Thyme for Cooking

Seasonal Weekly Menus & Shopping Lists

Healthy Food          Fresh Ingredients          Simple Recipes

 Home  Seasonal Menus  Recipe Index Cooking Tips  Blog

Menu Plan for Summer I: Week 7, Friday

White Bean and Celery Salad
Grilled Barbecued Tuna
Potato Salad with Mushrooms and Chevre

Cooking time:  35 minutes for menu          Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

       Get the best tuna you can, or substitute another firm-fleshed fish, like swordfish or mahi-mahi.  In the interest of light, summer eating, we're having our vegetable as starter. The fish is simple, the potato salad complex...  Select your mushrooms for the kebabs before slicing others for the salad.

White Bean and Celery Salad

Total time: 15 minutes 
    Lightly sautéed carrots and onions add color to this easy salad of cannellini and celery.  Lots of fresh herbs and a lemony vinaigrette finish it.  For a light lunch, add some good, canned tuna and crusty baguette.

 Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups (15oz, 450gr) white beans (cannellini)
• 1/2 cup sliced celery, 1 - 2 ribs
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbs freshly snipped chives
• 2 tbs freshly snipped basil
• lettuce leaves
• Vinaigrette:
• 1 tbs tarragon white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbs lemon juice   fresh if possible
• 2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
• 3 tbs salad olive oil

 Instructions:

• Chop onion and carrot; mince garlic.
• Heat oil in medium skillet.  Add carrots, onions, garlic and sauté just until tender, 5 - 8 minutes. 
• Remove and put into a bowl. 
• Drain, rinse beans and add to bowl. 
• Slice celery and add to bowl. 
• Snip basil and chives; add to beans.
• Add vinaigrette and toss gently. 
• Arrange 3 - 4 nice lettuce leaves on salad plates, put bean salad on top and serve.
• Vinaigrette
• Squeeze 1/2 lemon if using. 
• Put vinegar, lemon juice and mustard in a small bowl.  Whisk well. 
• Add oil very slowly, whisking constantly.  It should incorporate as you add it.  If it does not, stop adding oil for a few moments and just whisk.  Continue until all oil is added.

Grilled Barbecued Tuna

Total time: 30 minutes  
    If you get sushi-grade tuna you will definitely want to have this rare (it has to be graded to a higher standard so it is okay to eat raw).  Regular tuna we normally have medium.  We cook a 1 inch (2.5cm) thick piece for 10 minutes on hot charcoal, indirect heat, cover closed.

 Ingredients:

• 2 tuna steaks, 6oz (180gr) each
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tbs orange marmalade
• 2 tbs ketchup
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

 Instructions:

• Mix all ingredients for sauce and spoon over tuna. Allow to marinate for 10 - 15 minutes. 
• To cook: Place on barbecue and spoon any remaining sauce on top. 
• Cook, with the cover partially or fully closed, without turning, for 8 - 15 minutes, depending on how you want it done. Could also be roasted, 400F (200C) for about the same amount of time.

Note:  A grill basket, skillet or mat makes working with fish easier.

Potato Salad with Mushrooms and Chevre

Total time: 30 minutes 
    Warm, crisp, sautéed potatoes, mushrooms and garlic enveloped in creamy, melted soft goat cheese, finished with lots of fresh basil and chives - this is not your ordinary potato salad.  Full of complex flavors, it is best served with simple, grilled meat of fish.

 Ingredients:

• 2 medium potatoes, about 10oz (300gr) total
• 3oz (90gr) mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 container soft goat cheese (chevre) (2oz, 60gr)  my 'brand' is Chevraux, I think in the U.S. it's Chavrie; it comes in a square-ish cardboard or plastic container, 5.5oz (150gr).
• handful fresh basil leaves - about 3 tbs
• 2 tbs fresh chives, snipped
• 2 tbs olive oil

 Instructions:

• Slice potatoes into quarters the long way and then 1/2" (1.25cm) thick slices. 
• Trim and slice mushrooms. 
• Mince garlic. 
• Heat 1 tbs oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add mushrooms, garlic and sauté until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. 
• Remove to a bowl and set aside.  Do not cover.
• Add remaining tbs oil and potatoes to skillet.  Toss a bit to coat potatoes with oil, then cover and let cook about 10 minutes. 
• Uncover, stir and let sauté, turning occasionally.  You want them nice and brown.  If they start getting too brown before you are ready to finish just turn the heat to low and keep warm in the skillet. 
• When ready to finish add potatoes to mushrooms and garlic. 
• Add chevre and toss to coat - the cheese will melt a bit from the heat of the potatoes.
• Snip basil and chives with scissors and add, stirring to combine.  Serve.

Cooking Schedule: 35 minutes Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives, scissors, small bowl, 2 medium bowls, large skillet, (used 2X) dish for marinating, BBQ grill, basket, mat or pan or large skillet Chop 1/2 onion Chop carrot Mince all garlic, divide Sauté carrot, onion, garlic for salad Open, drain, rinse beans, put in bowl Slice celery, add to beans Make vinaigrette for salad, add to beans Add carrot, onion, garlic to beans, stir well Trim, slice mushrooms Sauté garlic, mushrooms for potatoes

Slice potatoes Remove mushrooms, garlic to bowl Add oil, potatoes to skillet, cover, cook Snip / tear all herbs, divide Add chives, basil to bean salad, stir, set aside Make marinade, spoon over tuna, set aside Light /turn on barbecue grill Uncover potatoes, turn heat to low Serve White Bean Salad Done? Cook tuna Turn potatoes up to finish, if needed Add herbs, goat cheese to mushrooms/garlic Add potatoes to mushroom/cheese, stir well Remove tuna Serve

Share this:

----------------------

Get 7 Dinner Menus, Recipes, Shopping List each Thursday by e-mail: Subscribe

Need help planning dinner?  Do you have a garden?   A CSA for fresh veggies?

Try our Weekly Menu Plans: Healthy Gourmet Dinners;  Quick, Easy Recipes.
Each week carefully planned to reduce waste and use a lots of fresh, seasonal veggies. 

By Katie Zeller

© All text and images are copyright © 2010 - 2024 Thyme for Cooking.  All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated