Friday Night Pizza At My House

Parmesan & Spinach Pizza

I made this last Friday and it was a huge hit. All week our family has been wating for Tonight- The dough is so easy to make, and rolling it out is a breeze. Since We are on a healthy-kick these days, we dont use the sauages or peporoni- only Fresh Veggies, and Spinach is our favorite!

SPINACH PIZZA DOUGH
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, undrained and uncooked1 T olive oil1 T honey1/2 t salt3 c. whole wheat flour 1 pkg active dry yeast1/4 c. warm water
Dissolve yeast in water, let stand 5 minutes. Combine rest of the ingredients and stir well. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Knead 5 to 8 times. Roll into desired size crusts. Place on pizza pan sprayed with cooking spray or spread liquid lecithin / oil mixture.

Bake 425 for 5 minutes.

Freezes really well.

What Is Your 'Secret Ingredient' In Sales?

What is the single most difficult part of selling? Finding prospects? Closing the sale? Overcoming objections? Is it marketing, time management, or learning how to handle rejection?

No, it isn’t any of those. And, at the same time, it is all of those.
The single most difficult part of selling is figuring out how you can align your sales business with your personal strengths and minimize your weaknesses.

Sounds simple, right?

Hardly.

85% of all salespeople either fail and are flushed out of sales or never progress beyond simply being average or a little above average because they’ve never learned how to make their sales process with whom they are. Instead, they try to be who the sales trainers and their managers tell them to be—“use this marketing method and you’ll be successful”; “use this sales process and you’ll be successful”; “prospect this way and you’ll be successful.”

Guess what? That doesn’t work.

Every salesperson, professional and business owner is unique, with a unique set of personal behavioral traits, a unique personality, and with their own set of learned skills.

Although you can lean new skills, your behavior and personality are difficult if not impossible to change. In order to become a top producer, you MUST align your sales business with your personal strengths and you MUST minimize your personal weaknesses.

Trying to be someone else, working the way they work, doing what they do, using the same techniques and strategies they use won’t get you where you want to be.

That’s the “secret” the top producers have discovered. They’ve learned what works for them.

Lazy Cook vs. Smart Cook

There are two ways of looking at my cooking methods--kind of like the "half full or half empty" glass, I choose to believe the half full, "Smart Cook" view!
I use Planned Leftovers alot. You know, cook once, eat twice. Though not a big fan of casseroley foods (ate too many as a kid!) they do have their place. Following are some easy examples, and I'm sure you can think of many more that would work for your family. The trick is to cook up more of the meat (or main dish) than you need for one meal. It takes NO extra time.
Day One: Grilled Chicken (Grill twice as much as you will need for one dinner) I like to marinate them in Italian Dressing first - YUM!)
Day Two: Using the leftover chicken breasts, make

• Fajitas (saute onions and peppers, heat up some beans and throw on some tortillas)
  
• Chicken sandwiches on buns (open a can of baked beans, chips)
  Chicken/veg Medley over rice (saute up whatever veggies you have on hand, onions a must, add sliced chicken right at the end to heat, and serve over rice.
  
• Chicken/veg Medley over drained Top Ramen Noodles
  Soup

Day One: Pot Roast in Crock Pot (Get a large roast)

Day Two:

• Shredded up pot roast/gravy sandwiches or over rice
  
• Use meat with barbeque sauce for BBQ Sandwiches
  
• Baked potato topping/ salad

Day One: Ham with some kind of potato

Day Two:

• Pasta salad with ham pieces
  
• Scalloped potatoes with ham
  
• Baked potato topping
  
• Ham sandwiches
  
• Homemade pizza with Ham topping

You get the idea. I really only cook an original meat about 3 times a week, and use the cooked, leftover meat for reincarnated concoctions. By using the planned leftovers, everything usually tastes fresh, especially when you add a fresh salad or vegetable each time.

Lazy or Smart, it works for me!

Recipe Of The Week- Cilantro Lime Cod

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds cod or flounder fillets
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro or parsley
2 limes, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Place each fillet on a 15-in. x 12-in. piece of heavy-duty foil. Sprinkle with pepper. In a small saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in oil; stir in cumin. Spoon over fillets; sprinkle with cilantro. Place lime slices over each; drizzle with olive oil. Fold foil around fish and seal tightly. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (prepared with cod) equals 96 calories, 77 mg sodium, 30 mg cholesterol, 3 gm carbohydrate, 13 gm protein, 4 gm fat. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 very lean meat, 1/2 fat.

