About Tom

Tom has been a member since September 18th 2011, and has created 457 posts from scratch.

Tom's Bio

Tom's Websites

This Author's Website is

Tom's Recent Articles

What’s For Dinner? 30-Minute Menus for 2010 – 15th Edition

published Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 8:32 pm by

What’s For Dinner? 30-Minute Menus for 2010 – 15th Edition

Article by Elizabeth Randall









This is the 15th edition of the weekly 30-minute menus for 2010. These are published on a weekly basis; I like to develop the weekly menus on Thursday or Friday, grocery shop on Saturday, and start the week’s menus on Sunday.

Is Spring in your area yet? It sure is here in Atlanta! The menus this week are much lighter because of the warmer weather (and we all want to spend more time outside – not in the kitchen!).

The Lamb Chops with Savory Butter Sunday dinner is really company fare; the minted pears finish off the meal very nicely. It is easy enough to prepare for family meals, too.

You will find that I use several cooking methods, mix and match, to get dinner on the table quickly! (The ingredients in parenthesis show some of my quick-prep steps.) You can always substitute your favorite made-from-scratch recipes when you have more time.

I hope you have a great week!

Sunday:

Lamb Chops with Savory Butter

Rice and Vermicelli Mix (boxed mix)

Parslied Carrots (bagged baby carrots)

Beet / Goat Cheese / Walnut Salad (canned beets, chopped walnuts, jarred vinaigrette)

Minted Pears with Ice Cream and Raspberries (canned pears, purchased ice cream; purchase extra pears for Tuesday)

Monday:

Mexi-Turkey Wraps (bagged shredded lettuce and cheese, deli-cut turkey slices; buy extra turkey for Saturday)

Black Bean and Corn Salad (canned black beans and corn)

Corn Chips and Tomato Salsa (bagged corn chips, jarred tomato salsa)

Brownies (purchased brownies)

Tuesday:

Quick Pork Curry

LoMein Noodles

Pear Salad (canned pears, bagged salad greens, bottled balsamic dressing)

Coconut-Pecan Fingers with Strawberries (using white bread and canned sweetened condensed milk)

Wednesday:

Spicy Redfish with Pineapple Slaw (bagged slaw mix, jarred slaw dressing, canned pineapple; buy extra pineapple for Saturday)

Herb and Mushroom Rice (boxed rice mix)

Chocolate Dipped Cookies and Berries (purchased cookies, chocolate morsels)

Thursday:

Stuffed Spuds (vegetarian; microwave potatoes and bake in oven to finish, shredded cheeses, bagged chopped veggies)

Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges (canned Mandarin oranges, bottled Asian-type salad dressing)

Baked Cookies (yellow cake mix)

Friday:

Tuscan Pasta (boxed pasta, canned cannellini beans, shredded cheeses)

Sliced Tomato Salad

Baguette

Peach Macaroon Cups (canned peaches, purchased macaroon cookies)

Saturday:

Polynesian Ginger Turkey Stir Fry (deli-cut turkey slices, canned pineapple, jarred orange marmalade)

RiceSugar Snap Peas

Coconut Tarts (purchased tart shells, instant coconut pudding mix, canned whipped cream)

I sincerely hope you have fun with your meal planning and preparation,

Elizabeth Randall and Family



About the Author

For more ideas, check out my website: http://www.MomsMealConnection.com.

The 30-Minute Menus give you instructions for preparing the complete meals in 30 minutes – flat! Party in a Bag offers ideas for 30-minute appetizer courses or cocktail parties.

MomsMealConnection is designed to help busy moms everywhere prepare meals – family meals, holiday celebrations, and special dinners plus entertaining.










Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Stuffed Pork Chop Recipes | No Comments »

Kids Healthy Diet Hinges on Substitution

published Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 6:05 pm by

Kids Healthy Diet Hinges on Substitution

Article by Karl Max









You can give your kids healthy diet choices that will still keep them running to, rather than away from, the dinner table. The secret to a kids healthy diet is often just substitution. Instead of giving them foods in their diet that are high in fat or questionable in dietary benefit, substitute a few ingredients that won’t change taste but will keep your children healthy. For instance, when making meatballs for spaghetti, it is a good idea to substitute whole wheat or bulgur breadcrumbs for some of the ground beef and bake the meatballs rather than frying them.

Other recipe ideas for a kids healthy diet include coating chicken tenders in an almond and whole-wheat crust and cooking them in the oven rather than deep-frying in oil. This makes for crispy, delicious chicken fingers with half the fat of the usual ones.

Another kids healthy diet recipe idea is to make baked beans into a main dish by adding chicken sausage and spinach. Baked beans are low in fat and high in protein, adding to a kids healthy diet options.

Using whole-wheat breadcrumbs and whole-grain cereal flakes, you can make your own homemade fish sticks. Again, cook them up in the oven instead of deep-frying and save on fat and cholesterol as part of a kids healthy diet plan.

Update a Sloppy Joe as part of a kids healthy diet by cooking down chopped mushrooms and diced fresh plum tomatoes to make a zesty sauce added to lean ground beef.

