What is a quick and easy dinner i can make for 3?!
Answers: Okay so I'm not a very good cook. I need a recipe for dinner for a 7yr. old and my boyfriend and myself. Also something inexpensive too. Maybe some comfort food since it is cold out at night. Mind you the most cooking I've done has been chicken nuggets in the oven, grilled cheese, and mac & cheese. But I'm looking for something a little more adult but also pleasing to a child. Thank you everyone!!! :)
Try these, with 3 kids of my own and from a lot of family get-togethers they have helped during quite a few dinners:
Green Noodles and Ham
1 (12 to 14-ounce) box spinach fettuccini pasta
Salt
1/4 pound prosciutto (Italian ham)
3 tablespoons butter (tablespoons are marked on the wrapper), cut into small pieces
1 cup cream
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg, eyeball it
Black pepper
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, plus even more to pass at table
1 cup frozen peas
Bring a large pot of water to a boil then add salt, a generous grab from your salt dish, to season up the pasta as it cooks. Carefully add pasta to water and stir then cook to al dente or until pasta is tender but it still has a bite to it in the center – in other words, do not cook it until it is mushy.
Cut ham into thin, short ribbon-like pieces and separate them into a loose pile. Kids not so good with knives can use kitchen scissors to cut the ham up.
Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter to the pan and melt it. Add 1 cup cream and warm it up a minute. Add about a cup of cheese, 4 big handfuls or so, and stir constantly for another minute then season the sauce with nutmeg (your SECRET ingredient) and pepper. Taste and add a little salt, if necessary.
Turn off heat under sauce and add the peas to it. They will warm through in no time. Next, drain the pasta. Kids should have Grown Helpers drain pasta for them. Toss pasta with sauce in the skillet and use tongs to help you pull pasta through sauce until it is coated evenly. Sprinkle in the ham and toss the pasta again to combine it. You can even add a little more cheese, if you say so.
Wow! Green noodles are even yummier than white ones when you add in the ham and cheese and peas! Yum-o!
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Pork and Chorizo Burgers with Green Chile Mayonnaise
1/2 pound chorizo, outer casings removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 large hamburger buns, or 4 (6-inch) lengths French bread, split in half crosswise
1 cup coarsely grated pepper jack cheese, optional
Green Chile Mayonnaise, recipe follows
Preheat the grill to medium-high.
Place the chorizo in a food processor and process until finely chopped (sausage should appear crumbly.) Transfer to a large bowl and add the ground pork, garlic, Worcestershire, Essence, salt and cayenne and mix gently but thoroughly, being careful not to overwork the mixture. Form the mixture into 4 (1-inch) thick patties, about 8 ounces each, and place on the grill. Cook to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium. During the last 2 minutes of grilling, toast the buns and sprinkle the cheese over the tops of the burgers, if desired, and cook until melted.
Transfer the burgers to the bottom of the buns and place on plates. Generously top each burger with 2 tablespoons of the Green Chile Mayonnaise and place the tops of the buns over the sauce. Serve immediately.
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.
Green Chile Mayonnaise:
1 cup good-quality mayonnaise (homemade is best)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 poblano pepper, roasted and peeled
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the mayonnaise, garlic, poblano, and lime juice and process until smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups
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Tarragon-Cream Chicken and Polenta Pot Pies
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery with the greens, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups chicken stock, divided
1 cup cream, divided
1/2 cup quick cooking polenta, plus more, if needed*
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 sprigs fresh tarragon, stripped and chopped, 3 to 4 tablespoons
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
In a deep skillet heat 2 turns of the pan extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and lightly brown, 3 minutes, add carrots, onions, and celery as you chop. Season with salt and pepper and cook 10 to 12 minutes to soften.
Preheat broiler. Set rack in middle of oven.
Bring 1 cup chicken stock and 1/2 cup cream to a boil, stir in polenta and whisk, 3 minutes. Turn heat low, stir in Gruyere cheese and reserve.
*Cook's Note: You may need up to 3/4 to 1 cup of polenta to fill the tops of your soup bowls or use some more of the remaining stock.
Scoot meat and veggies off to side, melt butter and combine with flour 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups stock and combine, stir in 1/2 cup cream and bring to a bubble. Stir in Dijon, tarragon, peas and adjust salt and pepper and transfer to soup bowls. Set soup bowls on baking dish. Form tops to your pot pies with the polenta and cheese mixture. Set under broiler and brown 2 to 3 minutes.
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Chicken Piccata
split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 extra-large egg
1/2 tablespoon water
3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
Good olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved
1/2 cup dry white wine
Sliced lemon, for serving
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the egg and 1/2 tablespoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.
