Pasta with Basic Tomato Sauce
Simple Meatloaf
English Muffin Pizzas
Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs
Dessert of the Week:
Quick Cherry Banana Frozen Yogurt
Snack of the Week:
Cranberry Orange Oat Cookies
Dinner One: Corn and Crab Chowder
Recipe from Pamela of My Man’s Belly
Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 45 min. Serves 4.
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Can I Get the Recipe Tip: If possible, use fresh crab meat from your local fishmonger when making this chowder. If that’s not possible, a good brand of canned crab meat will work too. For an added touch, you can serve the chowder in sourdough bowls.
Ingredients:
32 ounces (4 cups) chicken broth
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and diced
3 small cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 cup grated brown onion
12 ounces (1 ½ cups) frozen corn kernels
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4-1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 ounces crab meat
kosher salt
Directions:
In a large saucepan add the diced potatoes and garlic. Pour in chicken stock. Over medium high heat, cook potatoes until just starting to soften (10-15 minutes).
Add Old Bay seasoning, onions, black pepper and corn to saucepan. Stir and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Stir in cream and add butter.
Once butter melts, add crab to mixture. Stir to thoroughly combine ingredients and leave on heat until crab is heated through.
Add salt to taste.
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Dinner Two: Pasta with Basic Tomato Sauce
Recipe from Antonio Corsi’s Mangia with Quattro: Family Style Italian from the Heart
Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 1 hour 30 min. Makes 12 cups of sauce.
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Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Since you don’t need all of the sauce for one pasta dinner that serves 4, use any remaining sauce for the English muffin pizzas then freeze the remainder to be used on one of those nights when you need dinner super fast.
Ingredients - Sauce:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 large can (100 fl oz) whole Italian tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup salted butter
¼ cup all-purpose white flour
1 pound (500 grams) of your favorite pasta
Directions:
Begin water to boil for pasta. Cook according to package directions then drain and set to the side.
While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over low heat. Sweat the onion—the slower the better to bring out its natural sugars, about 5 minutes. It should be meltingly tender before you add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large pieces of tomato with the back of a spoon. Add the oregano, basil and salt.
Make a roux in a separate small saucepan by melting the butter over low heat and slowly whisking in the flour. Cook over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk the cooked roux into the hot tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
This sauce may be frozen for up to 6 months. To freeze it, place the sauce in a cold water bath to cool it quickly, stirring frequently. Divide the sauce into freezer containers when it’s cool.
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Dinner Three: Simple Meatloaf
Recipe from Larry of Cully’s Kitchen
Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 1 hour 30 min. Serves 4 with leftovers.
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Can I Get the Recipe Tip: A fabulous combination of sweet and sour flavors in the sauce, this meatloaf will be sure to please even your biggest meatloaf critic. Use leftovers the following day for lunch in meatloaf sandwiches.
Ingredients - Meatloaf:
1 1/2 pounds (750 grams) ground beef
1 slice bread, broken or chopped finely
1 egg
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup whole milk
Ingredients – Sauce:
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed firm
1/2 cup ketchup
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
¼ cup butter
¼ cup cream
salt and pepper
vegetable of your choice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prep your potatoes and vegetable of your choice for later cooking.
Combine meat loaf ingredients and place into a loaf baking dish. Smooth out top.
Sauce: Combine sauce ingredients and pour on top and sides of meatloaf.
Bake about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until cooked through.
Boil potatoes and steam desired vegetables while meatloaf is in the last stages of cooking. Mash potatoes with butter and cream then season with salt and pepper.
Serve mashed potatoes alongside meatloaf and vegetables with sauce spooned over top.
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Dinner Four: English Muffin Pizzas
Recipe by Jennifer of Once Upon a Chef
Prep Time: 10 min/Total Time: 20 min. Serves 4.
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Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Provide your kids with all the toppings desired and a fair bit of counter space so that they can join in on the fun and make their own pizzas.
Ingredients:
4 English Muffins, sliced down the center
1 cup marinara or pizza sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 ounces (60 grams) pepperoni, thinly sliced and cut into quarters
dried oregano, to taste
(a variety of vegetable toppings, chopped, if desired)
Directions:
Preheat the broiler.
Toast the English muffins in the toaster until golden brown and crisp on top and bottom.
Arrange the muffins cut side up on a foil lined baking sheet. Spoon a generous tablespoon of pizza sauce over each muffin half. Top with the Mozzarella cheese and pepperoni (and vegetables if desired). Sprinkle with dried oregano and Parmesan cheese.
Place the pizzas under the broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbling and slightly golden. Serve warm.
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Dinner Five: Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs with Plum Sauce
Recipe from Sue Spitler’s 1001 Best Slow Cooker Recipes
Prep Time: 10 min/Total Time: 6 – 8 hours. Serves 4.
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Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Prep these ribs the night before and refrigerate then place them on the slow cooker before leaving the house in the morning. Plum sauce and honey makes these ribs super sweet and a kid pleaser. If you want, ribs can be browned under the broiler before serving.
Ingredients:
3 pounds country style pork ribs, cut into servings
1 jar (7 ounces) plum sauce
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons corn starch
¼ cup orange juice
salt and pepper to taste
1½ cups rice
vegetable of your choice
Directions:
Arrange ribs in the slow cooker; pour combined plum sauce, honey and soy sauce over ribs. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
(30 minutes before ribs are finished, place rice on to cook according to package directions and have your vegetables prepped and ready to steam.)
Remove ribs to platter; keep warm. Turn heat to high and cook 10 minutes; stir in combined cornstarch and orange juice, stirring 2 to 3 minutes. Season it with salt and pepper; serve sauce over ribs.
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Dessert of the Week: Quick Cherry Banana Frozen Yogurt
Recipe from Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
Prep Time: 15 min/ Total Time: 45 min. Recipe adjusted to serve 4.
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Can I Get the Recipe Tip: While the frozen bananas are essential to make this frozen yogurt creamy in texture, you can substitute the cherries with any other frozen fruit of your choice, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc as long as you use the same amount.
Ingredients:
4 large frozen bananas, cut into chunks
24 frozen Bing cherries
1 ¼ - 1 1/2 cups organic plain yogurt
4 tablespoon chopped nuts to top (optional)
Directions:
Place bananas and Bing cherries in the bowl of a mini-food chopper or food processor and process until chopped in smaller pieces.
Add yogurt and process until smooth.
Remove bowl from food processor and, with lid ajar, place into freezer for 20 – 30 minutes.
Remove, scrape sides of the bowl, and process until just until smooth.
Place into a custard bowl and, if desired, top with chopped nuts.
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Snack of the Week: Cranberry Orange Oat Cookies
Recipe from Jane Rodmell’s All the Best Recipes
Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 30 min. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
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Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Old-fashioned or large-flake rolled oats are larger with thicker flakes so they give cookies a more “oat-y” taste and rustic appearance. Corn syrup in the batter contributes to a cookie with chewy texture. If you like crisp cookies bake them a little longer.
Ingredients:
1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1⁄2 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3 1⁄2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1⁄2 cups dried cranberries
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed or a wooden spoon, beat butter and brown sugar until blended. Add egg and beat well. Beat in corn syrup and orange zest. With a wooden spoon, gradually add flour mixture, mixing until blended. With a wooden spoon, stir in oats and cranberries. Mix well.
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls (15 mL), about 2 inches (5 cm) apart, on prepared baking sheets. Press flat with a floured fork or palm of your hand. Bake in preheated oven until golden and slightly firm to the touch, 13 to 17 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.
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