Menu: Slow cooker Asian pork and grilled chicken

Sorry for the delay. I have pink eye. In both eyes. It's my first time to have it and I am not a fan. Fortunately, my little one has not contracted it.

Okay, on to the menu. Since I am late, this will be my last menu of only four days. But, the slow cooker recipes is one of my FAVORITES of all time (not just slow cooker recipes, all recipes). My husband requested it again the next week, and we have already entertained with it to great praise. Enjoy!

This week, we are marinating two times. A marinating tip: poke holes in the meat with a fork or knife to help it soak up the flavor. I always use a zip-top bag for easy cleanup, too. (Also, although we are not using acidic marinades this week, never marinate meat in an acidic marinade for longer than two hours. It will cook the meat.)

Day One:

Slow Cooker Char-Sui Pork Roast

TRY THIS. Even if you have picky eaters, I promise. It is so delicious. Make the entire recipe, we will be using the leftovers later in the week. (Store leftovers with the sauce.)

Brown Rice

You want rice to soak up the YUMMY sauce.

Stir Fry Veggies

1. Use your favorite frozen Asian medley
2. Defrost in the microwave (they will be cooked)
3. Put about 1 T of canola oil in a wok or nonstick skillet over med-high heat
4. Allow pan to get really hot, then add veggies, stirring constantly.
5. Once veggies are crisp, and browned a little, add 2 T Teriyaki sauce and 1 T soy sauce

Day Two:

Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

4-8 leaves Boston bibb lettuce

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup chopped pineapple

1. Warm up leftover pork and sauce
2. Serve in lettuce leaves, topped with cilantro, carrots, and pinepple
3. Squeeze lime over top, if desired

Curry Cous-Cous

1. Make cous-cous according to package directions, but use chicken broth instead of water.
2. Add 1/2 tea curry powder

Lime Black Beans (This is a quick side dish b/c I was pressed for time. Post suggestions if you have them)

1. Rinse and drain one can black beans
2. Warm in microwave with a little water so they don't dry out
3. Squeeze lime juice over the top, season with salt

Day Three:

Marinated Grilled Chicken

Make at least 4 chicken breasts, you will use two tomorrow. Choose your favorite bottled marinade. I love this aisle at the grocery store. If you have ones that you love, please share them with the rest of us! I love a good balsamic one. I have a friend who swears by Italian dressing. Any would work here.

1. Marinate the chicken for at least two hours.
2. Grill in a grill pan or outdoors until cooked through (I usually do 8 minutes/side).

Roasted potatoes

Remember my "go-to" side dish? I seriously make it about every 2-3 weeks.

A green veggie of your choice

I love blanched asparagus. I put asparagus in a pan with about an inch of water, cook with the lid on for about 5 minutes, drain, and season with salt, lemon juice, and butter.

Day Four:

Chicken salad with roasted red pepper dressing

Use lots of veggies from your fridge, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, whatever you like for a good salad meal

Crusty bread

Have you discovered Pillsbury Italian bread? I'm obsessed. So easy and yummy.

Happy Eating!

~Mamacita

Menu: Fish tacos & Olive Chicken

This week, we will be making fish two ways and a delicious crock-pot recipe. Have I mentioned how much I love my crock-pot?! You will see that I use it at least every other week. Below, I have posted the menu breakdown day by day and links to the recipes. Below the links, I will write any changes or additions I made. Post your comments/questions and enjoy!

Day One:

Blackened Tilapia

Cook 2 fillets for dinner tonight, and at least 2 extra for tacos later in the week.

Sautéed Spinach

Ingredients:

Spinach Buy fresh (you will need at least 16 oz for 2 people), or buy a package of whole frozen

Lemon

Salt & Pepper

Dash of nutmeg (optional)

Crumbled, cooked bacon (optional)

1. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet on med-high heat

2. Add the spinach, a squeeze of half a lemon, and salt, pepper, & nutmeg to taste

3. Stir to wilt the spinach (covering the pan helps speed this along)- about 2-4 minutes

4. Serve with crumbled bacon/turkey bacon on top and extra lemon, if desired.

Roasted Potatoes

This is one of my "go to" side dishes.

Ingredients:

6-10 red or yellow potatoes, halved

4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled (depends on how much garlic you enjoy)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher salt & pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400

2. Place halved potatoes and garlic cloves in a baking pan (metal works better than glass, nonstick is fine)

3. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and season with salt & pepper to taste

4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are crispy on the outside and you can pierce them with a fork. (You are NOT trying to make home fries, so don't over cook them.)

Day Two:

Olive Chicken

Make the entire recipe, you will eat the leftovers. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but if you had thighs, they would be good. I added the capers at the end.

Steamed Green Beans

Buy a bag of frozen green beans, steam in microwave, and season with butter, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

Cheesy Orzo

This is one of my FAVORITE side dishes of all time. Make the entire recipe for delicious leftovers.

Day Three:

Fish Tacos with leftover fish: with lime-cilantro crema OR with cabbage slaw

Both are delicious, try the other recipe another time!

Black beans & rice

Ingredients:

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bag of instant white rice, cooked (do not over cook!)

1 lime

1 handful of cilantro, chopped

1 T butter

1/2 T olive oil

1/2 t cumin

Salt & pepper

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over med-high heat, add butter and olive oil.

2. When butter has melted and is hot, add cooked rice, cumin, and salt/pepper to taste.

3. Warm rice through, stirring well (some might get brown or crispy).

4. Add black beans and lime juice, stir until heated through.

5. Top with lime juice, and taste for salt before serving.

*Don't have time? Just microwave the black beans, mix with the cooked rice, throw in cilantro, lime, and salt/pepper!

Mexican Tossed Salad

Ingredients:

Salad greens

1 Avocado, sliced

1-2 T Sunflower or pumpkin seeds

1 Tomato, chopped

1 Cucumber, chopped

1 Carrot, chopped or peeled

1. Toss ingredients together and serve with your favorite vinaigrette. (I will include recipes for my favorites in a later post.)

Day Four:

Leftover Olive Chicken & Orzo

Tossed salad (use up your veggies!)

Happy eating!

~Mamacita