Menu Planning Monday April 14-20

Monday- Home-Style Spaghetti, Garden Salad. Cost of Dinner: $6.00 Total Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 15 mins

Tuesday- Chicken Fajita’s, Brown Rice & Fruit Salad. Cost of Dinner: $8.00 Total Prep Time: 10 mins. Cook Time; 25 mins.

Wednesday- Veggie Egg Quiché, Spinach Salad. Cost of Dinner: $4.00 Total Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 25 mins

Thursday- Fettuccine Alfredo, Caesar Salad. Cost of Dinner: $5.00 Total Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 10 mins

Friday- Home Made Pizza & Ice Cream Sundaes. Cost of Dinner: $8.00 Total Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 30 mins. Making memories=Priceless!

Saturday- Cilantro Lime Cod, Spanish Rice, & Steamed Veggies. Cost of Dinner: $21.00 Total Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 25 mins.

Sunday- Taco’s. Cost of Dinner: $8.00 Total Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 15 mins. Having Dinner with all our family=Priceless!

The Total cost for One Week of Dinners: $60.00 for a Family of 5 + friends!

Please email me for the recipes or nutritionals: Mindy8221@gmail.com

So how tall is Mariah Carey, anyway? People always want to know. The consensus from what I've read is 5'9", 120 lbs, size 6. Good night, everyone. Time to go home now.

I have never been a Mariah fan (not crazy about big ballads), so tonight was not that fun for me personally, and in my opinion, there were no stand-outs, no bomb-outs. I know you probably disagree.

I was struck again by just how young David Archuleta is. He looked totally scared and vulnerable tonight on stage, when he wasn't singing, that is. He looks like a young professional while singing, but once the performance stops and he's just standing there trapped in the limelight, you sort of want Ryan to put his arm around little Archie and keep him safe from the 30 million big people watching. If this kid wins, my prayer is, "Lord, please don't let the world chew him up and spit him out. Put him in a bubble." My husband says, "You know, maybe it's better if he doesn't win." (For the consequences of fame reason). Only two middle aged people with kids that age would be thinking along those lines.

I thought David A. did a wonderful job. I don't think he'll actually win the competition as I said he would in the beginning. I think he'll come in second.

Carly looked lovely tonight. I know I'm pretty hard on the entity known as her arm, but not tonight. I like her lower, softer range, so when she got to the chorus or "swelling" part, as the pros say, I thought it was "yelly," short on finesse, full on volume.

Syesha always looks lovely. And she hits big notes. And she has big hair. The same hair every week. But it's not a hair contest, or Jason would be crowned Emperor of American Idol.

Poor Brooke. It was not her best performance, and then there was the whole "Hamburger Debacle of Season 7." What is wrong with these judges? Are they sipping Paula's water? I know this is picky, but I am not the only one who notices this--someone should advise Brooke to stop talking to the judges and sticking out her bottom lip. It was cute the very first time. Only.

Well, Kristy Lee Cook has done gone and given Mariah Carey goosebumps. What other contestant can say that? (Answer: Sanjaya?) Kristy is good excels at finding the country potential in each performance. I laughed when Paula said, "Country and Western." Does anyone say that anymore? Made me think of Porter Wagoner. If Hee-Haw were still in production, Kristy Lee could fulfill a Tammy Wynette/Barbi Benton role. And giggle all the way to the bank.

Oh, I know there are legions of you who love David Cook. Wow. A standing O from Randy, when just a week ago, it looked like David might have allowed the competition to slip through his fingers. Because of reading how many of you love this guy, I think he will win the whole shebang. My personal favorite performance of his was "Billie Jean," and I thought tonight was derivative of that stellar performance. Sorry to all you "Cookies."

Jason completed the night with a sweet, soulful "I Don't Want to Cry." I love this style, but I don't think it's a pop icon style. So I don't think he'll win, but I think he is one of the few who could go on with a big ol' career. I feel the same about Brooke.

Well, guys, what do you think? Who's going; who's staying?

My guess: Brooke or Jason will go. I've stopped considering that Syesha will go. Scientists are still looking for her Kryptonite. Until then-she's invincible.

