Skillet Orange Mustard Pork Chops - Shiela

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6 boneless pork loin steaks
3/4 cup orange juice
1 1/8 teaspoon cornstarch
4 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
3 tablespoons honey

1. In non-stick skillet, brown chops on one side over medium-high heat; turn chops. 2. Stir together remaining ingredients in a small bowl to dissolve cornstarch. Pour over pork chops in skillet.3. Lower heat; simmer covered for 6-8 minutes. Serve.(Note: I skipped the first step, so if you'd like yours browned take them out of the sauce to brown and then pour the sauce over them and simmer.)

Orange Rice
4 cups water
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups uncooked white rice
4 teaspoons orange juice

1. Combine water, 1/2 cup juice, orange rind and salt (2 of 3 sauce packet) in a saucepan.2. Bring to Boil.3. Add rice (3 of 3).4. Reduce heat and simmer, cover, for 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.5. Drizzle 2 teaspoons juice over rice, stir well before serving.

Included in this meal:
1-Orange Mustard Pork
2-Orange Rice Sauce
3-White Rice

Recent Changes

Hi everyone, there was a meeting called recently which I know everyone wasn't able to attend. We're going to try a few things. Here are the changes.

1. We're only going to exchange once every other month. So we'll exchange in July and skip August.

2. For July, there are only 8 sooooo... keep talking about it so we can get our numbers up to ten before September.

3. We're going to try and serve a little healthier meals... which translated for me into concentrating on homemade and using brown rice instead of white rice, etc. (don't stress though..e-mail me if you have questions.)

4. Also, we've upped the budget amount a little. So for August, even though there will be only 8 families, the budget is still $75.

5. If you have leftover money, instead of a filler side, think about adding more meat or veggies to make the meal more substantial.

Okay, so the regular dinner club has been working for me and a lot of other people for years, but it's our club so we can make whatever rules we want as long as it works for everybody. I think the general concensus is that we'll try this out for an exchange or two and then meet again to see how everyone is feeling about the changes. Keep in mind that the dinner club may not be for everyone, and even I find myself wanting to take a break sometimes for whatever reason so don't feel bad if you need to drop out or take a break or even need to vent a little. Let's just do our best to make this work because it really does save me (and I've heard it saves a lot of you guys too). Just make sure to either find a sub or let us know on the day we exchange that it'll be your last so we can have enough time for a replacement. I think that's it. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, Rachel

Montreal Steak Hamburgers - Sheena

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1 1/2 lb of hamburger
1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Garlic salt

Throw frozen hamburgers right on grill and cook until brown all the way through
Included in this meal:

1. Hamburgers
2. Buns
3. Cheese
4. Steak fries

Beef and Cheese Quesadillas - Alyson

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This recipe is from the Girlfriends on the Go. You will need to add the cheese to the meat mixture I did not just in case the cheese separates:)

1pound ground beef
1/2 c chopped onion
3/4 c chunky salsa
2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese
10-12 flour tortillas

Brown ground beef with onion. Drain. Mix in salsa and cheese. Spoon 1/2 c meat mixture on one half of tortilla. Fold tortilla in half to close. Arrange quesadillas on baking sheet. Lightly spray tops of tortillas with cooking spray. Bake at 450 for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.

This meal included:
Gallon baggie of meat and salsa mixtures
Small baggie of shredded cheese
Gallon baggie of tortillas

Pulled Pork - Tammy

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Honey Glazed Chicken - Jen

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2 lbs of diced uncooked chicken breast
1/3 cup flour (I use half wheat)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
4 TB butter (divided)
1/4 cup honey
3 TB lemon juice
2 TB soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger (I always leave that out. We hate ginger!)

Heat oven to 350°. In a shallow dish combine the flower and seasonings. Dip each piece of chicken in flour mixture and coat evenly.
Melt 2 TB butter in a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350° degrees.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt remaining butter and add honey, lemon juice, soy sauce and ginger.
After chicken has baked the 30 minutes, turn each piece over and pour sauce mixture evenly over chicken. Bake another 30 to 40 minutes basting frequently. Serve over rice.

