Meal Plan

I asked Scott to help me plan meals for the week. I am nine months pregnant and since I struggle with meal planning anyway, I'm really not feeling creative in my last month of pregnancy. Here's what we've come up with for this week.

Ham steak and pineapple on the grill, corn on the cob, salad
Chicken teriyaki kabobs, peppers, mushrooms and rosemary potatoes - on the grill
Tacos and refried beans
Beef stroganoff in the slowcooker, green beans
Pizza - frozen or a pizza kit
BBQ pork chops, broccoli w/almonds
Spaghetti with pesto marinara sauce

Meal Plan

I am posting in arrears this week. This past week, I've tried to think of as many easy meals as possible. We've been busy with lots of summer activities and I needed to be able to throw dinner together when we get home late. It's not anything gourmet, but we were fed, nonetheless.

Chicken fajitas and guacamole with chips
BBQ pork tenderloin, mac n cheese and Trader Joe's frozen vegetables
Leftovers
Teriyaki chicken stir fry with rice
Friday night hamburgers, frozen french fries (baked in the oven) and salad

None of these really require a recipe. For the fajitas, I used frozen fajita chicken. I put the pork tenderloin in the crockpot with 1/3 cup of water and let it cook while we went swimming. The mac and cheese and frozen vegetables took less than ten minutes to make. So, I would consider it a 30-minute meal. I cut up the chicken for the teriyaki chicken and let it marinate for several hours. Then when I got home, I just cooked the chicken, threw in some frozen stir-fry vegetable and more teriyaki sauce and heated through.

Nutty Buttery Green Beans

This recipe is from Emeril Lagasse. I've made this version before and it's easy and yummy. I decide to try a healthier version tonight so I substituted olive oil for butter. I also didn't have any Worcestershire sauce, so I just omitted it from the recipe. They were still quite tasty.

Nutty Buttery Green Beans

1 pound green beans
5 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 (2 1/4-ounce) package sliced almonds
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Trim the green beans. Place the water and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a medium, heavy 3 1/2 quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Carefully add the beans and return to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and drain the beans in a colander set in the sink, pouring away from you. Rinse under cold running water and drain.
3. Melt the butter in the same saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the almonds, Worcestershire sauce, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Cook, stirring, until the almonds are toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add the drained green beans to the pan and cook, stirring, until well coated with sauce and warmed through, about 1 minute.
5. Remove from the heat and serve.

Italian Chicken

This recipe is very easy and comes from my sister-in-law, Tiffany. I served this with chicken flavored rice and green beans.

Italian Chicken

3 chicken breasts
1 Package of Good Seasons Italian Seasoning
Italian cheese blend, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Place chicken in baking dish and sprinkle with entire package of Italian Seasoning. Bake covered for 30-35 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered for 10 more minutes.

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad

1 head broccoli
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup yellow or white raisins
shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 lb cooked bacon, crumbled

Dressing
1 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Mix broccoli and next three ingredients together and store in refrigerator. Mix dressing together and store in refrigerator. Combine salad and dressing together two to three hours before serving. Before serving, sprinkle with sunflower seeds and bacon.

Meal Plan

We've been out of town for part of the week for the last three weeks. I can't remember what I made for dinner when we were home. I don't think it was anything worthy of putting on the blog.

Here is what I have planned for this week thus far.

1. Chicken kabobs, veggies and broccoli salad
   
2. Tacos and guacamole


3. Italian chicken, rice and green beans


4. Grilled pork chops, zucchini and squash
5. Marinated salmon, ?, ?

Buttermilk Breakfast Cake

This is from Southern Living. I haven't made it yet, but I can't wait to try it. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Buttermilk Breakfast Cake
1 package white cake mix
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup melted butter
5 large eggs
3 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
Shortening
1 Tbsp. sugar
Buttermilk-Vanilla Glaze

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat first three ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer 1-1/2 minutes or until thoroughly blended; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
3. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with shortening; sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sugar.
4. Spoon one-third of batter into prepared pan; sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over batter. Top with remaining batter.
5. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool 20 minutes. Drizzle glaze over slightly warm cake.

Buttermilk-Vanilla Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 2 Tbsp buttermilk

1. Stir together first 3 ingredients and 1 Tbsp buttermilk until smooth, adding additional 1 Tbsp buttermilk, if necessary, for desired consistency.

Fish Tacos

Fish tacos are usually made with fried fish. Since we don't eat a lot of fried food, I make a broiled version. Also, I skipped making my own marinade and marinated the fish in a mojo sauce I found at Aldi. It contains no MSG and had pretty low sodium for a pre-prepared sauce, so it actually wasn't a bad substitution. Oh, and Ford likes these which makes them even better.

Fish Tacos
1 to 2 white fish filets (I used talapia)
Mojo marinade (purchased from Aldi)
Corn tortillias
1/4 white cabbage, shredded
Thinly sliced red onion
Thinly sliced green onion
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Cheese, shredded
Salsa
Sour Cream

1. Place fish in ziplock bag and cover with marinade. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and longer if time allows. Discard marinade.
2. Heat oven to broil. Spray boiler pan with cooking spray. Broil fish for 5 to 10 minutes or until done.
3. When fish is done, flake fish into bite size pieces. Coat with additional mojo sauce if desired. Heat tortillias according to directions on package. Place fish in tortillias and top with toppings of your choice.

Ham Pot Pie

Pie Crust
(makes enough for 3 pie shells or 2 pot pie shells)
1 cup Crisco shortening
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup ICE COLD water (add ice cubes to get water very cold)

1. Blend flour, salt and shortening with a pastry blender or fork.
2. Add water gradually and blend with fork until it reachs proper consistency. Do not over mix)
3. Roll out onto floured surface to fix desired size pan.

Ham Pot Pie

2 Tbsp butter
1 cup onion
10 oz package broccoli-cooked
1 lb. new potatoes
1 can cream of potato soup
8 oz sour cream
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2-1/2 cups ham, cubed

1. Make pie crust. Divide into two crusts and roll to fit a casserole dish. Place one crust into bottom of casserole dish (reserve other crust to place on top).
2. Saute onion in butter. Cook broccoli. Cook potatoes in boiling water.
3. Combine soup, sour cream, cheese, milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir in broccoli, onion and potatoes. Stir in ham.
4. Spoon into bottom pie shell and place remaining pie shell on top.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

Weekly Meal Plan

What to make? What to make? Is it time to plan another week of meals again? It really does sneak up on me every week. I haven't checked the weather, but there HAS to be sunshine in the forecast. If so, I'll have a few grill nights on the menu (which means Scott gets to cook, since he's the grillmaster).

Ham Pot Pie (made by my sweet mom and sister for us)
Leftovers - Fish Tacos or Ham Pot Pie
Grilled Mojo-Marinated Pork Tenderloin, grilled onions and black beans
Grilled Chicken, salad, grilled zucchini/squash
Hamburgers and french fries
Chef Boyardee pizza (from a pizza kit)

It looks like rain is on the way again this week, so we may be having baked meals instead of grilled.

Old-Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake

This cake is sooooooooooo good. This recipe comes from my Grandma Cothran, who was an excellent baker (and cook, for that matter). But, I think everyone's grandmother probably had some version of this recipe. It must have been a standard back in the day.

Old-Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake
1-1/2 cups oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 cups apples, peeled and grated
1 cup coconut
1 cup raisins, optional
1 cup nuts, chopped
3 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla

1. Combine oil, sugar and eggs. Add apples, coconut and nuts. Stir thoroughly.
2. Add soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla and stir.
3. Stir in flour until batter is very stiff.
4. Bake at 350 degrees in a bundt pan for 1 hour.

Meatloaf

I'm not a huge fan of meatloaf. But, I got this recipe from my aunt Jan and it's actually very good. This recipe makes three loaves, so make one for dinner and cook and freeze the other two!

Meatloaf
2 pounds of ground beef
1 cup chopped onion*
2 cups shredded cheddar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup oats

Sauce
3/4 cup ketsup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp mustard

1. Mix ground beef and next 6 ingredients. *I saute the onions before adding them because I'm not a big fan of crunchy onions. You could also save time by using minced onion flakes. Shape into three loaves and place on a baking sheet with sides.
2. Mix ketsup, brown sugar and mustard. Spread over loaves. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks. It looks fancy, but it's very easy to make. Because it's made with lemon juice and olive oil, it's not as heavy as some of the really buttery shrimp scampi recipes. But, it still has a lot of flavor. The recipe calls for linguine, but I substitute angel hair pasta because we like it better. I served this when Scott's mom came to visit and served it with garlic bread and Caesar salad.

