Tag Archives | reincarnate the leftover

Chicken Lettuce Wraps At Home

By on May 25, 2011 in Making Dinner

Chicken Lettuce Wraps are probably my most favorite meal during the warm months.  For years I enjoyed these carb-less entrees only at restaurants until I created a recipe to make it simple to cook at home.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps by The Organized Cook

Chicken Lettuce Wraps by The Organized Cook

 

Not only was I able to create an easy recipe, I was also able to incorporate it into my Weekly Meal Plan System.  For subscribers to The Organized Cook, this is what’s on the menu this week.

I will admit it took me about a half dozen times to get the sauce right.  Too much rice wine vinegar can spoil a perfectly good chicken lettuce wrap.

Here’s the brilliant thing.  For my Asian Noodle Soup to serve alongside this easy dish, I used leftover cooked spaghetti.  This soup doesn’t look “leftover” to you, does it?  Of course not!  It’s been “reincarnated”.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps in The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System

Chicken Lettuce Wraps in The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System

The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan

 

Email this to a Friend Email this to a Friend
Comments { 0 }

Who Doesn’t Love Fried Chicken?

By on May 17, 2011 in Making Dinner

Well- besides my vegan friend- who doesn’t love fried chicken?

For subscribers to The Organized Cook, Ranch Fried Chicken is what’s on the menu this week and it’s a family favorite for me.

Ranch Fried Chicken by The Organized Cook

Ranch Fried Chicken by The Organized Cook

Doing something as simple as adding ranch dressing mix to the flour coating can make a classic meal like fried chicken something to talk about.  This week’s menu is all about the classics:

The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan

Kid Favorites

This week’s menu is both healthy and kid friendly with items like fried chicken, quesadillas and pot pie.  Making dinnertime fun for kids is the trick I find to help get them out of ruts.  Dress up chili with bowls of fun things for them to garnish:

Kid Friendly Chili by The Organized Cook

Kid Friendly Chili

Shredded Cheese The Organized Cook

Garnish Chili with Shredded Cheese

Goldfish Crackers The Organized Cook

Whole Grain Goldfish Crackers

 

And, for all you vegetarians out there…. stuffed pasta shells.

Helping Hands In The Kitchen

Stuffed Pasta Shells is another perfect meal that’s easy for kids to help.  My girls love to help me in the kitchen, and sometimes it feels like more work finding something for them to do.  At 7 and 5-years old, stuffing pasta shells with cheese mixture is easy and fun.  I enjoy sharing my passion for cooking with them.

Stuffed Pasta Shell by The Organized Cook

Stuffed Pasta Shell by The Organized Cook

Stuffed Pasta Shell by The Organized Cook

Stuffed Pasta Shell by The Organized Cook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reincarnating The Leftover

What to do…. what to do… with that leftover fried chicken.  Using a simple technique I like to call “reincarnating the leftover“, that leftover Ranch Fried Chicken- with a little help from my good friend, frozen puff pastry- is now reincarnated into Chicken Pot Pie.  Every time I say or hear “chicken pot pie”, I either hear that chicken from the movie Chicken Run say (in Brittish accent), “I don’t want to be a pie.”  Or, I (depending on who is around) immediately say, “chicken pot pie and I don’t care”…. I’m not sure why, but I can’t help it.

Chicken Pot Pie by The Organized Cook

Chicken Pot Pie by The Organized Cook

Saving Money on Family Dinners

This week’s Weekly Meal Plan will only cost you about $90 in groceries- that’s without sales or coupons.  I would love to hear back from my readers who cooked this week’s menu about how much they spent on groceries with this week’s shopping list.  Just leave a comment below, or email me at toni@tonispilsbury.com, or on Facebook.

 

Subscribe to The Organized Cook

It’s not too late to get this week’s Weekly Meal Plan.  Subscribe now to The Organized Cook.  Remember, you can cancel at any time, but you won’t want to- it’s that good.

The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan

 

 

Email this to a Friend Email this to a Friend
Comments { 0 }

Tortellini Soup and Spinach Gorgonzola Chicken Pizza

By on April 25, 2011 in Making Dinner

Tortellini Soup and Spinach Gorgonzola Chicken Pizza may just be one of the simplest… yet tastiest recipes on the menu from The Organized Cook.

Tortellini Soup with Spinach Chicken Gorgonzola Pizza

Tortellini Soup with Spinach Chicken Gorgonzola Pizza

The meal is also a perfect example of a cooking technique from my upcoming book that I like to call “reincarnating the leftover“.

Let’s face it, as a busy mom of four, by the end of the week I start to run our of steam… and new ideas for dinner.

Balsamic Chicken with Pear Walnut Gorgonzola Salad

Balsamic Chicken with Pear Walnut Gorgonzola Salad

However, using my cooking technique, this dinner only takes about 10 minutes to prepare from my family-favorite Weekly Meal Plans.

By simply cooking and storing extra Italian sausage on Monday, along with extra chicken from Wednesday’s Balsamic Chicken and remaining Gorgonzola cheese, and leftover Tomato Soup (pizza sauce); this meal really is the ultimate “reincarnated” dinner!  But it tastes anything but- it’s always a favorite for friends and family.

By the time Friday rolls around, I simply assemble all of these prepared ingredients and have dinner ready in minutes.

 

Now, how’s that for a “10-minute meal”?

The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System

 

 

Email this to a Friend Email this to a Friend
Comments { 0 }

From Herb Baked Salmon to Salmon Salad Croissant

By on April 6, 2011 in Making Dinner

So what’s on the menu this week at The Organized Cook?  My Herb Baked Salmon is one of my easiest recipes and one of the simplest meals I make, but it tastes like I spent a lot of time cooking it.  By simply mixing together a marinade, in the morning, of olive oil, melted butter and garlic and pouring it over salmon fillets topped with lemon slices and dried dill; I leave it in the refrigerator to marinate all day.  So, when it’s time for dinner, 35 minutes in the oven gives my family this healthy, gourmet dinner.

Weekly menu planning for family dinners is- no doubt- the best approach in saving money on your grocery bill and saving time in the kitchen.  The Organized Cook takes menu planning a few steps further by integrating additional methods in our Weekly Meal Plan System.

 

Salmon Salad Croissant

Salmon Salad Croissant

So, what makes this recipe so unique?  A method I refer to as reincarnating the leftover.  If I’m going to take the time to cook this delicious salmon dinner, why not throw in a few extra salmon fillets to store afterwards as leftovers.  Then, a day or two later, I simply flake the salmon, add some minced shallots, capers, dried dill and mayonnaise for…. Salmon Salad Croissant Sandwiches, served with a Bacon Spinach Salad for a super easy- and healthy- dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Email this to a Friend Email this to a Friend
Comments { 0 }