SEAFOOD SUNDAY

Shrimp is a BIG favorite at our house. Shrimp and pasta is even better. This recipe comes from EVERYDAY WITH RACHEL RAY'S April issue.It definitely fits into the category of her "30 minute meals" and should be an awesome Sunday supper.

MUSHROOM AND SHRIMP NOODLE BOWLS
salt and pepper
1 lb. whole wheat or whole grain spaghetti
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
3/4 lb. mushrooms(such as shitake, hen-of -the-woods or maritake);thinly sliced
1/4 head savoy cabbage, shredded (4 cups)
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced at an angle
1 small red chile pepper, thinly sliced
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped or thinly sliced
1 piece(1 inch) fresh ginger, grated
1 lb. shelled and deveined medium shrimp
about 1 tsp. chinese 5 spice powder
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/4 cup tamari(or liquid amino)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain
While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat the oil, 3 turns of the pan, over high heat. Add the mushrooms and stir fry until browned, 3-4 minutes. Add the cabbage, scallions, chile, garlic and ginger; season with pepper. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes
Add the shrimp and season with the 5 spice powder. Stir-fry until the shrimp are pink and firm, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vegetable (or chicken) stock and tamari(or liquid amino). Lower the heat to medium and cook through
Transfer the pasta to bowls. Ladle in the shrimp mixture and sauce. Serve with chopsticks.

SATURDAY'S SALAD

Classic coleslaw tastes even fresher when you add broccoli, cucumbers, snap peas, and crunchy walnuts! Check out this recipe from TASTE OF HOME.

CHUNKY VEGGIE SLAW
1 small head of cabbage, chopped
6 cups(1 1/2 lb.) fresh broccoli florets
1 medium cucumber, chopped
2 celery ribs, sliced
12 fresh sugar snap peas, halved
1 small green pepper, chopped
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. reduced-fat mayonnaise
3 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts, toasted
2 green onions, thinly sliced
In a large bowl combine the first 6 ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk, mayo, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Top with walnuts and green onions. Refrigerate leftovers.

FRIDAY'S FAMILY FAVORITE

The rotisserie chickens you can buy at the grocery are easy and ready to eat but making your own roast chicken is almost as easy and you can control what goes into the ingredients. In the current issue of EVERYDAY WITH RACHAEL RAY she has an insert entitled 18 things to do with a roasted chicken. She begins with this recipe and then gives lots of menu items you can make later in the week from the leftovers.

COULDN'T BE EASIER ROAST CHICKEN
2 whole chickens (3 1/2-4 lbs. each) rinsed and patted dry
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 450. Fold the chicken wings under and remove any excess fat from the necks and cavities. Generously season inside and out. Using butcher's twine, tie the legs together. Place in a large baking dish or roasting pan.
Roast the chickens for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and baste with the liquid in the bottom of the pan. Return to the oven and roast, basting once more, until the skin is deep golden and an instant read thermometer registers 155 when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. 30-40 minutes longer. (It will climb to 165 as the bird rests) Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let sit uncovered for 10 minutes before carving.
Here are some suggestions to kick up the flavor a notch:
Mix a few ingredients into room temperature butter, then rub the butter on and under the skin to infuse the breast meat with flavor.
*chopped capers and fresh oregano
*Old Bay seasoning and lemon zest
*Rosemary, sage, and parsley
BASTE IT:
Add some tasty stuff to the bottom of the pan, then spoon the liquid over the chicken while it cooks for crispy flavorful skin.
*chicken broth, honey, and mustard
*Beer, sliced onion, and bay leaves
*White wine and chopped leeks

THIRSTY THURSDAY

Green tea has now replaced "regular tea" as our iced tea of choice. I ran upon today's recipe in the April issue of SOUTHERN LIVING. I think it will make plain old green tea a lot more interesting.

STRAWBERRY-LIME GREEN TEA COOLER
Pour 3 cups of boiling water over 2 regular-size green tea bags; cover and steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Stir in 1 cup cold water. Cool 30 minutes. Process 1 (16oz.) container fresh strawberries, hulled; 1 (12oz.) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed; and 1/4 cup honey in a blender until smooth. Pour into a pitcher. Stir in tea and serve over ice.
Makes 8 cups

CROCKPOT WEDNESDAY

I love my CROCKIN' GIRLS SLOW COOKIN' COMPANION and have tried a number of the recipes in it. Today's recipe is definitely on the "to try" list. We really like the boneless pork chops. All this meal needs is something green and you're set.

PORK CHOP AND RICE CASSEROLE
4-6 pork chops (depending on your needs)1 onion, sliced into rings
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 1/2 c. cooked rice of your choice (I choose brown)
1/4 c. water
salt and pepper to taste
small amount of vegetable oil
Salt and pepper pork chops; brown in skillet with the oil. Spray slow-cooker with non-stick spray. Mix soup, tomatoes, and onions in the slow-cooker. Place pork chops in the mixture and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. Mix in cooked rice and cook for another 30 minutes, or until hot.

TASTY TUESDAY

Muffins are very versatile. They can be served for breakfast, wrapped up for a lunchbox, or frozen to be used at a later time. Their size makes them perfect for a snack. The recipe for these muffins comes from DIABETIC COOKING.

BERRY BRAN MUFFINS
2 c. dry bran cereal
1 1/4 c. skim milk
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries(partially thawed, if frozen)
Preheat oven to 350. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper baking cups.
Combine cereal and milk in medium bowl. Let stand 5 minutes to soften. Stir in brown sugar, egg, oil, and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in cereal mixture just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently fold in berries. Spoon evenly into prepared muffin cups.
Bake 20-25 minutes (25-30 if using frozen berries) or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Serve warm.

MEATLESS MONDAY

You can't go wrong with pasta and today's recipe is no exception. It is quick and easy to prepare and the vegetables make it very healthy. It comes from SIMPLE AND DELICIOUS. 

GARDEN VEGETABLE PRIMAVERA
8 oz. uncooked fettucine
2 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot,sliced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 c. grape tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/3 c. white wine
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. minced fresh basil
Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, saute the zucchini, carrot, Italian seasoning and salt in oil in a large skillet until vegetables are crisp tender. Add tomatoes and garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add broth and wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half.
Drain fettuccine. Add the fettuccine, cheese and basil to the skillet and toss to coat.