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Menu Plan for the week of June 7, 2013: Friday's Recipes

Egg Linguini with Warm Avocado Sauce
Shrimp and Asparagus Salad

Cooking time:  30 minutes for menu          Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

   We used smallish shrimp for the salad, and large couscous - aka: Israeli couscous, Portuguese cuscus, pearl couscous.  The 'noodles' are made from a thinly sliced, flat omelet.

Egg Linguini with Avocado Sauce

Total time: 30 minutes 
    A spring  update on the 'Egg Noodles with Prosciutto', these noodles are dressed with a light, warm avocado sauce.  Garnish with a few cherry tomatoes to add color.

 Ingredients:

• Noodles:
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/4 tsp flour
• 4 1/2 tsp milk
• 1 tsp oil
• Sauce:
• 1 avocado 
• 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) chicken stock
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tbs Greek or plain yogurt
• Garnish, optional
• 2 - 4 cherry tomatoes

 Instructions:

• Sauce:
• Cut avocado and remove pit (see techniques).
• Scoop it out of the shell and put it into a blender. 
• Add chicken stock, lemon juice and purée until smooth. 
• Pour it into a small saucepan and gently heat until just warm. 
• Stir in yogurt, keep barely warm until needed.
• Noodles: 
• Put eggs in medium bowl and whisk well. 
• Add flour, a little at a time, sprinkling it across the eggs, and whisking well after each addition.  Try to avoid lumps. 
• Add the milk  and whisk well. 
• Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet or omelet pan, 7 - 8" (20cm) in diameter, over medium heat. 
• Add 1/3rd of the egg mixture, tilting pan to cover well.  Let cook, undisturbed for 1 - 2 minutes, until cooked through and top is dry. 
• With a spatula, carefully turn and cook on the other side for 30 seconds. 
• Remove to a plate.  Do not keep warm. 
• Repeat twice more. 
• When eggs are done, and cooled slightly, roll each up like a cigar and slice 1/4" (.6cm) strips. 
• Divide strips in half.  Arrange on plates, spoon sauce over, garnish and serve.

Shrimp and Asparagus Salad

Total time: 30 minutes
   This calls for large couscous, which is prepared like pasta.  If you can't get it, use 1/2 cup regular couscous, prepared by pouring 3/4 cup boiling stock over and letting sit, covered, for 10 minutes.

 Ingredients:

• 12oz (360gr) shrimp, cleaned
• 8oz (240gr) asparagus
• 1/2 cup (4oz, 120gr) large couscous
• 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
• 1 cup (8pz, 240ml) water
• 6oz (180gr) salad greens - lettuce, spinach...
• 2 tbs fresh, snipped basil
• 2 tbs fresh, snipped parsley
• 1 tbs fresh snipped tarragon
• 1/3 cup chopped green olives,  about 12
• 2oz (60gr) bacon
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
• 4 tsp olive oil divided
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• Vinaigrette:
• 1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
• 1 tbs tarragon white wine vinegar
• 3 tbs salad olive oil

 Instructions:

• Prepare greens, rinse, spin dry if needed.
•  Clean shrimp if needed. 
• Cook large couscous in stock and water until done - either according to package instructions, or do a taste test.  Mine took 10 minutes. Drain.
• Snip herbs.
• Chop olives.
• Slice bacon into matchsticks. 
• Chop onion.
• Trim asparagus but leave whole.
• Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add asparagus and sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
• Remove and set aside.
• Add remaining 2 tsp olive oil and paprika. Sauté 1/2 minute.
• Add shrimp and quickly sauté until cooked through. They will curl and turn opaque when done.
• Remove and set aside.
• Add bacon, onion to skillet and sauté until bacon is crisp. 
• Remove skillet from heat and add Balsamic vinegar, cooked couscous, olives and shrimp.  Stir well to combine.
• Vinaigrette:
• Whisk mustard and vinegar together in a small bowl. 
• Gradually whisk in olive oil until thick and creamy.
• To finish: 
• Toss greens, herbs with vinaigrette and arrange in large salad bowl or on two plates.
• Spoon shrimp and couscous into the center, arrange asparagus on top and serve.

Cooking Schedule: 30 minutes for menu Assemble all ingredients and utensils Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives, scissors, small bowl, medium bowl, whisk (used 2 X), 2 small saucepans, 1 lid, medium skillet or omelet pan, blender, large skillet, large bowl, tongs Clean shrimp if needed Prepare lettuce, wash, drain / spin Heat stock, water for couscous Slice, pit avocado Put avocado, stock, lemon in blender, purée Put sauce in saucepan, warm Whisk eggs, flour, milk Heat skillet or omelet pan Make 3 omelets, allow to cool Cook couscous Stir yogurt into warm avocado sauce Remove sauce from heat, cover to keep warm Trim asparagus, but leave whole Sauté asparagus

Slice bacon Chop onion Turn asparagus Snip herbs, cut olives Drain couscous Remove asparagus Sauté shrimp Make vinaigrette Remove shrimp Sauté onion, bacon Roll omelets, slice Arrange 'linguini' on plates Cut cherry tomatoes, garnish Toss greens, herbs with vinaigrette, arrange in bowl Remove skillet from heat Add Balsamic, couscous, olives, shrimp Spoon shrimp/couscous on greens Top salad with asparagus Top linguini with avocado sauce Put salad on table, admire while eating linguini

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