Menu of the Week #7

Our seventh menu of the week in 2018 was disrupted, but you can see in the above picture what I intended to make. What didn't get made this week will appear on next week's menu. This post will have the following recipes: Baked Chicken Parmesan Meatballs, 1770 House Meatloaf with Garlic Sauce, and Enchilada Soup.

Menu of the Week

Our menu of the week focused on fairly healthy dinners from Cooking Light. I tried a few new recipes and had to improvise on Wednesday when dinner took a nose dive. Keep reading to find out what dinners we enjoyed.

Menu of the Week

Go figure the week that Jim thinks I hit it out of the ballpark I miss the pic of my chalkboard menu wall. At least I snapped a few pics of the dishes before we devoured them.

Menu of the Week

Our menu of the week features a repeat from last week...because it was just THAT good. Of course I tweaked the ingredients and I think it's even better. Keep reading to see what we had.

Menu of the Week

The menu of the week was mostly "hit" and one big miss. Keep reading to see which night bombed!

Thai Style Pork

I've remade the Thai Style Pork Salad with Papaya and Mint from Plated January 2014 several times this year because we just love it. It's "blog worthy" according to Jim and first appeared on my instagram feed in July when it made an appearance on my weekly menu board.

When I made it recently for my MIL I was reminded how quickly it can come together with little effort. It also proved to be a great "prep-ahead" meal that transports well, say if you want to deliver dinner to a friend.

Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

I have spent the last six weeks learning how to be a mom to Miss Harper with little time left for cooking. We have been blessed by sweet friends who have stepped up to provide meals for Jim and I during these first two months. I can't express how thankful I am for the break I've been given to simply focus on our new little family. On a few occasions when I've had some free time while Harper napped, I've jumped at the chance to whip up dinner for Jim and I. They have to be easy and quick recipes, and have mostly been meals that I've already blogged about here on HWM.

Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese sauce is known to Italians as Ragù alla Bolognese, to the French as Sauce Bolognaise and to Jim as Meat Sauce. Jim isn't far off, this is a meat-based sauce for pasta originating in Bologna, Italy. Sometimes Bolognese sauce is thought of as a tomato sauce, but actually the authentic recipes have only a small amount of tomato concentrate.

I first became interested in Bolognese after watching Tyler Florence make Tagliatelle Bolognese on his show Tyler's Ultimate. The addition of milk to this meat sauce was so intriguing to me, I just had to make this myself. I loosely followed Tyler's recipe, and edited here and there along the way.

My ingredient list (pictured above):

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil  (the LARGE jug in the background)
1/4 pound bacon
1 medium onion
3 celery stalks
3 carrots
5 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup milk  (I used 2%)
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, hand-crushed
2 cups dry red wine (more about the wine later)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

I recommend serving with:
1 pound dry tagiatelle, pappardelle, or other ribbon pasta
1 handful fresh basil, hand-torn, for garnish
1 T ricotta or freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

When I open a bottle of wine my first instinct is to check out the cork. This isn't a snobby thing to do, you can actually tell a lot about the wine you are about to enjoy by inspecting the cork. I don't believe sniffing a cork will tell you anything, it's most likely going to smell like cork. I always check to see if wine runs the length of the cork, that could mean that wine has seeped out, allowing oxygen in, which would change the taste of the bottle.

This particular cork had some wine crystals form on the bottom of the cork. Having this sediment in the bottle neck and attached to the underside of the cork indicates the bottle was most likely stored on its side for a long period. This type of storage is recommended, as it lets the sedament form on one side of the bottle and also keeps the cork moist, helping it form a better seal. If you have a cork with lots of gunk at the bottle neck and on the cork, you may want to decant the bottle and also use a strainer to keep the sedament from getting into your glass. 

The technical term for "wine crystals"  is tartaric acid crystals. This isn't a bad thing, it's natural in many, many red wines and also found in white wines.

