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Five course meal

We just moved to the new house and I really wanted to make a special meal for me and my DH.  But what to make?  Here’s what we ended up with (minus the salad - it was on the menu, but we were too full to eat it)

Amuse Bouche: Frisee with crab.  Frisee and celery leaves mixed with olive oil and salt topped with crab meat.

Appetiser:      Prosciutto rolls with Aurgula and Figs.  Dried figs, goat cheese and arugula with marinade rolled in prosciutto. How can this be a bad thing?

Main Course:  Herb crusted Lamb with sauted baby veggies.  I also did a Mushroom Gravy, made from a homemade veal stock.


Salad:          Frisee salad with Warm Bacon Viniagrette

Dessert:        Cava gelatin with raspberries and semi-sweet chocolate chips

It was an ambitious menu, but I pulled it off and if I may, pulled it off well. :D Go me!!  Some days I think I could do this for real.

Strawberry, Cucumber, and Basil Salad

4 cups hulled strawberries, quartered (1 pound)

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

2 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl, and toss gently to coat. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Combine cucumbers and juice; toss to coat. Add cucumber mixture, salt, and pepper to strawberry mixture; toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

From Cookling Light magazine

NUTRITION PER SERVING

CALORIES 49(9% from fat); FAT 0.5g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 1.1g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 26mg; SODIUM 150mg; FIBER 3.1g; IRON 0.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.6g

Parmesan Chicken

Serves 6

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

4 tsp dried oregano


2 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

2 eggs

4 Tbsp butter, or 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp olive oil

Pound chicken breasts until they are 1/4 inch (5mm) thick and cut into 6 portions.  Set aside.

Combine cheese with oregano, parsley, garlic powder, paprika, pepper on a plate.  On another plate or in a shallow bowl, beat the eggs.  dip the chicken into the eggs, then into the cheese mixture, coating both sides evenly.

Melt butter or butter/oil mix in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat (any higher will burn the cheese) and saute for 4-5 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Cook’s note:

This is a higher fat dish due to the cheese.  the one cup is 457 calories, with 257 calories from fat, or 28.6 grams of fat. But bear in mind that this is used over 6 pieces of chicken, so per piece it’d be about 76 calories or about 42 from fat, or about 4.8 grams of fat, at most.  You can do this with cooking spray or minimal oil to lower the calorie/fat counts even more.  The eggs can be replaced with egg replacer for an egg-less version, and if tolerated, you can try a dairyfree version using soy parmesan cheese.  That will also substantially lower fat and calories.

This is from the 15 Minute Low-Carb cookbook by Dana Carpender.  It’s an awesome cookbook, with lots of quick ideas. 

Another Tom Yum variation

4 cups of water

2 stalks fresh lemon grass, trim off the very end of the root and smash with the side of a cleaver of chef’s knife; cut into 1 inch pieces; or 2 pc dried

3 slices fresh galangal root(smashed) or 2 pc dried


3 fresh kaffir lime leave or 4 pc dried

1 Tbsp. tamarind paste, with or without seeds

1 Tbsp. fish sauce, Golden Boy preferred

3/4 lb shrimps, medium to large size, shelled and de-veined; butterfly if desired

12 fresh Thai chili peppers, whole or 2 medium sized jalepenos, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips.

1/2 small white onion, cut 1/4 inch slices


2 Tbsp. roasted chili paste (nam prik pao)

1 (16 oz.) can straw mushrooms, drained and rinsed

1 small ripe tomato, cut into wedges 1/4 inch thick (optional)

1 small lime, squeezed

2 sprigs fresh cilantro

Bring water to boil over high heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the lemon grass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, fish sauce and tamarind paste (break apart the tamarind paste with your fingers as you add it). Add the shrimp, bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Add the onion, nam prik pao and straw mushrooms. Boil for another 7 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through. Add the chile peppers and tomatoes. Turn off the heat. Add the lime juice. Taste to adjust the seasoning, adding fish sauce to taste. Garnish with cilatantro if desired and serve. Serves 3 to 4.

Evil Jungle Prince with Chicken (or Veggies)

1/2 lb boneless chicken breast (or 1/2 lb mixed vegetables, see note below)

2 to 6 small red chile peppers

1/2 stalk fresh lemon grass

2 kaffir lime leaves

2 T oil

1/2 c coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

fish sauce to taste (soy sauce for veggie version)


10 to 15 basil leaves

1 c chopped cabbage

Thinly cut chicken into 2-inch strips. (If doing veggie version, cut vegetables into thin strips.) Grind together red chili peppers, lemon grass, and kaffir lime leaves in a food processor or pound in a mortar. Heat oil to medium-high and saute pepper mixture for 3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken (or vegetables) and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked (same time for veggies). Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in fish sauce (if using), salt, and basil. Serve on a bed of chopped cabbage.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Note: For mixed vegetables, choose from among bell peppers, string beans, water chestnuts, tomatoes (small cherry tomatoes are best), bamboo shoots, miniature corn, asparagus, cucumbers, zucchini, Japanese eggplant, and mushrooms. I particularly like string beans or asparagus, a few cherry tomatoes, shredded (rather than sliced) bamboo shoots, miniature corn, and some straw mushrooms or slender (Japanese) eggplant.

Osso Buco

Serves: 4

Cook time: 3 hours (roughly)

Prep time: 30 minutes (roughly)

8 lg veal shanks, patted dry

salt, pepper to taste

1/2 cup gluten-free flour

7 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 Tbsp olive oil


1 1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

3/4 cup carrots, finely chopped

3/4 cup celery, finely chopped

1 tsp garlic, minced

4 cup gluten-free beef broth

1 1/2 cup plum tomatoes, chopped

1 bouquet garni (bouquet of fresh herbs tied together and chucked in the dish.  See below for quantities)


  6 sprigs parsley

  4 sprigs thyme

  1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp salt

1 gremolata (Minced parsley, lemon peel and garlic. See below for quantities)

  1/2 cup fresh parlsey, minced

  2 Tbsp lemon zest


  1 Tbsp garlic, minced

Season the veal shanks with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off excess. In a heavy skillet, heat 3 Tbsp butter and 3 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat.  Brown the veal shanks, adding additional butter and oil if necessary. Transfer the shanks as they are browned to a platter.

Add wine to the skillet, boil the mixture, deglazing the pan, until the liquid is reduced to about a half cup. Reserve in a small bowl.

In a flameproof casserole just large enough to hold the veal shanks in one layer, cook the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in the remaining 4 Tbsp butter over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are softened. Add the shanks and any accumulated juices to the casserole. Add the wine mixture, and enough broth to almost cover the shanks. Spread the tomatoes over the shanks, add the bouquet garni and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the liquid to

a simmer over moderately high heat. Braise the mixture, covered, in the middle of a preheated 325f oven for 2 hours, or until the veal is tender. Transfer the veal to an ovenproof serving dish with a slotted spoon. Discard the strings and keep the shanks warm.

Strain pan juices into a saucepan, pressing hard on the solids. Skim off the fat. Boil for about 15 minutes or until reduced to about 3 cups.

Baste the shanks in some of the reduced juices, and bake them, basting 3-4 more times, for 10 minutes or until the shanks are glazed. In a bowl, stir together the parsley, zest, and garlic. Sprinkle the shanks with the gremolata and pour some juice around and over them. Serve the remaining juices alongside in a boat.