Once upon a time, this was a pretty popular section on my blog. I have since become a serious slacker. I still menu plan twice each month, but I don’t take the time to post about it anymore. I can’t promise that I’ll stay consistent with posting our menus each month, but here’s a start :).

I do not claim credit for any of the attached recipes. The author/blog will be noted on the pdf if I know where it came from.

Let me know if you try any of them and like them!

Main Meals

• steak & roasted veggies (baby new potatoes, carrots, asparagus, onions & garlic)

• out (Jacey’s evening flight back to Vegas)

• angel chicken & roasted green beans

• crunchy Parmesan tenders, roasted broccoli & cauliflower

• homemade corn dogs & zucchini fries

• white chicken chili, cherry margaritas

• migas & black beans

• brats on the grill, baked beans & macaroni salad

• mushroom Swiss burgers & grilled zucchini

• Swedish meatballs, mashed red potatoes, peas & lingonberry jam

• creamy chicken taquitos, refried beans & grilled corn, tomato, avocado salad with honey lime dressing

• Asian short ribs & garlic broccoli

• out (pool party)

• Cajun shrimp boil

Extras

• peach ice cream

• red velvet pancakes with cream cheese glaze

I try to make a new recipe at least every couple of weeks when Bryan is home. Yes, “when Bryan is home”, you caught that, huh? I don’t cook much when it is just Jacey and I. I never have gotten that making food for 1 down very well (she doesn’t eat much and I can’t eat much). Anyway, I digress. I made this last night and it was a HUGE hit with all 3 of us.

Creamed Chicken with Gnocchi

1 pound potato gnocchi
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, roughly chopped and then minced in a food processor
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped and then minced in a food processor
4 cups fresh baby spinach
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup fat free half-and-half
1 cup chicken broth
Pam cooking spray, butter flavor

Cook gnocchi according to package directions, drain and set aside.

Saute spinach in a large skillet with a spray of Pam until tender. Squeeze out excess liquid and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a small saucepan, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 3-4 minutes. Whisk in half-and-half and chicken broth, bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened. Whisk into chicken mixture, then add spinach and gnocchi. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

About 6, 3/4-1 cup servings at about 300 calories per serving.

Inspired by Rachael Ray.

Well, thanks to Amy I now think I have a new favorite soup. That is saying a LOT since this girl normally doesn’t like soup. It even got rave reviews from Jacey and had Bryan drooling from almost 800 miles away. Luckily for him, I took half the batch and froze it for when he comes home. I altered it just a slight bit, so my version is below. Click on Amy’s blog to see her version.

Creamy Black Bean Soup

1/2 large sweet yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 tbs olive oil
3 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I use Bush’s Reduced Sodium version)
4 cups chicken broth
1 can Rotel (I used the Mexican version with lime and cilantro)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 4-6 minutes until tender. Add beans, broth, Rotel, chili powder and cumin. Cover and bring to boil. Remove lid and reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree with hand blender (or regular blender).

We topped ours with avocado, colby-jack cheese and sour cream with chips on the side, but the possibilities are endless. I think you could take this same recipe, decrease the chicken broth and add corn after pureeing and have a really good dip. Hmm…

I’ve been trying to actually *feed* Bryan the last few days, before he has to go suffer through 70 days of chow hall. I have never made a brisket before, but decided to attempt one. Bryan is after all, the VERY carnivorous one of the household.

I grew up on delicious, fall apart, smoked Texas briskets. This was not a true Texas brisket, a. because we do not have a smoker and b. because although I love Bryan immensely, I am NOT willing to brave the frigid temps outside. So, it was cooked in the oven. No less, for my very first brisket everyone in the house declared it a huge success. Jacey even had 2 helpings (and neither she nor I are big meat eaters).

Brisket – Lacey’s Way

The Meat
6 lbs beef brisket (with a 1/4-1/2 inch fat pad)

Dry Rub
4 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
16 grinds of pepper (I *think about 1/2-1 tsp or so)

Wet Marinade (braising liquid)
12 oz Coke
1/2 bottle Jack Daniels Original No. 7 Barbecue Sauce

Instructions
Mix together dry rub ingredients in a bowl. Liberally apply to all sides of brisket. Be sure to rub it in good, so the flavors permeate. Place fat side up in a glass or metal baking dish with at least 2 inch high sides. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight (12+ hours is better but I only did about 10).

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pull brisket out and place on the counter for at least 30 minutes, so the meat can start coming to room temperature. Mix together wet ingredients and pour over the brisket. Allow the liquid to fill the dish about halfway up the meat. Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven. Cook for about 5-7 hours (about 45 min – 1 hour per pound). When cooking time is coming to a close, open up the foil and check the meat right under the fat pad. If it shreds easily, it is done, if not recover and bake a bit longer.

Once done, pull out of the over and let rest 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the dish and place on a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to remove the fat pad. It should remove fairly effortlessly. Shred to make pulled beef brisket or slice perpendicular to the grain for sliced beef brisket. Can be served with the braising liquid or the remaining bottle of bbq sauce.

Storage tips – Slice/shred all the remaining meat and place in a dish. Strain the braising liquid and then chill so you can remove the layer of fat. Pour into the dish with the meat, cover tightly and refrigerate/freeze. I am not sure how long you can freeze it, but Google should be good for that :).

Recipe, my own. Inspiration, Pioneer Woman.