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

Serves 6

Vegetable oil
Salt
1-1/2 pounds linguine (I use angel hair)
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
5 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp minced garlic (9 cloves)
2 pounds large shrimp (about 32 shrimp), peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Grated zest of 1 lemon (I left this part out without any loss of flavor)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
1/4 tsp hot red pepper flakes, optional

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. In the meantime, mince garlic, chop parsley and squeeze and slice lemons.
2. Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 Tbsp of salt and the pasta, and cook as directed on package.
3. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 Tbsp of salt and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.
4. When the pasta is done, drain the cooked pasta and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well and serve.

Chicken Fried Rice

This recipe can be made with either cooked shrimp or chicken. I'm not sure how it would affect the recipe, but I think next time I'll add the eggs before I add the rice and chicken.

Fried Rice
1-1/2 cups uncooked white rice OR 3 cups leftover cooked rice
3 cups of water (for cooking rice)
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped onion
1-1/2 cups cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined without tail OR cooked chicken, cubed
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp seasame oil

1. Cook rice according to directions and set aside to cool (I used leftover rice and skipped this step).
2. Saute shrimp or chicken until done (I sprinkled the chicken with salt and garlic powder before cooking). Set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet or wok for 2 minutes. When the skillet is hot, pour in vegetable oil, bean sprouts and onion. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Mix in cooled rice and shrimp or chicken and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Mix in green onion, green peas, eggs, salt, pepper, soy sauce and sesame oil. Cook for another 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until eggs are cooked and everything is blended evenly.

Italian Beef Sandwiches

I think most people have some version of this recipe. It's very easy to make as the Italian beef is made in the Crockpot.

Italian Beef Sandwiches
1 lb beef roast
1 jar pepperoncini peppers
Hoagie rolls
Provolone cheese

1. Place roast in slow cooker. Cover with entire jar of pepperoncini peppers (do not drain).
2. Cook on high for one hour and then on low for 4 to 6 hours or until done. Shred roast to make sandwiches.

Tuscan Potato Salad

This recipe comes from a friend of mine who contributed it to our church cookbook. I'm not a huge fan of any kind of salad with a mayonaise base. So, this version of potato salad suits me better and Scott liked it, too.

Tuscan Potato Salad
3 lbs potatoes, cubed
2/3 cup Parmesan, grated
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
6 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Cook potatoes until soft and drain. While potatoes are still hot, add the remaining ingredients. Can be served warm or chilled.

Weekly Meal Plan

The plan this week has been very typical of me...no plan. I haven't even been to the grocery store, so I've just been throwing together whatever I could find. Here's what we've already had or I'm making for tonight. I'm going to the store today, so I'll try and figure out what else we'll have this weekend.

1. Pasta with shrimp and Caesar salad
2. Hearty chicken burritos and black bean and corn salsa
3. Leftover burritos and salsa
4. Italian beef sandwiches, Tuscan potato salad and green salad
5. Fried rice (using extra rice from burritos)
6. Leftover fried rice or beef sandwiches
7. hmmmm, not sure

The forecast is for rain until next Wednesday. Even though it hasn't rained much, I hate to plan cooking on the grill for fear of getting rained out. Oh, well.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Black Bean and Corn Salsa
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp diced red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, deveined and chopped (optional)
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice, lemon juice OR white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Tortillia chips

1. Combine corn, black beans and remaining ingredients in medium non-metallic bowl, except for fresh cilantro and parsley. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Bring to room temperature before serving and add the freshly chopped parsley and cilantro.
3. Serve with tortillia chips

Hearty Burritos

I still haven't been to the store OR made a meal plan for this week. I have some frozen cooked chicken in the freezer, so I think I'll make chicken burritos and black bean and corn salsa. The burrito recipe calls for ground beef, but I'm going to try it with chicken instead.

Hearty Burritos
1/2 pound ground beef
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 oz) Mexican diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup cooked rice
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheese
8 flour tortillias (10 inches)
sour cream, chopped tomatoes, guacamole, additional shredded cheese and salsa, optional

1. In a large skillet, cook the beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain (I just used cooked shredded chicken and minced onion flakes). Add the beans (I used Amy's Refried Beans-yum!), tomatoes, corn, salsa, rice, chili powder and salt. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese off-center on each tortillia; top with about 1 cup beef mixture. Fold sides and ends over filling.
2. Wrap burritos individally in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Or place burritos seam side down on a baking sheet.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until heated through. Serve with your choice of recommended toppings.

To use frozen burritos: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake and serve as directed.

