St. Patrick's Day - Green Appetizers and Desserts (that have absolutely no Irish background!)

I had friends over last weekend, and since it was St. Patrick's Day I thought I would try my best to make a green menu.  Here's what we had:

CUCUMBER SMOKED SALMON ROLLS (inspired by this recipe)
1 or 2 cucumbers
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. Lemon Dilly dip mix
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp. smoked salmon, diced
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt & pepper

Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, thinly slice cucumber lengthwise to create "ribbons".  Mix together remaining ingredients and place a scoop at the end of each cucumber ribbon.  Roll up the cucumber and secure with a toothpick.

SALSA VERDE DIP
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sour cream
1 c. salsa verde
mozzarella cheese, grated
2 green onions, diced

Mix together cream cheese and sour cream and spread in a baking dish.  Cover with a layer of salsa verde, then sprinkle with grated cheese and top with green onions.  Serve with tortilla chips.  (You could add diced avocado and green pepper if you really wanted this to be an extra-green appetizer.)

ANTIPASTO SKEWERS
artichokes hearts, marinated in oil and herbs
cherry tomatoes
fresh basil
mozzarella
salami

AVOCADO BRUSCHETTA (sorry, no picture)

2 avocados, diced

4 tomatoes, seeded and diced

juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1/4 c. onion, finely chopped

salt & pepper

Toss everything to gether and serve on toasted baguette slices.

PISTACHIO CRÈME BRÛLÉE (sorry, no picture of this one either)
1 c. raw pistachios (shelled and unsalted)
4 c. whipping cream
10 egg yolks
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
green food colouring (optional)
extra sugar for on top

Grind pistachios in a blender or food processor until they are completely crushed.  Heat whipping cream over medium heat until steaming (don't let it boil, and stir often.)  Add pistachios and let it simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.  Whisk together egg yolks and sugar, and pour in whipping cream.  Add vanilla and almond extracts and the food colouring.  Pour into 12 ramekins (about 1/2 c. custard mixture in each) and place ramekins in a baking dish that is half-filled with water.  Bake at 325 F for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.  Refrigerate overnight if you like.  If you refrigerate them, allow them to warm up to room temperature before topping with approx. 1 tbsp. sugar on each one.  Place directly under broiler for a few minutes until sugar melts.  Allow them to cool on the counter before serving.

Almond Blueberry Crème Brûlée

Had a big family supper tonight, with a double batch of Cajun Chicken Alfredo (made with chicken & shrimp this time) and some decadent crème brûlée for dessert.  I used the same recipe I always use (first posted here, made with Cadbury Creme Eggs) but this time I doubled it and changed the flavour profile a bit.  Here's the double batch recipe, which made about 1 dozen small (1/2 c.) rammekins.

ALMOND BLUEBERRY CRÈME BRÛLÉE
10 egg yolks
3/4 c. sugar
4 c. whipping cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
1-2 tsp. frozen blueberries in each rammekin
extra sugar

Whisk egg yolks and sugar, then add whipping cream and extracts.  Put blueberries into each rammekin, and pour 1/2 c. of the custard mixture into each rammekin.  Place in baking dishes that are partially filled with water and bake at 325 F for 45 minutes.  When you remove them from the oven, they should be jiggly but the tops should be set.  Refrigerate (you can make these the day before) and bring to room temperature before you are ready to serve them.  Pour 1 tbsp. sugar over each one, and place on the top rack under the broiler for a few minutes, until the sugar melts and turns golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let them cool until the sugar solidifies.

Tap tap tap...

Oooooh, that's good!

Crème brûlée is so easy to make, and it's great for entertaining because you can make it the day before and then just pop them under the broiler (or be dramatic and torch them at the table!) right before serving.  You can try all sorts of different flavours... I have added mini Cadbury Creme Eggs, raspberries, gingerbread spices, and I have lots of other flavour ideas I can't wait to try.  (Although I must admit, almond and blueberry is definitely my favourite!)  The only complicated part about making this dessert is figuring out how to fit all the rammekins into baking dishes... inevitably I end up with one or two leftover so it ends up taking a long time to cook them all, but it's worth it when your guests crack into their little pots of custardy goodness!

