Sunday
TORTA
INGREDIENTS
2
bolillos, teleras, Portuguese rolls or small baguettes
2
tablespoons refried beans
1/2
ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
4
slices of queso fresco or fresh cheese, farmers cheese, Oaxaca or Mozzarella
4
to 6 slices of turkey, ham or 1/2 cup cooked shredded chicken
1
sliced and seeded tomato
2
to 4 thin slices of white onion
2
generous tablespoons of Mexican or any Latin style cream
Pickled
Jalapeños (Jalapeños en Escabeche/Vinagre) homemade or store bought, to taste
Salt
to taste, optional
Chips
TO
PREPARE
Slice
the bolillos in half lengthwise. If not fresh, toast them slightly for a couple
minutes. On one side spread a tablespoon of refried beans and on the other mash
1/4 of an avocado with a fork. Top the base half with a couple slices of
cheese, 2 or 3 slices of turkey, a couple slices of tomato and onion. Drizzle a
tablespoon of Mexican style cream and crown your package with as many pickled
Jalapeños as your heart desires. Sprinkle a bit of salt if you want. Place the top
half and slice the Torta horizontally. Eat it or wrap it up so it may travel
along with you or serve with chips.
Monday
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. Sauté 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!
*
That pizza sauce that you see in the first picture. Yeah. I thought I was going
to need that, but the tandoori marinade ended up becoming the perfect light
sauce for the pizza. But you are more than welcome to brush a little olive oil
under the chicken if you feel the desire. Which would be lovely. The end. *
Tossed
salad
Ingredients
2
hearts romaine lettuce
2
small plum tomatoes, diced
1
Kirby cucumber or 1/4 European seedless cucumber, diced
1
small yellow onion or 1/2 red onion, chopped
1
carrot, peeled and shredded
1
/4 cup (a couple of glugs) extra-virgin olive oil,
2
to 3 tablespoons (a couple of splashes) red wine vinegar
1
teaspoon sugar
Coarse
salt and black pepper
Directions
Place
salad greens in a salad bowl and top with tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and
carrot. Place oil, vinegar and sugar in a small plastic container. Put the lid
on the container and shake dressing until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Pour
dressing over salad. Season salad with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to
combine.
Tuesday
Crispy
Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
4
oz fettuccine pasta
3/4
lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
1
tsp kosher salt
1
tsp freshly ground pepper
2
tbsp flour
1
tbsp olive oil
1
tbsp butter
1
1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2
cup whipping cream
1/2
tsp cajun seasoning
Directions
Cook
pasta according to package directions. Sprinkle shrimp with salt, pepper, and
toss to combine. Sprinkle 1 tbsp flour over the shrimp, and toss to coat the
shrimp. Sprinkle 1 more tbsp flour and toss to evenly coat the shrimp. Melt
butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add
the shrimp in a single layer and cook on each side, flipping once, until golden
brown, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Remove to plate. Pour in the chicken
broth. Cook for about 5 minutes, whisking the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
Reduce heat to medium and pour in cream, whisking constantly. Cook sauce over
medium heat until bubbly and the cream starts to thicken the mixture, about 5
minutes. Taste the sauce and add seasonings as desired (salt, pepper, cajun
seasonings, etc.) Add the drained pasta and shrimp to the sauce, and stir to
combine.
*If you have trouble getting the sauce to
thicken, thoroughly mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 4 tbsp cold water and add to the
sauce. Sauce will thicken immediately.
BASIC
ITALIAN TOMATO SALAD
Ingredients
4
vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped into large pieces
1
tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2
tsp of white balsamic vinegar – regular balsamic will also work here
A
pinch of fresh basil – I also use the freeze-dried kind
½
tsp of Italian Seasonings
1
tsp of salt
Freshly
cracked Black Pepper
1
clove of garlic, grated – optional
About
16 pieces of mini fresh mozzarella pieces
Directions
1. In a medium sized bowl, combine all the
ingredients. Toss to combine. Allow for the mixture to marinate and create
a juice/sauce in the bottom of the bowl.
2. Combine with mozzarella pieces in a
plate. Drizzle some extra olive oil on
top when plating.
Wednesday
Beer-Braised
Bratwurst with Cabbage
Ingredients
1
tablespoon canola oil
4
bratwurst
1
onion, halved and sliced
1
(12-ounce) bottle pilsner-style beer
1/2
medium head Savoy cabbage, sliced
1
(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Coarse
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2
tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish
Cornbread,
cooked according to directions on box
Directions
Heat
oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add bratwurst and
cook, turning, until browned on all sides. Add onion and cook, stirring, until
softened. Add beer, cabbage, and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cover
and cook until cabbage is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley and
serve with cornbread.
Thursday
Baked
pork
Ingredients
1
(2 pound) pork tenderloin
1
(1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1
cup water
3/4
cup red wine
3
tablespoons minced garlic
3
tablespoons soy sauce
freshly
ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Place pork tenderloin in a slow cooker with
the contents of the soup packet. Pour water, wine, and soy sauce over the top,
turning the pork to coat. Carefully spread garlic over the pork, leaving as
much on top of the roast during cooking as possible. Sprinkle with pepper,
cover, and cook on low setting for 4 hours. Serve with cooking liquid on the
side as au jus.
Mashed
potatoes
Ingredients
5
pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
3/4
cups Butter
1
package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
1/2
cup (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
1/2
teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/2
teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper
Preparation
Instructions
Peel
and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a
large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook
for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide
into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not
totally, fall apart. Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes
have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the
stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape,
before adding in all the other ingredients. Turn off the stove and add 1 ½
sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of
half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s
Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper. Stir well and place in a
medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the
potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted
and potatoes are warmed through.
Note:
When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about
2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30
minutes or until warmed through.
Spicy
Skillet Turnip Greens Recipe
Ingredients
1
tablespoon olive oil
1
medium onion, cut into wedges
1
pound turnip greens, cleaned and chopped
1/4
cup water
1/8
teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to preference)
Instructions
Drizzle
olive oil into skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until just tender,
about 3 minutes. Then add 1/2 of turnip greens. Allow to cook down and add the
remainder of the greens. Add water and red pepper flakes. Adjust the amount of
red pepper to your personal taste.
Friday
Sautéed
Zucchini with Lemon-Thyme Chicken
Ingredients
1
tablespoon lemon zest
1
tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1
pound chicken cutlets
1/4
teaspoon salt
1/4
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1
tablespoon olive oil
1/2
cup water
1/3
cup uncooked couscous
3/4
pound zucchini (about 2 medium), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into
1/2-inch pieces
1/2
pound yellow summer squash (about 2 medium), halved lengthwise and cut
crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4
cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
Chopped
fresh thyme, for garnish
Preparation
1.
Place the lemon zest and thyme in a small bowl; toss. Sprinkle the chicken with
salt and pepper on both sides. Sprinkle half of the lemon-and thyme mixture
evenly onto one side of each cutlet. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick
skillet over medium-high heat; cook the chicken, herb side down, turning after
2 minutes. When the chicken is golden and cooked through (about 4 minutes),
transfer to a cutting board. Cover chicken, and keep warm.
2.
Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan; gradually stir in the
couscous. Remove pan from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a
fork. Cover couscous, and keep warm.
3.
Sauté the zucchini and squash (in the same skillet used for the chicken) over
medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and tender (about 4 minutes).
Stir in the remaining lemon-and-thyme mixture, chicken broth, and couscous.
4.
Spoon the couscous mixture evenly among 4 plates; top each with a chicken
cutlet. Garnish with thyme.
Saturday
Punjabi
Anda Bhurji
Ingredients
8
Eggs
Oil
4 tablespoons
Onions,
chopped 4 medium
Tomatoes,
chopped 4 medium
Ginger,
grated 1 inch piece
Green
chillies, chopped 4
Salt
to taste
Fresh
cilantro leaves 4 tablespoons
Method
Chop
onions and tomatoes roughly. Heat oil in a pan. Sauté onions till light brown.
Add ginger, green chillies/jalapenos and tomatoes and continue to sauté. Break
eggs into a bowl and add salt and whisk lightly. Pour this into the pan and
cook stirring continuously till almost dry. Lower the heat and sauté till dry.
Add cilantro leaves and serve hot with paranthas or bread.
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