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Menu Plan for Fall I: Week 1, Saturday
Links:
Daily Recipes:
Wild Mushroom Omelet
Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Reduction
Grilled Potatoes and Carrots Dijon
Cooking time: 60 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
We did the steak, shallots/garlic and potatoes/carrots on the barbecue grill. You can just as easily do them in the kitchen using the cook top and oven. If you can't find wild mushrooms use cremini, oyster, whatever looks good!
Wild (Forest or Field) Mushroom Omelet
Total time: 20 minutes
A sure sign of fall is when we start seeing cars parked along the sides of the roads, their owners gathering and/or selling wild mushrooms. Use any type that appeals to you, wild or cultivated, a variety if possible.
Ingredients:
- 4oz (120gr) forest or field mushrooms
- 3 shallots
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbs fresh basil
- 1 tbs fresh parsley
- 4 eggs
- 4 tsp olive oil
Instructions:
- With scissors, snip herbs, divide in 2 and set aside.
- Clean mushrooms (using brush - do NOT wash) and roughly chop.
- Finely chop shallots, mince garlic.
- Heat 2 tsp oil in medium nonstick skillet. Add shallots and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and garlic and continue to sauté until mushrooms start to brown, 7 - 10 minutes.
- Remove from pan and divide in 2.
- In a medium bowl beat 2 eggs well with a wire whisk.
- Heat an 8 inch nonstick skillet or omelet pan over medium-high heat.
- Add half of the remaining oil.
- Add eggs and swirl around to cover bottom of pan.
- Sprinkle with half of the herbs.
- When the eggs are almost set put half of the mushrooms on 1/2 of omelet, and, with a spatula, turn the other half over.
- Leave it in the pan for another 20 - 30 seconds to finish cooking, then remove to a plate. Can be put into 250F (125C) oven to keep warm while you make the other omelet... or just cover with a lid.
- Oh yes - repeat for second omelet. Serve, garnished with a few olives if you have them.
Steak with Roasted Garlic and Red Wine Reduction
Total time: 60 minutes
In the summer cook these quickly on the barbecue; in winter, quickly sear in a hot skillet. Either way, do it at the last minute so they don't get too well done. The roasted garlic and shallots are creamy and mild; the wine reduction rich and silky.
Ingredients:
- 2 6oz (180gr) steaks, tenderloin, preferred
- 8 shallots
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves (laurel)
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) red wine
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) beef stock
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp cornstarch (maizena, corn flour) dissolved in 1 tbs beef stock
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 tsp thyme
- Foil for wrapping garlic
Instructions:
- Garlic and shallots:
- Put 6 whole, peeled shallots and 6 whole, unpeeled garlic cloves into the center of a square of foil.
- Sprinkle with 1 tsp thyme and drizzle with 1 tbs olive oil.
- Bring edges of the foil together to make a package and fold together.
- Place package on a baking sheet with a rim and place in 400F (200C) oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes open package and roast for 30 minutes longer.
- Or: Place package over indirect heat on barbecue grill for 45 minutes, shaking and moving 2 or 3 times.
- Sauce:
- Roughly chop remaining 2 shallots.
- Put shallots, remaining 2 cloves of garlic, bay leaves and wine in small saucepan.
- Boil until reduced by half.
- Add beef stock, vinegar, and reduce by half again. You should have 3/4 cup of sauce or less.
- Strain sauce and return to pan. Bring sauce back to a simmer.
- Dissolve cornstarch in beef stock.
- Slowly stir into sauce until thickened and clear. Keep warm.
- Steaks:
- Brush steaks with remaining olive oil.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks and cook, 3 - 5 minutes per side. If you like rare, remove after three minutes per side, make a small slit in one and check. If not done to your liking return for another 1 - 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat.
- Or: Cook on the barbecue grill for roughly the same amount of time.
- To Serve:
- Place steaks on small platter or individual plates.
- Remove garlic and shallots from oven and package and arrange around steaks.
- Spoon some sauce over each and serve, remaining sauce on the side.
Grilled Carrots and Potatoes Dijon
Total time: 35 minutes
Dijon-style mustard lends a bite to these roasted vegetables, not much.... Just a little, to make them interesting. They can be done on the barbecue or in the oven; either way, stir them once or twice.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium potatoes
- 2 - 3 carrots
- 1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbs fresh thyme substitute 1 tsp dried
Instructions:
- Cut potatoes in 4ths the long way and then in thirds the short way.
- Peel carrots then cut in thirds the short way, then each length in half.
- Put remaining ingredients into medium bowl and mix well - it will get thick.
- Add potatoes, carrots and toss well to coat.
- Now you have two choices: you can put them in the oven on a baking sheet with lip (trusty round pizza pan) and bake at 400F (200C) for 35 minutes, or put them in an old 'for barbecue only' metal pan and cook over direct heat on the barbecue, stirring frequently until brown and done, 20 - 25 minutes or over indirect heat for 35 - 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove and serve.
Cooking Schedule: 60 minutes |
Clean mushrooms, cut |
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