Meal Planning: Week of January 25-29

Monday: Linguine tossed with peas, prosciutto, mushrooms and onions (source: me)

Ingredients to buy: none

Recipe: linguine, peas, thick slices of prosciutto cut in ½ inch pieces, cut mushrooms, chopped onions, olive oil, and unsalted butter.

Cook linguine separately, toss in frozen peas at the end and boil for 5 minutes, drain pasta and peas and run under hot water – drain again. In same pan, sauté onions, prosciutto, and mushrooms in olive oil and 1 tbsp of unsalted butter until lightly browned. Toss in the linguine and peas and mix well. Serve immediately.

Tuesday: Dinner at Dave Parent’s house – pizza

Wednesday: Turkey Burgers with Cranberry Sauce (source: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/turkey-burgers-cranberry-pomegranate-sauce/)

Ingredients to buy: red wine, parsley, rosemary, English muffins

Recipe:

For the Sauce:

1 bag fresh cranberries

1/2 cup red wine or port

1 cup pomegranate juice

1 cup sugar

For the Burgers:

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

2 tablespoons each parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

1 rounded tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8 slices extra sharp white cheddar cheese

4 large sandwich-size English muffins, toasted

Butter, for toasted muffins

8 pieces Bibb or leaf lettuce

Combine cranberries, wine, juice and sugar in a pot, bring to a boil and cook cranberries until they pop. Reduce to thicken sauce, about 15 minutes or so. Allow sauce to cool.

Combine turkey with herbs, shallot, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Form 4 large patties and cook 5-6 minutes on each side in EVOO in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cover burgers with cheese and tent the pan with foil to melt cheese during the last minute of cook time.

Serve on buttered, toasted sandwich size English muffins. Set burgers on a couple of slices of lettuce and set tops in place with lots of cranberry sauce.

Thursday: Gordon Ramsay's Sticky Baked Chicken Drumsticks (source: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/gordon-ramsays-sticky-baked-chicken-drumsticks/)

Ingredients to buy: none

Recipe:

Olive oil, to drizzle

10 chicken drumsticks – I will be using a whole cut up chicken instead

Sea salt and black pepper

For the glaze:

6 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons fish sauce

4 teaspoons light soy sauce

Juice of 1 1/2 lemons

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

4 teaspoons sesame oil

Yields: 5 servings

Heat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a large baking dish. Season the drumsticks with salt and pepper and arrange in the dish in a single layer. Drizzle over a little olive oil and bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes.

Prepare the glaze in the meantime. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until evenly combined.

Take the chicken out of the oven and pour over the glaze, to coat each drumstick. Return to the oven and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, turning several times, until the chicken is tender and nicely glazed.

Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving. For a balanced meal, serve with steamed rice and purple sprouting broccoli or green beans.

Friday: Potato Kielbasa Bake (source: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/potato-kielbasa-bake/)

Ingredients to buy: 1 lb diced hash brown potatoes, sauerkraut

Preparation

2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

1 pound kielbasa (Polish sausage), cut on an angle into 1-inch pieces

1 pound frozen, diced hash brown potatoes, defrosted

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups homemade chicken stock

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

2 cups refrigerated sauerkraut

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup of broccoli florets chopped (my ingredient)

Yields: 6 to 8 servings

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO. Cook kielbasa until brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the hash brown potatoes into the same pan with the sausage drippings and cook until brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes.

While the hash browns are crisping, place a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO. Add the onions, garlic, salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until tender, 5-6 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients in the pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Whisk in the chicken stock, milk and mustard. Bring the gravy up to a bubble, then reduce the heat and add the sauerkraut. Cook until the gravy has thickened and the sauerkraut is heated through, 3-4 minutes.

Stir the reserved kielbasa into the gravy and sauerkraut, and transfer the mixture to a 9x13” casserole dish. Top with the hash brown potatoes and a sprinkling of shredded cheese. Dot the top of the casserole with the butter then transfer to oven and cook until the cheese has melted.