Weekly Menu

I did not do much planning for this week's menu and I also need to grocery shop, therefore there won't be much of a menu. I do, however, will share with you, 2 pasta salad recipes. One is my own version and the other is from Taste of Home(I have not tested this recipe yet but it's on my "to-try" list.

Sunday - Sausage & Pepper with pasta salad

Monday - Chicken Parm

Tuesday - I will have to stop at my local butcher and get some meat. I'm thinking Pork Tenderloin with green bean casserole and Garlic Corn Saute(click here for the recipe)

Wednesday thru Saturday - ????

Sicillian Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 package (7 ounces) small pasta shells
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 cup cubed part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup sliced ripe olives, drained
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 to 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  

Instructions:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water.
• In a large salad bowl, combine the pasta, tomatoes, cheese, onion, olives and parsley. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Yield: 8 servings.

Pasta Salad (my version)

Ingredients:**

• 1 package (1 Lb.) small pasta(whatever shape that suits your fancy: pipette/campanelle/elbows/fiofi)
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green/red pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped jarred hot pepper salad
• 1/4 cup juice/marinade from the pepper salad
• 1/2 stick(about 1/2 cup) of pepperoni, cut into bitesize chunk
• Shredded Italian cheeses (I used parmesan, romano & fontina), about 2 hands-full/Sometimes I use cubed sharp cheddar cheese
• A hand-full of black olives, drained and sliced in half
• Italian hern seasoning, about 2 pinches
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Olive and Red Wine Vinegar to taste

** As always, I don't measure, so you'll have to "eye-ball" the ingredients and seasonings and taste as you go.

Instructions:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water.
• In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Drizzle with the reserved hot pepper juice(from jar), oil,vinegar; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Serve at room temp.
  

Weekly Menu

I started posting my weekly menu here last Monday. I am going to try to make this a weekly Monday post, as a way to:

• Keep track of the different dishes I made
• Share recipes with my blog friends
• Provide dinner ideas for my blog friends

I will try to post at least one recipe of what I will be cooking each week. If I'm trying a new recipe, I will note that it's a new recipe and then the following week, I will follow up on the "result/outcome" of the new recipe. If there is a dish that you are interested in making but I didn't post a recipe, please let me know and I will try to give you the link(if it's a recipe I tried) or write a recipe(if it's something I made up). How's that sound?

Sunday - Smoked Sirloin Roast & Grilled potatoes

Monday - Hamburgers. As I was typing this post, I have a sudden craving for big juicy hamburger, so hamburger it is.

Tuesday - Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with wild rice

Wednesday - Shrimp Fettucini Alfredo

Thursday - Crispy Pan-Fried Pork Chops with Nutty Cheese Tortellini(recipe below)

Friday - Chicken Parm Pizza (was on last week's menu but didn't make it)

Saturday - Maybe smoked ribs

Nutty Cheese Tortellini (new)

Ingredients:

• 1 pakage (9oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain.
• In the same pan, melt butter. Stir in tortellini, parsley and walnuts. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and season with salt & pepper. Serve.

Hopkins Inn Rosti Potatoes (made this last week for the first time)

Ingredients:

• 4 large red potatoes
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup diced bacon slices
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Wash and boil the red potatoes until tender but not soft; cool in refrigerator. Peel off skins and shred potatoes using a large grater.
• Saute the onions and bacon until golden brown. Drain off bacon fat.
• Mix the onions and bacon with the shredded potatoes and season to taste.
• Spread this mixture in a non-stick frying pan and saute at moderately high heat in melted buttter. Do not stir or mix the rosti. The rosti should be turned over when you can see the steam rising through the mixture. If you cannot flip the potatoes, cover the pan with a plate, turn the potatoes onto the plate and slide them, suteed side up, back into the pan. The potatoes should be throughly cooked when the steam can be seen again. Both sides should have a nice, golden brown color.

My Notes:

1. I guess I don't really understand the "cook potatoes until tender" part. I cooked the potatoes to what I thought was tender(inside still slightly crunchy/uncooked) but outside is slightly soft. So when I shredded the potatoes, it all seemed to be a big mush(like mashed potatoes). I'm pretty sure I cooked it too long.
2. The overall taste is pretty good with the bacon and onions. I just didn't like the texture, it's kinda like mashed potato pancakes. Hubby didn't like it either, he said the potatoes tasted "waterlogged". Maybe next time I will try it with uncooked potatoes.
3. If you do give this a try, will you please come back and let me know what you think of it?