Pasta with Shrimp

This is my friend Abby's favorite pasta with shrimp recipe. I made this last night because I haven't been to the store this week. I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand minus the bell pepper. I substituted green onion for the pepper. I served this with a Caesar salad.

Pasta with Shrimp
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2-1/4 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1-1/2 cups chopped red or green pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup medium dry sherry
1 can (14.5 oz) whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
2 tsp sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
Either angel hair pasta, cooked and pine nuts or
white rice, cooked and slivered almonds

1. Combine flour, thyme, 1/4 tsp salt and black pepper in large ziplock bag. Add shrimp and shake well to coat shrimp.
2. Begin boiling water for pasta or put rice on to cook.
3. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp and saute for 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from pan. Add onions, bell pepper and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add sherry and cook for 1 minute. Add 1/4 tsp salt and tomatoes. Cook four minutes. Stir in shrimp and vinegar.
4. Serve over angel hair pasta and sprinkle with pine nuts or over white rice and sprinkle with slivered almonds.

Strawberry Delight

I got this recipe from my sister and it is PERFECT for warm weather. I truly could eat the entire thing by myself.

Strawberry Delight
Crust:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cups melted butter

1. Mix and press in bottom of 9x13 pan and refrigerate.

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 large cool whip, divided
1 pint strawberries, sliced
2 packages of 4 serving vanilla instant pudding
3-1/2 cups cold milk

1. Beat together cream cheese, sugar and 2 Tbsp milk until creamy. Fold in 1-3/4 cups cool whip. Spread over crust. Layer with sliced strawberries.
2. Mix pudding with milk and pour over berries. Top with remaining cool whip. Top with remaining strawberries. Refrigerate until set.

Crescent Chicken Bundles

Okay, so all of the recipes this week are new ones I'm trying. I didn't make the Tuscan potato salad because of time. I did make the chicken artichoke packets. They were good, but I have a similar recipe that I like better, so I'll post that recipe instead. These can be frozen.

Crescent Chicken Bundles
6 oz cream cheese, softened (reduced fat)
4 Tbsp butter, melted, divided
2 Tbsp minced chives
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cups cooked chicken
2-8 oz packages of crescent rolls (reduced fat)

1. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, 2 Tbsp butter, chives, milk, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in chicken.
2. Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into eight rectangles; press perforations together. Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture in the center of each rectangle. Bring edges up to the center and pinch to seal. Brush with remaining butter.
3. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
4. To freeze: Transfer uncooked bundles to baking sheet, cover and freeze until firm; transfer squares to a covered freezer container. May be frozen for up to two months. To cook frozen bundles: Thaw in the refrigerator and bake as directed.

Weekly Meal Plan

Here are my loose guidelines for weekly meal planning:

1. sandwich night (hamburgers or some yummy new sandwich recipe I'd like to try);
2. Texmex (we LOVE Texmex and it's usually easy to prepare);
3. grilling out during warm weather or soup during cold weather;
4. and trying a new recipe

My friend, Jaime, does one night where she can double and freeze a recipe. I really like this idea, especially with a new baby on the way. I think I will try and incorporate this into my weekly meal planning.

Here is what I have planned for this week. Now, I often veer from the list because of time or something unexpected i.e. Scott working late so Ford and I just have something simple.

1. Orange-Glazed Salmon Filets, green beans with shallots and Annie's mac n cheese (can you tell I have a three year old)
2. Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa and rice (Texmex)
3. Breakfast - I haven't decided exactly what's on the menu yet. Whatever is handy.
4. Chicken and artichoke packets with Tuscan potato salad (this is sandwich night)
5. Ford's school festival catered by SATCO - can't wait!
6. Leftover chicken packets (?)
7. Rainforest Cafe to celebrate my niece's birthday

I'm going to try and inventory the freezer and pantry this weekend to make my meal plan for next week. Hopefully, I will only need a few things from the grocery store!

Chicken Tonight

Tonight, our meal consisted of the Bisquick chicken fingers, roasted potatoes (the freezer kind) and stir-fry snap peas (the recipe called for snow peas, but I didn't have any). Here is the recipe for the snap peas. This meal was prepared and ready in 30 minutes. AND, the chicken fingers and potatoes baked at the same temperature (this is handy since I don't have a double oven).

Stir-fry Snap Peas
1.5 tsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt to taste
1 box frozen snap peas, thawed
1 Tbsp oil
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. In a small bowl, combine the butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and salt; set aside.
2. In a small skillet, stir-fry peas in oil for 1-2 minutes or until crisp tender. Add walnuts; cook and stir for one minute.
3. Drizzle with butter mixture; toss to coat. Cover and cook for two minutes or until heated through.

