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Menu Plan for Winter I: Week 5, Friday
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Daily Recipes:
Egg "Noodles" with Tomato/Prosciutto Sauce
Balsamic Glazed Baked Salmon
Polenta and Cheese Timbales
Sunchoke Chips
Cooking time: 45 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
These 'Noodles' are without flour - at least, with very little, allowing us to have a light 'pasta' first course. The rest of the dinner cooks or finishes in the oven while you have the first course.
Egg "Noodles" with Tomato/Prosciutto Sauce
Total time: 35 minutes
These are simply noodles made from eggs with a bit of flour, very quick and easy.
Ingredients:
- Noodles
- 3 eggs,
- 2 1/4 tsp flour
- 4 1/2 tsp milk
- 2 tsp oil
- Sauce:
- 1/4 medium onion
- 2 thin slices Prosciutto Serrano, Bayonne
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) tomato sauce
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp basil
- Garnish, optional
- freshly shaved Parmesan
- a few olives
Instructions:
- Sauce:
- Finely chop the onion.
- Roughly chop the Prosciutto.
- Open tomato sauce.
- Heat olive oil in a small skillet. Add onion and ham and sauté until onion is transparent.
- Add tomato sauce and herbs, reduce heat and simmer for 15 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 cooked through and 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 1/2 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.
Balsamic Glazed Baked Salmon
Total time: 25 minutes
The honey-vinegar makes a lovely glaze with a hint of hot from the mustard.
Ingredients:
- 2 salmon fillet or steaks, 6oz each (180gr each)
- 2 tbs Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbs honey
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard
- 1/2 tbs olive oil
Instructions:
- In a small sauce pan heat the vinegar, honey, mustard and oil, whisking to combine. When combined remove from heat and set aside.
- Put the salmon, skin side down, on a baking sheet.
- Brush with the honey/vinegar.
- Bake in 400F (200C) oven for 15 - 17 minutes, depending on thickness, basting with the honey/vinegar twice more. Salmon will be done when it flakes easily, slightly pink in the center is fine. Baste a final time and serve.
Polenta and Cheese Timbales
Total time: 35 minutes with quick cooking polenta
These slip out of the ramekins easily but still hold their shape making for a very pretty presentation. The Caramelized Shallots add an unexpected crunch!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
- 1/4 cup (1.5oz, 45gr) polenta, quick-cooking
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 shallots
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese cheddar would be nice, but whatever is on hand
- 1 tsp olive oil for ramekins
Instructions:
- Clean and slice shallots.
- Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Turn heat down to medium and continue cooking until nicely brown and starting to caramelize.
- Heat stock to boiling in a small saucepan.
- Add polenta, whisking constantly - or it will have little volcanic eruptions spewing polenta all over your stove.
- Turn heat down and cook about 5 minutes (or whatever your package tells you), stirring constantly. You may have to switch to a wooden spoon.
- When done, remove from heat and stir in caramelized shallots.
- Put 1 tsp oil in each of 2 ramekins; brush around the bottom and sides.
- Divide 1/3 of the polenta evenly between the 2 ramekins.
- Sprinkle each with 1/3 of the cheese, divided.
- Repeat these 2 layers twice more, ending with the cheese on top.
- Place ramekins on a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil, and bake for 10 minutes, 400F (200C).
- Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer.
- Remove and let rest a minutes or two.
- Run a knife around the edges of the ramekin. Put a plate on top and tip over, releasing the timbale onto the plate. Serve.
Note: I'm assuming that your ramekins hold app. 1 cup (8oz, 225ml). If they are smaller, you may need to make a third ramekin to use all of the polenta - and share it....
Sunchoke Chips
Total time: 30 minutes
Sliced, coated with oil and baked. Simple, delicious.
Ingredients:
- 3 - 4 sunchokes, aka Jerusalem artichokes
- 2 tbs olive oil
- fresh pepper
- sea salt
Instructions:
- Put olive oil in a bowl.
- Peel sunchokes, keeping the peeled sunchokes in a bowl of water as you work as they discolor quickly.
- Cut each sunchoke into 1/4 inch thick slices. Add slices to oil as you work, coating well.
- Lay on a nonstick baking sheet with a lip. Put in a 400F (200C) oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve.
Cooking Schedule: 45 minutes |
Fry 1/3 of egg mixture |
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