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Main Course Menu Plan: Week 10 Fall II
Day 1: Roasted Salmon with Red Pepper Sauce
Total time: 25 minutes
The slightly spicy red pepper sauce is a nice contrast to the sweet salmon. Save remaining Red Pepper Sauce for another use.
Ingredients:
- 2 salmon fillets, 12oz (360gr) total weight
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup Red Pepper Sauce
- Red Pepper Sauce:
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) chicken stock
- 1 tbs white balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbs Greek yogurt
Instructions:
- Red Pepper Sauce:
- Roughly chop pepper, onion and garlic.
- Sauté pepper, onion, garlic and chili powder until vegetables are soft.
- Add chicken stock, vinegar, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
- Purée in blender with as little of the stock as possible.
- Pour sauce out of blender into a small bowl and stir in yogurt.
- Salmon:
- Put salmon on lightly oiled baking sheet.
- Spoon some of the Red Pepper Sauce evenly over each salmon fillet. You should use about 1/3 of the sauce.
- Bake at 400 F for 15 - 17 minutes, until 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.
Day 2: Cornish Game Hens with Herb Sauce
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Small, perfectly roasted hens make an elegant presentation for individual servings (with maybe a snack leftover). Remember to put bowls for bones on the table - and wet towels for fingers.
Ingredients:
- 2 Cornish Game Hens, poissin or little, individual chickens or 1 small whole chicken
- 2 tbs soft butter
- 1 1/2 tbs dried tarragon
- 1 1/2 tbs dried summer savory
- 1 1/2 tbs dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbs olive oil
- Herb Sauce:
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 shallot
- 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried savory
- 1 tbs flour
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) dry white wine
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) chicken stock
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90gr) Greek yogurt, crème fraiche, or sour cream
Instructions:
- Wash hens and pat dry with paper towels.
- Mix 1 tbs butter with 1 tbs each of tarragon, thyme and savory.
- Divide herb mixture and put half into each of the hens.
- Tie legs close and bend wings around and under the back - so it looks like they are lying there with their arms akimbo. It keeps them from flapping and gives the hen something to rest on.
- Lay them on a rack in a shallow baking pan.
- Rub the remaining 1 tbs butter over the hens and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tbs of each herb and the salt over the top.
- Put into 400F (200C) oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Pour 1 tbs oil over each hen and bake 20 - 30 minutes longer or until done. I recommend the thermometer...
- Herb Sauce:
- Finely chop shallot or leek.
- In medium saucepan sauté shallot and herbs in butter until shallot is tender.
- Add flour and stir constantly for 1 minute with a whisk.
- Slowly add wine stirring constantly to thicken.
- Add stock and heat, stirring, to boiling.
- Add yogurt and serve.
Day 3: Spaghetti with Ginger Meatballs
Total time: 35 minutes
Fresh ginger and a bit of soy sauce add a subtle Asian flavor to these meatballs.
Ingredients:
- 10oz (300gr) ground beef
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup crumbs
- 1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
- 1 tbs soy sauce
- 1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbs minced ginger, divided in half
- 2 cloves garlic, divided in half
- 1 onion, divided 1/4 / 3/4
- 1 tbs dried parsley, divided in half
- 1 tbs dried thyme, divided in half
- 4oz (120gr) spaghetti (make a circle with thumb & index finger, about 1" (2.5 cm) - 1 1/4" (3cm) in diameter, you're own personal pasta measurer that you can never misplace!)
- Sauce:
- half of the ginger, garlic, herbs, 3/4 onion
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 15oz (450gr) whole tomatoes
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 1/2 red bell pepper
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Mince garlic and ginger.
- Roughly chop onion, then mince 1/4 of it.
- Roughly chop pepper.
- Roughly chop tomatoes, reserving all juices.
- In a large bowl, lightly beat egg with a fork.
- Add bread crumbs, mustard, vinegar, soy sauce, half of the ginger, garlic, herbs and the 1/4 minced onion.
- Mix well, add beef, mix well (use your hands).
- Form into meatballs, about 1.5" (5cm) in diameter.
- In large nonstick skillet heat oils over medium heat.
- Add paprika and sauté briefly.
- Add remaining onion, garlic, ginger and pepper. Sauté until tender and onion is transparent, 5 - 6 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, sauce, tomato paste, soy sauce and remaining herbs.