And I've said it before, I will say it again...I strongly suggest cooking with wine you would also drink, please don't buy the cooking wine. {I realize I sound like a broken record.}

I've covered the wine stuff, and I've also poured myself a glass while I prep veggies. {happy girl}

Veal Cutlets with Mustard Sage Sauce and a Poblano Potato Gratin

Longest. Title. Ever. But what else was I supposed to name this? I made two recipes, an entree and a lovely side dish that I can't wait to eat as leftovers.  My friend Paulina gave me the inspiration for this recipe. She posts on FB about her cooking, and my husband likes to always point them out to me. Her latest salivating dinner she posted about was Lobster Pot Pie. Doesn't that sound delish?  I ran into Paulina the other day and asked her about the Lobster Pot Pie, and then she mentioned in our conversation that she made Veal Chops in a Mustard Sage Sauce for Valentines Day. Yum! I knew this would be my next meal!

I had some poblano peppers in the house that needed to be used up, so I jumped online to see what new recipe I could make with these peppers to accompany the Veal. I found this Blue Ribbon Recipe for Poblano Potato Gratin on Epicurious, one of thier highest ranked recipes of all time. It comes from a 2008 issue of Gormet magazine and I just happened to have all the ingredients on hand. Lovely!

For the Gratin, you will need:
1 1/2 pounds fresh poblano chiles (about 5)
1 pound onions, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 pounds large Yukon Gold potatoes
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup whole milk
I added:
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon White Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Ground Mustard
Scant dash of Cayenne Pepper

The first thing we need to do is burn the crap out of the poblano peppers. I char mine right on the gas stove. Alternatively, you can put these under the broiler in the oven. Turn every couple of minutes to get them black all over.

Next, put the peppers in a zip top bag and let them steam for at least 10 minutes. You could also put them in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.

While the peppers steam, slice the onion from root to tip.

Set over medium heat with a splash of olive oil or vegetable oil. This step cannot be rushed. Let the onions cook down for 15 or 20 minutes, stirring often and adding in more oil if the pan gets too dry. We are waiting for them to fully caramelize and turn a dark brown color.

Meanwhile, let's slice the potatoes! Peel them first, and then using a mandolin, slice the potatoes as thin as possible.

I found that putting the slices in a big bowl of water helps rinse the extra starch from them and also prevents them from turning brown.

Now that the poblano peppers have steamed, give them a good rub to easily remove the blackened skin.

Remove the seeds and membrane from the inside.

Then simply slice these into thin strips.

Add the poblano pepper strips to the caramelized onions. Stir to combine, then remove from heat and set aside.

I used my dutch oven to cook the potatoes with the cream and milk over medium heat. Bring it to just a boil, and stir often to prevent any milk from burning on the bottom. The mixture will thicken as it heats up.

I added a few of my own seasoning additions. 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon White Pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Ground Mustard and a scant dash of Cayenne Pepper.

Generously butter a 3 quart baking dish.

When the milk comes to a boil, turn off heat and you can either add the onion and poblano mixture to the milk and potatoes... or...

You can add them in layers to the baking dish like I did.

I wanted to ensure the ingredients were evenly distributed, so I started with a thin layer of potatoes on the bottom, then topped with the onions and poblano peppers, then added more potatoes...

Until I dumped the rest of the milk and onion mixture on top. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour.

Everything gets brown and bubbly! Let this rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it.

Oh yum! I love how the sauce thickens and the potatoes are soft and the onion and poblano peppers so flavorful! Next time, I will ty adding a layer of Parmesan cheese in the middle and/or on top. I thought the gratin could use a little salt and in my opinion and the cheese would have supplied that salt flavor and act as a bit of a binder. I completely understand why this recipe is a Blue Ribbon Recipe.

I served this potato side dish along with veal cutlets in a rich mustard and sage sauce. Here is how I made the veal...

I first seasoned the meat with salt and pepper, then dredged in a bit of flour. You could then, dredge in egg and then a crunchy coating, but I wanted to keep these simple because the sauce is AWESOME!

I used the same pan that I cooked the onions and poblano peppers in. Add a tablespoon of butter to melt over medium-high heat.

Then, this picture is a fast forward photo of the finished product (I moved quickly and forgot to take pics, shame on me) Here is what you missed: I browned the veal on both sides, maybe a total of 4 minutes (not long) then removed them to a plate and tented with foil to keep warm.

