Meats:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 ounces of cubed ham
1 pound of tilapia or other firm white fish
1 pound of wild caught salmon
1 pound pork for stir fry
1 pound of boneless country style pork ribs
½ pound pepperoni
Dairy:
Grated Parmesan cheese
½ pound Mozzarella cheese
1 pound grated cheddar cheese
Eggs
Real butter, not margarine
1 small orange juice
Frozen Food:
1 package of chopped spinach (if fresh is unavailable)
1 package of green beans (if fresh is unavailable)
1 package of frozen mixed vegetables
Fresh Produce:
1 bunch of basil (or used dried basil, if unavailable)
2 bunch of spinach (or use 1 package of frozen chopped spinach)
½ pound fresh green beans (use frozen if unavailable)
2 sweet red bell peppers
1 green or red bell pepper
1 bunch green onions
1 head of red leaf lettuce
1 small head of iceberg lettuce
1 small package of spring mix
1 tangelo
Lemon juice in a bottle, or 2 fresh lemons + 1 lemon for the salmon
1 avocado
1 small package of grated carrots, or 1 small bunch of carrots
2 yellow onions
1 red onion
1 head of garlic, or one jar of organic crushed garlic
1 bunch fresh parsley
2 medium zucchini squash
1 leek
3 potatoes
1 tomato
1 small bunch of celery
Canned Food:
1 can of diced green chiles (optional for the ham and cheese strata)
1 can black beans (15 ounce)
1 jar barbecue sauce
1 jar spaghetti sauce, marinara style
Dry Food and Staples:
Nonstick cooking spray
Italian dressing
Italian style bread crumbs
Regular bread crumbs
Wild rice
White or brown rice
Spinach fettucini
Rigatoni
1 loaf of bread
1 package of bakery dinner rolls
Vegetable oil Olive oil Sesame oil Rice wine vinegar
White cooking wine
Spices and Condiments:
Salt and pepper
Basil, dry mustard, paprika, crushed red pepper, dill
Worcestershire sauce Hoisin sauce Soy sauce (Pearl River Bridge Superior Light is the brand I use) Dijon style mustard
Mayonnaise
Honey (choose local honey, it's healthy for you)
Other items for your own personal shopping list:
Wines for the week: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Reisling, Shiraz, Gewürztraminer
This elegant meal looks difficult to make, but it’s not. The hardest part is squeezing the liquid out of the spinach. If you don't like the taste of basil, try using parsley instead, as I do in my parsley pesto recipe. Served with a side of wild rice, it’s delicious.
Ingredients:
¼ cup Italian dressing
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 tablespoon dried basil
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 pound of fresh spinach, cooked, chopped, and squeezed dry (You may substitute a package of frozen spinach, squeezed dry)
1 cup of Italian style bread crumbs
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of wild rice
Preparation:
Lay the chicken breasts between two sheets of cling wrap and pound with a cooking mallet until they are ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Mix the Italian dressing, basil, cheese, and pepper in a blender.
Pour this mixture into a bowl with the spinach and add the bread crumbs.
Lay some of the spinach mixture onto each breast.
Roll up and secure with wooden picks.
Brush a small amount of Italian dressing over the chicken breasts.
Place in a baking pan and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
Cook the wild rice according to package directions.
Serve the chicken sliced over a bed of rice.
This is an easy dish to make up the night before. You can serve it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. Just take it out of the refrigerator about 45 minutes before you want to bake it.
Ingredients:
16 slices of day old bread, cut into triangles
1 pound grated cheddar cheese
6eggs
3 cups of milk
1 cup of cubed ham
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon of paprika
½ teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
Optional: (1 can of diced green chiles)
1 stick of real butter, melted
1 can of black beans.
1 sweet red pepper, minced
2 green onions, minced
2 cups of red leaf lettuce
Preparation:
Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
Mix the eggs, with milk, ham, and seasonings.
Place a layer of bread, 1/3 of the egg mixture, and 1/3 of the cheese in the pan.
Repeat the layers twice, ending with the cheese.
Pour the melted butter over the top.
Place in the refrigerator to sit overnight and allow the egg mixture to soak into the bread.
To bake the ham and cheese strata:
Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Place the casserole in a pan with water and allow it to sit while the oven preheats.
Bake in the pan of water for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
If the strata begins to get too brown on top, cover it with foil.
Make the bean salad:
While the strata is baking, mix the beans, peppers, and onion in a dish.
Place the beans on a bed of lettuce.
This meal is light and simple. It may not seem like a winter dish, but after all the heavy foods we’ve been eating, a light and refreshing dinner is going to taste good. With the avocados and tangelos good and plenty right now, I couldn't resist a fresh citrus salad.