Sucre à la Crème

This weekend I'm working at the Francophone pavillion for Mosaic (an annual multicultural event in our city), and as I served out portions of pea soup, poutine, and tarte au sucre (sugar pie), I was sad to see that there was no sucre à la crème.  Then, lo and behold, this morning on Facebook there was a recipe for sucre à la crème from Sylvie Rochette, the founder of Epicure Selections!  What good luck, I had all the ingredients to make this sinful dessert, and I was surprised at how easy it is to make.  You will thank me for sharing this recipe!!

SUCRE À LA CRÈME
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 c. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. butter

Stir first three ingredients together in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave for 11 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes.  Using an electic mixer, add vanilla and butter and beat for 2-4 minutes.  Pour into a greased 8" dish (I lined the bottom of mine with parchment paper instead) and refrigerate.  Chop into small pieces and serve.

These little squares of goodness melt in your mouth and make you want to cry - they are just that good!  Hope you enjoy!

Vol au Vents

This is a family favourite, straight from my mother-in-law's cookbook.  It's a very simple recipe, but the whole family enjoys it, and you can easily adapt it by adding some different seasonings or replacing the chicken with any kind of seafood.  My mom used to make something similar called "Creamy Tuna on Toast".  It was one of my favourite childhood meals - tuna & peas in a creamy sauce served over toast.  It looks a little fancier served over a puff pastry like my mother-in-law does, but it's the same basic idea.  And it's darn good.

VOL AU VENTS
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. whole milk
salt & pepper
1 c. frozen peas & carrots
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped

Melt butter in a saucepan.  Add flour and whisk for about 2 minutes.  Slowly add liquid, whisking to incorporate the flour mixture.  Bring to a gentle boil for about 15-20 minutes to thicken the sauce.  Stir in veggies & chicken and continue stirring for a few more minutes.  Serve over puff pastries (Tenderflake makes "Appetizer Patties" or "Vol au Vents", and they are next to the puff pastry in the freezer aisle.  They come in a pack of six, and you bake them from frozen at 400 F for 20 minutes.)

That's comfort food, Quebec-style!

Crème Brûleggs

This recipe fell from Heaven and dropped into my lap just in time for Easter dinner.  (Okay, it actually popped up on my Facebook news feed when Julie from Dinner with Julie posted it.)  It is rich and decadent, yet incredibly simple to make.  And it's got a huge "wow" factor!

CRÈME BRÛLEGGS (makes 4-5)
5 large egg yolks
6 tbsp. sugar
2 c. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
8-10 mini Cadbury Creme Eggs
sugar (about 1/4 c.)

Whisk egg yolks and sugar.  Add whipping cream and vanilla and mix to combine.  Put 2 mini Cadbury eggs in each ramekin.  Pour the mixture into each ramekin (you should have just over 1/2 c. in each one if you use 4 ramekins, or just under 1/2 c. if you use 5 ramekins.) Set the ramekins in a baking dish with an inch or two of water in it.  Bake at 325 F for 45 minutes.  When you remove them from the oven, they should be jiggly but the top should be set.  Allow them to cool  and then refrigerate overnight.  Remove from the fridge and sprinkle a layer of sugar over each one.  Place under the broiler for a few minutes until the sugar is golden brown (or use a mini blowtorch if you have one.)  Allow them to cool at room temperature before serving.

Fresh out of the oven!

I wasn't sure how these would turn out, but I made a triple batch and took 16 of them to an Easter supper.  (Hey, why not?)

I thought the custards looked a little too firm, but once I put them under the broiler and created that signature crackly sugar topping, they looked pretty darn good.  When we cracked into them after supper, I was pleasantly surprised to see a creamy, smooth custard underneath.  The Cadbury egg stayed intact until you cut into it, and then its ooey-gooey goodness seeped out into the custard.  It was sweet, and sinful, and oh-so-good!!  I can't wait to play around with this recipe and create some new crème brûlée magic!

Boozy Chicken Stew

I've polished off two bottles of wine in two recipes! Dear Lord, I hope I cooked off all the alcohol or my children might be in trouble.

This weekend I made Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. I basically followed the same recipe I used last time, but I decided to kick it up a notch:

• instead of 8 slices of bacon, I used a whole pack
• instead of 1 head of roasted garlic, I used 2
• instead of 3 carrots, I used 6 or 7

There really was no need to change an already-perfect recipe, and perhaps the whole pack of bacon was a little bit much, but I did like having the extra carrots in there since it's such a meat-heavy stew. This makes an enormous amount of stew, so be prepared!

