20 Dinners, 1 Day: Mediterranean Chicken Salad Pitas

Photo courtesy of Rachael Ray Magazine

I typically am not a chicken salad kind of gal.  Nothing against them, but my family just doesn't beg for them, so they never come onto the menu.  After making this one, I definitely can see adding chicken salad sandwiches to my attempt to switch up the same-old , same-old lunch.

Abe really enjoyed this, while Jimi was so-so on it. It had the dreaded roasted pepper in it, so I'm surprised he even tried it (he did pick out every single pepper, just to let you know).

Pocketless pitas are different than pita bread, which is thinner and has a pocket (I know, I know, I'm such a smarty one, aren't I).  It's similar to a flat bread... thicker and fluffy.  Yumminess.  I find mine in the baking section of the grocery store.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad Pitas

4 pocketless pitas 
3 cups Pulled Chicken 
1 cup chopped Roasted Peppers, chopped 
1 large tomato, seeded and diced 
1 cucumber—peeled, seeded and diced 
1/4 cup minced red onion 
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar 
Salt and pepper 
4 romaine lettuce leaves

Place pitas in stack in 350° oven to warm. In large bowl, combine chicken, peppers, tomato, cucumber, onion, olive oil, vinegar and 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Toss well. Top each pita with a lettuce leaf, fill with chicken salad and fold to enclose.

20 Dinners, 1 Day: Rigatoni with Apple and Squash

I had been looking forward to doing this one.  I love pasta, even though I don't make it nearly as much as I should.  Plus, add butternut squash to the mix and I'm there.

The bacon was tricky for this vegetarian.  I was originally going to make the recipe and add bacon just to Abe's portion.  But a recent cholesterol check made adding it maybe not such a good idea (he's had high cholesterol since his 20s, even though he's pretty fit).  So I improvise with using a bit of liquid smoke in olive oil to add some smoky flavor.

If you're not dealing with high cholesterol, I'd recommend using the bacon, though.  :)

The dish was very yummy and it was extra good the next morning for breakfast.  Hey, it was Adam's idea.  He did balance things out by having waffles and syrup for lunch that day.

The butternut adds a bit of sweetness and the apples and onions add the savory.  But I think the cheese makes the dish delicious, so don't skip it.  Not that I thought you would.

I didn't do the sage leaves this time because I didn't have them.  So, I sprinkled about 1/2 teaspoon of dried sage into the butter.  The idea of fried herbs intrigues me, so I will try it next time.

Rigatoni with Apple and Squash
  
1 lb. rigatoni pasta 
8 oz. bacon, thinly sliced 
10 sage leaves 
2 shallots, minced 
1 tart apple, sliced 
3 cups Roasted Squash, chopped 
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
Salt and pepper 
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water. In same pot, cook bacon until just crisp; transfer to paper towels. Add sage to hot bacon fat and cook until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to plate. Add shallots and apple and cook, 5 minutes. Add pasta, squash, cooking water, bacon and parmesan; season with salt and pepper and toss. Top with crumbled sage and parsley.

20 Dinners, 1 Day: Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup

Photo courtesy of rachelraymag.com

Boy, time slipped away from me (an entire month, to be exact!).  I've been doing the cooking part, but the sitting down to blog part has been evading me.  I do apologize!

I cooked this one up after Jimi's football practice when he was cold and wet.  He's not much of  soup kid, but he did like it.  Abe ate his portion (and the left overs from Jimi's bowl) and declared it to be a tasty treat. 

I'd say this would make an especially good lunch.  It seemed a bit light for a dinner, so if you make it, maybe pair it with a hearty salad or as a first course for your Mexican dinner.

I can see making this the day after you have any leftover chicken and some extra rice (I'm going to start freezing my extra rice for things like this).


Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup

1 qt. chicken broth 
1 cup tomato salsa 
1 1/2 cups Pulled Chicken 
3 cups Rice Pilaf 
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack 
1/4 cup sour cream 
1 avocado, thinly sliced 
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus 4 lime wedges



In medium pot, bring broth, salsa and lime juice to boil. 