For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
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Shredded, Saucy BBQ Chicken Sammies
cup chicken stock
1 bottle Mexican beer
4 pieces, 6 ounces each boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 tablespoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning, by McCormick)
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 large sour deli pickle, chopped
6 to 8 slices sweet bread and butter pickles, chopped
6 soft sammy buns, such as soft burger rolls, split
Bring liquids to a simmer in a small to medium skillet and slide in the chicken breast meat. Gently poach the chicken 10 minutes, turning once about after 5 minutes.
While chicken poaches, heat a second medium skillet over medium low heat. To hot skillet, add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and onion and gently saute until chicken is ready to come out of poaching liquids. Combine the next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl and reserve.
When the chicken has cooked through, add 2 ladles of the cooking liquid to the bowl, combining with the sauces, spices, brown sugar and tomato paste. Once the liquids and seasonings are combined, remove chicken, slice it, and transfer to the medium bowl. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken and combine with the liquids. Add the shredded chicken to the onions and garlic and combine well. Simmer together 5 to 10 minutes, using extra cooking liquids to make your chicken as saucy as you like.
Combine sour and sweet pickles in a small bowl. Split rolls and fill with scoops of shredded chicken. Top with pickle relish and serve.
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Spaghetti and Meatball "Stoup" (thicker than soup, thinner than stew)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 carrot, peeled and chopped into a small dice
1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
2 small ribs celery from the heart, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups tomato sauce or 1 (14-ounce) can plus 1 (8-ounce) can
3 cups chicken stock, available in a box on the soup aisle
1 pound ground beef, pork and veal mix (meatloaf mix) available at butcher counter
1/2 cup grated cheese, Parmigiano or Romano, plus more to pass at table
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, a few handfuls
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1/2 pound spaghetti, broken in half
1 cup basil leaves, torn or shredded
1 loaf Italian crusty bread, for dunking
Preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, carrots, onions, celery, garlic and saute 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and stock and cover pot. Turn up heat and bring to a fast boil.
While soup comes to a boil, mix the ground meat with cheese, bread crumbs, egg and parsley. Roll into 1 1/2 to 2-inch balls.
Remove lid from soup and slide balls into soup. Bring back to a boil then stir in spaghetti. Reduce the heat and simmer soup 10 minutes more, until pasta is tender and balls have cooked through. Stir in basil and remove "stoup" from the stove. Serve soup with bread and cheese.
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Zuppa Osso Buco
Veal Dumplings:
1 pound ground veal
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
1/4 cup, a generous handful, grated Parmigiano or Romano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball it
Coarse salt and black pepper
Stoup:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pot
2 carrots, peeled
2 ribs celery and their greens
1 medium yellow skinned onion, peeled and halved
Coarse salt and pepper
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine
1 (14-ounce) can white beans, cannellini, drained
1 (15- ounce) can diced tomatoes in puree or coarsely ground tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock, available in re-sealable boxes on soup aisle
2 cups beef stock, available in 1 cup small boxes on soup aisle
1 cup egg pasta, broken egg fettuccini or medium egg noodles
Gremolata:
2 cloves garlic, cracked away from skins
1 (2-ounce) tin flat fillet anchovies, drained
Handful flat-leaf parsley, about 1/4 cup loosely packed
1 lemon, zested
Crusty bread, to pass at table
Combine the veal and the next 5 ingredients then reserve mix and rinse off your hands.
Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Begin to chop veggies while pot heats up: dice carrots into 1/4 inch pieces, chop celery and onion. Add extra-virgin olive oil to hot pot and carrots. Turn carrots to coat them in oil and add celery and onion as you get them chopped up. Work near the stove so you can chop, then drop into the pot. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and a bay leaf. Stir vegetables and cook 5 minutes to begin to soften. Do not let vegetables brown, reduce heat if necessary. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute. Next, add beans and tomatoes and stock to the pot. Put a lid on the pot and raise heat to high. When soup boils, about 3 minutes, add 1-inch balls of veal dumplings directly to the pot. When you are done adding the veal, stir in the egg noodles. Simmer stoup for 6 minutes to cook noodles and meat dumplings. Adjust seasonings and turn the heat off, then let stoup stand a couple of minutes.
Pile garlic, anchovies, parsley and lemon zest on a cutting board and finely chop the mixture, then transfer to a small dish.
Serve stoup in shallow bowls with a couple of teaspoonfuls of gremolata on top. Stir the gremolata throughout the stoup and pass crusty bread at the table for dipping and mopping.
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Mini Meatball Soup
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef, pork and veal combined
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, a couple of handfuls
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
6 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups dried pasta, rings, broken fettuccini or ditalini
1 pound triple washed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
Grilled 4 Cheese Sandwiches, recipe follows
In a deep pot over medium heat add oil, chopped carrots, celery and onions and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Cover pot and cook veggies 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the veggies cook, combine meat, egg, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg.
Uncover your soup pot and add broth and water to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. When soup boils, reduce heat a bit and start to roll meat mixture into small balls, dropping them straight into the pot. You are making meat dumplings that will cook in the broth. When you are done rolling the meat, add pasta to the soup and stir. Cover and simmer soup 10 minutes. When pasta is tender, stir in chopped spinach in batches. When spinach has wilted into the soup, the soup is done and ready to serve. Adjust your seasonings. Serve soup with crusty bread or grilled 4 cheese sandwiches.
Grilled 4 Cheese Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, cracked away from skin
8 slices crusty Italian semolina bread
1 cup shredded provolone
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
1 cup shredded Asiago
* All of these cheeses are available in specialty cheese case and dairy aisle already shredded
In a small skillet over medium low heat, combine oil, butter and garlic. Cook garlic in butter and oil gently for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove garlic butter mixture from heat.
Place a large nonstick skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Using a pastry brush, brush 1 side of 4 slices of bread with garlic oil and place buttered side down in skillet. Top each slice with equal amounts of the 4 cheeses, distributing them equally over the 4 slices. Top each sandwich with another slice of bread brushed with garlic butter, buttered side up. Flip the grill cheese sandwiches a few times until cheeses are melted and gooey and bread is toasty and golden. Cut grilled 4 cheese sandwiches from corner to corner and serve.
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Green Minestrone
Minestrone is literally a BIG soup. This one tastes like it simmered all day.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
4 slices pancetta or 1/4 pound thick cut prosciutto, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
1 can white beans, cannellini
1 can garbanzo beans, ceci
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken broth or stock
1 cup ditalini pasta or mini penne pasta
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
10 ounces triple washed spinach, stems removed and coarsely chopped, or any other dark greens
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, plus extra to pass at the table
12 to 16 leaves fresh basil, torn or shredded or 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
Heat a soup pot over medium high heat. Add oil and pancetta or prosciutto. Saute 2 minutes and add onions, celery, garlic, zucchini and bay to the pot. Season vegetables with salt and pepper, to your taste. Saute vegetables 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add white beans, garbanzo beans and chicken broth to the pot. Cover soup and bring to a boil. Add pasta and green beans to the soup and cook 8 minutes, or until pasta is just tender. Stir in spinach to wilt, 1 minute. Stir in grated cheese and ladle soup into bowls. Top soup with torn or shredded basil or chopped parsley.
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Pasta al Forno
1 pound ziti rigate
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can, crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 pinches ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper
3 ounces prosciutto, 1 thick slice from deli, chopped
1/4 to 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Softened butter to coat a medium casserole or baking dish
Bring large pot of water to boil, then salt and cook pasta to al dente on the chewy side, 7 minutes. Once your pasta water comes to a boil to cook ziti, preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
To medium skillet over medium heat add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Cook onions and garlic in oil 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a bubble. Add cream and season sauce with cinnamon, salt and pepper. Add chopped prosciutto to sauce and stir with cooked pasta to combine. Coat a medium casserole with the butter. Adjust seasonings and transfer pasta to casserole. Cover pasta with Parmigiano-Reggiano and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve hot from oven.
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Egg Pasta Frittata
1 12 ounce box egg fettuccini pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg, eyeball it
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
12 extra large eggs, beaten
HamSteaks, recipe follows
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add pasta and cook 6 minutes -- to a chewy al dente. Pasta will continue to cook in frittata. Drain and reserve.
Heat a large nonstick skillet with oven safe handle over medium high heat. If all of your skillets have rubber handles, cover handle tightly in foil to protect it. Add oil and butter and melt together. Add cream and reduce for about 3 minutes. Add cheese and nutmeg, salt and pepper. Toss sauce with cooked pasta to coat. Add parsley and beaten eggs to the skillet and stir gently to combine. Allow the eggs to set up on the bottom of the pan and become firm. Transfer pan to hot oven and bake 10 minutes, until golden. Serve from the pan or transfer to a platter. Serve hot or cold, cutting frittata into wedges and serve with Ham Steaks.
