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Menu Plan for Winter II: Week 4, Wednesday
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Daily Recipes:
New Year's Eve
Feta and Caper Tarts
Coquilles St. Jacques
Basmati Rice with Mushrooms
Broccoli with Lemon Pepper
Coffee and Chocolates
Cooking time: 45 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
New Year's Eve. If you're not going out, try this lovely dinner with a bottle of Champagne. It's festive, pretty and easy. Phyllo dough can be thawed and re-frozen twice.
Feta and Caper Tart
Total time: 35 minutes
We are using filo (phyllo) dough to make cups for these little tarts, filled with feta and capers. They could be made smaller, using a small muffin pan, and eaten out of hand.
Ingredients:
- 2 sheets filo (phyllo) dough
- 1 tbs crème fraiche
- 2oz (60gr) feta cheese
- 1/4 cup capers if capers are large, roughly chop
- 2 slices (1oz, 30gr) bacon or ham
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tbs olive oil
Instructions:
- Sauté bacon until crisp. Remove and crumble.
- Place 2 ramekins, 2 1/2 - 3" (6 - 7cm) on a baking sheet and set aside.
- Lay out 1 sheet of filo and, using pastry brush, lightly brush all over with olive oil.
- Fold the sheet in half, lightly brush the top.
- Fold in half again, the other way, so you have a small square. Brush the top lightly with olive oil.
- Pick the filo up by bringing all 4 corners together and carefully put inside a ramekin. Smooth out the bottom a bit so it kind of lines the ramekin, leaving the 4 corners to hang over the edge. It should all be rather loose. Repeat with other sheet and ramekin.
- Divide feta and place in each ramekin.
- Divide and add capers and bacon.
- In small bowl whisk together egg, herbs and crème fraiche.
- Divide egg and pour over cheese, capers, etc.
- Bake at 400F (200C) for 20 - 25 minutes. The corners hanging over the edges will get quite brown very quickly - don't worry, they won't burn (Or, at least, mine didn't)
- When done remove from oven and carefully remove filo cups from ramekins. Kind of wiggle, then turn upside down into your hand.
- Serve, garnished with a few olives and/or a bit more feta.
Coquilles Saint-Jacques
Total time: 30 minutes
If you are getting scallops in their shells, the shells make a lovely presentation. I love scallops but do not like the coral. Remove it or not as suits you. Be careful not to overcook the scallops. This used to be very decadent ... I made it recently and trimmed back the fat a bit. Still... I only do it once a year.
Ingredients:
- 12oz (360gr) sea scallops
- 2/3 cup (5oz, 150ml) white wine
- 2/3 cup (5oz, 150ml) chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 3oz (90gr) mushrooms
- 2 shallots
- 2 tbs butter
- 1 tbs flour
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) crème fraiche, cream, or Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60ml) shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
Instructions:
- Bring white wine, chicken stock and bay leaf to boil in large skillet.
- Add scallops and cook until just opaque, about 5 minutes.
- Remove and put into two individual baking dishes (scallop shells?) or 1 larger baking dish.
- Boil cooking liquid until reduced by half. Remove bay leaf.
- Mince shallot and slice mushrooms.
- Melt 1 tbs butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté 5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and sauté until golden, about 8 minutes more.
- Add shallots and mushrooms to scallops, dividing evenly.
- Melt remaining 1 tbs butter in saucepan.
- When hot add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to low and slowly add in reduced cooking liquid, stirring constantly until thickened.
- Add crème fraiche and heat through.
- Pour sauce over scallop/mushrooms in baking dish(es).
- Sprinkle with bread crumbs and cheese.
- Bake in 375F (190C) oven for 15 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve.
Basmati Rice with Mushrooms
Total time: 20 minutes
Sautéed onions and mushrooms perk up fragrant Basmati rice for a lovely side dish. Make with vegetable stock or water for a vegetarian version.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (3.3oz, 95gr) Basmati rice
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 2oz (60gr) mushrooms
- 1/2 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions:
- Heat 1 tsp butter in a small skillet.
- Add rice and sauté, stirring for 2 - 3 minutes.
- Add stock and herbs, cover and cook rice for length of time on package.
- While rice cooks:
- Chop onion, mushrooms and mince garlic.
- Heat remaining 1 tsp of butter and oil in small skillet. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and mushrooms and sauté until everything is light brown, about 10 minutes longer.
- When rice is done, combine with mushroom/onion, fluff with a fork and serve.
Broccoli with Lemon Pepper
Total time: 20 minutes
A bit of lemon perks up the flavor of broccoli and the pepper adds just a touch of heat to make things interesting.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 medium head of broccoli
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp seasoned pepper or lemon pepper or 1/4 tsp regular pepper
Instructions:
- Cut broccoli into bite size florets and stems. Put in steamer basket in saucepan with an inch of water in bottom.
- Put on medium heat and steam for 10 - 12 minutes or until done.
- Remove from pan and set aside, discarding water.
- In same pan heat butter and oil.
- Add lemon, thyme and pepper and sauté lightly.
- Add broccoli and stir. Serve.
Cooking Schedule: 45 minutes |
Sauté rice |
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