Sausage Casserole

Sausage Casserole
1 pound sausage (I've also used Morning Star veggie sausage)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
4 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup Bisquick

1. Cook sausage and drain. Place sausage in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan coated with cooking spray. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over sausage. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until batter is fully cooked.

Panna Cotta

Scott and I went to a new restauant in Germantown called City House. We ordered panna cotta for dessert and it was so good, I looked up a recipe online. Basically, it is just cooked cream. You could serve it with fruit or caramel on top. Yum!

Panna Cotta
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
1/3 cup sugar
1 package powdered gelatin
2 to 3 Tbsp cold water
1 tsp vanilla

1. In a heavy saucepan, stir together cream, half-and-half and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Cook on medium to medium-high heat stirring occasionally, until scalding (the mixture will start to rise rapidly). Turn off heat and remove pan from heat.
2. Put the cold water in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin into the water, allowing the gellatin to dissolve completely. Add a large spoonful of the cooked cream and stir steadily until the mixture is smooth and the gelatin completely dissolved. Add the gelatin mixture back into the pot of cooked cream and whisk out any remaining lumps. Add the vanilla.
3. Pour the warm cooked cream into a single large ceramic serving dish or several ramekins and chill for at least three hours. Serve as is or with your choice of topping.

Chicken Fingers

My brother gave me this recipe. These are easy to make and Ford loved them. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Chicken Fingers
2/3cup Original Bisquick mix
1/2cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2teaspoon salt or Garlic salt
1/2teaspoon paprika
3boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cutcrosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Heat oven to 450ºF. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.
2. Mix Bisquick mix, cheese, salt and paprika in 1-gallon resealable plastic food-storage bag. Diphalf the chicken strips into egg; place in bag of Bisquick mixture. Seal bag; shake to coat.Place chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle butter over chicken.
3. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes with pancake turner, until no longer pink in center.

Beef Ravioli in Basil-Cream Sauce

This can be on the table in less than 30 minutes. I served with a Caesar salad and garlic bread.

Beef Ravioli in Basil-Cream Sauce
4 servings, Prep. 10 minutes, Cook time 15 minutes
1 (24 oz) package of frozen beef ravioli
2 Tbsp butter
1 (8 oz) package of sliced fresh mushrooms
3 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried Italian seasonings
1 (10-oz) can diced mild tomatoes and green chiles, drained
2 Tbsp fresh basil
1 cup whipping cream (I have used half and half, both regular and fat free)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp salt

Start a pot of boiling water for ravioli (add ravioli once it starts to boil and cook as directed on package). Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, green onions, garlic and Italian seasonings. Saute for six minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Stir in diced tomatoes, basil and cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, five minutes. Stir in parmesan cheese; add salt. Stir in cooked ravioli, tossing to coat.

Lazy Guacamole

This is a lazy version of Alton Brown's guacamole.

Guacamole
3 avocados, peeled
1 small lime juiced (about 1 Tablespoon)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne, optional
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp onion flakes
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1. Place avocados in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Serve as a side or with chips. Tip: If you place an avocado pit in the guacamole, it keeps it from turning brown as quickly.

Pork Chimichangas

I got this recipe from a Taste of Home freezer meals magazine. It's yummy and you can freeze what you don't eat. I think you could substitute chicken and it would be equally yummy. This recipe makes 2.5 dozen. I cut the recipe to make 1/3 the amount. I served with fresh guacamole.

Baked Pork Chimichangas
3 cans pinto beans
1 pork loin roast (three pounds)
3 can chopped green chilies
1 large onion
1/3 cup chili powder
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
30 flour tortillias (6-inch)
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups picante sauce (chunky salsa can be substituted)
1 egg white
2 tsp water

1. Preheat oven to 325. Place roast in a Dutch oven. In a bowl, combine chilies, onion, chili powder and beans. Spoon over roast. Cover and bake for 1.5 hours. Stir in broth; cover and bake 30-45 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.
2. Remove meat and shred with two forks; set aside. Mash bean mixture; stir in shredded pork. Spoon 1/3 cup mixture down the center of each tortillia; top with two tablespoons of cheese and one tablespoon of picante sauce. Fold sides and ends over and roll up. Place seam side down in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. In a bowl, whisk egg white and water; brush over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately or cool, wrap and freeze for up to three months.
To cook frozen chimichangas: Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.