Jenn’s Cook Book

Here is a quick recipe that works for one or more! Bright lemon mixes with dill and whole wheat pasta for a great weeknight dish. Adjust the recipe for the number of servings you would like.

whole wheat pasta
salt and pepper
1 lemon
olive oil
fresh snipped dill, or dried dill
parmesan cheese

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Measure the number of pasta servings and cook to package directions. Drain pasta and seperate into bowls.

Into each bowl, add 1 tsp olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, 1 tsp fresh dill or 1/4 tsp dried dill, 1 tbsp parmensan cheese, and fresh ground black pepper. Grate a little lemon zest on top of each bowl. Toss well and serve!

Shown below, with whole wheat angel hair pasta:

This simple and delicious recipe is a Jenn Original! Use pre-sliced mushrooms or buy whole and slice your own.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large pkg (8 oz) mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 cup water or white wine

Over medium heat, warm oil in a large skillet. Trim fat off of chicken and pound chicken to an even thickness. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.

Add chicken to warmed skillet and brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.

Add butter and sliced mushrooms to skillet, scraping the bottom of the pan. Saute for 5 minutes and add tarragon and water (or wine, if using).

Return chicken to pan, along with any accumulated juices on the plate. Cook until chicken is done and no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.

Serve chicken with mushrooms and sauce on top.

 Shown below, with brown rice and vegetables:

Here is a hearty dinner dish with a kick of spicy flavor. This recipe uses the Spicy Paprika Rub from Everyday Food with ground beef and boxed Velveeta shells and cheese. You could also use ground chuck or sirloin, and pick the meat/fat ratio you like best (I used 94/6).

1 lb ground beef
3 tsp Spicy Paprika Rub
1 family-size pkg of Velveeta Shells ‘n Cheese boxed dinner

Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add shells and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Meanwhile, brown beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Once beef is no longer pink, add Spicy Paprika Rub (drain beef first if desired). Saute for 3-5 additional minutes.

Add shells to beef and pour cheese pouch over dish. Mix well, combining beef with shells and cheese (to warm the pouch, place on a non-burner part of the stove while everything else cooks).

Serve immediately.

Shown below, with Apples Roasted with Root Vegetables:

From www.dianeskitchen.com, this recipes uses garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, and red pepper to create a tasty sauce for boneless pork chops. Both the pork chops and the sauce are super easy to make.

4 boneless pork chops, about 1 1/2 lbs
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

Sauce:
2 tsp oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp ground cayenne (red) pepper
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cold water

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat, add pork chops and brown on both sides. Add more oil if needed. Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn.

Meanwhile, combine remaining oil, broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper. Pour over pork chops. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until pork chops are cooked through.

Remove pork chops and set aside on a serving plate. Whisk cornstarch and cold water together and add to sauce. Scrap the bottom of the pan to include any browned bits. Cook until thickened. Pour sauce over pork chops and serve.

Shown below with Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pears:

From Cooking Light magazine, here is a great way to spice up chicken breast without adding fat to your dinner.

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp dark sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp five-spice powder
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders

Preheat broiler

While broiler heats, combine hoisin, honey, vinegar, and oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Combine cornstarch and water, add to hoisin mixture, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, and remove from heat.

Combine salt and next 4 ingredients (through five-spice powder) and rub evenly over both sides of chicken. Coat broiler pan with cooking spray and arrange chicken in an even layer. Broil 5 minutes, then brush with hoisin mixture and broil another 4 minutes. Turn chicken and brush with remaining hoisin mixture, broil 4 minutes or until done.

Serve with heated hoisin sauce on the side, if desired.

From Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, a tasty dish perfect for a weeknight dinner. This recipe calls for trimmed boneless steak and you can either cut it yourself or look for pre-cut beef strips meant for stir-fry to save some time. Serve with rice of your choose, such as plain white, brown, or flavored such as Vigo’s Yellow Saffron Rice. This one is being added as one of James’ favorite.

3 oranges
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 lbs trimmed, boneless sirloin or rib-eye steak, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 to 2 tbsp oil
6 green onions, green parts only, cut into 1 inch pieces
rice, for serving

In a small bowl, finely grate the zest of one orange and squeeze the juice. Add minced garlic and soy sauce and mix.

With a sharp paring knife, peel the remaining 2 oranges. Slice the oranges crosswise 1/2 inch thick and halve the slices. Remove any seeds.

