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Main Course Menu Plan: Week 7 Spring II
Day 1: Baked Snapper with Lemon-Mustard Sauce
Total time: 15 minutes
Walleye would be my first choice but that isn't available here. Any nice filet will work, small cod, tilapia, catfish...
Ingredients:
- 2 nice fish fillets, snapper, walleye, 12oz (360gr) total weight
- 1 tbs butter
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp tarragon
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 2 tbs chicken stock
- 1 tbs whole grain mustard
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) Greek yogurt, crème fraiche or sour cream
Instructions:
- Rinse fish, pat dry.
- Melt butter.
- Add 1 tbs lemon juice, tarragon and thyme to butter.
- Brush on fish fillets. Bake, 400F (200C), for 15 - 20 minutes, until fish is done. It should be opaque and flake easily with a fork.
- Or grill the fish in a grill basket, over indirect heat on the barbecue grill for about the same amount of time.
- Spoon Lemon-Mustard Sauce on top and serve.
- Lemon-Mustard Sauce:
- Combine remaining 1 tbs lemon juice, stock, mustard and yogurt. Mix well.
Day 2: Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Breasts on Pimiento Sauce
Total time: 40 minutes
These are easy to make: slice a pocket, fill and tie. The Prosciutto wrapping infuses the chicken with flavor and helps keep it moist. The Pimiento Sauce adds just a bit of spice to it.
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1 - 2oz (50gr) Gruyère or other hard cheese, thinly sliced
- 4 slices Prosciutto (about 3oz, 90gr)
- 1 tbs olive oil
- kitchen string
- Pimiento Sauce:
- 5oz (150gr) pimientos (pimentos) or roasted red peppers, drained
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbs tomato paste use the stuff in the tube
- 1 tbs Greek or plain yogurt
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup (2-4oz, 60-120ml) chicken stock
Instructions:
- With a sharp knife make a long slit in the edge of the chicken breast - cutting horizontally and being careful not to cut through the other side. Make the cut on the 'straight' edge of the breast. You should have a pocket the shape of the breast with 1/2 inch of 'uncut' chicken around 3 sides.
- Tuck the sliced cheese inside.
- Lay 2 slices of Prosciutto side by side.
- Close the chicken breast and lay it on the Prosciutto at a slight angle, Roll and wrap, covering the chicken breast completely in the ham, as best you can.
- Wrap the entire parcel with kitchen string to hold it together - and keep as much cheese inside as possible.
- Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and brown well on all sides, about 10 minutes total.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and let finish cooking, another 10 - 15 minutes.
- Pimiento Sauce:
- Put pimiento/pepper, garlic powder and chili powder into a blender. Purée, adding as much stock as needed.
- Pour into a small saucepan and stir in tomato paste.
- Gently heat until it starts to simmer.
- Remove from heat, stir in yogurt and cover to keep warm.
- To finish:
- Remove chicken from heat. Snip the string in a few places and remove.
- Spoon some Pimiento Sauce onto the plates, place the chicken in the center and serve, any remaining sauce on the side.
Day 3: Pasta with Ham and Asparagus
Total time: 25 minutes
Ham and asparagus are surely one of the food world's more perfect pairings.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup (4.2oz, 125gr) bite size pasta, penne, rigatoni
- 8oz (240gr) baked or deli ham
- 8oz (240gr) asparagus, white or green
- 3 green garlic (2oz, 60gr) substitute 2 green onion and 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) chicken stock
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120gr) Greek or plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) Gruyère cheese, shredded
- 2 tsp olive oil
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Snap off asparagus ends. Peel if using white. Cut asparagus into 1 1/2" (4cm) lengths.
- Bring a medium saucepan half full of water to a boil over medium high heat.
- Add asparagus and boil for 3 minutes (4 for white).
- Remove, drain, rinse thoroughly with cold water and drain again.
- Cut ham into large, bite-size pieces.
- Trim and thickly slice green garlic or onion; mince garlic if using.
- Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add green garlic /onion and garlic, ham, asparagus and sauté until hot and lightly browned.
- Add chicken stock and heat through.
- Stir in yogurt.
- When pasta is done drain and add to skillet; heat through.
- Sprinkle with cheese, stir to combine and melt cheese slightly and serve.
