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Menu Plan for Fall I: Week 12, Saturday
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Daily Recipes:
Baked Eggs
Paupiettes (Provençal Veal Rolls)
Potato Gratin with Caramelized Shallots
Sautéed Butternut Squash with Shallots
Cooking time: 80 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
Be careful not to bake the eggs too long if you want runny yokes. (I do) Because of the crème fraiche they appear 'wobbly' even after they are fully cooked with hard yolks.... I know, I overcooked them the first time! The Veal Rolls are an adaptation of a Provençal dish - I replaced the fresh parsley with spinach and used Greek olives rather than regular black. Schedule includes 25 minute break.
Baked Eggs
Total time: 15 minutes
A simple dish: eggs baked with a light cream and mustard sauce. Have some crusty bread on hand for dipping.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbs butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
- 3 tbs crème fraiche
- 1 tsp milk substitute 1 tsp water - it's just to make the crème fraiche a bit thinner
- 1 tsp dried chives
- bread I bought artisan rolls at the bakery
Instructions:
- Divide butter and thoroughly butter 2 ramekins.
- Mix the mustard, crème fraiche, milk and chives.
- Put 1 tbs of mixture into the bottom of each ramekin.
- Put the egg on top of the sauce in each ramekin.
- Divide the remainder of the sauce and spoon on top of each egg.
- Put ramekins into a baking pan (I use a bread pan) with deep sides. Pour hot water into the pan coming half way up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake at 375F (190)C, 10 - 12 minutes, depending on how you want the yolks.
- Remove and serve directly from the ramekins.
Paupiettes (Provençal Veal Rolls)
Total time: 70 minutes
Thinly sliced veal or beef, rolled around a variety of stuffings are found all around the Mediterranean. These, with dry-cured ham and olives, are typical of Provençal. The meat should be between 1/16th and 1/4th inch thick (.4cm). It's best if you can have the butcher slice it. Or buy veal scallops and pound them thinner if needed.
Ingredients:
- 4 thin slices veal, app: 3 1/2 X 6 X 1/16th inches (8 X 15 X .4cm), about 8oz (250gr) total weight
- 2 slices Prosciutto, cut in half to fit the veal
- 1/4 cup black, dry-cured or Greek olives
- 1.5 - 2oz (45gr) spinach leaves
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) white wine
- 2 tsp cornstarch (corn flour, maizena) dissolved in 1 tbs water
Instructions:
- Roughly chop the olives.
- Lay the veal slices flat. Pound to make thinner if needed.
- Lay 1 slice of Prosciutto on top of each slice of veal.
- Put a layer of spinach leaves on top of the Prosciutto.
- Divide the olives and place on half of each parcel. They'll spread themselves out as you roll.
- Starting from the narrow end (where the olives are) roll the parcels up, keeping them as tight as reasonable.
- Tie securely with kitchen string.
- Heat oil in small, heavy pot or skillet. Add the veal rolls and brown lightly on all sides.
- Pour in the wine, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- To finish: Dissolve cornstarch in water.
- Remove veal rolls to a small platter and carefully remove string.
- Increase heat under sauce. Add cornstarch, stirring until clear and thickened. Spoon over rolls and serve.
Note: I didn't have kitchen string and discovered unflavored dental floss works great.
Individual Potato Gratin with Caramelized Shallots
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
The sweet, caramelized shallots under the bubbling, golden cheese is wonderful. If you don't normally have milk on hand you can substitute chicken stock, or half cream (or crème fraiche) and half water.
Ingredients:
- 3 large shallots, sliced
- 1 tbs butter
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 medium potatoes, 10oz total (300gr)
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) shredded cheese, any flavor (I used Emmenthal)
Instructions:
- Shallots:
- Heat butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until they start to get transparent and tender, about 5 minutes.
- Turn heat up and cook, stirring, until they start to get brown, about 5 minutes longer.
- Turn heat to medium low, add sugar and stir until sugar is melted and evenly distributed.
- Let cook over medium low heat until very brown, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Gratin:
- With a sharp knife thinly slice the potatoes.
- Shred cheese if needed.
- In individual baking dishes (mine are 5" in diameter and 1" deep (10cm by 2.5cm) layer the potatoes neatly.
- Divide the milk and pour over the potatoes.
- Divide the shallots and spread on top.
- Divide the cheese and sprinkle evenly over both dishes.
- Cover with foil and bake at 400F (200C) for 35 minutes.
- Remove foil and continue baking another 15 minutes, until cheese starts to brown.
- Remove from oven and serve.
Note: Put the dishes on a baking tray, for ease of handling and because they will probably cook over - saves oven clean-up. I use one large sheet of foil and loosely cover both of them with it.
Note 2: You can bake this in one, larger baking dish. Try not to layer the potatoes deeper than 1" (2.5cm). Increase covered baking time by 10 minutes.
Sautéed Butternut Squash with Shallots
Total time: 25 minutes
Butternut squash and shallots, simply fried until golden and tender.
Ingredients:
- 12oz (360gr) butternut squash 2 - 3 cups small chunks
- 3 medium shallots
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp olive oil
Instructions:
- Clean and slice butternut squash, (.5", 1.25cm) then cut into bite-size cubes.
- Peel and vertically slice shallots into quarters.
- Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add squash, shallots, paprika and sauté 15 - 20 minutes, until squash is nicely browned.
- Serve.
Note: To clean butternut squash first peel it, using a potato/vegetable peeler. If it's large (typically) cut it in half between the 'neck' and 'bowl' ends. Then cut those in half the 'long' way. Scoop the seeds out of the round end and discard. I use the neck end for uniform pieces and the bowl end for soups and smaller pieces.
Cooking Schedule: 80 minutes |
Take a 25 minute break |
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