In a medium bowl, toss the meat with the cornstarch until coated. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Working in batches (adding more oil as needed), brown the beef on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Pour the orange juice mixture into the skillet and boil until syrupy, about 1 minute. Return beef to the skillet and add the orange slices and green onions. Toss until well coated and heated through. Serve hot, over rice.

Shown below, with yellow rice and Indian-Style Asparagus:

This recipe originally appears as Onion-Apple Glazed Pork Tenderloin from the Lipton cook book, and here is my updated version. I added fresh onion and sage, instead of the soup mixture, and also added lots and lots of mushrooms. As apples come in season, I will probably add some fresh apples instead of using juice.

1 (1 1/2 to 2 lb) pork tenderloin
2 tbsp olive oil
ground black pepper
2 pkg (8 oz each) whole mushrooms, rinsed
1-2 sprigs fresh sage
1/2 yellow or Vidalia onion, roughly chopped
1 cup apple juice

Preheat oven to 425F

In a small roasting pan, arrange pork. Season with pepper and rub with 1 tbsp oil. Arrange mushrooms around pork and drizzle with remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and toss. Sprinkle with sage leaves and chopped onions. Roast uncovered for 15 minutes.

Add apple juice to pan, pouring over pork and mushrooms. Cook an additional 10-15 minutes, until pork is done. Serve with drizzle of juice from pan.

This recipe originally was called “Pre-Game Paella” from Campbell’s kitchen and includes shrimp, turkey kielbasa, and chicken. I substituted some fresh vegetables for the chicken, but you could also go vegetarian in this dish by using beans, eggplant, or another hearty vegetable in the dish. And, as promised, here is Recipe #4 for Turmeric-mania!

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
4 cups (32 oz) heated chicken broth
1 cup chunky salsa or picante sauce
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 pkg (16 oz) turkey or pork kielbasa
1 pkg (12 oz) frozen shelled and deveined small cooked shrimp, thawed
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen or refrigerated cooked chicken breast strips

Heat oil in a 12 inch or larger skillet. Add rice and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, salsa, and turmeric and heat to a boil. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes.

Stir in kielbasa, shrimp, and chicken. Cover skillet and cook until rice is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes.

Seen below, with a vegetable medley replacing chicken breast strips:

Here is my first attempt at cooking a pork tenderloin. The recipe I used comes from Lipton Recipe Secrets Soup Mix Magic cook book. I added mushrooms to this recipe and roasted them right along with the pork, and were they ever tasty! I saved the leftover pan gravy to use as a marinade for more mushrooms.  

1 (1 1/2 - 2 lb) boneless pork tenderloin
ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix
1/2 cup apple juice
2 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup dry red wine (or water)
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 package whole mushrooms (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F

In a small roasting pan or baking pan, arrange pork. Season with pepper and rub with 1 tbsp olive oil. If using, rinse mushrooms in lukewarm water and arrange around tenderloin. Add more oil if needed to prevent burning. Roast uncovered 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine remaining 1 tbsp olive oil with soup mix, apple juice, and brown sugar. Pour over pork and mushrooms, continue roasting 10 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove pork and mushrooms to serving platter and cover with aluminum foil.

Place roasting pan over medium-high heat and bring pan juices to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Stir in water, wine, and flour. Boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute or until thickened.

To serve, thinly slice pork and drizzle with gravy.

Shown below, with mushrooms:

Here is Turmeric-Mania Recipe #3, also from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast. “Curries can be quite mild or extremely spicy. It all depends on the type of curry powder that is used to make them - and how much is added. Feel free to adjust the recipe according to your own taste.” I served this dish with Coconut-Ginger Rice and raisins.

2 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each)
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp curry powder (mild, medium, or hot)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 lb small red potatoes, cut into 1/2 in chunks
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, preferably “zesty” flavored (do not drain)

suggested accompaniments:
rice
plain yogurt
raisins
toasted almonds
store-bought mango chutney

Place flour on a plate. Dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off excess. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a bowl and set aside.

Heat remaining 2 tsp olive oil in the same skillet. Cook onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and salt, cook for 1 more minute.

Add potatoes and 1 cup water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender but still offer slight resistance when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice and 1/4 cup water.

Return chicken to skillet along with any juices in the bowl, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot with desired accompaniments on the side.

Shown below, served over Coconut-Ginger Rice and sprinkled with raisins. The slightly sweet flavor of the rice and raisins compliments this dish well. The potatoes, onion, and garlic used were all from the Farmer’s Market: