Thyme for Cooking
Seasonal Weekly Menus & Shopping Lists
Healthy Food Fresh Ingredients Simple Recipes
Menu Plan for Fall II: Week 7, Friday
Links:
Daily Recipes:
Hunter's Eggs
Baked Salmon with Lemon Mayonnaise
Creamy Polenta with Bacon and Sage
Broccoli with Butter and Herbs
Cooking time: 35 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
An easy dinner tonight. Nothing takes long to cook. Start the salmon and the broccoli; make the polenta just before you fry the eggs. It will all be ready when you are. I give bacon quantities in weight, rather than slices, because the thickness of a slice can vary greatly - and it's really a matter of taste, anyway... use more or less as you like.
Hunter's Eggs
Total time: 25 minutes
This is a variation on a Basque dish of peppers and tomatoes. It's a simple dish, with just a few ingredients but bursting with flavors. The name comes from two types of hunters in our fields this time of year: mushroom and wild boar.
Ingredients:
- 3oz (90gr) mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 2oz (60gr) bacon 2 - 4 slices
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp paprika, (smoked is nice)
- pepper
Instructions:
- Clean mushrooms and slice thickly.
- Roughly chop onion.
- Cut bacon, crossways, into strips.
- In nonstick skillet, sauté bacon until crisp. Remove and set aside.
- Add 1 tsp oil and onion to skillet. Cook, over medium heat, until onions just start to brown, 7 - 10 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and continue to sauté until mushrooms start to brown, 5 - 7 minutes longer.
- Return bacon to skillet and keep warm while cooking eggs.
- In separate nonstick skillet heat 1 tsp olive oil. When hot add eggs and fry, trying to keep a nice shape, just until the whites are set; they're meant to be 'sunny-side up'.
- Divide bacon/mushroom mix between two plates.
- Put an egg on top of each, sprinkle with paprika, pepper and serve.
Baked Salmon with Lemon Mayonnaise
Total time: 20 minutes
A light coating of mayonnaise, thinned with lemon and olive oil, keeps the salmon filets, moist. It gets a lovely golden color while baking and infuses the salmon with a fresh lemon flavor.
Ingredients:
- 2 salmon fillets or steaks, steaks, 6oz each (180gr each)
- 3 tbs mayonnaise
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- 1 tbs olive oil
- Olive oil for coating pan
Instructions:
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon and oil.
- Put salmon on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
- Divide lemon mayonnaise evenly and spread over salmon.
- Bake at 400 F for 12 - 15 minutes, until top is light brown and fish flakes easily. Serve.
Note: For easy clean up cover pan with foil first. This is especially nice if you are using fillets with the skin on. You can carefully lift the salmon off the skin to serve, leaving the skin on the foil. Then wrap the whole mess up and toss.
Creamy Polenta
Total time: 15 minutes if using quick-cooking polenta
Check the package directions for quantity proportion - you may have to add more (or less) liquid to get a soft consistency. It can be adjusted at the end, before serving. This should be like mashed potatoes.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
- 1/4 cup (1.5oz, 45gr) polenta, quick-cooking
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) milk or cream or crème fraiche or more stock
- 1/4 cup (1oz, 30gr) shredded cheese
- 2 tsp dried chives
- nutmeg
Instructions:
- Heat stock and herbs in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
- When stock is simmering slowly pour in polenta, whisking constantly.
- Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes or until done.
- Add milk (or stock) to thin, a pinch of nutmeg and cheese.
- Cover and let sit 5 minutes. Serve. Can be kept warm over very low heat.
Broccoli with Butter and Fresh Herbs
Total time: 20 minutes
Butter and fresh chives are a simple finish for broccoli. Any fresh herbs will work, but my choices would be chives or thyme. Use dried herbs when fresh are not available.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 head of broccoli enough for two
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 tbs chives substitute 1 tbs dried
Instructions:
- Cut broccoli into bite size florets and stems.
- Put in a steamer basket in a saucepan with an inch of water in bottom. Put on medium heat and steam for 10 - 12 minutes or until done.
- Remove from pan and set aside, discarding water.
- In same pan heat butter.
- Add chives and sauté lightly.
- Add broccoli and stir. Serve.
Cooking schedule: 35 minutes |
Cut the broccoli, put in steamer basket |
Share this:
----------------------
Get 7 Dinner Menus, Recipes, Shopping List each Thursday by e-mail: Subscribe
