Day 1: Cod with White Wine Mustard Sauce
Total time: 25 minutes
Any nice filet of white fish would be good: walleye, sole, catfish, cod, snapper, for this simple dish. The shallots are lightly sautéed and finished with a bit of wine, stock and tarragon.
Ingredients:
- 12oz (360gr) cod, halibut, or other firm, white fish
- 3 tsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dried thyme, divided
- 1 tsp dried tarragon, divided
- 1 shallot
- 1/3 cup (3oz (90ml) white wine
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) chicken stock
- 2 tbs whole grain mustard
- 2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbs water
Instructions:
- The fish:
- Place fish on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle lemon juice and 1 tsp olive oil over fish.
- Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp each thyme and tarragon.
- 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.
- The sauce:
- Finely chop shallot.
- Heat remaining 2 tsp olive oil in a small saucepan. Add shallot and sauté until tender.
- Add stock, wine, mustard, remaining herbs and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
- Dissolve cornstarch in water and add to sauce, stirring until thickened.
- Remove from heat and keep warm until fish is done.
- To serve:
- Spoon sauce over fish and serve.
Day 2: Braised Pork Loin with Red Wine and Olives
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Braising pork makes the meat incredibly tender; the red wine and olives give it a bit of Mediterranean flavor. This will serve four or be enough for two meals.
Ingredients:
- 24oz (720gr) pork loin roast
- 4 large shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3/4 cup dry-cured Greek olives, pitted
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 sprig fresh sage (about 6 leaves) substitute 1 tbs dried
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 cups (16oz, 480ml) red wine
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 1 tbs cornstarch (corn flour, maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs water
Instructions:
- Slice shallots in quarters through the stem end.
- Roughly chop garlic.
- Heat oil in heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add shallots, garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Add pork and brown on all sides.
- Add 1/4 cup of wine and stir up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Return shallots, garlic to pot and add remaining wine, herbs and tomato paste.
- Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a slow simmer and braise for 75 minutes.
- After 75 minutes add the olives.
- To finish:
- Remove pork and let rest.
- Remove and discard herbs
- Increase heat under shallots and olives.
- Add cornstarch and stir until thickened and clear.
- Slice some of the pork and arrange on a small platter. Spoon some Red Wine Sauce over and serve.
Day 3: Chicken Tarragon Risotto
Total time: 30 minutes
Tarragon is a classic pairing with chicken. A bit of carrot, leek and celery / celeriac make this a complete dinner, with just a hint of spring-time flavors.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup (4.2oz, 125gr) Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto - Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
- 1/2 medium leek
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) dry, white wine
- 2 1/4 cups (18oz, 540ml) chicken stock
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) Parmesan cheese - freshly grated
- Condimenti
- 1 chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 1 carrot
- 2 ribs celery
- 1/2 leek
- 2 tsp dried tarragon
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) chicken stock
- 2 tbs milk or yogurt
Instructions:
- Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat.
- Clean and trim the leek. Cut it in half, the long way and thinly slice.
- In medium sauce pan heat butter and oil; add half of the leek and sauté until transparent.
- Add the rice and sauté, stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes until rice has white center.
- Add white wine and stir.
- Start condimenti.
- When wine is almost absorbed add a 1/3 cup of stock, stir. (No need to stir constantly but do stir from time to time.)
- When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/3 cup and continue adding 1/3 cup at a time and stirring.
- Before adding the last 1/3 cup taste a few kernels of rice. They should be just 'al dente' - slightly resistant to the tooth, but fully cooked.
- If more stock is needed add it 1/8 cup at a time and waiting until almost completely absorbed.
- At this point risotto will be thick but not stiff - there will still be visible liquid and it will not hold it's shape on a plate.
- Add the Parmesan, condimenti, stir well, pour into a bowl or risotto platter and serve immediately.
- Condimenti
- Peel the carrot and cut in half lengthwise. Thinly slice into half-circles.
- Roughly chop celery.
- Cut chicken into bite-size pieces.
- Heat oil in medium skillet. Add remaining leek, carrot, celery and sauté until tender.
- Add chicken and brown lightly.
- Add stock, tarragon, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through.
