Week 1: Herbed Chicken in Tomato Sauce

Herbed Chicken in Tomato Sauce

with Caesar's Pasta and Fresh Zucchini

Ingredients

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 T. butter

8-10 fresh mushrooms

2 cloves garlic

1 8-oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 t. each basil and oregano

1/4 c. light sour cream

Caesar's Pasta

2 9-oz. packages fresh angel hair pasta

3 T. light sour cream

3 T. Caesar salad dressing

Vegetable Side Dish

4 zucchini

butter

salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fill a large pot with water and begin to heat for pasta.

2. For chicken entree: arrange 8 individual breasts in a 9 X 13-inch glass baking dish. Melt 3 T. butter and drizzle over chicken. Bake uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

3. For vegetable, trim ends off of zucchini and cut in 1/4" slices. Place slices in a small microwavable baking dish.

4. Slice mushrooms and remove skin from garlic.

5. In a saute pan, melt 1 T. butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sliced mushrooms and cook for only 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato sauce, basil, and oregano and simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add light sour cream.

6. For pasta, mix light sour cream and Caesar salad dressing in a small bowl. Set aside.

7. Drain liquid from chicken breasts and spoon tomato-mushroom sauce on top. Return chicken breasts to oven, reduce heat to 350 and bake for 15 minutes or until done.

8. Place zucchini in microwave and cook on high for 7 minutes.

9. Place fresh pasta in boiling water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until done. Remove pasta from heat and drain in a colander. Toss with sauce mixture.

10. Remove zucchini and season to taste with butter, salt and pepper. 

11. Remove chicken breasts from oven and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings. 

Protein.............25%

Carbohydrate...40%

Fat...................35%



Week 1: Chicken Pasta Italiano

Chicken Pasta Italiano

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 lb. lean bacon
4 lg. tomatoes
8 cloves of garlic
1/4 c. chicken broth
2 T. sherry
1 1/2 T. EACH Basil, Oregano, Thyme & Marjoram
1/8 T. Crushed Red pepper
2 9 oz. packages fresh spaghetti
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 lg. bunch grapes
8-12 bread sticks

1. For chicken entree: prepare ingredients * cut chicken into this slices, then into 1" pieces. * Cut tomatoes in half and squeeze to remove seeds; chop into small chunks. * Trim ends and skin from garlic.

2. For fruit: wash grapes and separate into clusters, place in a serving dish.

3. For pasta: fill a large pot with water and salt and begin to heat.

4. In a wide frying pan, cook bacon over high heat until crisp. Lift out, drain and crumble, then set aside. Keep the drippings. Press garlic into the pan with the bacon drippings and add the chicken. Cook stirring for about 4 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. remove chicken pieces from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside with the bacon.

5. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, sherry, basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram and red pepper to pan, cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Place fresh spaghetti in boiling water and cook about 2 minutes until done.

8. Meanwhile, return chicken to tomato mixture, lower heat, and stir until heated through.

9. Remove pasta from heat and drain in colander. Spoon chicken tomato sauce over individual servings of spaghetti, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and top with crumbled bacon. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Table Talk!

Scan the newspaper or the Internet for articles that interest you. What is the pulse of public opinion in your family about some of the more pressing issues of the day? Find out by having your own "op-ed" session. Skim the editorial page of your newspaper for subject matter (recycling, energy, conservation, teacher's pay, etc.) and bring some of the most interesting topics to the table. Take turns offering a commentary on the subject. Remember to begin with a headline that summarizes the piece. Then read the newspaper out loud, so people can compare their ideas with those of the pundits.

Week 1 Shopping List

I checked this book out from the library a few years ago and have been loving these ideas and recipes ever since. For each week, there are five dinner ideas, a shopping list and the recipes to go along with them. It makes, "What's for dinner?" an easy question to answer.

Week 1 shopping list:

1 1/2 lb. flank steak
1/2 lb. bacon
16 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lb. cooked baby shrimp

Parmesan cheese
butter
eggs
milk
1 pint light sour cream
1 package bread sticks
2 9 oz. packages fresh spaghetti
linguini
anger hair pasta
Caesar salad dressing
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 16 oz. can corn
1 141/2 oz. can tomato pieces
2 14 1/2 oz. can chicken broth

2 cloves garlic
1 lg. onion
2 heads lettuce, romaine
4 large tomatoes
1 bunch green onions
1 lg. bunch broccoli
1 green pepper
8-10 mushrooms
4 zucchini
1/2 lb. snow peas
1 lg. bunch grapes
3 oranges
1 sm. bunch bananas
1 apple

french bread

check pantry for:
basil
chicken bouillon
crushed red pepper
garlic powder
ground ginger
honey
marjoram
olive oil
oregano
rice
salad dressing
salt
sherry
thyme
vegetable oil
vinegar

Week 1 Menu

Week 1 Menu

Chicken Pasta Italiano

w/ Bread Sticks & Grape Clusters

*

Marinated Flank Steak

w/ Fresh Broccoli, Green Salad & French Bread 



*

Herbed Chicken in Tomato Sauce

w/ Caesar's Pasta & Fresh Linguini and Green Salad

*

Stir Fried Shrimp with Linguini

and Green Salad

*

Baseball Casserole

& Fruit Salad