Apricot-Glazed Turkey Breast

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash salt
1 bone-in turkey breast (5 pounds)

Directions:
Combine the preserves, vinegar, pepper and salt. Place turkey breast on a rack in a large shallow roasting pan.

Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 170°, basting every 30 minutes with apricot mixture. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.) Cover and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing.

Comments:
My breast took about 2 hours and 20 minutes to get to 170. It always seems to take longer than the recipe tells me, no matter how much extra time I allot for it. Gah. Adam really liked the glaze. I don't eat the skin and it didn't really get into the meat that I noticed. Maybe I'll use this same glaze on some boneless, skinless chicken and see what happens.

Rice, Black Bean, and Corn Salad

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 cup cold cooked brown rice
1/2 cup cooked corn kernals
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp EVOO
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the rice, corn, bell pepper, celery, beans, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lime juice, oil, and salt. Pour over the rice mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, until the flavors are blended, at least 1 hour.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 2

Comments:
I really liked this. I had to skip the jalapeno since the ones I had in the fridge jumped the shark on me before I could make this. Adam wasn't too enthused - he thought it was weird that it was cold. I liked the mix of flavors and the crunch the pepper and celery added. Might try it with red pepper too to add some more color contrast. I'd also probably up the ratio of black beans - I love them and there didn't seem to be enough of them.

Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish

From Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats #236



Ingredients:
2 tbsp EVOO
4 6-8oz catfish fillets
1 cup yellow cornmeal
salt & pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Preheat a large oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO. Season the catfish with the salt and pepper and coat evenly and completely in the cornmeal. Add the coated fish to the hot skillet and sear for 2 minutes on each side, then transfer the skillet with the fish to the oven and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes, until the fish is firm to the touch and opaque.

Comments:
This is only half of the whole meal - Adam wasn't interested in the Green Rice Pilaf, which was fine with me because this fish "recipe" was ridiculously easy. I made myself a chicken breast on the George Foreman, but Adam said the fish was really good.

Weekly Menu 12/25 through 12/31

Saturday 12/25 - Christmas with the Dodds family

Sunday 12/26 - Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish (from Rachael Ray's 365 book)

Monday 12/27 - Apricot-Glazed Turkey Breast

Tuesday 12/28 - Parmesan Gnocchi with Broccoli

Wednesday 12/29 - Soy-Marinated Pork Chops

Thursday 12/30 - Balsamic Steak au Poivre

Friday 12/31 - Stuffed French Toast

This Week's Dessert:
Last week of Christmas parties!

Steak & New Potato Toss Recipe

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 pound small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges
1-1/4 pounds beef top sirloin steak
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

VINAIGRETTE:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, grill steak, covered, over medium heat for 8-11 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145°; medium, 160°; well-done, 170°). Let stand for 10 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain.

Place broccoli florets in a steamer basket. Place in a saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and steam for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. In a small bowl, combine vinaigrette ingredients.

Drain broccoli and potatoes; place in a large bowl. Add beef and red pepper; drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat. Serve warm or cold.

Comments:
This was good. Adam thought the steak was overdone, which it probably was for him, but that's my fault because I can't stand meat that's red. The sauce is really light and complements the different elements of the dish.

Spicy Chipotle Shrimp Salad

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
8 Boston lettuce leaves

Directions:
1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and black pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add half of shrimp to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove shrimp from pan; repeat procedure with remaining shrimp. Cool shrimp for 5 minutes.

2. Place shrimp in a medium bowl; stir in celery and next 6 ingredients (through cumin). Arrange 2 lettuce leaves on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 3/4 cup shrimp mixture.

Comments:
I left out the "salad" part - just served it plain, not in lettuce leaves. Also cooked the shrimp inside rather than grilling. I didn't eat this so I can't vouch for it, but Adam liked it.

Chicken with Grapefruit-Butter Sauce

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 pounds new potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons choopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
4 scallions, green and white portions chopped separately
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 red grapefruits, 2 cut into segments, 2 juiced
1 stick (4 ounces) butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled

Directions:
1. Place the potatoes in a large pot with enough salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, return to the pot and toss with the parsley.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook until browned, 5 to 8 minutes on each side; transfer to a plate.

3. Add the scallion whites to the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add the wine and grapefruit juice, scraping up any browned bits; bring to a boil and cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1 piece of butter until smooth; repeat with the remaining 7 pieces. Stir in the grapefruit segments and scallion greens and season with salt and pepper. Serve over the chicken, alongside the potatoes.

Comments:
Eh. Not too impressed with this one. I thought it would be interesting but I probably won't make it again.

Weekly Menu 12/18 through 12/24

Saturday 12/18 - Apple, Cheddar, and Bacon Monte Cristos

Sunday 12/19 - Adam's on his own - I'm going to the ballet with a couple friends and we'll be going to dinner afterwards

Monday 12/20 - Pizza - whatever Adam chooses to make

Tuesday 12/21 - IMA Christmas Party

Wednesday 12/22 - Steak & New Potato Toss

Thursday 12/23 - Shrimp Newburg

Friday 12/24 - Christmas at Adam's parents' house. I'm bring the dessert.

This Week's Dessert:
None. Too many parties!

White Chocolate Tiramisu Trifle

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1/2 cup hot brewed espresso or strong coffee
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur, such as Kahlúa
Two 8-ounce containers mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pint heavy cream
One 12- to 13-ounce store-bought vanilla angel food cake
One 1 1/2-ounce piece white chocolate

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, stir together the espresso and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in 1/4 cup water and the coffee liqueur.

2. Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla at low speed. With the machine on, gradually pour in the cream, then turn the mixer up to medium speed and whip until thick and billowy but not stiff.

3. Invert the angel food cake onto a work surface. Using a large serrated knife, trim the brown crust off the top of the cake, then slice the cake horizontally into 3 layers. Place the widest layer cut side up in the bottom of a 7-inch-wide trifle bowl. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the coffee syrup evenly over the cake, then spoon 2 cups of the mascarpone mixture evenly on top. Finely grate one third of the white chocolate over the mascarpone. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 2 more layers. Cover the trifle and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Comments:
I made this for our Christmas party. This was my first trifle attempt and I was excited! The angel food cake was a teensy bit too big for my trifle dish, but I made it work. I had some leftover mascarpone cream though. Darn... It turned out really well, I made it the day before and let it sit in the fridge overnight. It is so good!

Chicken Florentine Meatballs

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 pound ground chicken

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Crumble chicken over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls.

Place meatballs on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink.

Comments:
I skipped the sauce and squash part of the recipe and just stuck with the meatballs. They were really good. I hesitate to use ground chicken because it always seems to be so mushy, but the breadcrumbs in this recipe really helped to hold everything together.

Slow Cooker Chicken Continental

From allrecipes.com



Ingredients:
2 (8 ounce) jars dried beef
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup sour cream
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:
Lightly grease slow cooker, and line with dried beef. Place 2 to 3 chicken breasts in the slow cooker. In a mixing bowl, stir together sour cream, soup, and flour; pour 1/2 of mixture over chicken. Layer with the dried beef and chicken breasts, and pour in the remaining sour cream mixture. Top with the remaining dried beef.

Cook in slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 hours.

Comments:
I took the advice of some of the comments on the allrecipes site and used roast beef instead of dried beef. I also used cream of chicken since I don't like mushrooms. I think it turned out ok, but I don't know if I'd make it again. Didn't really wow me.

Oven-Fried Fish Nuggets

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/3 cup crushed cornflakes
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 pounds cod fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes
Butter-flavored cooking spray

Directions:
In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cornflakes, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Coat fish with butter-flavored spray, then roll in crumb mixture.

Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Comments:
Very basic, simple recipe. They turned out well and I even ate them too!

Sweet Cheese Delights

From Pillsbury



Ingredients:
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar, if desired

Directions:
In large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla; beat on low speed until blended.

Unroll 1 can of dough into 1 large rectangle; press seams and perforations to seal. Press onto bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Spread with cream cheese mixture.

In small bowl, mix pecans, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Sprinkle half the pecan mixture over the cream cheese layer. On lightly floured surface, press or roll out remaining dough into 13x9-inch rectangle. Place over filling. Sprinkle remaining pecan mixture over top.

Bake at 375°F 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly on cooling rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

Comments:
Adam picked this recipe out of an ad in the Rachael Ray magazine. And while they weren't really what he was expecting, they were still pretty good!

