Many followers of Arubula’s Kitchen will remember this is how it all started. A little idea of helping tables save time with weekly dinner menus, grocery lists, and a prep list when necessary. Over the next 6 weeks on Lettuce Eat Together there will be one flowing menu to the next, using up the ingredients from past weeks and maintaining on ongoing grocery list. Followers on facebook and twitter have made suggestions on what they would like to see on these menus also, if you don’t see it on week one you will see it by week six. I will also include over the next few weeks ways to start getting you into the timing and mind that you can bake fresh bread (and croutons, breadcrumbs), have homemade pancakes and waffles throughout the week for breakfast, even desserts, and how preparing ahead is everything. I will share my tips. I look forward to hearing from you, your successes and failures, your likes and dislikes. So come on! L.E.T.’s cook dinner together!

Menu

Sunday Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables

Monday Baked Halibut with Beurre Blanc and Spring Peas

Tuesday Vegetable Cakes over Micro Greens

Wednesday Tarragon Chicken Salad

Thursday Roasted Asparagus with Fried Eggs

Friday Lamb Burgers with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Saturday Roasted Tomato Basil Soup with Parmesan Croutons

Grocery List

Meat

4 pound chicken

1 pound ground lamb

4 6oz halibut fillets

1 carton eggs

Produce

1 cup spring peas

1 shallot

1 lemon

1 bunch celery

2 granny smith apples

bibb lettuce

asparagus

2 cucumbers

tarragon

dill

cilantro

Dairy

heavy cream

butter

creme fraiche

16 oz Greek yogurt

Parmesan cheese

Pantry

granulated yeast

Kosher salt

white pepper

black pepper

whole wheat all purpose flour

unbleached all purpose flour

cornmeal

Basmati Rice

white wine vinegar

olive oil

coconut oil

balsamic vinegar

mayonnaise

walnuts

honey

nutmeg

coriander

cumin

oregano

MISC

dry white wine

orange juice

Prep List

This week put all tails into an airtight container and keep in your freezer. Take the container out while preparing each meal and add stems, peels, tops, etc to the bag. On the following Sunday part of the weekly prep will be to make a chicken stock.

Recipes

L.E.T.’s bake BREAD

Whole Wheat Bread

3 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 T granulated yeast

1 1/2 T Kosher salt

1 cup whole wheat flour

5 1/2 cups all purpose flour

cornmeal or flour for pizza peel

*I went and bought an unglazed tile from Home Depot for my baking stone for $2 and use my wood cutting boards for pizza peels. If you want to get the high end tools, great, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get the tools. I also use a 5 gallon bucket I bought from King Arthur Flour to mix and store bread dough in. It’s always hiding out in the back of my fridge with dough in it read to bake off.

Mix the yeast and salt with the water. Mix in remaining dry ingredients, using a spoon or stand mixer with dough hook. Cook, not airtight, and allow to rest at room temperature until dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top, about 2 hours.

The dough can be used immediately or refrigerated in a lidded, but not airtight container for up to 14 days.

Dust surface of dough with flour and cut off a 1 pound (grapefruit size) piece. Dust with more flour and shape into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough to the bottom on all four sides. Allow to rest and rise on cornmeal cover pizza peel for 40 minutes.

Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat oven to 450, with baking stone on middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won’t interfere with bread. Slash top of loaf in tic tac toe pattern on top using a serrated knife.

Put loaf directly onto hot stone. Pour 2 cups of water into the broiler tray, and close oven door. Bake for 35 minutes.

Allow to cool. Then enjoy!

Sunday

I always start my week out with a large cut of meat, whether it be a roast chicken or a brisket or something in between. The slow cooked meal is an amazing comfort for a Sunday supper when you have a little extra time to be in the kitchen and the leftovers can be used to speed up meals throughout the week. If Sunday is not a day you can be near the kitchen for a few hours, find another day in the week and adjust menu accordingly.

Roast Chicken with Roast Vegetables

1- 4 pound chicken

salt

pepper

root vegetables work great here, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic are my usual go to’s since they are usually in stock at my house, cube them and mix them with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 500.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and place breast side up in roasting pan just large enough to hold it. Put root vegetables around chicken. DO NOT use a roast rack. Roast for 20 minutes and start checking the juices in the cavity. Roast until the juices are clear with red streaks. Transfer the chicken to a platter, tent with foil to keep warm, and let rest for about 15 minutes.

For a jus, after transferring the chicken to a platter put the roasting pan on the stove and boil down the juices until they carmelize into a crust on the roasting pan. The fat will be floating over the juices so just pour it out. When fat is gone, add 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth to pan and place pan over medium heat. Scrape crusting juice with a wooden spoon to get them to dissolve.

Serve chicken and vegetables and jus. Enjoy!

Keep leftover jus, vegetables, chicken bones picked clean, and meat, in separate containers.

Monday

I try to always pick up a fish on market day (Sunday) and seeing that fish will go bad pretty quick I like to enjoy it at the beginning of the week. This dish is one of my 5 year old son’s favorite dishes. Any delicate fish is amazing with this sauce, I am just a fan of halibut. I usually share an 6-8 oz fillet with my son.

Baked Halibut with Beurre Blanc and Spring Peas and Rice

Basmati rice for 2 cups

Beurre Blanc

1 cup spring peas

Four 6-8 oz halibut fillets, skin removed

2 T butter

salt and pepper

Cook basmati rice to directions on package for serving of 2 cups. Once finished add peas and keep covered to steam.

Beurre Blanc:

1 shallot, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 cup cold butter, cut into 6 slices

salt

(white, preferably) pepper

Combine shallot, wine, vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until only 3 T remain. Add cream, turn to high, and add all butter at once. Whisk constantly until all butter has melted. Season to taste. Keep warm in a pan of hot water.

Butter a baking dish just large enough to hold halibut in a single layer. Place halibut in dish, most attractive side up. Season and dot with butter. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes, per inch of thickness or firm to the touch. If in doubt, verifly there is not translucent raw flesh.

Serve with rice and topped with beurre blanc.

Save 1/2 rice and peas and any sauce in separate containers.

Tuesday

 Vegetable Cakes over Micro Greens

leftover rice

leftover vegetables from Sunday and Monday, finely chopped

leftover beurre blanc sauce or jus

1 egg

salt and pepper

3 T olive or coconut oil

1/2 lemon cut into wedges

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, using your hands is easiest. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in large pan of medium high heat.

Form mixture into small patties. Then carefully place in pan. Do not crowd. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side until heated through. Place on paper towel lined plate to strain.

Place handful of micro greens (I personally am a fan of mache). Place 2-3 patties over greens. Serve with lemon wedges.

Wednesday

Tarragon Chicken Salad

Leftover chicken, cut into small chunks

1 c mayonnaise

1/2 c creme fraiche

1 T chopped fresh tarragon

1 c toasted walnut halves

4 celery stalks, diced

2 granny smith apples, diced

salt and pepper

8-12 bibb lettuce leaves

In a bowl, mix chicken, mayo, creme fraiche, tarragon, walnuts, celery, and apples. Season to taste.

Serve on top of lettuce leaves.

*feel free to add a thinly cut piece of toast under the salad

Thursday

Roasted Asparagus with Fried Egg

large handful asparagus spears, trimmed

3  T olive oil

2/3 c balsamic vinegar

1/4 orange juice

1 T honey

1/4 tsp tarragon

pinch of nutmeg

4 eggs

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Place asparagus on baking sheet and drizze with 2 T olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and cook 10-20 minutes depending on thickness, till tender enough to be pierced with knife.

In a medium skillet, combine vinegar, orange juice, honey, and tarragon and bring to a boil. Boil until reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Add pepper, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

Heat remaining oil in skillet over medium heat. Crack an egg into small bowl then slide into skillet. Do this one at a time. Do not crowd pan. Cook until egg whites are set and yolks are still slightly runny, 3-5 minutes.

Divide out asparagus and top with egg. Drizzle with glaze and serve immediately.

*Serve with thinly sliced piece of taste if desired

Friday

Lamb Burgers with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

2 1/4 tsp ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 pound ground lamb

1 6oz container Greek yogurt

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

2 small cucumbers, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced

1/4 c chopped fresh dill

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

In a small, dry skillet combine the coriander and cumin and heat over low until the spices are lightly toasted and fragrant, about 1 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add oregano, 1 pinch salt, and the lamb, and mix to combine. Shape into 4 patties about 1 inch thick.

In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, and pinch of salt. Add cucumbers, dill, cilantro, and mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat a large pan on nostick skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook for 3-5 minutes per side for medium rare. Serve with yogurt sauce.

*Feel free to add a small side salad with lemon juice over top.

Saturday

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup and Parmesan Croutons

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

1/4 c plus 2 T olive oil

1 T salt

1 1/2 tsp black pepper

2 c chopped yellow onions

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 T unsalted butter

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

28oz canned plum tomatoes with juice

4 c fresh basil leaves

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 qt chicken stock

Preheat oven 400.

Toss together tomatoes, 1/4 c olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in one layer on baking sheet and roast 45 minutes.

In an 8 qt stockpot on medium heat, saute onions and garlic with 2 T of olive oil, butter, and red pepper flakes for 10  minutes, until onions start to brown. Add canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add oven roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through food mill with coarsest blade. Taste to season. Serve hot or cold.

*Freeze leftovers in individual portion size

Parmesan Croutons

1 baguette

1/4 olive oil

salt and pepper

3/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the baguette diagonally into 1/4 inch thick slices, you should get about 20 slices.

Lay slices in single layer on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parm. Bake for 15 minutes, until browned and crisp. Serve at room temperature.