Ham Steaks:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 large ham steaks, cut in halves
Heat a large skillet, with olive oil. Add the ham steaks and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
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Big Beef Meatballs with Bucatini
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
2 small to medium yellow onion, 1 grated and 1 finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped, divided
1 egg
1/2 to 2/3 cup Italian bread crumbs, a couple of overflowing handfuls
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus some to pass at table
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or nutmeg
3 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped sage leaves, 4 to 6 sprigs
A couple generous handfuls flat-leaf parsley, chopped, divided
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
1 pound bucatini (thick, hollow spaghetti)
1/4 pound pancetta, chopped
12 baby portobello caps, (crimini mushrooms), chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine, eyeball it
1 cup, (8 ounces), beef stock
1 (28-ounce), can crushed tomatoes, San Marzano if available
Preheat 400 degrees F. Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil.
Mix meat with the grated onion, 3 cloves chopped garlic, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, allspice, capers, sage, a handful of the chopped parsley, salt and pepper and a healthy drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Mix meat, score the meat into 4 sections and make 3 very large balls from each section. Arrange the 12 balls on a nonstick cookie sheet and roast 15 minutes until firm but not hard.
Drop bucatini in salted boiling water to cook off. Drain.
Add another tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet and the pancetta. Cook 3 to 4 minutes then add the remaining garlic and mushrooms to the pan and cook 5 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Add remaining chopped onion and deglaze the pan with wine, cook off 1 minute, add in stock and whisk up remaining drippings. Stir in the tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper, if necessary. Stir in parsley. Simmer 5 minutes.
Toss pasta with half the sauce. Remove balls from oven and add to remaining sauce and turn to coat. Serve large balls, 3 per person, along side pasta. Spoon any remaining sauce over the pasta. Pass extra cheese at the tables.
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Great Goulash: Ground Turkey Paprikash and Macaroni
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
Salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 tablespoon butter
1 package, 1 1/3 pounds average weight, ground lean white turkey
2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
Black pepper
1 cup chicken stock, available in small 8 ounce paper containers on soup aisle of market
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped dill
Bring a pot of water to boil for pasta. When it comes to a boil, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water. Cook pasta 6 minutes to al dente.
While water comes to a boil and pasta cooks, heat a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil then butter then ground meat. Break up meat and crumble, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, onions, red bell peppers and seasonings to the turkey. Cook 5 or 6 minutes then add chicken stock and sour cream to the pan. Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to low. Add cooked pasta and stir. Let pasta absorb some sauce, a minute or so. Adjust seasonings and serve. Garnish the prepared dish with chopped parsley.
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Everything Lo Mein
Sauce:
3 rounded tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons dark soy, eyeball it
3 tablespoons water, eyeball it
2 teaspoons hot sauce, eyeball it
Everything Lo Mein:
1 pound spaghetti
Salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
2 large eggs, beaten
3 chicken breast cutlets, thinly sliced into strips
3 thin cut pork chops, thinly sliced into strips
Black pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 inches fresh ginger, chopped or grated
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 scallions, cut into 3-inch lengths then sliced lengthwise
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into quarters, seeded, then sliced
1 small can sliced water chestnuts
2 cups fresh bean sprouts, 4 generous handfuls or 1/2 pound shredded cabbage, your choice
Mix together sauce ingredients and reserve.
Bring pasta water to a boil, salt water and cook spaghetti to al dente.
While pasta cooks, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large, nonstick skillet over high heat. When oil ripples, add beaten eggs and scramble them to light golden brown, remove and reserve.
Season the meat with salt, pepper and coriander. Heat the remaining vegetable oil to a ripple, then add meat and stir-fry 4 minutes, push meat to the side and add ginger, garlic and veggies. Stir-fry veggies 2 minutes, then drain and add pasta and eggs back to skillet. Pour sauce over the spaghetti and toss to combine. Turn off pan. Toss 30 seconds and let the liquids absorb.
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how about a home made pizza??
Baked potato with choice of toppings.
Pork loin (seer first in a hot frying pan with a little olive oil to seal the flavour in) cooked in a sauce made up with honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar a blob of butter and sugar to taste. Leave to simmer for 30 mins. add frozen farmhouse veg. (cauli, brocolli, carrots & peas) until they hot through. Serve on egg noodles or rice.
Chicken parmassan
buy boneless skinless chicken breat, dunk in a mixture of egg and water, then cover in bread crumbs. Pan fry on the stove until browned. Cover with a little sauce and some mozzeralla and bake about 30 min. Boil some speghetti and then put the chicken over it. Broccolli is a nice veggie to serve with this. It doesn't take too long to do either!
I cook for 3 most of the time so here's a few ideas..