Cannoli French Toast

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
12 slices sandwich bread

Directions:
Sift 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl, then stir in 1 cup ricotta cheese. In a medium bowl, beat together 2 eggs and 1/2 cup milk. Trim the crusts off 12 slices sandwich bread and, using a rolling pin, roll out the bread to flatten. Add 1 tablespoon of the sweetened ricotta to each slice, fold over and pinch the edges together. (The edges will seal during cooking.) In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Working in 3 batches, dip the stuffed bread slices in the egg mixture and transfer to the skillet. Cook, turning once, until puffed and golden, about 3 minutes. Dust with more confectioners’ sugar before serving

Comments:
This was really good. I wasn't sure I was going to like these since I'm not a fan of ricotta, but these are just sweet enough that they were ok by me. Really simple, quick, and tasty.

Grilled Pepper, Onion, and Sausage Calzones

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 portion Homemade Pizza Dough
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 14 ounces)
1 red bell pepper, quartered
1 yellow bell pepper, quartered
Cooking spray
1 pound hot Italian turkey sausage links
1 3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons New York-Style Pizza Sauce, divided
1 1/3 cup (about 5 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Remove Homemade Pizza Dough from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

2. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

3. Coat onion slices and bell pepper pieces with cooking spray. Place vegetables and sausages on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill vegetables 4 minutes on each side or until browned; grill sausages 8 minutes or until done, turning occasionally to brown on all sides. Remove vegetables and sausages from grill; cool slightly. Cut onion slices in half; cut bell pepper pieces into 1/2-inch strips. Cut sausages diagonally into thin slices.

4. Preheat oven to 500°

5. Place dough on a lightly floured surface; divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 9 x 5-inch rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup New York-Style Pizza Sauce evenly over each rectangle, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Arrange sausage evenly over half of each rectangle; top evenly with onion and bell peppers. Sprinkle each calzone with 1/3 cup cheese. Fold other half of dough over filling; press edges together with a fork to seal.

6. Place calzones on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Coat calzones with cooking spray. Bake at 500° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut each calzone in half; serve with remaining New York-Style Pizza Sauce.

Comments:
Major alterations on this one: Didn't grill anything. Used bread dough. But they turned out great. And huge.

Grilled Sliced Chicken with Cheesy Polenta

From Everday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 poblano chiles
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO ), for drizzling
4 pieces skinless, boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter
A handful cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder (hot) or sweet smoked paprika (not), about 2/3 palmful
About 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup milk
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup quick-cooking polenta
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Over an open flame or in the broiler, char the poblanos until blackened all over, turning occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover and let cool. Peel, seed and chop the poblanos.

Preheat a griddle pan or large skillet over medium-high heat; drizzle with a little EVOO. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, turning once, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. In a microwavable bowl, soften 3 tablespoons butter in the microwave for a few seconds on high. Add half of the cilantro or parsley, the rosemary, the chile powder or paprika and the oregano.

While the chicken cooks, heat a drizzle of EVOO in a saucepan. Add the corn and heat through for a couple of minutes. Add the charred poblano, stir in the milk and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Whisk in the polenta and cook over low heat, stirring, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the cheese.

Slice the hot chicken on the diagonal, then dollop with the spicy butter. Spoon some polenta underneath or alongside the sliced chicken.

Comments:
I cooked the chicken in the George Foreman (because I forgot to thaw it. Whoops) and skipped the butter, but otherwise stuck to the plan. The chicken was nothing special, but the polenta was awesome. Some extra texture from the corn, some spice from the poblano, and cheese.

Weekly Menu 12-11 through 12-17

Saturday 12/11 - Our Christmas Party

Sunday 12/12 - Party Leftovers

Monday 12/13 - Party Leftovers

Tuesday 12/14 - Beef Bulgogi

Wednesday 12/15 - Chicken with Grapefruit Butter Sauce

Thursday 12/16 - Vegetable Carbonara

Friday 12/17 - Spicy Chipotle Shrimp Salad

This Week's Dessert:
None, party leftovers.

Weekly Menu 12-4 through 12-10

Saturday 12/4 - Spaghetti & Meatballs

Sunday 12/5 - Oven Fried Fish Nuggets

Monday 12/6 - Chicken Continental

Tuesday 12/7 - Chicken Florentine Meatballs

Wednesday 12/8 - Pork Soft Tacos

Thursday 12/9 - Oven Fried Chicken

Friday 12/10 - Not sure - will be a party prep day

This Week's Dessert:
None, our party is on Saturday and we'll no doubt have plenty of leftovers.