Le Menu (March 27 - April 2)

I'm especially looking forward to the steak and mango salad and the salmon.  But if you make the salmon, please don't do what I did and buy $25 worth of wild caught salmon, stash it in the garage freezer, and then forget to shut the freezer door.  Because when you go back to a different store to replace the salmon your freezer lightbulb literally cooked, you'll actually have to spend $30 to get the same quantity you had before.  Not to mention the tragic ice cream loss you've suffered after stocking up on $2/carton Dryers....

Oh, and I should mention that Monday-Thursday's recipes come from "Our Best Bites: Mormon Moms in the Kitchen" cookbook.  We're required to give credit where credit is due, or we get excommunicated.  ;oP

Click on "read more" to see the recipes.  Come on.  You know you want to.  :o)

SUNDAY - ASIAN SESAME SALMON

Serves 8

• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced onion
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 lbs salmon fillets (to be cooked in an oven, not by a freezer lightbulb)

1. Mix honey, green onions, soy sauce, and all of the spices except red pepper flakes in a small bowl until well blended.  Stir in red pepper to taste, if desired.  (And who wouldn't desire?!)  Place salmon in a 9x13 baking dish.  Spoon honey mixture evenly over salmon.  
2. Roast salmon in preheated 375 degree oven 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork, basting occasionally with the honey mixture.

MEXICAN-STYLE SWEET SHREDDED PORK

You can use this to make sweet pork salad (like Cafe Rio and Qdoba serve), or you can make burritos like we're doing.  If you want burritos, just roll up the pork in flour tortillas (I'm using raw ones that I'll cook ahead of time because they're yummy), and put them into a 9x13 baking dish.  Pour chile verde sauce over the burritos, sprinkle with monterey jack cheese, and bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  The website linked above has a good chile verde recipe, but I'm using canned sauce for ours.  

Serves 12 (my kind of recipe!)

• 4 lbs boneless pork shoulder roast (or pork tenderloin)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 black pepper
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 (10 ounce) cans enchilada sauce
• 1 cup brown sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup apple juice

1. Trim the visible fat from the roast and sprinkle with salt, pepper, chili powder, and onion power.  Use your hands to massage the spices over all the sides of the meat.  
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sear the pork roast for about one minute on all sides or until meat surface is golden brown.  
3. While meat is searing, combine the enchilada sauce, 2/3 cup brown sugar, salsa, Worcestershire sauce, and apple juice in a slow-cooler.  Add the pork, cover, and cook on low for 7 hours with lid on the entire time.
4. Remove pork and shred, discarding any pieces of fat.  Add the additional 1/3 cup brown sugar to slow cooker and turn heat to high.  Add shredded meat.  Simmer with the lid off for 30 minutes.  

TUESDAY - STEAK AND MANGO SALAD

Serves 4-6 as an entree 

Salad

• 1 lb flank steak
• 1/2 cup caramelized macadamia nuts
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 head of romaine or red leaf lettuce, rinsed, patted dry, and torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 mangoes, sliced
• 1 large, or 2 small avocados
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro (bleh! - not for us!)

Dressing and marinade

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup canola oil

1. For the dressing and marinade, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic until the sugar is dissolved.  Continue whisking while slowly drizzling in the oils until combined.  Reserve about 3/4 cup of the dressing and place the rest of the mixture in a large zip-top bag.
2. Lightly score the flank steaks in a zigzag pattern on both sides.  Place the steak in the zip-top bag anwith the marinade and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
3. Caramelize the macadamia nuts
4. Remove the steak from the fridge about 30 minutes prior to cooking and allow to come to room temperature.  You'll want to let the dressing portion sit at room temperature during this time as well.
5. Heat and outdoor grill to medium-high heat.  If an outdoor grill is not available, use the broiler in your oven or an indoor grill pan.  Remove the steak from the bag and let any excess marinade drip off.  Sprinkle steak lightly with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 5-8 minutes on each side or until done.  In order to stay tender, flank steak should still be pink in the middle, but nicely seared on the outside.  When done, remove from the grill and wait at least 5 minutes before cutting to let the juices redistribute.  Then slice into thin slices.
6. To assemble the salads, divide the lettuce onto plates and top with slices of mango, avocado, and red onion.  Add steak sliced and drizzle with dressing.  Sprinkle macadamia nuts and cilantro (or not!) on top.  

WEDNESDAY - TOMATO-ARTICHOKE PASTA

Serves 4-6

• 1 package fresh, filled pasta (tortellini, ravioli, etc.)
• 1-2 tbsp EVOO
• 5-6 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3 ounces tomato paste
• 3 ounces apple juice
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Boil pasta in salted water, according to package instructions.
2. In a large saucepan, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add garlic, green onion,, and artichoke hearts.  Saute until the garlic is fragrant.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste, apple juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper.  Heat through and toss with cooked pasta.  

THURSDAY - CRISPY COCONUT CHICKEN FINGERS

Serves 4-6 (makes 12 tenders)

• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• 12 chicken tenders (use more or less depending on size)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Chop coconut so it's roughly the same size as the bread crumbs.
3. Combine the coconut, bread crumbs and spices in a shallow dish.  Stir well to make sure everything is evenly distributed.
4. Place flour in a shallow dish and the eggs in another.  Whisk the eggs.
5. Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off any excess.  Then dip in egg, again shaking off any excess.  Roll in the bread crumb/coconut mixture, gently pressing the mixture onto the chicken.  Place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining chicken tenders.  To add a little extra crunch, you can drizzle each one with a tiny bit of olive oil, but it's optional.  (I spray mine lightly with olive oil spray.)
6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear, being careful not to overcook them.  If the tenders are smaller, the time might be closer to 15 minutes, whereas if you have larger tenders, it could be closer to 25 minutes, so keep an eye on them.  Either way, the coconut and bread crumbs will be lightly golden brown and crispy.  

DIPPING SAUCE

Whisk together 1 cup apricot-pineapple preserves, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/2  teaspoon dijon mustard, and 1/8 teaspoon curry powder.