Tater Tot Casserole - Rachelle

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1 to 1 1/2 lbs hamburger (browned with salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp. dried onion)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans green beans
1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheese
1 32 oz. package tator tots

After cooking and draining hamburger, put in bottom of 9x13 pan. Layer with one cup of shredded cheese. Mix together soup, milk, and green beans -- layer on top of cheese. Next add tator tots, topped with the other one cup of cheese. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. (I don't usually use the entire package of tator tots -- I just fill the top of the pan, and there tends to be a few tator tots left to cook up another time.)

Hamburgers - Bernie

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1 pound of ground beef
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. of garlic powder
1 Tbs. of finely chopped onions (if you like more you can definitely use more, I'm not an onion fan)
Salt and pepper to taste

Spread meat out on your counter, add egg and spices. Mix well. Mold into patties. Cook on the grill or in a pan.

Lasagna - Rachel

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1 lb. cooked ground beef
2 jars spaghetti sauce
1 pkg. ready bake lasagna noodles
1 small container ricotta cheese
2 1/2 cups mozarella cheese, shredded and divided
1 tsp. basil
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Combine ground beef and spaghetti sauce and set aside. Combine Ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozarella cheese, eggs, and basil and set aside. In a 9x13 casserole pan, spoon 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce mixture and spread around bottom of pan. Add a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (they're ready-bake), then spoon a layer of cheese and spread, then a layer of meat on top. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 1/2 cup mozarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 450 degrees for one hour. Take cover off and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Goes great with breadsticks and tossed salad.

Loaded Sloppy Joes - Raygon

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The grains in this recipe can be found at the bulk sections in WinCo and Broulims. This recipe is an easy way to sneak whole grains into your family's diet.

1 pound ground turkey (hamburger will work fine too)
1 cup cooked millet
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup sucanat (or honey or brown sugar whatever sweetener you have on hand)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Combine sugar, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl combine tomato paste, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, and vinegar. Set both combinations aside. Heat skillet and add turkey. Cook turkey just a few minutes and then add sugar and spice mixture. Once turkey has browned, add pepper, onion, and garlic. Reduce heat and let simmer just a few minutes to cook vegetables. Add in tomato sauce mixture and stir well. Last, add cooked grains and combine. Serve on toasted rolls.

Shredded Lime Chicken - Beth

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4-5 boneless chicken breasts (about 2.5 to 3 lbs.)
1 1/2 cups of 7-up or Sprite (12 oz. can)
1/2 to 1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 limes (~4 Tbsp. lime juice)

Cook in a crock pot on medium heat for 8 hours or 6 hours on high heat until chicken falls apart and shreds with a fork. Stir in the juice of 2 limes before serving. This recipe is part of a Cafe Rio Style Mexican Shredded Chicken Salad. When we don't have everything to make the full recipe we just make it like burritos. For Cafe Rio Style...Serve on a warm flour tortilla. Melt cheese on tortilla if desired. Layer on rice (cilantro rice), black beans, chicken, lettuce, fresh cilantro sprigs, grated cheese, tortilla chips, and creamy tomatillo dressing. Add salsa, guacamole and juice from a lime wedge to taste.

For anyone who wants to make this more like the Cafe Rio Style here are the recipes for the Creamy Tomatillo Dressing and Cilantro Rice:

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

1 packet Hidde Balley Ranch dressing mix (or 3 Tbs. dry mix)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 to 1/2 cup buttermilk
3-4 tomatillos (look like green tomatoes with papery outer covering)
1 cup fresh cilantro lightly chopped (1 bunch = about 2 cups chopped)
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cloves garlic

Take the papery layer off the tomatillos, wash, and chop. Chop the garlic. Wash and cut the cilantro into abut 1-2" segments. Put all ingredients in the blender and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate. Best made the day before. Keep covered for several days. Makes 2 cups.

Cilantro Rice
2 cups uncooked rice
2 cups chopped cilantro
1 tsp. salt1 cup Salsa Verde (Green Salsa found in Mexican Food aisle)
2 Tbs. dried minced onion

Wash and chop the cilantro. Bend the cilantro with 2 cups of water and pour in the pan for cooking the rice. Add two more cups of water, the salt, Salsa Verde and onion. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice in the boiling water. Cover and turn down heat to very low and steam for 30 minutes. Makes about 10 servings.