A Week's Worth

of recipes, that is.

Now don’t go thinking I’m “Suzy Homemaker” or anything. I struggle to get home cooked meals on the table just like most women…and I don’t even have kids yet! It’s just me and Ben and I still have a hard time with it. So, in the spirit of one woman helping out another woman (or women, depending on who actually reads this), here is a week’s worth of recipes.

Well, it's a week's worth for us, at least. I mean, there is always at least 1 night (sometimes 2) we eat leftovers (can't have any go to waste!), there is 1 night we have small group so we eat with our friends (we rotate who brings food), and so that leaves 4-5 nights and sometimes we go out to eat. I'm giving you 4 recipes here, so there's my week's worth. ;)

Cranberry Chicken
# servings: 3

Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
15 oz. can whole cranberry sauce
Small bottle French dressing
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix sauce, dressing, and soup mix.
Place chicken in a shallow baking dish and cover with mixture.
Bake for 1 hour.

Notes:
Although the ingredients sound odd, it’s actually very good! And it’s SO easy! I usually serve with brown rice and some type of green vegetable.

Credit:
Amy Parker (2008)


Cheese Ravioli with Sautéed Zucchini
# servings: 3-4

Ingredients:
1 lb. cheese ravioli (fresh or frozen)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 small zucchini
2 cloves garlic
½ cup (2 oz.) grated parmesan
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Cook the ravioli according to the package directions.
Drain them and return to the pot.
Meanwhile, slice the zucchini into thin half-moons and mince the garlic.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the zucchini, salt, and pepper.
Cook until just tender, 4-5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the zucchini mixture and ¼ cup of the parmesan to the ravioli and toss gently to combine.
Serve with the remaining ¼ cup of parmesan.

Credit:
Real Simple magazine (2009)


Fiesta Shrimp
# servings: 3

Ingredients:
¾ lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined (I buy the frozen kind)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, divided
1 large red bell pepper
¾ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
½ cup Mexican blend cheese, shredded
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
rice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Chop the bell pepper and cilantro
Drain and rinse the black beans.
Place shrimp on a 24x18 sheet of heavy aluminum foil.
Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with 1 t. seasoning, toss gently.
Layer bell pepper, corn, cheese, and cilantro over shrimp.
Sprinkle beans and remaining 1 t. seasoning on top.
Fold edges of foil together over shrimp, sealing packet.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Cook rice.
Serve shrimp mixture over hot cooked rice.

Notes:
This is such an easy dish to make, it looks awesome, tastes awesome, and is a very easy cleanup (because it is cooked in a foil packet)…and it is healthy!

Credit:
Fort Bend Junior Service League cookbook testing recipes (2009)


Pulled Pork Tacos *crock pot recipe* (invite people over for dinner)
# servings: 6-8

Ingredients:
2 lb. boneless pork tenderloin (or butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat)
18 corn tortillas
2 cups salsa, plus more for serving
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup fresh cilantro
¾ cup sour cream
1 lime, cut into wedges
Any other taco toppings you like (lettuce, tomatoes, etc.)

Directions:
In a 4- to 6-quart crock pot, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and salt.
Add the pork and turn to coat.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours (or high for 4-5 hours), until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.
20 minutes before serving, heat oven to 350 degrees.
Stack the tortillas, wrap them in foil, and bake until warm, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir into the cooking liquid.
Serve with the tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, lime, and extra salsa.

Notes:
This is a meal that is good to serve for casual dinner parties because it looks like you put more effort into it than you really did!

From:
Real Simple magazine (2009)


Enjoy!

Also, please share any of your recipes with me. I'm always open to try new things and I especially love when they are easy to prepare, have few ingredients (and/or familiar ingredients), and taste yummy.