Add about two tablespoons of minced shallots to same skillet and stir 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup beef broth, 1 tablespoon minced sage and two tablespoons of mustard to the skillet and bring to a low boil until very thick, scraping up browned bits, about 4 minutes.

Add 1/3 cup of half and half and boil until liquid thickens to sauce consistency, about 1 minute. Mix in remaining 1 tablespoon minced sage, add back the veal along with any juices exuded by the meat. Adjust seasoning. Place one cutlet on each plate and spoon sauce over.

Pair this with a nice salad (like the spicy caesar salad I made) and you have a really wonderful and flavorful dinner. Oh, Jim and I really enjoyed this!

My recipe inspirations:

Epicurious, Veal Chops with Mustard Sage Sauce

Epicurious, Poblano Potato Gratin

Hot and Spicy Artichoke Dip

I was reading one of my favorite food blogs, Aggie's Kitchen and she showcased a Hot and Spicy Artichoke Dip made by her friend Colleen. The recipe comes from the cookbook, Culinary Journey to the Mediterranean. It looked easy enough to make for our draft day so I looked in the pantry and actually had all the ingredients. It comes together fast and cooks in the oven for less than 30 minutes.

1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, chopped, drained
1 cup mayo
1 cup (4oz) grated parmesan cheese
1 can (4oz) chopped green chiles, drained
2-3 cloves of garlic minced

Mix all ingredients in a shallow, ovenproof dish or 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Top with 2 Tbsp each of chopped tomatoes and olives.

This was fantastic as is or you could customize it to fit your tastes as well. I could see the addition of shredded chicken, making this a heartier dip. Green olives on top would bring a wonderful briny flavor to the dip. Add red pepper flakes or some form of jalapenos to make this a spicy dish. The green chiles I used were from the can and were very mild. Next time I would probably buy the HOT variety. Ohhh, if you by chance still have some hatch chiles in your fridge/freezer, they would be GREAT in this dip. Thanks Aggie for the recommendation!!!

I took the leftovers and topped baked chicken and roasted asparagus in the oven. The artichoke dip automatically elevated a simple chicken dish to something you would find in a restaurant. I pulled this dinner together in less than 30 minutes - delish!

With football season underway, I highly recommend this dip for your next pig skin gathering!

White Pizza with Roasted Garlic Sauce

This pizza recipe doesn't use tomatoes for the sauce but instead uses roasted garlic smeared on the pizza dough with caramelized onions and wilted spinach. I also made an accompanying roasted garlic sauce to dip the pizza into. Vampires beware.

I topped the pizza with seared chicken that I seasoned with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. This can easily be left off to make the pizza vegetarian.

I also caramelized some onions by sauteing them on medium-low heat with a little olive oil until they became sweet and brown. Try not to eat the caramelized onions one by one why you finish assembling the pizza.

Two types of cheese were used for this pizza: Mozzarella and Fontina.

I took half a bag of baby spinach and wilted it gently in a pot over medium heat.

Roasted garlic heads! I could make a dinner out of THIS, I love it so much. Just cut the tops off the garlic heads, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes to one hour. Garlic is ready when tops are brown and garlic is visibly bursting out of the top of the garlic head.

Using a mortar and pestle I ground the soft cloves of garlic into a paste.

For this recipe, I used a prepared pizza dough. To date I haven't tried to make my own dough although my new bread machine has a setting for dough that I plan to try soon. I first smeared the par cooked dough with garlic paste, then topped with wilted baby spinach and caramelized onions. Top with chicken pieces and lastly cover with cheese.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly.

To accompany the White Pizza I made this Garlic Sauce by Emeril Lagasse.  It's made with milk, butter, flour, salt, cayenne and 3-4 heads of roasted garlic. Recipe below.

We both thought this was a great dinner and a nice change from the margarita pizza we both love. Next time I would like to try my hand at making my own pizza dough - I've read it's easy... I need to give it a shot. Also, I would like to start the recipe with crisping some bacon pieces, and then caramelizing the onion and boiling down the spinach in the drippings. Yum! I wouldn't change this recipe much beyond the addition of bacon. I thought it was great. The garlic sauce was interesting. It actually made way too much sauce for this purpose, but in the future I could use this to make a fine sauce for pasta!

{White Pizza with Roasted Garlic Sauce}