Back After a Week's Break!

Sorry for the week off! I was busy, tired, a little lazy and not overly enthused by the specials. Some good buy one, get one's this week though! We've got another busy week, and I won't be spending much time in the kitchen, but I will still post some recipes. Here's the flyer for the specials. Even though I won't be cooking much, I can still freeze for later!

http://flyer.harristeeter.com/HT_eVIC/ThisWeek/index.jsp?ID6451

Highlights:

• HT Brand Marinated Pork Tenderloin - $5.99 VIC and $3.99 eVic
• HT Brand boneless, skinless chicken breast - buy one, get one
• Stew Meat - buy one, get one
• London Broil - buy one, get one
• 2 lb. bag EZ Peel White Shrimp - Buy one, get TWO - have never gotten this shrimp before. Not sure if it's frozen or if you can re-freeze if it has been frozen??? Probably only makes sense to get if you can freeze the two extra bags you get...unless you have plans to make a huge batch of shrimp and grits!
• Classico Pasta Sauce - buy 2, get 3
• Breyers - buy 2, get 3 - dangerous...

And here ere are some recipes...

Baked Shrimp or Chicken with Noodles

I love this recipe. Love it. It comes from Susan Creighton via, "Bake it Later," a collection of recipes that you can make in advance and bake later. I got this sweet, little booklet for Christmas from my mother-in-law years ago...maybe even before she was my mother-in-law! Considering Colin and I dated 7 years before we got married, that is probably the case. It calls for 2 lbs. of peeled and deveined shrimp. I am a wimp and ask the seafood market to peel and devein shrimp for me, but these EZ Peel Shrimp would probably require very little effort. Substitute chicken for shrimp if you prefer. I'd probably use 4 chicken breasts or the chicken pulled from 2 rotisserie chickens if I were to do that.

• 8 oz. fettucini egg noodles -- I love the Cipriani brand for this recipe. They take no time to cook and don't get sticky when you re-heat them -- these leftovers are just as good the next day!
• 2 lbs. shrimp, peeled, deveined
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1 c. mayo
• 1 (10 oz can) cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 c. dry sherry
• 1 T. chopped fresh chives
• 1 t. Dijon mustard
• 1 c. shredded sharp cheddar
• Optional - a layer of sliced mushrooms and roasted peppers on shrimp (I omit)

Cook the noodles using the package directions, cutting the cooking time in half, drain. Arrange the noodles in a large buttered baking dish. Sauté the shrimp with 1/4 c. butter in saucepan for 5 minutes or until pink. Spoon the shrimp and pan drippings over the noodles. Combine sour cream, mayo, soup, sherry, chives and Dijon in bowl and mix well. Pour over shrimp and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. May be prepared one day in advance, just store in fridge overnight. Serves 8.

Slow Cooker Stewed Beef

My sister-in-law emailed this recipe a year or so ago, and now it is also in the famed, "Make it Easy." I think Laura concocted it all by herself. It's very tasty and goes well over rice. Laura comments you could also serve in puff pastry shells for fancy presentation. Love that something out of a crock pot could be fancy!!!

• 1 big or 2 small packages or lean stew beef
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can beef broth
• 1/2 packet Lipton onion soup mix
• 1/4 c. all purpose flour
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
• Thyme (or any other herb you like - rosemary would also be good)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine flour, salt and pepper. Put the beef in a bowl and toss to coat. Brown the beef in vegetable oil so all sides are seared. Then pour all good stuff into crock pot. In medium bowl, stir mushroom soup, broth, soup mix and herbs. Pour over beef and stir. Cook as long as you like. The longer the better.

Confession - I don't brown the beef beforehand. Mainly because I try to avoid cleaning pots and pans as much as possible. I usually cook 7 - 8 hours on low, and Colin and I have a gourmet meal waiting for us when we get home. It is terrific. Tonight I experimented by adding carrots and sliced mushrooms.

Grilled London Broil

London Broil is a great buy, especially when on VIC special, and you can eat on it for days. But, it is a cheaper cut of meat and needs a good marinade. So....I phoned Jaquelin to get this recipe. We always have the most delicious steaks in Colerain, and I knew she would have an easy one in mind. I'm sorry not to use proportions, but we'll do it Jaquelin-style. As she says, this recipe is very forgiving. Throw all ingredients into a big Ziploc bag, shake to mix, add the steak and chill in the refrigerator for as long as you can -- a day, an afternoon or even an hour before cooking. Remove from the fridge long enough to get the chill off, then throw on a hot grill and cook 7-8 minutes per side for medium rare. When you take it off the grill, let it sit for a few minutes. Then slice very thinly against the grain and enjoy! For steak sandwiches the next day, sauté onions and at the last minute add the very thinly sliced steak. Cook long enough to warm through, throw it on a hamburger bun and top with swiss, provolone or whatever you choose.

