Brunch Plans

Although, I plan the family menus, I rarely plan for my breakfasts and lunches.  My normal breakfast is yogurt and fruit or eggs of some sort and I just make sure that there is a supply when I shop.  Well, I guess that means I do plan, but just don't make a specific menu.

We went out for Chinese food for my birthday.  I had Singapore Mai Fun. Long popular in take-out menus, this curried noodle dish was a sure hit.  It is a bit spicy and was loaded with shrimp and chicken and vegetables as well as these very thin rice noodles.  I had never had it before, but I will be sure to order it again.  I enjoyed it very much.


I brought home a container of it in a doggy bag and today, I am going to use it as a base for a frittata for brunch.  I have seen many brunch frittatas using leftover spaghetti, so why not rice noodles.  I will heat up a bit of oil, add a diced onion and chili pepper, then saute the noodles until warmed through.  I will then add a few eggs that I will whisk up with a drop or two of water, to make it airy and light.  I will finish it in the broiler.


Just describing it is making me hungry!  I can't wait to try it.  I will let you know how it turns out.

Menu - January 19 - February 1

Thu 1/19 - Fish Cakes, Corn
Fri 1/20 -   Wings, Celery, Carrots
Sat 1/21 -  out for music
Sun 1/22 - Chicken, Rice Pilaf, Carrots (Rice Cooker)
Mon 1/23 - Pizza
Tue 1/24 - Chinese Take-Out
Wed 1/25 - Reuben Roll
Thu 1/26 - Burgers, Fries, Slaw
Fri 1/27 - Wings, Celery, Carrots
Sat 1/28 -  out for birthday dinner
Sun 1/29 - Thai Chicken and String Beans over Brown Rice (Rice Cooker)
Mon 1/30 - Pizza
Tue 1/31 -  BBQ Pork and Cheddar Stromboli
Wed 2/1 - Chicken Jambalaya (Rice Cooker)

Today's creativity

Today I am making a Mexican inspired meal.  I am taking boneless skinless chicken thighs that have been cut into chunks and browning them up with an sliced onion and a minced jalapeno pepper.  Then I will add black beans, corn, medium salsa, and some Philadelphia Sante Fe Cooking Creme and toss with cooked pasta.  It will go into the oven to melt some shredded cheddar on top and finish cooking the chicken.  I am looking forward to it.

Well dinner was great!

Diane's Asian Pork and Slaw in Rice Cooker (4 servings)

Hubby had 3 servings!  It was a success.  Here is what I did:

1/2 pound boneless pork loin, cut into small chunks
12 ounce package of reduced fat breakfast sausage
3 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced (it was same size as the shredded cabbage)
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
1 bag cole slaw mix (cabbage and carrots)(about 3 cups)
1 cup chicken broth
buckwheat noodles, broken into one to two inch lengths (2 of the rounds from an 8 ounce package)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey (leave out honey and use 2 packets of Splenda to make Simply Filling Weight Watchers)


Brown the breakfast sausage, breaking it up with a potato masher.  I put the diced jalapenos in with it too, to soften them up.

Place all ingredients into rice cooker except chicken broth.  Mix well with tongs.  Pour chicken broth over it.  Mix again.  Close rice cooker and set for "MIXTURE" and press cook.  It was done in 40 minutes.

I served it with some drizzled sesame oil over each serving. (less than a half a teaspoon per serving)

Making up a new Asian pork dish for dinner

Buckwheat flower

I am going to be experimenting today with some Asian ingredients and flavors.  I have a small piece of pork from a boneless loin and a package of bulk breakfast sausage as well as cabbage and buckwheat noodles.  And, I am going to flavor it with ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and hot peppers.  I will cook it in my rice cooker with leeks and chicken broth.  I will let you know how it comes out.

Roasted Chicken

This is one of my favorite things to cook and eat.  It is inexpensive and tasty and always looks like a celebration meal.  I almost always roast 2 chickens at a time.  After all, why start the oven for just one.  One can be served for dinner and one can be used for future meals like enchiladas, tacos, chicken salad or chicken sandwiches.

I am watching "How to Cook Like a Restaurant Chef" and Ann Burrell is roasting a chicken.  She does something that I have always done and that is to make a garlic and herb paste and spread it under the skin of the breast.  I do the same with turkey, although with turkey I add butter or olive oil, because turkey always seems to benefit from extra lubrication.

I make a bed of root vegetables (carrots, celery, parsnips, onions) and herbs to roast my birds on.  I rub the herb paste of rosemary, parsley, thyme and garlic under the skin.  Then use my hands with a few tablespoons of olive oil to massage the outside of the bird. Place birds on top of the bed of root vegetables in a roasting pan and place into a preheated 450F oven.  After 20 minutes turn temperature down to 375F and finish roasting.  Depending on the size of the bird, this might take a total of 1 1/2 to 2 hours.