On the Menu, Feb 10-13

An abbreviated menu plan this week, due to some Life Stuff that means we won’t be cooking at home.

Sunday: Tortilla soup with heirloom corn meal muffins. We made a roasted chicken on Friday, and the carcass has been in the slow cooker overnight for stock to use in making the soup (we’ll also use the remaining meat from the bird). It’s a great way to stretch the meat budget. I picked up some local, non-GMO, heirloom corn meal the other day, and will be using it to make honey cornbread! I’ll be using this recipe, with some modifications: raw milk instead of soy milk, sucanat instead of sugar, and no dried coconut.

Monday: Venison Mushroom Stroganoff over spaghetti squash. My nephew brought us a bunch of venison from his successful hunting this year, and I have local, dried shitake mushrooms from earlier in the year, too. I’ll combine these with a few meaty portobello caps, for a really hearty dish. Instead of noodles, I serve it over spaghetti squash. Not only is it tasty, but it’s far healthier than pasta.

Tuesday: Japanese Vegetarian Curry. This is a new recipe, so I’ll let you know how it goes!

Wednesday: Salmon patties with sauteed zucchini & squash, with roasted Brussel Sprouts and salad. We love salmon patties, and I wanted to try out this new recipe (sans the cilantro, since Thadd has a sensitivity to it). I always try recipes on us before adding them to my database for clients.  Salmon patties are a great way to include wild-caught salmon, which has he right balance of great Omega Fatty Acids, into a diet on a budget. It’s also loaded with calcium, as most salmon is canned with the bones, which I leave in when making patties (no, you won’t notice the bones, because they break down in cooking).

What are you eating this week?

No, I Said “Maceration!”

We love fresh strawberries and shortcake, but neither of us have ever liked the super-sweet style most people are familiar with. All that sugar hides the wonderful flavor of the season’s best strawberries.  It’s fine for the kiddies, but I like something with more depth, something that accentuates the fruit rather than hiding it.

If you come to our house for strawberry shortcake, you’ll get a bowl full of homemade sweet biscuit (often with lavender, rosemary, or cinnamon), vanilla marcapone, and balsamic-vinegar macerated strawberries.

Maceration breaks down the cell walls of fruits and vegetables using acid. For this dessert, we hull and slice the strawberries, add just enough balsamic vinegar to cover, add about 1 tsp. sugar for every pound of strawberries, the stir and cover. We like to let it sit for at least a few hours, but overnight or longer is better.  And, as a bonus, any leftover vinegar sauce is an amazing salad dressing!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Squash Seeds

I’ve had lots of people tell me they don’t like vegetables, particularly Brussel Sprouts and broccoli. As it turns out, most of them just don’t like the limp, flavorless vegetables they remember from their childhood. I can’t tell you how many converts I’ve made with one simple technique: roasting.  You can roast almost any vegetable. It’s easy, it enhances flavor, and it retains far more nutrients than boiling or even, in many cases, steaming. Overall, it’s a far more appealing texture to most people, as well.

While I adore almost anything roasted, one of my favorites is roasted Brussel Sprouts. Most people remember their parents trying to get them to eat this veggie as a kid and hating it. I can’t blame you. Typically, it was boiled, bitter, mushy on the outside and weirdly firm-but-squishy on the inside. Not a recipe for loving a food. If you think you hate Brussel Sprouts, give this a try and see if it changes your mind.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Fresh Brussel sprouts

1/3 cup raw squash or pumpkin seeds (I was making squash that night, so just rinsed and dried the seeds)

A few pinches salt and pepper (optional)

Olive Oil to coat, about 4 tbs.

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Cut bottoms of sprouts, and remove loose or brown leaves. Rinse (use a vegetable cleaner if not organic), and dry with a lint-free towel or paper towel. Toss all ingredients, including sprouts, in a large bowl until sprouts are nicely coated with olive oil. Pour into glass baking dish in a single layer, spreading sprouts apart a bit (I used a 9×13, but you can use anything that will allow the sprouts to be in a single layer).

Roast until outer leaves start to brown and crisp, and a fork can pierce to center of sprout (about 40 minutes), stirring twice to turn sprouts over. Serve.

On the Menu: May 6-12

This is the proposed menu plan for this week. I say proposed because I am fairly sure that, while all the meals will happen, they are very likely not to happen in the order we’ve planned. It’s a crazy week with many graduations, Thadd’s end of term, and preparation for a few other things. So, this is the loose idea:

Sunday: Seafood and almond casserole with fresh steamed asparagus. This happened as planned. The asparagus was delicious! There is just nothing like seasonal veggies.

Monday: Barbecue pork sandwiches with baked beans and spicy slaw. As always, Mondays are a late dinner. This was quick and filling.

Tuesday: Black bean and banana empanadas. We’re going to make a double or triple batch so some can be frozen for quick lunches, but it’s looking like it won’t get done today, after all. So this might be switched with tomorrow.

Wednesday: Carna asada tacos with fresh avocado and homemade salsa. 

Thursday: 3 Sisters Casserole. Based on Native American cuisine, this particular version of the casserole is a new recipe. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Friday: Leftovers, as always, since Thadd leaves for work in the afternoon and doesn’t get home until sometime the following day.

Saturday: Thai Peanut noodles. Thadd’s first night to cook this week! We’re going to be wine tasting for most of the day, and this dish will go together quickly when we get home.

Related articles

• On the Menu, April 22-28 (eclecticedibles.wordpress.com)
• On the Menu: February 12-18th (eclecticedibles.wordpress.com)
• On the Menu, Feb. 4th-11th (eclecticedibles.wordpress.com)

Client Opening in Charlottesville!

Starting the first week in October, I have one client opening in Charlottesville (or between Lynchburg and Charlottesville) on Mondays.

What does a Personal Chef do? Each week, you’ll come home to a refrigerator full of spectacular, homemade food and a clean kitchen. Before each service, you’ll get a personalized menu, based on your food preferences, nutritional goals, and any dietary restriction. I’ll do all the shopping, preparation, and clean up, and can even include additional shopping for your family.

What kinds of food can I expect? Foods are based on your personal preferences, so each client’s menu will be different. Special diets are welcome, too! Some meals I’ve recently prepared for clients include:

Vegetarian/Vegan: Black bean & banana empanadas, ale-braised tempeh and mushrooms over quinoa risotto,  Hoisin Twin Oaks tofu and Asian Tri-Colored slaw, Cannellini au Gratin with roasted grapes and olives.

Seafood: White House Cajun Shrimp over Cheesy Grits, Asian Orange Teriyaki Salmon,  Shrimp Scampi, Seafood & Vegetable Kabobs, Mixed Grill Shrimp & Steak Stir Fry.

Poultry: Half roasted Greek Spiced Chicken,  Miso Braised Chicken, Chicken & Mushroom Stroganoff, Grilled Ale Chicken, Chicken Masala.

Beef, Pork, & Game: Venison Pot Roast, Grilled Moho Pork Loin, Pork Chops al Forno, Italian Sausage & Pepper Polenta, Cottage/Shepherd’s Pie, Black Salt Rubbed Flat Steak,

Americana: Grass-fed Sliders with slow-cooked onions, Pizza Pockets, Best Macaroni & Cheese Ever!, BBQ Meatloaf, Honey-mustard Glazed chicken loaf, Chef’s Huge Lasagna, Garden-Stand Stuffed Cannelloni,  Gumbo, Jambalaya, Not-Your-Mom’s Tuna Casserole,

Ethnic Cuisine: Chicken Vindaloo,  Doro Wat (Ethiopian Chicken Stew), Moroccan Chicken Tagine,  Miso Udon Soup, Thai Green Curry,  Samosa Pie, Portuguese Fish & Sausage Stew, Bulgogi.

Sound yummy? If you’re interested in more information and live in the Charlottesville, Lynchburg, or Roanoke areas (or anywhere in between), please email me using the “Contact” link on the right side of this page and include your name, phone number, and your city.

Client Opening

For anyone who might be interested, I’ll be taking on one new client in January in Lynchburg, Roanoke, or the surrounding areas. If you’d like to be that client, or know someone else who might be interested, feel free to give me an email (there’s a “contact me” link to the right) and we can talk details.

I’m a great gift, to yourself or for someone you know! Whether it’s help keeping a New Year’s resolution for a healthier lifestyle, an interest in local foods, a present for a busy parent,  a way to pamper someone you love, quality meals for an expectant or new mom, or nutrition advice or meals for someone with a health challenge, I can help. And, I can do it for less than the cost of eating out!

Want more information first? Check out my sample menus, and Personal Chef Services pages to learn more. Or, ask me via email or in the comments (please do not leave personal information in my comments–it’s available to anyone, and the last thing we want are crazy stalkers from the internet getting your phone number or address, right?).