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Menu Plan for Spring II: Week 1, Friday
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Daily Recipes:
Avocado Salad
Baked Salmon with Mustard Cream
Creamy Orzo with Prosciutto
Hot Spinach Salad
Cooking time: 30 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
While avocados of some variety are available all year, they start getting plentiful and inexpensive in the spring - just in time for our yearning for salad. Plus, we're starting to see the first early radishes.
Avocado Salad
Total time: 20 minutes
This is a simple salad, full of heart-healthy fats. The vinaigrette blends with the avocado making the dressing thick and creamy, coating the celery and egg.
Ingredients:
- 1 avocado
- 1 rib celery
- 2 eggs, hard-boiled
- 2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
- 1 tbs white balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbs good olive oil, for salads
- radishes for garnish optional
Instructions:
- Boil the eggs.
- Slice the celery on a diagonal to get nice big slices.
- Cube the avocado and scoop it out of the shells.
- Peel the eggs. Roughly chop one and quarter the other.
- Combine avocado, celery and chopped egg in a bowl.
- In another bowl whisk together the vinegar and mustard.
- Slowly drizzle in oil and whisk until thickened.
- Add to avocado and toss, gently, to combine.
- Arrange the salad on two plates. Put 2 quarters of the egg on each plate and serve. Garnish with radishes.
Salmon with Mustard Sauce
Total time: 25 minutes
The creamy yogurt takes a bit of the heat and bite out of the hot mustard, giving subtle flavors to the sauce. We prefer salmon filets. They may not make as nice of a presentation as steaks but they cook more evenly and are boneless.
Ingredients:
- 2 salmon fillets, 12oz (360gr) total weight
- 2 shallots
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) white wine
- 1 tbs mustard seeds
- 2 tbs Dijon-style mustard
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90gr) Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp dried tarragon
Instructions:
- Finely chop shallots.
- Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add wine and mustard seeds and boil, uncovered for about 3 minutes. Mix should be reduced by about half.
- Add mustard and tarragon and bring to boil.
- Remove from heat.
- Remove 2 tbs for basting the salmon.
- Stir yogurt into the remaining sauce. Cover and keep warm.
- Put salmon on foil-lined baking sheet. Spread reserved mustard/wine sauce on top.
- Bake at 400 F for 10 - 15 minutes, until top is light brown and fish flakes easily. It's okay if slightly translucent in the center.
- Serve with Mustard Sauce on the side.
Creamy Orzo with Prosciutto
Total time: 25 minutes
The orzo is cooked in a minimum of liquid, so the starch, that is normally lost during cooking, turns into a creamy sauce, aided by some freshly grated Parmesan. One thin slice of Prosciutto adds a distinctive finish.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbs butter
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 cup (4.5oz, 130gr) orzo
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) white wine
- 3/4 cup (6oz, 180ml) chicken stock
- 1 slice prosciutto
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tbs dried or fresh chives
Instructions:
- Finely chop the onion.
- Roughly chop the Prosciutto.
- Melt butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add orzo and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add wine, stock, Prosciutto, and bring to a simmer on medium heat.
- Turn heat to low and simmer until done, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. All stock will be absorbed.
- Stir in cheese and chives.
- Remove from heat and serve. This will be creamy, not stiff.
Warm Spinach Salad
Total time: 10 minutes
This is a cross between a salad and a vegetable. I've added a bit of bacon to it but you can leave it out for a vegetarian version. Be careful to cook the spinach for a just a minute, only to wilt slightly.
Ingredients:
- 6oz (180gr) fresh spinach
- 2 thin slices Prosciutto
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbs good olive oil
- 1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt - sea salt is nice, and pepper optional
Instructions:
- Roughly chop Prosciutto.
- Wash and stem spinach if needed. Drain in a colander. If you don't feel you need to wash it - do it anyway. We want a little bit of water on the leaves - what ever is left on the leaves after draining well.
- Cut any really large leaves.
- Heat oil over medium high heat in large nonstick skillet.
- Add Prosciutto and sauté until crisp.
- Add vinegar, thyme, sugar and heat through.
- Add spinach and quickly stir-fry, 1 minute. The spinach should just start to wilt.
- Remove, sprinkle with salt, pepper and serve.
Cooking schedule: 30 minutes |
Cool eggs if/when done |
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