My intention was to make Coq au Vin for supper last night, but I bought a variety pack of mushrooms to use in the Boeuf Bourguginon and the Coq au Vin, and they didn't last as long as I had hoped. So I was mushroomless, but I still had chicken thighs, bacon, leeks, and white wine. With the help of some carrots and potatoes, I used the Boeuf Bourguignon recipe as a template and came up with a delicious chicken stew:

BOOZY CHICKEN STEW (or if you have a little more self-respect, call it "Poulet au Vin")
8 slices of bacon
12 chicken thighs (boneless & skinless)
3 leeks, sliced (white part only)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
5-6 carrots, chopped
6 small potatoes, chopped
1/3 - 1/2 c. flour
salt & pepper
3 c. white wine (I used a German wine - Liebfraumilch)
1 c. vegetable broth

In a large dutch oven, cook bacon and set aside. Brown chicken thighs in bacon grease and set aside with the bacon. (You will have to brown them in batches.) Add leeks, garlic, carrots, and potatoes to the pot and drizzle with olive oil. Cook until leeks soften, then add chicken and bacon and coat with flour. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well to combine. Pour in wine and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, then cover and put in the oven at 325 F for 2 hours.

I dare say I like this recipe better than the Boeuf Bourguignon! (Sorry, Ms. Child.) My kids liked it too, although they were quite perturbed that I made another huge stew, so we have been eating stew now for 5 nights straight. Oh well, it's delicious, it's healthy, and it's got a whole bottle of wine in it - that's what I call a fantastic recipe!

Chicken Stew

I had some leftover mushrooms from last night, along with lots of leftover wine from a wine-and-cheese party we had on Friday night. I searched through my Liquor-laced recipes to see what I could do with the wine, and I decided to make Coq au vin. I've made it a couple times (you can search for the recipes using the search box on the right hand side of my blog), and it's one of my favourites. I didn't have exactly the right ingredients, so I thought I'd improvise and turn it into some sort of chicken stew.

CHICKEN STEW

8 slices of bacon, chopped

2 c. mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

2 c. red or white wine

2 c. chicken broth

1 small chicken (remove as much of the skin as possible)

3 carrots, sliced

2 bay leaves

Cook bacon in a frying pan, and then set aside. Reserve the bacon grease and sauté the mushrooms. Set aside, and then sauté the onion, garlic, and bell peppers. (I cooked half the bacon first, then used the grease to brown the mushrooms, then cooked the rest of the bacon so I'd have more bacon grease for the remaining veggies.) The veggies don't need to be thoroughly cooked, just slightly softened and golden. When everything is out of the pan, add a splash of wine and scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan. Add butter and flour and whisk till smooth, cooking for about 1 minute. Whisk in wine and broth and bring to a simmer. Place chicken in crockpot and dump bacon and veggies on top. Stir in carrots. Pour wine mixture overtop and add bay leaves. Season with salt & pepper if you like. Cook on high for 4 hours. Serve with french bread to soak up the yummy broth!

(Coq au vin is never very photogenic, and apparently this chicken stew is no different. But trust me, it tastes great and everyone loved it!)

Cream of Brie Soup with Lemon Asparagus Risotto

This doesn't happen very often, but I have a vegetarian meal for you! (Okay, it uses chicken broth, so I guess it's not perfect, but you could totally use vegetable broth instead.)

While I was in Quebec, I looked through a Ricardo cookbook and jotted down a few recipes that looked good. One was for Cream of Brie Soup with Mushroom Duxelles.

This soup was easy to make, and if you like brie, you'll love this. I only like brie in small doses, so I found this soup a little too strong for my taste, and so did my daughter. But my husband loved it, and after much convincing, my son even tried a spoonful.... and then ate 10 more (willingly!)

The other part of tonight's meal was Lemon Asparagus Risotto, which I saw on an episode of French Food at Home.
The risotto was easy, but tedious, to make. You have to add the hot broth a little bit at a time and stir the rice while it soaks up the liquid. It took at least 30 minutes, but it was worth it! The lemon zest and sautéed asparagus were perfect with the creamy risotto. I absolutely loved it, and even though it was a lot of work, I can't wait to try a few other flavour combinations in risotto. (FYI - I used Arborio rice to make the risotto, and a Chardonnay for all the white wine in the recipes.)

