First week of March

Monday – Chicken Tortilla Soup
Tuesday - Bucatini in Summery Pork Ragu
Wednesday - Enchiladas de Pollo (Chicken Enchiladas)
Thursday - Actually Delicious Turkey Burgers
Friday – Almond Crusted Fish (forgot we were going out of town last week so I didn’t get to make this dish)

Pantry Checklist: 1 can whole kernel corn, garlic, spices, white wine, seasoned breadcrumbs, eggs (3)

Grocery List
3 medium onions
Lime
Lemon
Parsley 1/4 cup almonds finely chopped 3 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided 3 ounces shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
3 cans chicken breast (drained) - or boil 2 lbs of chicken instead of 1lb and use 1 lb for the soup
2 cans chicken broth (or make Wednesday’s chicken and reserve 4 cups of broth)
4 can diced tomatoes
3 cans black beans
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
2 can salsa verde
corn tortillas
Hearty buns for turkey burgers
1 lb pasta
Chips – for topping
1 pound skinless chicken breast halves (or 2lbs if using fresh chicken in soup)
1 pound ground pork
1 pounds ground turkey



Chicken Tortilla Soup – crock pot

3 cans chicken breast (drained)
2 cans chicken broth
1 can whole kernel corn (drain about 1/2 juice)
1 medium onion chopped
Lime
2 can tomatoes
3 cans black beans
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
Dried cilantro
Chips – for topping

Put crock pot on low setting and dump in all ingredients in. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours


Bucatini in Summery Pork Ragu

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 large yellow onion, minced
(I usually cut the onion in half and then in half again (2 quarters) then I use the side slots of a box grater to make thin slices of onion quickly and they are thin enough that they dissolve in the sauce as it cooks)
16 basil leaves (slice them into ribbons) or dried basil ~ 1 tsp
1 pound ground pork
3/4 cup dry white wine (or red, what ever is in the fridge)
1 14oz can of plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound pasta (any kind of pasta – great with linguini/Fettuccini to penne too)

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a deep 10-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and basil and cook 5 minutes.

Add the pork and cook until lightly browned all over, stirring often, about 10 minutes; this step is important--if you rush and the pork is not sufficiently browned, the ragu will taste weak. Add the wine and then, after 5 minutes, the tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork is tender You may need to add a bit of water if it evaporates in order to prevent scorching.

Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add the pasta and salt to the water, and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

If the sauce is too thick add some of the reserved pasta cooking water. Add to pasta, sprinkle with the cheese, and serve hot. Serves 4


Enchiladas de Pollo- (along with left over tortilla soup!)

Filling:
3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 black peppercorns
1 onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
1 pound skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion

2 can salsa verde
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

To prepare filling, place first 6 ingredients in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes. Remove chicken from cooking liquid; cool. Remove chicken from bones; rough chop in food processor. Reserve broth for another use.
Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine chicken, 1/2 cup each Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, and 1/2 cup onion in a bowl; set aside.

To prepare tortillas, microwave a couple at a time in a damp cloth until soft. Spoon 1/2 cup filling in center of tortilla; roll tightly, and place in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas and filling.

Pour sauce over enchiladas. Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with 1/4 cup each Monterey Jack and cheddar. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheeses melt. Top with sour cream.


Actually Delicious Turkey Burgers

1 pounds ground turkey
1 T seasoned bread crumbs
1/8 cup finely diced onion
1 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 T chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
salt
ground black pepper

In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, seasoned bread crumbs, onion, egg whites, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook the patties in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning once, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).

Almond Crusted Fish

Choose a couple of nice slices of white fish (I'm using Halibut)

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup almonds finely chopped

1 egg

1 Tbs flour

salt/pepper

lemon juice (1 fresh lemon or refrigerated juices) to garnish fish

1. Lightly beat egg and mix in 1 Tbs flour (makes a kind of paste), salt and pepper 2. In another bowl mix bread crumbs and almonds

3. Pat dry fish and dredge in egg mixture

4. Coat with almond mixture

5. Lightly coat pan with olive oil and a little butter - saute fish

6. Sprinkle with a little lemon if you have it and serve