Divide chicken and pilaf among 4 bowls. Fill each bowl with hot broth. Top with cheese, sour cream, avocado and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

20 Dinners, 1 Day: Creamy Chicken with Soft Polenta

Photo courtesy of Rachel Ray Magazine

Another first in this household (who knew Rachel Ray would be introducing so many firsts to me?), I've never served polenta.  Well, I take that back.... I tried a long time ago, but the only polenta I could find was the kind in the tube that looks like cut and bake cookies.  It was... um, weird.  And I didn't even bother to serve it to the family because I knew they wouldn't touch it.  But I saw a cooking show once that talked about instant polenta (which is basically corn meal), so I thought I'd give that one a try.

It was so yummy that I'm hooked.  Granted, what made is so yummy, namely heavy cream and lots of cheese, isn't so figure-friendly, so I'm going to have to watch how often I serve it up.  But wow, it was delicious!  I even had the leftovers for my lunch today and served cold bits of it to Ava for breakfast.  She gobbled it up.

Abe really liked this recipe, polenta and all.  I suspect that it's very similar in flavor to a chicken pot pie, minus the crust.  Just creamy and yummy and good.  And like all of the 20 dinners, it came together in a snap.

The fontina can be found in the deli cheese area.  It melts down into a cream, so it's perfect for something like this.  It adds a wonderful flavor, too.

Creamy Chicken with Soft Polenta
  
1 onion, minced 
3 tbsp. butter 
10 oz. sliced cremini (or baby bella or button mushrooms)
2 tbsp. flour 
1 1/2 cups heavy cream 
2 cups Roasted Squash, chopped 
1 1/2 cups Pulled Chicken 
1 cup peas 
Salt and pepper 
1 cup instant polenta
1 cup fontina cheese, chopped

In 12-inch skillet, cook onion in 2 tbsp. butter. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Stir in flour for 1 minute. Pour in 1 1/4 cups cream and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in squash, chicken and peas; season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Cook polenta in 3 1/2 cups boiling water with 1/2 tsp salt until thickened, 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup cream, 1 tbsp. butter and fontina until smooth. Serve chicken over polenta.

20 Dinners, 1 Day- Pulled Pork and Slaw Sandwiches

Photo courtesy of Rachel Ray Magazine

Wondering if Abe would like these pulled pork sandwiches is like wondering if Adam would like to watch Elmo.  I would've taken my own picture of the meal, but Abe's mitts were all over it in a nanosecond.

Not much to write except that this is for sure a new go-to quicky "what the heck do I make for dinner tonight??" meal.  Abe loved it so much that he replicated the slaw the next day just to snack on.

Pulled Pork and Slaw Sandwiches

3/4 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 1/2 cups coleslaw mix (7 ounces)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 cups Pulled Pork
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
4 hamburger buns

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup vinegar, sugar and crushed red pepper; add coleslaw and season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.  Toss and let stand at least 15 minutes.  Pour off liquid and stir in mayonnaise. 

In saucepan, cook pork and remaining 1/4 cup vinegar, worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons water over medium heat to heat through, 2 to 3 minutes.  Divide pork among buns, top with some slaw and serve remainder alongside.

20 Dinners, 1 Day: Easy Brunswick Stew

I have no idea what Brunswick Stew is and have never heard of it before.  Whatever it is, it was such an easy and tasty stew that Abe had to pack his lunch portion pretty quickly or it would've been eaten up that night.

Using bagged frozen veggies made it crazy quick to make.  Abe actually questioned what kind of stew only needed 10 minutes to cook when he called to tell me he was on his way home from golf league and I told him I had to start the stew.  I admit, I wondered too.    But it was surprisingly good!  And talk about healthy.... I don't think you can cram anymore vegetables in there if you tried.  I sectioned off 1/2 of the stew before adding the pork for myself and added the pork to Abe's portion.  So tasty!  You could easily substitute chicken or even omit the meat altogether for a hearty vegetarian meal.

Oh and don't be a ding dong like me and look for the frozen combo of ALL of the veggies.  I spent a good 5 minutes looking through the freezer section for this elusive blend.  Only later when home did I reread the ingredients and realize it asked for bags of EACH veggies.  Duh.

Easy Brunswick Stew

1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Pulled Pork
1 package (10 oz) each frozen corn, baby lima beans, sliced okra and peas-and-carrots combo, thawed
2 cups Tomato Sauce
2 cup beef broth (I used vegetable broth)
salt and pepper
4 slices crusty bread

In a large dutch oven (or pot), cook onion in olive oil over medium heat until tender, 5 minutes.  Add pork and cook 1 minute.  Add thawed vegetables, tomato sauce and broth.  Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with bread.

