Pecan-Crusted Chicken

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 large egg white
2 tbsp minced toasted pecans
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp salt
2 small (1/4-pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly mist a small nonstick baking sheet with olive oil spray.

In a small, shallow bowl, beat the egg white with a fork.

In a small bowl, combine the pecans, parsley, and salt. Spread half of the mixture on a sheet of waxed paper. Dip 1 chicken breast into the egg white to coat. Place the smooth side of the breast on the nut mixture. Press to adhere. Place the breast, nut side up, on the prepare baking sheet. Repeat with the second breast and place on the baking sheet, not touching the other breast.

Bake for 20 minutes or until no longer pink. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Comments:
There they go with that olive oil mist thing. *sigh* I used parchment paper on the baking sheet. Worked fine. I also butterflied the breasts to make them thinner, coated both sides with the nuts. I'm a rebel.

This was pretty good. I think I'd try and get the nuts finer next time. I put them in my off-brand "Slap-Chop" and didn't really go to town on them. It might just be a personal preference, but I didn't like the big chunks of nuts.

I'd probably make this again. Simple, relatively quick, and tasty. (Oh, and not totally bad for you - that's a plus too.)

Philly Cheese Steak-Stuffed Garlic Bread

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
One 1-pound loaf peasant bread
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 pound onions, thinly sliced
1 pound sirloin steak or sirloin tips, very thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup dry red wine
8 slices provolone cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°. Slice off the top 1/2 inch of the bread; reserve. Scoop out the insides of the loaf, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell, and cut into cubes.

In a large skillet, heat 6 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and rosemary for 2 minutes. Place the bread shell on a baking sheet; brush the inside with some of the seasoned oil. Add 3 cups bread cubes to the skillet with the remaining seasoned oil and toss to coat; transfer to the baking sheet, surrounding the bread shell. Reserve the skillet. Place the bread top on the baking sheet cut side up. Bake until browned and toasted, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the reserved skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until golden, 10 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Add the steak to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the onions.

Spoon half of the steak-onion mixture into the bread bowl; top with half of the cheese, then half of the croutons. Layer with the remaining steak-onion mixture, croutons and cheese. Bake until the cheese has melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Top with the bread lid. To serve, slice into wedges.

Comments:
Not too complicated although getting all that filling to balance inside (and on top of) the bread took talent. And it promptly fell over when I cut it.



Eh. The meat wasn't really my thing, but the onions were wonderful and sweet. Adam suggested that next time perhaps do individual portions and use some other kind of beef - top round maybe? I don't know my cuts...

Baby Back Ribs

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
Three 2-pound racks baby back ribs, cut into 6 equal portions
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°. In a 6-quart ovenproof pot, stand the rib sections upright to form a circle. Add 1/4 cup vinegar, the salt and 1 quart water; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, transfer to the oven and bake until tender, about 1 1/2 hours; transfer the ribs to a plate.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, chili powder and remaining 1 teaspoon vinegar.

Preheat a grill to medium. Brush the meaty side of the ribs with half of the sauce and place meaty side up on the grill. Cover and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, 10 to 15 minutes. Brush the ribs with the remaining sauce before serving.

Comments:
Originally I was going to throw these in the crockpot, but I went ahead and did them the way the recipes says instead. I laughed when I copied the directions from the website this morning - they totally edited the first step. I even read the directions to Adam last night to make sure I wasn't going insane because they made no sense. Here's what they say in the magazine:

Preheat the oven to 325°. In a 6-quart ovenproof pot, stand the rib sections upright to form a circle. Add 1/4 cup vinegar, the salt and 1 quart water; bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to low, cover and bake until tender, about 1 1/2 hours; transfer the ribs to a plate.

Hmm. Why would you lower the heat to low when you're putting the pot in the oven? I was confused, but decided to turn the burner off and put the pot in the oven. Guess I was right about that! Ha ha.

Anyway, faulty instructions aside, this was pretty easy. Takes some planning ahead since it takes about 2 hours to cook. Adam liked them a lot. And while I'm not really a rib kind of person, these were alright. I still prefer my crock-pot Home Style Ribs.

Weekly Menu 11/7 through 11/13

Saturday 11/7 - Ribs (although I'm really ignoring the directions and just throwing it all in a crockpot...)

Sunday 11/8 - Philly Cheese Steak-Stuffed Garlic Bread

Monday 11/9 - Adam will be out so I'll be making Chicken Caesar Salad for myself

Tuesday 11/10 - Chipotle Pork Quesadillas

Wednesday 11/11 - My Monthly Night Out

Thursday 11/12 - Pecan-Crusted Chicken (Biggest Loser)

Friday 11/13 - Crab Cakes (well, for Adam anyway)

Beefy Tex-Mex Stir-Fry

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 poblano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 pound ground beef
1 tomato, finely chopped
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
Salt and pepper
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the poblano, onion and chili powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat, until the meat is just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato and tortilla chips and season with salt and pepper.

