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Menu Plan for Winter II: Week 10, Friday
Links:
Daily Recipes:
Tomato and Red Pepper Soup
Hot and Sweet Salmon
Almond Rice
Sesame Carrots
Cooking time: 35 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
An easy Friday night dinner: start the soup, get everything else ready, then enjoy the soup while it all cooks.
Tomato and Red Pepper Soup
Total time: 30 minutes
The combination of red tomatoes with red peppers makes a brilliant 'Tomato Soup' with just a hint of something to take it above the ordinary. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt, pepper strips, olives, shredded cheese, or just some freshly ground pepper.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 large red bell pepper
- 15oz (450gr) whole tomatoes with juices
- 2 shallots
- 1 rib celery
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3/4 cup (6oz, 180ml) chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- Garnish: any or all of the following
- 2 tbs Greek yogurt
- 2 tbs shredded cheese
- a bit more red pepper
- 3 - 4 olive, any color
Instructions:
- Chop shallots, celery and garlic.
- Clean pepper and roughly chop half.
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add paprika and sauté 30 seconds.
- Add shallots, celery and garlic and sauté 5 minutes.
- Add pepper, tomatoes with juices, herbs and 1/4 cup chicken stock.
- Heat to boiling, cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until pepper is tender and done.
- Purée either in a blender (easiest) or with an immersion blender.
- Add as much of the remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock as needed to get your desired consistency (it's a personal thing).
- Put soup back into pan and heat through.
- Garnish: Finely chop a bit more red pepper. Pit olives if necessary and slice.
- To serve: ladle soup into bowls. Spoon 1 tbs yogurt into the center of each bowl, or sprinkle with cheese, olives and red pepper.
Salmon with Hot and Sweet Glaze
Total time: 25 minutes
The mustard and brown sugar glaze works well with the slightly sweet flavor of salmon. Use hotter mustard if you want more of a 'kick'. I used fillets rather than steaks: they cook in less time and the larger surface captures more of the glaze.
Ingredients:
- 2 salmon fillets, 6oz (180gr) each
- 1 1/2 tbs brown sugar
- 2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Sherry
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar, mustard, soy sauce and sherry.
- Stir well, then let rest for 10 minutes (for sugar to dissolve).
- Put salmon on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
- Drizzle about half of the glaze over the salmon, dividing evenly.
- Bake at 400F (200C) for 15 - 20 minutes, depending on thickness, but until it's opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Error on either side of perfect is okay - a little pink in the middle is better than overcooked and dry, though.
- After 10 minutes of baking time, remove from oven and drizzle with the remaining glaze.
- Continue to bake until done. 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.
Rice with Almonds and Cumin
Total time: 20 minutes
Cinnamon, cumin and almonds give this rice a Moroccan flavor.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (3.3oz, 95gr) Basmati rice
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbs sliced almonds
Instructions:
- Put rice, stock, cumin and cinnamon into a small saucepan.
- Cover and simmer until rice is done, about 15 minutes.
- Fluff rice, add almonds and serve.
Sesame Carrots
Total time: 25 minutes
Carrots are the workhorse of the vegetable world, at least in my kitchen. But that's no reason why they can't be interesting.
Ingredients:
- 2 - 3 medium carrots
- 1/4 tsp powdered ginger
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) chicken stock
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions:
- Peel carrots and roll-cut: cut the end off of the carrot at an angle, roll carrot 1/4 turn and cut next piece about 3/4 inch away at an angle, roll 1/4 and cut next piece, etc. This gives you interesting looking pieces with lots of surface.
- Mince garlic.
- Heat sesame oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Add garlic and sauté briefly - 30 seconds, or so.
- Add carrots, ginger, soy sauce and chicken stock, cover and simmer over low heat until carrots are tender, 12 - 15 minutes.
- Remove cover, increase heat and cook off any remaining liquid.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.
- To toast sesame seeds: Put them into a dry, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Toss or stir them about in the pan until lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
Cooking Schedule: 35 minutes |
Get salmon ready for oven, spoon half of glaze on |
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