Pepperoni pizza can get an overhaul by using whole-wheat dough, adding pumpkin puree to the tomato sauce for increased beta carotene and fiber, and substituting turkey pepperoni for the topping.

Cut pork tenderloin into long filets and bread it with the same coating as the chicken fingers for a delicious kids healthy diet dinner.

Stuffed cheeseburgers are a tasty alternative to sticking the cheese on top of the burger. Simply form lean meat patties around cheese and cook as normal. Using lean meat, real cheese instead of cheese processed food, and whole grain buns makes this meal part of a kids healthy diet plan.

Remember that at the heart of kids healthy diet recipes is the simple idea of substituting less healthy ingredients for more healthy ingredients. You can do this with almost any of your children’s favorite foods. Make sure to change ingredients that will not drastically alter the flavor so that your child will hardly notice the difference at all. You might also only want to change the recipe slightly at first and then change it a little more each time it is served until they become used to the fully healthy variation. For instance, when first making the pizza recipe above, you might want to only change to turkey pepperoni. The next time you make the pizza, switch out the dough for whole-wheat and then, finally, add the pumpkin puree to the tomato sauce. Your child may be less likely to notice the subtle change of the recipe over time than the full switch to a kids healthy diet recipe all at once.



About the Author

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/07/kids-healthy-diet-hinges-on-substitution/










Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Stuffed Pork Chop Recipes | No Comments »

Wing Sauces – Great For All Occasions

published Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 3:01 pm by

Wing Sauces – Great For All Occasions

Article by Chris McCarthy









It’s hard to tell which wing sauces are better because we all have different tastes. Buffalo wing sauces are not hard to make at all. The original Anchor Bar Buffalo, NY wing sauce is said to only have five main ingredients. But with so many varieties already available and with such inexpensive price tags, there’s no reason to make them on your own. Buy a variety of wing sauces and try them all out I say!

More Info on Wing Sauces

If you want to have the widest selection of wing sauces, then you should go to InsaneChicken. They carry a VERY large catalogue of wing sauces, condiments, marinades, and barbecue ingredients that are hard to find in some retail outlets. The most popular brands include those coming from restaurants like Anchor Bar, home of the original Buffalo wings, and Hooters. They also carry brands that are extra hot or quite hard to find. Ordering is secure and convenient. Because most wing sauce products are inexpensive, you should try ordering a lot and stock up on this essential ingredient.

Wing sauces aren’t just useful for chicken wings you know. You can use them on any chicken part. You can even use them on ribs, pork chops and steaks. While wing sauces are typically mixed with the wings after frying, you can use wing sauces to marinate meats as well. They also make great seasonings to such viands like steak, meatloaf and various fried foods.

For the best culinary experience, consider serving your chicken wings with your choice of dip. The type of dip you should serve depends on the wing sauces used. For instance, hot wing sauce calls for blue cheese, ranch and mayo dips, while sweet wing sauces go well with sour cream and onion or cheddar dips. Also, remember that fresh salsa, pickle relish or minced tomatoes go well with ANY dish.

Buffalo Wings – Fun Recipe Ideas

Buffalo wings are fun to eat. Adults and children simple never tire of them! They are also very easy to make. You can fry them, bake them or grill them. You can make your own barbecue sauce or buy prepared sauces available in grocery stores. However, if you plan on making a lot of wings and feeding a lot of people, consider buying a variety of sauces at InsaneChicken.com, an online specialty sauce and condiment retailer. Below are some fun ways you can prepare wings quickly.

Wings – Coat Me Silly Ideas

Easy Wings. This dish is just perfect for those who don’t have the time to make elaborate dish preparations. Simply get your frozen wings out of the freezer and defrost them in the microwave. Afterwards, you can mix some water and the wing sauce of your choice with the wings, and boil them on the stove. After the chicken and the sauce are thoroughly cooked, simply place the wing in barbecue sticks and sear them with the flames of your gas stove. This recipe is easy and delicious.

Tender Wings – Sweet chicken barbecue that falls off the bone is simply irresistible. It’s relatively simple to make too. Just mix your favorite barbecue sauce into the chicken wings, along with paprika, brown sugar or pancake syrup. Place this in greased aluminum foil and wrap tight. Bake slowly for 3-4 hours and you’ll have mouth-watering barbecue the entire family will enjoy. Enjoy these with baked potatoes and sour cream for a delicious dinner.

Fried Wings – This is a quick barbecue recipe that tastes just as good as the grilled counter part. Coat your chicken liberally with bottled wing sauce like Wing Time Mild Wing Sauce (for a slightly hot taste), or Jim Beam Wing Sauce (for really hot), or Spontaneous Combustion Chicken Wing Sauce (for ARE YOU CRAZY hotness). Then in a non-stick pan, melt two sticks of butter and add half a cup of olive oil. Fry your wings until brown. This goes well with cucumber salad or some great tasting salsa!



About the Author

Chris McCarthy is the owner of InsaneChicken’s Hot Sauce Catalog. InsaneChicken also sells Gourmet Wing Sauce.










