, and soy sauce.
Marinate the chicken overnight or at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.
Place the chicken, pineapple, peach or nectarine, onion, and bell pepper on a skewer, alternating pieces.
Use the olive oil to coat a baking pan.
Place the skewers in the pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
Alternatively, they can be cooked on an outdoor grill.
Toss the lettuce, spinach together.
Top the salad with the sunflower seeds and edamame.
Serve with a light salad dressing.


Photo/Suzanne Pitner
More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Grilled Smoked Turkey, Muenster, and Apple Sandwiches

Serve with a Spring Salad

Ingredients:

• 8 slices whole wheat bread
• 4 teaspoons Dijon style mustard
• 8 ounces smoked turkey breast, sliced deli thin
• 4 slices Muenster cheese
• 2 Granny Smith apples, cut on the star and sliced thin
• Spring salad vegetable mix
• ½ cucumber
• Sunflower seeds
• Raspberry vinaigrette dressing

Preparation:
Spray an indoor grill with cooking spray and preheat.
Make the sandwiches and grill on the indoor grill.
Toss the salad ingredients with 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette.
Serve the sandwiches hot with mint iced tea.

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Photos/Suzanne Pitner
More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Dinner Magic Menus April Week 2

Dinner Magic complete grocery Shopping List for April Week 2.

Spicy Mexican Pizza and Salad

Tri Tip Sandwiches with Bleu Cheese and Oven Roasted Vegetables


BBQ Ribs in the Slow Cooker with Baked Yam Wedges

Vegetarian Vegetable Soup and Brown Bread

Chicken Risotto Florentine One Dish Meal


Grilled Spicy Salmon and Asparagus with Salad

Asian Citrus Salad with Grilled Chicken Breast


More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Dinner Magic Shopping List April Week 2

This shopping list is for the Dinner Magic Menus April Week 2.

Meats:
2 pounds pork or beef ribs
1 tri-tip roast
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pound chicken breast tenderloins
2 pounds of wild caught salmon steaks
1 pound ground beef

Dairy:
Real butter, not margarine
Grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces crumbled bleu cheese
2 cups Mozzarella cheese

Frozen Food:
1 small package mixed vegetables

Fresh Produce:
1 lemon
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch asparagus
1 heart of Romaine
1 small radicchio
Spring mix salad vegetables
1 tomato
4 cups of spinach
1 clove garlic
3 yams
2 potatoes
3 golden beets
1 parsnip
1 bunch green onions
1 yellow onion
1 jalapeno

Canned Food:
3 cups chicken stock
4 cups vegetable stock
1 jar Alfredo sauce
1 liter V-8 juice
1 small can sliced black olives

Dry Food and Staples:
2 cups Arborio or carnaroli rice (risotto)
Italian style bread crumbs
Olive oil
Truffle oil
Lima beans
(Optional) Whole wheat pasta, any kind for the soup
Cider vinegar
Aged balsamic vinegar
Dark bread such as pumpernickel or whole wheat molasses
Flour, white
Yeast for the bread machine

Spices and Condiments:
Salt and pepper
Cajun seasoning, fresh rosemary, bayleaf, cayenne pepper, taco seasoning mix
Light brown sugar
1 bottle Ranch style dressing
1 bottle barbeque sauce
1 cup white wine
Worcestershire sauce
Mayonnaise
Dijon style mustard
Honey

Other items for your own personal shopping list:

BBQ Ribs in the Slow Cooker with Baked Yam Wedges

Nobody likes to eat ribs if they have to cut them with a knife to get to the meat. Ribs should be so tender that the meat literally falls off the bone when you bite into it. There's a secret to getting beef ribs and pork ribs that tender.

Precook the meat in vinegar, lemon juice, or some other acidic marinade. The acid breaks down the toughness of the meat, so when it is done cooking, it will be as easy to bite into as butter. I learned this trick from an old friend who made the best ribs this side of the Mississipi.

