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Menu Plan for Spring I: Week 5, Saturday
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Daily Recipes:
Asparagus and Avocado Salad
Tournedos with Creamy Brown Sauce
Roasted New Potatoes
Butter Braised Carrots with Mushrooms
Cooking time: 40 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
This is a spring dinner, with spring flavors, but still cooked in the kitchen rather than on the barbecue grill.
Asparagus and Avocado Salad
Total time: 15 minutes
This is a small, light 'spring' salad; just enough to relax with a glass of wine before the main course.
Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 8oz (240gr) asparagus, green or white
- 1/2 avocado
- Vinaigrette:
- 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
- 1 tsp fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp dry
- 1 1/2 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbs good, salad olive oil
Instructions:
- Hard boil egg
- Snap off ends of asparagus. Roll cut asparagus in 1 inch (2.5 cm) lengths.
- Fill medium saucepan half full of water and bring to a boil over high heat. When boiling drop in asparagus and parboil for 2 minutes.
- Drain and immediately rinse with cold water.
- Spread them on paper towels and pat dry.
- Put the dried asparagus in a bowl, add the vinaigrette and toss lightly to combine.
- Let marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- To Serve
- Peel egg and cut into quarters.
- Remove avocado from shell.
- Cut into cubes and add to asparagus and toss lightly.
- Divide and put on 2 small plates.
- Garnish with egg quarters and serve.
- Vinaigrette:
- Combine all ingredients and whisk well to combine.
Tournedos with Creamy Brown Sauce
Total time: 20 minutes
This is based on a main course from years ago, at one of my favorite restaurants in Minneapolis. They didn't give me the recipe.... The steaks are sliced thinly, for tenderloin, and cooked quickly to stay medium-rare. Serve on a bed of mashed potatoes.
Ingredients:
- 4 slices beef tenderloin, each 1 inch thick (2.5 cm), 12oz (360gr) total weight
- 4 tsp olive oil
- 2 shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) red wine
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) beef stock
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup (4oz, 120ml) milk or cream
Instructions:
- The sauce: Thinly slice shallots and mince garlic.
- Heat 2 tsp oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and thyme and sauté 1 - 2 minutes.
- Add red wine and simmer until reduced by half.
- Add beef stock and simmer until reduced by half.
- Add tomato paste, mustard and mix well.
- Dissolve cornstarch in milk or cream and add to sauce, stirring until thick.
- Spoon into a bowl and set aside.
- Rinse out the skillet for the steaks.
- The steaks: Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in the skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add steaks and sauté 1 minute per side.
- Spoon the sauce over the steaks, cover and simmer 1 - 3 minutes longer, depending on how you like them done.
- To serve: Put 2 steaks on each plate and spoon a little sauce over top.
- Put the rest of the sauce in a sauce boat and serve on the side.
Roasted New Potatoes
Total time: 35 minutes
New potatoes are very thin-skinned, immature potatoes. They have a short shelf life, usually only a few days before they start turning green and need to be added to the compost pile. You probably can only get them at the farmer's markets - but try, if you can. They're worth it. If not, substitute the small 'creamer' potatoes.
Ingredients:
- 12 - 18 new potatoes, depending on size enough for two people
- 1 tbs olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Leave potatoes whole and unpeeled. Just wash lightly.
- Toss with oil, lightly salt and put into a baking dish large enough for them to be in a single layer.
- Bake at 400F for 30 minutes.
- Stir half way through baking time.
- Remove from oil, put into a small dish and serve.
Butter Braised Carrots with Mushrooms
Total time: 20 minutes
Carrots and mushrooms, sliced, lightly browned then braised to finish. A bit of oil is added to keep the butter from browning.
Ingredients:
- 3 medium carrots
- 2oz (60gr) mushrooms
- 2 tbs butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Instructions:
- Slice the carrots into thin rounds.
- Trim and slice mushrooms.
- Heat butter and oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the carrots, mushrooms and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes longer.
- Stir in thyme and serve.
Cooking Schedule: 40 minutes for menu |
Stir-fry carrots, mushrooms |
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