20 Dinners, 1 Day: Veggie Flatbreads with Hummus

I think I've found my new go-to dinner when things are harried and I haven't even thought about what to make for dinner.  Even Abe commented on how yummy these were and how quick of a dinner it makes.  I have a feeling once the school year/football practice season is in full swing,  I'll be cranking out a lot of these in different variations.

Who knew that hummus on pizza crust was so tasty?  Well, I guess Rachael Ray did since this is her recipe.  But honestly, who knew?  Abe did raise an eyebrow at the idea. Being Middle Eastern himself, I know he was thinking I was going to ruin a perfectly good hummus.   But, one bite, and he was sold.

I found the flatbreads in the bakery section.  If you can't find them, pocketless pitas will do too.

You might also think "Um, butternut squash and fennel on my pizza? Are you crazy?"  But I assure you, it's actually good.  The peppers and onion add just enough flavor to tone down the sweetness of the butternut and the fennel adds a nice twist, so it's a perfect compliment.  And, don't skimp on the olives.  Yum.

Veggie Flatbreads with Hummus

1 small fennel bulb, shaved
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 naan, flatbread or pocketless pitas
3/4 cup hummus
1 cup chopped Roasted Squash
1 cup chopped Roasted Peppers
1/4 cup chopped black olives
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 500 degrees.  In bowl, combine fennel and 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Brush naan on both sides with remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil; place on 2 baking sheets.  Spread 3 tablespoon hummus on each naan; divide fennel among naan.  Bake until toasted, 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with squash, peppers, olives and bake until crisp, 5 minutes.  Top with parsley.

20 Dinners, 1 Day: Butternut Squash and Spinach Strata

I know, I didn't know what a strata was either.  I had to look it up.  It's just a layered dish that usually has egg, cheese and bread.  I'm guessing it is called strata since strata means layers of something, like rock.

This dish was pretty good.  I wouldn't say that it was my favorite, but that's because I'm not the fondest of eggs.  If you like things like quiche or fritattas, you will like this one.    I do have to say that I loved the flavor of the butternut and spinach.  And it was extra good the next day, after the bread and cheese had time to really settle.  I'd almost say that you might want to make this the night before and really warm it up in the oven at dinnertime.

I'd say this dish could've used a bit of garlic and maybe even a bit of heat, like a shaking of red pepper flakes.  But I'm going to post it in its original form and let you decide.  After all, not everyone has an eggy aversion like I do and might like it, as is.

We don't eat white bread (I know, Jimi hates it with a vengeance), so I just bough some cheap $.79 loaf of bread.  It was ok, but I think next time I will use a nice french bread or something with some more flavor.  Hmmmm... that might be a good place to throw in some garlic oil or minced garlic. 

A neat trick to squeeze the liquid out of the spinach is to put it on a dinner plate, place another plate on top and then press the plates together over the sink. 


Butternut Squash and Spinach Strata

4 cups (4 oz.) torn white sandwich bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups Roasted Squash, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded monterey jack 
1 lb. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (see tip above)
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
salt and pepper


In 8-inch square baking dish, toss together the bread and olive oil.  Top with squash; sprinkle with 3/4 cup of cheese.  Add spinach and remaining 3/4 cup cheese in layers.  In bowl, beat eggs, milk, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with fork.  Pour into baking dish; let stand 10 minutes while you preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake until set in center, 40 to 45 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

20 Dinners, 1 Day: Pasta with Chicken and Tomato Sauce

Onto dinner #3 with my 20-Dinner plan.  This time around, I wasn't nervous about Abe liking it..... I was nervous about Jimi eating it.  He, as many kids can be, tends to be a bit fussy.  He's not into "fancy eating" and doesn't like a list of things.  So, a lot of time, I save my food experiments for the days he's not with us.  Pasta would seem like a sure-fire winner, but it was the chicken that worried me.  I don't make pasta with meat, especially shredded chicken, so I wondered how he'd like it.

Both he and Abe loved it and ate 2 servings each.  I had managed to scoop out a bit before adding the chicken, so I can attest that it was tasty.  The sauce was delicious and the cheese added a nice yumminess to an already yummy dish.

I was supposed to use fusilli, but couldn't find it at the store, so I substituted rotini.  I accidentally used the monterey jack from another pending recipe in the dish... I threw in some of the mozzarella when I realized my mistake.  It still was tasty and we couldn't tell a difference at all.