Tags: , , ,
Posted in Bone In Pork Chop Recipes | No Comments »

How to Cook Filet Mignon

published Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 12:05 pm by

How to Cook Filet Mignon

Article by SarahSandori









Filet mignon! To many peoples’ minds, the words themselves speak of excellence, good living and expensive taste. No wonder. Carefully selected and expertly cut, filet mignon is a steak lover’s dream.

Filet mignon is a boneless steak that is cut from the tenderloin of the cow, which, as its name implies, yields the tenderest meat.

The filet itself is usually cut into portions between 1 and 2 inches in thickness. Oftentimes, stores sell such portions pre-wrapped with bacon. The reason for this is that file mignon does not contain as much fat marbling as bone-in steak cuts generally do; the bacon, then, substitutes for the missing fat.

If you prefer your marbling to be natural, or you simply don’t eat pork, then look for filet mignon that is pink rather than red–the lighter the color the better, in other words. Lighter color=more marbling.

One key point to remember when cooking filet mignon, whether you broil, roast, grill or pan fry it, is to use high heat in the process. A second key point is not to cook it too long; filet mignon is particularly susceptible to drying out as it cooks.

Keeping those two key points in mind, almost any steak recipe will work for filet mignon. Cookbooks and the Web are overflowing with imaginative things you can do with this royal cut of beef. If you’ve never cooked filet mignon, though, here are two basic recipes to get you started:

Grilled Filet Mignon

Ingredients

4 filets mignons

Salt

Black pepper

Directions

Heat grill. Grill filets mignons for 3 to 5 minutes per side, which will cook them to medium or medium-rare doneness. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Note: Connoisseurs will tell you that filets mignons can only be properly appreciated medium-rare or even rare. I tend to agree. But if you really can’t stand the thought of eating steak that pink, feel free to cook longer. Again, start with high heat so as to minimize the time needed to reach your preferred state of doneness.

Sauteed Filet Mignon

Ingredients

4 filets mignons

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons fresh, chopped rosemary

Cooking oil

Directions

Season the filets mignons with the salt and pepper, then sprinkle rosemary over them. Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium to high heat. Place the meat in the skillet and fry for 3 to 5 minutes per side (for medium-rare doneness).

By the way, a red wine such as cabernet sauvignon or burgundy makes a great accompaniment to filet mignon.



About the Author

Sarah Sandori is food and entertaining columnist for Solid-Gold.Info. Have you ever wanted to be able to duplicate a favorite dish from a favorite restaurant? Check out Sarah’s source for the most mouth-watering secret restaurant recipes in America.










Tags: , ,
Posted in Bone In Pork Chop Recipes | No Comments »

Pesto Is The Solution To A Bumper Crop of Basil

published Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 11:11 am by

Pesto Is The Solution To A Bumper Crop of Basil

Article by John J. Marshall









Last fall, our friend, Donna, dropped off a couple of large plastic garbage bags filled with fresh basil plants.  Someone had given more of their bumper crop than they could use themselves.  They were pulling up the rest.  Donna used as much as she could, sold some at the local farmers’ market, and still had bushels of basil.

Even though we grow our own herbs, we were glad to get her leftovers.  But we couldn’t possibly use so much basil at once, so I set about making lots of pesto.  I reasoned that it would be a better alternative than freezing or drying the raw herb.  Nothing preserves the flavor of fresh herbs like olive oil.

If you are growing basil in your garden, try my recipe for pesto with a Southern twist:

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed tightly1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (authentic Italian pesto contains pine nuts)3 garlic cloves, mincedSalt and freshly ground black pepper to tasteEquipment: A food processor or blender.  If using a blender, make sure the lid has an opening on top so ingredients can be added without removing the entire lid.

Procedure:

Put the basil and nuts in the blender, make sure the lid is secure, and give the machine a few short bursts (pulses) of power. Add the garlic and pulse a few times more.  This gets the basil chopped a little, but not too much.

Slowly pour in the olive oil in a steady stream while the blender is on.  Everything should be well mixed and chopped.  Add the grated cheese and pulse some more.  Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.  Taste the mixture.  Remember that the cheese adds a little salt.  Add more salt and pepper to taste.

This will give you about 1 cup.  Needless to say, I made a lot more than that.

I spooned the pesto into little plastic containers with lids, about 1/3 cup capacity, and put them in the freezer.  I’ve found that the basil tends to soak up some of the oil, even when frozen, and becomes pasty.  But stirring in a little more oil before using restores the pesto to the right consistency.  Though a year has passed, we still have some in the freezer and it tastes great.

Pesto is wonderful on toast, pasta, vegetables, chicken, veal and pork dishes, to mention a very few.  My favorite is roasted red bell pepper stuffed with feta cheese, pesto spooned over the top, and served warm.  Since we have a bumper crop of red and yellow bell peppers this year, we’re eating a lot of them with pesto.



About the Author

John Marshall is the owner of goGardenNow.com. He has been an instructor in Landscape Design with the Continuing Education Department at Georgia Southern University, a featured guest speaker for various garden clubs, a plant tester for government programs, the familiar voice on the local radio “Garden Minute”, and a gardening consultant.










Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Stuffed Pork Chop Recipes | No Comments »

Disclaimer  Terms Of Service  Privacy Policy  Contact Us  Sitemap