Meal planning monday.




Hello summer??? Wow it's HOTTT. I seriously don't want to cook anything hot right now....so don't be surprised by the 5 meals this I have planned this week (easy and not too much heat laboring involved)!

1.) Gazpacho (adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

  • 1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
  • 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
  • 4 plum tomatoes
  • 1 red onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 seeded and diced jalepeno (you could skip this if you want)
  • 23 ounces tomato juice (about 3 cups)
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chopped parsley or dill (whatever you have)
Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not over process, I like it chunky. After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop. Top with creme fraiche or sour cream. Serve with pita chips and Mediterranean hummus from Trader Joe's.

2.) Pan seared pork chops with homemade apple chutney (we had a lot of apples!)

  • 4 bone-in pork chops (4oz each)
  • Olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup apple chutney (store-bought, or homemade)

Preheat the oven 350 degrees F. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over a high heat. Add the oil to the pan and heat until shimmering. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Lay the chops in the pan and sear until golden on 1 side, about 3 minutes. Add the butter along the sides of the pan in small pieces. Sear the fatty side of each chop by holding the chop sideways with tongs, about 1 minute per chop. Turn the chops over and immediately transfer the pan to the oven, about 5-10 minutes depending on thickness. Nobody likes a chewy chop! Transfer chops to a plate or platter and serve with chutney.


3.) Chopped Italian salad

4.) Grilled fish tacos

5.) Slow cooker beef short ribs with "green" rice
  • 4 carrots, chopped
  • 2 leeks, rinsed well and chopped
  • 3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
  • 1/3 cup sherry
  • 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
"Green" Rice
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice ( I love the trader Joe's frozen cooked brown rice)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions
  • 2 tablespoons minced jalapenos
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
Arrange carrots and leeks on the bottom of slow cooker. Season ribs all over with salt and pepper and place over vegetables. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, sherry, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Pour mixture over ribs. Cover and  8 hours or high for 4 hours.  Cook rice. While still hot, stir in cilantro, scallions, jalapenos, and lime zest. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve the ribs and sauce over the rice. Finish with a squeeze of lime for freshness.

Happy cooking....and stay cool!

5 comments:

Ivy said...

Here you go Danielle -

Apple Chutney
(from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook)

1 1/2 lb green tomatoes, chopped, about 3 cups
1/4 C salt
1 quart cider vinegar
1 pound dark brown sugar
1/2 granulated sugar
12 large tart apples, cored and chopped
2 spanish onions, peeled and chopped
1 pound raisins
2 Tb. ground ginger

Put the tomatoes in a bowl, toss them with 2 Tb of the salt, cover and let stand for 12 hours. Drain and soak them in cold water for few minutes, then drain again. Heat the vinegar, 2 Tb of salt, and the sugars in a large pot. Add the drained tomatoes, apples, onions, raisins, and ginger. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, until apples and onions are tender. Spoon into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4" headspace, and seal. If you wish, process in a boiling water bath for 10 mins.
Makes 7 pints

Ivy said...

We really love this chutney, which is great because I now have tons! We even blended it with and made a sauce by adding a little chicken broth and brandy for sauteed chicken. Finished it with a little butter, of course!

Love you D!

domestic dish said...

Thanks Ivy! That sounds good!

Shannon said...

try adding shrimp to your gazpacho - so good!

domestic dish said...

That is such a good idea Shann! I will have to try that...

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