Archive for September, 2008

Mojo Pork Chops with Saffron Rice and Mango Salsa Recipe

Thursday, September 25th, 2008

Mojo Pork Chops with Saffron Rice and Mango Salsa Recipe
Serves 5

Ingredients:
5 1-inch-thick pork chops
1/2 bottle (12 oz.) mojo marinade
1 1/2ripe mangoes
2 green onions, sliced
4 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1/4 lemon
2 cups long grain rice
1/2 tsp. saffron
3 cups chicken broth

Assembly:
1. Place chops each in zipper-lock plastic bags with marinade, reserving 1/2 cup marinade.
2. Chop mangoes into ½-inch cubes. Toss with green onions, cilantro and lemon juice. Place into small zipper-lock bags and refrigerate.
3 Cook rice with saffron in chicken broth and remaining 1/2 cup marinade according to package directions.

Cooking Instructions:
1. Remove chops from marinade and place in a 9-inch-square baking pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until just cooked through.
2. Heat rice in unzipped plastic bag in microwave on high power for about 3 minutes, until hot. Spoon rice onto two dinner plates. Top each with a chop. Top chop with mango salsa.

Recipe copied from menus4moms.com.

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Tips for Thawing your Frozen Meals

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008

Stephanie Allen just posted a serious of tips for thawing meals on her blog. Here are a few of them. My personal experiences/comments are in blue:

Any meats in a zip lock bag, I soak in the sink in barely warm water for about 20 minutes. If they are pliable, they can be cooked. *WCDD Comment: This works best for individually wrapped pork chops or steaks, not so much for larger pieces of meat like flank steaks or pork roasts. Also, I use cold water, and frequently change it – warm/hot water will start cooking the food and allow potentially icky bacteria to grow.*

For dinners frozen in foil pans, I take the dinner from the freezer, peel the foil off the frozen dinner and place the dinner in a sprayed 9 x 13 baking glass dish, then into the microwave on defrost for 5 – 10 min or until soft. Then into the oven. It might take a little longer to cook (160 degrees) but it is better than thawing…..

*I haven’t tried to microwave anything from frozen yet. Usually I just decrease the oven temperature and increase the cooking time. I’ve done that for Chicken with Dumplings, Apple Crisp, and Canadian Bacon Stuffed French Bread and it’s worked out fine.*

To view all of Stephanie’s tips, view her blog at stephanieallen.wordpress.com.

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Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and Three Cheeses Recipe

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008

Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and Three Cheeses
Serves 6

Ingredients:
Nonstick vegetable spray or olive oil spray
1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
6 to 8 fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Optional: 1 to 2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in rich purée
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil or 1 teaspoon minced fresh
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 ounces spaghetti, cooked, drained
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 4-quart casserole with nonstick spray.
2. In large, deep skillet on medium heat, cook meat, onion, mushrooms and garlic until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, 6 to 7 minutes (add oil if needed). Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley and seasonings. Simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
3. Combine meat sauce and spaghetti in prepared casserole; gently toss. Top with cheeses.
4. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, 50 to 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional information (per serving): Calories 350 (44 percent from fat); fat 17 g (sat 9 .0 g); protein 15 g; carbohydrates 35 g; fiber 1.9g; cholesterol 56 mg; sodium 670 m

Recipe copied from ocregister.com.

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Silver Spring Dream Dinners September Taste Test Results

Friday, September 12th, 2008

The Silver Spring Dream Dinners has been holding monthly taste testing, allowing new and current customers the opportunity to try the new menu. Here is a sampling of this month’s reviews:

Arroz Con Pollo
- Great Spice. Yummy!
- Tasty. I especially like the tomato flavor.
Note from Yihung: this is an easy comfort food with a full meal.

Redbook’s Country Chicken & Apples
- I really like the sweet flavor of the apples!
- A little blend for my taste. I like apples with pork rather than Chicken – It is okay. Sean and Tienne
Note from Yihung: feel free to ask for substitute as always! You can sub chicken with pork for any recipes. Modify the flavors to your liking.

Creamy Ravioli
- This is the best item on the menu!
- Fabulous! My favorite Dream Dinners dish ever!
- I really like the sauce. Would love to have it with shrimp and rice.
Note from Yihung: We have additional chicken, shrimp, meats you can add to your order. Not just sides. Just let us know in your Special Request if you want an extra bag of protein of any kind!

Apple Dumplings
- Tastes homemade
- Excellent! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Note from Yihung: this is the PERFECT dessert. You simply have to have it. They are also available in 3 servings at our store.

Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich*
- Very tasty. We thought it had horseradish in it. It reminds me of NC BBQ with some tomato base.
- Very unique taste. Packs a punch – not your typical BBQ.
Note from Yihung: this makes a quick after sports bite.

View the full reviews at www.silverspringdreamdinners.com.

*As a side note, the Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich is one of this blogger’s favorites. It’s easy to cook and reheat, and I had more than enough pork to stuff all of my rolls.

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Grilled Marinated Steak Recipe

Monday, September 8th, 2008

We stumbled across this recipe and thought it might be tasty. If you cook it up, please let us know what you think and if you made any personal tweaks.

Ingredients
Serves 6
1 1?2 sirloin steak
3 red wine vinegar
1 worchestershire sauce
1 salad oil
3 garlic cloves

Prep Instructions:
1. Cut steak into three six and place in freezer bag.
2. Combine marinade ingredients and add to bag with meat; freeze.

Cooking Instructions:
1. Thaw steak in bag with marinade.
2. Barbecue or grill under oven broiler until medium rare.

Warning! Do NOT reuse or serve marinade!

Recipe copied from www.organizedhome.com.

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