Thyme for Cooking
Seasonal Weekly Menus & Shopping Lists
Healthy Food Fresh Ingredients Simple Recipes
Menu Plan for Spring II: Week 12, Saturday
Links:
Daily Recipes:
Asparagus with Prosciutto and Goat Cheese
Barbecued Sirloin Steak
Potato, Onion, Gruyère Packets
Green Beans with Celery
Cooking time: 45 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
This is our favorite asparagus first course... A fitting end to the season. Use any cut of steak you like; if it's a less tender cut, slice it on the bias for serving. There is more goat cheese in the Salad on Wednesday.
Asparagus with Prosciutto & Chevre
Total time: 20 minutes
Quickly blanched, the asparagus spears are then wrapped in Prosciutto with a dollop of goat cheese at the base.
Ingredients:
- 12 asparagus spears- thickness of a pen is best; 4" (10cm) tips only
- 2oz (60gr) soft chevre (goat cheese)
- 1 tsp water
- 1 tbs snipped fresh basil substitute 1 tsp dried
- 1 tbs snipped fresh chives substitute 1 tsp dried
- 3 thin slices of dry-cured ham, Prosciutto, Serrano, Bayonne
- olives for garnish optional
Instructions:
- Snap off bottom ends of asparagus.
- If using white asparagus peel half way to tip.
- Cut off 4 inch (10cm) tips and refrigerate rest of the stalks for another use.
- Bring a medium pan of water to boil and blanch the asparagus tips for 2 minutes if slender, 3 minutes if thick.
- Drain and rinse well with cold water.
- Snip/chop basil leaves (hint: I hold the leaves together and snip with a scissors).
- Put chevre in small bowl, add 1 tsp water and the basil leaves. Stir to mix.
- Cut the ham in half the short way - you should have a slice that is about 2" X 3" (5cm X 7.5cm) - not important but you get the idea.
- Put a heaping teaspoonful of chevre mix on ham slice, add 2 asparagus spears so that half is sticking above the ham, and roll ham around bottom of asparagus and chevre so you have a little bundle with the asparagus tops sticking out the top.
- Repeat with remaining ingredients. Put 3 bundles on a plate, garnish with olives and serve.
- Can be made a couple of hours ahead and refrigerated.
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.
Potato and Onion Packets with Gruyère
Total time: 40 minutes
A summer version of Potatoes Savoyard. It's cooked on the barbecue grill, wrapped in foil. Use sweet onions if you can get them, otherwise regular yellow onions are fine. Dried herbs work best in this, use any you like.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 medium sweet or regular onion
- 1 piece Gruyère cheese, about 4oz (120gr) or any flavor you like
- olive oil
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- aluminum foil - heavy duty (or use a double sheet)
Instructions:
- Thinly slice potatoes, onions (cut in half first) and cheese - about 1/16 inch.
- Lightly oil 2 square (as long as the package is wide) sheets of aluminum foil.
- Place 2 slices of potato side by side, place an onion slice halfway on the potatoes in the middle and 1 slice of cheese on the onion slice. Overlap 2 more potato slices, onion and cheese - repeating until you have used 1 potato and half the onion and cheese - or until you think you have enough. You should end up with 2 rows of vegetables - 2 potato slices wide and about 5 inches long.
- Sprinkle rosemary over the top.
- Fold foil over, the 2 long sides first then the short (don't worry about a tight wrap - we want steam to escape).
- Repeat with the other potato.
- Cook packets on barbecue grill for 25 - 30 minutes. Do NOT turn over.
- When done, potatoes and onions should be cooked through and the cheese will have melted and formed a golden crust under the potatoes.
- To serve carefully slip spatula under cheese - trying not to tear the foil and to maintain the shape of the potato/onion packet. Lay on plates and enjoy!
Note: Can be baked at 400F for 30 minutes - just put packets on rack in middle of oven... you won't get the nice, crispy cheese, though.
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) bacon or Prosciutto 1 slice
- 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 bacon or Prosciutto.
- 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: 45 minutes |
Snip all herbs |
Share this:
----------------------
Get 7 Dinner Menus, Recipes, Shopping List each Thursday by e-mail: Subscribe
