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Menu Plan for Winter I: Week 4, Saturday
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Daily Recipes:
Spinach Strudel with Carrot Tomato Sauce
Spaghetti Bolognese
Cooking time: 60 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
How about some Classic Italian? Something easy; something not creamy or cheesy or high-fat. Something to get us back to reality. The sauce makes a large batch, but it freezes well. We'll use more for the Lasagne on Sunday. If there is any left - either eat it or freeze in 1 cup portions for quick lunches.
Spinach Strudel with Carrot Tomato Sauce
Total time: 25 minutes
This is based on a recipe from Pru Leith's Cookery School book. We've eaten at her restaurant, Leith's, in London; wonderful food but we were happy to be on an expense account! Filo (phyllo) is in either the dairy or freezer section of the supermarket. If the filo is frozen remember to thaw earlier. Use a soft brush if possible.
Ingredients:
- 6oz (180gr) fresh or frozen spinach
- 2 sheets of filo dough
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) shredded cheese
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- pinch nutmeg
- 2 tbs butter
- Carrot Tomato Sauce
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 rib celery
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) tomato sauce
- 4 tbs Greek or plain yogurt (2oz, 60ml), crème fraiche or sour cream
Instructions:
- The Spinach: If fresh, take any thick stems off of the spinach. Rinse well with cold water - even if it doesn't need it, we want the water.
- Put the rinsed and drained, but not dry, spinach into a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it wilts.
- Remove, squeeze dry and roughly chop.
- If using frozen, thaw and squeeze dry.
- Put spinach, cheese, marjoram and nutmeg in a bowl and mix well, separating the squeezed spinach and fluffing it to combine with the cheese.
- The Strudels: Melt the butter.
- Remove 1 sheet of pastry and re-wrap the rest. It's important to keep filo covered at all times or it will dry out very quickly.
- Lay the sheet out flat and brush all over with melted butter, starting with the edges (they dry out fastest) and working in.
- Lay the second sheet on top and brush with butter all over.
- Spoon the spinach mixture about 2" (5cm) from the narrower edge. Roll the end over the top and continue rolling it up, like a jelly roll.
- Carefully lift or roll onto a lightly oiled baking sheet.
- Brush the top with the remaining butter and bake at 400F (200C) for 12 - 15 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
- When done, remove to a cutting board. Cut in large slices and serve, with Carrot Tomato Sauce on the side.
- Carrot Tomato Sauce
- Roughly chop the carrot and celery.
- Cook in rapidly boiling water for 12 - 15 minutes, until tender. Drain.
- Put carrots, celery, basil and tomato sauce in a blender. Purée until smooth.
- Pour into a bowl, stir in yogurt and set aside until ready to use.
Spaghetti Bolognese
Total time: 60 minutes
This is a true Northern Italian meat sauce based on one found in the Time Life "Foods of the World, Italian,' book. It's not the tomato-y sauce that we have come to expect as the standard. It's full-flavored and fantastic, filled with minced vegetables and meat; but it's not thick.
Ingredients:
- fresh pasta, 8oz (240gr), spaghetti, linguini, fettuccini or 4oz (120gr) dry
- 2 tbs Greek yogurt, crème fraiche or milk
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups Ragù Bolognese
- Ragù Bolognese:
- 4oz (120gr) Prosciutto
- 4oz (120gr) ground pork
- 16oz (480gr) ground beef
- 1 large onion, about 1 cup minced
- 1 medium carrot, about 1/3 cup minced
- 2 ribs celery, about 2/3 cup minced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) white wine
- 2 cups (16oz, 480ml) beef stock
- 2 cups (15oz, 450gr) whole tomatoes
- 4 tbs tomato paste or 1 small can
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp oregano
- a pinch of nutmeg
Instructions:
- Roughly chop the carrots, celery, garlic and onion. Then, very, very finely mince the vegetables. Do it in a food processor, or blender if you can, but stop before you make paste. If doing it by hand, make a mound on the cutting board, half at a time. With a large chef knife, mince them using a rocking motion.
- Heat 1 tbs oil in nonstick skillet. Add the vegetables and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove and put into a large sauce pan.
- Finely chop/slice the ham. Put the ham, pork and beef into the same skillet. Sauté until cooked through and brown, breaking it up as small as you can.
- Pour in the wine, turn the heat up and boil until most of the liquid has cooked off, stirring to get up any browned bits in the skillet.
- Add the meat and remaining liquid to the vegetables.
- Roughly chop tomatoes, reserving all juices.
- Add stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs and nutmeg to sauce.
- Bring to a boil, stir well, cover partially, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Refrigerate unused sauce for later or freeze for up to 4 months.
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Combine crème fraiche with sauce.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve, Parmesan on the side.
Note: The cream or crème fraiche is added when served over pasta.
Cooking Schedule: 60 minutes |
Add stock, tomato paste, herbs, nutmeg |
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