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Menu Plan for Winter I: Week 8, Saturday
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Daily Recipes:
Sautéed Shrimp with Walnuts and Prosciutto
Cornish Game Hens with Herb Sauce
Potato and Garlic Gratin
Savory Brussels Sprouts
Cooking time: 70 minutes with break for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
There are a lot of components to this dinner, but, with the hens and potatoes roasting in the oven, it's still easy.
Sautéed Shrimp with Walnuts and Prosciutto
Total time: 30 minutes
Less work than wrapping the shrimp in the Prosciutto but with the same flavors. The walnuts add a nice contrast as well as being good for us.
Ingredients:
- 6oz (180gr) shrimp, cleaned
- 2 large shallots
- 2 slices Prosciutto, 1.5oz (45gr) or other dry-cured ham
- 8 - 10 walnut halves
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp soy sauce
Instructions:
- Clean shrimp if needed.
- Clean and thickly slice shallots.
- Roughly chop Prosciutto.
- Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add paprika and sauté briefly.
- Add shallots and sauté until tender and starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add walnuts, Prosciutto, and sauté until Prosciutto starts to get crisp, about 5 minutes longer.
- Add shrimp and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until raw shrimp curl and turn opaque or cooked shrimp are heated through.
- Sprinkle with soy sauce, stir to combine and serve.
Cornish Game Hens with Herb Sauce
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Small, perfectly roasted hens make an elegant presentation for individual servings (with maybe a snack leftover). Remember to put bowls for bones on the table - and wet towels for fingers.
Ingredients:
- 2 Cornish Game Hens, poissin or little, individual chickens or 1 small whole chicken
- 2 tbs soft butter
- 1 1/2 tbs dried tarragon
- 1 1/2 tbs dried summer savory
- 1 1/2 tbs dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbs olive oil
- Herb Sauce:
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 shallot
- 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried savory
- 1 tbs flour
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) dry white wine
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) chicken stock
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90gr) Greek yogurt, crème fraiche, or sour cream
Instructions:
- Wash hens and pat dry with paper towels.
- Mix 1 tbs butter with 1 tbs each of tarragon, thyme and savory.
- Divide herb mixture and put half into each of the hens.
- Tie legs close and bend wings around and under the back - so it looks like they are lying there with their arms akimbo. It keeps them from flapping and gives the hen something to rest on.
- Lay them on a rack in a shallow baking pan.
- Rub the remaining 1 tbs butter over the hens and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tbs of each herb and the salt over the top.
- Put into 400F (200C) oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Pour 1 tbs oil over each hen and bake 20 - 30 minutes longer or until done. I recommend the thermometer...
- Herb Sauce:
- Finely chop shallot or leek.
- In medium saucepan sauté shallot and herbs in butter until shallot is tender.
- Add flour and stir constantly for 1 minute with a whisk.
- Slowly add wine stirring constantly to thicken.
- Add stock and heat, stirring, to boiling.
- Add yogurt and serve.
Potato and Garlic Gratin
Total time: 70 minutes
Simple ingredients but complex tastes. Yes, there is a lot of garlic, but it bakes with the potatoes, turning soft and sweet and giving a wonderful flavor to the dish. Discard the bay leaves.... This is based on a recipe from Provence the Beautiful
Ingredients:
- 2 medium potatoes, about 12oz (360gr) total
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 10 cloves of garlic
- 3 bay (laurel) leaves
- boiling water as needed
- sea salt
Instructions:
- Boil 1 - 2 cups water.
- Peel the garlic and cut cloves in half.
- Slice potatoes as thinly as possible with a sharp knife.
- Put the potatoes into a large bowl.
- Add olive oil and mix well. Use your hands, separating the slices to get each one coated.
- Spread half of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of small baking dish - just big enough to hold everything.
- Sprinkle with the garlic and add the bay leaves.
- Spread the remaining potatoes slices on top.
- Pour enough boiling water over to almost, but not quit cover.
- Sprinkle with sea salt.
- Bake, 400F (200C) uncovered, until potatoes are tender, about 60 minutes.
- If the top starts to get too brown cover with foil to finish.
- Remove and serve.
Savory Brussels Sprouts
Total time: 20 minutes
Sliced, fried in olive oil with bacon and onion, then finished with Worcestershire sauce and vinegar.... Not your usual Brussels Sprout.
Ingredients:
- 12 - 15 medium Brussels sprouts
- 1/2 onion
- 2 slices bacon
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
Instructions:
- Slice off stem end of sprouts and remove any wilted or damaged leaves. Cut each sprout into 3 or 4 slices.
- Thinly slice onion.
- Cut bacon into matchsticks.
- Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add bacon and sauté until crisp. Remove.
- Remove all but 2 tsp fat and oil.
- Add onions, sprouts and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with Worcestershire, Balsamic vinegar and thyme, stirring to combine.
- Add bacon, stir well and serve.
Cooking Schedule: 70 minutes for menu |
Tend to the shrimp |
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