What's For Dinner This Week?

I don't know if I ever mentioned how much I love Fall. People, I love Fall.

Seriously, I have a love affair with the season. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside to light pumpkin scented candles and wear jeans and sweaters. I love to snuggle into bed at night and finally need my blanket!

I also love the foods that become appropriate to eat in the Fall. Saturday I'm planning to make my famous Chili (recipe below). I'm hoping that I'll be able to talk some of D's friends into coming over and eating it so I don't eat it all week long! Here's the menu for the week:

Monday: We had Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Tuesday: Chez Lorraine Baked Salmon and Garlic Broccoli Spears
Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner
Thursday: Fajitas
Friday: Mexican Chicken and Black Bean Salad
Saturday: Chili and Cornbread
Sunday: Left overs

Here are a few of the recipes from this week.


Chez Lorraine Baked Salmon

4 salmon steaks
4 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dill weed
1 lemon, sliced

1. Place each salmon steak on a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap it. Pour lemon juice over each steak, sprinkle with dill, arrange lemon slice on top.

2. Seal each steak in its aluminum pouch. Put the aluminum-sealed steaks in a Pyrex dish and bake at 350 degrees for thirty minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.


My Chili Recipe
(This is a recipe that I adapted from a chili recipe I found on AllRecipes.com. The original can be found here. Note that mine tastes a lot different than the original.)

2 pounds lean ground turkey
3/4 can tomato juice
1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1/2 can chipotle peppers, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 c chili powder (sometimes I use more, just depends on how it tastes after its all mixed together)

1. Place ground turkey in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain and crumble.

2. In a large pot over high heat combine the ground turkey, tomato juice, tomato sauce, pinto beans, kidney beans, onions, bell pepper, chipotles, crushed tomatoes, cayenne pepper, sugar, oregano, pepper, salt, cumin and chili powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.