Thyme for                         Cooking

Egg "Noodles" with Tomato/Prosciutto Sauce
Broiled Snapper with Lemon Cream
Toasted (Israeli) Couscous with Sautéed Onions
Italian Brussels Sprouts
Cooking time:   40 minutes for menu 
Cooking schedule: see below for menu instructions

   You may wonder why we have fish or seafood on Friday night.  It's not for any religious reason; it's because that's the day I do the shopping and I like to have it nice and fresh.  Mon mari doesn't really like fish or we would have it more often.   We are starting to marinate the beef for tomorrow, as well. 

Egg "Noodles" with Tomato/Prosciutto Sauce             Time: 35 minutes
    I found the idea for this in Tuscany The Beautiful, Cookbook.  I was a little skeptical about how easy they would be to handle (the first one tore - I was too quick), but they were a breeze to make, stood up to the sauce very well and were delicious!  I used 4 eggs, I think 3 is better for a first course; thus the strange measurements.  Half of the sauce is for tomorrow night.

Noodles
3 eggs
2 1/4 tsp flour
4 1/2 tsp milk
2 tsp oil

Sauce
1/4 medium onion, about 1/4 cup
4 slices Prosciutto, (3oz, 90gr)   Serrano, Bayonne,
2 tsp olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes, (15oz, 450gr)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil

Garnish, optional
freshly shaved Parmesan
a few olives

Sauce:  Finely chop the onion.  Roughly chop the Prosciutto.  Open tomatoes.  Heat olive oil in medium, skillet.  Add onion and ham and sauté until onion is transparent.  Add tomatoes and herbs, reduce heat and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes, uncovered.  Stir occasionally.  It should be chunky and thick.
Noodles:  Put eggs in medium bowl and whisk well.  Add flour, a little at a time, sprinkling it across the eggs, and whisking well after each addition.  (Even better, have someone else add it while you whisk constantly) Try to avoid lumps.  Add the milk  and whisk well.  Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet or omelet pan, 7 - 8" (20cm) in diameter, over medium heat.  Add 1/3rd of the egg mixture, tilting pan to cover well.  Let cook, undisturbed for 1 - 2 minutes, until top is dry.  With a spatula, carefully turn and cook on the other side for 30 seconds.  Remove to a plate.  Do not keep warm.  Repeat twice more.  When eggs are done, and cooled slightly, roll each up like a cigar and slice 1/2" (1.25cm) strips.  Egg Noodles!  Divide strips in half.  Place half in a bowl, spoon over 1/4 of the sauce and toss lightly.  Arrange on a plate.  Repeat with other half of strips.  Garnish with shaved Parmesan and olives, if you have it, and serve.   Refrigerate remaining sauce for tomorrow.

Broiled Snapper with Lemon Sauce                             Time: 15 minutes
   
Walleye would be my first choice but that's isn't available here.  Any nice filet will work, small cod, tilapia, catfish...

2 nice fish fillets, snapper, walleye,   4 if they are small 12 oz total weight  (350gr)
1 tbs butter
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp thyme
1/3 cup crème fraiche or sour cream (3oz, 90ml)

Melt butter.  Add 1 tbs lemon juice and 1/2 tsp of the tarragon and thyme.  Brush on fish fillets.  Broil (grill) fish (about 4 inches away from coil) for 6 - 8 minutes, until fish is done.  It should be opaque and flake easily with a fork.  Serve with Lemon Sauce on the side.

Lemon Sauce

Combine remaining 1 tbs lemon juice, 1/2 tsp thyme and tarragon, mustard and crème fraiche.  Mix well.

Toasted or Israeli Couscous with Onions                           Time: 20 minutes
    
This is slightly different than regular couscous.  It's also known as pearl couscous and is larger than traditional couscous with a pearly, luminescent finish.  The texture it similar to that of barley, moist and a bit chewy.  If you can't find it substitute Basmati rice - in the same proportions, cook for 20 minutes.

1/2 cup Israeli couscous   substitute Basmati Rice
3/4 onion
1 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp thyme
1 cup chicken stock

Finely chop onion.  Heat butter and oil in saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté until transparent, about 8 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook 10 minutes.  Uncover and drain any excess liquid.  Fluff with fork and serve.

Note: Or follow package directions ...I don't have a package (it was sent to me by a friend in the U.S.) and this worked very nicely for me!

Italian Brussels Sprouts                                                  Time: 30 minutes

12 - 16 Brussels sprouts - depending on size.  You want 6 - 8 per person
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbs Parmesan cheese

Trim Brussels sprouts: slice a bit off of the stem end and peel away the outer leaves - any that are damaged or discolored.  With the tip of your knife make a small X in the stem end - that, supposedly, aids even cooking.  Put in a steamer basket over an inch of water and steam until done, 20 - 25 minutes.  They are done when you can easily pierce them with a sharp knife.  Don't over cook or they can be a bit strong tasting and mushy.  Remove from pan and empty the water.  Return pan to heat and heat the oil.  When hot add the sprouts and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add vinegar and toss gently.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.
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Cooking schedule: 40 minutes for menu
30 until ready to eat starter
Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes
Finely chop all onion
Chop Prosciutto
Start to sauté onion and Prosciutto for sauce
Open tomatoes
Trim Brussels sprouts
Add tomatoes, herb to Prosciutto, simmer
Make lemon sauce for fish
Melt butter
Add lemon and herbs, set aside
Grate, shave Parmesan
    For tomorrow:
Slice 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery for beef
Put beef, carrot, onion, celery, bay, juniper, pepper
   in a bowl, pour wine over, cover, refrigerate

Whisk eggs
Add flour to eggs, whisking

Add milk to eggs
Start to cook eggs (omelets)
Sauté onion for couscous
Done cooking eggs?
Start to cook sprouts
Roll and slice eggs
Toss with sauce and arrange on plates, garnish
Add couscous, stock, herbs, to onions, cover, cook
Preheat broiler
Serve starter
Done? Check couscous
Brush fish with lemon butter, broil
Remove sprouts from pan, empty water
Heat oil for sprouts
Add sprouts, sauté
Add vinegar, toss
Finish fish, couscous
Sprinkle sprouts with Parmesan
Serve all, eat, Enjoy!

 

 

 

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Menu for the week of November 9, 2007

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