Dinner... a little help please!

OK, so I'm new at the whole "wife" thing here and I'm not really experienced with cooking. I wanted to make a quick run to ShopRite and get something to make for DH.

Here is where I need help... what do I make? Something simple b/c I'm really a spaz and have RARELY ventured into the kitchen (aside from grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken fajitas).

So, spare no detail in your ideas or recipes. DH likes Italian, likes chicken of any kind, likes pretty much everything!

Thank you SO much!!!!

ETA-- forgot to mention he is not a fan of pork-- just about the only thing he doesn't eat

Message edited 10/23/2007 4:00:02 PM.

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

Here's an old stanby I use that is soooo simple and gets rave reviews!

Paremsan Crusted Pork Chops (from Giada De Laurentis)

2 large eggs
1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving


Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. **If the pork chops are thicker or you like your meat well done, then then bake the pork chops in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes to finish them.

You can also make this recipe with chicken - just adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of the cutlets, i.e. thin chicken cutlets will probably cook up in about 3 minutes or so on each side.

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

my favorite super simple recipe is tuna steaks, grilled for 3 min on each side, served on top of baby spinach dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper.

for something a little more complicated, chicken piccata is also yummy and fairly easy. thin-cut chicken breasts (you can butterfly a regular size chicken breast) sauteed in olive oil, remove from pan, add a little wine and lemon juice, top with lemon zest and capers.

check out foodtv.com for some really easy and yummy recipes!

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

Message edited 10/23/2007 3:57:52 PM.

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

You can also make this recipe (parm crusted) with chicken - just adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of the cutlets, i.e. thin chicken cutlets will probably cook up in about 3 minutes or so on each side.

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

Here's my question...

Can I just replace the pork with chicken breasts??

Where can I get them thin? Sometimes they are so thick.

ETA-- there ya go!! you just answered my question

thank you!!!!!

Message edited 10/23/2007 3:59:44 PM.

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

my dh loves this and its so easy, I do it when i am in a rush


i buy turkey sausage from the meat section or pork no difference

pasta i love penne or rigatoni

jar of rao's vodka sauce

1 small can tomato paste

2 onions

pan fry the sausage until done... 10-12 minutes depending on stove
take the sausage out of the pan put it on side.
cut up onions small peices and throw it in the same deep pan with some butter and garlic on high heat for 8 minutes then throw the sauce in the pan with the onions and butter on medium heat .. throw the sauasge back in the pan with everything for another 6 minutes or so ...

at the end put the sauce in the pasta mix up and then take the tomato paste and mix it up with the pasta and sauce... keep stirring... if he likes mozzerella cheese put some on top and put it in the microwave for 2 minutes....

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

Here's another good one from Cooking Light. You also don't have to make it in sandwich form - you can also serve it over pasta.

Balsamic glazed chicken with peppers and onions sandwiches

Ingredients
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 1/4 pounds chicken breast tenders
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, divided
2 cups red bell pepper strips (about 2 medium)
2 cups vertically sliced onion (about 1 large)
2 (8-ounce) loaves focaccia bread, cut in half horizontally
4 ounces provolone cheese, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon black pepper


Preparation
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt over chicken. Add chicken to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Add 1/4 cup vinegar; cook 2 minutes or until chicken is done and vinegar is syrupy. Remove chicken mixture from the pan; cover and keep warm. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel.
Return pan to medium-high heat; add remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Add bell pepper and onion; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 cup vinegar; cook 1 minute or until vinegar is syrupy.

Arrange chicken mixture evenly over bottom halves of bread; top with bell pepper mixture. Arrange cheese over pepper mixture, and sprinkle with black pepper. Top with top halves of bread. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; let stand 5 minutes. Cut each sandwich into 6 wedges.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

OMG I'm writing all of these down!!

My DH is going to want to HUMP each and every one of you!!!!

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

Posted by DaniRella

Here's my question...

Can I just replace the pork with chicken breasts??

Where can I get them thin? Sometimes they are so thick.

ETA-- there ya go!! you just answered my question

thank you!!!!!

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

shrmip with peppers onions over rice



buy frozen shrimp
pre made garlic butter rice
red and yellow peppers
onions

saute in a pan and throw over the rice

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

i am going to make all of these!!!

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

Fancy turkey burgers or meat

blue cheese or feta cheese

Worcestershire sauce

salt pepper garlic onions powder

italian dressing



Take the raw meat in a bowl combine all the above ingrdients and then make patties and put them on grill or pan

i make corn on the side ususally

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

Stuffed Peppers:

Set your oven to 375.