1 pound tilapia or other white fleshed fish
1 teaspoon of oil
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
Dinner rolls
Salad Ingredients
1 small bag of spring mix salad greens
1 tangelo, peeled and each segment cut into halves
1 avocado, diced
3 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
Citrus Salad Dressing ingredients:
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Whip the ingredients in a salad dressing mixer. Place in the refrigerator to keep cold.
Mustard Dill Sauce ingredients
2 tablespoons Dijon style mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey or superfine sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons dill weed
¼ teaspoon salt
A dash of fresh ground pepper
Whip the ingredients together with a wire whisk and place in a serving dish.
Preparation:
Mix the salad dressing.
Mix the mustard dill sauce.
Sprinkle the lemon juice and oil over the tilapia. Sprinkle with salt.
Grill on an indoor grill until the fish flakes with a fork.
Place the salad greens in a bowl.
Cover with the tangelo, avocado, and bacon.
Toss with the dressing.
Plate the fish. Pour the mustard dill sauce over the fish.
Serve with dinner rolls.
This is similar to the chicken and green beans you can get at Chinese food restaurants. Serve it over a bed of rice.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon of rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I prefer the Pearl River Bridge Superior Light Soy Sauce brand)
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound pork, cut into small strips
¼ pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed (Use frozen if fresh are out of season)
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ cup grated carrots
1 onion, sliced
1 cup of rice
How to make Stir Fried Pork and Green Beans
Cook the rice according to the package directions, in two cups of water.
Mix the hoisin sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, and crushed red pepper.
Heat the oil in a skillet and stir fry the pork in the hot oil
Remove the pork and add the vegetables.
When the vegetables are crisp tender, return the pork to the pan.
Add the sauce, and stir to coat. It should thicken as is warms.
Serve over rice.
You can cook this dish with the same wine you’ll be serving at dinner. Or, if you’re like me, you’ll keep a bottle of 2 buck chuck in the refrigerator to cook with, and save the better wines for drinking.
1 teaspoon crushed basil (fresh is wonderful, but if it’s winter, dry will do)
2 tablespoons of butter
1 lb of spinach fettucini
¼ cup of fresh chopped parsley
¼ pound Parmesan cheese
2 medium zucchini, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup Italian dressing
How to make the Salmon Fettucini
Marinate the salmon in ¼ cup of Italian dressing and the juice of one lemon while you cut the zucchini and bell pepper into strips.
Cook the salmon on the indoor grill, or on a grill plate on your stovetop.
The salmon is done when it flakes with a fork.
Cook the fettucini in boiling, salted water.
Cook the bell pepper and zucchini on the grill while the fettucini cooks.
While the vegetables are cooking, cook the onion and garlic in olive oil in a skillet.
Flake the salmon and place it in the skillet with the onion and garlic. Add the white wine, pepper, basil, and butter.
Drain the fettucini.
Stir the salmon mixture into the fettucini.
Serve the Salmon Fettucini with the grilled vegetables on the side and a white wine.
How to Make Pork and Potato One Pot Dinner
Place the bread crumbs in a gallon size zipper lock bag.
Place the pork in the bag.
Toss the pork pieces in the bread crumbs.
Fry the pork in the oil until brown.
Remove the pork and cook the leek, bell pepper, and potatoes until brown.
Add the vegetables and warm through.
Add the pork and stir well.
Serve with barbeque sauce on the side.
Ingredients for the Pepperoni Rigatoni:
1 pound rigatoni
½ pound pepperoni, chopped
1 jar spaghetti sauce (or use my homemade spaghetti sauce recipe)
¼ pound of Italian four cheese blend (or you can use mozzarella)
Ingredients for the Italian Chop Salad:
½ head of lettuce, chopped
1 cup of spinach, chopped
¼ cup of Italian dressing
½ cup of mozzarella cheese, grated or cut into small chunks
1 tomato, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
½ cup of red onion, chopped
Optional: ¼ cup of chopped pepperoni
Cook the rigatoni in a pot of boiling salted water.
Mix the lettuce and spinach together and toss with the Italian dressing.
Place in a salad bowl and top with the cheese, then celery, onion, and tomato.
Place in the refrigerator until dinner is ready.
Drain rigatoni. Pour the spaghetti sauce over it and stir.
Add the chopped pepperoni and keep on low heat for a few minutes till it warms through.
Serve the pasta and salad with a Shiraz wine.
