Company Week

We're having guests in town this week. So, the trick will be to stay on track without making them feel like "something" (grains) is missing from the food I make. Let's see how it goes...

Sunday

Lemon garlic roast chicken

1 roasting chicken
1 lemon
1 head of garlic cut in half horizontally
salt and pepper
2 T butter
carrots, onions or other root veg

Rinse and pat dry the chicken carcass. Sprinkle salt and pepper and dried thyme into the cavity. Cut the lemon in quarters and stuff the lemon and garlic into the cavity. Tie the legs together and tuck the wings under. Place chicken in a roasting dish. Melt the butter and paint onto the chicken. Sprinkle more salt, pepper and thyme onto the chicken. Spread carrots, onion quarters or other root vegetables around the chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the veg. Roast for an hour and a half or so at 425 degrees.

Tonight: make the Potato Leek soup for easy heat up dinner on Monday

Monday

Potato Leek Soup

4 c thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
4 c chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces
½ t white pepper
3 strips bacon cut into lardons
¼ c whole milk, half and half or cream
3 T chopped dill

In a dutch oven, sauté bacon until crispy, remove cooked bacon and set aside. Leave all but 2T of bacon fat in the pan. Add the leeks, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, potatoes and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add in milk and bacon. Test for seasonings and add accordingly. Garnish with dill.

Tuesday

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sauce

1.5 lbs chicken breasts (2-3)
1/2 c almond flour
1/2 t tarragon
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t pepper
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
2 minced cloves of garlic
1 c mushrooms (any kind) destemmed and sliced
1/3 c dry sherry
1 c chicken stock
1 bunch of kale, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350. In a large ziploc, combine almond flour with tarragon through black pepper. Shake chicken in flour mixture. Preheat olive oil in dutch oven over medium high heat. Once hot, add chicken and brown on both sides. Place chicken in a roasting pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. In the meantime, reduce skillet to medium, add butter and scrape brown bits. Stir in garlic and staute for 30 seconds, add mushrooms and kale and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add sherry and chicken broth, bring to a simmer. Let simmer until vegetables are cooked. Spoon over cooked chicken.

Wednesday

Steak and Chorizo Fajitas

1 lb beef stir fry strips
1 lb chorizo
3 peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1/4 c taco seasoning

In a hot skillet, sear the beef strips, in batches if necessary. Remove from pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-high and add chorizo. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add sliced veg and saute until al dente. Add steak and accumulated juices back into skillet. Add taco seasoning plus 1/3 c of water. Simmer until most of liquid is gone. Serve over shredded lettuce if desired.

Thursday

Leek and Mushroom Frittata

1 leek, sliced thin
1 c sliced mushrooms
2 T butter
8 eggs
4 strips of bacon cooked and crumbled
Chevre

Preheat oven to 350. In an ovenproof skillet, melt 1T butter. Saute veg until tender, set aside. Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl. Mix veg into the eggs with salt and pepper. Melt remaining T of butter in skillet. Pour egg/veg mixture into skillet. Transfer to oven and cook for approximately 12 minutes. In the meantime, cook bacon and crumble. Sprinkle bacon and chevre over fritatta.

Friday: free night out!

Grocery List

1 roasting chicken
1 lemon
2 heads of garlic
carrots or other root veg
2 leeks
5 c chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes
nitrate free bacon
whole milk, half and half or cream
fresh dill
1.5 lbs chicken breasts (2-3)
almond flour
2 c mushrooms (any kind)
dry sherry
1 bunch of kale
1 lb beef stir fry strips
1 lb chorizo
3 peppers
2 onions
taco seasoning
1 leek
butter
eggs
Chevre
Yogurt
fruit