October 11-17 Meaplan

*Rosemary Dijon-Crusted Pork Roast, Balsamic Cipolline Onions and Parmesan Zucchini Crisps
I got a great deal on a pork loin roast today at HT. I’ll finely mince some fresh rosemary and garlic, then add it to some salt, pepper and a lot of dijon mustard to make a thick coating for the roast. Cipolline onions were my extravagent purchase du jour and I’m super happy about it. The easiest way to peel these suckers is to blanch them in boiling water for less than a minute, allow them to cool slightly, then rub off the peels with a kitchen towel. I’ll toss them in a reduced balsamic, honey and butter sauce. If you thinly slice zucchini (on sale now at HT) and roast it on a high temp., they come out like a potato chips’ cousin and they’re delicious any way you season them.
*Blackened Chicken Chef Salads with Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
I became slightly obsessed with chef salads my senior year of college…I think it was during my no carb phase, (a horrible phase, by the way). The Holiday Inn Sunspree at Wrightsville Beach had, what I believed to be, the best chef salads. And I would order them from my cell phone every single day on the way back onto the island from class. I soon came to my senses and realized how incredibly easy these were to make and that it’s quite idiotic to say that anyone has ‘the best chef salad’. You usually find these salads made with deli meat, along with cheese and hard-boiled eggs, but mine will have blackened chicken breasts instead and I’ll be making my own dressing. (Frozen chicken breasts are BOGO at HT this week).
*Grilled Strip Steaks, Herb-Crusted Roasted Garlic and Stuffed Tomatoes
NY Strips are half off this week at HT so I got some today to freeze until we cook them. We love to have roasted garlic with our steaks, but this time we’re going to do it a little differently and dip the exposed, raw garlic flesh into an herb and salt mixture before roasting. The tomatoes are from my grandfather-in-law’s garden in Easley, SC. I’ll hull them out, season the inside with S&P and stuff them with bread cubes, grated cheese, a little butter and parsley. Then bake them until the tomatoes soften and the stuffing is incredibly gooey (it’s a play on the ‘stewed tomatoes’ my family has every New Years Day).
*Crab-Stuffed Flounder and Braised Artichokes
I worked at a little crab shack while I lived at the beach, and when the place first opened there was a stuffed flounder dish on the menu. It was the most popular item and although I never had the time to try it, I do know how they made it. It was two seasoned flounder filets, with the ‘stuffing’ being their crab cake mixture and it was broiled until everything was cooked through and golden brown. I’ll do something similar to that. The flounder I have is frozen, from Food Lion, (BOGO), and the crab is coming from a can in my pantry. Artichokes were on sale today and I couldn’t resist…I’ll braise them and serve them along side the ‘classic’ dipping sauce (mayo, dijon and yellow curry powder).
*Curried Cauliflower Panzanella
Cauliflower was on sale today and I always try to do something different to it whenever I buy it. Many people think they don’t like it, but I think they would change their minds if they roasted it, which is what I’ll be doing on this night. In the pan with the cauliflower florets will be butter, onion slices, salt, and lots of yellow curry powder. After everything is golden and crispy, I’ll toss it all with giant, homemade croutons and apple slices.
*Indian Vegetable Curry with Honey-Yogurt Sauce
I know, I know, a lot of curry but this one will be so different….lighter and a little more sweet than the panzanella. I love Indian vegetable curries, the best ones I’ve had contained chickpeas, which is probably why I liked them so much (chickpeas are my favorite legume). I’m thinking golden raisins, broccoli (on sale at HT), chickpeas, green peas, spinach, and potatoes.
*Jala-Berry Chicken and Baked Potatoes
(pronounced ‘Hale Berry’) I’ve had this sauce idea in my head for longer than I’d like to admit and finally have the desired ingredients on hand at the same time to make it. Jalapenos, strawberries, onions, vinegar…(Strawberries from a major HT sale and Jalapenos courtesy of a friend’s garden, everything else are staples). It’ll be part barbecue sauce, part cooked relish and I’m hoping it’ll be delicious. I got a family size pack of chicken thighs for dirt cheap at Food Lion and still have white potatoes leftover from a couple of weeks ago. Who doesn’t love a salty baked potato with sour cream, butter and scallions?
Happy Eating!