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Menu Plan for the week of Feb. 22, 2013:  Saturday's Recipes

Poached Eggs with White Wine
Braised Veal with Olives and Capers
Wild Rice Mushroom Pilaf

Cooking time:  70 minutes for menu     Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

       I normally make the Poached eggs the traditional way: with red wine and no mushrooms.  As I was experimenting with substituting white wine for red, this was born.  Use 1 or 2 eggs per person, depending on appetite (and activity level that day). Half of the Wild Rice is for the Casserole on Monday.

Poached Eggs in White Wine Mushroom Sauce   Preparation and cooking time: 25 minutes
     Poached eggs with red wine is a traditional dish of Burgundy.  This is a variation using white wine and mushrooms.  Use 1 or 2 eggs per person.

1 1/2 cups (12oz, 360ml) white wine
1/4 cup (2oz, 60gr) Greek yogurt
4oz (125gr) mushrooms, any type
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbs water
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 - 4 eggs

The Mushrooms:  Clean, trim and thickly slice mushrooms.  Heat oil in a nonstick skillet, add mushrooms and sauté until well browned.    
The Sauce:  Put white wine into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil over medium-high heat, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Wine will reduce slightly. Dissolve cornstarch in water and add to wine, stirring until thick and clear. Remove from heat, stir in yogurt, mushrooms, cover and keep warm.
The Eggs: Fill a medium skillet with water. The water should be 1 1/2 inches - 2 inches (5 cm) deep. Heat water over medium-high heat. Add vinegar. When water is softly boiling poach eggs: one at a time break egg into a small saucer. Swirl a spoon in the water where you will put the egg - off to one side. When water is swirling drop egg into center. With slotted spoon try to keep the white together. Do next egg. With regular spoon scoop some hot water over tops of eggs. Poach for 2 - 4 minutes or until white is set but yolk is still very soft. (Or hard, as you like...)
The Finish: Remove eggs with a slotted spoon, drain and put into a soup plate or flattish bowl. Spoon sauce around the eggs and serve, salt & pepper on the side.

Braised Veal with Olives and Capers               Preparation and cooking time:  70 minutes
     Large pieces of tender veal, braised with 2 kinds of olives and finished with capers; all in a simple white wine sauce.

14oz (400gr) veal
1 cup (8oz, 240ml) white wine
2 medium - large carrots
1 onion
10 black olives  I used dry-cured Greek olives
10 green olives   I used pimento-stuffed olives
2 tbs capers
2 bay (laurel) leaves
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs water

Cut veal into large chunks if needed.  Peel and slice carrots.  Roughly chop onion. Slice olives in thirds.  Heat olive oil in medium Dutch oven or other pot with tight-fitting lid.  Add veal and brown on all side.  Add white wine and stir up any brown bits on the bottom.  Add carrots, onion, green olives and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 60 minutes. 
Dissolve cornstarch in water.  Turn the heat up under the pot and uncover.  Add capers and black olives; remove bay leaves.  Give the cornstarch mixture a stir and add to the pan a little at a time, stirring, until thickened to your liking.   Remove from heat and serve.

Wild Rice with Mushrooms                                 Preparation and cooking time:   50 minutes
     Wild rice is a grass, rather than a rice. This is finished with sautéed mushrooms and onion.  This makes enough for 4; or 2 with half left for another use.

1 cup wild rice
1 1/2 cups (12oz, 360ml) beef stock
1 1/2 cups water
4oz (120gr) mushrooms
1/2 onion
2 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbs sherry

Rinse rice and put into a medium saucepan.  Add stock, water and bring to boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 40 - 45 minutes.  Check your package for proper directions and proportions - it may vary.  Cooking time will vary according to freshness of rice, altitude, whatever.  Simmer until tender.  We prefer to have most of the kernels  "popped".  When rice is done, remove, put into a serving dish and keep warm.  (If there is any stock left when the rice is done just drain it.)
Vertically slice onion.  Trim and slice mushrooms.  Heat butter and oil in a large, nonstick skillet.  Sauté onions for 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms and continue to sauté until both are light brown.  Add rice, , sherry, stir well, cover and heat through.  Serve.

Cooking Schedule: 70 minutes for menu Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives, Dutch oven or pot with lid, medium saucepan with lid, small saucepan with lid, large skillet (used 2 X) medium skillet Cut veal Heat oil in Dutch oven, add veal, brown Peel, slice carrots Chop onion Slice olives Mind the veal Add wine, carrots, onion, green olives, bay, to veal Cover, simmer Rinse wild rice, cook     20 minute break Trim, slice all mushrooms Sauté mushrooms for eggs Reduce white wine

Slice onion for rice Dissolve cornstarch in water Thicken white wine Stir in yogurt Add mushrooms when ready, cover, keep sauce warm Heat water for eggs Sauté onion for rice Add mushrooms to onions, sauté Poach eggs Turn rice off if close Turn mushrooms/onions off Remove eggs, add sauce, serve Enjoy starter.... Done? Reheat mushroom/onion for rice Drain rice, add to skillet, with sherry, cover, heat Add black olives, capers to veal, remove bay Dissolve cornstarch in water Increase heat under veal, add cornstarch, thicken Serve half the rice, all the veal

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