Put 2 cups of water and 3 boullion cubes or 3 tsps of boullion paste in a small pot. Bring to a boil and add 1 cup of white rice. Bring it back to a boil and then cover pot and reduce heat to low for 20 minutes or until water is all absorbed.

MEANWHILE:
Take 4 peppers and slice the top off and gut them. Pull out the seeds and rinse them. Place them on a baking sheet.

Grate about 1/2 cup of Gruyere cheese, 1/4 cup of parmesan and 1/4 cup of mozzarella

Take 5 cloves of garlic and chop them really fine. I throw them in my mini prep. Take 1 yellow onion and chop really fine. (mini prep again). Sautee until soft in the bottom of a large skillet or dutch oven with 2 Tbspns of Olive Oil. Add 1 package of Ground Turkey (or about a pound of ground beef if you prefer)and brown mix it in with the garlic and onions until it is brown. Add 1 Tblspn of Worcester (I use more, but I love the flavor). Add salt and pepper to taste. I use the beef boullion paste in place of half the salt. Add the cooked rice to the meat mixture. Stir in one 12-14 oz can of plain tomato sauce and half the cheeses that you grated.

Stuff the empty peppers with the meat mixture. Top with a more sauce (another small can) and the remaining cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve.

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

i would recommend getting a rachel ray cookbook... shes kind of annoying but her recipes are great and so easy!

shrimp scampi is easy... boil pasta. while its cooking, melt some butter and minced garlic ( you can buy it already minced in a jar which saves SO much time!) in a frying pan with a little bit of oil.... then add the shimp. when the pasta's done, dump the shrimp and garlic butter all over it and mix it in. sooo easy!

i also LOVE my crockpot!!! i make a pot roast in there.. i put the roast and some carrots ( iuse the baby carrots so i don't have to spent time cutting up carrots!) and potatoes and an onion all in the crockpot together with some beef broth.. let it cook all day while i'm at work, and you have the whole dinner done when you get home! ALSO with this, i buy a bigger roast and more veggies, so that we get two dinners out of it. so i'll pack the extra up into the fridge, and then 2 days later just throw it in a baking pan and into the oven for about 10-15 minutes to heat up again. comes out just as good as the first night.. seriously!

salisbury steak is also good... make hamburger patties with ground beef. cook them in a frying pan. when they're almost done, dump in a can of beef gravy and let it heat through. serve it all over egg noodles.. its kind of like a beef strongaoff type stuff.

i also make a chicken and rice bake. take a lasagna pan. put in a can of cream of chicken soup ( i use the light verson) with a cup of water, a cup of uncooked rice and some frozen corn. mix it all up, then put chicken breasts on top of it. cover it with foil and bake it at 375 for about 35-40 minutes. its an all in one dinner you have the rice, chicken and veggies all in there.. and only one pan to clean!

also USE YOUR FREEZER!! there are so many things you can make ahead when you have the time, and just freeze them for when you don't have time i make stuffed shells like this, you can freeze baked ziti, you can freeze soups and chilis.... i'll make chili in the crockpot and freeze half of it for a night i don't feel like cooking

Message edited 10/23/2007 7:41:30 PM.

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

what did you make?

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

My new fav. recipee.
stuffed red peppers

1 lb. lean chop meat fried and drained ,then set aside.
next...
core and clean several red peppers slice in half lenghtwise. salt and pepper and spray w/a little o.oil(in bake. tray put a little water and1/2 jar ortega salsa i use mid) then place peppers on top bake for 10 -15 minutes just to begin softening of peppers @350 degrees

next dice upa small onion and zucchinni and fry when soft and golden brown
..add the chop meat mixture back to veggies then i add --1 package of ortega mild taco seasoning (almost the whole package)

Now i pull the peppers out of oven and fill the peppers with the chopmeat and veggie mixto overflow
.... last 1 bottle of ortega mild taco sauce to cover mixture and peppers
... I bake for about 25 minutes then top with a shredded cheese mixture anything w/monteray jack works best (do not buy the seasoned cheese)Once i have topped all the peppers with an overflowing mass of cheese i bake again just to melt.

This is so good and is great with a salad.
and a little rice..
Good luck

Re: Dinner... a little help please!

You should buy a meat tenderizer. Those things are great. I hate when chicken cutlets are thick, takes too long to cook.
Plus, those things help me get my agression out.