Oh and excuse the horrible picture.  It was 9:30 at night and I was trying to get a pic quickly before the boys came up to devour their dinner.  I'll have to try to get a better picture the next time I make it.

Pasta with Chicken and Tomato Sauce

1 box (16 oz) pasta, like fusilli or rotini
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups Pulled Chicken
2 cups Tomato Sauce
6 oz. mozzarella
salt and pepper
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta until al dente.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.  Return pasta to pot, add butter and place over medium heat.  Add chicken and tomato sauce and toss well.  Add reserved pasta water and mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.  Top with parmesan and parsley.

20 Dinners, 1 Day- Mango, Pork and Watercress Salad

After a successful first day to the 20 dinner project, I was a bit hesitant about the recipe for Day 2.  It was a salad, and while Abe is a salad eater, it had things in it that I know he's not that fond of.... mango (he doesn't like fruit in his salad), watercress and shallots.  But, hey, I told him at the beginning of this that he's eating what's on the menu this month, so I slid the bowl in front of him with a broad smile on my face. 

And then I held my breath....

He liked it!  (you old folk will remember the Mikey commercials).   He said the pork really made the dish.  I might start making extra when I make pulled pork and freezing a bit for future salad nights.  My man likes a bit of protein with his greens.

I couldn't find watercress anywhere, so I went with arugula, which has a nice peppery bite to it.  I will try it with the watercress next time.

I'd taste the salad after mixing it to see if it needs a bit more dressing.  It's dressed pretty lightly, which some like, but Abe thought it could've used a smidge more.

Oh and another dinner done in 10 minutes or less.  Take that, long work commute.

I used Building Block #1 (pulled pork) in this recipe.

Mango, Pork and Watercress Salad

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup pulled pork
7 cups watercress (or arugula), 5 ounces
1 mango, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

In large salad bowl, whisk together lime juice and honey.  Whisk in olive oil; season with 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Add pork and toss.  Add watercress, mango, bell pepper and shallot; season with salt and pepper.   Toss, then sprinkle almonds on top.

20 Dinners, 1 Day- Spanish Rice with Shrimp

So, after a full afternoon of prep cooking, I was interested to see what the fruit of my labors would be.  I mean, supposedly, this was going to save me a ton of time during the week.  We'll see....

Um, dinner was done in 10 minutes.  And I think that was because I dragged it out since Abe had gone to shower after cutting the lawn, thinking he had plenty of time.  So, if it hadn't been for that, I think I would've been done in 5 minutes.  Abe even commented that dinner was finished in quicker time than it took him to clean up afterward.

Dinner, done, in 5-10 minutes?  Yes, please, sign me up.  And it was delicious.  Abe's not a shrimp fan, but he really liked it (ate 2 servings, plus the leftover off of Adam's plate... so that is a thumb's up).  So, if you're a seafood fan, you'll like it even more. 

It utilized 3 of the building blocks... rice pilaf (#5), roasted veggies (#3) and tomato sauce (#2).  Recipes in the intro..

Easy peasy (I know, only dorks say easy peasy.  I am comfortable with that).

 

Spanish Rice with Shrimp

4 cups Rice Pilaf

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb. peeled, devined shrimp

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cup Tomato Sauce

1 cup chopped Roasted Peppers

1/4 cup chopped black olives

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

4 lemon wedges

In a large skillet, heat pilaf in 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Transfer to bowl.  In same skillet, cook garlic, shrimp and paprika in remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Add tomato sauce and peppers and heat through.  Return pilaf to pan, stir in olives and cook 1 minute.  Serve with parsley and lemon wedges.

Twenty Dinners, One Day- The Prep Work

When I saw this plan in my Rachael Ray magazine this month, the butterflies of excitement started welling up.  20 meals, all cooked in 1 day?  That's a month of weekday dinners!  Both insanity and thrilling at the same time.  Well, about as insane and thrilling as cooking can be. 

It's not technically 20 dinners exactly, but in one day you do the major prep work for 20 meals to be made later.  It's simple.... you make the "building blocks" in one day, freeze them in small servings and then use them in various recipes that month.  Sort of like the articles in Cosmo where the headline is "20 Outfits from 5 pieces!" and they show you how you can put Shirt A with Top E, add a belt and it looks completely different than Skirt A with Top C.

Do people even still read Cosmo anymore?  You get my point, though.....

