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Main Course Menu Plan: Week 10 Spring I
Day 1: Grilled Salmon with Warm Tomato Leek Salsa
Total time: 20 minutes
Salmon is the perfect fish for grilling and smoking: a light brushing of olive oil and a few herbs are all it needs.
Ingredients:
- 2 salmon fillets, 12oz (360gr) total weight
- 1 tsp Fines Herbes
- 1 tsp dill weed
- 1 tbs olive oil
- Warm Tomato Leek Salsa:
- 1 small leek
- 1/2 cup (3oz, 90gr) cherry tomatoes
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbs fresh snipped oregano
- 1 tbs fresh snipped chives
- 1 tbs olive oil
Instructions:
- Put salmon in a grill basket or on mesh grill pan.
- Brush fish with the olive oil and sprinkle with herbs.
- Grill for 5 - 7 minutes a side, depending on thickness.
- OR put on baking sheet and roast in 400 F (200C) oven for 15 - 20 minutes, depending on thickness.
- In both case salmon will be done when it flakes easily, slightly pink in the center is fine.
- Remove from heat, sliding it off the skin if needed.
- Serve with:
- Warm Tomato Leek Salsa:
- Clean leek and slice thinly, using up to the thick, dark green.
- Roughly chop tomatoes.
- Snip herbs.
- Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat.
- Add chili powder and sauté briefly.
- Add leeks and sauté until tender, about 7 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and sauté 5 minutes longer. Add herbs, stir and remove from heat.
- Keep warm (but not hot) until ready to serve.
Day 2: Barbecued Sirloin Steak
Total time: 30 minutes
Get any steak suitable for your budget and for grilling. If you slice the steak, at an angle, even a tougher cut is delicious - and they usually have more flavor!
Ingredients:
- 16oz (480gr) sirloin or top round (suitable for grilling)
- 2 tbs ketchup
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbs olive oil
Instructions:
- Combine ketchup, Worcestershire, vinegar, oil, garlic and oregano.
- Spoon on both sides if steak and allow to marinate for 15 - 30 minutes.
- Cook steak on barbecue grill over direct heat for 5 - 9 minutes per side - or until done - 140F (60C) for rare. Use thumb test, meat thermometer or, as last resort, by slicing into center and looking.
- When done, remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice at an angle about 1/2 inch thick (1.25cm) and serve.
- Note: Can be cooked under broiler - start with 7 minutes per side.
Day 3: Asian Chicken and Cabbage Salad
Total time: 30 minutes
Shredded cabbage with a creamy peanut butter dressing is the base for this chicken salad. Sprinkled with sliced (or slivered) almonds and sesame seeds, it has a definite 'Asian' flavor.
Ingredients:
- The Chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1 tbs soy sauce
- 1 tbs walnut or sesame oil
- 1 tbs peanut butter
- 1 tbs sherry vinegar
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp dried, powdered ginger
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- The Salad:
- 1/3 cup (2.4oz, 65gr) quinoa
- 2/3 cup (5oz, 150ml) chicken stock
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 carrot
- 1/2 green or red bell pepper
- 3oz (90gr) snow peas (mangetout)
- 1 tbs fresh snipped chives substitute 1 tsp dried
- 1 tbs toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- Peanut Dressing:
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- 2 tbs peanut putter
- 3 tbs sherry vinegar
- 1 tbs fresh parsley substitute 2 tsp dried
- 1 tbs oil - sesame or walnut
- 2 tbs salad olive oil
- 1 tbs soy sauce
Instructions:
- Cook quinoa in stock for 15 minutes, fluff when done and set aside.
- The chicken:
- Put soy sauce, walnut oil, peanut butter, vinegar, 1 tbs olive oil, chili powder, ginger and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk well to combine.
- Slice chicken breasts into strips and toss with marinade.
- Allow to marinate for 15 minutes while you make the rest of the salad.
- When ready, heat remaining 1 tbs olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- When sizzling, add chicken and stir-fry 4 - 6 minutes, or until done.
- The salad:
- Shred cabbage: cut a slice off of the head, lay the slice cut side down, cut into 4ths, then, cutting across, slice very finely: 1/16" - 1/8" (.3cm). Do not use the core of the cabbage - you'll recognize it when you see it.
- Slice the carrot into paper thin strips using the vegetable peeler.
