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Menu Plan for Winter II: Week 12, Saturday
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Daily Recipes:
Crab Salad with Avocado
Chicken Divan
Mousseline au Gratin
Cooking time: 55 easy minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
We're going 'retro' with this dinner. Chicken Divan was a classic on the dinner party circuit 35 years ago. We're starting to see avocados in the markets, a sure sign that spring is coming. The Mousseline is a nice way of having mashed potatoes with no last minute work. Use the best quality fresh or canned crab you can get - and afford - or substitute tuna.
Crab Salad with Avocado Slices
Total time: 10 minutes
A bit of crab, with celery, makes a nice salad to accompany a sliced Avocado. It's a rich first course, so we keep the quantities small.
Ingredients:
- 6oz (180gr) crab meat, canned or fresh
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 2 tbs good olive oil
- 2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
- 2 tsp tarragon white wine vinegar
- 1 avocado
- paprika, for garnish
Instructions:
- Drain canned crab meat well and put into a large bowl. Roughly chop if needed.
- Chop the celery and add to the crab.
- In a small bowl mix olive oil, mustard and vinegar.
- Add vinaigrette to crab and very gently mix - just barely.
- Remove the pit from the avocado and slice.
- Fan the slices out on each of two small plates.
- Divide the crab and arrange on avocado slices.
- Sprinkle with paprika and serve.
Chicken Divan
Total time: 45 minutes
An old classic, updated for a healthier lifestyle, but still with the proper amount of decadence. I use yogurt instead of sour cream, less cheese, stock instead of 'condensed creamed' soup, and no mayonnaise. I think it's better than the original....
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1/2 medium head broccoli (enough for 2)
- 2 shallots
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 3/4 cup (6oz, 180ml) chicken stock
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) white wine
- 2 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs water
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120gr) Greek yogurt or crème fraiche
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) Gruyère, shredded
- 1/4 cup (1oz, 30gr) Parmesan
- 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1 tsp paprika
Instructions:
- Put chicken stock in a medium skillet, just large enough to hold chicken breasts.
- Cut breasts in half (the short way) and add to stock.
- Cover pan and poach over medium heat until done, about 15 minutes.
- Cut broccoli into small florets (with some stem), put into a steamer basket and steam over medium heat until barely tender, 6 - 7 minutes.
- Finely chop shallots and garlic (techniques).
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add shallots and garlic and sauté.
- Add white wine and simmer.
- When chicken is done, remove from stock and add stock to white wine/shallot mix.
- When simmering nicely thicken with dissolved cornstarch.
- Add yogurt and shredded cheese, stir well. Remove from heat.
- In a baking dish (I use my 8 X 11 inch (20 X 27.5cm) oval ceramic) spoon 1/3 of the sauce.
- Arrange drained broccoli over cheese sauce.
- Put 1/3 sauce over broccoli.
- Arrange chicken on top, and pour over remaining sauce.
- Mix the Parmesan, bread crumbs and paprika and sprinkle over all.
- Bake in a 400F (200C) oven 15 - 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve directly from the dish.
Mousseline au Gratin
Total time: 50 minutes
This is an interesting change from the usual mashed potatoes. More similar to a mousse, it's light and airy, and a lovely golden brown from the sprinkling of cheese.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium potatoes, 12oz 360gr
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 3 tbs Parmesan cheese
- pinch nutmeg
- water
Instructions:
- Bring a saucepan half full of water to a boil over medium heat. Add salt to water.
- Peel potatoes and garlic.
- Cut potatoes into large chunks, garlic into small chunks.
- Add potatoes and garlic to water, cover and bring to a boil.
- Partially remove lid and boil until done, 15 - 20 minutes.
- When done, drain, reserving cooking water.
- Mash potatoes and garlic together.
- Add enough of the cooking liquid to make very soft mashed potatoes, 1 - 2 tbs.
- In a medium bowl whisk egg, 2 tsp oil, pinch of nutmeg and 1 tbs Parmesan.
- Add 1 tbs of hot cooking water and whisk well.
- Stir into potatoes. The potatoes will be thick but very soft, almost pourable.
- Lightly oil a 1 quart glass baking dish.
- Spoon/pour the potato mixture in.
- Sprinkle remaining Parmesan over the top.
- Drizzle with remaining oil and bake, 400F (200C) for 20 minutes. It will puff up and turn golden. Serve.
Cooking Schedule: 55 minutes |
Remove chicken, set aside |
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