Divide the meat mixture among 4 plates and top with the cheese.

Comments:
At first I was wary of the not draining the beef thing, but it worked out alright. It wasn't greasy - I guess the tortillas suck some of it up, huh? Anywho, couldn't be simpler. Well, ok, so I made the mistake of touching my eye with the hand that de-seeded the hot pepper, which is never advised. I swear even now, days (and multiple showers and hand-washings) later, I still must have some of it under my fingernail. Strong stuff! But other than that, pretty brainless. Adam suggests topping it with some sour cream. And bacon. He always wants bacon on everything.

Creamed Chicken with Gnocchi Dumplings

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
One 1-pound package potato gnocchi
4 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup chicken broth
2 scallions, chopped

Directions:
Cook the gnocchi according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until toasted, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the half-and-half and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened. Whisk into the chicken mixture, then stir in the gnocchi. Bring to a simmer, then season with salt and pepper and top with the scallions.

Comments:
Hmm, mine doesn't look quite as appetizing as the picture on RR's site does. I guess the red pepper adds a little color variety and leaving it out left us with a completely white dish. Eh. The flavors in the dish speak for themselves, even without the pepper. Very good. Could probably make less of the "cream" stuff and be ok.

Spicy Turkey Meatloaf

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to pan; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes.

3. Combine mushroom mixture, panko, and next 8 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; stir well to combine. Shape turkey mixture into a 9 x 5–inch rectangle on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.

4. Combine ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and nutmeg in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Spread ketchup mixture evenly over top of meat loaf; bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Comments:
I skipped step #2 and just added some minced onions and garlic powder into the turkey mixture. It turned out quite well although it took closer to 55 minutes to get to 160. Just a little spice from the chile sauce in the background so I could deal. Adam was unimpressed. Shocking... He could probably eat the chile sauce straight from the bottle and be unaffected. In any case, I'll probably make this again. It wasn't difficult and came out pretty good.

Weekly Menu 10/31 through 11/6

Saturday 10/31 - Pizza

Sunday 11/1 - Spicy Turkey Meatloaf (got bumped)

Monday 11/2 - Adam's on his own - I'll be working late and will go straight from work to church

Tuesday 11/3 - Creamed Chicken with Gnocchi Dumplings

Wednesday 11/4 - Beefy Tex-Mex Stir-Fry

Thursday 11/5 - We're going out

Friday 11/6 - Rigatoni Bake

Double-Bacon Gourmet Cheeseburgers

From Weber Grill Creations (the recipe came with something Adam bought - maybe the jerky stuff? I don't remember.)



Ingredients:
10 slices bacon
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck (80% lean)
1 tablespoon Weber® Grill Creations® Gourmet Burger Seasoning
4 thin slices cheese, Cheddar or Monterey jack
4 hamburger buns
4 medium slices ripe tomato
4 pieces lettuce

Directions:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook half of the bacon at a time until crisp, about 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Drain each batch of bacon on paper towels.

2. Crumble 2 slices of bacon into a medium bowl. Mix in the ground chuck and the Weber® Grill Creations® Gourmet Burger. Shape into 4 patties, each about 3/4 inch thick.

3. Grill the patties over Direct High heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until medium, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once when the patties release easily from the grate. During the last couple minutes of grilling, put a slice of cheese on each patty to melt. Also toast the hamburger buns, cut side down, over Direct High heat. Assemble the burgers on buns with the tomato, lettuce, and the remaining bacon slices.

Comments:
I cooked these inside in a skillet. Made some smoke, but not too bad. I had problems with my bun to burger proportions again - this time I made the burgers super thick so they were kind of hard to eat. Someday I'll get it right! Anywho... I couldn't find the Weber seasonings at either of the grocery stores I looked at but luckily they'd included a sample size with the recipe cards so it was all good. I might still keep an eye out for it...

Asian Burgers

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms
1 celery rib, finely chopped
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds ground beef
4 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared wasabi
8 sesame seed hamburger buns, split
3 cups shredded Chinese or napa cabbage

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into eight patties.

In two large skillets, cook burgers in oil over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.

Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise and wasabi; spread over buns. Serve burgers on buns with cabbage.

Comments:
Hmm. I kind of "De-Asian-ified" this a bit. Left out the water chestnuts (Adam doesn't like), mushrooms (I don't like) and wasabi (don't have, not worth buying just for this.) I also (obviously) took the lazy way out and used pre-shredded, bagged cabbage. Other than that I stuck to the plan. They were good. Nice crunch from the celery and cabbage with just a hint of soy in the background.