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Menu Plan for the week of Nov. 29, 2013: Friday's Recipes

Baked Goat Cheese with Dates and Nuts
Bacalao a la Marinera (Fisherman's Cod)
Carrot and Rice Gratin

Cooking time:  55 minutes for menu          Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

     I normally have a basket of dried fruits and whole nuts in the shells for snacking in winter.  This is an easy dinner for a (possibly) hectic Friday.

Baked Goat Cheese with Dates and Nuts     Preparation and cooking time:  15 minutes
   Our little green grocer had some very sweet Medjool dates that inspired this.  They were sold individually... I bought 6. They were almost like candy.

4oz (120gr) aged goat cheese, with white rind  1 slice from a large log or several from a small one  
1 tbs dried breadcrumbs
4oz (120gr) mushrooms
1/4 cup (1oz, 30gr) pecan or walnut halves
1oz (30gr) Greek olives, 10 - 12 olives
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 - 8 dates, depending on size,  Medjool or other

Trim and slice mushrooms.  Pit the olives if needed and cut in half or thirds.  Heat oil in medium skillet.  Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown.  Add Worcestershire, olives, nuts and sauté 2 minutes longer. 
Slice cheese into 6 rounds (if small log). Each round should be between 1/4 and 1/3" (.75 - 1cm) thick. Put bread crumbs on a plate.   Dip both sides of the cheese in the crumbs and place on a nonstick or lightly oiled baking sheet.   Bake, 400F (200C) for 2 - 4 minutes, just until you see the tops sink slightly or cheese ooze slightly.  If it hasn't happened after 4 minutes, take them out anyway - they're ready.
Spoon the mushroom mixture onto 2 plates. Top with 3 slices of goat cheese. Add the dates and serve.

Bacalao a la Marinera (Fisherman's Cod)      Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes
    This is a Spanish dish that would, traditionally, be made with dried, salted cod.  I used fresh.  In Spain you can buy the bacalao dry as a board or already reconstituted and rinsed.  You can substitute any white fish: tilapia, snapper, mahi mahi;  adjust cooking times slightly, according to thickness.

12oz (360gr) cod filets or other white fish, fresh or frozen and thawed
1/4 cup (1oz, 30gr) slivered or chopped almonds
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs olive oil
15oz (450gr) whole tomatoes, drained    reserve juices for another use
1/3 cup (3oz, 85ml) white wine
2 bay (laurel) leaves
2 tbs dry bread crumbs

Finely chop the onion and garlic.  Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and sauté until tender.  Drain tomatoes, reserving juice for another use.  Roughly chop the tomatoes.  Add to pan along with white wine and bay leaves.  Bring to a simmer and let cook, uncovered, 5 minutes or until thickened.  Remove bay leaves and stir in bread crumbs. 
Place fish in baking dish just large enough to hold it in one layer.  Spoon the sauce over, sprinkle with almonds and cover either with a lid or foil.  Bake at 400F (200C) for about 15 minutes, or until fish is done.  Uncover for the last 5 minutes of baking time.  Fish flakes easily when done.  (If you have pieces more than 1" (2.5cm) thick it may take 20 minutes.)
Remove fish from dish, place on a small platter and serve.

Carrot and Rice Gratin                                          Preparation and cooking time:   55 minutes
     This is somewhere between a soufflé and a pudding.  The carrots retain their texture and add a slightly sweet flavor to the rice.

1/2 cup Basmati rice
1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
2 medium carrots
1 cup (8oz, 240ml) milk
2 eggs
1 tbs chives, fresh or dried
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup (4oz, 125gr) Greek or plain yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) shredded cheese
1/2 tbs olive oil

Cook rice in chicken stock. 
Peel carrots.  Shred carrots using medium holes on the box shredder.  Lightly whisk eggs.  Add milk, yogurt and herbs, whisk to combine. 
Lightly oil a glass baking dish (1 qt, 1 litre).
When rice is done, stir in the carrots and let sit for a minute to cool slightly.  Add the rice and carrots to the eggs along with half of the cheese.   Spoon carrot / rice mixture into dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake, 400F (200C) for 30 minutes.  Remove and serve.

Cooking Schedule: 55 minutes Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives, small saucepan with lid, 2 medium skillets, 2 baking dishes, lid or foil, medium bowl, whisk, plate, baking sheet, grater Turn oven on 400F (200C), arrange 2 shelves Cook rice Peel, shred carrots Wash, dry fish, put in baking dish Slice cheese, dip in crumbs, set aside Trim, slice mushrooms Chop onion, mince garlic, sauté Lightly oil baking dish for gratin Whisk eggs Whisk in milk, herbs, yogurt Chop tomatoes, add to onion with wine, bay, simmer Rice done? Combine with carrots, stir well

Add rice/carrot to egg mixture Add half of the cheese, stir well Spoon into baking dish, sprinkle with cheese, bake Sauté mushrooms Pit, cut olives Add nuts, olives to mushrooms, sauté Remove bay leaf, add crumbs to tomato Bake goat cheese Spoon tomato over fish, top with almonds, cover Remove goat cheese, bake fish Plate goat cheese, mushrooms, dates, serve Relax, enjoy... Done? Remove gratin Uncover fish     Pause a minute to finish fish Remove fish Serve

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