Okay! Second time drafting this! Apparently, in Blogger, when you hit "Revert to Draft" it completely deletes the post. Ouch! So, second version is going to be a bit shorter than the first. Four new recipes this past week, mixed reviews. Enjoy!
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Daylilies! (C) scifiwithpaprika
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The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) leftover salmon salad (S) brats
Sun (L) bulger and pasta (S) pita burgers
Mon - brats
Tues - pita burgers
Wed - roast veggies and orzo
Thurs - pita burgers
Fri (off) roast veggies
Lunches - hummus sandwiches
Brussels Sprout Salad (Cooks Illustrated)
vegan
I had extra sprouts from the Korean BBQ Chickpea recipe, I wanted something to go with brats and I thought of a Brussels Sprout salad. Observations - it's putzy having to thinly slice a pound of sprouts and the cores tend to be bitter. In hindsight, I should have omitted more of the cores while slicing. I also had one mistake where I inadvertenly evaporated the dressing so it was not as flavorful as it could have been. I would try this one again, or a similar recipe knowing what I do now. Recommended with reservations
Serves 6-8 as a side.
5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
1 shallot, halved through root end and sliced thin crosswise
¼ cup dried apricots, chopped
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
⅓ cup shelled pistachios, chopped
1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, and sliced thin
1 ½ ounces (1 1/2 cups) watercress, chopped
4 ounces ricotta salata, shaved into thin strips using vegetable peeler
Whisk vinegar, mustard, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in bowl. Add shallot and apricots, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and microwave until steaming, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir briefly to submerge shallot. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add pistachios and cook, stirring frequently, until pistachios are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in shallot mixture. Add Brussels sprouts and toss with tongs until dressing is evenly distributed and sprouts darken slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to serving bowl. Add watercress and ricotta salata and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.
Orzo Salad with Roasted Vegetables (Food Network, Ina Garten)
vegan option
The Husband and I tag-teamed this dish. He cooked the veggies on the grill then chopped while I cooked the pasta and assembled the dressing. Grilled, this takes almost no time at all and doesn't heat up the house.
Only one modification, I used 1/4 cup lemon juiced and 1/2 cup olive oil. Otherwise, basically made as written.Omit the cheese for a vegan option.
Recommended. Perfect for a picnic, lunches, or a potluck.
I got three meals for two - so serves 6-8 depending if a side or main.
1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta
For the dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
To assemble:
4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted
3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.
Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.
For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.
All-American Potato Salad (Cooks Illustrated)
vegetarian
This is a make ahead recipe - at least two hours to allow the potatoes to cool, then to let all the flavors meld before serving. This is nicely creamy without being overwhelming, allowing the flavor of the potato and pickle to show. Recommended
Serves 4-6
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
3 tablespoons dill pickle juice, plus 1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon celery seed
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
½ onion, red (small), chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (optional)
Place potatoes in large saucepan with cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to boil over high heat, add 1 teaspoon salt, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Drain potatoes thoroughly, then spread out on rimmed baking sheet. Mix 2 tablespoons pickle juice and mustard together in small bowl, drizzle pickle juice mixture over potatoes, and toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate until cooled, about 30 minutes.
Mix remaining tablespoon pickle juice, chopped pickles, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, celery seed, mayonnaise, sour cream, red onion, and celery in large bowl. Toss in cooled potatoes, cover, and refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes. (Salad can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 days.) Gently stir in eggs, if using, just before serving.
Turkish Pita Burgers (Eating Well, May/June 2008, July/Aug 2020)
Despite the long ingredient list, these came together fairly quickly.
A couple of modifications - I used 1 lb pork in lieu of the lamb/turkey mix called for. The best part of these, in my humble opinion, is the dressing: no raw garlic to linger for hours after the meal. We also grilled these on a baking sheet instead of cooking under the broiler. And finally, instead of making balls, which don't fit in a pita, we made 8 medium-small patties which worked perfectly.
I would make these again! Recommended!
Made four meals for two of us with modifications noted above.
1/3 cup bulgur
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt, preferably Greek
¼ cup finely chopped scallion greens
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper, divided
2 cups diced tomato
½ cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces ground lamb
4 ounces 93%-lean ground turkey
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 large egg
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of ground cinnamon
6 whole-wheat pita breads, warmed
Combine bulgur and water in a small bowl; let stand until the water is absorbed and the bulgur is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain any excess liquid.
Meanwhile, heat coriander and cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until they begin to pop and are fragrant and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Scrape into a small bowl to cool, then crush in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
Combine 2 teaspoons of the spice mixture with yogurt, scallion greens, 2 tablespoons parsley, mint, oregano, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Combine tomato, red onion and oil in another small bowl.
Preheat broiler (see Grilling Variation). Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray.
Place the reserved bulgur, the remaining spice mixture, the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and the remaining 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add lamb, turkey, yellow onion, egg, garlic, cayenne, salt, allspice and cinnamon. Gently combine, without overmixing, until evenly incorporated. Form into 12 equal balls, then form each into an oval patty about 1/2 inch thick.
Place the patties on the prepared broiler pan. Broil, turning once, until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 degrees F, 8 to 10 minutes total.
Slice open the warmed pita breads. Fill with 2 burgers, about 1/3 cup tomato mixture and 2 generous tablespoons yogurt sauce each.
Step 9
Grilling Variation: To grill the lamb patties, preheat a grill to medium-high. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the patties, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 degrees F, 8 to 10 minutes total.
