French Onion Dip Hoagies

If making French Dip sandwiches ever intimidated you, this is the recipe that will change your mind! Super simple and OH so good. :) Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray's Weekly Menu Planner

Ingredients:
3 1/2 T EVOO
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
Salt & pepper
4 oz. cream cheese
4 - 6" hoagie rolls, split and toasted
About 1 1/4 lb. flank steak, thinly sliced

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 T EVOO over medium heat & add onions, season with salt & pepper and cook until golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, toast rolls & spread with cream cheese then top with onions.
3. Remove any remaining onion from skillet & heat remaining 2 T EVOO over med-high heat. Add the steak, season with salt & pepper & cook, stirring, until barely pink, 2-3 minutes.
4. Place a layer of meat on top of onions then pour any pan juices over. Place roll tops and serve!

Mexican Fritatta

Two words - EASY and YUM! :)

Ingredients:
5 oz pork chorizo
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into small cubes
6 eggs, beaten
6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
salt & pepper
EVOO

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a nonstick skillet, heat about 1 T EVOO over medium heat then brown chorizo, breaking up as it cooks, about 5 minutes.
3. Add onion & cook until just starting soften, 3-4 minutes.
4. Add bell pepper & cook until crisp tender, about 3 minutes.
5. Remove chorizo mixture to 8x8" baking dish & set aside.
6. Heat 1-2 T EVOO in same skillet then add potatoes, salt & pepper, cooking until golden brown & fork tender.
7. Return chorizo mixture to skillet & blend everything together, then place in baking dish.
8. Blend about 2/3 cheese with eggs, pour over potatoes & mix together. Top with remaining cheese & bake about 15 minutes, until eggs are set.

KITCHEN NOTE: Chorizo can be hard to find sometimes. Try substituting a spicy smoked sausage, halved & thinly sliced or diced.

Easy Oven-roasted Chicken & Veggies

This is a quick & easy weeknight dinner!

Ingredients:
About 4-5 pounds chicken pieces on the bone
5-6 carrots, cut in 2 and halved lengthwise
1 onion, quartered or cut into large chunks
salt & pepper
EVOO
2 C long grain rice
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
2 oz slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and arrange chicken, carrots & onion in a single layer on foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with EVOO & toss to coat. Salt & pepper everything and roast in oven for about 30 minutes, until juices run clear.
2. Meanwhile, salt 4 C water and add rice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer about 20 minutes, until rice is done. Stir in parsley & almonds.
3. Arrange chicken & veggies over rice on a serving platter and pour pan juices over the top.

**Substitution note: In place of rice, add small red potatoes, halved to veggies for roasting!

Enjoy!

Pork with Roasted Lemon-Apple Relish

I must say that I wrinkled my nose at this one but tried it anyway and it's delicious!! Courtesy of Rachael Ray's weekly menu planner.

2# boneless pork loin roast
3 T EVOO
Salt & pepper
1 lemon, thinly sliced crosswise & seeded
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 C apple juice
1/4 C raisins
1 green apple, cored & cubed (about 1")
1 tsp sherry vinegar (didn't have any so used apple cider vinegar and it was fine)

1. Preheat oven to 425. Place pork on one side of large baking dish, rub with 1 T EVOO & season with salt & pepper.
2. On the other side, combine lemon, onion, 1 T EVOO & sugar. Season with salt & pepper & toss together. Arrange in an even layer, putting lemons on top.
3. Roast until pork reaches 150 degrees & lemon slices are browned around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, tent pork with foil & let rest.
4. Transfer lemon mixture to a cutting board and chop.
5. In a medium bowl, combine apple juice and raisins and microwave for 1 minute. Stir in lemon mixture, apple, vinegar & remaining 1 T EVOO. Season with salt & pepper if needed.
6. Thinly slice pork and serve with relish and a side of your choice.

Baked Pork Chops

I'm sure this is no original idea but I just threw this one together and it turned out yummy!

