Almond Crusted Chicken Cutlets with Scallion Beurre Blanc

Source
Rachael Ray 30 minute meals - click here for the recipe.

My Review
The chicken was very good, as was the sauce. The only problem is the amount of butter and cream in use. There's no way this could be a monthly recipe due to that factor alone. I served it with rice and roasted red peppers (which turned out awful because they were too old).

Taste: Good
Ease: Easy
Ingredients: Minimal
Time: 30 minutes
Fresh herbs needed: None

Marinated Lamb Chops

Source
Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger (Food Network website) - click here for the recipe.

My Review
D and I were not fans of this marinade. It was too lemon-y and the flavors don't go well with lamb chops. Next time, I'll just do a Dijon mustard and brown sugar coating.

Taste: Sub par
Ease: Easy
Ingredients: Minimal
Time: 60 minutes
Fresh herbs needed: None

Zuppa Ossa Buco

Source
Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals - click here for the recipe.

My Review
I struggled with this one since it calls for ground veal. I haven't eaten veal in probably about 4-5 years - maybe more. Anyway, in the end I decided that I would always wonder if the veal version is much better than a turkey version, so I made it with veal this time. Next time, I'll make it with ground turkey. Both D and I liked this recipe in terms of taste; however, I think it's, at most, a once every 2 months meal. Lots of flavor. The gremolata (which consisted of garlic, lemon zest, Italian parsley, and anchovies) definitely gave this "stoop" (that's what Rachael Ray calls something half way between a soup and a stew) a burst of flavor, so I wouldn't leave out the anchovies even though I'm not a fan of them. They get chopped up very fine and only a bit is added, so it's not a fishy flavor at all.

Edit: This stoop is actually better as a left over. Yum!

1/6/07: Just made this again. I couldn't find anchovies, so I used sardines. I forgot to buy celery, so I doubled the amount of carrots, put in a little more white wine than was called for, and used ground turkey instead of ground veal. It was absolutely delicious!

Taste: Very good
Ease: Easy
Ingredients: Medium
Time: 30 minutes
Fresh herbs needed: Italian parsley

Week of 8/28 - 8/31

I'm trying to force myself to branch out in my recipe selection, so this week's come from a variety of sources.

• Almond Crusted Chicken Cutlets with Scallion Beurre Blanc (new)
• Zuppa Ossa Buco (new)
• Marinated Lamb Chops (new) & Cheesy Zucchini and Red Onion Flatbread (new)
• Sweet Pea Risotto with Corn Broth (new)

Not sure what order I'll attack them, but it seems like a nice variety of dishes to try.

Skillet Lasagna

Source
The Washington Post - click here for the recipe.

My Review
This is a repeat recipe I've made three or four times now. This time, I used ground beef rather than chicken sausage. To be honest, I can't really tell the difference. Both taste very good. D loves this recipe. Even though it's a 45 minute recipe, it's quite easy and make for good leftovers. I've made it without the fresh Italian parsley and it turns out well, too.

Taste: Very good
Ease: Easy
Ingredients: Medium
Time: 45 minutes
Fresh herbs needed: Italian parsley

Orange-Glazed Barbecued Chicken

Source
The Washington Post - click here for the recipe.

My Review
D was not overly fond of this dish; I suppose I wasn't either, but it was fairly easy, so that always makes it taste a bit better to me. It's just chicken with an easy marinade and brining the chicken in salt, OJ, and red pepper flakes before grilling. I probably won't do this one again.

Taste: OK
Ease: Easy
Ingredients: Minimal
Time: 45 minutes
Fresh herbs needed: None

Spaghetti alla Fantasia

Source
The Washington Post - click here for the recipe.

My Review
This dish was good, but it could have used a little more umph. I couldn't quite place it, but maybe a burst of sweetness or of spice would brighten it up a bit. Nonetheless, it was good and easy to make. You could easily substitute another cheese for the Gorgonzola (as noted in the instructions of the recipe itself). Also, I used bow-tie pasta (farfalle) instead of spaghetti because that's what I had onhand.

Taste: Good
Ease: Easy
Ingredients: Minimal
Time: 30 minutes
Fresh herbs needed: Basil

Cheese 'n' Crackers 'n' Chicken

Source
The Washington Post - click here for the recipe.

My Review
I think this might be a good recipe to make for children. It's rather bland and pedestrian, however, it was very easy. The recipe itself calls for cooking the chicken in a skillet, which I did last night. This doesn't quite work since the cheese and crackers mixture falls off the chicken fairly easily if you are not extremely careful when turning or moving the chicken at all. I had leftovers and decided to bake that chicken. This works much better in terms of looks, though it doesn't taste as good.

Taste: OK
Ease: Easy
Ingredients: Minimal
Time: 30 minutes
Fresh herbs needed: None

Turkey Feta Burgers

Source
The Washington Post - click here for the recipe.

My Review
D very much enjoyed these burgers. The recipe makes 6 burgers. Side dish of just mixed vegetables was sufficient. They're also quite good heated up. I just put the buns in the toaster intead of broiling them as recommended in the recipe. Also, the recipe calls for hard rolls which I think would be too hard given the softness of the burger; I just used regular hamburger buns (whole wheat). Instead of mayo, I prefer a little applesauce on top; D preferred the mayo. I used mint vs. basil.

Taste: Very good
Ease: Easy
Ingredients: Minimal
Time: 30 minutes
Fresh herbs needed: Mint or basil

Week of 8/21 - 8/25

I selected all of my menus for this week from The Washington Post site since I've had good luck with past recipes from this site:

• Turkey Feta Burgers (new)
• Cheese 'n' Crackers 'n' Chicken (new)
• Spaghetti alla Fantasia (new)
• Orange-Glazed Barbecued Chicken (new)