The Weekly Waste Word: Meal Planning

A few weeks ago, we discussed the importance of making a grocery list. Going one step further, planning the week’s meals speeds up grocery shopping and reduces household food waste.
Meal Planning forces you to have a purpose for each purchased item (with one or two fun exceptions). Deciding on meals can be a chore, but no more so than if it weren’t planned. And if you don’t cook one of the planned meals because plans change–as they always do–just push the schedule back a night. I find that a note cards are useful.
As the food shopper of the house (surprise, surprise), I used to shop with the loose goal of having “enough” in the house to make the week’s dinners. Aiming for that subjective feeling of plenty and the supermarket guesswork often led to overstocked shelves and way too much time in the supermarket. Plus,
Meal planning and the idea of not having a “stocked” cupboard or fridge takes some getting used to. But, if you’ve got all your meals and snacks planned, what’s the worry? If you’re like us, I’m sure you have plenty of old “staple” items lying around for when that storm hits. You know, the cans of things you’ve elected not to eat.

Recipe Of The Week- Chicken Marbella

This is my Second Favorite Cookbook ever! I Love it! Easy, Simple, Recipe's that My Family Always Loves To Eat! I have picked Chicken Marbella this week. If you are lacking time like I am these days, Stop by your local Dream Dinners. This month they have Chicken Mirabella (the same recipe as Silver Palate CookBook) This is sure to be your Family Favorite!

Chicken Marbella

From the book: The Silver Palate Cookbook by Sheila Lukens, Michael McLaughlin, and Julee Rosso

This was the first main-course dish to be offered at The Silver Palate, and the distinctive colors and flavors of the prunes, olives, and capers have kept it a favorite for years. It’s good hot or at room temperature. When prepared with small drumsticks and wings, it makes a delicious hors d’oeuvre.
The overnight marinating is essential to the moistness of the finished product. The chicken keeps and even improves over several days of refrigeration, and it travels well and makes excellent picnic fare.

Ingredients

4 chickens, 2½ pounds each (10 pounds total), quartered

1 head garlic, peeled and finely puréed

1/4 cup dried oregano

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup red-wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup pitted prunes

1/2 cup pitted, sliced Spanish green olives

1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice

6 bay leaves

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white wine

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley or cilantro, finely chopped

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken quarters, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and marinate, refrigerated, overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.

3. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest, yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice.

4. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juice and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Pass remaining pan juices in a sauceboat.

To serve cold, cool to room temperature in cooking juices before transferring to a serving platter. If chicken has been covered and refrigerated, allow it to return to room temperature before serving. Spoon some of the reserved juice over the chicken.

Menu Planning Monday April 14-20

Monday- Dream Dinners Chicken Mirabella, Garden Salad. Cost of Dinner: $25.00 Total Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 40 mins

Tuesday- Sweet & Sour Pork Chops, Brown Rice & Fruit Salad. Cost of Dinner: $8.00 Total Prep Time: 20 mins. Cook Time; 25 mins.

Wednesday- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches w/Homemade Tomatoes Soup, Spinach Salad. Cost of Dinner: $8.00 Total Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 25 mins

Thursday- Old Fashion Meatloaf, Mash Potatoes, Caesar Salad. Cost of Dinner: $14.00 Total Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 10 mins

Friday- Home Made Pizza & Ice Cream Sundaes. Cost of Dinner: $8.00 Total Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 30 mins. Making memories=Priceless!

Saturday- Beef Enchilada’s, Spanish Rice, & Steamed Veggies. Cost of Dinner: $8.00 Total Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 25 mins.

Sunday- Sunday Pot Roast, Roasted Carrots & Potatoes Cost of Dinner: $12.00 Total Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 45 mins. Having Dinner with all our family=Priceless!

For more information: http://www.dreamdinners.com/ choose the Poulsbo, WA Store.

The Total cost for One Week of Dinners: $83.00 for a Family of 5 + friends!
Please email me for the recipe's or nutritional: Mindy8221@gmail.com

Recipe of the Week

15-Minute Chicken & Rice Dinner

Completely cooked in one skillet, this tasty chicken and rice dish is easily and quickly assembled.

Add a salad and crusty bread if desired.

Serves 4
Prep time-5 minutes
Cook time-15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:1 Tbs vegetable oil

4 (4-6 ounce fresh or frozen(thawed)skinless, boneless Chix breast

1 10.75-oz. can cream of chicken soup-low fat low sodium or organic
1 -8 ounce sliced mushrooms or 4 ounce can of sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried parsley-(the chefs answer to duct tape!)

1 1/3 cups 2% milk or low fat or fat free evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking brown rice, uncooked(use 3 cups of cooked brown rice as substitute)
2 cups frozen green beans or broccoli

1/2 cup of Frenches Fried onion-optional for garnish!

DIRECTIONS:1 Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cover. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until cooked thoroughly.

2 Remove chicken from skillet. Add soup and water; stir to mix and bring to a boil. Stir in rice, then top vegetables & then with chicken; cover. Reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes or until veggies are tender crisp & rice is tender.
Top with Frenches Fried onions & Serve!
Nutrition FactsServing size: 1/4 of a recipePercent daily values based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information provided by the recipe author.Amount Per Serving
Calories 510.00

Calories From Fat

93.67Total Fat 15%

Saturated Fat 2.0

Sodium 680.00mg

Carbohydrates 60.00g

Dietary Fiber 2.00g

Net Carbohydrates 58.00g
Protein 40.00g

MyPoints 11.4

What is the Speed Scratch Method?

Moms love to feel bad, before you start to howl and shake your head let me splain! How many times have you cringed looking at what’s in your shopping buggy? You look down and see, pre-made pesto, bottled marinara sauce, frozen bread dough, pie shells in a box, cake mixes, frozen waffles, bisquick, rice a roni, condensed soup for casseroles, chicken patties, rotisserie chicken, brownie mixes, cookie dough wrapped in a plastic tube, TV dinners, Stouffers….the list goes on. We hate ourselves for using them (I don’t), but they make our lives so much easier!
Before we start berating ourselves for using time-saver ingredients and feeling guilty for using convenience foods; lets talk about a type of cooking called:

Speed Scratch- A method of cooking using convenience ingredients for making a dish.
Example- Store bought Pesto that you buy ready made & doctor up at home.
Is your store bought Pesto too runny? Add breadcrumbs or grated parmesan cheese.

From wordspy.com
http://www.wordspy.com/words/speedscratch.asp
speed scratch noun. Meal preparation in which the basic ingredients come pre-measured in a package and only need to be combined with one or more fresh ingredients and then cooked.
Example Citation:
Time-pressed cooks are driving the trend toward "speed scratch," using convenience products like mixes and frozen dinners that call for a handful of fresh ingredients to turn out fast meals.—Elizabeth Lee, "Peeking in on 'doctor's' practice," Cox News Service, October 26, 2001
Earliest Citation:
In other words, the family might be eating together, but Dad opts for leftovers, Mom dips into the freezer, and the kids tuck into something micro-waved, something from the deli, or a combination of fresh ingredients combined with prepared products — also known as ''speed scratch.''—Tom Sietsema, "Home cooking on the front burner," The San Francisco Chronicle, October 9, 1991
Notes:
A less-popular synonym for this phrase is component cooking. Jargon-spewing food industry types often call the packages of pre-measured ingredients meal kits and the cooked result an assembly meal, which is enough to ruin anyone's appetite. This phrase also comes in an adjective flavor, which is usually hyphenated: speed-scratch.

This strategy doesn’t take away from the fact that you can take real ownership for making your family’s dinner tonight. Aren’t we made to feel bad enough when we buy Mickey D’s, Pizza Hut, or KFC? Don’t our “friends” shake their heads in disgust when we tell them the “recipe” for our new fam fave casserole because it uses one or more convenient ingredient? One Supper Thyme USA owner (yes,there are a few left) told me that she made one of our “signature dishes” that used what I like to call the “secret ingredient,” that is the evil cream of something soup.
She had made the dish for her friends and they loved it UNTIL she told them it had cream of something soup in it. They immediately squinched up their snobby foodie noses and started to tell her what they didn’t like about the dish. Amazing how it was great until they found out that it had that disgusting cream of something soup in it! When she told me the story I cracked up!
For those of you who don’t know why everything at an MAK has to have the secret ingredient in it, let me tell you! Condensed canned soup is freezer stable, which means that casserole or sauce you just threw together will bake up from frozen just like it would from fresh! The science behind the dishes has always fascinated me! When I developed recipes, I had to figure out how to take an existing recipe and make it freezer stable, or an original recipe and make it freezer/thaw stable.
My point is, please, don’t let guilt or peer pressure get in the way of making your life easier! There are plenty of healthy, organic and low sodium condensed soup alternatives (or other ingredients) available at your local megamart or buyers club now. So, it’s now possible to use the secret ingredient (or other convenience products) and still feel good about making meals for your family. Don’t let the foodie snobs stop you from getting the most out of what’s available for you to use to make delicious, healthy, fast & easy meals for your family! I know plenty of trained culinary professionals who are snobs too! One of them is my all time fave Gordon Ramsey. The reality is that Moms who like/have to cook everynight, want to feel good about what they put on the table for their families. Those who shake the finger at you for using available convenient foods are just putting undue peer pressure on you. The bottom line is that you can make delicious healthy meals using convenient foods or using the method we call speed scratch. Don’t let folks kid you; their cupboards are chock full of convenient ingredients. Think about this, we all eat processed foods because everything that we buy, UNLESS it is fresh fruit, has been processed. Even our tofu is a processed food. Professional chefs use convenient ingredients everyday, why shouldn’t you? It’s time to realize the “do as I say not as I do,” axiom is stifling you.
It’s time to let go of those unrealistic expectations you have been hampered by!
Go out there and practice cooking using the speed scratch method and above all have fun in the kitchen!!
Chef Kelly