When preparing ribs, purchase ½ pound of meat per person. This recipe is for 2 pounds. Just double or triple the amounts if you have a big crowd.

Pork or Beef Ribs in the Slow Cooker

• 2 pounds of ribs
• 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar
• 4 cups of water
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bottle of barbeque sauce (hot or sweet, whichever you prefer)
• 2 large yams
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat the water, vinegar, and herbs in a pot. Simmer the ribs in the liquid for ½ hour.
Drain the liquid and throw away the herbs.
Place the ribs in the slow cooker.
Pour the barbeque sauce over the top.
Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

Wash and peel the yams.
Cut them into wedges.
Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Toss the yams in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Bake on a foil lined pan in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour.


Photo/BBQ Junkie on Flickr
More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Grilled Spicy Salmon with Asparagus and Salad

Ingredients:
2 pounds of salmon steaks, or ½ pound per person
2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning mix
1 lemon
Fresh parsley
1 bunch of fresh asparagus
1 heart of Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 small radicchio, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
Ranch style dressing

Preparation of the Grilled Spicy Salmon and Asparagus
Lay the asparagus spears in a quarter cup of water in a frying pan.
Heat the water to a slow simmer over medium heat.
Put a lid on the pan to steam the asparagus.
Cut the salmon steaks into single serving sizes.
Pat the Cajun seasoning mix all over the salmon steaks.
Grill on the indoor grill or bake in a 375 degree oven until tender and flaky with a fork.
Serve with lemon wedges and parsley.
Toss the lettuce, radicchio, and tomato and top with Ranch style dressing.


Photo/Rowlanda Mangham
More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Asian Citrus Salad with Grilled Chicken Breast

Citrus Salad Dressing ingredients
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Salad Ingredients
1 small bag of spring mix salad greens
1 tangelo, peeled and each segment cut into halves or smaller pieces
1 avocado, diced
3 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Preparation:
Mix the citrus salad dressing ingredients in a salad dressing mixer.
Place the salad greens in a bowl.
Toss with the tangelo, avocado, and bacon.
Toss with the dressing.
Squeeze some tangelo juice and salt and pepper on the chicken breast.
Grill on the indoor grill until the juice runs clear, about 4 minutes.
Slice the chicken and place it on top of the salad for a warm dish.
Alternatively, serve the grilled chicken breast on the side.
If you're really in a hurry, use a bottled salad dressing, such as Kraft Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dresssing.
Pair this meal with a Pinot Grigio white wine.


Photo/MellowFood on Flickr
 
More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Dinner Magic Menus April Week 1

Here is the complete Dinner Magic Shopping List April Week 1 ingredients.


If you're looking for an Easter Dinner idea, try my Baked Ham with Orange Pineapple Glaze from March Week 4.

Spanish Rice and Chicken One Pot Meal

Lemon and Basil Creamy Pasta

Potato Gnocchi in Marinara Sauce

Grilled Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

Creamy Risotto with Portobello Mushrooms

Shrimp Stuffed Tilapia

Spicy Mexican Chicken with Bacon in the Crockpot


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Dinner Magic Shopping List April Week 1

This shopping list is for the Dinner Magic Menus April Week 1.


Meats:
1 pound chicken breast tenderloins
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 whole roasting chicken
2 pounds of tilapia or other fairly firm, white fish
½ pound of baby shrimp
½ pound of bacon

Dairy:
Real butter (not margarine)
Eggs
Milk
½ pint half and half
½ pint heavy cream
4 slices Mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
(Optional) Crumbled Bleu cheese or Feta cheese

Frozen Food:
1 small package peas and carrots
1 small package corn

Fresh Produce:
3 yellow onions
1 head of garlic or one jar of crushed garlic
1 bunch green onions
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch celery
1 head iceberg lettuce
2 large portobello mushroom caps
4 cups baby spinach
Spring salad mix
1 navel orange
1 lemon
10 russet potatoes
1 small bunch of asparagus
1 small bag of broccoli florets
1 fresh jalapeno, or 1 small can diced jalapenos
2 other hot peppers

