MONDAY - Mushroom & Roasted Pepper Quesadilla

Directions:

Place oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat.

Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place a large nonstick pan over medium heat and add a single tortilla. Sprinkle 2 ounces (55 g) of shredded cheese over the surface and allow cheese slightly melt, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle one ounce (28 g) of sautéed mushrooms over ½ the cheese and top mushrooms with ¼ of the sliced bell peppers. Fold the tortilla in half and gently press to seal.

Toast the quesadilla on each side for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, remove from heat, and repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Slice each quesadilla into wedges and serve.

TUESDAY - Eggs In Spicy Tomato Sauce

Directions:

Heat olive oil in cast iron skillet, over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the carrot and yellow onion; cook for 5-7 minutes, until onions are translucent and carrots are softened. Add garlic atop mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add can of crushed tomatoes to mixture and combine. Stir in the red pepper flakes and dried oregano. Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, uncovered. The sauce will reduce, the carrots soften even further and the delicious smell will engulf your home.

If you have an immersion blender, simply blend the mixture in the cast iron skillet, being careful for spillage. If you don't (I don't), carefully transfer tomato sauce, in batches, to blend. Hot liquids can create blender explosions, so be sure to allow steam to escape and not fill the blender too high.

Transfer blended tomato sauce back to pan. Mix in Parmesan and add salt to taste. Using the back of a wooden spoon, create 3 cavities in the tomato sauce. Carefully drop the egg yolks in that space and cover with a lid for 1-2 minutes, and until egg yolks barely set. Top with freshly ground pepper and basil. Serve with toast.

WEDNESDAY - Crispy Pork Chops & Cabbage

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450F (232C)

In a mortar and pestle, add the garlic, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mash until everything is macerated and well combined.

Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges and place on a sheet tray. Brush them with the garlic/oil mixture and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Flip the cabbage wedges over and cook another 10 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Remove from the oven and cover with foil to keep warm.

While the cabbage is cooking, move onto the pork chops.

Set up 3 bowls for coating the pork chops. In the first bowl add the flour and season with salt and pepper. In the second bowl add the eggs. In the third bowl add the panko, parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper. Working in batches, dredge the pork chops first in the flour, then the egg and finally the panko mixture and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the oil and butter. Add the pork chops, one or two at a time, making sure not to crowd the pan. Cook until a nice crust forms, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes. This might not seem like that much cooking time, but because the pork chops are so thin, they will cook quite quickly. Remove from the skillet and hold on a plate under some foil to keep warm.

After the pork chops are done, strain the grease and add it back to the pan. Add the raisins and shallots and cook for a few minutes. Then deglaze the pan with some cooking sherry, making sure to scrape up any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and add the lemon juice, mustard and honey and whisk to combine.

Place one or two cabbage wedges on a plate and rest a pork chop up next to them. Spoon some of the warm vinaigrette and raisins over the cabbage and serve.

THURSDAY - Broiled Salmon & Papaya Avocado Salsa

Directions:

Combine avocado, papaya and red onion in a bowl. Add olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper and cilantro. Stir it well and set in the fridge to cool.

Place the Salmon in a lightly buttered pan on medium heat - skin side down - and cook until the bottom half of the salmon starts to turn white. Then place your pan under the broiler until your salmon is browned and cooked all the way through.

Top the salmon with your fresh salsa and serve over brown rice.

FRIDAY - Slow Cooker Chicken & Rice

Directions:

In the bowl of a slow cooker, add the carrots, celery and onion. Wash and dry the chicken inside and out and liberally salt and pepper the inside cavity of the bird. To the cavity add the garlic, bay leaves, herb bouquet and lemon wedges. Tie the legs together and place the chicken on top of the aromatic vegetables. Season the outside of the chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, and herbs de provence. Pour in just enough chicken stock and sherry to moisten the vegetables and steam the chicken, about 2-3 inches on the bottom of the pot. Cover and cook on the low setting until the chicken is very tender and the legs are loose in their sockets, around 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to broil.

Once the chicken is done, carefully lift the bird from the bottom and place on a baking sheet. Discard the contents from inside the cavity. Scoop out the carrots, celery and onion and place on a platter. Strain the cooking liquid and set aside. At this time, start the rice.

Rinse the rice in a bowl until the water runs clear, about 3 cycles of rinsing and draining. Put the rice with the reserved chicken stock from the slow cooker in a pot so that the liquid comes just up to the first knuckle on your index finger. Add store bought stock if needed. Add the garlic, bay leaves, tomato paste and saffron to the pot. Bring to a boil, then cover, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the rice sit in the pot with the lid on for another 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff. While the rice is cooking, make the romesco.

In a saute pan over medium heat, add the ancho peppers. Toast the chilis until they are fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover with hot water. Let steep for 10 minutes. In the meantime, add the olive oil, bread and nuts to the saute pan. Cook until everything is golden brown and toasted, being very careful not to burn the nuts. Add the garlic to the pan for the final 2 minutes of cooking. Pour the entire contents of the saute pan into the bowl of a food processor. Add the red peppers, tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Drain the ancho peppers and add them to the bowl, discarding the stem. Process until the mix becomes a smooth paste. Add more olive oil if the romesco is too thick. Add the chopped parsley and pulse a few more times. Taste and season again if necessary.

To finish the chicken, place it under the broiler for 3-5 minutes just to crisp the skin. Serve the bird over the braised vegetables along with the rice and romesco sauce on the side.