Making the Menu

Menu Planning: Testing Shrimp with Pasta and Asparagus

On Sunday's, I'm not usually enthusiastic about testing recipes even though I often must test anyway. Yesterday, I found a large container of bow tie pasta from a previous testing earlier in the week, looming in the refrigerator! What do to? Shrimp is always an easy protein and the cleaned variety was on sale for $7.99 a pound. These two facts convinced me that I could make a good meal by combining "forces." Along the way, I found some asparagus lingering that needed immediate attention. What a deal!

 

I sauteed the shrimp in olive oil and added some crushed red pepper along with the asparagus (stems cut on the diagonal). This was the topping for the already cooked bow tie pasta tossed with pesto and grape tomaotes. It made a pretty plate and had a great flavor. It was a happy ending. (I could have garnised the plate with fresly grated parmesan. Next time.)

 

Shrimp with Pasta (leftover) and Asparagus 

 

Menu Planning: Testing Risotto with Spinach and Peas

We're crazy about risotto--eating it, that is. When it comes to making it, I don't like the blister I get from stirring 20 to 30 minutes to make it perfect. I've tried it the conventional way (with the blister), in the pressure cooker, the microwave and in the oven. All have their benefits. What I usually look for is the method that is as low-maintenance as possible. For Risotto with Spinach and Peas (adapted from Real Simple), I tried the oven method with a little pre-sauteeing on top of the stove. The results were quite good and we both liked the end product.

 

To go along with the risotto, I sauteed some shrimp and added Creole seasoning for extra flavor. That, plus a green salad with sliced avocado, completed our meal.

 

 

The final result of Risotto with Spinach and Peas

 

 

California Asparagus or Redwood Trees??

I'd forgotten what real asparagus looks like until a box of the California stalks arrived. Growing up, we had asparagus that came back every year. My mother loved it. Being a dumb kid, I didn't. The last asparagus I cooked was about as thick as a pencil. This was more like a tree. It's "rested" in the sink after I soaked it in ice water upon arrival (as directed on the package).

 

 

Asparagus is naturally low in calories and sodium. It was popular with the acient Romans for it's delicate flavor and elegant appearance (I guess the Romans like these "trees" as much as I did). There are 20 edible varieties of the 300 known ones. Handle asparagus like fresh flowers; trim stems.

 

The recipe I tried was Sweet and Spicy Szechwan Asparagus (below) and it was a hit. Look for it in the 7-Day Menu Planner this summer.

 

 

This asparagus was sent to me by the California Asparagus Commission.

 

 

 

 

 

Menu Planning: Bulgur by Any Other Name is Cracked Wheat

My husband and I decided that bulgur (the name) needs a marketing guru to change the word bulgur to something more appealing. Cracked wheat is ok, but still nothing special. The prune people knew they had a problem so our dear prunes became "dried plums", but I digress.

 

The Turkey and Bulgur Salad I tested was quite good, although for the chopping-impaired, it will take a little longer. You can easily use leftover cooked turkey breast or buy it from the deli. Your home-cooked turkey will be lower in sodium, which is better for you. Bulgur is just as easy to prepare as couscous. For the bulgur, you just pour boiling water over the bulgur, cover and let stand for 30 minutes, then drain. The other ingredients I mixed with the bulgur and diced turkey were diced tomatoes, seeded cucumber, red onion and flat leaf parsley. I made a dressing of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and salt and pepper.

 

I served it with a green salad, steamed fresh zucchini and whole grain bread. The recipe would be good with pita bread and hummus, too.

 

 

Turkey and Bulgur Salad (adapted from Family Circle magazine)

Menu Planning: Farfalle with Salmon

With food prices ever increasing (not to mention gasoline costs), we're eating a lot of pasta lately. The Farfalle (bow tie) and Salmon combination keeps food costs down and is a perfect dish for company because the protein (salmon) cost is reasonabe. Eg, a little bit will go a long way. For the recipe, I used 12 ounces of salmon and 12 ounces of pasta, which could serve 6. It's an interesting recipe in that it included leeks, lemon zest, sour cream and fresh mint. The flavor was even better than I expected. (I adapted a recipe from Woman's Day magazine.)

 

We rounded out the meal with a green salad and whole grain bread. For company, you might want to add a glass of wine.

 

 

Good enough for company!

Menu Planning 101: Pasta with Tomato-Basil Sauce

You can't go wrong with pasta, tomatoes and basil in combination. Add the bonus of easy and delicious and you have a winning recipe. (Expect to see this recipe the week of May 22). It's meatless, but you could easily saute some shrimp and toss with the pasta. By adding the shrimp, you have a company meal.

 

Since the recipe calls for refrigerated fettuccine, the pasta cooks in 2 or 3 minutes. I used no-salt-added-canned, diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (Del Monte), so no chopping was required. If it was mid-July and the tomates were calling to me from the vine, I would have used fresh tomatoes. It's March and I like the canned ones better. Fresh basil is good any time of year, so use it for this recipe. Sprinkle freshly grated Parmigianio Reggiano over the pasta just before serving.

 

 

Dinner on the table in less than 10 minutes.

Tuscan Baked Chicken with Cannellini Beans

Put chicken, spinach, bacon and cannellini beans together and you'll get me to the table in a hurry. This was one of those brown-first-send-to-the-oven dishes. It took a little longer to prepare but was well-worth the efforts.

 

You could use light or dark chicken; I chose dark because I've learned to like the flavor just as well compared to my days of I wouldn't touch dark meat with a ten-foot pole. My taste buds grew up (I'm still waiting for the rest of me to catch up). So, brown the chicken in an oven-proof skillet. Remove it from the skillet. Add chopped onion to skillet; cook until browned. Stir in some crumbled cooked bacon, fresh baby spinach, fresh or dried rosemary, cannellini beans (rinsed) and undrained canned tomatoes with Italian seasonings. Cook a couple of minutes; remove from heat and place browned chicken on top. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.

 

Give this one a gold star from Cooking Light magazine. I made a few changes to cut prep time.

 

 

Right from the oven in an iron skillet.

 

 

Right onto the plate!

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Once you learn to spell and pronounce quinoa (keen-wa), cooking and eating it is easy. It's a grain that has become more and more popular in North America lately. We ate it first in Argentina mixed with corn (another staple there). The Incas called it the "mother grain." Because it's a complete protein (it has all the essential amino acids) it has more protein than other grains. The flavor is almost bland and I use it in place of rice or couscous. When cooked it expands 4 times the size of the original grain. When I cooked 1 1/2 cups for a mere 10 to 12 minutes, I had a huge pile of quinoa. 

 

 

Argentina Quinoa and Corn Salad

 

For our salad, I combined the cooked quinoa with black beans, green bell pepper, corn, and seasonings. The dressing was a fresh lime juice with olive oil. To add to the crunch, I garnished it with toasted chopped walnuts. We lapped it up. Because of large appetites at our house, we added grilled chicken, although it's on the menu as a Meatless meal in the 7-Day Menu Planner. Look for it the week of May 8.

 

 Quinoa and Black Bean Salad with Grilled Chicken

 

This is a very large bowl with a whole lotta quinoa salad going on!

Testing Chicken Paprika

When a recipe turns out just the way you hoped it would, it makes for a happy meal. Chicken Paparika is an old standard but we don't get tired of it. Rather than use chicken breasts this time, I used thighs because of the price. And, rather than a half breast, I cut the thighs into 1 1/2 inch pieces (after I trimmed the copious amount of fat found on thighs). I also used no-salt-added, fire-roasted diced tomatoes (Muir Glen) for a boost of flavor. I seem to be using fire-roasted tomatoes more and more for the extra flavor that roasting imparts. The meal went together in about 15 minutes. While the chicken paprika cooked, the noodles were cooking, too. During that time, I made a salad and got the fresh broccoli ready to microwave. I almost forgot to add the half and half at the end to the chicken, but did remember.

 

About broccoli and me: You will notice that broccoli is often included in our meals. Why? Besides liking the taste, it's easy to prepare, a reasonable cost, a nutrition power house and looks good on the plate. My husband does admit he gets tired of it since we have it a minimum of twice a week. However, he'd rather I do the cooking and menu planning, so he doesn't really complain too much. Smart man.

 

 

Chicken Paprika over no-yolk Noodles with Broccoli on the side.

Knock Your Socks Off Chicken Chili

Over the years of menu writing, I must have tested a hundred + chili recipes. Yes, I do like chili of all kinds. Tonight's Chicken Chili was one of those recipes when after two bites, we looked at each other and said. "Darn, this chili is really good."

 

When I was preparing it I was a little testy with the many ingredients. I was tempted to short cut and eliminate some of the spices and ingredients, but I perservered, thank goodness. The concoction was that good. I will file this one and make it again. Usually, I have to move on with recipes because I test so many. This week was a good one for recipes. Everything I made was quite good. That does not happen every week testing 4 to 6 recipes.

 

You can use white or dark meat, whichever is less expensive. I added a dollop of reduced-fat sour cream on top as a garnish and a squeeze of lime juice. There are no rules on these additions. Use any kind of beans you like. I used pinto and great northern, black beans would have been good, too.

 

 

Cooking on low. It makes about 8 cups.

 

 

Ready for the table (and your mouth).