#meal week

PORK MARSALA Ingredients 1 lb boneless center cut pork chops (on the thin side) 2 thinly sliced shallots 2 chopped garlic cloves 1 box pre sliced baby bella mushrooms 1/2 cup Marsala wine 1/2 cup chicken stock about 2 tablespoons olive oil about 2 tablespoons butter about 1/3 cup all purpose flour about 1 teaspoon of garlic powder about 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt and ground pepper fresh thyme **optional about a teaspoon Dijon Mustard Directions On a plate or shallow bowl add flour, garlic powder and salt and pepper-mix. Toss your pork in the mixture to coat all sides and tap off the excess. In a saute pan or similar add butter and oil to a medium high heat, when butter is melted, add pork. Add pork to pan and cook, flipping over one time when sides get golden brown. Lower the heat to medium-lowish and add your mushrooms, shallots, and garlic to the pan. Use tongs to toss them around so they are touching the pan. Add in your Marsala wine and chicken broth, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits at the bottom of the pan. Add in fresh thyme (about a teaspoon-tablespoon) Cover the pan and let cook for about 7-8 minutes Optional- add in about a teaspoon of Dijon Mustard (pork and mustard are a match made in heaven) and let cook for another 3-4 minutes uncovered It will be ready when the sauce has thickened into a gravy.

BAKED THAI SALMON Ingredients 6 x 6 oz sockeye salmon fillets, skin on or off Pinch of salt 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce, divided 2 - 3 tbsp green onions, chopped Cooking spray Directions In a large baking dish, lay down salmon fillets in a row. Each fillet - sprinkle with a pinch of salt and top with 1 tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce. Brush or rub with your fingers to coat fish with sauce evenly on top, bottom and sides. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight is the best (up to 24 hours). Turn on oven's broiler on High and position top oven rack 5" - 6" below the heat source. Line large baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper, spray with cooking spray and place salmon fillets skin side down (if any). Coat with remaining marinade from the dish (if any). Broil for 8 minutes, rotating baking sheet once. Remove from the oven and brush top of each fillet with 2 tsp of Thai sweet chili sauce. Return to the oven and broil for another 5 minutes or until salmon has caramelized. Serve hot garnished with green onions, extra sauce (if desired) with brown rice or quinoa on a side.

CROCKPOT BACON CHILI Ingredients 5 slices hardwood smoked bacon 1 red bell pepper 1 green bell pepper 1/2 cup (~4 stalks) celery, chopped 1 cup (1 small) yellow onion, chopped 1-2 serrano peppers 2 cans (15 ounces each) chili beans in medium (or spicy) sauce 1 can (15 ounces) chili beans in mild sauce 2 (28 ounces each) cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained 1 (6 ounces) can tomato paste 2 pounds (32 ounces) ground beef chuck 1 pound (16 ounces) Italian sausage Seasonings 4 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon dried oregano 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1 tablespoon white sugar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 beef bouillon cubes Optional: fresh cilantro, sour cream, freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese Directions In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove on to a paper towel lined plate and dab off the excess grease. Set aside. Reserve the bacon grease in the skillet. Remove the stem and seeds from the red pepper. Chop. Remove the stem and seeds from the green pepper and chop. Chop the celery. Remove the peel of the onion and chop. (My husband HATES onions and could not detect them in the chili -- chop super fine as they add a lot of flavor!) Chop the serrano pepper and remove the seeds if desired -- leave them in for extra heat. Add the chopped red pepper, green pepper, celery, onion, and serrano pepper to the skillet with the reserved bacon grease. Saute the veggies over medium heat until tender. Transfer to the crockpot. Add in the three cans of chili beans (undrained and do not rinse), petite diced tomatoes, and tomato paste to the crockpot. In the same skillet used to cook the bacon and veggies, cook the ground beef chuck (better flavor and texture than regular ground beef) and Italian sausage until no longer pink over medium heat. Stir that into the slow cooker. Add all the seasonings to the crockpot. Crumble up the bacon (or chop) into very small pieces and stir that in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Enjoy with fresh cilantro, sour cream and cheddar cheese.