Canned Food:
1 jar sliced green olives with pimientos
1 small can black olives
5 cups chicken broth
1 jar or can sliced red pepper
1 small can mild green chiles
1 jar pesto sauce (or make your own with basil and pine nuts or parsley and sunflower seeds)
2 cans (13 ounce) crushed tomatoes
1 can (13 ounce) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 ounce) tomato sauce
1 can (13 ounce) pinto beans

Dry Food and Staples:
Flour
Sugar
Risotto (Arborio or Carnaroli rice)
Rice
1 pound rigatoni
Olive oil
Sourdough or other firm white bread
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup craisins or raisins

Spices and Condiments:
Salt and pepper
Oregano, basil, thyme, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, star anise
Dry white wine
Red wine
Raspberry vinaigrette

Other items for your own personal shopping list:






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Tilapia Stuffed with Shrimp

Although this recipe calls for tilapia, any firm white fish will do, including striped bass, halibut, or flounder. We like to have peas and carrots as a side dish with this, but any of your favorite green vegetables is fine.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of tilapia, cut into four serving pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed, or 1 teaspoon crushed garlic from a jar
• 1 teaspoon crushed oregano
• ½ teaspoon basil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup of dry white wine
• 1 small package of frozen peas and carrots

Ingredients for the shrimp stuffing:

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup half and half
• ½ pound of baby shrimp, or larger shrimp, chopped
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ¼ cup of parsley, chopped

Garnishes:

• Shredded lettuce
• 1 small jar sliced green olives with pimientos
• 1 boiled egg, chopped
• Freshly grated black pepper

Preparation:
Put the onion, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and wine in a skillet and heat to a simmer.
Place the tilapia in the pan.
Cook the tilapia until it flakes with a fork, about ten minutes.
While the tilapia cooks, make a white sauce for the shrimp as shown in the next steps.
Place the butter in a saucepan and melt it.
Sprinkle the flour over the butter and whisk them together.
Slowly add the milk a little at a time. The sauce will be very thick and pasty.
When the sauce is whisked smoothly with no lumps, begin adding the half and half a little at a time, whisking well after each addition.
Add the salt and parsley, and stir.
Add the shrimp and stir.
Place the shredded lettuce on a plate.
Place the tilapia fillets on top of the lettuce.
Spoon the shrimp mixture on top of the tilapia.
Sprinkle green olives and chopped egg over the top.
Grate a small amount of pepper over the fish.
Cook the peas and carrots in the microwave and top with a small amount of chopped parsley. Serve it as a side vegetable dish.

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Creamy Risotto with Portobello Mushrooms

This meal uses portobello mushrooms instead of meat, making a healthy, filling meal. Serve it on a bed of baby spinach. Altogether, it takes about 30 minutes to prepare. For more information about how to use risotto, see my article, What is Risotto or Arborio Rice?

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of risotto (Arborio rice or Carnaroli rice)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cups of chicken broth
• 1 cup of white wine
• 2 tablespoons real butter (not margarine)
• 2 portobello mushroom caps, sliced into thin strips
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves

Preparation:
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan.
Add the risotto to the saucepan and cook over medium high heat about three minutes.
Add the chicken broth, 1 cup at a time, and stir frequently until all the liquid is absorbed.
Add the wine and continue to cook and stir until it is all absorbed.
The risotto takes about 30 minutes to cook.
While the risotto is cooking, sauté the mushrooms in butter, not allowing them to touch in the pan.
Cook the mushrooms until tender, then add to the cooked risotto. Stir together.
Place 1 cup of baby spinach leaves on a serving plate.
Top with 1 cup of prepared risotto and mushrooms.
Grate black pepper over the top.

Wine pairing: Gnarly Head Chardonnay if you like dry wine or Bridlewood Viognier if you prefer floral wine.




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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
 
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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

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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.

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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.

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