- Heat to a simmer.
- Drop the meatballs in carefully, trying to keep them separate. Cover and simmer until meatballs are done, about 15 minutes. Stir once or twice.
- When pasta is done, drain and put into a large bowl.
- Pour meatballs and sauce over the top and serve.
Day 4: Pork Chops with White Wine and Capers
Total time: 35 minutes
Boneless pork chops, quickly browned then simmered in a white wine caper sauce.
Ingredients:
- 2 - 3 boneless pork chops, 12oz (360gr) total weight
- 3 tbs flour
- 3 tbs capers
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) beef broth
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) white wine
Instructions:
- Spread flour on a plate. Dip both sides of pork chops in flour, shaking off excess.
- Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes each.
- Finely chop the garlic. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds.
- Add stock, white wine and capers, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.
- Uncover, increase heat and simmer until sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.
- Remove and serve.
Day 5: Sweet and Sour Chicken
Total time: 30 minutes
This is based on the Chinese Sweet and Pungent sauces, but with red wine and without the soy sauce. A simple, skillet chicken.
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1/2 onion
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 3 tbs red wine
- 3 tbs chicken stock
- 3 tbs red wine vinegar
- 2 tbs brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves (laurel)
- 2 tsp cornstarch (maizena, corn flour) dissolved in 1 tbs water
Instructions:
- Chop onion.
- Cut chicken breasts in half if large.
- Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet.
- Add onion and sauté about 5 minutes.
- Move onions to the side and add chicken. Lightly brown on each side, about 5 minutes.
- Add wine, stock and vinegar and bring to a boil.
- Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Add bay leaves, cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
- Dissolve cornstarch in water.
- Uncover and increase heat.
- Remove bay leaves.
- Add cornstarch and stir until thickened and clear.
- Put chicken breasts on a small platter, spoon some sauce over and serve, remaining sauce on the side.
Day 6: Stuffed Bell Peppers, Oriental Style
Total time: 45 minutes
Stuffed Bell Peppers don't always have to have tomato sauce and cheese on them. Choose whatever color pepper you like. You could substitute Basmati or regular rice for the brown. Try to get 4-sided peppers, they are easier to stuff and lie flat.
Ingredients:
- 5oz (150gr) ground beef/turkey/sausage
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 medium onion
- 1 rib celery optional
- 1 tbs chopped fresh ginger substitute 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts
- 2 tbs soy sauce
- 1 1/2 (12oz, 360ml) cups chicken stock
- 2 tbs cornstarch (corn flour, maizena)
- Brown rice:
- 1/3 cup (2.2oz, 65gr) quick cooking brown rice
- 2/3 cup (5oz, 150ml) beef stock -or stock and water mixed, check your package for correct quantity
Instructions:
- Cook rice in stock according to package directions, until done.
- Cut peppers in half the long way (try to find the best flat sides before cutting so that they will lay nicely) and remove stem end and seeds. Set aside (do not blanch).
- Peel and chop onion and garlic.
- Chop celery.
- Sauté onion, celery and garlic over medium heat in large skillet. Skillet must be large enough to hold all pepper halves, when they are stuffed, in one layer.
- When onions start to become translucent add ginger, water chestnuts and meat.
- Break meat up as it cooks.
- When meat is cooked add 1 tbs soy sauce and 1/4 cup chicken stock to skillet.
- Dissolve 1 tbs cornstarch in 1/4 cup chicken stock.
- Add to the skillet and stir well, cooking until it thickens.
- Add rice when rice is done, mix well.
- Fill peppers with meat and rice (set on a plate while you work).
- Once all peppers are filled using all of the beef and rice, put the peppers back into the same pan (filled side up, in one layer).
- Pour remaining 1 cup of chicken stock around peppers in skillet, cover, return to heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until peppers are tender.
- Remove peppers.
- Dissolve remaining 1 tbs cornstarch in remaining 1 tbs soy sauce (add 1 tbs water to make it easier).
- Bring stock left in pan to a boil.
- Add cornstarch mixture and stir, cooking until thick. You have a sauce!
- Serve peppers with sauce on the side.
Note: If you have any of the beef and rice left after filling peppers (as always, depends on size of peppers) just remove from skillet, keep it warm and serve on the side also.
Note2: Use quick cooking rice - it will cook in the time it takes to sauté the meat. The rice I use takes about 15 minutes.
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