What it's all about:

Each week I will put together an easy, kid friendly menu for a week's worth of meals, cooking tips and a shopping list so all you have to do is go to the store. It's an online support system to help you eat better and easier.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Week 2 - Garlic Chicken, Pork Stir fry, Chicken Casserole & Chili



First off, I apologize that this is technically a week late! I ended up miserably sick last week and couldn't drag myself out of bed for anything! 

This week's meals are pretty basic, although there are a few things in the pork stir fry that may not be in your regular pantry supply. They're pretty easy to find though and definitely make the dish a little different, I think so anyway.




Garlic Chicken with Sweet Potato & Steamed Broccoli






For this particular set of recipes, I would recommend cooking the garlic chicken for that evening since it’s best hot out of the oven. For the other dishes, cook the rice and prep the pork stir fry to cook later, it only takes about 10 minutes total to stir fry. Then make the casserole and chili, saving those for another night.

Slice and bake two chicken breasts at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until done. Chop & set aside.
Make 1 cup rice in rice cooker (or on stove).

Mama’s Beer Chili
Heat 2 tbs Olive oil over medium heat, add onion and cook for 5 minutes, add 4 cloves minced garlic, cook two more minutes. Add 2 lbs of ground beef and sauté until just brown. Drain and add to crockpot.
Also add:
28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes
1 cup beer (I’ve used anything from Budlight, to Sam Adams, to Sweetwater 420)
3 tbs Chili powder
1 tsp curry powder
3 tbs hot sauce
1/3 cup honey
10 oz frozen corn
1 can kidney beans
1 can diced chilies
3 beef bullion cubes
2 tbs flour to thicken
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with sour cream & cheddar cheese.

Pork Stir Fry
Slice the pork loin into strips. Wash green beans and cut ends off. Store and refrigerate for cooking later in the week.   When you’re ready to cook, heat rice that was already made, then:

Heat 1 tsp veggie oil and add pork, 2 cloves garlic and ¾ lbs green beans all at once. I know the recipe online says to do the pork first, but if you do that, then by the time the beans are tender, the pork will be overdone. Throw it all in together and cook until the pork is no longer pink. 5-7 min.
Then push the pork & beans to one side and add:
2 tsp sugar                                                   2 tsp soy sauce
½ tsp crushed red pepper                            1 tsp ground ginger (calls for fresh but I never have that)
1 tsp sesame oil                                           1 tsp rice vinegar

Stir to coat meat and beans, remove from heat, and serve over rice

King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Dice one small onion and one green bell pepper, set aside.

In a medium bowl combine:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers

Grease 9x13 casserole dish. Layer 6 corn tortillas on the bottom. Cover with ½ the cooked, chopped chicken, ½ of the diced onion, ½ of the diced pepper, and half a cup of cheddar cheese. Pour ½ the soup mix over the top. Layer 6 more tortillas and repeat the layers of chicken, onion, pepper and WAIT! Not cheese! Add the last of the soup mix and then top with remaining cheese! (I occasionally do it backwards, still cooks just fine) Sprinkle 1 ½ tsp chili powder and 1 tsp garlic salt over the top of the casserole. Cook at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until heated through. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Garlic Chicken
This is one that I short cut a lot and add to frequently. I don’t heat the oil with garlic, I just stir it in and let it sit for a few minutes. I also occasionally use plain bread crumbs and add my own spices.

Calls for four chicken breasts.
In a medium bowl combine ½ olive oil with 2 cloves minced garlic.
In a shallow plate combine ¼ Italian bread crumbs and ¼ grated Parmesan. I like the panko brand bread crumbs because they’re extra crispy and I usually use fresh Parmesan, which you can find in the deli section with the ‘fancy’ cheeses.
Dip chicken into olive oil and then roll in bread crumbs/cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

While this is baking, peel and slice sweet potatoes, set to boil. Wash, chop and steam the broccoli.

Enjoy!


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