Kellys Guide to Buying Fish

Guide to Buying Fish

FRESH OR FROZEN?
Customers & students are always asking me for shopping tips and food advice. I talked about veggies, now I want to answer a question about fish.
Question: Chef Kelly, I've always heard fresh fish is better than frozen, any thoughts? Joyce, Ohio

Joyce, I like both! Depending on the type of fish you buy (salmon, orange roughy, tilapia etc.),when you plan on preparing and how convenient you want cooking to be will be just some variables.At the restaurant & my catering business I have used both frozen and fresh for different applications.
Another variable will be where you live. If you live close to the ocean, say in San Francisco then my advice to you is BUY FRESH and buy often!! There is nothing like walking down Fishermans Wharf and smelling the sweet, salty smell of fresh fish!
The fish markets there have the lovely refreshing , sweet smell of sea mist that assaults you as you walk by.
It makes my stomach yearn just thinking about it!If you live in a major city you will likely have a local fish monger who gets his fish flown in daily, or a a mega mart like Whole Foods, usually has "fresh" fish.
Otherwise, unfortunately, you will have to contend with frozen-thawed fish. The other alternative is flash frozen fish.
This is fish that has been caught, cleaned, frozen all while onboard of a ship. Orange Roughy is a great example of that. So make sure you understand that if you go to your local mega mart & the orange roughy is thawed in the fish deli case, it has been frozen and thawed so you will need to use it the day you buy it.I personally stay away from buying "fresh" fish from my local mega mart unless I know it was flown in fresh.

• FRESH FISH TIPS:
• GET TO KNOW your fishmonger!
  When buying fish fresh it should never smell "fishy or sour"-it should have that sweet salty smell to it.
• The fish flesh should be firm and moist, not sticky or mushy.
  Fillets are my preference-no bones!
• Store fish at home at 32 degrees.-store it on ice in a bowl at the very back of your fridge.
• Always chill fish immediately when you get home

FROZEN FISH BUYING TIPS

• In this hurried, hustle bustle life we find ourselves in I usually go for convenience, which means frozen fish.
• Frozen fish is pre-portioned-which means you only need to thaw what you'll use.
• To bread frozen fish it should be competely thawed and patted dry or the batter or coating will not stick.
• You can buy frozen fish en bulk at your local buyers club store.
  At home portion fish into your preferred serving size into ziploc bags or better yet a seal a meal device!-using a freez-a- meal enables you to thaw in the package and not make a mess of your fridge, although you should still thaw in a conatiner or bowl.

My top picks for frozen fish:

• Tilapia- mild white fish, semi firm-great for saute, baking or frying
• Salmon fillet-boneless skinless. firm flesh, stay away from chum-it is the cheapest most strong tasting salmon. I prefer Norwegian.
  Farm raised is OK-I prefer it because I know where it comes from ! I know that the waters are unpolluted. Beware of color added salmon.
  Always check where it comes from. I tend to stay away from ANY fish that comes from China.
• Did you hear about the contaminated lead from China? It contained a high concentration of toys! ;-0
• For salmon tail sections, I always fold the tail under the filet that & cook it. This ensures the fish filet cooks at the same rate, and one part is not overdone & dry. Great baked, pan seared, grilled. Try different rubs & sauces with Salmon.
• Mahi Mahi-This is a great firm fleshed fish, that is like eating a steak! I cook it like a steak in fact either baked with a Caesar Sauce, on the barbie, or pan seared
• COD-This is a firm fleshed mild white fish-great for braising, battering or coating like shake & bake.-I make a use it for a Parmesan Potato Crusted Cod. Email me for the recipe!
• Grouper-This is my FAVORITE fish, sweet, mild semi-firm fish that is absolutely delightful. great for saute, grilling, braising & frying with a light panko coating.
• Haddock-MediumFirm Fleshed white fish-Another one of my faves. great baked, braised & batter fried with chips!
• Halibut- Firm white flesh, great grilled, baked, braised, grilled, pan seared.
  

