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Main Course Menu Plan: Week 8 Winter I
Day 1: Red-Cooked Salmon with Peanut Sauce
Total time: 25 minutes
'Red-cooked' refers to a Chinese technique of poaching or braising in soy-sauce based liquid. Salmon is not a typical fish in Chinese cuisine but it worked very well.
Ingredients:
- 2 salmon fillets, 12oz (360gr) total weight
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) soy sauce
- 1 tbs minced ginger
- 2 tbs red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) water
- Peanut Sauce:
- 3 tbs peanut butter
- 1 tbs soy sauce
- 2 tbs sherry
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
Instructions:
- Salmon:
- Add the soy sauce, ginger, vinegar and water to a skillet just large enough to hold the salmon easily.
- Add the salmon, curved side down, cover and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer slowly, bubbles barely breaking the surface, for 15 minutes, carefully turning the salmon half way through.
- At this point salmon should be cooked through, flesh opaque. If not simmer another 3 - 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let rest, covered until ready to serve.
- Peanut Sauce:
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
- To serve:
- Remove salmon to plates, spoon sauce over and serve.
Day 2: 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.
Day 3: Mushroom, Pimento and Chicken Lasagne
Total time: 50 minutes
A layer of sautéed mushrooms, a layer of crushed tomatoes and one of shredded chicken and sliced red peppers makes this is a colorful lasagne with surprise flavors in each bite.
Ingredients:
- leftover Cornish hen or 1 chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 3/4 cup (6oz, 180ml) chicken stock or water
- 8oz (240gr) mushrooms
- 3 - 4 shallots, 6oz (180gr)
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs chicken stock
- 2 cups (15oz, 450gr) chopped tomatoes
- 6oz (180gr) pimientos, roasted red peppers
- 2/3 cup (5oz, 150gr) Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup (3oz, 90gr) shredded cheese
- 3 tbs butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups (16oz, 480ml) milk
- 12 - 15 sheets 'no-cook' lasagna noodles
- 1/3 cup (1.5oz, 45gr) grated Parmesan
Instructions:
- The chicken:
- Put the chicken breast and stock or water in a small skillet.
- Cover and cook over medium heat until done, about 10 minutes.
- Remove and cut into thin slices or shred.
- The mushrooms:
- Clean mushrooms and roughly chop.
- Clean shallots and slice.
- Heat oil in medium skillet. Add mushrooms, shallots and sauté until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add 2 tbs of the water or chicken poaching liquid to get up the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet.
- The Béchamel:
- In a medium saucepan heat the butter over low heat.
- Add flour and stir with a whisk for 1 minute.
- Add a little (1/4 cup) of the milk and whisk to combine.
- Turn heat up to medium and keep adding milk, a little at a time and whisking. You should have added all of the milk in a minute or 2.
- When all of the milk is in, bring to a boil (should almost be there), whisking. Then remove from heat.
- The rest:
- Open tomatoes.
- Slice roasted red peppers into strips.
- To Assemble:
- In a 10" (25cm) square baking dish, or so, make the following layers
- 1/4 of the béchamel sauce
- 3 - 4 noodles, you may have to break one up to get good coverage
- spread half of the yogurt on the noodles
- spread all of the mushrooms and shallots on the yogurt
- 1/4 béchamel sauce
- 3 - 4 noodles
- all of the crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 of the shredded cheese3 - 4 noodles
- spread half of the yogurt on the noodles
- all of the shredded/sliced chicken
- all of the sliced peppers
- 3 - 4 noodles
- 1/2 béchamel sauce
- 1/2 shredded cheese
- all of the Parmesan
- Cover and bake 425F (215C) for 20 minutes, or until noodles are done. Test in center with a sharp knife.
- Uncover and bake 5 minutes longer to brown cheese.
- Remove and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into squares (or oblongs) and serve.
Day 4: Pork Chops with Mustard and Garlic
Total time: 30 minutes
The chops are browned first and get fork-tender in no time when gently braised. I prefer thinner, boneless chops for this skillet dish. They stay tender and moist, and the reduced sauce makes this a lovely main course.
Ingredients:
- 2 - 4 boneless pork chops, 12oz (360gr) total weight
- 2 tbs whole grain mustard
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 tbs parsley, fresh or dried
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) chicken broth
Instructions:
- Mince garlic and parsley together.
- Stir into mustard, making a thick paste.
- Heat oil in nonstick skillet. Add chops and brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total.
- Spread half of the mustard on the chops, turn, spread the rest of the mustard on the other side.
- Add chicken stock, cover and simmer for 10 - 12 minutes over low heat, turning chops once.
- Remove chops, top with any sauce left in the skillet and serve.
Day 5: Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms and Chevre
Total time: 30 minutes
This is a quick pan sauce, thickened with creamy goat cheese.
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1 small onion
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tbs Worcestershire
- 2oz (60gr) soft goat cheese, chevre, about 1/3 carton
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) tomato sauce
- 2 tsp olive oil
Instructions:
- Clean and thickly slice mushrooms.
- Roughly chop onion.
- Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet.
- Add chicken breasts and brown on both sides, about 7 minutes total. Remove.
- Add onions, mushrooms, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce to pan and sauté 5 minutes.
- Return chicken to pan, add tomato sauce, oregano, cover, turn heat to low and simmer 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken and cover with the pan lid to keep warm.
- Add goat cheese to skillet, stirring well to melt and combine.
- Spoon mushroom sauce over chicken and serve.
Day 6: Potato, Ham and Broccoli Gratin
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
A bit of cutting and slicing, add flour and cover with milk and cheese. What could be easier? An hour later a dinner, piping hot and creamy, pops out of the oven, ready to serve.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1/2 medium - large head broccoli
- 1 onion
- 8oz (240gr) baked ham a slice about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) milk
- 1 tbs Dijon mustard
- 3/4 cup (3oz, 90gr) shredded cheese
Instructions:
- Cut broccoli into small florets, including stems.
- Cut the onion in quarters then slice thinly.
- Slice the potatoes 1/8 inch (.3cm) thick.
- Cut ham into 1 inch (2.5 cm) squares.
- Put the broccoli, potatoes, onions and ham into a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour and toss to coat as evenly as possible.
- Put the whole lot into a large glass baking dish.
- Whisk the milk and mustard together and pour carefully over the vegetables.
- Sprinkle with the cheese.
- Cover and bake at 400F (200C) for an hour or until the potatoes are done.
- Uncover for the last 10 minutes to brown the cheese. Serve.
You could bake it for 90 minutes at 350F (175C) if you like.
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