Day 4: Pork Chops with Rosemary
Total time: 30 minutes
Browned quickly, then braised for a bit in white wine and rosemary, these come together quickly but are wonderfully tender. If your chops are quite thick you may want to increase cooking time by 5 - 8 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 2 - 4 pork chops, depending on size, 12oz (360gr) total
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) white wine
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) chicken stock
- 1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs water
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90gr) Greek yogurt, or plain or sour cream
Instructions:
- In nonstick skillet large enough to hold the chops heat 1 tbs oil over medium-high heat. Add chops and sauté about 3 minutes per side, until lightly browned.
- Add wine, stock, rosemary and dry mustard, cover reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. or longer
- To finish: Uncover and increase heat.
- Dissolve cornstarch in water in small bowl or measuring cup.
- Remove pork chops to small platter or plate and cover with the lid.
- Add cornstarch mixture to skillet and cook, stirring constantly until thickened.
- Remove from heat, stir in yogurt. Pour over chops and serve.
Day 5: Chicken, Asparagus and Avocado Salad
Total time: 20 minutes
Quickly blanched asparagus, stir-fried chicken and sliced avocado go together quickly for this simple, spring salad. Some crusty country bread is the perfect accompaniment.
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sesame or walnut oil
- 1 tbs Teriyaki sauce or marinade
- 6oz (180gr) asparagus
- 1 avocado
- 3oz (90gr) cherry tomatoes
- 6oz (180gr) spinach and/or other salad greens, enough for 2 main meal salads
- Oriental Vinaigrette:
- 1 tbs Teriyaki sauce or marinade
- 1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame or walnut oil
- 3 tbs salad olive oil
Instructions:
- Vegetables:
- Snap off asparagus ends. Peel if using white.
- Cut asparagus into 1 1/2" (4cm) lengths.
- Bring a medium saucepan half full of water to a boil over medium high heat.
- Add asparagus and blanch for 2 minutes (3 for white).
- Remove, drain, rinse thoroughly with cold water and drain again.
- Prepare salad greens, washing and spinning dry if needed
- Slice tomatoes in half.
- Remove avocado from shell and slice.
- Chicken:
- Cut chicken into large bite-size pieces.
- Heat oils in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add Teriyaki sauce and chicken; stir-fry 5 - 7 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- Vinaigrette:
- Mix Teriyaki sauce, vinegar and sesame oil.
- Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly.
- Salad:
- Arrange salad greens on two plates.
- Divide chicken and place in the center.
- Arrange avocado slices on one side, asparagus on the other.
- Add tomatoes.
- Drizzle a bit of dressing over all and serve, remaining dressing on the side.
Day 6: Ham and Red Pepper Quiche
Total time: 60 minutes
The rice makes a lovely crust, much healthier than the traditional pastry... and easier too, especially if you cook the rice earlier.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (3.3oz, 95gr) brown rice, quick cooking
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
- 1/4 cup (1oz, 30gr) shredded cheese
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 6oz (180gr) ham, cut into small pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
- 3 - 4 tbs snipped, fresh garlic or regular chives or 1 tbs dried chives
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60gr) Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup (6oz, 180ml) milk (or all milk)
- 3/4 cup (3oz, 90gr) shredded cheese
- olive oil
Instructions:
- The rice:
- Cook the rice in stock. If doing in advance, refrigerate until needed. If doing now, spread the rice on a plate to cool for 5 minutes before making crust.
- The crust:
- Lightly whisk 1 egg.
- Mix cooked rice, cheese and egg.
- Pat into a lightly oiled quiche or 10" (25cm) pie plate, working it up the sides a bit for the edges.
- Bake in 400F (200C) oven for 10 minutes.
- The filling:
- Heat oil in nonstick skillet and lightly sauté pepper strips.
- Whisk 3 eggs, yogurt and milk together.
- Add the chives.
- To assemble:
- When crust is done, remove from oven.
- Spread the pepper strips evenly over the crust.
- Spread the ham on top.
- Sprinkle on the cheese.
- Pour egg mixture over all and bake, 30 minutes, 400F (200C).
- Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before cutting.
Note: I usually put the quiche dish on a baking sheet to make it easier to handle – it gets kind of full…
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