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Menu Plan for Winter II: Week 13, Saturday

Cauliflower Soup with Gruyère
Baked Lamb Chops with Persillade
Potato Crisps
Chickpea Purée

Cooking time: 50 easy minutes for menu          Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

        The chickpeas call for Truffle Oil, and if you happen to have some, it's wonderful!  But, it's just meant as a garnish so a good olive oil or walnut oil will work as well. Both Lamb and Potatoes are baked making this an easy dinner. You could substitute pork chops for the lamb, but will need to double the baking time (and then make a slit to check if done).

Cauliflower and Gruyère Soup

Total time: 35 minutes
    This is a lovely, creamy soup. It gets quite thick after you stir in the cheese so I keep a bit of hot broth on hand to thin it to the right consistency. The fresh Parmesan adds a distinctive nutty taste.

 Ingredients:

• 1/3 head of cauliflower, about 2 cups small florets 
• 1 small onion
• 2 ribs celery
• 2 1/2 cups (20oz, 600ml) chicken broth  (Start with 1 1/2 cups, after pureeing and adding milk, add more stock if you want it thinner)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 cup (2 oz, 60gr) shredded Gruyère
• 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) milk or cream
• 1 tbs butter
• 2 tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp paprika

 Instructions:

• Chop onion and celery. 
• Cut cauliflower into small florets (leaving small 'stems'). 
• Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. 
• Add celery and onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. 
• Add cauliflower, 1 1/2 cups of broth and thyme. 
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender, 20 - 25 minutes. 
• Purée soup in a blender or using an immersion blender. 
• Return soup to heat, add milk or cream and bring to a simmer. 
• Add more chicken broth if desired. 
• Taste and add salt & pepper if needed. 
• Reduce heat and add cheese, whisking to combine.  Do not let it boil or the cheese may separate.  Add more hot broth if needed. 
• Ladle into soup plates, sprinkle fresh Parmesan, paprika evenly over the top and serve.

Baked Lamb Chops with Persillade

Total time: 20 minutes
     Persillade is what goes into Escargot Bourguignon to make it so delicious.  It goes into a lot of other dishes in France as well. Baking lets the persillade stay on the chops rather than in the pan.

 Ingredients:

• 4 - 6 lamb chops, depending on size, about 16oz total (480gr) 
• 3 tbs persillade  which is
•      2 tbs parsley, fresh or dried
•      3 cloves garlic - chopped, very finely, together
• 1 tbs olive oil

 Instructions:

• Finely mince garlic and parsley together. 
• Place a shallow rack on top of a baking sheet. 
• Brush both sides of the chops with oil. 
• Sprinkle with, and press in, the persillade on both sides of the chops. 
• Place the chops on the rack and bake, 450F (225C) oven for 7 - 15 minutes, depending on thickness.  Mine were 3/4" thick (2cm) and I baked them for 7 minutes for medium rare.  If yours are 1" thick (2.5cm) I would suggest 8 - 9 minutes.  If they are 2" thick (5cm) I would suggest 15 minutes.  They will not 'brown' but do stay incredibly moist and succulent. 
• Remove from oven and serve.

Baked Potato Chips

Total time: 50 minutes
   Just a light coating of olive oil keeps these potatoes on the healthy side.  They are a lovely golden brown and crunchy.  Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt for the perfect finish.

 Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes (not huge)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• salt - sea salt is good

 Instructions:

• Slice potatoes the long way into 3/16 inch (.5cm) thick slices.  You should get 5 - 7 slices from each potato - discard 'end's. 
• Put olive oil on a small plate. 
• Dip both sides of potato slices in oil, let excess drain back onto plate, and lay on a nonstick baking sheet (if you have one - just makes it easier). 
• Put in a 400F (200C) oven and bake for 30 minutes. 
• Remove pan, turn potato slices and return to oven for 10 more minutes. 
• When done, remove from pan, sprinkle with salt and serve.

Chickpea Purée with Truffle Oil

Total time: 35 minutes
   A simple, savory dish; this also makes enough for 4.  I chop the other 'half' of the tomatoes and stir them into the leftover chickpeas when I reheat.  You could also use the leftovers as a dip for tortilla chips.

 Ingredients:

• 15oz (450gr) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1 cup (8oz, 240gr) whole tomatoes with juice 
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs truffle oil or good olive oil

 Instructions:

• Open, drain and rinse chick peas.  
• Open tomatoes and remove half of them. 
• Place chick peas and tomatoes in a blender with 1 tbs olive oil, and 2 tbs of the juice from the tomatoes. 
• Purée until well chopped.  Add 1 more tbs tomato juice if needed to get purée - but try not to.  It should be stiff. 
• Heat 1 tbs olive oil in nonstick skillet. 
• Add puréed chick peas, spread out and cook, over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.  We're just drying them out a bit. 
• Just before serving, increase heat to medium and cook, stirring, for 3 - 4 minutes. 
• Remove and place in serving bowl. 
• Make a well in the center and pour in oil.  Serve.

Cooking Schedule: 50 minutes Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives, bowl, medium nonstick skillet, medium saucepan with lid, blender, 2 baking sheets, 1 rack, whisk Turn oven on 400F (200C), arrange 2 shelves Chop onion, celery, sauté Put oil on plate Slice potatoes, dip in oil, lay on baking sheet, bake Cut cauliflower, add to onion/celery Add stock, thyme, to cauliflower, cover, simmer Shred Gruyère Grate Parmesan Make persillade Press Persillade into chops, put on rack, set aside Open drain, rinse chickpeas

Open, divide tomatoes Put chickpeas, tomatoes, oil in blender, purée Heat oil in skillet, spread chickpeas, cook Rinse blender, purée soup Add milk to soup, heat, adjust Stir chickpeas Reduce heat under soup, add Gruyère, whisk     If chops are  thick, start to bake in 400F (200C) Ladle soup into bowl, garnish and serve Done? Remove potatoes, turn oven to 450F (225) Turn potatoes, return to oven Start to bake chops if not already in Stir chickpeas Remove chops when done Remove potatoes Finish chickpeas and serve

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Need help planning dinner?  Do you have a garden?   A CSA for fresh veggies?

  Try our Weekly Menu Plans: Healthy Gourmet Dinners;  Quick, Easy Recipes.
Each week carefully planned to reduce waste and use a lots of fresh, seasonal veggies. 

By Katie Zeller
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