Pulled Pork Pizza and Pepperoni Pizza

This wasn't what I was planning for Sunday dinner, but I had a terrible headache and decided we needed something quick and easy so I could sit down.  This was both and the boys loved helping make it and eating it!

Grilled Pulled Pork Pizza
from ourbestbites.com

Pizza Dough, either homemade or store-bought
vegetable or olive oil
Leftover BBQ Pulled Pork (see the pulled pork recipe on this blog from earlier in the week)
BBQ Sauce (Use the same one you used to cook your pork)
1 part smoked cheddar
2 parts Mozzarella cheese
thinly sliced red onion
diced pineapple, fresh or canned
chopped parsley or cilantro

I used store-bought pizza dough.  Following the directions on the container I prebaked the dough and then added the bbq sauce, cheeses, pork, onions and pineapple.  I topped it off with a little more mozzarella and tossed it back in the oven.  I used the oven because it was snowing and I didn't feel like grilling!  But that would be a great way to go too!  You could do individual pizzas that are smaller instead of the big ones I did on a cookie sheet.  

We also had some pepperoni on hand and did the same thing but used a red sauce we had on hand, cheeses and the pepperoni.  Easy and fun!

Husband rating:  3
Boys say:  thumbs way up!

Crispy Tilapia with Lemon Cream Sauce

Crispy Oven-Baked Fish

from Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook

INGREDIENTS:

1 egg or 1 egg white

1 teaspoon water

1/3 cup Italian-style dry bread crumbs 

1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

2 catfish or tilapia fillets (3 to 4 oz each)

Cooking spray

4 lemon wedges

• Heat oven to 400°F. Line cookie sheet with foil; generously spray foil with cooking spray. In shallow bowl or dish, beat egg and water with wire whisk until well blended. In another shallow bowl or dish, mix bread crumbs, lemon-pepper seasoning and garlic salt.

• Dip fish into egg mixture; coat with bread crumb mixture. Place on cookie sheet. Spray fish with cooking spray.

• Bake 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Place fillets on serving platter; garnish with lemon wedges.

Lemon Cream Sauce:

adapted from allrecipes, submitted by Chelsey Wolnowski

1/2 cup butter
1/2 large yellow onion, minced
        1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup milk
1 lemon, juiced

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and white wine; cook and stir until the onions are soft. Whisk in the flour. Gradually whisk half and half into the flour mixture. Stir in the milk and lemon juice.  Let simmer over low heat about 10 minutes.  

Husband rating: 4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Pulled Pork Sandwiches
from ourbestbites.com

3 lb. boneless pork shoulder 

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Smoked paprika or liquid smoke, few drops

About 12 oz. of your favorite BBQ sauce

About 12 high-quality rolls

coleslaw

pickle

Rinse Pork.  Pat dry.  Place roast in slow cooker.  Add about 1 tsp of the each seasoning (except the pepper, do about 1/2 tsp or to taste on that).  Sprinkle on a few drops of the liquid smoke.  Cook on low 8-10 hours or on high for half the time.  Shred pork.  Return to slow cooker.  Add desired amount of bbq sauce and mix through.  Cover and keep warm until you're ready to eat.  I love adding coleslaw.  I'll even buy a bag at the store without any dressing on it and put it on my sandwich just for the added crunchiness.  Throw on a pickle if that suits you too!  One more tip-I like to buy the pork roasts at our Costco.  They come in individually packed sets of four.  They are very lean and I like that.  

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  Thumbs Up

Chicken Florentine and Garlic Bread

Chicken Florentine

1/4 c white wine
1 tsp minced garlic
10 oz fresh baby spinach
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (look for the lower fat healthy variety)
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 c half and half or 2% if that's what you have on hand
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 c bacon bits
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package angel hair pasta

Wilt spinach with wine and garlic in a skillet over medium heat.  Place in 8x8 baking dish.

Mix the cream of mushroom, Italian seasoning, half and half and Parmesan cheese.

Place the chicken breasts on spinach.  Cover with cream of mushroom mix.  Sprinkle bacon bits on top.    Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.  Top with 1 c mozzarella and bake 10 minutes more.  Serve over angel hair pasta.

Garlic Bread

One way we love to do garlic bread is with a loaf of french bread.  Cut the bread in half length-wise.  Spread on the butter, sprinkle with garlic salt and top it off with some dried parsley.  Put the halves together in foil and warm in oven (350 degrees for 8 minutes or so).  Cut across the loaf to make easy pieces to share.