COOKING TIPS

• An instant read thermometer is a great tool to have as a ittle kitchen helper!
• Whitefish, such as cod, halibut, haddock should read internal temperature of 140 degrees when done.
  This means the flesh is opague but still moist & just starts to flake.
• Salmon is best cooked unto it reaches 125 degrees, covered and let rest for 10 minutes-it will be perfect.
  If you prefer your salmon medium rare cook until 125 degrees and skip the resting part.
• Tuna is best eaten rare-cooked until 110 internal temperature.

TODAYS COOKING LESSON BRAISING FISH:
Stove top method.

1. Take 1 bag each pre-cut carrot & celery sticks and a large onion. Slice the onion into 1/4 inch thick slices(use your food processor slicing blade).
2. In a large skillet heat over medium heat and add 1 Tablespoon of butter/EVOO. Add the veggies in the bottom of the skillet.
   Saute until veggies just start to get tender.
3. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth or sweet white wine like a Zinfandel to the skillet.
4. Set flame to simmer.
5. Season your fish of choice with kosher salt & pepper or lemon pepper or your favorite seasoning-Greek seasoning works good here too, so get crazy!!
6. Add you fish and clamp the lid on tightly. Cook until preferred doneness.

This is great over rice! Vary your seasoning to vary the taste.
Add curry seasoning & use coconut milk as liquid for a Thai flavor.
Add a can of drained tomatoes, fresh chopped basil & finish with shredded parm or romano cheese or feta cheese.
Buono Apetito!!
Chef Kelly
Posted by mysterymiss at 1:56 PM 0 comments


Tuscan Style Salmon-

Skillet/One Pan
Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Servings 4

INGREDIENTS:
4 (6 oz) skinless salmon fillets
kosher salt & Pepper to taste
4 Tablespoon Olive Oil-divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/3 cup lemon juice-fresh squeezed if available(Approximately juice from 2 lemons)-Tip- lemon juice can be found in the freezer section too!
1 small onion thinly sliced-Use a food processor fitted with slice blade)
1 (10 oz package) of frozen spinach(squeezed & drained) or 16 ounces of fresh spinach
8 oz fresh sliced mushrooms or 4 oz can

DIRECTIONS:1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on HIGH.2. Season both sides of salmon with salt & pepper to taste3. Place salmon fillets 2 at a time and sear quickly onboth sides.4. As fillets are seared remove from pan onto a plate and keep warm.5. Reduce heat to Medium/Hi and add onions, mushrooms & sauté untilcaramelized.6. Add spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and sauté until spinach is heated through.7. If using fresh spinach -sauté until it has wilted and the liquid is almost all absorbed.8. Add garlic.9. Add salmon back into the pan and cover, cook over medium heat until salmon isDone to your liking.10. Serve over Wild Rice Pilaf-Uncle Bens pre cooked.11. Garnish Idea -Sprinkle with Shredded Parmesan (pantry item)
Buono Appetito!
Chef K

Menu Planning 101

Looking for a great way to save time and money each month, menu planning is one of the best ways for people either on a tight budget or with tight time constraints to make sure that they and their families are eating healthy and right. Here are some basic tips on how to plan a weekly menu and the benefits of doing so.

Create a Budget

One of the many things that fiscally responsible families do is create a budget for monthly expenses. Just as you would calculate the cost of running a house, paying for your children's school or transportation costs, you should also consider how much money to spend on food each week or month.

Believe it or not, many shoppers don't even know exactly how much they spend on food. In addition, many families tend to eat out at least a couple of times per week. If you ever tried to figure out the cost of eating out 8 times per month for a family of four, it would probably give you sticker shock. By creating a budget, you can easily calculate your food expenses for the month or even break it down weekly, giving you an idea on how much to spend on a weekly menu for you and your family.

Creating a Menu

Now that you have your budget and know exactly how much you can spend for food each month, your next step should be figuring out which types of meals would be best for your family. Most families tend to start out menu planning with only fresh and healthier food choices, only to find out a couple of weeks later that they dread eating at home and rush out to purchase fast food or to eat out at the many casual dining establishments. One thing to consider is to plan a menu that is for the most part healthy, but includes foods that each member of your family enjoys ( in moderation of course). By making sure that there are foods that everyone enjoys, it will entice each member of the family to stay home for meals.

Menu planning is a great way for the entire family to lose weight together or to reduce certain types of foods in their diets. For instance, many families find that they could all stand to lose a few pounds; menu planning can help with the process. By creating a menu that is low in calories, fats, carbs, etc (depending on your diet of choice), you and your family can lose weight together usually increasing the success of all those involved.

