YURA’S MEALS-TO-GO

 Here are some highlights from this week’s Meals-to-Go:

Imagine you’re eating asparagus in France. Don’t you just want to be eating asparagus in France? We give you: Asparagus Mimosa with Crisped Bacon, sprinkled with hard-cooked egg, herbs, and tiny, tangy capers, generously dressed (by you!) in delicious vinaigrette. It’s the Parisian side dish for this main attraction: Poached Salmon and a little pot of Tarragon-Basil Sauce for dousing. Together, served with Dilled Orzo, Farro and Rice Salad. Because nobody brings Paris home to New Yorkers with as much charm and hilarity as cookbook author/food writer David Lebovitz, here’s a gorgeous Asparagus Mimosa photo courtesy of his fabulous newsletter.

There are a lot of unique entry points into Tuesday’s Greek-Style Stuffed Cannelloni. We favor filling delicate crepes over tubular pasta, made with a tender hand (and Yura’s well-seasoned crepe pan). And the filling itself spins Greek rather than straight Italian, using 50/50 Ground Lamb scented with cinnamon and oregano-seasoned Ground Beef. A tomato-red wine reduction makes the meat very juicy, and the cannelloni are sauced in beautiful Béchamel. Served with Roasted Peppers and Onions with Feta and Dill.

From the California salad bowl came some of last century’s most famous named dishes, including Cobb Salad introduced by L.A.’s Brown Derby restaurant. Buddy keeps ours pretty pure—with grilled chicken, avocado, bacon, blue cheese, tomato, and egg. The original had a little watercress. We use arugula for some bite, along with a big hit of crisp iceberg and some baby spinach. You toss it all together with our best Balsamic Vinaigrette.

When aged sharp cheese meets sautéed mushrooms, their synergy makes some of the best savory dishes possible. Wild Mushroom Lasagna brings this dynamic duo into every bite: the punch of parmesan and fontina, along with an ensemble of cremini, king oyster, shiitake, and hon shimeji mushrooms—making this an altogether remarkable meatless meal. 

The secret to Tex-Mex Meatloaf is the flavor stashed into the meat mix itself. Imagine an inverted taco, mainly beef, with some chorizo, plenty of cumin, and roasted poblanos. And why not bind the mixture with ground tortillas instead of the usual bread crumbs? Sour cream in the mix keeps the meatloaf tender and juicy as it bakes. A sauce? Nothing to it—enter Charred-Tomato Salsa Glaze. There could be no better side dish than Sugar Snaps and Roasted Sweet Peppers with the exception, of course, of mind-blowing Toasted Corn-Mashed Potatoes.