Husband Rating:  3 stars

Boys say:  Thumbs neutral for pasta, up for bread

Sesame Beef and Asian Salad

Sesame Beef

1 lb beef boneless sirloin steak

1/2 c teriyaki marinade or sauce

3 medium green onions, finely chopped (about 3 tbsp)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp vegetable oil

4 c hot cooked rice

1 tbsp sesame seeds (if desired)

Cut beef diagonally across grain into 1/8 inch slices (beef is easier to cut if partially frozen, about 1 1/2 hours).

Mix teriyaki marinade, onions and garlic in medium glass or plastic bowl.  Stir in beef until well coated.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Remove beef from marinade, reserve marinade.  Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook beef in oil stirring occasionally, until beef is brown.  Stir in marinade.  Heat to boiling; boil and stir 1 minute.

Serve over rice, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Asian Salad

Romaine lettuce

can mandarin oranges

1 carrot

handful crunchy chow mein noodles

asian sesame dressing

I usually clean, dry and chop one romaine heart.  I mix that with some of the dressing.  Then I add some mandarin oranges, the chow mein noodles and carrot slices.  For the carrot I use a peeler to make thin carrot slices.  

I add chicken to this salad to make it a meal for lunch time.  Yum!

Husband Rating:  4 stars

Boys Rating:  Thumbs Up

Marinated Chicken, Salad, Rolls and Beans

It was -2 that morning taking the kids to school and I was done with the cold!  I wanted to think warm weather so I picked a meal I would usually do in the summer.  It was too cold to grill so I broiled the chicken instead.  A woman does what she has to do to make it through winter!

Marinated Chicken
from allrecipes.com-submitted by LETSGGGO

1/4 cup cider vinegar 3 tablespoons prepared coarse-ground mustard 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1 lime, juiced 1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons salt ground black pepper to taste 6 tablespoons olive oil 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large glass bowl, mix the cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, lime juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Place chicken in the mixture. Cover, and marinate 8 hours, or overnight.
2.	Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
3.	Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the prepared grill, and cook 6 to 8 minutes per side, until juices run clear. Discard marinade. I didn't have fresh limes and lemons on hand so I used 1 tbsp lime juice and 1/2 tbsp lemon juice.  I also only used 4 tbsp olive oil.   Karla's Waldorf Salad 1 large apple, chopped 1 banana, chopped 1/2-1 celery stalk, finely chopped handful of walnuts, finely chopped handful of raisins 2 tsp mayonnaise 2 tsp milk lemon juice Mix chopped ingredients and raisins in a large bowl. with a teaspoon or so of lemon juice  Mix mayonnaise and milk together in cup.  Pour mayonnaise mixture over the rest of the ingredients and mix. Karla is my grandmother.  So I know a handful of an ingredient isn't exact, but it's the kind of thing you throw together and add more of whatever you're feeling like! Jim's Beans 1/2 onion, diced 1 tbsp minced garlic white wine 1 can white beans, rinsed 1 can black beans, drained 1 cup barbecue sauce 2 tbsp molasses 1 tsp ground mustard Sautee onion, garlic and some white wine for a couple of minutes over medium heat.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes.   Again, this is family recipe.  Thanks, Dad! My mother makes the best rolls, but I'll save that recipe for another day.  I had store bought rolls on hand this night. Husband rating:  chicken and salad- 3.5, beans- 4 Boys rating:  Thumbs Up

Spaghetti

Spaghetti

Here's the "I'm in a hurry" version:

1/2-1 lb ground beef
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp dried onion

Brown the ground beef with the garlic and onion.  Drain.  Add Prego Traditional sauce.  Serve with hot noodles.  One trick my Mom taught me was to drain the noodles and add a little spaghetti sauce to the pot before you put the noodles back in it.  Mix the noodles with the little sauce and it helps prevent sticking.

But if I have time this is what I prefer to make:

Peter's Pasta Sauce (slightly modified)
from ourbestbites.com

1/2 lb. ground beef or Italian sausage

2 15-oz. cans Italian-style diced tomatoes

1 15-oz. can tomato sauce

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

1 onion, chopped (I usually use only half an onion)

1 zucchini, chopped or grated

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces

2 tsp. sugar

About 1/4 tsp. baking soda (this neutralizes the acid)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan or skillet with a lid, brown sausage, onions and garlic until meat is cooked and onions are tender.  Add the remaining ingredients to the cooked meat, stir and bring to a simmer.  Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.  

Husband rating for either one:  4 stars

Boys rating for either one:  Thumbs Up

Tacos

Tacos

Doesn't seem like a recipe is necessary!  Combine ground beef or slow cooked pork, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream and guacamole, you get the idea!  Complement this with some fresh fruit and you're set.  

Orange-Simmered Pork Chops with Mango Relish

Orange-Simmered Pork Chops with Mango Relish 

• Mango Relish
• 1
  mango, halved, seeded, peeled and sliced or chopped
• 1
  cup pineapple chunks
• 1
  small orange or clementine, peeled and segemented
• 1/4
  cup chopped red onion
• 1
  small banana pepper, sliced (optional)
• 1
  teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
• 1/4
  cup orange juice
• 1/8
  teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Pork Chops
• 4
  4 ounces frozen bone-in pork loin chops, about 1/4-inch thick
• 1/2
  teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2
  teaspoon salt
• 1/4
  teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1
  tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2
  cup orange juice
• 2
  teaspoons honey
• 1/2
  cup water
• Fresh cilantro sprigs

1.For mango relish, in a medium bowl stir together mango, pineapple, orange segments, the 1/4 cup orange juice, red onion, banana pepper (if desired), orange peel, and cayenne pepper; set aside.

2.Sprinkle pork chops with chili powder, salt, and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add two pork chops. Brown 3 minutes each side. Remove from skillet. Add remaining pork chops to skillet; brown 3 minutes each side. Add first two pork chops back to the skillet.

3.In a small bowl whisk together the 1/2 cup orange juice and honey; add to the skillet. Add the 1/2 cup of water. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until pork chops are done (145 degrees F). Spoon mango relish over pork. Cover; simmer 1 minute more. Remove pork chops and relish from pan; cover to keep warm. Return pan to high heat. Simmer juices, uncovered, 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Serve pork chops with mango relish. Drizzle with pan juices and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

This was delicious but took longer than I would have time for on a week day and I'm not sure how often I'll try this again on a weekend.  I recommend this with rice or a salad and rolls

Pesto Chicken Bow Ties

Pesto Chicken Bow Ties

from Campbellskitchen.com

2 tablespoons butter 

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free) 1/2 cup pesto sauce 1/2 cup milk 1/2 of a 1-pound package farfalle pasta (about 3 cups), cooked and drained 

• 1. Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until well browned, stirring often.

• 2. Stir the soup, pesto sauce and milk in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the pasta and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling.
  
  
  I didn't do the butter.  A good non-stick pan makes it unnecessary.  I did add some garlic and onion when cooking the chicken.  I made the pesto sauce from a packet.  I had to double this recipe for our family of six.  

Slow Cooker Turkey Dinner

Turkey, stuffing, corn and strawberry spinach salad

Slow Cooker Turkey

1 turkey breast

1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix

1/2 c chicken broth

Rinse turkey breast and pat dry.  Rub soup mix all over turkey.  Pour chicken broth into slow cooker.  Place turkey breast in slow cooker.  Cook on low all day.  I did mine on high two hours and then low for five.  The meat fell off the bone.  You will have enough liquid to make gravy, I didn't have time so I don't have a recipe here for that.

Stuffing was from Stove Top (remember-four boys-it has to be fast!)

I heated up frozen corn and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

spinach

strawberries

poppyseed dressing
sliced almonds (optional)

Put spinach in a big bowl.  Mix dressing into leaves.  Top with strawberry slices and almonds.

One way I used the left over turkey for lunch was a:

Turkey Bacon Avocado Sandwich
Chop the turkey, an avocado, tomatoes and toss in a bowl.  Add real bacon bits and ranch dressing.  Mix.  Put on a whole wheat sandwich thin that has a leaf of lettuce on each side (so the bread doesn't get mushy, especially if you're packing this before you head out to work).  Yum!

What You'll Find on this Blog

Here you will find our family's meal plan week by week.  Check out the "Week at a Glance" tab to see the overall plan for the week.  The recipes will each be in their own post.  Every busy cook needs a night off once in a while so you may even see a restaurant listed one night!   

I have no formal training as a chef but I have experimented with cooking for years on my family!  I do work on a budget.  I like to cook with fresh food.  We are an active family and try to fuel our bodies the best way we can.  But I'm not a dietician either.  Knowing my credentials - take this as a way to help you find ideas to add to your own plan or spark some new ideas for your meals.  

Home and good food are some of the great pleasures of life.  I look forward to sharing some ideas from our home to yours.    
Melanie