Today I did the prep work and I will tell you, plan on having an entire Saturday or Sunday available.  You won't be working the entire time, but you need to be near the kitchen to monitor stuff.  It does take a bit of organization and doing one thing on the stove top while another thing is cooking in the oven.  But overall, the process was pretty easy.

I won't list the entire group of recipes, but they include many different cultural flavors... including Mexican, Italian, Mediterranean and Asian.  Each recipe is a simple combination of the Building Blocks you made in that one day, pulled from the freezer that morning, with some extras from your pantry (or, as in my house, the shelves by the dryer) or from the store.  Most recipes are supposed to take around 20 minutes to make.

Now, wouldn't 1 month's worth of dinners done in around 20 minutes (some even less!) make that one Sunday where you cooked all day, while listening to your favorite tunes and drinking your favorite wine (or again, in my house, listening to your toddler ask what you're doing and if they can have yet another snack and drinking cold coffee that you put down somewhere and forgot about it)?

How I'm going to do this is this entry will be the Building Block recipes and tips on how to do it efficiently.  Then I will blog each of the 20 recipes, unless they are horrendous and don't deserve mention on this blog.  Each Building Block recipe will be labeled with a number, for easier reference when cooking later.

Here is a list of the recipes that will be created with the building blocks:

Spanish Rice with Shrimp (#2, 3 & 5)
Mango, Pork and Watercress Salad (#1)
Fusilli with Chicken and Tomato Sauce (#2 & 4)
Pork and Avocado Tacos (#1)
Butternut Squash and Spinach Strata (#3)
Easy Brunswick Stew (#1 & 2)
Veggie Flatbreads with Hummus (#3)
Lemon Chicken Frittata (#4 & 5)
Pulled Pork and Slaw Sandwiches (#1)
Creamy Chicken with Soft Polenta (#3 & 4)
Pork and Ginger Noodle Soup (#1)
Cheesy Spinach and Pepper Calzones (#2 & 3)
Pork Fried Rice (#1 & 5)
Swiss Chard with Bacon and Eggs (#3)
Roast Pork with Veggie Burritos (#1, 3 & 5)
Warm Chicken Salad (#4)
Pork Chilaquiles (#1 & 2)
Mediterranean Chicken Salad Pitas (#3 & 4)
Rigatoni with Apple and Squash (#3)
Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup(#4 & 5)

For each Building Block, you will need plenty of resealable sandwich bags and 2-gallon freezer bags.

Building Block #1- Pulled Pork
Makes about 15 cups
Prep- 15 minutes (plus standing)   Roast- 2 1/2 hours

2 boneless pork shoulder roasts (about 5 lbs each), cut into 2-to-3 inch chunks and excessive fat discarded (I used pork shoulder blade roast and just pulled bone out at end)

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 lemons, zested

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup white wine (optional)

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.  Place all of the pork in a large roasting pan.  Sprinkle with the garlic, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Toss well, massaging the garlic and zest into the meat.  Transfer half of the pork to a large rimmed baking sheet and place both the roasting pan and baking sheet in the oven.  Roast until the meat is browned on top, about 30 minutes.  Turn the pork chunks over and roast to brown the other side, 15 minutes.  Remove both pans from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

2. Using tongs, transfer the pork from the baking sheet to the pork in the roasting pan.  Pour the pan juices from the baking sheet over the pork and add the wine (if using).  Tightly cover the pan with foil.  Continue roasting the pork until nicely tender, about 1 hour, 45 minutes.  Meanwhile, wash and dry the baking sheet and set aside.

3. Let the pork cool for at least 15 minutes, then, using 2 forks, shred it a few pieces at at time.  As you work, transfer the shredded pork to the clean baking sheet and let cook completely.  Pour the juices into a bowl to cool.  Skim and discard the fat.

Freeze it!  Divide the pork into 1-cup portions and transfer to resealable sandwich bags.  Pour a bit of the pork juices into each, squeeze out the air and flatten.  Seal and store flat in 2-gallon freezer bags.