This was a filling, flavourful meal - I hope you'll try it sometime!

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

I finally watched "Julie & Julia" while on holidays this summer, and I loved the part when she makes Boeuf Bourguignon (although I hated the way she pronounced it - boeuf rhymes with hoof, not roof! Although if you are American, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about!)

I decided to find out what all the fuss was about. I mean, it's just beef stew, isn't it? My sister (the chef) assures me that it is not just beef stew.... if it's made properly.

I searched for Julia's recipe online, and found a version of it on Oprah.com. With only some minor modifications, here's what I came up with:

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

1 head of garlic

2 tbsp. red wine

8 slices of bacon (preferably thick-cut), cut into 2" pieces

3 lbs. roast beef, cut into 2" pieces

3 carrots, sliced

1 onion, sliced

salt & pepper

2 tbsp. flour (I think I used closer to 3 or 4 tbsp.)

3 c. red wine (I only had 2 1/2 c. so I added 1/2 c. beef broth)

2 c. beef broth

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 bay leaf (I used 3 small ones)

18-24 pearl onions, braised in stock

2 c. white mushrooms, quartered and sautéed in butter

Preheat oven to 450 F. Take the head of garlic and slice off the top so that it exposes all the cloves. Set in tinfoil and pour 2 tbsp. red wine over top. Wrap it up in the tinfoil and put in the oven for 20-30 minutes.

In a large pot, cook bacon pieces until lightly browned. Set bacon aside but keep the grease in the pot. Pat the pieces of beef with a paper towel (this is a key step!) and brown in the bacon grease on all sides. Do this in batches, and set the meat aside with the bacon. Add carrots and onions to the pot and sauté for a few minutes. (I only had about 1 tbsp. of bacon grease left by this point, but it was just enough to coat the veggies.)

Return beef and bacon to the pot and season with a little salt and pepper. Coat the meat with flour and then put the pot (uncovered) in the oven on the middle rack for 4 minutes. Toss the meat some more and return to the oven for another 4 minutes. Set the pot on the stove and reduce the oven to 325 F. (Leave your garlic in there if it's not done yet.)

Stir in wine and add enough broth to just barely cover the meat. Add tomato paste, garlic, and bay leaf. (To add the garlic, remove it from the tinfoil and turn it over so the cut-side is down. Mash it with a spoon until the garlic cloves slide out of their skins, and toss the garlic cloves into the pot.) Bring stew to a simmer, then cover the pot and place in the oven on the bottom rack. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

While stew is cooking, braise the pearl onions (I followed this method for brown-braised onions) and sauté mushrooms in butter.

When stew is ready, drain the liquid through a strainer overtop of a saucepan. Add onions and mushrooms to the beef and vegetables. Skim fat off the drippings in the saucepan and simmer for until sauce lightly coats the back of a wooden spoon. (There should be about 2 1/2 c. sauce when it's done. The recipe says to simmer for a couple minutes, but I had mine going for at least half an hour before it thickened up nicely, and there was probably at least 3 c. of sauce.) Pour over meat and vegetables and serve with crusty bread.

I made this yesterday and saved it for supper tonight. It was delicious, and everyone enjoyed it. I would definitely make this again, although I'm not convinced that it needs to be quite so time-consuming.... I'm pretty sure if you cooked the bacon, browned the beef, and then tossed everything in the slow cooker you'd be good to go. I liked thickening the sauce afterwards, just to make it richer and heartier, and I loved roasting the whole head of garlic in red wine. But this business of cooking the mushrooms and pearl onions separately, and browning the beef in the oven for 8 minutes before adding the liquid, well, I'm not sure it's necessary. (Julia Child is probably rolling over in her grave right now! Sorry, Julia.)

There is something special about preparing this stew though. Anyone can toss meat and veggies in a slowcooker and turn it on before they go to work. The house will smell great, the stew will taste great, and everyone's happy. But when you spend so much time in the kitchen, taking the extra time to pat your meat dry, braise your pearl onions, and sauté your mushrooms in butter..... I was proud of that stew when I served it up for my family tonight! That was a labour of love, and it paid off. Even though it was a lot more work than regular stew, I enjoyed making it, and I definitely enjoyed eating it. Hopefully that will redeem me in Julia's eyes.

