Week 8 -

*French Onion Soup
*Sour Cream Coffee Cake
*Smoked Turkey Bacon Gouda on Asiago Bagels
*Mushroom Pork Tenderloin

French Onion Soup

• 6 cups thinly sliced sweet onions
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 can beef consomme
• 2 cans beef broth
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 slices French bread toasted
• 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese shaved (Parmesan works too)

Sprinkle onions with sugar and then sautee in butter until golden.  Add broth and water - cover and simmer 45 minutes. Ladel into individual bowls and then place a slice of bread on top and sprinkle with cheese and put under broiler for a few seconds. OR just put the bread and cheese in and eat it.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine flour, brown sugar and salt.  Cut in butter till crumbly.  Set aside 1/4 cup crumb mixture to put on the top.  To remaining crumb mixture add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Mix well.  Add sour cream and egg; mix well.  Spread batter into a greased 8x8x2 baking pan (I always use my glass pie pan) Stir together reserved crumbs and nuts; sprinkle atop batter.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes oruntil a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Serve warm.

Bacon Turkey Gouda Sandwich

• 8 slices bacon
• 1/2 lb Boar's head smoked turkey breast 
• smoked gouda cheese
• romaine lettuce
• tomato sliced
• signature dressing
• 4 asiago bagels cut in half

Signature dressing

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 TBSP lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/4 tsp dried mustard
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Combine the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until well combined. Refrigerate in an airtight container.

Take the bagel and spread the signature dressing over 1 side of the bagel. Then layer lettuce, tomato, turkey, Gouda and bacon, crisscrossing the bacon slices. Top with the other side of the bagel. This is also very good warmed like a panini.

Mushroom Pork Tenderloin

• 2 (1 lb) pork tenderloins
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 chicken boullion cubes
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

Melt the butter in a skillet and brown the pork on all sides until brown. Transfer pork to a baking dish leaving the butter in the skillet. Sautee the mushrooms and onion in the drippings in the skillet. Dissolve the boullions cubes in the water in a bowl.  Blend in the flour.  Add to the skillet.  Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.  Gradually stir in the chicken broth to desired thickness.  Pour over the pork. Bake, covered, at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.  Cut pork in 2 inch slices to serve.

Week 7 -

*French Toast/ Lil' smokies

*Grilled Chicken Pasta
*Mongolian Beef

*BBQ Chicken Pizza

French Toast and Lil' Smokies

• 8-10 pieces of texas toast
• 3 eggs beaten with a little milk and vanilla

Dip bread in egg mixture and place on griddle. Sprinkle each piece with cinnamon. Flip. Cook other side. Serve with cream cheese, syrup, and powdered sugar.

Put a whole bag of Lil' smokies in a skillet with 2 TBSP of water.  Cover and let simmer on med high heat for a few minutes.  Take off lid and let water evaporate and toss smokies until they start to brown a little on the sides.

Grilled Chicken Pasta

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 16 oz. of favorite pasta (fusilli, penne, bowtie)
• 1/4 red pepper diced
• 1/4 green pepper diced
• 1/4 orange pepper diced
• 3 - 4 spring onions sliced (or red onion)
• 2 - 3 carrots chopped
• 1/2 cucumber chopped

Dressing:

• 3/4 cup mayo
• 1 TBSP vinegar
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 TBSP veggie oil
• 1 TBPS water
• 1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 clove garlic minced

Grill 2 chicken breasts with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. After it cools, chop into bite sized pieces. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain, but don't rinse. Spread on a cookie sheet to cool and dry. Combine pasta, chicken and veggies in a large bowl and pour about 3/4 of the dressing on top and mix well.  Add a little salt and pepper. Taste becomes more intense if it sits in the fridge for several hours, but you may need to add a little more dressing before serving.

Mongolian Beef

• 2 tsp. avocado oil (canola,vegetable)
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ginger ( I get this in a little jar already minced)
• 1 TBSP garlic minced
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup DARK brown sugar
• 1 cup oil for frying
• 1 lb. flat iron steak (flank steak works too)
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 3 - 4 green onions chopped

Cut steak into thin slices. Put cornstarch in a bowl and dip each piece of steak into the cornstarch to apply a VERY thin dusting to both sides. Lay the meat on a cookie sheet.  Let the meat sit for about 10 minutes.  Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp. of oil in a medium saucepan.  Add ginger and garlic to the pan and sautee for 30 seconds then add soy sauce and water.  Bring to a boil and then add sugar.  Bring back to a boil and let it boil for 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Heat oil in a large skillet.  Put the meat a few pieces at a time in the oil for about 10-30 seconds just until the meat begins to darken on the edges.  Turn meat.  Cook only for 20 more seconds.  Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the meat out onto a paper towel.  When all the meat has been cooked, dispose of hot oil and clean pan or use a new pan. Put cooked meat into the pan, add the sauce and heat over medium heat. Add green onions at the last minute. Serve over cooked rice.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

some of my kids don't like cilantro or onions

• Pizza Crust
• 2 chicken breasts
• Favorite BBQ Sauce
• Smoked Gouda shredded
• Red onion Diced
• Cilantro chopped

Place 2 chicken breasts in baking dish and cover with BBQ Sauce.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Shred. Make Pizza crusts. When Crust comes out, spread BBQ sauce on it and cover with cheese.  Sprinkle red onion, cilantro and chicken over cheese. Bake until cheese is melted.

