Sunday Dinner November 15, 2020

 We are now at  1 week prior to the Holiday on our Guide to your Hassle Free Holiday Meal Planner. This week we will:

1. Shop for your squashes and root vegetables, such as butternut squash, carrots, potatoes, parsnips and turnips.
2. Dig out roasters, platters and serving dishes.  Wash and iron linen if needed.
3.  Pull out and clean the cooler to use as a storage chest in order to make more room in your refrigerator. The larger the cooler the better.
4. 
   

Roasted Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts

4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon granulated onion

½ teaspoon red chili flakes

1 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half, rinsed and patted dry 

½ teaspoon sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, granulated garlic, granulated onion, Dijon mustard and red chili flakes. 

Add the trimmed Brussels sprouts to the mixture, toss well, then spread them in an even layer on the prepared pan.

Season the Brussels sprouts with sea salt and roast until the outer leaves are crispy and the centers are tender all the way through, about 20 to 25 minutes. 

Transfer to a plate and serve immediately.

 Grilled Ginger Maple Chicken

4 Servings

Ingredients

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup orange juice

2 tablespoon Grade B maple syrup

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon crushed red chili peppers

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Freshly ground pepper

Method

Combine soy sauce, maple syrup orange juice, oil, ginger, garlic and crushed red chili peppers in a zip lock bag.

Add chicken and turn to coat. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight, turning occasionally

Heat grill to medium for indirect heat.  If using charcoal grill, position coals on one half of the grill.

If using gas grill, heat one side to high, the other to low. Lightly oil grill grates.

Remove chicken from marinade, reserve marinade to baste chicken. Sprinkle each side of breast with freshly ground black pepper.

Grill chicken 10 minutes over hottest section of the grill turning once.

Move to cooler section of the grill and cook basting chicken as needed with left over marinade. 10 minutes longer or until thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 165 degrees F.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

4 Servings 

Ingredients
4 cups of water
1 teaspoon sea salt – divided throughout recipe
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion
Freshly ground pepper to taste
½ ounces dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces shitake mushrooms, sliced thin
12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
1 shallot, diced
¼ cup chopped parsley, chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 ounce grated parmesan cheese  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F 

Spray a sheet pan with oil
In a medium saucepan, add 4 cups of water, ¼ teaspoon sea salt and bring it to a boil. Add the dry porcini mushroom and boil for 1 minute. Remove pot from the heat and set aside, for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the sliced shitake mushrooms and the cremini mushroom in a large bowl along with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon granulated onion, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Massage the oil and seasoning into the mushrooms then place them in a single layer on a sheet pan and roast in the oven 12 – 15 minutes.
While mushrooms are roasting, strain the porcini mushrooms through a wire mesh strainer into a heat safe bowl. Discard the porcine mushrooms. Return the pot to a medium high flame and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, shallots and parsley (reserve a few pinches of parsley for garnish) stir constantly for 2 minutes.
Add the rice and stir constantly until rice is toasted and opaque about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the hot mushroom broth. The rice should just be covered by broth. Stir constantly until nearly all broth is absorbed. Add ½ cup of the mushroom broth and stir constantly until broth is nearly all absorbed. Repeat this process stirring often, 18 – 20 minutes. Taste risotto as you cook, checking for tenderness. When rice has no more crunch. It is done. Remove from burner and stir in half the roasted mushrooms, parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper.
When serving, add the remaining mushrooms and garnish with the reserved parsley. 

Fresca Salad

4 Servings

Ingredients
12 ounces arugula or baby spinach
1 hot house cucumber, sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
2 Oranges, peeled segmented and diced
   For the Dressing
juice of 1 lemon/lime
just of 1 large Valencia orange
¼ cup white wine vinegar

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ – 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

½ – 1 teaspoon granulated onion

½ teaspoon crushed chili peppers

¼ – ½ teaspoon sea salt

1 – 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Method 

On a platter or serving dish, place down a bed of lettuce.  Neatly arrange the cucumber slices, tomato wedges and diced oranges, refrigerate until ready to serve.

Meanwhile whisk together all of the salad dressing ingredients and refrigerate until time to serve.  

To serve, divide salad into 4 servings use 1 – 2 tablespoons of dressing per serving.  

Store leftover dressing in an airtight container 3 – 4 weeks.
Dressing can also be used as a marinade for vegetables, fish, chicken or beef.