Menu of the Week #2

This menu of the week is in line with every typical January meal plan, don't you think? You will find lots of veggies, exceptionally healthy leafy greens and lean proteins. If you are looking for healthy and delicious dinner ideas, here you go!

Sunday - Seared Steak over Cauliflower Mash with Mushroom Wine Sauce
I served Jim two foods he does not like (cauliflower and mushrooms) on one plate, and he loved it. I admit to adding too much mushroom wine sauce to the plate but the sauce was SO GOOD, I wanted it on everything. By roasting the cauliflower for this purée, we bring out deep, nutty flavors. The resulting dish is complex, and  can stand up to the marbled steak and hearty mushroom wine sauce.

Rich and Nutty Roasted Cauliflower Puree
1 head cauliflower, trim and cut into florets
3 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 C heavy cream
1 sprig thyme

Toss the cauliflower florets in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast on a baking sheet for 20 minutes at 425 degrees. Flip the cauliflower halfway through roasting.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and cayenne and cook, stirring often, until softened and just starting to turn golden, about 4 minutes.

Add the roasted cauliflower to the saucepan along with the cream and thyme. Bring to a simmer, then cook, adjusting the heat to maintain simmer, until cauliflower has softened in the liquid, about 5 minutes.

Discard thyme and use an immersion blender to create a smooth puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste, keep warm until ready to serve.

Seared Steak and Mushroom Wine Sauce
1 lb skirt steak, or your favorite cut of steak
1 T butter
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1/2 C red wine
1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced

I seasoned the steak with salt and pepper and seared over medium-high heat in a large heavy cast-iron skillet. To ensure I got a nice even char I pressed a second cast iron skillet on top of the steak. Once the steak is cooked to your preference (3-5 minutes per side for medium-rare), let rest, topped with foil for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Reserve the cast iron skillet with all the steak drippings and add butter and onion. Once the onion is translucent, add the garlic and mushrooms, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, and cook, stirring occasionally until slightly reduced and syrupy, 2 to 3 minutes more; season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Monday - Taco Salad with Pinto Beans, Avocado and Grilled Chicken
This dinner was not my favorite this week. I felt like it had a lot of components and the flavor was not as big as all the effort I put into pulling this salad together. I grilled chicken breasts and split it between Jim and I. The pinto beans and avocado were tasty, but the rest was just, meh. I squeezed a lime over the salad greens to add some sort of dressing and also drizzled some salsa on top. It was just okay.

Pinto beans seasoned with oinion, garlic (sauteed onion and garlic in olive oil, then added the cumin, salt, pepper and drained beans).
1 head romain lettuce, leaves torn
2 ounces queso fresco
1 avocado sliced
1 C salsa
1 chicken breast, grilled

Tuesday - Roasted Chicken and Beets with Quinoa, Bulgar and Yogurt Sauce
The chicken was delicious but my favorite part was the roasted beets. I usually trim the beets and roast them whole before peeling the skin off. For this recipe, I peeled beets with a vegetable peeler, cut the tops and bottoms, and then quartered the beets before tossing in olive oil and roasting at 425 for 30 minutes.

The chicken is tossed in olive oil, sprinkled with cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper, and then roasted on a separate sheet pan on another rack in the oven for 30 minutes. Both sheet pans go in at the same time, and dinner is served in 30 minutes.

The quinoa and bulgar came from a steamer pouch sold at HEB and Central Market. The yogurt sauce is plain yogurt mixed with lime juice and chopped cilantro.

Read all about this recipe on Real Simple.

Wednesday - Stir-Fried Shrimp, Rice and Collard Greens
After several disappointing attempts, I feel like I have finally figured out to successfully make fried rice. The key is to scramble the egg separately and add it to your finished stir-fry. Read all about this shrimp stir-fry recipe here on Real Simple.

Thursday - Kale Caesar with Salmon, Rye Croutons and Farro
I am completely amazed at how delicious this caesar dressing turned out. When I read that the dressing is made my blending silken tofu with anchovies, mustard, and garlic I thought it would surely taste flat and fake. I topped the flavorful kale salad with a roasted piece of salmon to complete the meal. In place of rye croutons, I took frozen garlic bread, cooked in the oven and then cubed. Make this Kale (Fake) Caesar Salad with Farro and top it with some Salmon - no kidding, it is THAT good! Read all about the recipe on Food and Wine.

Friday - Halibut with Spicy Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette
Halibut is not a fish I cook often, but I thought this pan-seared preparation topped with the beautiful vinaigrette turned out just great. I usually boil potatoes, but steaming them was simple and resulted in a creamy texture. I wilted spinach with shallot, garlic and a bit of olive oil. But truly, the vinaigrette was the star of this dish, bringing big flavor to all the components. Jim loved this dinner! Read more about this recipe on Chowhound.