Diane's Menu November 1 - November 7

Diane's Menu November 1 - November 7
Saturday - Mexican Pork Roast w/Vegetables and Roasted Chipotle-Salsa Sauce **
Sunday - Roast Chicken, steamed vegetables (whatever is on sale), Roasted Garlic mashed Faux-tatoes (leftover chicken for Wednesday dinner)
Monday - Weekly Pizza
Tuesday - Grilled Lamb Chops and Orzo with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Spinach **
Wednesday - soft Chicken Tacos
Thursday - Burgers, Cole Slaw
Friday - Slow Cooker Curried Chicken Thighs with Curried Chickpeas and Kale ** (2 recipes, but I do them together)


** Recipes below
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Mexican Roast Beef w/Vegetables and Roasted Chipotle-Salsa Sauce
Serving Size : 6

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Step One: The Roasted Salsa
4 dried chipotle chiles -- (¼ to ½ oz) or 1 (7 oz) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce 1 small head garlic -- unpeeled
6 medium-sized tomatillos -- husked, rinsed, and halved
½ c finely chopped cilantro stems and leaves

Step Two: The Roast
3 pounds boneless pork roast
½ c all purpose flour
1 Tb vegetable oil -- (1 to 2)
2 Spanish onions -- thickly sliced into rings
1 bottle Mexican beer -- (12 oz) (I use apple cider, no beer in cooking in this house)
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 medium-size pasilla -- poblanos, or Anaheim chilies, seeded and cut into strips 4 medium-size carrots -- peeled and cut into ½ inch rounds
2 chayote squash (butternut, even the frozen works well here) -- peeled, pitted, and cut into 1 inch cubes
6 medium-size red potatoes -- scrubbed and quartered
2 c frozen corn (canned or off the cob works well too)

Step One Directions:

If using dried chiles, heat a heavy skillet over medium heat (cast iron works best). Cut open the chiles and remove the stems and seeds. Cut the larger chiles in smaller pieces and place them in the hot skillet to toast, pressing flat with a spatula until they darken slightly and release their aromas. Do not over-toast the chiles or they will have a bitter taste. In a small bowl, cover the toasted chiles with boiling water and let them soak for 30 minutes. Drain, and discard the water. While the chiles are soaking, preheat the broiler. Cut off the tip of the garlic head, slicing through the top of the cloves. Place the head of garlic on a plate, cut side up, and cover tightly with microwave-safe plastic wrap. Microwave for about 5 minutes, or until the cloves of garlic have softened. Remove the plate from the microwave. Remove the plastic wrap and let stand until cool enough to handle. Pull the cloves apart and squeeze out the garlic. Roast the tomatillos on a baking sheet 4 inches below the broiler until blackened on one side, about 5 minutes. Use long-handled tongs to turn and roast the other side. Put the tomatillos and any juice, the chiles, garlic, and cilantro into a food processor or blender and process to a fine-textured puree.

Step Two Directions:

Dry the meat on paper towels and dredge in the flour. Heat the oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the meat, cook until well browned on all sides, and set aside. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they are deeply browned and well caramelized, about 8 minutes. Deglaze the cooker with the beer, scraping up all the browned bits. Stir in the salsa mixture, cumin, salt, and pepper. Return the roast to the cooker and cook for 35 minutes on high. Use natural release, turn the meat over and add the chiles, carrots, chayotes, potatoes, and corn, stir to mix well. Cook for 5 minutes more on high. Use the quick release method and transfer the meat and vegetables to a platter. Skim any excess fat from the surface of the sauce, adjust seasoning to taste. Pour the sauce into a bowl and serve with the meat and vegetables.

Serves 6

***
Orzo Sun Dried Tomatoes and Spinach in Rice Cooker

1 cup orzo pasta
1 cup chicken stock
4 tablespoons diced sun-dried tomato in oil
3 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped (or one box frozen spinach, you can put it in the rice cooker frozen!)

Place all ingredients in the cooker and flip down the lever to cook.

Serves 4

******

CURRY CHICKEN THIGHS

8-9 chicken thighs ,skin and fat removed
4 tbsp butter
1/2 c honey
1/4 c prepared mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder (I use much more, we like spicy)

1.Melt butter then add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT chicken.
2.Roll chicken in sauce and put in greased slow cooker.
3.Pour remaining sauce over chicken.
4.Cook on high 4 hours.

Number of Servings: 4

****

Slow Cooker Curried Chickpeas and Kale

2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. cumin
3 cups chopped kale or 1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach
1 1/2 tbs. curry powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
3 cups cooked chickpeas (canned is fine)
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste

Just throw it all together in the slow cooker and let it cook on low 7 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.