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Menu Plan for Summer I: Week 1, Day 1

Marinated Salmon with Brown Sugar Yogurt Sauce
Couscous Pilaf
Green Beans with Sautéed Celery

Cooking time:  30 minutes for menu          Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

        We use a bit of ham in the beans to add to flavor... the rest in the salad on Day 3.  The salmon is easy, the couscous is quick so it's a minimum fuss summer dinner.

Marinated Salmon with Brown Sugar Yogurt Sauce

Total time: 20 minutes
    The salmon, marinated in an herbal bath for 15 minutes, is cooked on the barbecue grill or baked and served with a cold, hot-sweet sauce.

 Ingredients:

• 2 salmon fillets, 12oz total (360gr each)
• Marinade:
• 2/3 cup (5oz, 150ml) white wine
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tbs fresh parsley  substitute dried
• 2 tsp tarragon    substitute dried
• Brown Sugar Yogurt Sauce:
• 1/3 cup (3oz, 90gr) Greek yogurt
• 2 tbs Dijon-style mustard
• 2 tsp brown sugar  

 Instructions:

• Mince garlic. 
• In a flat dish, just large enough for the salmon, mix wine, garlic, lemon, herbs.  Add salmon, turning once to coat, and allow to marinate for 15 - 25 minutes. 
• Put salmon in a grill basket if using barbecue grill or on mesh grill pan if you don't have a basket.
• Grill for 10 - 12 minutes, skin-side down, with the grill cover closed.  Be careful not to overcook. 
• OR put on baking sheet and roast in 400 F oven for 15 - 18 minutes, depending on thickness. 
• In both case salmon will be done when it flakes easily, slightly pink in the center is fine. 
• Sauce:
• In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mustard and sugar. Set aside.
• To serve:
• Slide the salmon off the skin if needed and place on plates. 
• Spoon some sauce on the side and serve.

Couscous Pilaf

Total time: 15 minutes
    You can leave the celery, onion and carrot raw for this pilaf, but I prefer it to be lightly sautéed.  You could also put it with the couscous before adding the hot stock.... I like the flavor of sautéed.

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (3oz, 90gr) couscous
• 3/4 cup (6oz, 180ml) chicken broth
• 1 carrot
• 1 rib celery
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet or red onion
• 4 cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbs snipped chives
• 2 tsp good olive oil

 Instructions

• Heat chicken broth to boiling. 
• Put couscous in a medium bowl. 
• When broth is boiling pour over couscous, cover and let stand for 10 minutes... Do not stir it. 
• Chop carrot, celery and onion. 
• Cut cherry tomatoes in half.  
• Heat oil in small nonstick skillet over medium heat.  
• Add carrot, celery, onion and sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat. 
• Snip chives. 
• When couscous is ready, uncover, add vegetables, tomatoes, chives, fluff gently with a fork to combine and serve.

Green Beans with Sautéed Celery

Total time: 20 minutes 
  Green beans, cooked quickly, then tossed with sautéed celery and a bit of ham or bacon for flavor, something a little different from our summer bounty. Blanching them first helps retain their bright color.

 Ingredients:

• 6oz (180gr) green beans
• 1oz (30gr) baked ham or Prosciutto
• 1 - 2 ribs celery, (about 1/2 cup sliced)
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbs white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar     substitute honey
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tbs snipped fresh chives

 Instructions:

• Top and tail beans... cut off the ends.  Cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths (4cm). 
• Heat a medium saucepan half full of water to boiling. 
• Add the beans and cook for 4 minutes. 
• Remove and plunge into cold water to cool and preserve color.  Drain. 
• Chop ham. 
• Thinly slice celery. 
• Heat oil in a small skillet. 
• Add bacon or Prosciutto and sauté briefly. 
• Add celery and sauté about 5 minutes.  
• Add remaining ingredients to pan and heat through, stirring to dissolve mustard and sugar. 
• Add beans, heat through and serve.

Cooking Schedule: 30 minutes Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives, scissors, small saucepan, medium saucepan, small bowl, whisk, medium bowl (used 2 X) lid, small skillet (used 2X), dish for marinating, barbecue grill, grill pan or mat, BBQ tools Light/turn on barbecue grill if using Make marinade for salmon, add salmon, marinate Put water on high heat for beans Make yogurt sauce for salmon Top, tail beans, cut Get cold water ready for beans Blanch beans Peel, chop carrot Slice, chop celery Remove beans, drain, plunge into cold water Drain beans, set aside

Heat stock for couscous Chop onion Slice cherry tomatoes Snip all herbs Sauté carrot, onion, celery for couscous Remove salmon from marinade, put in basket / mat Cook salmon Chop ham Put couscous in bowl Pour stock over couscous, cover Remove carrot, onion, celery to small plate Using same skillet sauté ham for beans Add celery to ham in skillet Turn salmon Add remaining ingredients to skillet for beans Add beans to skillet, stir, serve Fluff, finish couscous Remove salmon, Serve

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By Katie Zeller

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