meal planning

Will someone please tell me what to make for dinner? I am so sick of planning dinner this time of year. I took out boneless chicken again. Maybe it won't defrost in time and we'll have to eat out. Now we're talking!

stiry fry. with Jasmine rice.

I ended up using a McCormick spice and just baking the darn chicken.

Stir fry sounds good, but I didn't see this before I made dinner. What is Jasmine rice?

Jasmine rice is an aromatic rice from Thailand. I gave up long grain white rice altogether after eating this. It's still white, and still long, but, hmmm....aromatic and delicately fragrant is about my descriptural limit. Try it. I'm lucky enough to get mine at Wal-Mart. A good Oriental store would have it, too. We love it.

I hate planning dinners. I never know what kind of "hungry" mood my dh is going to be in. Sometimes he's in a really picky mood. I usually try to have a few things as an option so we can play the "do you want this or this or this" for dinner tonight game. Sometimes I just can't make a decision to save my life and I freak (a little bit) over having to make dinner. Then it's the "who's delivering tonight" game.

I just wish there were more delivery to choose from. We have Pizza, Chinese, or Sandwiches. I wish I could get Mexican food delivered. Now that would be good.

Vicki, I'm with you. Just tell me what to make and I'll make it. I like to cook, but I don't like planning unless it's a holiday or for company. It's the day in and day out menus that I hate.

Let's see, how many ways can I serve boneless chicken?

So far this week:

I baked a batch of boneless chicken and we had it with beans and salad.

Then we had it shaved in a salad with all kinds of good veggies.

Tonight it will be cut up and used in chicken enchiladas.

Then I think it will be gone. I hope so!

Maybe my first book should be '200 ways to cook chicken'

My husband said he was going to grow feathers, I cooked chicken so often.

I just pull out a cook book and go from there. I've found some great recipes from The 60 Minute Gourmet. Easy and yummy!

Sometimes I type in the foods I want to use for dinner on Google. It's amazing the recipes you can find at your finger tips.

For those of you that hate cooking but love a good delicious meal that tastes like you've been slaving in the kitchen all day, try the new:

BERTOLLI'S FROZEN MEALS....In kid you not. You all kow I am an excellent cook and when I like something frozen it has to be superb. There are 5 to try. A shrimp scampi w/pasta, or 4 other dishes, all come in a bag. Just heat and eat....Let me know how you like them.

I feel you on the chicken, Unique. I feel like I eat it everyday, lol.

I am going to the food store during lunch today in search of Bertolli's frozen foods. I'll let you know what I find.

unique, I could probably give you the first hundred recipes for your book. WE eat tons of boneless chicken breast. I'm defrosting some now!

[ March 31, 2005, 11:20 AM: Message edited by: Dotsie ]

If you like to cook, freezer meals are great for meals when you don't feel like cooking, or don't have time to make something good. When I make meals for example like----lasagna, chicken pot pie, ziti, spaghetti sauce, pizza, soups, breads, etc., I make single servings to put in the freezer. Then on those days when I'm running late or just don't feel like cooking, I have some yummy meals already made in the freezer. Depending on the meal type, you can pop it in the oven, or nuke it in the microwave and then you have a nutritious & delicious meal.

Sometime when your not hungry, sit down and make a list of main dishes you like. I keep a list in a kitchen drawer and when I'm at a loss for ideas I pull out my list. You can make a seperate list for side dishes too.

I buy hamburger meat in the family size package and cook the whole thing up and drain it. I divide it into pint size freezer bags and keep in my deep freezer. Many casseroles call for cooked and drained hamburger meat so I'm half way there. These defrost in the microwave in two minutes while your boiling your pasta or rice.

I buy the rice a roni or pasta mixes and add hamburger or chicken to them for a main meal.

I love the canned chicken breast from Sams. Just drain and add to whatever your cooking.

Laurel

I only bake meat dishes...um maybe 2-3 times --annually.

REst of the time I deal with meat (1-2 times per wk. we eat meat) in other ways. For chicken breast I would:

stir fry
or cook it in rice itself: cut chicken up into small pieces, marinate in a bit of soy sauce, oil for 1/2 hr. or less. Then if you are using an electric rice cooker for cooking rice, when rice starts to boil, you throw in meat. Bury it in the rice and let it cook within the rice. Yes, no babysitting the cooking meat or nothing.

It's a home style Chinese cooking method of sliced beef or chicken.

I also steam chicken meat, another home style Chinese cooking method where the meat has a tiny bit of soy sauce and oil. And little enamel or dish that is placed in 1 inch of water or so. Steam cooks the meat.

I thank my ...mother from teaching us decades ago. Some of these dishes are actually comfort food to me.

THese are hassle-free methods. THey had to be....she raised 6 children.

This is my husband's all time favorite baked chicken recipe..and the chicken comes out tender and juicy. And IT'S Quick to make!! The good thing is a good sized roasting chicken (6 pounds) goes a long way and is inexpensive. Tasty stuff:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch fresh rosemary
1 6-pound roasting chicken
salt and pepper to taste
4 large bulbs garlic, cut in half on the equator

Preheat over to 450 degrees. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil to about 325 degrees. Add rosemary sprigs and cook till crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain rosemary on paper towels. Let oil cool.

Remove giblets (if any) and wash and dry chicken. Salt and pepper cavity and skin. Stick a few sprigs of rosemary in the cavity. Truss (or not) and place chicken in an overproof skillet (do not cover). Place on lower rack with legs toward back of oven. Cook 20 minutes. Turn heat to 350.
Rub garlic with remaining rosemary oil. Add to roasting skillet and cook until tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove garlic and keep warm while continuing to cook chicken, about 40 minutes more or until an instant meat themometer inserted in thigh reads 160 degrees, or until juices run clear. Remove from oven. Pour pan juices into a fat separator or glass measruing cup while chicken rests. Skim off fat that rises to the top.

Carve chicken and put on platter. Spoon juices over the chicken. Arrange garlic heads around the chicken. Garnish with remaining rosemary sprigs.

DEELISHIOUS!!!!! I serve this with mashed potatoes, peas or seasoned green beans, dinner rolls and a salad. Mighty good eatun'.

Caramelized Onion Chicken

Sauteed green beans makes a great side dish for this sweet, spicy chicken.

1 pound chicken breast tenders
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam (must be seedless)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodier soy sauce
1 teaspoon bottled minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 2 minutes. Add chicken to pan; saute 8 minutes or until chidken is done. remove onion and chicken from pan.

Add Jam and remaining ingredients to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return chicken m ixture to pan; cook 4 minutes; stirring occasionally.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 ounches chicken and 1 tablespoon sauce) (I hog the sauce cuz it's so darn good).

Enjoy...

Hey Dee we have a wonderful Favorite Recipe section you need to put these in, I almost missed them.

Dotsie,
I'm with you. I hate meal planning but I don't like to cook, either. My husband's finicky. Hamburger, hot dogs,
beef, pork chops, chicken, ham: that's it. NO veal. No lamb. NO liver. He doesn't like onions or sauerkraut. Veggies are corn, peas, baked beans. The same ole, same ole gets to be a bummer real fast. And we live out in the country. So delivery is NOT that plentiful.
Oh well, that's life!

bonnie, what would you make if you were cooking for your self? Do you eat seafood?

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bonnie, what would you make if you were cooking for your self? Do you eat seafood?

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THis is a good question, what one would cook for oneself if no other family requirements. As for seafood, I must have it at least once a month or more often. I choose seafood over beef or pork, anytime!