For families that have a history of certain types of illnesses like heart disease or diabetes, menu planning is essential to good, long term health. By getting into the practice of eating certain types of foods and shying away from others, you can improve your health and form strong foundations for younger children who hopefully will follow the same eating patterns as they age.

Creative Meals To Make With a Rotisserie Chicken

I said we rarely eat out, but I never said I make all my meals entirely from scratch!

Enter: the Rotisserie Chicken.
On Tuesdays, Albertsons has these on sale for 3.99 each. But mostly I'm in a hurry on the Other Days, and have to pay full price. It doesn't really matter, because I can still feed my family for a lot less than if we drove through McDonald's.

First, pull off a leg and nibble on it while you decide what to do with the rest of the chicken. Take the chicken off the bone and pull it apart or cut it up into chunks. Hmmm. How about......

1. Sauteed Vegetable Medley served with chicken, over rice. Lightly saute onions and whatever veg you have on hand. While that is sizzling, make a pot of rice. Add chicken bits to the veggies just before serving to heat through, and serve it over the rice. My Family LOVES soft wheat flour tortillia's with this dish.

2. Chicken Fajitas Saute up some onions and peppers, then add chicken right at the end. Let everyone build their own fajita, with grated cheese, beans, lettuce, sour cream, salsa. Don't forget the chips. This is a good one to serve with cut up fruit.

3. Pasta with Chicken and Vegetable Pesto (Delish!)Lightly saute vegetables in olive oil. I like onions, red peppers, zucchini, broccoli and carrots. It just takes a little bit of each kind to make a lot. Add the chicken at the end.
Meanwhile, boil ziti or mostaccioli pasta (or whatever you have). Mix the pasta in with the vegetables and add several tablespoons of Pesto to mix in also.
You can add some goodies like feta cheese and black olives to this just before serving. Tastes like it came from a restaurant!

4. Chicken Salad
Every one has their favorite way to make chicken salad, so I won't do a recipe here. Sometimes, I put scoops of chicken salad inside buns and wrap in foil and heat in the oven. It's like a Hot Pocket, except it tastes good.

5. Chicken/Vegetable Soup
My Mom is the queen of soup making. Even a small amount of leftover rotisserie chicken can make a delicious soup, and we especially love it in the fall and winter. All you do is put some water and/or canned chicken broth in a pot and get it slowly boiling. Start digging through your vegetable drawer, and cut up whatever you have on hand and throw it in, along with the chicken. It's the onions and the garlic that make everything taste good, so use plenty. I usually add boullion cubes to boost the flavor. Thicken it at the end and serve it up with crusty bread.

6. White Chicken Chili
I use the recipe on the back of Bush's Northern Beans. The recipe used to be on the back of the Navy Bean can, but now they went and changed it. I'm waaay over my 500 word "limit" so I'll post the recipe.
You can always just eat the chicken right off the bone, which is what we do quite often. Paper plates optional.

How about you?

Share your Rotisserie Chicken ideas with me, so the rest of us JOYfilled readers can get inspired!

Mindy's Gift To You- Get-Real Menu Planning for Busy Families

There are many elaborate menu plans I see that I just know won't work for my family. They include things like "Roasted Leg of Lamb with Braised Asparagus and Cherries Flambe for Dessert."

Riiiiight.


I've found that I can easily come up with a month's worth of dinner ideas out of stuff I already know how to make. First, I start by brain-storming.

I list broad categories of dinners, like: Italian, Crock-Pot, Grilled, Mexican, LEFTOVERS (yes, it's a category, PAPER PLATE MEALS (you gotta get real), Gourmet (I'm putting this in for you "Foodies"), Soup N Sandwich, Breakfast for Dinner, etc.


Then, I think of as many meals as can that fit under each category.


Italian: Spaghetti, pizza, manicotti, baked ziti, stuffed shells from Sam's, etc.


Crock Pot: Pot Roast, Barbeque Chicken, Beef Stew, Italian Chicken


Go ahead! Take out some paper and try it. I'll bet you can come up with a BUNCH!


Each Category really only needs 4 items because.....Then, I look at our Family Calendar. I start plugging in the standing activities we have that affect our dinner times.

For example: for many years, we had soccer practice twice a week from 5:30-6:30, which meant that we either had to eat early OR late.

On Wednesday nights, we have church.

Sports might be on another night.

I take a blank calendar page and write these activities across the top. I put in my work/volunteer schedule: example: On Thursdays I work all day at Junior's school after I've served at the homeless shelter....

