ON THE MENU~ WEEK OF JUNE 20, 2011



Did you know that StoneGable is hosting a brand new weekly meme? ON THE MENU MONDAY is meal planning linky party beginning June 26, 2011. BUT it is NOT just for weekly or monthly meal planners. If you have a recipe, menu, pictures, tutorials... of an event... big or small... please join in. Many of us do menu plan and most of us plan when having any form of event. Post it all and share it right here!



It is my vision that ON THE MENU MONDAY be a wealth of ideas and creativity for all sorts of menu ideas! A place to come to find recipes, menus and how-to's for anything from an easy weeknight family dinner in a hurry to a fantasy wedding shower!

Would you help me get the word out about ON THE MENU MONDAY? Please give ON THE MENU MONDAY  a shout-out this week. Grab my OTMM button on my sidebar and help AND join us next week for the first ON THE MENU MONDAY! Thank you!

Now for what's ON THE MENU  for this week...

Monday
Serbian Salad
Cherry Chipotle Grilled Chicken

Recipe: Cherry Chipotle Grilled Chicken
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
salt and pepper
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 cup good barbecue sauce
1/4 cup cherry preserves
1 TBS cider vinegar
1 TBS brown sugar
1 TBS chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce (go sparingly if you don't life heat)
1/2 cup dark sweet cherries, pitted and chopped
1 TBS fresh squeezed lime juice

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Salt and pepper chicken breasts. Set aside

Meanwhile, cook barbecue sauce, preserves, vinegar, brown sugar, chipotle chile and cherries in a saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens. Turn off heat and add lime juice.

Brush chicken on both sides with olive oil. Put on grill and cook about 4 minutes on each side.

Brush chicken with cherry sauce and cook for an additional 2 minutes, until caramelized and done.
Serve with cherry sauce.
Printable Recipe

Recipe: Serbian Salad
Oh this salad looks so yummy! Savoring Time In The Kitchen is one of my go-to sites for great recipes. We have been long time blogging buddies. I can always count on the recipes at Savoring to be delicious and foolproof!  Click HERE for a WOW of a salad!

Tuesday
Pan Seared Scallops With A Lemon Wine Reduction
Sauteed Parsley Rice
Roasted Garlic Broccoli

Recipe: Pan Seared Scallops With  A Lemon Wine Reduction



If you like scallops you will love this recipe! It is so easy and can be made on a busy weeknight. But, it is company worthy! For a post with the recipe, pictures and step-by-step how to's click HERE.

Wednesday
Steaks On The Grill
Grilled Veggies With Balsamic Marinade
Slow Cooker Tasty Taters

Recipe: Steaks On The Grill
This is my favorite way to eat a great steak!
4 Delmonico steaks
1 stick butter,melted
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
pepper

Preheat oven to medium high.

Put melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt and pepper in a bowl and mix. Reserve
Put steaks on the grill. Grill to just about done. Brush liberally with sauce and finish grilling.
Printable Recipe

Recipe: Grilled Vegetables With Balsamic Marinade
I make a big quantity of these savory veggies! The are great for lunch, in pasta, in a sandwich and just as leftovers!
Eggplants, partially peeled and cut into a generous 1/4" round

Zucchinis, cut into generous 1/4" rounds
Yellow Squash, cut into generous 1/4" rounds
Onions, cut into 1/4" rounds
Peppers, cored and sliced in 1" thicknesses. Any color but green
Portabella mushrooms, cored and "gills" scraped off with the side of a spoon- keep whole
Lots of olive oil
Salt and pepper

Balsamic Marinade~ NO CHEATING! Make your own! Recipe follows

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Salt eggplant generously. Place eggplant in single layers on the paper towel. Cover with another paper towel. Add another layer of eggplant. Continue to do this 4 layers high. Put a heavy pot on top of the eggplant. Set aside for 20-30 minutes. The salt will draw out bitter liquids in the eggplant, yellow squash and zucchini making them grill better. So do the same for the squash and zucchini.

Put a skewer through onion slices. Starting at the outside layer of the onion towards the center, catching all layers. Cut off any exposed skewer. Do this for all the onion slices. Put onions on a large rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle oil to coat and salt onions.

Put sliced peppers on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil to coat and salt.

Put mushrooms on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil to coat and salt.

While the eggplant and zucchini are set aside, Grill the onions, peppers and mushroom until nicely charred and cooked until tender.

Remove to a large platter. Remove skewers from onions. I arrange the veggies in attractive groups on the platter.

When eggplant and zucchini have sweated enough. Remove paper towel and wipe off excess salt. Drizzle olive oil to coat and grill until charred and soft. Remove to platter with other veggies.

StoneGable Dressing/Marinade
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped finely
2 tsp mustard
juice of 1 lemon
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil, chiffonades
Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Drizzle roasted vegetables with marinade. Serve and wait for the raves!!!!!
Printable Recipe

Recipe: Tasty Taters
4 Baking Potatoes

1 stick butter
1-2 onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
Aluminum foil

Preheat oven 400 to degrees. Scrub baking potatoes. Place potato horizontally on a cutting board and make 5 evenly spaced cuts in the potato almost all the way through ( If you cut it through, don't worry, just stick it together when you wrap it). The potato will fan out slightly. Slice all 4 potatoes.

Place a thinly sliced onion and a pat of butter in each slit in the potato. Onion will stick out of the potato. Salt and pepper potato.

Wrap securely in aluminum foil. Put potatoes on baking sheet and bake until done, approximately 50-60 minutes. Potato should be fork tender.

Serve with foil intact and take off foil just before eating.
Printable Recipe

Thursday
Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken With A StoneGable Twist
Mixed Baby Greens With Pears, Pecans And Bleu With A Poppyseed Dressing
Potatoes and Carrots added to the Roast Chicken



Recipe: Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken With A StoneGable Twist

Roast Chicken in summer? You bet! This recipe is not work intensive and inexpensive. AND roast chicken yields a great dinner, leftovers and a couple of carcasses to make chicken stock in the slow cooker! Click HERE  for a great picture rich tutorial and recipe!

Friday
Black Bean Orzo Salad
Anchovy Toast

Recipe: Black Bean Orzo Salad
Finding a new blog that speaks to me is like finding a treasure! And Jackie's recipes and food pictures are gorgeous! To get this yummy recipe from Loving My Domestic Life, click  HERE.

Recipe: Anchovy Toast
Even if you don't think you like anchovies give this a try. It is so delicious!
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temp
1 1/2 tsp garlic, pressed or pureed
2 TBS anchovy paste
french bread, cut into baguettes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix butter, garlic and anchovy paste. Spread on baguette rounds.
Bake until golden brown.
Printable Recipe

Saturday
Grilled Planked Salmon On A Bed Of Slightly Wilted Spinach
Sweet Pickled Beet, Carrot And Apple Salad

Recipe: Sweet Pickled Beet Carrot And Apple Salad
I use my canned pickled beets. They have a hint of clove! Look for an upcoming post on making these later this summer when my beet crop is ready!
1 cup jarred pickled beets, drained
1 cup shredded carrots ( from bag)
2 apples, cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup poppyseed dressing ( I use Brianna's, it's so delicious I don't make homemade)

In larger jar or bowl, add 2 TBS of honey to pickled beets and juice and let sit for 2-24 hours in refrigerator.
Drain and cut into matchsticks. Place in bowl.
Add all ingredients and gently stir. Serve immediately.
Printable Recipe

Sunday: Slow Cooker Day
Nani's Chicken Noodle Soup
No Knead Bread



Recipe: Nani's Chicken Noodle Soup
I am making the broth for this soup in my slow cooker this week. And then using it to finish this family favorite in the slow cooker on Sunday. Nani's Chicken Noodle Soup is a great meal to come home to after church. Click HERE for the stove top recipe, that can be used in the slow cooker too!

Recipe: No Knead Bread
Look for this EASY, homemade bread in an upcoming StoneGable post!

What Else Is Cooking At StoneGable:

Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

Compound Butter

Printable Recipe

Popsicles

View Tutorial And Recipes

I am participating in Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie