Week of February 3rd
Sunday:
- Penang vegetable curry we are headed to a Super Bowl gathering hosted by a vegan, so I’ll be giving tofu a whirl in this dish. I have chunks of homemade Penang curry paste in the freezer to pull out and use, but any brand of your favorite red curry paste will work for this dish. These types of curries are very forgiving, so use any vegetables you have on hand and dial-up the heat factor with more curry paste and less coconut milk. Certainly add shrimp or chicken to turn this into a meat-lovers dish. Set out dishes of crushed peanuts, lime wedges and coconut shavings as toppings.
- Brown rice
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Monday:
- Cauliflower soup with truffle salt and Parmesan curls: make this on Sunday and it’s easy to whip out on a weeknight. This is a lovely, easy soup. I omit the butter and just use olive oil and like to swap out the chives for fresh tarragon. Sometimes I roast the cauliflower rather than simmer it for a more robust, earthy flavor. Makes great leftovers as well.
- Mussels with tomatoes, anise and wine: I like to swap fennel for the onion and add toasted fennel seeds as the raw fennel cooks. Serve with hunks of sourdough bread for dunking
- Raw kale salad with roasted vegetables, feta and orange vinaigrette: my husband, who swears he hates kale, actually loves this salad. The recipe calls for beets and barley, but I sometimes swap in roasted butternut squash and parsnips instead. I also often use dried orange peel in place of freshly grated orange peel as I always have the dried version handy in the pantry. This makes delicious leftover lunches topped with grilled chicken or tuna.
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Tuesday:
- Tunisian poached eggs in red pepper sauce: this will be a new recipe for me to test out. I am, however, making my own harissa for this as I have yet to find a jarred brand that I like.
- Chickpeas with leeks, spinach and smoked paprika: use dried garbonzo beans rather than canned, it does make a difference.
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Wednesday:
- Prosciutto-wrapped halibut: this is just as it sounds. Take a hunk of fresh halibut, rub flesh with olive oil, any fresh herbs on hand (such as tarragon and thyme) and salt & pepper. Wrap fish in 2 to 3 slices of prosciutto and pan sear until crispy – about 2 minutes per side. Leave fish in the pan and transfer to a 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes. You can also make a quick pan sauce with drippings by adding chopped shallots, a splash of white wine and a swirl of butter.
- Simple green salad with balsamic-Dijon vinaigrette
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Thursday:
- Leftover Penang curry
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Friday:
- Out to try a new restaurant with friends!
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Dining With DINKS 