Building Block #2-  Tomato Sauce
Makes about 10 cups
Prep- 10 minutes  Cook- 2 1/2 hours

1/4 cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
6 oil-packed anchovy fillets, chopped (optional)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup red wine (2 cups for a more intense sauce)
4 cans (28 oz. each) or 3 cans (35 oz. each) crushed tomatoes (the recipe called for san marzano tomatoes, but I couldn't stomach paying the extra price.  If you can, go for it)
Salt

1.  In a 5-to-6 qt. heavy dutch oven (or pot), combine the olive oil, garlic, anchovies (if using) and crushed red pepper.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the garlic is golden and the anchovies fall apart, 3 to 4 minutes.  Pour in the wine, then add the tomatoes.  Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

2. Lower the heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and reduced by one-third, about 2 hours, 15 minutes.  Season with salt (and with a pinch of sugar if it needs some sweetness).  Let the sauce cool completely.

Freeze it!  Store in 1-and 2- cup containers. (You'll need at least two 1-cup containers)


Building Block #3- Roasted Vegetables
Makes about 16 cups
Prep- 25 minutes  Roast- 30 minutes

4 lbs. bell peppers (10-12 medium, in mixed colors), cut into 1-inch strips
2 large onions, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
5 tablespoon olive oil
1 large butternut squash (4 to 4 1/2 lbs.)- peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 8 cups)

1.  Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.  Combine the bell peppers and onions on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Sprinkle the garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper on top.  Toss with 3 tablespoon olive oil and spread evenly on the sheet.  Place in the lower third of the oven and cook for 10 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, place the butternut squash on another baking sheet.  Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss and spread evenly in the pan.  Once the peppers and onions have cooked for 10 minutes, add the squash to the upper third of the oven and roast, along with the peppers and onions, until fork-tender, 15 minutes.  Let the vegetables cool completely on their pans.

Freeze it!  Divide into 1-cup portions, keeping the peppers-onion mixture and the squash separate.  Transfer to resealable plastic sandwich bags.  Squeeze out the air and flatten the bags.  Seal and store flat in 2-gallon freezer bags.

Building Block #4:  Pulled Chicken
Makes about 12 cups
Prep-  15 minutes   Roast- 50 minutes

4 lbs. skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts
4 lbs. skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 lemons, cut into wedges
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment.  Place the chicken breasts on 1 sheet and the thighs on another.  Drizzle with the olive oil and squeeze the lemons on top (put squeezed lemons on sheet with chicken).  Sprinkle with the paprika and thyme and season with salt and pepper.  Roast until the skin is crisp and the juices run clear when the pieces are pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 45 to 50 minutes.  Let cool for 15 minutes.

2. Remove the chicken skin, then pull and cut the meat off of the bones.  Tear the meat into shreds.  (Save the bones, skin and juices to make a broth, if you want to.  My Rosemary Chicken recipe talks about how to make broth).

Freeze it!  Divide into 1 1/2 cup portions and transfer to resealable plastic sandwich bags.  Squeeze out the air and flatten the bags.  Seal and store flat in 2-gallon freezer bags.

Building Block #5-  Rice Pilaf
Makes 15 cups
Prep- 20 minutes  Cook- 50 minutes


3 tablespoon olive oil
3 onions, cut int 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 1/2 cups)
3 1/4 cups long-grain rice
2 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 bay leaves
16 ounce frozen peas

1.  In a 7- qt. pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring often, until golden and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.

2.  Add the rice and cook, stirring for 1 minute.  Add 2 1/4 cups water, the broth, bay leaves, 2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.  Stir, cover, lower the heat and simmer, undisturbed (really, don't peek!  You get sticky rice that way), until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork.  Quickly scatter the peas on top, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover and let cool completely, tossing once or twice.  Discard the bay leaves.

Freeze it!-  Divide into 1-cup portions and transfer to resealable plastic sandwich bag.  Squeeze out the air and flatten the bags.  Seal and store flat in 2-gallon bags.


Timeline for Prep Day

Pork- Preheat the oven and get the meat going.

Tomato Sauce- While the pork is in the oven, start the sauce so it can simmer at the same time.

Veggies-   Next up, vegetable prep.  Arrange the cut veggies on the baking sheets and as soon as the pork is out of the oven, increase the oven temp and pop them in.

Chicken-  Have all the ingredients ready.  If you need the baking sheets the vegetables are on, scrap the veggies onto a platter or cutting board to cool.  Simply line the sheets with parchment and get roasting.

Rice-  While the chicken cooks, make the pilaf.

And now you're all ready to make a whole month's worth of dinners!  Phew!  Reward yourself with a bowl of ice cream and the left over wine. 

Stay tuned for the first recipe of the menu-  Spanish Rice with Shrimp, using Building Blocks #2, 3 and 5.