Ingredients:
4 boneless chops about 3/4" thick
Tone's Canadian seasoning or McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning
1 egg (for bigger chops, you may need 2)
milk
1 pkg saltine crackers, crushed
2 T butter

1. Sprinkle chops with seasoning, rub in and chill for a couple hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Break egg into a shallow bowl, add a couple tablespoons milk and whisk with a fork. Place crushed saltines into another.
4. Dip chops in egg then crackers, repeat and place on a lightly greased or buttered baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter.
5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, carefully turn over and bake another 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy!! :)

Onion & Pepper Smothered Steak

Here's an Emeril recipe... altered a little. :) A yummy one pot dinner! (Ok, so two if you count the rice.)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2 lbs thin top round steak, sliced into 1/4" strips (easily done if steak is partially frozen)
1 1/2 T Emeril's Original Essence
1/4 C vegetable oil
3 T flour
3 C chicken broth
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 green bell peppers, sliced
2 t salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 T freshly chopped parsley
White rice for serving

1. Heat oil in large Dutch oven or high-sided skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Combine meat with Essence and flour in a gallon ziplock and toss to coat.
3. Brown meat in batches, until browned on all sides, 4-5 minutes.
4. Return all meat to pan and add 2 C chicken broth, stir, scraping any browned bits from the pan.
5. Add onions, peppers, salt, cayenne & black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for 6-8 minutes, until veggies are silted. Reduce heat to medium, cover & cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add remaining cup of broth & continue to cook uncovered for about 1 hour, until meat is very tender and gravy is thickened.
7. Add parsley & serve immediately over rice.

NOTE: Don't forget to start your rice with about 20 minutes left on the meat... so everything is done at the same time!

Chicken, Broccoli & Tomato Fusilli

This is a light and delicious meal that I hope you'll love!

Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth
1 T kosher salt
6 cloves garlic (2 smashed, 4 minced)
2 sprigs flat leaf parsley
14 oz small broccoli florets
12 oz spinach fusilli pasta (or similar - I use tricolor spirals)
3 T EVOO
1/4 t chili flakes
2 C grape tomatoes, halved
2 T butter
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper

1. In a small saucepan, combine chicken, broth, 1 t salt, smashed garlic & parsley. Cover & bring just to a boil then remove from heat, set aside covered for about 15 minutes to cook through.
2. Remove chicken, strain & reserve the broth. Pull chicken into strips & reserve with about 1/4 C of the broth (I use my serving bowl - less dishes!)
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously & add broccoli to cook until crisp tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the bowl with chicken.
4. Return water to a boil & cook pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, combine minced garlic, oil & chile flakes in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes & cook, stirring, until somewhat soft, about 1 minute.
7. Add 1/2 C broth, remaining 2 t salt & stir in the butter and 1/4 C parmesan until incorporated.
8. Stir in chicken & broccoli, bring to a simmer & remove from heat.
9. Drain pasta, transfer to serving bowl & toss with remaining parmesan. Pour sauce over pasta, season with pepper and toss to combine. Enjoy!

NOTE: If the sauce is a little short, add a little more broth.

Eggplant parmesan over grilled chicken...

For some reason I was craving my favorite dish from Cafe Red Onion (for you Houstonites), the Chicken Brazil. So I came up with something similar, without all the fattening queso... this recipe will serve 2, with leftover eggplant parmesan. Just increase the chicken to go with what you have on hand. One eggplant will probably make enough for 4 servings. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, marinated in Italian dressing
1 small eggplant
2 eggs, beaten
1 - 1 1/2 C breadcrumbs, Italian seasoned
1/2 jar Bertolli Italian Sausage spaghetti sauce
1/2 C parmesan cheese
1-1 1/2 C monterrey jack cheese, shredded (or provalone slices)

1. Slice eggplant fairly thin - 8 slices (or more). Dip into eggs, then press into breadcrumbs so they are liberally coated and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, coat bottom of square baking dish with spaghetti sauce. When eggplant is done, place in a single layer in baking dish. Top with more sauce then parmesan and jack cheeses. Repeat with another layer of eggplant, sauce and cheeses.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, grill chicken.
5. When all is done, slice chicken and serve eggplant parmesan on top next to a salad with tomatoes and avocado! Yum!!

Guilt-free Fish 'n' Chips!

Here is a yummy, healthy alternative to the traditional deep fried meal. *Courtesy of Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
1/2 C light sour cream
2 T light mayo
1 T lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 shallot, finely chopped (or sub yellow onion)
Salt & pepper
1 large sweet potato (about 1 1/2#), halved & cut into wedges
1 1/2 T EVOO
3 T finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Cooking spray
1/3 C cornmeal
1/3 C whole wheat breadcrumbs
3/4 C buttermilk
4 - 5 oz skinless, boneless tilapia filets, cut lengthwise in thirds

1. Position racks in upper & lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix together sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, shallot, 1/2 t salt & 1/4 t pepper. Cover & refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Line 2 baking sheets with foil. On one, toss sweet potatoes with EVOO & 1 T parsley. Season with salt & pepper. Spread into a single layer and bake on lower rack until tender & crisp around the edges, about 20 min. **You may want to flip them over halfway through to avoid burning so check them when you put the fish in.
4. Meanwhile, spray your other foiled baking sheet with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, breadcrumbs, remaining parsley, 3/4 t salt & 1/4 t pepper.
5. In another bowl, combine fish and buttermilk, turning to coat. One at a time, coat fish with the cornmeal mixture & place on baking sheet. Spray fish with cooking spray & bake on upper rack until golden brown, 12-14 min. Serve with the fries and dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Semi-Homemade Manicotti

Obviously, I love Italian food. I also love shortcuts on these long days. I just popped this one in the oven. Overall, it takes just over an hour to prepare! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 C ricotta cheese
1 3/4 C shredded mozzarella
3/4 C grated romano cheese (use parmesan in a pinch)
1/3 C chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 T milk
3 large eggs
1 C water
3/4 C flour
3 C store-bought meat sauce (I use 1 jar of Classico Italian Sausage)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 C mozzarella, 1/2 C romano, parsley & milk.
2. Preheat a non-stick skillet to medium heat. Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk the eggs with water. Whisk in flour.
3. You may need to brush the skillet with a dab of oil... ladle 3 T batter onto the skillet then tilt the pan in a circular motion to spread out the batter.

Cook 1 minute, flip & cook 1 minute more. Repeat with remaining batter, stacking the crepes on a plate.
4. Spread 1/2 the meat sauce into a 9x13" baking dish. To save some time, in between pouring the crepe batter, spoon cheese mixture down the center of each already done crepe.

Roll closed & arrange into baking dish.


5. When your baking dish is full, top with remaining meat sauce and cheeses.

Bake for 25 minutes. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Deconstructed Lasagna

The Spring semester is the busiest time for me so I just don't have time for elaborate meals. I had a craving for lasagna the other night - who ever has time for that!? :) This is another Rachael Ray recipe that satisfied my taste for the traditional. Fusilli is hard to find sometimes, so sub bowtie pasta if needed!

Ingredients:
kosher salt & pepper
1# long fusilli pasta (or a little less if you're using bowtie)
2 T EVOO
1# lean ground sirloin
1 small carrot
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 C beef broth
1 - 28oz can crushed tomatoes
a few leaves of fresh basil (or sub a dash of dried)
1 C ricotta cheese
1/2 C fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 T butter
2/3 grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (or regular parm)

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot, salt it & add pasta. Cook to al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat EVOO over medium heat. Add beef, crumbling to bits as it cooks until lightly browned (3-4 min).
3. Over the skillet, grate in carrot, onion & garlic. Season with salt & pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened then stir in beef broth, tomatoes & basil. Let simmer.
4. In small bowl, stir together ricotta & parsley.
5. When pasta is done, drain & return to pot. Stir in butter then the parmesan & meat sauce. Serve over a dollop of the ricotta mixture with a hunk of toasty garlic bread alongside! MMMM!

Granted, it's not quite as good as the real thing, but it gets the job done! Enjoy! :)

Lean, Mean Meatloaf

When I have the time, I prefer my "beefed up" meatloaf recipe. If you're short on time, though, this one is quick to prepare and DELICIOUS!! It's also healthier without the sugar & sodium-heavy traditional ketchup topping, not to mention that substituting oats for breadcrumbs boosts the fiber content! Enjoy!! *Courtesy of Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
3/4 C rolled oats (regular oatmeal)
1 onion, quartered
1 1/2 tsp EVOO
1 - 12 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
2 T finely chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg plus 1 egg white
salt & pepper
1 1/2 lb. 93% lean ground sirloin
***I substituted 1# ground turkey breast!

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a food processor, coarsely grind oats & transfer to a large bowl. Add onion to processor & finely chop.
3. In a sm-med skillet, heat EVOO over med heat then add onion & cook, stirring, until softened (about 5 min). Meanwhile, puree roasted peppers in processor, setting aside 1/3 C.
4. Whisk the remaining puree into the oats along with the onion, 6 T parmesan, parsley, egg & egg white, 1 1/2 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper.
5. Crumble the meat into the bowl and stir to combine.
6. Transfer mixture to a 5x9 loaf pan, spread the reserved puree on top & bake for 50 minutes.
7. Sprinkle remaining parmesan over the top and bake another 5 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.