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Main Course Menu Plan: Week 8 Spring I
Day 1: Baked Cod Provençal
Total time: 30 minutes
Green garlic, black olives and cherry tomatoes finish this simple, baked fish.
Ingredients:
- 12oz (360gr) cod, halibut, or other firm, white fish
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 4oz (120gr) cherry tomatoes about 1 cup
- 4 green garlic or 3 green onions and 1 clove garlic
- 12 black olives (1/2 cup) I used dry-cured Greek olives
- 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
- 1 tbs oil
Instructions:
- Place fish on a baking sheet.
- Mix 2 tsp olive oil, 2 tsp lemon juice, drizzle on fish.
- Bake fish, 400F (200C) for 15 - 20 minutes, depending on thickness, until done. Fish is done when it starts to turn opaque and flakes with a fork.
- Trim and slice green garlic, using as much green as you can.
- Pit olives if needed and roughly chop.
- Cut cherry tomatoes in half.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add oil, green garlic and sauté 2 minutes.
- Add olives, tomatoes, thyme and heat through. The tomatoes should just start to soften.
- Spoon over fish and serve.
Day 2: Chicken Divan
Total time: 45 minutes
An old classic, updated for a healthier lifestyle, but still with the proper amount of decadence. I use yogurt instead of sour cream, less cheese, stock instead of 'condensed creamed' soup, and no mayonnaise. I think it's better than the original....
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1/2 medium - large head broccoli (enough for 2)
- 2 shallots
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 3/4 cup (6oz, 180ml) chicken stock
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) white wine
- 2 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs water
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120gr) Greek yogurt or crème fraiche
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) Gruyère, shredded
- 1/4 cup (1oz, 30gr) Parmesan
- 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1 tsp paprika
Instructions:
- Put chicken stock in a medium skillet, just large enough to hold chicken breasts.
- Cut breasts in half (the short way) and add to stock.
- Cover pan and poach over medium heat until done, about 15 minutes.
- Cut broccoli into small florets (with some stem), put into a steamer basket and steam over medium heat until barely tender, 6 - 7 minutes.
- Finely chop shallots and garlic (techniques).
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add shallots and garlic and sauté.
- Add white wine and simmer.
- When chicken is done, remove from stock and add stock to white wine/shallot mix.
- When simmering nicely thicken with dissolved cornstarch.
- Add yogurt and shredded cheese, stir well. Remove from heat.
- In a baking dish (I use my 8 X 11 inch (20 X 27.5cm) oval ceramic) spoon 1/3 of the sauce.
- Arrange drained broccoli over cheese sauce.
- Put 1/3 sauce over broccoli.
- Arrange chicken on top, and pour over remaining sauce.
- Mix the Parmesan, bread crumbs and paprika and sprinkle over all.
- Bake in a 400F (200C) oven 15 - 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve directly from the dish.
Day 3: Salisbury Burgers
Total time: 30 minutes
Similar to the oft-dreaded 'Salisbury Steak', only much, much better. Finished with a red wine and mushroom sauce.
Ingredients:
- 12oz ground beef (360gr mince)
- 1 medium onion
- 2 ribs celery
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms
- 2 tbs dry bread crumbs
- 1 tsp paprika, divided
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) beef stock
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) red wine
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 2 tsp olive oil
Instructions:
- Chop onion, celery.
- Finely chop 2 tbs each of the onion and celery.
- Trim mushrooms and thickly slice.
- Finely chop enough of the sliced mushrooms to equal 4 tbs.
- Put the finely chopped 4 tbs mushrooms, 2 tbs onion, 2 tbs celery, bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp paprika, marjoram and beef in a large bowl and mix well.
- Form into 2 patties.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Add the burgers and sauté, 5 - 7 minutes per side, turning carefully.
- Remove, cover to keep warm.
- Add remaining mushrooms, onions, celery, paprika to skillet and sauté about 5 minutes or until tender.
- Add beef stock, red wine, tomato paste and stir well.
- Return patties to pan, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors and heat patties.
- Serve.
Day 4: Cumin-Scented Grilled Chicken
Total time: 30 minutes
Cumin adds a hint of Northern African fare to this marinated chicken breast.
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs cider vinegar
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
Instructions:
- Mix oil, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, cumin and oregano.
- Spoon over chicken breasts and let marinate for 10 minutes.
- Cook on barbecue grill 6 - 8 minutes per side or sauté in nonstick skillet for about the same amount of time. They should be nicely browned and juices should run clear when pierced with a knife. Remove, slice and serve.
Day 5: Pork Chops Creole
Total time: 40 minutes
Use boneless chops for this if you can get them. The lively sauce keeps them tender even though they are only simmered 20 minutes or so..
Ingredients:
- 2 - 4 pork chops, depending on size, 12oz (360gr) boneless weight
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 1/2 green pepper
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) ketchup
- 1 tbs Worcestershire
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tbs chicken stock
- 1 tsp oregano
Instructions:
- Mince garlic.
- Cut onion into quarters and slice thickly.
- Thickly slice green pepper, then cut slices in half.
- Clean mushrooms and slice.
- In medium nonstick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Sauté pork chops until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Add chili powder, garlic, onions, pepper and mushrooms to pan and sauté 5 minutes.
- Return chops to pan. Spread ketchup and Worcestershire sauce over top.
- Add stock and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 - 30 minutes, turning once and stirring sauce, until chops are done and tender.
- Serve.
Day 6: Turkey and Broccoli Stir Fry with Brown Rice
Total time: 30 minutes
You can use turkey cutlets for this, sliced into strips, or part of a larger turkey tenderloin, freezing the rest for another time, or even ground turkey... or chicken breasts....
Ingredients:
- 10oz (300gr) turkey cutlets or tenderloin
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbs minced ginger substitute 1/2 tsp powdered
- 1 rib celery
- 1/2 green pepper
- 1/2 head broccoli
- 1 carrot
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) chicken stock
- 1 tbs sherry (optional)
- 1 tbs cornstarch (Maizena) dissolved in 1 tbs soy sauce plus 1 tbs water
- Brown Rice:
- 1/2 cup (3.3oz, 95gr) quick-cooking brown rice
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock or whatever your rice calls for
Instructions:
- Thinly slice onion.
- Mince garlic.
- Mince ginger (peel first).
- Julienne the pepper and carrots.
- Slice the celery at an angle.
- Cut broccoli into florets (with some stem).
- Cut the turkey into strips - bite-size.
- Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, celery to skillet and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add garlic, ginger and stir-fry another 2 minutes.
- Remove onions/garlic from pan and set aside.
- Add sesame oil, soy sauce to pan and heat.
- Add turkey and stir-fry 3 - 5 minutes, until golden.
- Remove and put with onions.
- Add broccoli, carrots, pepper to skillet and stir-fry 5 minutes.
- Return turkey, onions, celery, garlic and ginger to pan.
- Add chicken stock, sherry and bring to a boil.
- Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in cornstarch mixture until thickened.
- Serve over rice, adding more soy sauce if desired, according to taste.
- Brown Rice:
- Cook rice according to package instructions. Fluff and serve.
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