Thyme for Cooking's Main Courses: Shrimp, Pork Chops, Salami Pizza.

Day 1: Shrimp with Capers, Lemon, and Feta on Orzo

Total time: 25 minutes
Shrimp with a Mediterranean flavor: capers, lemon, feta, black olives, served on a bed of herbed orzo.

Shrimp with Capers, Lemon, and Feta on Orzo Ingredients:

12oz (360gr) shrimp
1 lemon, 3 - 4 tbs juice
2 tbs capers
15 Greek dry-cured olives
3oz (90gr) feta cheese
3 tbs good olive oil, divided
1/2 cup (4.5oz, 130gr) orzo
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Instructions:

Cook orzo in rapidly boiling water according to package directions. Drain.
Toss orzo with herbs and 1 tbs olive oil.
Clean shrimp if needed.
Juice lemon.
Pit and roughly chop olives.
Cut feta into small cubes.
Heat 2 tbs oil in a large skillet.
Add shrimp, cook until they curl and turn opaque.
Add lemon juice, capers, olives and stir to combine.
Remove from heat and stir in feta.
To finish: Divide orzo onto two plates.
Top with shrimp and juices

Day 2: Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Cheese and Sage

Total time: 30 minutes
Putting the herbs inside the chicken lets the flavor permeate the whole breast. They're finished with a simple basting sauce and a coating of Parmesan.

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Cheese and Sage Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1/3 cup shredded cheese
4 large fresh sage leaves, or 8 small
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs ketchup
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs Parmesan

Instructions:

With a sharp knife make a long slit in the edge of the chicken breast - cutting horizontally and being careful not to cut through the other side. You should have a pocket the shape of the breast with 1/2 inch of 'uncut' chicken around 3 sides.
Put half of the sage leaves and half of the cheese in each pocket.
Wrap entire breast with kitchen string to hold it together - and keep as much cheese inside as possible.
Mix garlic powder, balsamic vinegar and olive oil and brush on both sides of breasts.
Grill on barbecue for 5 - 8 minutes per side or until done or bake in oven for 25 minutes at 400F or until done.
Remove from heat and remove string.
Mix ketchup and soy sauce.
Spoon the sauce onto the chicken and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Put back on the grill (with the grill turned off) and cover for 2 minutes, just to melt cheese on top.
Serve.

Day 3: Pizza with Salami

Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes, if you make the crust from scratch
35 minutes if you buy the crust
I prefer to use paper-thin sliced tomatoes rather than traditional pizza sauce. If you'd prefer sauce, 8oz (250gr) should cover nicely. We get wonderful salami, but pepperoni, chorizo, or other sliced, spicy sausage would be equally delicious.

Pizza with Salami Ingredients:

Pizza Crust:
2/3 cup warm water, 105 - 115F, hotter will kill the yeast
1 pkg (2 tsp) active dry yeast fast acting if you can get it
1/2 tsp sugar - you need this to 'feed' the yeast
1/2 tsp salt - you need this to 'control' the yeast
1 tbs olive oil
2 cups flour
Topping:
1 onion
1/2 green bell pepper
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano use fresh oregano if you have it
2 cloves garlic
3 - 5 tomatoes
8 - 10 slices good salami mine are about 3" in diameter (7.5 cm)
1/2 cup sliced green or black olives
1/2 - 3/4 cup shredded Emmenthal or other 'Swiss' cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

salami pizza Instructions:

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water and let sit a few minutes to 'proof' - start to look foamy to prove that the yeast is still alive.
If you have a mixer with a dough hook put the yeast and all remaining ingredients in mixer bowl.
Blend with dough hook attachment until well mixed then kneed for an additional 3 minutes.
Cover bowl with cling film or a dish towel and put in a warm place to rise, (75F, 24C) if possible.
If making by hand put yeast in large bowl along with all of the rest of the ingredients minus 1/2 cup flour.
Stir to combine.
Put remaining flour on work surface, add dough and kneed until smooth and elastic - about 10 minutes. As remaining flour is incorporated dough will become less sticky.
Put dough in a bowl, cover with cling film or a dish towel and put in a warm place to rise, (75F, 24C) if possible.
After dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes, punch down.
Lightly butter a pizza pan or large baking sheet.
Roll dough out with a rolling pin as best you can.
Then put on pan and stretch it to fit, patting it out with your fingers. If it keeps springing back wait a few minutes. Try not to put any holes in the crust.
Pizza Topping
Finely chop onion, pepper and garlic.
Heat olive oil in medium nonstick skillet. Add chili powder and sauté 1 minute.
Add onion, pepper, garlic, oregano and sauté until tender.
Slice tomatoes as thinly as you can - you should get 5 - 8 slices from each one, depending on how big they are.
Cut salami into quarters.
Slice olives if needed.
Tear oregano leaves off the stems if using fresh.
Grate Parmesan.
To assemble:
On just-finished crust or your purchased crust: Spread onion/pepper mixture evenly over crust.
Lay thinly sliced tomatoes evenly over crust - they should be touching and cover the entire crust.
Lay salami slices over tomatoes.
Bake at 450F (225C) for 15 - 20 minutes, until crust is just starting to color.
Remove from oven and sprinkle fresh oregano, olives and cheeses evenly over top.
Return to oven and bake an additional 5 - 10 minutes or until crust is brown and cheese bubbling.
Remove from oven, slice and serve.

Day 4: Grilled Pork Chops with Sage

Total time: 30 minutes
The woodsy flavor of sage is a classic pairing with pork. Use fresh if you can.

