Mushroom Bourguignon

Tags

bourguignon, french, main dish, mushroom, onions, vegetarian

My love affair with The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook continues… This bourguignon may be vegetarian but you won’t miss the meat. It has depth of flavor and good texture. It’s perfect for a dinner party with your favorite vegetarian…

Mushroom Bourguignon (from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook)

• 2 tbsp plive oil
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 2 lbs baby portobello mushrooms, quartered
• 1 cup pearl onions, thawed if frozen
• 1/2 carrot, finely diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup full bodied red wine
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
• Egg noodles, cooked for serving
• Sour cream and chopped parsley or chives for garnish (optional)

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over high heat in a large heavy bottomed sauce pan or Dutch oven. Sear the mushrooms and pearl onions until they take on a little color but the mushrooms have not yet released any liquid, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium and add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Add in carrots, onion, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

Add the wine to the pot, scraping the stuck bits off the bottom. Turn the heat up to high and reduce the liquid by half. Stir in the tomato past and stock. Add the mushrooms and pearl onions back to the mix along with any juices that have collected. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mushrooms are very tender.

Combine the flour and the remaining butter with a fork. Stir this mixture into the stew. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes. This will allow the gravy to thicken up. To serve, spoon over egg noodles and garnish with sour cream, chopped chives or chopped parsley. Serves 4.

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Pan Bagnat

Tags

food, french, lunch, overnight, pan bagnat, protein, quick, sandwich, tuna

I love tuna because it is such a quick source of protein. I eat it a lot and am always on the lookout for new ways to try it, other than the usual tuna salad. This recipe is fantastic! I made it the night before my work week. It was super convenient just to grab a sandwich and go. The flavors complimented each other amazingly. I definitely will be making this again soon!

Pan Bagnat (a variation of a recipe from Food52)

• 1/2 loaf crusty French baguette
• 1 clove garlic, cut in half
• 4-6 basil leaves
• 1(6oz) can tuna (I used the pouch kind because it’s drier)
• 3/4 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
• 1/2 small vidalia onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise. Remove some of the insides of the bottom half to create a trough into which the filling will go. Brush both halves with a little extra virgin olive oil. Rub each with the garlic. Line the half with the trough with the basil leaves.

In a mixing bowl, combine the tuna, olives, red bell pepper, onion, parsley, and artichoke hearts. In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk the lemon juice into the olive oil until well combined. Pour the vinaigrette into the tuna mixture and stir to combine. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

Spoon tuna mixture into the trough of the baguette over the basil leaves. Wrap sandwich well in plastic. Crush it down by placing a brick or heavy cast iron skillet and refrigerate, preferably with the weight, overnight.

Chicken in Red Wine with Onions, Mushrooms, and Bacon by Julia Child

Tags

chicken, french, Julia Child, main dish, mushrooms, onions, red wine

Don’t be thrown off by the number of ingredients or what seems to be many steps in this recipe. It isn’t hard and the results are amazing. This recipe is one of the best chicken dishes I have tried in a while. The gravy is rich and delicious. The chicken is tender. The mushrooms and onions compliment the chicken amazingly. This may be French food but it isn’t the pretentious, tiny serving you would imagine. This is rustic, heart warming food. I served it with Yukon Gold Potatoes with Parsley and Spring Onions. If you make the effort to prepare this dish, you will be so happy you did. I promise!

Chicken in Red Wine with Onions, Mushrooms, and Bacon by Julia Child

• 3 to 4 oz chopped bacon
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 1/2 to 3 lbs cut up frying chicken (I used boneless, skinless thighs)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup cognac
• 3 cups young, full bodied red wine such as Burgandy, Beaujolais, or Chianti
• 1 to 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 lb sauteed mushrooms (see below)
• 12 to 24 brown braised onions (see below)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• Parsley to garnish

Cut the bacon into lardons. Saute in first 2 tbsp butter until lightly browned. Remove to a side dish. Dry chicken thoroughly and brown in the hot fat. Season the chicken and return the bacon to the casserole. Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes, turning chicken once. Uncover and pour in the cognac. Averting your face, ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake the casserole back and forth for several seconds until the flames subside. Pour the wine into the casserole. Add just enough stock to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a side dish. Simmer the chicken cooking liquid for a minute or two, skimming off the fat. Raise heat and boil the juices rapidly until they are reduced to 2 1/4 cups. Season to taste then remove bay leaf.

Blend together the 3 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp butter together to form a paste. Beat into the hot chicken liquid with a wire whisk. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. Arrange the chicken, mushrooms and onions on a warmed platter and base with the sauce. Serves 4 to 6.

Sauteed Mushrooms by Julia Child

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, whole if small, quartered if large
• 2 tbsp minced shallots
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place an enameled skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their saute, the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface and the mushrooms will begin to brown.  As soon as they have lightly browned add in the shallots. Saute for another 2 minutes and remove from heat.

Brown-Braised Onions by Julia Child

• 18 to 24 small peeled onions
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup beef stock or red wine
• Herb bouquet: 4 sprigs parsley, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

In an enameled skillet, melt together the butter and the oil. Add onions and saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes, moving the onions about so they will brown evenly. Be careful not to break the skins. Pour in the beef stock, add herbs, and season to taste. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until onions are tender and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet.

The Five Rules of French Toast

Tags

breakfast, food, french, main dishes, Southern, toast

When I was a little kid, I had all kinds of rules about my french toast. I still do.

Rule 1: White sandwich bread is the only bread worthy of this dish.

Rule 2: Each slice must be cut into strips when eating. Not at random. Usually 8 bites per slice.

Rule 3: NEVER should the syrup or butter touch the toast. Soggy french toast is disgusting.

Rule 4: Simply using eggs and bread is not enough. You must add some flavor. Think half and half, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract.

Rule 5: Using real maple syrup is way better (and you use less) than that fake stuff.

See what I mean? I am high maintenance when it come to french toast. On rare occasions I will make an exception. Maybe my not loving breakfast food makes me pickier. Oh well. I can be a princess sometimes. (Because Lord knows no one will allow me this petulance any other time. Plus who likes a brat?!)

French Toast

• 6 slices of white bread
• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Butter

In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the eggs, half and half, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla until frothy. In a large skillet, melt a pat of butter. Soak two slices of bread in the egg mixture until well coated on each side. Fry in the hot skillet until just beginning to brown on each side. Repeat three times. Serve with bacon or sausage. I love that sweet/salty combo!