Weekly Menu 2
VEW
VEW
Lemon Chicken, Sweet potato fries with sweet paprika, Green beans with garlic, lemon and gray salt
Balsamic-glazed Salmon with roasted corn and tomatoes, tarragon whipped potatoes & broccoli slaw salad
Wine Pairing: Bonterra Mendocino County Chardonnay 2005
Linguine with roasted cherry tomatoes and basil, Raspberry pie a la mode
Wine Pairing: Cline California Syrah 2005
Risotto with shrimp, peas and mint, Chocolate Soufflés with whipped cream
Wine Pairing: Vignamaggio Chianti Classico 2003
Day 1
This is a simple, well-rounded, weeknight meal that requires little hands on time.
I use a modified version of the lemon chicken recipe you can find at Marthastewart.com. It is best with bone-in chicken even if you generally prefer boneless breast meat. It’s a simple recipe consisting of fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, olive oil and oregano. I often serve it with steamed basmati rice (my default rice) instead of the sweet potatoes.
This is a simple, well-rounded, weeknight meal that requires little hands on time.
I use a modified version of the lemon chicken recipe you can find at Marthastewart.com. It is best with bone-in chicken even if you generally prefer boneless breast meat. It’s a simple recipe consisting of fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, olive oil and oregano. I often serve it with steamed basmati rice (my default rice) instead of the sweet potatoes.
Sweet potato fries with sweet paprika
Sweet potato fries are easy to make but don’t expect them to be crispy like regular fries: Peel and cut 2 medium sweet potatoes into thick sticks. Lay on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt and sweet paprika. Toss gently with a spatula to coat all sides. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes—turning once. (Serves 2)
Sweet potato fries are easy to make but don’t expect them to be crispy like regular fries: Peel and cut 2 medium sweet potatoes into thick sticks. Lay on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt and sweet paprika. Toss gently with a spatula to coat all sides. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes—turning once. (Serves 2)
Green beans with garlic, lemon and gray salt
Green beans are a favorite in our house and this is a tasty, simple recipe. Wash and trim beans. In a large fry pan sauté 2 chopped cloves of sliced garlic in a bit of olive oil. When the garlic is just beginning to color, add the green beans and cover the pot. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes—or until desired doneness. Take off heat and add the zest of one lemon, and a sprinkle of gray salt.
Green beans are a favorite in our house and this is a tasty, simple recipe. Wash and trim beans. In a large fry pan sauté 2 chopped cloves of sliced garlic in a bit of olive oil. When the garlic is just beginning to color, add the green beans and cover the pot. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes—or until desired doneness. Take off heat and add the zest of one lemon, and a sprinkle of gray salt.
Day 2
The salmon portion of this recipe is a modified version of the honey-glazed recipe you can find at Williamssonoma.com.
Combine ¼ c cherry tomatoes halved, with ½ c corn, 2T finely chopped onion, 1T olive oil, 1/2T balsamic vinegar & 1/2t kosher salt. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Then add the zest of a small lemon, and a little freshly chopped French tarragon.
The salmon portion of this recipe is a modified version of the honey-glazed recipe you can find at Williamssonoma.com.
Combine ¼ c cherry tomatoes halved, with ½ c corn, 2T finely chopped onion, 1T olive oil, 1/2T balsamic vinegar & 1/2t kosher salt. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Then add the zest of a small lemon, and a little freshly chopped French tarragon.
Set aside. (Serves 2)
Make a glaze by combining ¼ C balsamic vinegar, and 1t olive oil in a small pan. Simmer gently until reduced by two-thirds. The sauce will thicken and sweeten.
To salmon fillets, add some kosher salt, lemon zest and olive oil. Cook on a grill (or grill pan), basting with some of the reduction sauce until opaque.
To salmon fillets, add some kosher salt, lemon zest and olive oil. Cook on a grill (or grill pan), basting with some of the reduction sauce until opaque.
Tarragon whipped potatoes
For the potatoes, boil baby reds (skin on) until tender. Drain and mash, then add milk, ¼ C sour cream and a little butter and beat with a mixer until desired consistency. Add salt, pepper and fresh tarragon to taste.
