Day 1: Turkey with Peppers, Feta and Olives over Couscous
Total time: 30 minutes
The Mediterranean flavors of peppers, olives and feta make bland turkey special. Serve over Toasted Couscous, Basmati Rice or Barley. Use more or less feta, according to taste.
Ingredients:
- 10oz (300gr) turkey cutlets or tenderloin
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 green pepper
- 1/2 red pepper
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms
- 1/4 cup green olives (about 15)
- 4oz (120gr) feta
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) chicken stock
- 1 tbs sherry
- 2 tsp cornstarch (Maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs water
- 1/2 cup large or pearl couscous substitute Basmati Rice or tiny pasta
- 1 1/4 cups (10oz, 300ml) chicken stock
Instructions:
- Thinly slice onion.
- Mince garlic.
- Cut the peppers into strips.
- Trim and slice the mushrooms.
- Slice the olives into thirds.
- Cut the turkey into strips - bite-size.
- Cut feta into small cubes.
- Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, peppers to skillet and stir-fry for 4 minutes.
- Add garlic, mushrooms and stir-fry another 4 minutes.
- Add turkey and stir-fry 3 - 5 minutes, until golden.
- Add chicken stock, sherry, tomato paste and bring to a boil.
- Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Dissolve cornstarch in water. Add to skillet and stir until thickened.
- Add olives, feta and stir, just until the feta starts to melt.
- Remove from heat and serve over couscous.
- Couscous
- Bring chicken stock and couscous to a boil in a small saucepan.
- Cover and cook 10 minutes.
- Uncover and drain any excess liquid.
Day 2: 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.
Day 3: Bolognese Lasagne with Spinach
Total time: 40 minutes
This is a wonderful way to use Ragù Bolognese. It's simply assembling and baking. This lasagne uses ricotta, rather than the more traditional Béchamel sauce.
Ingredients:
- 3 - 4 cups Ragù Bolognese
- 2 cups (16oz, 480ml) tomato sauce
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 12oz (360gr) frozen spinach
- 12oz (360gr) ricotta
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) milk
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
- 12 - 16 no-cook lasagne noodles
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) Parmesan
Instructions:
- Heat the Ragù.
- Add the herbs and tomato sauce
- Thaw spinach and squeeze dry.
- In medium bowl mix the ricotta, shredded cheese, spinach and milk.
- In a 10" (25cm) square (or 11 x 9) baking dish, make the following layers
- 1/3 of the tomato/meat sauce
- 3 - 4 noodles you may have to break another one up to get good coverage
- 1/2 of the spinach/ricotta mixture
- 3 - 4 noodles
- 1/3 tomato sauce
- 3 - 4 noodles
- 1/2 spinach/ricotta
- 3 - 4 noodles
- 1/3 tomato/meat sauce
- Parmesan
- Bake, covered with foil for 30 minutes at 400F (200C).
- Uncover for last 5 minutes to brown cheese.
- Let rest 5 minutes, then cut and serve.
Day 4: Coquilles Saint-Jacques
Total time: 30 minutes
If you are getting scallops in their shells, the shells make a lovely presentation. I love scallops but do not like the coral. Remove it or not as suits you. Be careful not to overcook the scallops. This used to be very decadent ... I made it recently and trimmed back the fat a bit. Still... I only do it once a year.
Ingredients:
- 12oz (360gr) sea scallops
- 2/3 cup (5oz, 150ml) white wine
- 2/3 cup (5oz, 150ml) chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 3oz (90gr) mushrooms
- 2 shallots
- 2 tbs butter
- 1 tbs flour
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) crème fraiche, cream, or Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60ml) shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
Instructions:
- Bring white wine, chicken stock and bay leaf to boil in large skillet.
- Add scallops and cook until just opaque, about 5 minutes.
- Remove and put into two individual baking dishes (scallop shells?) or 1 larger baking dish.
- Boil cooking liquid until reduced by half. Remove bay leaf.
- Mince shallot and slice mushrooms.
- Melt 1 tbs butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté 5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and sauté until golden, about 8 minutes more.
- Add shallots and mushrooms to scallops, dividing evenly.
- Melt remaining 1 tbs butter in saucepan.
- When hot add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to low and slowly add in reduced cooking liquid, stirring constantly until thickened.
- Add crème fraiche and heat through.
- Pour sauce over scallop/mushrooms in baking dish(es).
- Sprinkle with bread crumbs and cheese.
- Bake in 375F (190C) oven for 15 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve.
Day 5:
Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes, Apples and Carrots
Total time: 45 minutes
Pork and apples naturally compliment each other: the sweet-tart flavor of the apple brings out the sweetness of the pork. With roasted potatoes and carrots this is a simple meal needing little attention. Remember, slightly pink is fine for pork - and keeps it juicier.
Ingredients:
- 1 pork tenderloin, 12oz (360gr)
- 2 medium potatoes
- 2 - 3 medium carrots
- 1 apple - Golden Delicious or Granny Smith
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- 1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs butter
Instructions:
- Trim tenderloin if needed, but leave whole.
- Cut potatoes and carrots into sticks, 1/2 X 2" (1.25 X 5cm).
- In medium bowl mix sugar and vinegar, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
- Add oil and mix well.
- Add potatoes and carrots and toss to coat.
- Spread the potatoes and carrots out in a baking dish large enough to hold everything easily.
- Coat tenderloin with remaining vinegar/sugar and place in center of pan, with vegetables around it.
- Bake, uncovered, in 400F (200C) oven for 20 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, cut and core apple. Slice into thick wedges.
- Melt butter in nonstick skillet. Add apples and toss to coat well.
- Remove pork and vegetables from oven.
- Turn the pork and stir the vegetables, turning them also.
- Arrange the vegetables in a single layer, with pork on top of some of them, in the center of the pan.
- Lay the apple slices around the vegetables and return it all to the oven for the last 20 minutes.
- Remove, let the pork rest while you arrange the potatoes and apples on a small platter.
- Slice the pork and place on top.
- Pour over any pan juices and serve.
Day 6: Chicken with Mushrooms, Broccoli and Peppers
Total time: 25 minutes
Tarragon and capers are the main flavor components of this chicken dish. They give a Mediterranean taste to the peppers and broccoli. It all cooks quickly, leaving the vegetables crisp-tender.
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 1/2 green pepper
- 1/2 head broccoli, or 1 small head
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbs capers
- 3/4 cup (6oz, 120ml) white wine
- 1 tsp dried tarragon
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs cornstarch (corn flour, maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs water
Instructions:
- Roughly chop onion.
- Slice the green pepper into strips 1/4" (.6cm) wide.
- Cut broccoli into florets and peel and slice the stem.
- Mince garlic.
- Trim and thickly slice mushrooms.
- Cut chicken into large bite-size pieces.
- Dissolve cornstarch in water.
- Heat oil in nonstick skillet. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, broccoli, mushrooms and pepper and sauté another 5 minutes.
- Add chicken and sauté until it's cooked on all sides.
- Add capers, herbs, wine, stock and tomato paste.
- Cover, reduce heat and cook another 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and broccoli is just tender
- Uncover, increase heat.
- Stir in cornstarch to thicken.
- Serve over rice or with buttered potatoes.
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