For menu week 3-28-11

So Mother Nature is really playing "hardball" with us this year...was all nice and warm and my daffodils and tulips are starting to bloom and then she sent a bunch of cold rain and now SNOW in the forecast for the weekend (just in time for my son Gabriel's first soccer games...I guess I better keep the longjohns out and ready)!

This first recipe sounded really good...as we are always having extra greens on hand in the fridge and soup is still a good option as long as the weather stays chilly!

Creamy Lettuce Soup (courtesy of food network)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
3/4 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup chopped, about 2 ounces, assorted lettuce (butter, red leaf, green leaf)
2 cups (2 ounces) arugula or spinach leaves
1/4 cup cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Garnish: 2 1/2 ounces goat cheese, sliced


In a medium pot warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until tender and starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and the stock. Bring the stock to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer, covered, until the potatoes are almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add the arugula and lettuce to the pot and continue simmering, uncovered until the greens are tender, another 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes and greens to a blender. Pour in enough of the stock to cover the vegetables. Add the cream, salt, and pepper.


*Blend the ingredients together until smooth. Be careful to blend slowly at first with a kitchen towel held tight to the top of the blender lid. Blending hot ingredients can cause the lid to blow off. Pour the blended soup back into the pot with the remaining stock. Stir to combine. Cover and keep warm.


Pour the soup into 4 serving bowls. Top each soup with 1/2-ounce sliced goat cheese. Serve immediately.


* When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Stuffed Chicken Divan with a Sherry Dijon Sauce


Cooking spray
2 cups (4 ounces) fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup low-fat evaporated milk
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Preheat the broiler. Mist a shallow rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green and crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and run under cold water until cold. Drain well again and squeeze dry in paper towels.

Chop the broccoli and toss in a bowl with the Gruyere and garlic. Insert a paring knife into the thickest part of each chicken breast to make a 3-inch deep pocket. Stuff each chicken breast with equal amounts of the broccoli mixture. Rub both sides of the chicken breasts with oil and thyme and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Put the chicken in the pan and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. If the chicken begins to brown too quickly, turn the heat down to medium to finish cooking through. Transfer to the baking dish.

Meanwhile, combine the milk and stock in a small pot, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir the sherry and cornstarch until smooth and pour, whisking constantly, into the sauce. Cook until just thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan. Top each chicken breast with 2 tablespoons of sauce and place under the broiler. Broil until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and then cut each breast in half on an angle. Whisk the mustard into the remaining sauce and spread a few tablespoons on each plate. Top with a halved chicken breast.


Simple Squash Soup: (courtesy of Tinica Mather)

1 butternut squash chopped
3-4 big carrots chopped
1 large yellow onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 box of organic chix or veggie broth (i think it's 4 cups)
season to taste with salt, pepper, and Garam Masala seasoning


Coat bottom of soup pot with olive oil, saute onions and garlic until soft, add chopped squash and carrots and cook until just starting to brown, season to taste, add broth and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of pan, cover pot and simmer until veggies are mushy, put in food processor and blend until smooth. Top with some cream and cilantro just before serving or eat as is with some crusty bread. yum!

Menu Week 3-21-11

So my dear husband has been told oh so many times that he needs to shed a few pounds; and this years visit to the doctor proved to be the same story...and surprisingly; he seems more willing to make the change. So I am trying my best to support him and cook meals that fit into his alloted calories per day of between 1500-1700. The kids and myself do not need to loose any weight so it has also come down to portion control too!

This first recipe is inspiring me to get out the grill and "pretend" that spring is coming! I would serve turkey meatballs with this to round out the meal...

Plank-Grilled Zucchini with Couscous, Spinach, and Feta Stuffing


2 (15 x 6 1/2 x 3/8-inch) cedar grilling planks
2 1/4 cups organic vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped shallots (about 1 large)
1 package fresh chopped spinach
3/4 cup uncooked couscous
1/2 cup (2 ounces) diced feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 medium zucchini (about 2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Soak planks in water 1 hour; drain.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

3. Place broth in a large skillet over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Add shallots and spinach; cook 5 minutes. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and next 5 ingredients (through pepper).

4. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Sprinkle salt evenly over zucchini. Spoon about 2/3 cup stuffing into each zucchini half.

5. Place planks on grill rack; grill 3 minutes or until lightly charred. Turn planks over; place zucchini on charred sides of planks. Cover; grill 12 minutes or until tender.


Pasta with Chickpeas and Spinach


1 (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 (19-oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (8.5-oz.) jar sun-dried tomatoes with herbs in oil, drained and chopped
1 (5-oz.) package fresh Spinach, thoroughly washed
1 (4-oz.) package crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 5oz cans of tuna, drained

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Stir together beans and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in hot cooked pasta until blended.

(The trick to getting my family to eat the Spinach is put it in the pot at the very last minute and not let it get too wilted!) Serve immediately!

Raw Kale Salad

1 bunch kale
2 thin slices country bread, or two handfuls good, homemade coarse breadcrumbs
1/2 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
1/4 cup (or small handful) grated pecorino cheese, plus adiitional for garnish
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish
Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (scant 1/4 cup or ~50ml)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Slice the kale into 3/4-inch ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.

If using the bread, toast it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout. Tear into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, or crumbs to your liking.

Using a mortar and pestle or a knife, pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves)..

Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the bread crumbs, additional cheese, and a drizzle of oil.

Recipes for menu week 3-14-11

Braised Cabbage and Turnips

1 1/2 tablespoons mustard seeds
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound turnips, peeled and diced (about 3)
1 head cabbage, sliced thin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup chicken stock
salt

In a large saute pan, heat pan on medium and add the mustard seeds.
Toast seeds until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add butter and oil.

When butter is melted, add the turnips and cabbage and saute until cabbage begins to wilt, about 5 minutes.

Mix in vinegar and stock.

Bring mixture to a simmer, cover and braise until a knife inserted in a turnip comes out easily and cabbage is wilted and tender, about 25 minutes.

Season, to taste, with salt.

Stir Fried Pea Shoots Recipe with Garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
a pinch chili flakes
4 cups packed pea shoots, roughly chopped

Heat a large skillet to medium and add olive oil, garlic and chili flakes. The oil should bubble around the garlic but not burn. Cook the garlic and chilies, stirring them for about 3 minutes, or until garlic softens and starts to turn golden. Add pea shoots and stir well to coat evenly in the oil and garlic. Stir them regularly as they will cook quickly and you want them to cook evenly. They will take about 2 minutes to wilt down. Serve immediately.

Carrot and Apple Slaw With Raisins

1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
kosher salt and black pepper
3/4 pound large carrots (2 to 3), peeled
2 Granny Smith apples, halved and cored
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1.In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, vinegar, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2.Cut the carrots into 3- to 4-inch pieces. In a food processor fitted with the grating disk, grate the carrots and apples.
3.Add the carrots, apples, raisins, and cilantro to the yogurt dressing and toss to combine.