Sausage Sandwich...take sausage like kielbasa and boil til heated through, put on hot dog bun, cover with bbq sauce (as much or as little as you like) eat with chips, or fries
Burgers, Fries, Salad
Salsbury Steaks, Mashed and Gravy and a salad
(hamburger patties, seasoned and cooked thourouly, then simmered in beef/brown gravy)
Homemade Pizza Salad and garlic sticks
Pastas, Rice dishes and things like that are easy, you can always add chopped chicken to a CREAMY rice and turn it into a meal.
Homemade "subway" sandwiches
Soup and Sandwiches (Taco Soup is easy to do, and healthy to a point, served with chips, etc. find recipe you like on internet..the one with the hidden valley packet is good, i tried it)
Chicken Wraps
(flour tortilla, grilled chicken strips, ranch dressing and lettuce)
served with fries, if ya want like Mc D's)
Also, go to
www.bettycrocker.com
www.cooks.com
www.allrecipes.com
www.topsecretrecipes.com
Whenever I'm looking for a new recipe to try, I go to allrecipes.com. I love that site--it's well organized, has a lot of photos, the recipes submitted come from cookbooks and also at-home cooks and they have a star rating system. Some of the recipes have been tried out and reviewed hundreds of times. I've probably tried 12 recipes from the site and loved every one of them. My favorite so far has been "Stuffed Peppers My Way." I made it for my little brothers and sisters and though I have a brother who refuses to eat vegetables, he gobbled up the rice stuffing. But that might be a recipe for when you have more time. It takes a little while.
My favorite quick and cheap meal is chalupas. Buy (small) corn tortillas at the store--the soft kind. Buy a can of refried beans (or make your own if you have time). Heat oil (canola) in a pot on the stove and fry the tortillas. Pull them out of the oil when they turn a little brown and hard. Have the beans heated up--spread the beans on the fried tortilla along with your choice of toppings (cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, salsa, sour cream--whatever you like). It's sort of like a flattened taco, but tastes better than anything you'll find at taco bell!
I made this the other day and my whole family loved it, its super easy And you can't possibly make them sick, because the meat is pre cooked, you can't screw this one up... If you have any questions, e-mail me.
1 lbs turkey kielbasa, it's pre cooked, like hot dogs
(found in the bacon,hot dogs section)
1 lbs box penne pasta
1 med sweet onion
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper
1 lg zucchini
@ 10 cherry tomatoes- cut in half
mushrooms(optional)
Boil the water for the pasta. While the h2o is coming to a boil
Cut all the vegetable into bite size strips, cut kielbasa lengthwise, then into bite size strips,
In Large frying pan, melt @ 1Tbls butter& 2 Tbls olive oil saute veges(except tomatoes& garlic) over med heat3-4 min, add kielbasa and garlic, and tomamtos until hot.
When pasta is done, drain it and stir it into vege& meat
Serve with a ceaser salad( I buy the packaged)
and a loaf of sourdough bread from your grocers bakery.
This meal was a hit with my eight year old, and my 1 year old
good luck, and don't worry about precise measurments, I just threw it together.
easy chicken pot pie
3 chicken breasts-cooked and shredded into big chunks
1 can veg-all
1 can cream of chicken with herbs soup
1/2 c. of milk
refridgerated pie dough
place one piece of pie dough in bottom of 9 in pie pan
mix all ingredients in bowl and add to pie pan
top with remaining pie dough
cut hole in center of pie for steam to go
cook on 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Super easy and my whole family likes it, kids included. Serve with salad and a nice french bread with butter.
effort-minimal
cost- $10.00
Ham and Cheese Macaroni
Prep: 30 min.
Bake: 30 min.
Ingredients
1 cup elbow macaroni
2 cups broccoli flowerets or 1 10-ounce package frozen cut broccoli, cooked and drained
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham or turkey ham (5 ounces)
1 medium green or sweet red pepper, cut into 3/4-inch squares (1 cup)
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cubed American cheese (4 ounces)
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs (1 slice)
1 tablespoon margarine, melted
Directions
1. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain.
2. In a 2-quart casserole combine macaroni, broccoli, ham, and green or red pepper; set aside.
3. For sauce, in a small saucepan stir together milk, cornstarch, and pepper. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese; stir until melted. Stir sauce into mixture in casserole. Combine bread crumbs and margarine; sprinkle atop mixture in casserole.
4. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly and bread crumbs are lightly browned.
Microwave directions: Prepare as above, except use a microwave-safe casserole and do not sprinkle bread crumbs over macaroni mixture before cooking. Micro-cook macaroni mixture, covered, on 100-percent power (high) for 5 to 8 minutes or until hot, stirring once. Top with bread crumb mixture. Cook, uncovered, on high 1 minute more. Makes 4 servings.
spaghetti