Then, I take a blank calendar page, and working across the week, I start assigning the broad categories to days of the week.
On Baseball nights, I assigned Crock Pot Night, and Sandwich Night--both are quick and easy with little clean-up required.

On Church Nights, I might do Drive Through Night (Oh, didn't I tell you? That's also a category! I just like to plan it in, rather that use it willy-nilly)

On Monday nights, we are all home together so I plan a nice, sit-down meal. Gourmet perhaps?

On Saturday nights, I might do Breakfast for Dinner, because you never know who is actually going to be home: waffles are always a hit.

I actually found that I could come up with TWO MONTHS worth of dinner ideas by doing it this way. And even when I don't stick to the menu plan, just having it posted up on the refrigerator helps jog my memory when I'm in a pinch, which it often. It also helps me remember to thaw things out ahead of time and start early enough in the day so I don't have mutiny on my hands when 6:30 rolls around and the troops are starving. Voila, Dinner is Served.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Roast Lemon Chicken Breast for 2

A Healthy meal for 2!
Serves-2
Prep time -10 minutes
Cook time- 25-35 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
2 bone in Chicken breasts halves-freezer item
kosher salt & pepper to taste
2 teaspoon dijon mustard-Pantry item
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup lowfat mayo
juice from your lemon
1 teaspoon minced garlic or 1 clove garlic put through your garlic press
1/4 cup fresh rye or whole wheat bread crumbs-(See Tips)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese-pantry item
1/2 teaspoon hungarian sweet paprika
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1. In a large bowl mix lemon zest, lowfat mayo, lemon juice, minced garlic, onion powder, dijon mustard. Set aside
2. In a food processor bowl, tear your bread into pieces. Pulse 30-60 seconds, until coarse crumbs are created. Set aside
3. Salt & Pepper chicken breasts to taste
4. Place the chicken breast in the bowl with the mayo mixture and make sure chicken is completely covered.
5. Add paprika & parm cheese to your bread crumbs.
6. Dump your bread crum mixture on a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap.
7. Take your chicken breasts out of the mayo mixture and lay them on the bread crumb mixture and completely coat them with bread crumbs.
8. On a small cooking sheet covered with foil-spray the foil lightly with cooking spray.
9. Place coated chicken breasts on the sheet and pop into the oven.
10. Bake 25-35 or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Remove chicken Let sit for 5-10 mintues covered with foil.
Serve!
This dish would be great with sweet potato wedges or fries.
The sweet potato can be baked at the same time with the chicken.
TIPS:
1. Zest lemon first with a rasp, then juice it!
2. A hand juicer works great for juicing the lemon.
3. Save those ends of bread in a ziploc bag in the freezer and use as bread crumbs
4. To save money on bread-find the bakery outlet stores in your neighborhood. I get bread for 85 cents a loaf. It's fresh and I then buy it ahead and freeze it.
5. You may think the oven temperature is a little high, but it roasting it at a high temperature enables it to cook quickly, thus helping to keep chicken moist.
5. If you choose you can remove the skin to cut calories.
Nutritionals per serv.
235 cal
4.5 total fat
28g protein
3.5 g carb
75g cholesterol
220 g sodium
1 g fiber
Good Eatz!
Chef K

Recipe Of The Week- Sweeten Braided Bread with Poppy Seeds

When I make this bread- it instantly takes me back to my Grandma's House. If you have never made Bread before this is a very simple recipe. This recipe can be used for Cinnamon Rolls as well.

Enjoy!

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can warm water (use the condensed milk can to measure it)

1c. unsalted butter, softened

5 eggs

¼ c. fresh yeast

1 tablespoon salt

1kg all purpose flour

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten, to brush the bread

1 TLBS poppy seeds

Place the yeast and the water in the bowl of a stand mixer; mix well to dissolve the yeast.

Add the sweetened condensed milk, salt and butter and, using the paddle attachment, beat well.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Switch to the hook attachment and, beating in slow speed, add the flour, gradually. Once you added all the flour, beat until you get smooth dough.

Cover with cling film or plastic wrap and set aside - let the dough rise until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Knead a few times and form a ball; divide dough in 4 equal parts and make 15 inch ropes with each part. Place the ropes on a very large greased baking sheet (mine was 40x26cm) and braid them. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 320º; beat the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush the bread with it. Sprinkle the poppy seeds over the bread and bake for 30-40 minutes or until beautifully golden and cooked through – if it starts browning too fast, cover it loosely with foil.

Serves 10-12