Week 27

*Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

*Chicken Fajitas

*Instant Pot Country Style Pork Ribs

*Hashbrown Waffles

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

• 3 lb chuck roast
• 1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
• 8 oz. pepperoncini pepper slices + splash of juice
• 8 oz. Giardiniera (Chicago style Italian sandwich mix), drained
• 1 can beef broth
• White American (or provolone) cheese slices
• hoagie buns

Place Chuck roast into the bottom of a crock pot then sprinkle with salad dressing mix. Add pepperoncini peppers plus a splash of juice, Giardiniera, and beef broth then lift up the roast to get broth underneath. Place a lid on top then cook on low for 9 hours or high for 5 or until meat shreds easily with a fork. Shred and place meat back into crock pot and cook on low for 1 more hour.

Split buns in half and put on a large baking sheet with middles face up. Put cheese on one half of the bun. Put in oven on broil and watch them constantly until they are golden brown. Take them out and spoon meat mixture on top and add additional cheese if desired.

Variation: cook meat as above and then drain and spoon off everything else leaving only meat. In a skillet sauté sliced onion in avocado oil until them are cartelized and then add sliced bell peppers (whichever color you prefer) for a few more minutes. Combine with meat and serve same way as above.

Chicken Fajitas (can be made with steak)

• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 3 chicken breasts cut into strips (or steak)

Combine spices in a large ziplock bag and toss and then add chicken (or steak) that has been cut into thin strips and shake and massage the bag until all the meat has been coated with the spices.

• 1 onion sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper sliced
• 1/2 orange bell pepper sliced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper sliced (or green if you prefer)
• juice of one lime
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup water or broth

In a medium skillet, heat a Tbsp of avocado oil and add the onions and cook until they becomes translucent and then add peppers just for a couple minutes. Set aside when they are done.

In a large skillet, Heat 2 Tbsp avocado oil and add the contents of the ziplock bag and saute until meat is cooked through. The steak will cook faster than the chicken. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and stir for 1 minute. It should be a little pastey. Add the lime juice (more if you'd like) and the broth and stir until it makes a tiny bit of sauce. Add the onions and peppers to this skillet and toss until mixed together. Serve on fresh tortillas with lime wedges and sour cream and add some cheese if you'd like.

Instant Pot Country Style Pork Ribs

• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 8-10 country style boneless pork ribs
• Spice rub (recipe below)
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 tsp. liquid smoke
• homemade BBQ sauce (recipe below)

Spice Rub

• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 2 TBSP brown sugar
• 1 TBSP pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1 TBSP smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 pinch nutmeg

Combine in a bowl and mix well. Make this spice rub and rub each rib with the rub. It makes quite a bit, so either cut it in half or put what you don't use in a ziplock for next time. It will keep for a few months.

Turn the instant pot onto the saute mode or heat a pan over medium high heat if you don't have that mode. Add the oil and a few ribs at a time, turning to each side to brown slightly. Remove to plate and repeat until all ribs are seared.

Turn it off Saute mode and add the apple juice and liquid smoke into the bottom of the instant pot and stir, scraping up the remains from frying the ribs. 

Add the trivet and place the ribs on it. Attach the line and set the valve to seal. Turn the instant pot to high pressure and set for 45 minutes. Allow for 10 minutes natural release then turn the valve to do a quick release. 

Carefully, the ribs will be falling apart, remove the ribs to a baking sheet. Drizzle some of the homemade BBQ sauce over them and then serve the rest on the side for those that want more.

BBQ Sauce

• 2 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 TBSP honey
• 3 TBSP brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 TBSP mustard (honey mustard if you have it)
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp molasses
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Add all ingredients to a saucepan over medium high heat and stir together. Heat just to a boil and then turn down to a low simmer and allow to cook for 30 min.

Hashbrown Waffles

• 2 cartons dehydrated hash browns rehydrated OR 1 Pkg frozen shredded hashbrowns
• 1 egg per waffle stirred with a fork
• shredded cheese
• cooked bacon crumbled or cubed pieces of ham or ground sausage cooked

Heat a waffle iron. Spray it really well. Sprinkle a thin layer of hash browns, then top with a raw scrambled egg and then sprinkle with cheese and meat and salt or seasoning salt and then top with another thin layer of hash browns. Close lid and cook until crispy.

Week 25

*Teriyaki Bowls
*Wingers Sticky Finger Salads
*Frito Stack-ups
*Broccoli Cheddar Soup in Bread Bowls

Teriyaki Bowls

• 3-4 chicken breasts (can substitute steak)
• 1 cup cut up broccoli
• 1/2 cup carrots sliced in pennies
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 2 cups rice cooked

Sauce for chicken

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp fresh ginger
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Place 3-4 chicken breasts in a crockpot. Combine sauce ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook for 3 hours on high. Shred chicken and leave in sauce.

Steam broccoli, carrots and onion in a pan.

Cook 2 cups rice.

Make another batch of sauce in a pan on the stovetop and add 1 TBPS corn starch. Cook just until boiling.

Put 1/2 cup rice in bowl, add veggies, chicken and drizzle sauce over top. Add rice noodles or sesame seeds.

Wingers Sticky Finger Salads

• 3-4 chicken breasts cut into thick strips
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 eggs + 2 TBSP water
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

If they are available to you (Costco), you can buy uncooked panko covered chicken pieces that work very well and save you lots of time. 

Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/3 cup Franks hot sauce (Buffalo wings flavor)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 TBSP water

Preheat oven to 425 and grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. 

Add chicken strips and flour to a large ziplock bag. Seal and toss to coat chicken in flour.

Place panko crumbs in a bowl. In another bowl whisk together eggs and water. Dip flour coated chicken strips into egg mixture, then toss in panko crumbs to coat.

Place coated chicken pieces on greased baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes until chicken is browned and cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce in a medium sauce pan and stir over med-high heat until melted and mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Dip cooked chicken pieces in sauce.

Salad

Romaine lettuce cup up
Shredded cheddar and monterrey jack cheese
Dried cranberries
Cherry tomatoes
Homemade Ranch Dressing from Hidden valley ranch packet
Sticky Fingers

Frito Stack-ups

• Fritos
• Favorite canned chili
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Romaine lettuce cut up
• Olives
• Homemade Ranch Dressing from Hidden Valley ranch packet

Heat chili in a pan. Put fritos in a bowl and then top with remaining ingredients.


Broccoli Cheddar Soup

• 1 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 med onion chopped
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cups half and half
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups fresh broccoli cut up
• 1 cup carrots, julienned
• salt and pepper to taste]
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar

Saute onion in butter. set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 min. Stir constantly and slowly add the half an half. Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 15 min. Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 15 min. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour by batches into blender and puree until desired texture. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve. 

Bread Bowls

• 2 TBSP yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 2 cups hot water
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 1 TBSP kosher salt
• 5 TBSP oil or melted butter
• 6 cups flour

Put warm water in a bowl and dissolve 1 Tbsp sugar in it by stirring. Pour yeast on top of water and mix around just enough to wet yeast. Let sit until yeast is dissolved and expanding. 

In a mixer with the bread hook, combine hot water, 2 Tbsp sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups flour. Mix well, but do NOT knead. Then turn off the mixer and let sit for 10 minutes, then turn it on again and mix for 10-15 seconds. Repeat that 5 times. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces or fewer if you'd like bigger bowls. Take the dough and make into a ball by pulling the dough to the underside to make it smooth on top. Place ball onto a greased baking sheet. Let rise for 30 min. Brush tops with melted butter for a crispy crust or beaten egg white for a shiny crust. Bake at 350 for 20 min or until tops are golden brown. Let them cool for 10 min. Cut out a small cone shape out of the middle and pour soup into bowl. 

*This is a great recipe for french bread loaves. Divide dough into 2 pieces and roll out into rectangles and then roll up like a jelly roll.  Everything else do the same.

Week 17

*Thai Chicken Enchiladas

*Grandma's Lasagna
*Grits a YaYa
*Fiesta Pasta

Thai Chicken Enchiladas

• 8-10 flour tortillas
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1 TBSP canola oil
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped/shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped/shredded cabbage
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 green onions
• 1/3 cup chopped and crushed  peanuts
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 1/2 cups light coconut milk
• 1/3 cup + 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add canola oil.  Throw in onions, cabbage, carrots, garlic and and 1/4 tsp salt, stirring to mix.  Let cool until vegetables are soft, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken, green onions, peanuts, cilantro, remaining salt and pepper, tossing to coat and let cook for  1-2 minutes. Add in 3/4 cup coconut milk and 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce, mixing thoroughly to combine. Turn off heat.
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with spray. Whisk together remaining coconut milk and sweet chili sauce.  Pour about 1/2 cup or so on the bottom of the dish.  Slightly warm tortillas to make them more rollable. Place a few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture in each, rolling up tightly and placing in the dish.  Cover with remaining coconut milk and chili sauce mix.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350 or until heated through. Top with additional peanuts and cilantro.

Grandma's Lasagna

• 1 lb. hamburger browned
• 2 TBSP minced onion
• 1 TBPS basil -dry
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 cans (16 oz) stewed tomatoes
• 2 cans (6 oz) tomato paste

Combine and simmer for 30 minutes.

• 1 8 oz package lasagna noodles cooked
• 1 lb. mozzarella cheese grated
• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 cus cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 TBSP parsley
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Cook noodles according to package instructions. Combine eggs, cottage cheese, parmesan, parsley, pepper and salt together.
Put some sauce on the bottom of a 9x13. Layer noodles, egg mixture, cheese, sauce, noodles, egg mixture, cheese, sauce, noodles, sauce, cheese.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Grits a YaYa

The Grits:

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups grits (Dixie Lily)
• 1/4 lb. butter
• 1/2 lb. shredded smoked Gouda cheese

The YaYa:

• 8 strips applewood-smoked bacon, diced
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 TBSP minced shallots
• 3 TBSP butter
• 1 lb. peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
• 1 portabello mushroom cap, diced
• 1/4 cup diced scallions
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 cups smoked Gouda cheese grits
• salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste

First, you make the grits. Run the chicken stock into a thick-bottomed saucepan and turn on high til it boils.  Mix in the grits and stir like crazy. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add cream if you need more liquid.  Then tumble in the butter, drizzle in the rest of the cream and stir til it's all in the family.  Then shake in the shredded cheese and stir very well until it's all nice and smooth.
While your grits cook, bring a large saucepan to medium heat.  Add bacon and cook for about 3 minutes, then add garlic and shallots. Saute and then add butter. When the butter is half melted, add the shrimp. When the downsides of the shrimp become white, flip them and add mushrooms, scallions and spinach. Saute for 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp. Pour in the heavy cream and let simmer while stirring.  When reduced by one third, add salt, pepper and hot sauce.  Return shrimp to the sauce and combine.  Spoon the sauce and shrimp onto heaping mounds of cheese grits. Top with fried sweet potato straws.

Fiesta Pasta

• 1 lb. orzo pasta (or any pasta)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp Tabasco
• 1 tsp. cumin
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Cook pasta according to package directions. Cool. In a large serving bowl, combine everything but the cilantro and feta.  Add the cooked pasta and toss. Sprinkle with the cilantro and feta and toss again. Serve immediately.

Week 15 -

*Thai Chicken Panaang
*Granola

*Sweet and Sour Meatballs

*Quesadillas

Thai Chicken Panaang

• 1 can light coconut milk
• 2 TBSP soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 TBSP curry powder

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
In a skillet over medium-high heat add:

• 2 TBPS olive oil
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (less for milder)
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 TBSP minced garlic

Stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add coconut milk mixture and bring to a boil, stirring occassionally.  Reduce heat and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.

• 4 - 5 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Stir fry chicken in 1 - 2 TBSP olive oil over med-high heat until cooked through. Add red pepper and stir fry until tender-crisp. Pour sauce over chicken and peppers and add basil. Heat through and serve over jasmine rice.


Granola

• 8 cups oats
• 1 cup sesame seeds
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup coconut (not sugared)
• 1 cup powdered milk
• dash of salt
• 1 2/3 cups almonds
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup flaxseeds

In blender combine:

• 1 cup brown rice syrup or honey
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Mix honey mixture with oat mixture; work in. Dehydrator (with solid plastic liner) 95 degrees for 1-2 hrs. Stir. Not hard. Store in quart size ziploc bags in freezer.  It tastes best when eaten with Light Vanilla Soy Milk and fresh blueberries and strawberries. Or your favorite yogurt.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 egg slightly beaten
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup milk

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well (you can use your hands). Roll into balls. Place meatballs in a 9x9 in a single layer. Cover with sauce. Bake at 350 for 45 min. Half way through baking, turn meatballs or spoon sauce over them. Serve over rice.

Sauce:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 2 tsp mustard
• 1/2 cup preferred BBQ sauce
• 2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Quesadilla with corn salsa

• LaFlor uncooked tortillas
• shredded cheddar and monterrey cheese

Corn salsa (This is a large recipe - cut in half if you don't want so much)

• 1 12 oz bag frozen sweet white corn, defrosted and drained
• 2 medium-sized jalapeños, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
• 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• juice of 2 limes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix, mix, mix.

Cook one side of the tortillas on a griddle or in a skillet. Flip and add cheese and spread corn salsa over tortilla. Cook until light brown on other side.