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Menu Plan for Spring I: Week 1, Day 1
Roasted Salmon with Red Pepper Sauce
Macaroni and Cheese
Sautéed Spinach
Cooking time: 30 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
An easy dinner with a hint of spring - the spinach. You can use the rest of the Red Pepper sauce as a dip or add it to the Lentil Soup.
Roasted Salmon with Red Pepper Sauce
Total time: 25 minutes
The slightly spicy red pepper sauce is a nice contrast to the sweet salmon. Save remaining Red Pepper Sauce for another use.
Ingredients:
- 2 salmon fillets, 12oz (360gr) total weight
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup Red Pepper Sauce
- Red Pepper Sauce:
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) chicken stock
- 1 tbs white balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbs Greek yogurt
Instructions:
- Red Pepper Sauce:
- Roughly chop pepper, onion and garlic.
- Sauté pepper, onion, garlic and chili powder until vegetables are soft.
- Add chicken stock, vinegar, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
- Purée in blender with as little of the stock as possible.
- Pour sauce out of blender into a small bowl and stir in yogurt.
- Salmon:
- Put salmon on lightly oiled baking sheet.
- Spoon some of the Red Pepper Sauce evenly over each salmon fillet. You should use about 1/3 of the sauce.
- Bake at 400 F for 15 - 17 minutes, until fish flakes easily. Serve.
Note: For easy clean up cover pan with foil first. This is especially nice if you are using fillets with the skin on. You can carefully lift the salmon off the skin to serve, leaving the skin on the foil. Then wrap the whole mess up and toss.
Macaroni and Cheese
Total time: 25 minutes
In my youth, Mac and Cheese came from a box and was very yellow. This is not a fancy, adult version made with 6 different cheeses - although you could.... Use any cheese you like, just make certain it's one that melts and doesn't turn to string. To find out more: The Rules of Melting Cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups (4oz, 120gr) pasta, tubes, macaroni, curly macaroni
- Béchamel:
- 2 tbs butter
- 2 tbs plus 2 tsp flour
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard
- 1 1/2 cups (12oz, 360ml) milk
- 3/4 cup (3oz, 90gr) shredded cheese, Fontina, Cheddar, Gruyère, or a combination
- pepper
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Shred cheese.
- Béchamel:
- In a medium saucepan heat the butter over low heat.
- Add flour and stir with a whisk for 1 minute.
- Add a little (1/4 cup) of the milk and whisk to combine.
- Turn heat up to medium and keep adding milk, a little at a time and whisking. You should have added all of the milk in a minute or 2.
- When all of the milk is in, bring to a boil (should almost be there), whisking.
- Remove from heat and stir in cheese. If the cheese cools down the Béchamel too much to melt, put it back over low heat, stirring until cheese has melted.
- Do not boil or the cheese may seize - separate into a stringy ball and floating oil.
- To Finish:
- When pasta is done, drain and put into a large bowl.
- Pour Béchamel over and stir until well combined.
- Sprinkle with pepper and serve. Or put into a baking dish and bake for 10 - 15 minutes....
Sautéed Spinach
Total time: 10 minutes
This is quickly done and best if done at the last minute. A sprinkling of lemon juice and sea salt is all that's needed to let the spinach shine. The leaves should be barely wilted.
Ingredients:
- 6oz (180gr) fresh spinach
- 2 tsp dried chives or 1 tbs fresh
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp good olive oil
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- salt - sea salt is nice, and pepper
Instructions:
- Wash and stem spinach if needed. Drain in a colander. If you don't feel you need to wash it - do it anyway. We want a little bit of water on the leaves - what ever is left after draining well - and shake them around a bit, too.
- Cut big spinach leaves into strips.
- Snip chives if using fresh.
- Heat 1 tsp oil over medium high heat in large nonstick skillet.
- Add spinach and herbs. Quickly stir-fry, 1 or 2 minutes. The spinach should just start to wilt.
- Remove.
Cooking Schedule: 30 minutes |
Remove 1/2 sauce, spoon onto salmon |
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