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Menu Plan for Winter II: Week 13, Friday
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Daily Recipes:
Eggs Pipérade
Seafood Risotto
Cooking time: 35 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
This dinner has a spicy starter and a creamy main course. With lots of vegetables in the first course, I did not add more as a side dish. You can use any combination of seafood or fish in the risotto, or all of your favorite. Get some good bread to serve with both the Eggs and the Risotto.
Eggs Pipérade
Total time: 25 minutes
The spicy onion, green pepper and tomato is a Basque dish but we ate it often in Andorra, which has more of a Catalan influence. With the addition of eggs (optional in Basque country) the dish is reminiscent of the Mexican Huevos Rancheros, but without the tortilla. For breakfast or a light lunch serve with 2 eggs.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium onion
- 1 rib celery
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 small - medium green bell pepper
- 2 cups (15oz, 450gr) whole tomatoes, drained
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbs red wine
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbs olive oil plus 1 tsp
- hot sauce as desired
- 2 eggs
Instructions:
- Chop onion and celery; mince garlic; roughly chop green pepper.
- Drain tomatoes, discarding juice or reserving for another use. Roughly chop tomatoes.
- Heat 1 tbs oil in a medium nonstick skillet. Add chili powder and sauté 1 minute.
- Add onion and celery; sauté 5 minutes.
- Add pepper and garlic; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes longer.
- Add tomatoes, wine, vinegar, Worcestershire and oregano, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until tomatoes turn into thick sauce, about 10 minutes.
- The eggs: In a separate nonstick skillet heat 1 tsp olive oil.
- When hot, add eggs and fry, trying to keep a nice shape, just until the whites are set; they're meant to be 'sunny-side up'.
- The finish: Divide onion/pepper mix between two flattish soup plates.
- Put an egg on top of each, add salt, pepper, and serve; hot sauce on the side.
Risotto with Shrimp, Scallops and Mushrooms
Total time: 30 minutes
Sometimes risotto uses up leftovers; sometimes it's for special occasions, like this one. The occasion? It's the end of the week. I like to use half scallops and half shrimp, but all of either would be equally good. Risottos are meant to be creamy, not stiff. The risottos that we have eaten in northern Italy have all been served in soup plates (flattish bowls) and eaten with a spoon - not a fork.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup ( 4.2oz, 125gr) Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto - Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) dry, white wine
- 2 1/4 cups (18oz, 540ml) fish, seafood or chicken stock
- 1/2 onion other half for the condimenti
- 1 tbs butter
- 3/4 cup (3oz, 90gr) Parmesan cheese - freshly grated
- Condimenti
- 4oz (120gr) cleaned shrimp
- 4oz (120gr) scallops
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms
- 1/2 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 120ml) Greek yogurt, cream, or creme fraiche
- 1 tbs dried parsley
Instructions:
- Heat stock and keep hot over low heat.
- Finely chop onion.
- In medium saucepan heat butter over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and sauté until transparent, then add 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 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, a few tbs 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 and the condimenti, stir well, pour into a bowl or risotto platter and serve immediately. It will continue to absorb liquid and the leftovers (if any) will be quite stiff.
- Condimenti
- Chop onion and mince garlic.
- Trim and slice the mushrooms.
- Clean shrimp if necessary.
- While risotto is cooking, heat oil in medium skillet.
- Add onions, garlic and mushrooms, sauté until starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add shrimp and scallops, sauté until cooked, another 5 minutes. Both shrimp and scallops will turn opaque when done.
- Turn off heat, stir in yogurt and parsley, cover and keep warm until needed for risotto.
Cooking Schedule: 35 minutes |
Add tomatoes, wine, vinegar, Worcestershire to |
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