Sunday
Grilled Vegetable Panini
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
2 small Japanese eggplants or 1 medium to large regular eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 baguettes (each about 2 feet long)
1/2 cup Basil Pesto, recipe follows
8 ounces fresh water-packed mozzarella cheese, drained, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
8 large basil leaves, optional
Directions
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the oil over the eggplant, zucchini, and onion slices, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Working in batches, grill the eggplant, zucchini, and onions until they are tender and grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Cool completely.
Cut each baguette into 6 pieces. Working with one baguette piece at a time, slice in half and spread both sides with the pesto. Working with the bottom slice of the baguette, stack 2 slices of eggplant, 2 slices zucchini, 1 slice onion, 1 slice tomato, 1 slice mozzarella, and 1 slice of roasted pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place top half of baguette on top and continue with remaining baguette. (The sandwiches can be made 4 hours ahead. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
Basil Pesto
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup (about) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The pesto can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Monday
Gazpacho
Ingredients
1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
4 plum tomatoes
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Ciabatta bread
Olive oil dip
Directions
Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess! After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop. Serve with bread and olive oil dip (recipe below).
Olive oil dip
INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (or as needed)
DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients, except oil, on a deep plate or bowl. Pour olive oil over
Tuesday
Chorizo Tacos
Ingredients
1 pound chorizo, removed from the casings and crumbled
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
1 teaspoon garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
8 corn tortillas
Optional fillings:
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Roasted corn kernels
Grated peppered Monterey Jack or Mexican queso blanco
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Over a hot grill or in a clean skillet over high heat, heat the tortillas until warmed through and pliable. Divide the sausage filling among the warm tortillas and serve with desired accompaniments.
Borracho Beans
Ingredients
2 (16-ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles (recommended: Ro'tel)
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
1/2 cup frozen diced onions
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 bottle (12 ounces) Mexican beer (optional)
1/3 cup real bacon pieces
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 lime, sliced into wedges
Directions
In a medium pot over medium-high heat, stir to combine all ingredients except the cilantro and lime wedges. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
Wednesday
Salmon with Warm Tomato-Olive Salad
Ingredients
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
4 6-ounce salmon fillets (about 1 1/4 inches thick)
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
2 medium beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup sliced celery (inner stalks with leaves)
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint
Directions
Preheat the broiler. Line a broiler pan with foil and lightly brush with olive oil. Whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon vinegar, the honey, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Put the salmon, skin-side down, on the prepared pan and brush the tops and sides with the honey glaze. Broil until golden brown and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Meanwhile, put the garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, then mash into a paste with the flat side of a large knife. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar, the olives and garlic paste in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbling, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the tomatoes, celery and mint. Season with salt and toss to combine. Serve with the salmon.
Thursday
Simple Tandoori Chicken Naan Pizza
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut into a small dice
3 Tbs. plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp. (or more if you can handle the heat!) spicy tandoori paste
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
5 frozen mango chunks, thawed and thinly sliced
2 store bought naan breads
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
cilantro, for garnish
Directions
In a bowl, stir together the yogurt and tandoori paste. Add the chicken, cover and marinate it in the fridge for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 400. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over low. Add the onions and caramelize them until they become super soft and sweet, about 30 minutes. (If you’re in a hurry, you can always just sauté the onions to your desired softness and sweetness.) Remove onions from the pan and set aside. Add the chicken to the pan, marinade and all. Saute until chicken is cooked through and the sauce reduces a tad, 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Layer the chicken over each naan bread. Top with caramelized onions, sliced mango and top with shredded cheese. Slide into the oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is browned and bubbly. Garnish with cilantro, slice and serve it up, baby!
Friday
Restaurant Style Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
1/3 cup oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Asian (toasted) sesame oil
1/3 cup sherry
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 pound beef round steak, cut into 1/8-inch thick strips
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more if needed
1 thin slice of fresh ginger root
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
1 pound broccoli, cut into florets
Brown rice, cook according to directions
Directions
1. Whisk together the oyster sauce, sesame oil, sherry, soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Place the steak pieces into a shallow bowl, pour the oyster sauce mixture over the meat, stir to coat well, and marinate for at least 30 minutes in refrigerator.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, and stir in the ginger and garlic. Let them sizzle in the hot oil for about 1 minute to flavor the oil, then remove and discard. Stir in the broccoli, and toss and stir in the hot oil until bright green and almost tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the wok, and set aside.
3. Pour a little more oil into the wok, if needed, and stir and toss the beef with the marinade until the sauce forms a glaze on the beef, and the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Return the cooked broccoli to the wok, and stir until the meat and broccoli are heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve with brown rice.
Saturday
Indian Stir-Fried Shrimp in Cream Sauce (Bhagari Jhinga)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
Naan/white rice
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, stir together tomato paste, salt, sugar, garam masala, ground cumin seed, ground red pepper, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lemon juice, and coconut milk. Set coconut sauce aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, and cook until they begin to pop. Immediately stir in garlic, and cook until garlic begins to brown. Add shrimp, and cook until shrimp is opaque; this should take only a minute or two. Pour the coconut sauce over the shrimp; cook until the sauce begins to simmer. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and water; stir into the sauce, and continue cooking until thick. Serve with naan or white rice.
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