Beef Wellingtons

Tonight's supper was Beef Wellingtons, which I learned to make last week in cooking class. My version was slightly different (because I think pâté looks and smells like dog food), so I used Boursin cheese, and I also put a slice of prosciutto as well (which really did nothing for the meal, but it sounds fancy, and it gave me an excuse to snack on prosciutto while I was making supper.)

BEEF WELLINGTONS
beef tenderloin, cut into 4 pieces and seasoned with Beef & Steak Rub
1 pkg. puff pastry (2 squares, which will be cut in half to make 4 pieces)
4 slices of prosciutto
4 tbsp. Boursin cheese
3-4 scallions, finely chopped
5-6 mushrooms, finely chopped
butter
red wine

In a frying pan, heat some butter and sear the beef on both sides. Set aside. Add a couple tablespoons of red wine (or broth, or water, or some other alcohol) and deglaze the pan. Add some more butter and then add the mushrooms and scallions. Cook until the moisture is gone and they are soft.

Roll out a square of puff pastry and slice down the middle to make two rectangles. Lay a piece of prosciutto and some cheese at the bottom of each one.

Place a piece of beef tenderloin on top. Top with with the mushroom & scallion mixture.

Brush the edges of bottom half of the rectangle with water and fold over the pastry, pinching the edges closed. Cut two or three slices across the top to allow steam to escape.

Lay on a baking sheet and brush with egg. Bake at 450 F for 20 minutes (medium-rare) or 40 minutes (medium-well). (I think 30 minutes would have been just right, but I guess it depends on how long you sear it for in the first step.)

For some reason I can't upload the picture that shows you the inside of this tasty little treat, but if I can get it to work later I will add a picture of both the medium-rare and the medium-well.

These were yummy, but very rich and filling.... I could only eat half of one. The kids hated the asparagus, but they liked the wellingtons. I didn't put any mushrooms & scallions in theirs, partly because I knew they wouldn't like it, and partly because I totally forgot to add it before I sealed up the first two that I made. Overall though, it was a success!

A Perfect Thanksgiving (and some ideas for leftovers!)

We were blessed to have lots of family here this weekend for Thanksgiving. Everyone has gone home now, with a belly full of the best turkey dinner I think I've ever eaten.

This year I tried brining a turkey. It's supposed to make the meat juicier, and let's face it, turkey usually isn't known for being juicy. I used Epicure's recipe for Canadian Maple Brined Turkey. (Instead of ice, I added about 12 c. water to cover the turkey.) I brined it overnight (about 14 hours)and then rinsed it off, patted it dry, and rubbed it with butter and Turkey Rub (even underneath the skin.) I cooked it at 325 F for about 3 1/2 hours, and each time I basted it, I glazed it with maple syrup as well. This made the gravy sooooooooooo delicious!!!(Sorry, that's a terrible picture. It fell apart when we lifted it out of the roaster, plus this is only my second attempt at cooking a turkey, so I haven't mastered the art of a beautiful looking bird yet. But it sure tasted good!)

I also made Cranberry Apple Stuffing, with some slight modifications to the recipe. Instead of bread crumbs I used cubes of french bread (from our wine & cheese the night before.) I also used less Cherries & Berries, more apples and onion, and I used Sage & Apple Stuffing Seasoning. I made it the day before and tossed it into the oven in tinfoil packets for about an hour while the turkey was cooking. It was delicious, although I must admit, I do still love Stove Top Stuffing!

One of my favourite dishes was the Maple Roasted Root Vegetables. These were amazing. When the turkey was cooked, we wrapped it in tinfoil to let it rest, so we just poured the gravy drippings into another container and used the roaster to make the veggies (because this recipe makes a huge batch!) I followed the directions exactly and they turned out perfectly.

We also had some garlicy mashed potatoes that I forgot to take a picture of. I think we all know what they look like. Potatoes, butter, milk, and (perhaps a little too much) Garlic Potato Topper all whipped together.

But the highlight of the meal was my sister's Pumpkin Cheesecake, topped with Crystallized Ginger.

It was as good as it looks... huge, tall slices of rich, creamy cheesecake, topped with real whipped cream. She also made Lemon Meringue Pie from scratch, but I didn't take a picture of that either. It was just as fabulous - my sister is an amazing baker!

Now if anyone is wondering what to do with their turkey leftovers, here are my suggestions (and if I don't blog this week, it's because I'm eating one of these three things and the recipes are already on here.)

1. TV Dinners - Get some pie plates and serve up a portion of all your leftovers onto each plate. Pour some gravy overtop, and wrap in tinfoil. These are handy to keep in the freezer and pull out on cold winter nights. They do take a while to heat up in the oven (maybe an hour?) but it's nice to have a turkey meal sometimes without all the hassle.
2. Coq au vin - Instead of cooking the chicken, just add leftover turkey instead. If you boil the turkey carcass to make broth, save some to use in this recipe.
3. Turkey Enchiladas - Another favourite recipe I haven't made in ages, and it's also great for freezer meals (if you don't want to eat turkey all week.)

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!! Enjoy your leftovers!

Coq au vin, take two

I made Coq au vin awhile ago, and since this week is "Booze Week" I thought I'd make it again. I found a video clip that you may find helpful, but since this is my third time making some version of this recipe, I'm just gonna wing it tonight.

COQ AU VIN, AGAIN
5-6 bacon slices, chopped
2 c. mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced
9-12 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
herbs (bay leaf, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper... any or all of these)
2 c. red wine (I'm using the fancy stuff we got in the tetra-pack. We are so classy in this house.)
1 c. chicken broth

In a large pot, sauté bacon, mushrooms, onion, and garlic. (Sauté bacon on its own for a bit before adding the other things, otherwise it doesn't get crispy.)

Set aside in a dish, and add butter to the pot. Brown chicken thighs in the pot and then set aside. Pour a little wine in and stir up the bottom of the pot, then add flour and whisk until smooth, adding the rest of the wine and broth gradually. Add the herbs. Return everything to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cover partially. Simmer for about 25 minutes, then remove bay leaf and serve with slices of french bread.

(My apologies, this isn't a very appetizing picture. But trust me, it tastes good!)

Feel free to toss in some carrots, celery, peas, whatever you like. It's just chicken stew with a fancy French name.... don't be intimidated! Some versions call for cognac or brandy (and believe me, if I had some in the house, I'd definitely be adding it!) This is such a simple recipe, but it makes your house smell so good, and it makes you feel so gourmet! If you really want to go all out, buy a hunk of cheese you've never tried before from the deli and eat that with your french bread too. Extra points if you talk like the chef from the Little Mermaid throughout supper.

My friend Denise tried out this recipe tonight and sent me a picture of it... here's her version:

If you try out any of my recipes and want me to post a picture of it, please email me at kitchenkathy (at) gmail (dot) com

Everything's better with bacon, wine, and french bread

If you take nothing else from this blog, remember that embellishing your meals with a fancy name always makes it sound tastier! For example, last night I whipped up a little french cuisine... "Coq au vin" to be exact (that's what it said on the page I ripped out of Chatelaine.) My neighbour took a whiff of it and said it smelled like "Turkey Surprise." I guess the surprise would be there's no turkey in this recipe, but it also goes to show you that a good recipe needs a good title, otherwise French Cuisine turns into Leftovers in a Pot.

So here's the recipe, modified slightly from the aforementioned Chatelaine page. (Thanks to my hairdresser for letting me rip it out, by the way! And my apologies to anyone who picked up the magazine after me and wondered where the heck all the recipes were!)

5 slices of bacon, chopped
1 large leek, sliced (or use shallots or an onion instead)
2 c. sliced mushrooms
9 boneless skinless chicken thighs, seasoned with salt & pepper
2 tbsp. flour + 2 tsp. Herbes Provençales
2 c. white wine (I think you could use red too, but I prefer white)
1 c. chicken broth

In large pot, cook bacon till crispy. Add mushrooms and leeks and sauté. Meanwhile, brown chicken thighs in a frying pan with a little butter or oil. Add flour and Herbes Provençales into the pot and stir well. Add browned chicken to the pot, and then stir up the bottom of the frying pan with a little wine. Add this to the pot as well. Add wine and broth, bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat, partially covered for 25 minutes. Serve with french bread.