Indian Summer Week

It's going to be wonderfully sunny and warm this week (at least the first part). So, this week I picked nice bright flavors.

Sunday

Dinner: Flank steak with romesco sauce and side of sautéed mushrooms and onions

Flank steak with romesco sauce
(courtesy of Primal Blueprint)

1 flank steak
1 c cherry tomatoes
¼ c sliced almonds
2 garlic cloves
1 roasted red pepper (from a jar)
¼ c olive oil
1 T red wine or sherry vinegar
½ t red pepper flakes

Put the flank steak on the grill. In the mean time, toast tomatoes almonds and garlic in a pan for about 5 minutes. Put all three in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. Pour over steak.

Sauteed mushrooms and onions

2 onions sliced
2 package of pre-sliced mushrooms
2T butter
2T balsamic vinegar or red wine
Salt/pepper
1t dried thyme

Melt the butter in a pan, add mushrooms and onions and a little salt and pepper. Once the onions and mushrooms are softened, add 1T of balsamic vinegar and some thyme. Save half for dinner tomorrow.

Tonight: make the tzaziki sauce, protein fruit balls

Tzaziki sauce:

Dice an English cucumber into small cubes (1/4 inch or smaller). Mix with 1t of salt and set in a sieve to drain for 30 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water. Mix one 16 oz 2% Greek yogurt with the cucumber, 1-2 T dried dill, 1T red wine vinegar, 1T olive oil, and 1T garlic mash (use minced garlic from a jar, smear with the side of a chef’s knife until paste-like).

Protein fruit balls
(courtesy of Primal Blueprint)

4 dates, pits removed
1 cup walnuts
½ cup macadamia nuts
2 T coconut oil, melted
½ fresh berries
½ c unsweetened shredded coconut

Pulverize dates in food processor until a paste—about 40 seconds. Add nuts and blend until very finely chopped. With processor still running, drizzle in coconut oil and sop as soon as the oil is blended. Turn out into a bowl, add berries and ¼ c coconut. Roll into 12 balls and roll in remaining coconut.

Monday

Breakfast: two protein fruit balls

Snack: cucumbers with tzaziki sauce

Lunch: flank steak salad

Snack: fruit

Dinner: Turkey Burgers and sautéed mushrooms and onions

Turkey burgers

1T olive oil
1T butter
2 cloves minced garlic
1.5 lbs ground turkey
¼ c light soy sauce
1T sambal oelek or other Asian chili paste (siracha would work too)
1t ginger paste (look for it by the fresh herbs at the store)
1 8oz can of water chestnuts drained and diced
½ c of fresh cilantro leaves finely chopped
¼ c chopped scallions
Large butter lettuce leaves
Avocado slices

For the burgers: Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and butter. Add the onions, season with salt and bring to a medium-high heat. Cook the onions until they are soft and very aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, soy sauce, sambal oelek, ginger, water chestnuts, cilantro, scallions and the cooked onions and garlic. (Reserve the onion pan to cook the sautéed mushrooms and onions in later.) Add one-quarter to one-half cup water; this will help the burgers stay nice and moist. Using your hands, squish everything together until they are really well combined. Form the mix into 4 equal size patties. Grill for approximately 15-20 minutes, turning once, until cooked through. Wrap in lettuce leaves and top with avocado slices.

Sauteed mushrooms and onions (left over from last night)

Tuesday

Breakfast: yogurt with fruit

Snack: one protein ball

Lunch: Turkey burgers

Snack: cucumbers with tzaziki sauce

Dinner: Halibut crusted with chorizo and almonds
(courtesy of Primal Blueprint)

3 skinned halibut filets
1/3 cup blanched almonds with no skin
1 ½ T roughly chopped parsley
1/3 c (appx. 2.5 ounces) of chopped chorizo salami

Preheat oven to 400. In a food processor, chop chorizo, almonds and parsley until almonds are in small pieces. Drizzle some olive oil in a pan and set the fish on top. Spoon the chorizo mixture on top patting it down to stick. Roast in the oven for 12 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork. Turn the oven on broil and boil for 2-4 minutes until the nuts are brown.

Wednesday

Breakfast: two protein balls

Snack: nuts

Lunch: left over halibut salad with balsamic and olive oil dressing and ½ avocado

Snack: fruit or any remaining cucumbers and tzaziki

Dinner: chicken fajitas
4 chicken breasts cut into strips
1 onion
2-3 peppers
Mushrooms

Sear chicken in a hot skillet with a little butter and olive oil. Remove and set aside. Saute veg until just crisp/tender. Add steak back in with accumulated juice, add taco seasoning and sauté until done

Thursday

Breakfast: yogurt with fruit

Snack: one protein ball

Lunch:

Snack: fruit

Dinner: Sauteed pork loins with apple compote and steamed broccoli
(courtesy of Pioneer Woman)

6 boneless pork loins about ½ inch thick
1T olive oil
1T butter
2 diced apples
1 diced sweet onion
½ c dry white wine
2t apple cider vinegar
¾ c pure maple syrup
1t dried thyme
Salt and pepper

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter and heat until butter in melted.

Salt and pepper both sides of pork chops. Brown them on both sides until nice and golden. Remove pork chops from the skillet and set on a separate plate.
Reduce heat to medium. Add apples, onion and thyme, and stir to combine them with the oil, and butter that remains in the pan. Pour in wine and vinegar, then whisk along the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Pour in the maple syrup, then add a dash of salt and pepper. Stir, then return pork chops to the pan. Cover the pan and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes.

Friday

Breakfast: Yogurt with fruit

Snack: nuts

Lunch: left over pork and broccoli

Snack: fruit

Dinner: free night out!

Grocery List

1 flank steak
cherry tomatoes
sliced almonds
garlic cloves
jarred roasted red pepper
sherry vinegar
4 onions
3 package of pre-sliced mushrooms
2 English cucumbers
16 oz Greek yogurt
Medjool dates
walnuts
macadamia nuts
coconut oil
fresh berries
unsweetened shredded coconut
1.5 lbs ground turkey
light soy sauce
sambal oelek or other Asian chili paste (siracha would work too)
ginger paste (look for it by the fresh herbs at the store)
1 8oz can of water chestnuts drained and diced
cilantro
scallions
butter lettuce leaves
2 avocados
3 skinned halibut filets
blanched almonds with no skin
chorizo salami
4 chicken breasts
2-3 peppers
6 boneless pork loins about ½ inch thick
2 apples
dry white wine
apple cider vinegar
pure maple syrup
melon
peaches
6 2% fage Greek yogurt