Ingredients:

• Good dash of red wine
• garlic - chopped fresh or dried
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• soy sauce
• little bit of honey - be careful not to use too much, or it will cause the fire to flame up
• little Dijon mustard
• lots of salt and pepper

VIC Specials for Week 4/7 – 4/13

I’m a little late posting this week. Sorry! I think mainly because I was not overly excited about the specials and have been procrastinating trying to figure out recipes. Usually my “excitement” level over the specials depends on the fresh meat sales. Here is a link to the specials: http://flyer.harristeeter.com/HT_eVIC/ThisWeek/index.jsp?ID9109
Here are some of the items that will be on my list:

Strawberries – 4 packs for $5
Barilla pasta sauce – Buy one, get one
Barilla pasta – Buy one, get one
Celia’s Burrito flour tortillas – Buy one, get one
Center cut pork chops - $2.97/pound
Split Chicken Breast - $0.97/pound
Bertolli frozen pastas - $5.99 – will feed Colin and me although we usually need something else with it
HT Sour Cream - 8 oz. size is $0.77
HT Shredded Cheeses - $1.97
Campbell's Cream Soups - 10 for $10 - I always need Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Potato Soup

And the recipes for the week:

Monday – Braised Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Potatoes

I receive recipes each day from myrecipes.com. I’m pretty sure I just signed up online to receive the daily email. Sometimes the recipes are a stretch and not something I would be interested in, but this particular email was, “9 ways to Eat Great on a Budget.” It was included in the section “Healthy Entrees for $2 or Less,” and comes from the February 2006 issue of Southern Living. Organic chicken thighs are on special at Harris Teeter, but I will get a value pack of the Harris Teeter non-organic (I refuse to watch Food, Inc.) and freeze the ones I don’t use. I like it because it uses a crockpot and calls for many ingredients that I already have on-hand. I usually serve with brown rice. Here you go:

1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and sliced
4 medium-size new potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (I omit the potatoes, because they get too mushy for my taste in a crockpot. Colin likes mushy potatoes though, so maybe I shouldn’t leave them out….)
2 cups baby carrots (I use 3-4 regular size, peel and cut them)
1 ¼ t. salt, divided
½ t. pepper, divided
¼ c. chicken broth
¼ c. white wine (If ever you have wine left after having people over – could be a rare occurrence, I know...Save it in the fridge for cooking, and it will keep you from having to open a new bottle for your recipes. My mother-in-law told me it won’t go bad and can be used to make vinaigrettes too!)
1 t. minced garlic
½ t. dried thyme
1 t. paprika
6 bone-in, skinned chicken thighs (I use 9 if I have them, so I can have leftovers for lunch the next day).

Place onions in slow cooker. Top with potatoes and carrots. Combine ¾ t. salt, ¼ t. pepper, broth and next 3 ingredients. Pour broth mixture over veggies. Combine paprika, remaining ½ t. salt, and remaining ½ t. pepper; rub evenly over chicken thighs and arrange on top of chicken thighs. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until chicken and veggies are tender.

Tuesday – Mexican Chicken
Another crockpot recipe from my favorite, “Make it Easy” cookbook. This one was submitted by Esther Farnham. It uses 3 – 5 chicken breasts. Chicken breasts are not on sale this week, but I have some in my freezer from the previous buy one, get two free special. After cooking all day, the chicken is super tender, and you can shred it with a fork. As Esther comments in the book, it’s great over rice, strained, as well as on a salad. Very delicious in quesadillas and fajitas too! The recipe makes a good amount, so you can serve it one way one night and a second way the next night.

1 package taco seasoning
½ jar taco sauce (I used half of an 8 oz. jar)
1 can chicken broth
3 – 5 chicken breasts
2 can black beans (optional)

Mix first 3 ingredients. Put chicken breasts in crockpot and pour mixture on top. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 – 8 hours. If you choose to add black beans, drain them and add in last hour of cooking time.

Garnish with cheese, sour cream, etc., make into quesadillas or serve over rice. Cheese and sour cream are VIC specials!

Wednesday – Mexican Chicken Leftovers

Thursday – Pork Chops
This recipe calls for a pork tenderloin, but because the center cut pork chops are on special, I’ll use them instead. The marinade is delish, and although I’ve only used it on pork tenderloins, I’m confident it will be just as tasty on the pork chops. It comes from Liz Grasty via, “Make it Easy.” So glad Laura and Kimberly put this cookbook together!!!

