On The Menu~ Week Of May 9, 2011

Mother's Day Weekend was fun filled and busy. Bobby and I spent the day with our son Christopher~ sigh~ what a great son! Thanks everyone for the lovely gifts, cards and brunch. And Bobby you are so thoughtful... thanks for the Keith Urban tickets, even though you know he is my secret crush! Being a Mom to Jacqueline, Jonathan and Christopher is a great blessing and the joy of my life!

I trust you all had a wonderful weekend, too!

No kitchen update, look for an update post on Tuesday. Things are beginning to come together, and I have a couple of sneak peeks!

I have my new appliances and I can't wait to cook this week!!! Asparagus is growing like weeds in our garden, so I am making it for several meals. My herbs are happily growing too. A delicious herbed frittata will benefit from the garden's abundance of chives and parsley!

PLEASE do not hold me responsible for any misspellings and typo's. My spell check is not working and I am a HORRID speller and editor! Thanks for loving me and overlooking this weakness!!!!!

Monday
Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Mashed Garlic Potatoes
Roasted Asparagus

Recipe: Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin
2 pork tenderloins
3 TBS olive oil
3 cloves garlic, pressed
salt and pepper
1 onion, sliced
1/4 cup good white wine
1 TBS balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup apricot preserves

Rub tenderloins with 2 TBS olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper. Let marinade for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large dutch oven, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until just starting to brown.

Add pork tenderloin and brown on all sides.

Add wine and scrape up all brown bits. Add apricot preserves and stir to combine. Spoon liquids over the pork.

Put in a 400 degree oven and roast, basting 2-3 times for 20-25 minutes, until done.

Rest for 10 minutes, cut and serve with onions and pan sauce.
Printable Recipe

Tuesday: Girl's Night Out
Leftovers for you, Bobby!

Wednesday
Chicken In Phyllo
Potato Casserole
Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Slivered Almonds And Green Onions In A Poppyseed Dressing

Recipe: Chicken In Phyllo
I have a sleeve of phyllo pastry left over from my Foodie Friday recipe and I wanted to use it up. This is an easy and very impressive dish!
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 stick butter
1 pkg phyllo dough
4 shallots, finely minced
4 slices of thickly sliced deli ham
4 oz. Borsin cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt butter.
On a large work surface, layer 4 sheets of phyllo brushing melted butter on each sheet before laying the next layer over it. Brush butter on the top layer.

Cut whole chicken breast in two so you have 4 single breasts. Pound chicken to 1/4 inch.

Lay 1 slice of ham folded in 2 and 1 chicken breast on top of the ham in the middle of one end of the phyllo sheets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and 1 shallot. Spoon 1 oz. of Borsin cheese on the shallots.

To make phyllo pocket. Roll up once and fold in the sides snugly to the chicken. Roll the rest of the phyllo up and put the chicken pockets on an ungreased rimmed baking sheet.

Repeat for each chicken breast.

Bake for 25 minutes, till browned.
Printable Recipe

Thursday
Herbed Dinner Frittata Strata
Thick Sliced Bacon
Fruit Skewers

Recipe: Herbed Dinner Frittata Strata
3 cups french baguette bread cubes
10 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 TBS fresh chives
2 TBS fresh parsley
1 cup asparagus, roasted and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup Jack cheese
dash nutmeg
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Put bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

Increase oven 400 degrees.
Put asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tsp olive oil. Salt and pepper. Roast asparagus for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Mix eggs, milk, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg and salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Gently fold in the bread cubes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

After an hour, heat 1 TBS olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus and herbs to the egg mixture and stir. Pour the eggs into the pan and scrape up the bottom after it has cooked for 2 minutes. Continue to scape and fold the egg mixture in from the sides and bottom of the pan. After the eggs have cooked about 5 minutes, top with jack cheese and slide the pan into the oven. Cook until puffy and firm. Do not let it get too brown.
Printable Recipe

Friday: Slow Cooker Day
Spanish Estofando
White Rice
Roasted Cauliflower

Recipe: Slow Cooker Spanish Estofando
This is a very yummy spanish beef stew. The meat just melts in your mouth! Click HERE for the recipe.
Printable Recipe

Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower
Slicing cauliflower thin and roasting it makes it crunchy and sweet. A great side dish, although I could eat this as a meal! Click HERE and look on Tuesday's Menu.
Printable Recipe

Saturday
StoneGable Pan Seared Red Snapper with Mushrooms and Greens Onion In A Sherry Cream Sauce
Sauteed Spinach

Recipe: StoneGable Pan Seared Red Snapper With Mushrooms and Green Onions In A Sherry Cream Sauce
4 red snapper fillets
1/2 cup flour
2 cups white mushrooms, sliced
4 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup cream sherry
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
2 TBS olive oil divided
1 TBS butter, divided
1/4 cup cashews

Heat 1 TBS olive oil and 1 TBS butter in a large skillet. Pat fish dry with a paper towel. Salt and pepper fish and dredge through flour. Saute fish skin side down for 3 minutes. Turn over and cook an additional 2 minutes or until just done. Do not overcook. Plate and keep warm.

In the skillet, heat remaining oil and butter over medium heat. Add mushroom and cook until liquid is released from the mushroom and begins to dry. Add green onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add sherry and deglaze the pan. Add cream and bring to a slow boil. Reduce liquids by half. Add cashews. Serve fish with sauce drizzled over it.
Printable Recipe

Herb Compound Butter, used in recipe below

Sunday
Asparagus Leek Tart
Spring Salad With Tangy Vinaigrette

Recipe: Asparagus Leek Tart
Oh, this is a GORGEOUS spring recipe! It is definitely company worthy! It can be made up ahead and eaten at room temperature. If you like Asparagus this is one to try!
2 leek, white and light green part sliced in thin slivers
1 sheet puffed pastry
2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 cup good Parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 lbs. Asparagus
2 TBS olive oil, divided
1 TBS butter ( I use compound herb butter, click HERE for recipe)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat 1 TBS oil and butter over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile on a floured surface, roll out puffed pastry to a 10 x 16 inch rectangle. Put puffed pastry in a rectangle tart pan. A rimmed baking sheet can be used too. Score the edges all the way around the pastry with a knife. Using a fork prick the bottom of the pastry liberally. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven.

Sprinkle cheeses over the puffed pastry. Spread leeks evenly over cheese. Trim woody ends off of asparagus and line asparagus up across the width of the tart. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until the asparagus is tender. Cool for 10 minutes and serve.
Printable Recipe

Recipe: Spring Salad With Tangy Vinaigrette
Eating healthy can be a real challenge. One dish that really helps is an interesting salad with a fresh Vinaigrette! I'm using a wonderful salad from Martha Stewart. Click HERE to get this delicious and healthy salad.

More Recipes This Week...

StoneGable Strawberry Shortcake

This is a wonderful breakfast recipe!