Menu Febuary 26 to March 2

Monday: Shortcut Thai Chicken with Rice (from Chatelaine Magazine)

Prepare rice as described on package.

Ingredients:
6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts or 12 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
Vegetable Oil
400ml can Coconut milk, not light
1/4 cup of peanut butter, preferably chunky
2 tbsp hot chili-garlic sauce
1/2 tsp salt
4 green onions
Chopped coriander (optional)

Trim any fat from chicken. Lightly coat a large, non-stick frying pan with oil and set over medium-high heat. When hot, add half the chicken. Cook until golden-tinged, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove each piece as it is done to a large plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

While chicken is cooking, in a medium-size bowl, which coconut milk with peanut butter, chili-garlic sauce and salt until evenly mixed. Return all of chicken to pan, then pour coconut mixture overtop. Bring to a boil stirring often. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring sauce and turning chicken occasionally, until chicken feels springy when pressed, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, thinly slice onions diagonally. When chicken is done, sprinkle with onions, then coriander. Serve over rice. Leftovers will keep up to 2 days.

Tuesday: Lemon Pasta with Shrimp

Ingredients:
1 package of whole grain spaghetti, cooked
1 package of cooked frozen shrimp (about a cup and a half to 2 cups)
6 tbsp olive oil
2 cups sugar snap peas, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese

Prepare spaghetti as described on package. Set aside.

Thaw Shrimp and peel (if necessary), set aside.

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan.
Saute garlic for approximately 1 minute, add sugar snap peas and shrimp and Saute for approximately 1 more minute. Add spaghetti and toss.

Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice from both sides into pasta. toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.


Wednesday: Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Mash Sweet Potato (from key ingredients.com)

For pork:
¼ cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 Tablespoons red wine (I used Merlot)
1 teaspoon ginger
2 scallions, chopped thin
2-1lb pork tenderloins
Mix the first 8 ingredients together in a bowl. Pour over tenderloins in a Ziploc bag. Marinate 6-24 hours, I chose 24.

Place pork tenderloins in baking dish, pour marinade over them. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes uncovered. Until internal temp registers 145.
Can double marinade. Serve with marinade to dip.

Mashed Sweet Potato:
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup non-fat sour cream
2 Tbsp. butter
¼ tsp. kosher salt or Maldon sea salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. finely-chopped walnuts

Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook 10-15 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and place potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Mash with sour cream, butter, salt and cinnamon. Transfer to a serving dish. top with Brown sugar and walnuts.

Thursday: Carrot Soup with Orange and Ginger (from all recipes.com)

1 tbsp canola oil
1 onions, coarsely chopped
6 carrots, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed (2 oranges)
2 1/2 tbsp gingerroot, coarsely grated
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/4 cup cream 15% [optional]
salt to taste
ground pepper to taste

Prepare the vegetables: chop them coarsely.

In a pot, sweat the onion in oil over medium heat for about 3-4 min. Add the carrots, orange juice, coarsely grated ginger, broth and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 25 min.

Purée the soup in a blender or processor, then pour it back into the pot. Stir in the cream and just warm the soup a few minutes. Adjust the seasoning then serve.

The soup keeps up to 7 days in the refrigerator or up to 4 months in the freezer. Cream should not be added before freezing, but later when the soup is reheated.

Friday: Steak Burgers with Fries

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen fries

2 striploin steaks, sliced thinly
I green pepper, cored and sliced thinly
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Montreal Steak Spice

4 large hot dog rolls
margarine
garlic powder

1 cup cheddar cheese

Prepare fries as per package directions

Heat large frying pan and add steak. Fry until beginning to brown, add Worcestershire, steak spice, continue to fry until steak near done, add green pepper and onions and finish once vegetables soft and steak cooked.

Place buns on cookie sheet. Spread margarine on buns, sprinkle with garlic powder. Pile Steak mixture onto each bun evenly. Top with cheese. Once fries come out of oven, place steak sandwiches in oven and broil until cheese melted. Serve with fries.