January:Menu planning/one pot meals

Pasta
Red Beans and Rice
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Chicken Noodle Soup
Black Beans
Cheeseburgers
Snack Wraps


Pasta
Cook pasta according to package directions. We like bowtie or penne. And serve with your favorite sauce.
Red sauce:
In a large pot sauté one onion chopped and 3 minced garlic cloves in about 3 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add 1 lb of ground beef and cook until meat is no longer red. Add some basil and oregano and 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes. Add 2-3 cans crushed tomatoes and simmer. Kosher salt to taste.
White sauce:
In a large pot melt ½ c butter; add ½ pint heavy cream and 6 oz fresh grated parmesan cheese. Melt and stir on med-low heat. Add fresh ground sea salt and pepper to taste.
Pesto:
In blender combine about 3 oz fresh basil leaves, 6 oz fresh grated parmesan cheese, 3 minced garlic cloves, ½ c pine nuts. Blend on low while slowly adding olive oil. When it becomes a thick paste and all leaves are thoroughly blended add just about 1 tablespoon more olive oil.

Red Beans and Rice
2 T vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 t kosher salt
1 t pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
12 oz pickled pork, cut into 1 in pieces (recipe follows) 3 bay leaves
1 t thyme
1 t hot sauce
½ t cayenne pepper
2 quarts water
1 lb dry red kidney beans, rinsed and picked of debris
For Rice:
3 c water
1 ½ T butter
2 c rice
1 t kosher salt
Place the oil in a large pot over med-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 6-8 min. Add the garlic and cook 1-2 min, stirring constantly. Add the pork, bay leaves, thyme, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, water and beans to the pot and increase to high heat. Cook stirring frequently until boils. Decrease to simmer, cover and cook 1 ½ hours; stirring every 30 min. Uncover, increase the heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer and continue to cook another 30-40 min. Prepare the rice during the last 30 min.
Pickled Pork:
2 c water
1 c apple cider vinegar
¼ c kosher salt
6 crushed garlic cloves
2 T sugar
2 T mustard seed
2 T hot sauce
1 T celery seed
1 bay leaf
¼ t whole black peppercorns
8 oz ice
1 ½ lb fresh boneless pork butt, cut into 2 in cubes
Combine all except the ice and pork in a pot bring to boil over high heat. Simmer 3 min. Remove from heat, add the ice and stir. Place the pork into a 1 gallon Ziploc bag and add the cooled liquid. Remove as much air as possible; seal the bag and place in the fridge for at least 3 days, turning the bag occasionally. Use within 2 weeks or remove the pork from the brine and freeze. Note: it is usually hard to find a small pork butt roast, so I buy an 8-10 lb roast and cut off approximately 1 ½ lb and save the rest for pulled pork sandwiches.

Chicken Noodle Soup
Boil a whole chicken with cut up onions, celery, carrots, bay leaf and garlic to make a stock.
Remove chicken from bones and discard. Add meat back to the stock and add more water and chicken bouillon to the stock. Simmer. To make the noodles:
In a large bowl combine 3-5 eggs, beaten and enough flour to form a ball. Roll out on a floured surface until very thin. Using a pizza slicer, cut into very thin strips and add to the soup. Turn up the heat to a boil. The noodles will expand as they cook. Season with salt and pepper.

Snack Wraps
Tyson crispy chicken strips
Tortillas
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Onions
Ranch or bbq sauce
Cheddar cheese
Cook chicken according to directions and then slice into smaller strips. Warm tortillas and wrap up with desired toppings. Serve.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Using the leftover pork butt roast from the Red Beans and Rice meal, add plenty of water and the roast to the crock pot on high for several hours. Shred the pork, discarding the fat, and add a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce. Heat thoroughly. Serve on Kaiser buns.


Black Beans
Prepare black beans as you would for Black Bean Soup, using a little less water. Serve over brown rice, top with cheddar cheese and Pico de Gallo.