Sunday
From Rachel Ray's Book of 10
-- Grilled Chicken Caesar with Bacon-Herb-Parmesan "Croutons"
1 1/2 cup EVOO 2 slices bacon, chopped 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 4 garlic cloves, chopped juice of 2 lemons salt and pepper 1 1/2 lbs cicken cutlets 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 3 romanice lettuce hearts, chopped 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Preheat oven 400 degrees. Preheat grill to high. Cook bacon. Grated cheese and mix with bacon. Line a backing sheet with parchment paper. Pour the cheese mix evenly cross the sheet. Place in oven for 3-4 minutes. Remove to cool completely. Combine half of garlic, half of lemon juice, salt, pepper, and drizzle of EVOO in shallow pan. Coat chicken in mix and cook on grill. In a bowl, mix remaining garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and lots of pepper. Whisk in some EVOO and bit of grated cheese. Combine lettuce, eggs, and dressing in a bowl. Serve by placing sliced chicken on top of lettuce. Break up "croutons" and garnish.
Good, but not amazing. This may be made again, but probably not in the near future...
Monday
From Rachel Ray's Book of 10
-- Pretzel Crusted Chicken Breast with a Cheddar-Mustard Sauce
4 skinless chicken breast halves (pounded thin) 5 oz. salted pretzels, finely crushed 1 tbsp thyme Ground black pepper 2 eggs Vegetable oil, for frying 2 tbsp unsalted butter 2 tbsp flour 2 cups milk 2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese 2 heaping tbsp spicy brown mustard Coarse salt 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1/4 small yellow onion, chopped 1 large sour dill pickle, finely chopped 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Combine pretzels, thyme, and pepper in a small bowl. Crack and beat eggs in a second bowl with a splash of water. Coat each breast with pretzels, then egg, then back to pretzels. Preheat a large skillet. Cook chicken. In a medium suace pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add flour to it. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk. When the milk comes to a bubble, stir in the cheese and mustard with a wooden spoon. Season with a little salt and pepper, and remove sauce from heat. Serve the chicken breasts drizzled with cheddar-mustard sauce, parsley, onions, and pickles. Place lemon wedges on the side for extra flavor.
-- French Fries
-- Broccoli
This was a disaster. The sauce was completely lumpy and not very flavorful. The pretzel coating completely fell off the chicken. It didn't even add that much flavor. It took forever to prep and make, and yet nothing exciting. We definitely won't be revisiting this one.
Tuesday
-- Tacos
J's meeting got pushed again this week. So I whipped up some tacos. Easy and fast! Yet so satisfying!
Wednesday
From Rachel Ray's Book of 10
-- Toasted Ravioli
-- Garlic Bread
Fairly tasty, however, the effort was not worth it. I had a hard time getting the dread crumbs to stick to the ravioli through the cooking process. Plus, I could only cook a few at a time. Too much time and effort. J suggested that I bake them next time. Maybe...
Thursday
-- Hamburgers on the grill (mushroom and swiss for me; bacon and cheddar for J)
-- Baked beans
-- Potato salad
-- Pineapple
We have to take advantage of the grill before it gets nasty cold outside.
Friday
-- Pizza night!
Sam and Louie's bacon chicken ranch is just amazing. I love it so much.
Saturday
-- Leftover pizza
-- Salad with bleu cheese dressing, cranberries, and sunflower seeds
-- Pneapples
Week summary/comments: Mostly a good week. We had two not-so-great meals. Both were edible, but probably won't be tried again. For next week, I've got some more Rachel Ray recipes lined up and probably some old stand bys.