- Turn off heat, add milk and keep warm until needed for risotto.
Day 4: Pasta Puttanesca with Tuna
Total time: 25 minutes
A simple pasta with Mediterranean flavors. Tuna is not a traditional ingredient, but it makes a more substantial main course for our way of eating. In Italy, this would be served without tuna, as a pasta course.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups (4.1oz, 120gr) penne, rigatoni or other bite-size pasta
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs chili powder
- 1 medium onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbs capers
- 1/2 cup green olives mine were stuffed with anchovies
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 15oz (450gr) whole tomatoes
- 12oz (360gr) tuna, canned (tinned)
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Chop onion, pepper and mince garlic.
- Cut olives in half.
- Drain tomatoes (do not reserve liquid) and roughly chop.
- Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet. Add onion, pepper, garlic and chili powder. Sauté until onion is tender.
- Add chopped tomatoes with their juices from chopping, capers, olives and herbs. Simmer, uncovered until thick, about 10 minutes.
- Drain and flake tuna. Add to sauce and simmer 5 minutes longer.
- Drain pasta, toss with sauce and serve.
Day 5:
Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Lemon & Capers
Total time: 30 minutes
Chicken breasts, bathed in a light lemon and caper sauce, are always a refreshing main course
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1 medium onion
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
- 2 tbs capers
- 1 lemon
- 1 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 1 tbs water
- 1 tbs olive oil
Instructions:
- Peel and slice onion.
- Slice lemon, discarding ends, and remove pips.
- Heat oil in nonstick skillet. Add onion and sauté until tender, 7 - 8 minutes.
- Move onion to sides of pan and add chicken breasts. Sauté until light brown, about 5 minutes per side.
- Add chicken stock and capers.
- Arrange lemon slices on top of chicken breasts. If you have too many slices just put directly in the stock.
- Cover, reduce heat and let simmer about 10 minutes, until chicken is done.
- To finish:
- Dissolve cornstarch in water.
- Remove chicken and lemon slices to a plate and cover with the lid from the pan.
- Turn heat up and when stock is boiling add cornstarch mixture, stirring until thickened.
- Serve chicken with lemon-caper sauce on the side.
Day 6: Spinach Burgers with Mushroom Sauce
Total time: 30 minutes
Don't let the greenish tinge to these burgers put you off. They fry up to a lovely dark, proper burger color, they taste fantastic and you get a healthy dose of vegetables almost without noticing!
Ingredients:
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 ribs celery
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms
- 1 egg
- 12oz ground beef (360gr mince)
- 1/2 cup chopped, cooked spinach - or frozen, thawed, & squeezed dry - about 8oz, (240gr)
- 3/4 cup (6oz, 180ml) red wine - 2 tbs for the patties, 2 tbs for the cornstarch and the rest for the sauce
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) beef broth
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tbs cornstarch (corn flour, maizena)
- 2 tbs olive oil
Instructions:
- The vegetables:
- Finely chop onions, celery, mushrooms and garlic.
- In large non-stick skillet over medium heat sauté half of onions, celery, garlic and mushrooms about 5 minutes or until tender.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- The spinach:
- If using fresh: roughly chop and add to the skillet for the last minute or until wilted.
- If using frozen: thaw spinach and squeeze out all liquid.
- The burgers:
- In a large bowl lightly beat the egg.
- Add bread crumbs, 2 tbs of red wine and thyme.
- Mix well, then add the beef, spinach and sautéed onion mixture.
- Mix well - hands work best, and form into 4 patties.
- Heat remaining 1 tbs of oil in the same skillet, add patties and sauté about 5 minutes per side.
- Remove, put on oven-proof plate or platter and put in 250F (125C) oven to keep warm while you finish sauce.
- The sauce:
- Add remaining onions, celery, garlic and mushrooms to skillet and sauté about 5 minutes or until tender.
- Add 1/2 cup red wine, beef stock and tomato paste to pan and bring to a boil.
- Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 2 tbs of red wine (or water) and add to sauce, stirring constantly until thickened.
- Remove patties from oven, pour some of the sauce over and serve with remaining sauce on the side.
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