VEGAN BLACK PEPPER TOFU Ingredients 400 g firm tofu, pressed* 2 tbsp soy sauce cornstarch 3-4 tbsp high smoke oil (I used peanut oil) BLACK PEPPER SAUCE 4 tbsp soy sauce ½ tbsp rice wine vinegar 2 tbsp maple syrup 2 level tsp cornstarch 3 large garlic cloves, pressed 5 tsp grated ginger chili flakes, to taste 3 small spring onions, sliced thinly 1½ tsp freshly ground black pepper sesame seeds, to garnish (optional) Directions Cut pressed tofu into equal size squares. Pour 2 tbsp of tamari or soy sauce over the tofu and stir a few times so that it’s marinated evenly. Only quick marination is needed as tofu will be later coated in sauce. Dust tofu in thin layer of cornflour, shaking any excess flour off. Skip this step if you prefer to bake your tofu – see next step. Heat up 3 tbsp of oil in a wok or pan. Once the oil gets hot start frying tofu in 4 batches. Watch over it and turn frequently so that it does not burn. Once first batch is golden brown, remove it from the pan and place it an a piece of kitchen towel to drain the excess oil off. Continue with the remaining 3 batches. If you want to bake your tofu instead, heat up the oven to 180º C / 360º F and spread tofu pieces on a baking tray. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, flipping tofu once half way through baking. In a bowl, mix 4 tbsp of tamari (or soy sauce), 4 tbsp of water, rice wine vinegar and maple syrup. In a separate small bowl prepare cornflour slurry (mix 2 tsp of cornflour with 2 tbsp of water), which helps to thicken the sauce slightly. Once you finish frying the tofu, wipe the wok with a piece of kitchen towel (be careful as it will be hot) to get rid of any cornflour residue. Pour another tablespoon of oil and add sliced white parts of spring onions (save green bits as garnish) and sliced chilli. Fry gently on medium heat until they both soften, for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes add pressed garlic cloves and grated ginger and fry for a bit stirring constantly so that they don’t burn. Push the contents of the wok to the side (or set aside on a small plate) and pour in the sauce you prepared earlier and cornflour slurry (mix well before adding as cornflour will drop to the bottom). Mix the two together and let the sauce come to the boil gently. Let the sauce bubble gently for a minute or two so that it thickens a bit. Now incorporate softened spring onions, chilli, ginger and garlic mixture back into the sauce and add ground pepper to taste – I used just over a teaspoon. Stir fried tofu into the sauce to warm it up gently. Serve over a bowl of steaming hot rice.

CHICKEN IN CREAMY PARMESAN AND SUN DRIED TOMATO SAUCE Ingredients 1 tablespoon oil 4 (~6 ounce) skinless and boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/4 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth) 3/4 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream 1/4 cup oil packed sundried tomatoes, chopped 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced (or 1 teaspoon dried basil) Directions Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the chicken and cook until lightly golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, before setting aside. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add the wine and deglaze the pan. Add the broth, cream, sundried tomatoes and parmesan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens a bit, about 3-5 minutes. Mix in the chicken along with any juices, season with salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat and mix in the basil.

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK Ingredients For the Steaks: 4 cube steaks 2 cups buttermilk 3 large eggs 2 teaspoons hot sauce 1 teaspoon worcheshire sauce 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup cornstarch 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon pepper ¾ teaspoon cayenne 4-5 cups oil for frying For the Gravy: ¼ cup finely chopped shallots or onions 1 teaspoon minced garlic 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour ½ cup milk 1½ cups chicken or beef stock pinch of cayenne salt and pepper to taste Optional: Ground pepper and parsley for garnish Directions: For the steaks: To a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, hot sauce and worcheshire sauce. To another bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and cayenne. Submerge steaks to buttermilk and marinate for at least 1 hour. (2 hours preferred.) Dip steaks, one at a time, into seasoned flour mixture coating each side then back into marinade then back into seasoned flour then finally place on a baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Add oil to cast iron skillet or frying pan and heat oven medium high heat. Also preheat oven to 250 degrees. Once oil is hot and ready, fry each steak on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels then place steaks on parchment covered baking sheets and put in the oven while you make the gravy. For the gravy: Add ¼ cup of the oil from frying to a saute pan over medium. Add in shallots or onions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Next stir in flour and cook creating a roux (think a delicious light brown color). Cook until browned (but not burned). Stir in milk and stock and turn heat up to high heat until boiling then turn heat down to medium low and allow to thicken until it coats the back of a spoon. Turn off heat and spoon gravy on top of steaks. Sprinkle with ground pepper and parsley and serve hot with mashed potatoes if you prefer

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE CASSEROLE Ingredients 2 pounds cabbage, roughly chopped 1 pound ground beef 1/4 cup water 2 and tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup tomato paste 1/2 cup tomatoes, diced 1 cup rice, washed and rinsed well 1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon dried mint 1 lemon, squeezed A handful of chopped parsley 3/4 cup water 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Directions Chop the cabbage roughly and blanch in boiling water, for about 5-10 minutes. Heat a pan on medium heat and add ground beef with 1/4 cup water. Cook until it releases water, reduce the heat. Cook it stirring and pressing on the ground beef until there aren't any blocks left. (See the video above.) Cover the pan and cook until there is little water left. Add olive oil, onion, garlic and cook stirring for 5-10 minutes. Add in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes. Stir well. Add in rice and stir. Season with salt, black pepper and dried mint. Add in the chopped and blanched cabbage in the pan. Pour lemon juice over it. Stir well. Add chopped parsley on it, pour 3/4 cup water and cover the pan. Cook it over the lowest heat until water is absorbed and rice is cooked, for 15-20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Add cayenne pepper and add 1/2 cup tomato paste into the pan, stir and transfer it to a casserole pan that is lightly brushed with oil. Bake for 40 minutes.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and starts to turn slightly golden around the edges, and the sauce is bubbly.  Remove and sprinkle with the remaining basil.  Serve immediately.