Grilled Pork Chops with Sage Ingredients:

2 - 4 pork chops, 12oz (360gr) total weight if boneless
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs ketchup
1 tsp paprika
8 - 10 fresh sage leaves substitute 1 tbs dry, crumbled sage
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions:

Snip sage leaves if using fresh.
In a small bowl mix lemon, ketchup, oil, garlic, paprika and sage. Let rest 5 minutes to blend flavors.
Spoon on pork chops and let marinate 10 minutes.
Cook pork on barbecue grill, turning once, 10 - 15 minutes, or until done - take a peak.
Note: If not done they can always go back on. A little pink in the middle is okay for pork, (now, it didn't used to be) and the chops will be much more moist if not over-cooked.
Or sauté in non-stick skillet about the same amount of time.

Day 5: Zucchini (Courgette) Stuffed with Orzo and Feta

Total time: 40 minutes
I used 2 medium zucchini for this, 7" each (17cm), both green. You could use one larger one, 9" (22cm). Not all of the 'stuffing' will fit, just keep it warm and serve it on the side. You could use other small pasta in place of the orzo.

courgette Ingredients:

2 zucchini or summer squash (courgette), 7" each (17cm)
6oz (180gr) ground beef, turkey, sausage
15oz (450gr) chopped tomatoes
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/3 cup (3oz, 90gr) orzo
1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) beef stock
1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) red wine
3oz (90gr) feta
1.5oz (45gr) Greek or other olives

Zucchini (Courgette) Stuffed with Orzo and Feta Instructions:

Zucchini:
Cut the stem and root end off of the zucchini, then slice in half the long way.
With a small spoon scrape out the seeds and flesh from the center forming long boat-like shells. Leave 1/4" (.6cm) at either end to hold in the filling.
Put them in a baking dish, single layer, cut side down, cover with foil and bake, 400F (200C), for 15 minutes.
Remove and keep covered until ready to fill.
Stuffing:
Chop onion.
Mince garlic.
Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chili powder and sauté briefly.
Add onion and garlic, sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add meat to skillet and cook, breaking it up as it browns.
Add tomatoes, herbs, stock, wine and pasta, stir well, reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 - 15 minutes, until pasta is done. Stir often or pasta will stick. You may need to add more liquid if sauce starts getting too thick before pasta is done. Add water, 1 tbs at a time.
Cut feta into small cubes or crumble.
Slice olives in half.
When the pasta is done and sauce is thick stir in the feta and olives.
Spoon filling into the zucchini. Any filling that doesn't fit, just keep warm and serve on the side.
Cover zucchini with foil and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove foil and bake 5 minutes longer. Serve, leftover filling on the side.

Day 6: Grilled Chicken Breasts Piccata

Total time: 30 minutes
Capers, tarragon and lemon add a wonderful flavor to chicken breasts. Marinated for just 15 minutes, cooked on the barbecue grill and finished with a lemon, tarragon, caper sauce, these boneless chicken breasts make a lovely gourmet summer dinner, worthy of dinner guests... or just you!

Grilled Chicken Breasts Piccata Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
3 tbs capers (with liquid)
4 tbs fresh lemon juice, about 1 lemon
4 tbs olive oil
2 tsp fresh snipped tarragon substitute 1 tsp dried

Instructions:

Chop 2 tbs capers.
Squeeze the lemon and remove any pips.
Put lemon juice and oil in a small bowl and whisk well to combine, it should get thick.
Put 3 tbs of the lemon/oil mixture into a separate bowl for the sauce.
To the remaining marinade add the chopped capers.
Put chicken in a shallow dish, pour the marinade with the chopped capers over and let marinate for 15 minutes.
Snip the tarragon and add it to the sauce (reserved 3 tbs of lemon/oil), set it aside.
To cook: Remove the chicken from marinade, discarding the marinade, and cook on barbecue grill for 8 - 12 minutes per side depending on size, or until done, take a peak and see.
Or can be sautéed in nonstick skillet over medium heat for the same time.
Remove from heat, slice, drizzle the sauce over the top, sprinkle with remaining capers and serve.

Green Bean and Quinoa Salad

Total time: 20 minutes
Quinoa is very high in protein and "contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete food" according to Wikipedia. Combine with green beans and a light vinaigrette for a healthy salad. You could substitute Basmati or Jasmine rice.

Green Bean and Quinoa Salad Ingredients:

1/2 cup (3.5oz, 100gr) quinoa
1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
6oz (180gr) green beans
1 large, ripe tomato
1/2 green bell pepper
2 tbs fresh basil
Lemon Vinaigrette:
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
4 tsp olive oil

Instructions:

Combine quinoa and stock in small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until done, about 15 minutes (or whatever your package says).
Top and tail beans and cut into bite-size pieces.
Put a medium saucepan 2/3rd's full of water on high heat.
When boiling add beans and blanch for 3 minutes.
Drain and immediately rinse with cold water.
Cut tomato into wedges.
Chop green pepper.
Snip basil.
Make vinaigrette: Mix soy sauce, lemon and oil in a small bowl, whisking vigorously to thicken.
To finish:
When quinoa is done, put it into a medium bowl.
Add tomato, pepper, beans, basil and stir to combine.
Add vinaigrette and stir gently.

Shopping List

Main Course Menu Plan: Week 1 Fall II

Day 1: Shrimp with Capers, Lemon, and Feta on Orzo