Menu Plans 04-19-10

Monday - Peppery Pasta with Arugula and Shrimp

Tuesday - Crockpot Chicken Tacos, Rice, Salad

Wednesday - Grilled Filet Mignon, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Salad

Thursday - Trivia @ Smokey Bones

Friday - Belated Birthday Dinner Out :)

Check out orgjunkie.com for some other great menus!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This meal was SUPER tasty! The flavor was great and was very similar to take out. The pineapple added some sweetness to the dish and complemented the chicken well. We enjoyed this over brown rice with a salad on the side. I definitely plan on making this meal again.

Adapted from Kelly’s Kitch

Ingredients
1 can pineapple chunks (8 oz)
1/2 cup sweet and sour sauce
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch pieces)
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium red pepper, sliced
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

Directions
1. Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tbsp juice. In a small bowl, stir together pineapple juice and sweet and sour sauce. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with soy sauce and set aside.

2. In a medium skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add peppers and carrots and cook for 4 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from skillet and set aside.

3. Using a slotted spoon, add chicken to pan. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add sweet and sour mixture, vegetables and pineapple chunks. Heat thoroughly and serve over rice.

The Facts
4 Servings

Menu Plans 04-12-10

Monday - Sweet and Sour Chicken, Brown Rice, Sauteed Greens (from our CSA)
Tuesday - Grilled Chicken, Roasted Okra, Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Wednesday - Peppery Pasta with Arugula and Shrimp, Salad
Thursday - Trivia @ Smokey Bones?
Friday - I'll be out of town for the weekend!

*Check out some other great menu's at orgjunkie.com

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp

Wow, this entire meal came together in 15 minutes. No joke. The shrimp themselves probably took 8 minutes, max. I love a fast delicious meal! The variety of seasoning and sauces gave this dish an awesome flavor. I definitely plan on putting this on the menu when in need of a quick home cooked meal.

Adapted from Stephanie Cooks

Ingredients
1 lb. medium shrimp, 21-25 count, peeled and deveined
1/3 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
Cooking spray

Directions
1. Pat shrimp dry and sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning.

2. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat it over medium heat.

3. Add the shrimp, allow them to cook through on one side and then flip.

4. Once the shrimp are cooked add the ketchup, hoisin, and A1. Stir well until combined.

5. Lower the heat to low and allow the sauce to heat through, about 1 minute.

6. Serve hot.

The Facts
4 Servings

Chicken Gorgonzola Pasta

This dish had a great Mediterranean flavor to it. I think with some onion and kalamata olives it would be like dining in Italy or Greece. I definitely plan on adding those additional ingredients the next time this recipe appears on my menu. I lighted up the original version by reducing the amount of oil and butter called for; I also substituted fat free milk for heavy cream and used reduced fat cheese. I don’t think any of these alterations affected the taste.

Adapted from The Chef In My Head

Ingredients
2 oz sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 lb chicken breasts, skinless, sliced in 3/4 inch wide strips
8 oz whole wheat fettuccine pasta, cooked according to package directions
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained & quartered
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp dried tarragon
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 oz crumbled reduced fat Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup fat free milk
*Parmesan, shredded for garnish if desired

Directions
1. Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate, do not clean skillet.

2. Cook pasta until just tender, drain.

3. Meanwhile, reheat skillet to medium-high heat and add butter. Add garlic; sauté until tender.

4. Add sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, tarragon and salt & pepper; sauté for about 2-3 minutes.

5. Add lemon juice, white wine and chicken stock. Return chicken to pan together with vegetables, cover and reduce heat to medium, for approximately 10-15 minutes.

6. Uncover, add Gorgonzola and milk, stir to combine and heat through.

7. Serve over pasta and garnish with Parmesan. Enjoy!

The Facts
4 Servings
*Does not include Parmesan

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and Mango Stuffed Jalapeños

These are AMAZING. Seriously, YUM! Bryan and I decided last week that these would be fun to make for an Easter appetizer. We browsed recipes, but in the end decided to make up our own based off the various ones we read. The BBQ sauce was a last second addition by Bryan and was 100% worth it. Everyone enjoyed these and I know we’ll be making these again the next chance we get!

An Erin’s Eatery Original

Ingredients
8 jalapeños
1 mango, chopped
16 large shrimp (21-25 count, raw), tails removed
4 oz fat free cream cheese, softened
1/4 tsp cumin
dash cayenne
8 bacon slices, cut in half
BBQ Sauce

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425. Grease a non stick jelly roll pan or use parchment paper.

2. Slice off jalapeño stems and cut in half. Use spoon to remove seeds and membranes. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, cumin and cayenne thoroughly.

4. With a knife, spread cream cheese mixture in hollowed jalapeño halves. Top each with one shrimp and mango chunk.

5. Carefully wrap each pepper with half a bacon slice and secure with toothpick. Be sure toothpick passes through all ingredients.

6. Top with approximately 1 teaspoon of BBQ sauce.

5. Evenly space jalapeños on pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until bacon is crisp.

Ready for the oven!

The Facts
8 Servings
2 stuffed jalapeños each

Menu Plans 04-05-10

Monday - Chicken Gorgonzola with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Artichokes and Mushrooms over Pasta (I didn't get to make it last week!), Salad
Tuesday - Sweet and Sour Shrimp, Brown Rice, Veggie Side
Wednesday - Grilled Filet, Roasted Red Potatoes, Salad
Thursday - Trivia @ Smokey Bones
Friday - Pizza and Salad

*Check out some other great menu's at orgjunkie.com