- Julienne the pepper.
- Trim snow peas and slice, at an angle, into pieces about 3/4" (2cm) long.
- Snip chives.
- Make the Dressing.
- To assemble:
- Put cabbage, carrot, pepper, snow peas and chives into a large salad bowl.
- Add the dressing and toss well.
- Add quinoa, and toss to combine.
- Allow to rest and the flavors to blend while cooking the chicken.
- When the chicken is done, arrange on the salad, sprinkle with sesame seeds and almonds, serve.
- Peanut Dressing:
- Put all ingredients in small bowl and whisk well.
Note: Toast sesame seeds in a dry, nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, 3 - 6 minutes. Start flipping them or shaking the skillet after 1 - 2 minutes and remove as soon as light brown.
Day 4: Pasta Salad with Sausage and Chickpeas
Total time: 25 minutes
Chickpeas and Feta add a Mediterranean touch to this salad. You could as easily use grilled chicken breasts, or leave the meat out altogether for a vegetarian version.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup (4.2oz, 125gr) pasta, rigatoni, penne
- 8oz (240gr) sausages, any flavor - Italian, Bratwurst, Duck with Olives
- 1 3/4 cup (15oz, 450gr) chickpeas, garbanzo beans
- 3oz (9gr) feta cheese
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, 3oz (90gr)
- 1/2 red or green bell pepper
- 2 tbs fresh snipped chives or garlic chives substitute 1 tbs dried
- 2 tbs fresh snipped marjoram substitute 2 tsp dried
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbs olive oil
- Vinaigrette:
- 2 tbs red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 3 tbs salad olive oil
- 1 tsp ketchup
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
- Cut pepper into strips.
- Cut cherry tomatoes in half.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas.
- Heat oil, vinegar and soy sauce in skillet.
- Add pepper, sauté 5 minutes.
- Add chickpeas, tomatoes, and heat through. Set aside.
- Crumble feta.
- Snip herbs.
- Cook sausages on barbecue grill or sauté in nonstick skillet, before doing peppers, etc., on stove until done.
- Remove sausages and slice into 1 1/2" (4cm) lengths.
- Vinaigrette:
- Put all ingredients in small bowl and whisk well to combine.
- To assemble:
- Put drained pasta in large salad bowl.
- Add vegetables and vinaigrette, and toss well to combine.
- Add sausage to pasta along with feta and herbs. Toss gently and serve.
Peel fava beans: They peel like peas: break open the pod and take the beans out. Don't bother with any really tiny ones. After blanching they will have a whitish outer shell. Just squeeze lightly and the inner, bright green bean will pop out. It may split in half... that's okay.
Day 5: Barbecued Pork Chops
Total time: 30 minutes
Perfectly simple: a quick marinade to add flavor and moisture followed by a quick cooking on the grill. I used rather thin, boneless chops.
Ingredients:
- 2 - 4 pork chops - depending on size, 12oz (360gr) total if boneless
- Marinade:
- 2 tbs red wine vinegar
- 1 tbs ketchup
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tbs olive oil
Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients for marinade and pour over chops.
- Let marinate for 15 - 20 minutes.
- Cook on barbecue for 5 - 8 minutes per side or until done. Should be slightly pink in the middle, or near the bone if bone-in, when done - take a peak (techniques).
- Or fry in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat the same amount of time. Serve.
Note: If you cook it too long pork tends to be dry - unless you cook it really, really long - but that's winter cooking ... this is summer.
Day 6: Grilled Turkey Cutlets Piccata
Total time: 30 minutes
Turkey cutlets cook quickly, and work very well with marinades. If you can't get them get a turkey tenderloin and either slice it into thin cutlets yourself or ask your butcher. You could also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Ingredients:
- 2 - 4 turkey cutlets, depending on size, 12oz total weight (360gr)
- 2 tbs capers (with liquid)
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 2 tbs olive oil
Instructions:
- Put capers, lemon juice and oil in small bowl and whisk to combine - mixture will get very thick.
- Put turkey in a shallow dish, spoon marinade over and let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Remove from marinade and cook on barbecue grill for 3 - 4 minutes per side depending on thickness - or until done.
- Or can be sautéed in nonstick skillet over medium heat for the same time - or until done.
- Remove from heat and serve, with a few more capers sprinkled on...
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