Pizza Crust

• 1 pkg. dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP honey
• 3/4 cup cold water

Dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand for 10 minutes. In mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, olive oil, honey and cold water. Add yeast mixture and knead with dough hook for 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 1 hour.
Divide dough in half and shape each half into a 12" round.  Prebake custs for 10 minutes at 450 degrees before adding toppings.  After topping pizzas, bake again for 10 - 12 minutes.  Make 2 pizza crusts.

Week 6 -

*Ham and Veggie Fried Rice/Potstickers

*Slow Burn Chili
*Pasta Carbonara

*Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ham and Veggie Fried Rice

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 2 TBSP oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp. fresh chopped ginger
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped brocoli
• 4-6 slices of ham chopped into bite size pieces
• 4 green onions
• 2 TBSP soy sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Add cooked rice and stir fry until heated through.  In a separate skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and add chopped onion. Stir Fry until golden brown.  Add ginger and garlic and stir fry 1 more minute.  Add to rice skillet.  Make a hole in the middle of the rice and crack egg.  Cook egg in center by gently mixing. When cooked, mix into rice. Steam the carrots and brocoli for 4 minutes and then add to rice skillet.  Add ham and green onions.  Drizzle soy sauce over rice and gently mix together.  Do not OVERSTIR or it will become mushy. Serve immediately.

We love to eat this with Pork/Veggie Pot Stickers that you buy at Costco. 

Slow Burn Chipotle Chili

• 1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
• 1 pound ground sausage, browned and drained
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced green pepper
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans with liquid
• 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 TBSP chili powder
• 1 tsp. chipotle chili powder
• 1 tsp. chipotle flavored Tabasco sauce, or more
• salt, brown sugar and water as desired

Place all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 8 - 12 hours.  Adjust seasoning, sweetness and thickness as desired with salt, brown sugar and water.

Pasta Carbonarra

• 1 cup parmesan
• 1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and cut into small slivers
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 eggs
• 16 oz. fettucini pasta 

Cook bacon and cut up.  Sautee onion and garlic in butter. Beat cream and eggs together and set out to room temperature. Cook Pasta according to package directions, drain, and IMMEDIATELY toss cream and egg mixture into noodles until eggs are cooked.  Then toss in onions and garlic and then toss in parmesan cheese and bacon.  Serve.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

• 4 - 5 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• garlic powder
• 2 eggs beaten
• bowl of flour

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3 1/2 TBSP ketchup
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 TBSP soy sauce

Combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved. Set aside. Place chicken strips on a plate and sprinkle with garlic powder. Heat 1 cup of canola oil in a lg skillet.  Take one chicken strip at a time and dip in the egg and then dredge through the flour - coating both sides of the strip.  Put strips in the oil until the pan is full, turning them once, just until they turn golden brown.  Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate.  Then transfer them to a 9 x 13 pan.  Continue with this until all the chicken strips are fried. Pour sauce over strips in pan and bake for 35 - 40 minutes at 350.  If you like the sauce you may want to double it. Serve with rice.

Week 5 -

*Roast turkey and gravy

*Garden salad
*Overnight Crepes
*Turkey lasagna

Roast Turkey

Take your Turkey Breast, wash it and pat it dry.  Rub butter all over it and place it in a roaster pan.  Put a skinned onion and 6 whole garlic cloves and an apple in the chest cavity.  Cook on 325 for 20 minutes a pound.

Gravy
Remove turkey from pan and separate drippings/broth from the grease.  Measure 1/4 cup of grease and put it into a sauce pan.  Turn to medium heat and cook until it's hot and bubbly.  Add 1/4 cup flour and stir until hot and bubbly.  Add 2 cups of reserved drippings/broth from turkey.  If you don't have enough, add milk.  Stir constantly until thickened.

Garden Salad

• romaine lettuce chopped
• red pepper diced
• carrots diced
• tomatoes diced
• celery diced
• cucumbers diced
• red onion diced
• peas
• cheddar cheese grated
• cheddar goldfish
• Homemade Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
• 
  

Overnight Crepes

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 TBSP oil
• 1/2/ tsp salt
• 1 - 2 tsp sugar

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate overnight.
Heat a small, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Grease pan with cooking spray or butter and cook crepes until edges are crisp and center is set, about 45 seconds per side.

Toppings:
butter/syrup
peanut butter/syrup
stawberries/bananas/whip cream
nutella
nutella/bananas
chocolate topping

Turkey Lasagna

With your left over turkey from the previous meal, make this simple meal.

• 8 oz. lasagna pasta
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup sliced black olives
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 3 cups cooked turkey broken up into chunks
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Cook and drain lasagna pasta according to package directions; set aside.  Combine next 8 ingredients and mix well. Stir in pieces of turkey.  Place 1/4 of the soup mixture in the bottom of a well greased 9 x 13 baking dish.  Use 1/3 of the pasta and 1/3 of the cheese for the first layer. Repeat, layering with another 1/4 of the soup mixture, 1/3 of the pasta and 1/3 of the cheese. Use 1/4 of the soup mixture and the final 1/3 of the lasagna pasta for the next layer. Then, cover with the remining 1/4 of the soup mixture.  Cover and bake for 20 minutes at 350. Uncover and add the remaining 1/3 of the cheese mixture.  Continue baking, uncovered, for 20 minutes.