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Menu Plan for Fall II: Week 12, Wednesday
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Daily Recipes:
Spinach Burgers
Oven Fries
Cooking time: 35 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
Burgers and Fries. What more can I say? Except these are healthy..... And, for many of us, this is a busy week. Easy is good.
Spinach Burgers with Mushroom Sauce
Total time: 30 minutes
Don't let the greenish tinge to these burgers put you off. They fry up to a lovely dark, proper burger color, they taste fantastic and you get a healthy dose of vegetables almost without noticing!
Ingredients:
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 ribs celery
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms
- 1 egg
- 12oz ground beef (360gr mince)
- 1/2 cup chopped, cooked spinach - or frozen, thawed, & squeezed dry - about 8oz, (240gr)
- 3/4 cup (6oz, 180ml) red wine - 2 tbs for the patties, 2 tbs for the cornstarch and the rest for the sauce
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) beef broth
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tbs cornstarch (corn flour, maizena)
- 2 tbs olive oil
Instructions:
- The vegetables:
- Finely chop onions, celery, mushrooms and garlic.
- In large non-stick skillet over medium heat sauté half of onions, celery, garlic and mushrooms about 5 minutes or until tender.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- The spinach:
- If using fresh: roughly chop and add to the skillet for the last minute or until wilted.
- If using frozen: thaw spinach and squeeze out all liquid.
- The burgers:
- In a large bowl lightly beat the egg.
- Add bread crumbs, 2 tbs of red wine and thyme.
- Mix well, then add the beef, spinach and sautéed onion mixture.
- Mix well - hands work best, and form into 4 patties.
- Heat remaining 1 tbs of oil in the same skillet, add patties and sauté about 5 minutes per side.
- Remove, put on oven-proof plate or platter and put in 250F (125C) oven to keep warm while you finish sauce.
- The sauce:
- Add remaining onions, celery, garlic and mushrooms to skillet and sauté about 5 minutes or until tender.
- Add 1/2 cup red wine, beef stock and tomato paste to pan and bring to a boil.
- Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 2 tbs of red wine (or water) and add to sauce, stirring constantly until thickened.
- Remove patties from oven, pour some of the sauce over and serve with remaining sauce on the side.
Oven Fries
Total time: 35 minutes
Cut in wedges and baked in the oven, these are quick, easy, and much lower in fat than traditional Fries.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 1/2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp rosemary
Instructions:
- Slice potatoes the long way - a large potato into 8 wedges and small ones into 6.
- Put remaining ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Add potatoes and toss, coating thoroughly.
- Arrange potatoes on baking sheet with rim (I use my trusty, round pizza pan). Bake at 400F for 30 minutes.
- You can turn once if you like to fuss but I usually don't bother.
- When done remove from pan and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper if you choose (again, I don't) and serve. These will stay hot for awhile so a 5 or 10 minute delay is okay.
Cooking schedule: 35 minutes |
Add bread crumbs, wine, thyme to egg, mix |
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