1 pork tenderloin (I’ll use 4 center cut pork chops)
½ c. soy sauce
¼ c. sugar
½ t. garlic powder
Sesame seeds (I omitted these)

Place pork in casserole dish or plastic Ziploc bag. Mix all ingredients except the sesame seeds in a bowl and cover pork. Refrigerate overnight. I will grill the pork chops, but here are baking directions for the tenderloin too.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast sesame seeds and set aside. Remove tenderloin and save the marinade. Place tenderloin on roasting rack and bake for 40 minutes (I don’t have a roasting rack and placed mine in a casserole dish and it was fine). Turn once while baking. During the last 10 minutes of cooking add toasted sesame seeds to marinade and warm over medium/high heat. Take tenderloin out of oven, slice thinly at an angle, and pour warmed marinade over tenderloin.

Friday – Cook Out!

I had to change my initial post for turkey burgers now that I've gotten back from my trip to the Teet. The burgers are pre-pattied and kind of thin and would not fly with Colin. So, we'll do BBQ chicken instead. I’ll also include a recipe for hash brown casserole. Add a spinach salad, and you have one of my most favorite meals. The sauce for the chicken and casserole are my mom's recipe. I love the sauce. We always asked her to save extra to pour over our chicken once it was cooked. I love how it mixes with the potatoes. Yum!!!


BBQ Sauce: Can use on chicken (split chicken breasts are VIC special) or pork
2 1/2 c. cider vinegar
1/2 c. ketchup
2 T. Worcestershire
2 T. crushed red pepper
1/2 t. salt
1/2 stick butter


Put all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil until mixed together. Reserve small amount for cooked chicken. Marinade chicken in remaining amount. Grill the chicken and "paint" on the sauce while cooking. So, so good.


Casserole:
32 oz bag of frozen hash browns, thawed
2 cans cream of potato soup (Campbell's cream soups are 10 for $10)
2 T butter
8 oz sour cream (Harris Teeter brand on VIC special for $0.77)
1 T grated onion
2 c. shredded cheddar (Harris Teeter brand on VIC special for $1.97)
1 t. salt
½ c. grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything together except the parmesan. Put in casserole, top with parm and bake for 1 hour. This recipe serves 8 – 10 people, but you can freeze half and save for later if you aren’t serving that many.

New Recipes for the Week!

Happy Good Friday! We will be between Goldsboro and Colerain the next few days so I wanted to go on and post the recipes. Have a wonderful Easter weekend and enjoy this beautiful weather! I’m looking forward to possibly taking the little man on his first cruise on the Chowan!

Monday – Chicken Tetrazzini

I’ll actually make this on Sunday for us to have Monday night. This is a recipe I got from the January 2009 issue of Southern Living. It is usually what I deliver to my friends who have just had babies. Meal deliveries to a new mother are lifesavers. I always looked forward to the Tuesday and Thursday night deliveries the first few months we were home with Colin. We would have been living off peanut butter and jellies and Dominos had it not been for our wonderful friends. After being the recipient of such gourmet meals, I can’t wait to return the favor. The site mealbaby.com is great for organizing such meals. It allows the friends to write what they’ll be delivering so the parents won’t OD on any one dish.

I’m just making this one for Colin and me, so I’ll divide it into two casseroles and freeze one for later.

I’ll try the coupon strategy too using southernsavers.com: http://www.southernsavers.com/2010/03/harris-teeter-weekly-ad-331-46/

Recipe:
1 – 7oz package vermicelli
3 c chopped chicken – When I make this, I usually do so on Sundays. Rotisserie chickens are $2 off at Harris Teeter each Sunday. And sometimes, you may even get an additional $2 off if it’s a little later in the afternoon and there are some left. The pulled chicken from one rotisserie chicken is perfect for this recipe.
1 c shredded parmesan, divided (I have one package left in my fridge from last week’s buy one, get one) – but Sargento cheese is 2 for $4. Southernsavers.com says that you can get an additional $1 off if you have the coupon from the 1.31.10 SS (super saver). I don’t because I’m not that organized, but I think the gist for coupon cutting is to keep a folder with the main sources of coupons (Red Plum and Super Saver inserts from the paper or mailings), and then group and date with the day received so you can easily retrieve them.
1 can cream of mushroom –These are 3 for $2. After consulting southersavers.com, saw that there were $1 off printable coupons for this -- Makes each can of soup only $0.33! If you have the other coupons referenced it would be less.
1 container refrigerated Alfredo sauce – Buitoni has a really good reduced fat version
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained – I skip this for simplicity’s sake. Don’t miss them either
½ c chicken broth
¼ c dry sherry
¼ t freshly ground pepper
½ c slivered almonds – I substitute bread crumbs for the almonds. Just more likely to have bread crumbs in the pantry.

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare pasta according to directions. Meanwhile combine chicken, ½ c parmesan, soup, alfredo sauce, mushrooms, chicken broth, sherry and pepper. Stir in pasta. Spoon into casserole dish and top with remaining parmesan and almonds/breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Tuesday – Five Spice Pork Chops with Grilled Plums
This is another “Real Simple” recipe and comes from the July 2007 issue. It’s an easy pork dish and a little out of the ordinary with the grilled plums. We love to have it on warmer nights so we can enjoy being outside while it cooks. It calls for 4 pork chops, but you can adjust that based on how many you are planning to serve. I’ve used pork tenderloin instead of the pork chops, and it is equally as good.

