Thai Red Curry and Beef Soup with Cucumber Salad

Menu:
Thai Red Curry and Beef Soup || Real Simple
Asian Cucumber Salad

Thai Red Curry and Beef Soup
Ingredients ////
8 ounces rice noodles
1 pound sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
2 tablespoons red curry paste
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
fresh basil leaves
1 chili, sliced

Directions////
Cook the noodles according to the package directions.
Meanwhile, brown the steak and sweet potato with the onion in the canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, red curry paste, and Asian fish sauce; simmer until the potato is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in the noodles and lime juice. Top with the basil and chili.

Sausage with Cucumber Salad

Menu:
Chicken Sausages with Homemade Mustard (from Brian's co-worker)
Avocado & Sunflower Seed "Salad"
Creamy Cucumber Salad || Well Fed
Pomegranate Lime Kombucha

Creamy Cucumber Salad: 
2 cucumbers, sliced thin
1/2 white onion, sliced thin
2/3 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1 t. apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. homemade olive oil mayo 
salt and pepper, to taste

Mix cucumbers, onion and parsley in large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, mix vinegar, mayo and garlic lightly with fork, then pour over cucumbers and gently combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Pork Tenderloin & Mostly Not Potato Salad

Menu:
Pork Tenderloin
Mostly Not Potato Salad || Super Natural Every Day
Corn on the Cob

Mostly Not Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
1 pound red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 ounces green beans, trimmed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon natural cane sugar
Fine-grain sea salt
1 leek, white and tender green parts, trimmed and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
6 small stalks celery, trimmed and diced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
6 ounces extra-firm tofu, diced
1 tablespoon minced chives

Directions
Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but not falling apart, about 10 minutes. Just before potatoes are done, add green beans to the pot for 30 seconds. Drain and set aside.

Whisk mustard, vinegar, 2 teaspoons oil, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl.
Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leek and dill, and saute, stirring occasionally, until golden and slightly crispy, 4 to 5 minutes.

Gently toss potatoes and green beans, celery, cucumber, tofu, chives, and half the leeks with the mustard dressing in a bowl. Adjust salt if necessary. Top with remaining leeks. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Pasta with Kale and Walnut Pesto

Menu:
Pasta with Kale and Walnut Pesto || Real Simple
Cucumber Salad
Dry Italian Sausage
Pinot Grigio with Peaches

Pasta with Kale and Walnut Pesto
Serves 4

Ingredients
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons walnuts
1 bunch kale, thick stems discarded and leaves torn (about 12 cups)
1 cup grated pecorino (2 ounces), plus more for serving
1 small clove garlic
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 pound fusilli, penne, or some other short pasta

Directions
Heat oven to 350° F. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes; let cool. Chop 2 tablespoons of the walnuts and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and cook until bright green, 30 seconds. Transfer the kale to a colander (reserve the cooking water); squeeze dry when cool enough to handle.

In a food processor, combine the kale, pecorino, garlic, the remaining ⅓ cup of unchopped walnuts, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Process until finely chopped. With the machine running, add the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream.

Bring the reserved cooking water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the pesto and ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water and toss to coat (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry). Serve the pasta sprinkled with the pecorino and chopped walnuts.

Broiled Yogurt-Ginger Chicken Breasts

Menu:
Broiled Yogurt-Ginger Chicken Breasts || Martha Stewart Living, October 2007
Saffron Rice

NOTE: Brian absolutely loved the meal tonight. Especially since I also served an amazing Rhubarb Meringue Cake I made with rhubarb from his mother's garden.

Broiled Yogurt-Ginger Chicken Breasts
Serves 4

Ingredients
3 cups plain yogurt
1 piece (5 inches) peeled fresh ginger, grated (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), tenderloin removed
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 lime

Directions

Stir together the yogurt, ginger, cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Starting on one long side, cut each chicken breast almost in half horizontally, stopping about 1/2 inch before reaching the opposite side. Open each breast like a book.

Add chicken to marinade and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

Preheat broiler. In a small bowl, toss together red onion, cucumber, cilantro, lime juice, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and pinch of salt.

Transfer chicken to a broiler pan. Discard marinade. Broil chicken, rotating pan once, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Top with cucumber mixture.

Tuna with Asian Slaw

Menu:
Tuna with Asian Slaw || Real Simple

Ingredients
2 cucumbers, peeled
1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced
5 scallions (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
kosher salt and black pepper
4 teaspoons canola oil
3 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
4-6-ounce tuna steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)

Directions

1. Working over a medium bowl, use a vegetable peeler to create long, thin strips of cucumber.

2. Add the radishes, scallions, cilantro, vinegar, sesame oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper and toss. Cover and refrigerate.

3. Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Using the flat of a knife or the bottom of a pan, crush the coriander seeds and peppercorns.

4. Sprinkle 1 ¼ teaspoons salt over the tuna and press the crushed spices onto each side.

5. Cook the tuna, turning once, until it reaches desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare.

6. Divide the tuna among individual plates and serve with the slaw.