To plate, lay a salmon fillet on top of some potatoes and spoon the corn mixture next to them. Top salmon with a drizzle of the reduction.
Broccoli Slaw Salad
Broccoli slaw is a great and healthy way to liven up your salad. For this one I used the slaw (which you can purchase in a bag by the bagged salads usually) as the main ingredient.
To a good handful of slaw, add a little bit of lettuce (any kind), a few leaves of mint torn into little pieces, some dried cranberries and walnuts. Toss with a good blue cheese dressing such as Briana’s. You can also add blue cheese crumbles if you wish.
Day 3
This is a very tasty, simple pasta. It is especially good at this time of year when good tomatoes are available.
Combine 2 pints cherry tomatoes with 1/3 C olive oil and approximately 1T of chopped herbs such as rosemary & thyme, 4-5 smashed cloves of garlic and some salt and pepper. Roast in a 325 degree oven for 40 minutes. The tomatoes will be bursting and juicy. Toss in a handful of fresh basil, torn into pieces, a bit of chopped flat-leaf parsley and toss with linguine. Grate some Parmigiano cheese over the top. Serves 4.
This is a very tasty, simple pasta. It is especially good at this time of year when good tomatoes are available.
Combine 2 pints cherry tomatoes with 1/3 C olive oil and approximately 1T of chopped herbs such as rosemary & thyme, 4-5 smashed cloves of garlic and some salt and pepper. Roast in a 325 degree oven for 40 minutes. The tomatoes will be bursting and juicy. Toss in a handful of fresh basil, torn into pieces, a bit of chopped flat-leaf parsley and toss with linguine. Grate some Parmigiano cheese over the top. Serves 4.
Dessert
I bought a freshly made pie at a local farm and picked up some freshly made ice cream at a local place.
Day 4
This is a very fresh, festive risotto from Jamie Oliver’s cookbook, The Naked Chef Takes Off. I was intrigued by his use of Vermouth in place of white wine in his risotto base, and I must admit I was skeptical about putting so much mint in a delicate risotto—but it was wonderful. It just goes to show that moving out of your cooking comfort zone can be very rewarding.
Find his basic risotto recipe here
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta/basic_risotto_recipe
To make a decent version of the above dish, throw in some peeled shrimp & fresh peas at the end, cook until the shrimp are done, then take it off the heat, add in a handful of basil and half a handful of mint, and finish with a “glug” of olive oil.
*Interesting tidbit: Oliver says not to add Parmigiano to any risotto containing seafood because they don’t go well together—that’s something I’d never heard, but it was great without the addition of cheese (and calories!).
I bought a freshly made pie at a local farm and picked up some freshly made ice cream at a local place.
Day 4
This is a very fresh, festive risotto from Jamie Oliver’s cookbook, The Naked Chef Takes Off. I was intrigued by his use of Vermouth in place of white wine in his risotto base, and I must admit I was skeptical about putting so much mint in a delicate risotto—but it was wonderful. It just goes to show that moving out of your cooking comfort zone can be very rewarding.
Find his basic risotto recipe here
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta/basic_risotto_recipe
To make a decent version of the above dish, throw in some peeled shrimp & fresh peas at the end, cook until the shrimp are done, then take it off the heat, add in a handful of basil and half a handful of mint, and finish with a “glug” of olive oil.
*Interesting tidbit: Oliver says not to add Parmigiano to any risotto containing seafood because they don’t go well together—that’s something I’d never heard, but it was great without the addition of cheese (and calories!).
Dessert
Chocolate soufflés are easy and fast to make. You can serve with whipped cream, ice cream, berries, or a drizzle of berry puree. Dusting the plates with cocoa before plating is a fun way to present this crowd pleaser.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/11330
Chocolate soufflés are easy and fast to make. You can serve with whipped cream, ice cream, berries, or a drizzle of berry puree. Dusting the plates with cocoa before plating is a fun way to present this crowd pleaser.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/11330
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