Meats:
1 fryer chicken
1 pound sliced turkey breast
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ pound chicken breast tenderloins
Optional: ¼ pound pepperoni
Dairy:
4 slices of Provolone or Swiss cheese
1 pound Cheddar cheese
¼ pound Parmesan cheese
8 ounces Mozzarella cheese
Eggs
Optional: sour cream
Frozen Food:
1 package frozen chopped broccoli
Fresh Produce:
7 yellow onions (vidalia or other sweet onion)
1 red onion
1 head of broccoli
1 cucumber
5 tomatoes
1 bag of spring mix lettuce
3 lemons
5 potatoes
1 sweet potato or yam
2 parsnips
2 turnips
4 carrots
1 stalk celery
1 head of iceberg lettuce
1 heart of romaine
1 small bunch spinach
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch green onions
1 head garlic, or one jar crushed organic garlic
1 bag coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
Canned Food:
2 cans (6 ounce) white crab meat
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
1 can evaporated skim milk
1 can chicken broth
4 cups beef broth
1 can (15 ounces) black beans
1 small can sliced black olives
1 small can chopped black olives
1 small can water chestnuts
Dry Food and Staples:
Sourdough bread
Wheat bulgur or tabbouleh
Olive oil
White wine
Balsamic vinegar
Worcestershire sauce
Soy sauce
Hoisin sauce (plum sauce may substitute)
Lemon juice
Italian style bread crumbs
1 bag of tortilla chips
Cooking spray
Cornstarch
Sugar
Whole wheat tortillas, soft taco size
Spices and Condiments:
Salt and pepper
Thyme, sage, rosemary, basil, dry mustard, paprika, parsley, sesame seeds
1 package fajita seasoning mix
Dijon style mustard
Brown sugar
Salad dressing
Stems from one head of broccoli (they may be leftover from the Chicken Cordon Bleu)
1 large can of cream of mushroom soup
2 cans of cheddar cheese soup
1 can of evaporated skim milk
1 can of chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup of grated cheddar cheese
Fresh baguette or sourdough bread.
How to Make Easy Cheesy Broccoli Soup
Steam the broccoli stems and the onion in the microwave till tender.
Place the chopped broccoli, the cooked onion and stems, and the broth in the blender.
Blend until mostly smooth.
Put the blended ingredients in a soup pot.
Add the 3 cans of soup and the can of evaporated skim milk.
Heat through till warm. Top with grated cheddar cheese.
Serve with a fresh baguette or sourdough bread.
It disappears fast!
This is a quick and simple version of the traditional French Onion Soup which takes hours to make. It’s hearty enough for a meal. Serve it with a dinner salad.
Ingredients for French Onion Soup:
4 cups of beef broth
½ cup of white wine
4 large sweet onions, sliced
4 slices of thick sourdough bread, toasted
4 slices of Provolone or Swiss cheese
2 cups of spring salad mix
½ cucumber sliced
1 tomato, cut
Salad dressing of your choice
Toss together the salad ingredients and place in the refrigerator until dinner is ready.
Cook the onions in ½ cup of the broth until tender. Allow the broth to cook down and brown the onions, about ten minutes.
Divide the onions into four oven-safe bowls.
Mix the remaining broth and wine and heat.
Pour the warm broth mixture over the onions.
Top with a slice of toast and a slice of cheese.
Place under the broiler to melt and brown the cheese.
Nosh on the cheesy soup with a salad.
Quick tip:
If you don’t have a roasting rack for the chicken, place four opened and washed tuna cans on the bottom of the pan. Place the chicken on top of the cans. This will raise the chicken up just high enough to keep it out of the drippings.
Roast Chicken ingredients:
1 fryer chicken
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Italian herb mix (1 teaspoon each thyme, sage, rosemary)
1 lemon, quartered
Roasted Root Vegetables ingredients:
1 potato, peeled and cubed
1 sweet potato or yam, peeled and cubed
2 parsnips, peeled and cubed
2 turnips, peeled and cubed
1 onion, peeled and quartered
4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Wash and pat dry the chicken.
Salt and pepper the cavity.
Place two lemon quarters in the cavity.
Rub the skin with olive oil.
Squeeze the juice of the other two lemon quarters on the skin.
Sprinkle the herbs on the breast, legs, and thighs.
Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting or baking pan.
Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
Toss the vegetables in the mixture to coat.
Place in a baking pan.
Cover with foil.
Place the chicken and the vegetables in the oven.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.
Uncover the vegetables and bake for another 15 minutes.
(Pearl River Bridge Superior Light is the brand I use)
until they are ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
.
and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
with cooking spray.
. Place in the refrigerator to keep cold.
.
for the chicken, place four opened and washed tuna cans on the bottom of the pan. Place the chicken on top of the cans. This will raise the chicken up just high enough to keep it out of the drippings.
.