Recipe:
1/3 c low sodium soy sauce
2 T honey
¼ t five-spice powder – I use Lawry’s Seasoned Salt (I guess that qualifies??)
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch thick – $2.97/ lb for value packs. Use what you need and freeze the rest.
2 plums, pitted and quartered – I really like grilled plums so I do more.
12 scallions, ends trims – are these the same as green onions? I use green onions…
1 T olive oil

Heat grill or pan to medium-high. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, five-spice powder, and a ¼ t pepper for the sauce. Season the pork chops with 1 t salt and ¼ t pepper. Grill for 10 minutes, turning once. Using a brush, baste the chops with the sauce and grill until cooked through, about 2 more minutes. Meanwhile toss the plums and scallions in the olive oil until coated. Grill the plums for 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Grill the scallions for 2 minutes. I also like to drizzle a little sauce on plums and scallions while cooking, but be careful b/c it could cause some flare-ups. Divide the pork chops among the individual plates and serve with plums and scallions. Drizzle with extra sauce.

Wednesday – Turkey Breast in the Crock Pot
This is a recipe from, “Make it Easy.” My mother-in-law contributed it, but gives credit to her friend, Patti Farless. So thanks Jaquelin and Patti! It’s another easy crock pot meal. It calls for a bone-in turkey breast, but I have always made it with chicken, mainly because I couldn’t find a bone-in turkey breast. But when I saw they were on VIC special, I thought I would finally be able to make it with the turkey. I went to HT and looked and looked for the turkey breast, but couldn’t find it again. Then I realized what I thought was a whole turkey, was actually just the breast. It’s way too big for just Colin and me to enjoy, so I will probably just stick with the chicken – I’ve been substituting 5 pieces of chicken (either bone-in, split chicken breasts or a combination of bone-in split and boneless, skinless) for the turkey. It is probably less expensive that way too. The family size HT chicken breasts are a great deal and you can always freeze what you don’t need. Five is about the maximum my crock pot will hold though, and it makes a ton! Will have more than enough for lunch and dinner tomorrow. A friend from work said she strained her leftovers and made chicken salad.

The vinegar in the recipe makes it almost seem like barbecue chicken. After cooking all day, it falls off the bone and goes great with roasted veggies and rice.

Recipe:
1 bone-in turkey breast – I used 5 chicken breasts
2 T black pepper
2 T salt
3 gloves garlic, minced
¼ c parsley, dried or fresh (I used dry and it was great)
¼ c vegetable oil
¾ c apple cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. I really, REALLY love a crock pot.

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – Date Night – Steaks or Tenderloin

Colin and I have been doing a lot more cooking at home the past 8 months. Either by ourselves or with friends. We are heading to the beach this weekend with my parents, so we’ll grill the tenderloin. If we were cooking just for the two of us, we’d just do the filets and freeze the tenderloin for later. The tenderloin price on special is just too great to pass up.

I just do a basic rub for the steaks – kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder. Just pat the rub on the filets and grill to your liking. I have never cooked a whole tenderloin before. Definitely not an expert in that department, but my Dad just explained to me how he does it. I’m sure there are ways to cook it in the oven, but he always grills it, He’s a grillmaster. Even grills an entire turkey on Thanksgiving! On charcoal! So…do the same rub on the tenderloin then place it on the grill. He’s always very particular about making sure the top of the grill is not off for very long while it cooks. For medium rare, take the steak off when the middle is 117 degrees (you’ll need a meat thermometer). We got one of the digital remote thermometers as a wedding present, and it’s awesome for this type of thing. Then “let it rest” on a plate for about 15 minutes. He also said you can “tent it” which means to cover with aluminum foil. But, I think that will make it cook a little more, and I like mine on the rarer side of medium rare.

Then serve with your favorite sides. Grilled asparagus would be great (it’s on VIC special). Just drizzle with olive oil and fresh minced garlic and grill. The thin, aluminum pans are perfect for grilling veggies. Just put the asparagus on that and it will be done in no time. My mother-in-law, Nancy does an elegant "Supper Club Salad" that would go well with this too. It calls for granny smith apples, grapes (I use strawberries if they are in season), walnuts, red and green leaf lettuce and blue cheese. If it were just me, I would use blue cheese or goat cheese, but Colin turns his nose up to those, so we'll use feta. The dressing calls for 1/2 c. cider vinegar, 1/2 c. sugar, 1/2 t. dry mustard, 1 t. paprika and 1 c. olive oil. Just mix in blender beforehand and refrigerate. It's tangy and delish!