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Menu Plan for Fall II: Week 10, Day 1
Salmon with Red Pepper Sauce
Mushroom Risotto
Broccoli with Shallots and Mustard
Cooking time: 30 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
We don't often have risotto as a side side. This is more of a traditional risotto (served as a separate course in Italy) with the condimenti being used to flavor it, rather than turn it into a meal. The recipe makes less than our usual amount. Any leftover sauce can go into the meatballs.
Roasted Salmon with Red Pepper Sauce
Total time: 25 minutes
The slightly spicy red pepper sauce is a nice contrast to the sweet salmon. Save remaining Red Pepper Sauce for another use.
Ingredients:
- 2 salmon fillets, 12oz (360gr) total weight
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup Red Pepper Sauce
- Red Pepper Sauce:
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) chicken stock
- 1 tbs white balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbs Greek yogurt
Instructions:
- Red Pepper Sauce:
- Roughly chop pepper, onion and garlic.
- Sauté pepper, onion, garlic and chili powder until vegetables are soft.
- Add chicken stock, vinegar, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
- Purée in blender with as little of the stock as possible.
- Pour sauce out of blender into a small bowl and stir in yogurt.
- Salmon:
- Put salmon on lightly oiled baking sheet.
- Spoon some of the Red Pepper Sauce evenly over each salmon fillet. You should use about 1/3 of the sauce.
- Bake at 400 F for 15 - 17 minutes, until fish flakes easily. 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.
Mushroom Risotto
Total time: 25 minutes
I used fresh cepes and oyster mushrooms for this. Use the best / most interesting you can find.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (3.5oz, 100gr) Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto - Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) dry, white wine
- 2 cups (16oz, 480ml) chicken stock
- 1/2 onion other half for condimenti
- 1 tbs butter
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) Parmesan cheese - freshly grated
- Condimenti:
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms
- 1/2 onion
- 1 tomato
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbs Greek or plain yogurt
Instructions:
- Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat.
- Finely chop onion.
- In medium sauce pan heat butter; add the onion and sauté until transparent.
- 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 1/4 cup of stock, stir. (No need to stir constantly but do stir from time to time.)
- When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/4 cup and continue adding 1/4 cup at a time and stirring.
- Before adding the last 1/4 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 and the condimenti, stir well.
- Spoon into a bowl or risotto platter and serve.
- Condimenti:
- Brush mushrooms, trim and slice.
- Chop onion.
- Roughly chop tomato.
- Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onion, mushrooms and sauté until starting to brown.
- Add tomato and simmer until it softens.
- Cover, turn heat to low and keep warm until needed.
- Just before adding to risotto, stir in yogurt.
Note: It will continue to absorb liquid and the leftovers (if any) will be quite 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.
Broccoli with Shallots and Mustard
Total time: 25 minutes
The broccoli is steamed, just until done, but should retain a bit of crispness. It's finished with a pungent mustard and shallot sauce.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 head broccoli
- 2 shallots
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp whole grain mustard
- 2 tbs chicken stock
Instructions:
- Cut broccoli into bite size florets and stems.
- Put in a steamer basket in a saucepan with an inch of water in the bottom. Put on medium heat and steam for 10 - 12 minutes or just until done.
- Remove broccoli and keep warm.
- Peel and thickly slice shallots.
- In same pan heat the oil. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes.
- Add mustard and stock, stir well.
- Add broccoli, toss to coat and heat through. Serve.
Cooking schedule: 30 minutes |
Sauté onion for risotto |
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