What's for dinner?

Here's another list of meals for the Miller Family.  No pictures to tease your taste buds.

Chicken Parmesan Meatball Subs (Rachael Ray)

Pork Chops with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce and herbed rice (Betty Crocker)

Latin Style Black Bean Soup with Peruvian Style Chimichurri rice with Vegetables (Trader Joe's)


Chicken Parmesan Meatball Subs (Rachael Ray)
Aubrey LOVES these, and they aren't too salty.  Perfect for a lunch party or to save in the freezer.
Serves 6-ish.

Adapted from Rachael Ray:
Meatballs
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (I ground mine in my mini-food processor)
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (such as McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning or Santa Maria Style)
1 large egg
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
A handful of chopped parsley leaves
Disposable rubber gloves (optional)

Sauce
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for liberal drizzling
2 large cloves garlic, cracked from skin and split
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (a healthy couple of pinches)
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, (28 ounces)
1 cup chicken stock (I use 1 tsp "Better than Bouillon in1 cup water)
Salt and pepper

8-10 leaves fresh basil, torn or shredded
4 broiled 6-8-inch sub rolls
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone cheese (or sliced Mozzarella)

Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.

Place chicken in a bowl and add all ingredients under "Meatballs". Mix the meat ( wear disposable rubber gloves) and form into balls.  (Rachael Ray says 12 large meatballs, but don't make the balls wider than your bread...mine are smaller and more like 24.) Slightly push the balls so that they have a flat bottom.

Bake the meatballs 15 minutes until golden and firm. Switch the broiler on.

While the meatballs bake, heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  (Puree tomatoes in the blender for a smooth sauce.) Add ingredients under "Sauce". Simmer 10 minutes, adjust seasonings and stir in the basil. Reserve a extra sauce for dipping on dinner table.

Remove the meat from oven and loosen with a thin spatula. Turn meat balls in sauce.

Broil bread halves.  Then build your sub.


Pork Chops with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce and rice (Betty Crocker)
The Chipotle sauce was a little zippy for me, but it was still really good.  Would be good with Risotto instead of white rice.  I doubled the sauce and used 4 medium chilies in adobo sauce.

4 pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick (I had to cut mine)
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper (or Santa Maria Style seasoning)
White rice (or your favorite packaged rice or couscous)

Raspberry-Chipotle Sauce
1/3 cup all-fruit raspberry spread (like raspberry jam)
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon raspberry-flavored vinegar
1 large or 2 small chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped (from 7-oz can) USE GLOVES or don't touch the chilies with your hands when removing the seeds

Sprinkle pork with garlic pepper. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork to oil. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until pork is no longer pink and meat thermometer inserted in center reads 145°F. Remove from skillet to serving platter (reserve pork drippings); keep warm.  (I cook mine on the George Foreman for 6-8 minutes.)

Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir raspberry spread, water, vinegar and chile; heat in sauce pan; set aside.

Make rice as directed on package (in rice cooker)

Serve pork chops with sauce and rice.


Latin Style Black Bean Soup with Peruvian Style Chimichurri rice with Vegetables (Trader Joe's)
Easiest meal of the week.  Dump and go.  Served with the left over pork chops from the above recipe.  A little salty for my taste, but that's what happens with "pre-packaged" meals.

Latin Style Black Bean Soup (32 oz) from Trader Joe's
Peruvian Style Chimichurri Rice with Vegetables (16 oz frozen section at Trader Joe's)
Naan bread

That's it.  Dump the soup and chimichurri mixture together in sauce pan and heat up.  Add small bits of left over pork.  Done.  Makes about 8 servings.