MONDAY

French Onion Soup

This was actually made last month and frozen; the recipe is from 3 In Under 3.  Almost exactly a year ago she made it for a soup exchange she had, called a Soup-her Bowl Party. Clever, no?

• 5 lbs onions, unpeeled
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 7 (16 ounce) cans beef broth, divided
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour or instant flour caramel coloring (optional) or Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• French baguettes
• swiss or gruyere cheese

Peel onions and slice 1/8 inch thick, preferably in a food processor. Melt butter in a 6-quart (or larger) stockpot. Add onions; cook, uncovered, over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper, paprika and bay leaf; saute over low heat 10 minutes more, stirring frequently. Pour in 6 cans broth and wine. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Dissolve flour in remaining 1 can broth. Stir into boiling soup. Reduce heat and simmer slowly for 2 hours. Adjust color to a rich brown with caramel coloring, season with salt. Refrigerate overnight. To serve, heat soup in microwave or on stove top. If desired, pour into ovenproof crocks or bowls. Top with a slice of bread and a sprinkling of grated cheese. Heat under the broiler until cheese melts and bubbles, about 5 minutes.

Corned Beef Sandwiches on Kaiser Rolls.  I have some sliced corned beef in the freezer that I will be using for this.

Some variety of Green Giant Frozen Vegetables I have about 20 of in my freezer. 

TUESDAY

• 2 tbsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp. black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp. dried oregano
• 1⁄4 tsp. cayenne
• 12 cloves garlic
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1 bone-in skin-on pork picnic shoulder (about 8 lbs.)
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1⁄2 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp. olive oil

1. Toast cumin and peppercorns in a skillet over medium heat, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a small food processor along with oregano, cayenne, garlic, and 1 tbsp. salt; process to a paste. Cut about twenty-five 1 1⁄2-wide slits in the pork about 1 deep. Rub garlic paste all over pork, pressing it into slits. Transfer pork to a roasting pan. Whisk together orange juice, lime juice, oil, and 2 tbsp. salt in a bowl; pour over pork. Cover and refrigerate, turning occasionally, for 18-24 hours.

2. Remove pork from refrigerator 2 hours before you are ready to roast, to allow it to come to room temperature. Heat oven to 325°. Roast, basting every 30 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of pork registers 160°, about 3 hours total. (Add 1 cup water to pan when liquid evaporates; cover loosely with foil if skin gets too dark.) Let rest for 15 minutes, then carve and serve.

This recipe is from Saveur.

 Saffron Orzo

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 pound dried orzo
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, bringing the stock to a simmer. Add the saffron, stir, and allow the saffron to bloom, about 5 minutes. Return the heat to medium and the stock to a boil, then add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain orzo and transfer to a large bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and parsley. Toss to combine.

This is part of a recipe from “Everyday Italian” I saw last week on the Food Network.

Mixed Greens Salad with my husband’s new favorite dressing; T Marzetti Light Honey Dijon

WEDNESDAY

Monterey Jack Burgers

• 3/4 lb ground chicken
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup monterey jack cheese
• 4 slices turkey bacon
• 4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
• 1 tomato, sliced

COOK BACON SEPARATELY AND SET ASIDE. Mix together chicken, onion, soy, ketchup, garlic, pepper and cheese. Mix together and form into patties. Grill or fry in pan. Put on bun add 1 strip bacon and slice of tomato.

This recipe is from Recipezaar.

Refried Beans and Meijer Organic Blue Corn Chips.  I had these at a party a few weeks ago and they were SO good. I love the ingredient list: organic corn, expelled sunflower oil, organic sesame seeds, salt. 

Black Bean and Corn Salad.  Recipe is here.

And… a special desert. You’ll hear more about this on Wednesday

THURSDAY

Tater, Ham and Egg Range Top Bake.  Recipe is here, except I am currently somewhat obsessed with making my own hash browns.  The last recipe I used didn’t work so well, and I am on the look-out for a new one.

Blueberry Muffins

• 1 c. flour
• 1 c. oatmeal
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 c. blueberries, washed. I’m finally using some from this summer that are in the freezer.
• 1 egg
• 1 c. milk
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• nonstick spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oatmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Mix in blueberries. In another bowl, break the egg and use a fork to beat it just a little bit. Then add the milk and vegetable oil, and mix. Add this mixture to the first mixture in the large bowl. Using a mixing spoon, mix about 25 or 30 times. Don’t mix too much! Your muffin mixture should be lumpy, not smooth.
Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly spray with nonstick spray. Spoon in the muffin mix. Fill each muffin cup about two thirds of the way up.
Bake for about 20 minutes.
When muffins are finished baking, remove from muffin tin and cool them on a wire rack. 
 

This recipe is from KidsHealth.

Fresh Fruit

FRIDAY

Top Sirloin Steaks with Quick Garlic Pan Sauce

• 4 (6-ounce) top sirloin steaks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon butter

Season steaks with salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and when hot, but not smoking, carefully add steaks. Cook on both sides, turning once, until desired doneness is reached (internal temperature of 140°F for medium). Remove steaks and hold warm. Add garlic to pan and sauté until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, scraping the pan to remove any browned bits. Simmer until sauce reduces by half, about 4 minutes. Finish with butter, swirling into sauce until slightly thickened. Pour over steaks and serve. This recipe is from Cooks Recipes. crusty bread with Dellalo Olive Bruschetta (which was on sale at Horrocks a few weeks ago)

Green Beans (frozen this summer) with honey and soy sauce. 

Sorry, I don’t know the recipe. I just boil the green beans in a little water, but not until they get mushy. Then I put a little soy sauce and some honey and a little bit of sea salt and mix it up.  It doesn’t need to cook longer; just stay in the pan long enough to heat the honey to melting.

For more Menu Plan Monday, head over to “I’m an Organizing Junkie!”.

I am happy to report that last week’s, um, creative menu was a big hit. I am not as happy to report that my husband was even more delighted with our $0.00 grocery bill for the week, and asked if I could do it again.

Probably not without a few purchases… we are entirely out of fresh produce, as I used up the last of the apples up tonight in a little number I will call “Apple Crisp-obbler“.  I peeled and cut up about 5 apples, then put them in a bowl with two handfulls of sugar (less than a cup. It’s hard to hold sugar) and a few good shakes of cinnamon, and then a little bit of nutmeg and a pinch of ground cloves. I set it off to the side while I mixed up about a cup (whatever was left in the box) of Jiffy Mix, with two pouches of some oatmeal with almonds no one liked. It’s the instant kind. I threw that in with about 1/4 stick (3 tbsp?) of melted Crisco. I greased a pie dish and put the apples in there, then the oatmeal/Jiffy Mix on next.  I baked it at 350 for about 20-25 minutes.  It was good!

I will dive in again and use what is hanging out in the freezer and on the shelf already. Fortunately two dinners will be away from home, so it will be pretty easy!

Here goes:

MONDAY

Crock Pork Roast with Sherry Plum Sauce

• 4 lb. pork boneless loin roast (I only have pork chops but will give it a go anyway)
• 2 T. vegetable oil
• 1 C. dry sherry
• 1 T. ground mustard (dry)
• 2 T. soy sauce
• 1 1/2 t. dried thyme leaves
• 1 1/4 t. ground ginger
• 1 t. salt
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 C. plum jam (OK another substitution.  I have duck plum sauce in my ‘fridge.  I have no idea what I was going to make with it but it’s goin’ in the crock pot now.)

Trim excess fat from pork. Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Cook pork in oil, about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides. Place pork in crockpot.

Mix remaining ingredients except jam; pour over pork.

Cook on low 7 to 9 hours or until pork is tender. Remove pork from crockpot. Cover and keep warm.

Skim fat from juices in crockpot. Stir jam into juices. Cover and cook on high about 15 minutes or until jam is melted. Stir. Serve sauce with pork.

This recipe is adapted from one one That’s My Home.

Served with asparagus, frozen this summer.

TUESDAY

My Spooky Meal.

WEDNESDAY:

Sloppy joes that I do not have to make.  Grandma likes to see the kids in their costumes, so she serves it up on Halloween.

THURSDAY:

Chicken and Rice With Veggies

Cut two boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.  Sautee in olive oil until browned.  Add a bag of frozen vegetables, thawed and mix until heated through.  Add two cups of cooked rice and stir to mix.  Add 1 can of fat free cream of chicken soup and 1/2 can of water.  Turn heat to low and simmer until incorporated.

FRIDAY:

Dinner at my sister’s church. I am going to make an appetizer.

 Huevos Endiablados

• 6 hardboiled eggs, peeled
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons capers, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• chili powder, to taste
• Cilantro sprigs

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and put them in a bowl. Mash well and mix in the mayonnaise, lime juice, cumin, capers and salt. Fill the egg-white halves equally with the yolk mixture. Sprinkle lightly with chili powder.

Arrange on a serving plate. Garnish with cilantro. Serve cold.

This recipe is from Recipe Goldmine.

For more Menu Plan Monday, check out I’m an Organizing Junkie!

This week is going to be EASY in the kitchen! 

MONDAY 

Easy Roast Beef Au Jus

• 2 lbs deli roast beef
• 2 cans beef broth, or make up 4 cups of beef boullion from cubes
• crusty rolls

Spread roast beef in a large jelly roll pan.  Pour broth over roast beef. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Serve on rolls with extra ‘juice’ for dipping.

Serve with a french fries and applesauce.

TUESDAY

Super Easy Chicken Chili

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 16 oz. jar salsa
• 2 cups navy beans, cooked (about 1 can)
• 1 lb mozzarella cheese, divided

Chop chicken into bite sized pieces.  Brown in a large frying pan.  When chicken is browned, add salsa, beans, and 1/2 of the cheese.  Mix well and cook until heated through.  Serve with remaining cheese.

WEDNESDAY

Easy Crock Pot Split Pea Soup

• 1 (16 oz.) pkg. dried green split peas, rinsed
• 1 meaty hambone, 2 ham hocks, or 2 cups diced ham
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 ribs of celery plus leaves, chopped
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
•  bay leaf
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 tbsp. seasoned salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. fresh pepper
• 1 1/2 qts. hot water

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given; pour in water. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 to 5 hours or on low 8 to 10 hours until peas are very soft and ham falls off bone.

Remove bones and bay leaf. Mash peas to thicken more, if desired. Serve garnished with croutons. Freezes well.

This recipe is from About Southern Food.

THURSDAY

Coalition meeting; dinner provided for entire family. Easiest!

FRIDAY

My Dad gave us a certificate for a hot air balloon ride and we are going for our anniversary! I am nervous/excited and I don’t think I’ll be able to eat. 

My family, however, will be having:

• 6 cups peeled baking potatoes — cut in 1 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2 teaspoons instant minced onion
• 1 10 3/4oz. can condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

In 3 1/2 to 4-quart Crock-Pot slow cooker, combine potatoes, ham, corn, and onion; mix well. In small bowl, combine soup, milk and flour; beat with wire whisk until smooth. Pour soup mixture over potato mixture; stir gently to mix. Cover; cook on low setting for 7-9 hours or until potatoes are tender.

This recipe is from Joyce’s Fine Cooking.

*****

I also realized I have about 10 pounds of frozen bananas. I can’t stand bananas once they start to brown and I always think I will make bread out of them – later.  The time is now. My favorite recipe is from Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook. 

• 1/2 cup softened butter, plus extra for the pan
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashred ripe banana (about 2 bananas)
• 2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup yogurt

Preheat oven to 350°F and butter a medium-sized loaf pan.
Put the softened 1/2 cup butter in a medium-large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed, gradually adding the sugar, the eggs, and the vanilla. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then beat again until fluffy and uniform. Stir in the mashed banana.
Sift together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Add 1/3 the dry mixture into the butter mixture, and stir to moisten. Stir in half the yogurt, then another 1/3 of the flour, then the rest of the yogurt. Mix, scraping the bottom of the bowl, until all combined.
Transfer to the prepared pan, spread into place, and bake to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted all the way into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool for about 20 minutes longer before serving.

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