Frittata Primavera

8-10 eggs
1/4 cup milk or half-and-half
1 tsp dried dill weed
1 cup shredded cheese
1 shallot, diced

Any leftover veggies you have, such as in this case:
1 cup cooked asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch lengths
6 brined baby artichokes, quartered
2 small cooked potatoes, diced
3 small tomatoes, sliced

Preheat oven to 375F. Whisk together the eggs, milk, dill and cheese together with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. In a large oven-going non-stick skillet, saute the shallots (with a bit of bacon if you like) until softened. Remove the shallots (and bacon) to a bowl and heat a bit of olive oil in the skillet until just about smoking. Add the eggs, and let set about a minute. Carefully pull in the eggs from each quadrant (noon, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock) to pull in folds of egg towards the center. Let the eggs set again. Continue this pulling-towards-center until you have several level of folds. Then add the veggies, evenly distributed, ending with the tomatoes.

Transfer skillet to oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until eggs are well set. Carefully transfer to a platter for serving.

For another frittata idea see this link.

Cooking with Julia, Ginette, Monique... and Glenn

I know how to cook Coq Au Vin (chicken with wine) because my mother, Monique, taught me by demonstration many, many times in my youth. This was Monique's signature dish, so I needn't reference Julia for instruction. But Monique would often refer to the classic French cookbook of her youth - "Je Sais Cuisiner" by Ginette Mathiot, and I still have her original French version in my cookbook collection.

My French is not good enough to navigate culinary jargon and idioms very well, so I don't refer to Je Sais Cuisiner much at all - until now, that is. It just came out in English and my father-in-law (an old friend of Monique's, by the way) just gave it to me - thanks Pops! I now see that Monique basically prepared Ginette's dish.

So when Glenn, Pam and Claudie came over for the weekend, Glenn and I cross-referenced Julia, Ginette and what Monique had taught me, and we made a great Coq Au Vin dinner. Glenn made his famous Mashed Potatoes with Celery Root and we modified the classic French chicken dish with fresh shitake mushrooms - the only ones Glenn will eat. That was an excellent, tasty modification. And of course fresh oysters a la Glenn (basically naked with lemon...) were fantastic hors d'oeuvres.

Coq Au Vin1/4 lb bacon, diced
2 roasting chickens, cut in pieces
2 leek, cleaned and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cups red wine
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 lb. fresh mushrooms (we used Shitake)
25-30 pearl onions

3 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp softened butter
1/4 cup Cognac

Cook bacon in a large Dutch Oven pot, until just crispy. Remove to a large bowl and remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and crank heat to high. Brown the chicken pieces in batches of 6-8 pieces at a time, removing to the bowl with the bacon as progressing.

Add the leek to the Dutch Oven (add more oil if necessary) and sweat down until softening. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Return the bacon and chicken to the pot and add the wine and tomato paste. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile in separate pans, saute the onions and the mushrooms until just softened, each in a bit of olive oil. After the chicken has cooked 20 minutes, add the mushrooms and onions to the chicken for another 10-15 minutes. Then remove the chicken mixture to a large serving bowl or platter. Add Cognac and carefully flambe.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and the softened butter and whisk into the sauce in the Dutch Oven. Raise the heat and cook, stirring until thickened. Pour sauce over the chicken in the serving bowl and garnish with parsley.


Glenn's Mashed Potatoes with Celery Root
under construction

Butternut Apple Lentil Bolognese

2 carrots, grated
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic
2 cups butternut squash
1 tsp herbes de Provence
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 can crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup red lentils

Sauté the first five ingredients in a bit of olive oil, until the vegetables soften and begin to caramelize – about 10-15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, and simmer for about 30-40 minutes, or until the lentils are softened and the sauce is thickened. Adjust consistency with water as needed.
see Look to the Lentil

Vegetable Salads for all Seasons

I love vegetable salads any season of the year. And in the middle of winter I’m especially happy to be reminded of summer with a good crunchy salad. OK, I’ll admit that I like vegetable salads even if they include canned veggies – take for example beet salad with corn (one of my favorite) – both from a can.

I know, I know, fresh is always better, but for those of us who need a good veggie salad after a long day’s work and have little time, vegetable salads using canned or frozen vegetables can just be the ticket. I have often mixed a can of Le Sueur Petit Pois (with or without pearl onions or mushrooms!) with some nice vinaigrette and viola! – salad. And yes, I am reading Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal Vegetable Miracle: A Year of Food Life" and am getting very inspired. But I am not quite there yet, and am still buying fruits and veggies out of season but flown many, many miles... I'm working on it.

Like Barbara, my sister Isabelle, refuses to eat tomatoes out of season. I understand. But I also am lured by "vine ripened tomatoes" in winter that look good but have a skin like plastic - genetically determined to travel well. I keep trying, but maybe I shouldn't...

Nonetheless, here are several salads, which really don’t take very long at all to prepare – fresh, frozen or canned. Bear with me for now, Barbara & Isabelle.

Creamy Cucumber Salad with Rice Vinegar Aioli2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced (preferably with mandolin)
2 green onions
1 recipe rice vinegar aioli

Toss the cucumbers and onions with aioli and let marinate at least 30 minutes, mixing often.


Rice Vinegar Aioli
½ cup good real mayonnaise (or cut in half with Greek yogurt)
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
¼ tsp salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
½ tsp dried dill

Whisk all ingredients together.


Asian Cole Slaw
1 medium head cabbage, thinly sliced
2 green onions, or half Bermuda onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, grated
1 recipe Rice Vinegar Aioli (above)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, pressed through garlic press
dash red pepper sauce, to taste

Toss the cabbage with the onion and carrotin a large bowl with the aioli, sesame oil, garlic and pepper sauce. Marinate for at least 30-60 minutes, tossing several times.

Variation:
use Savoy cabbage, green onion, grated carrot, red pepper and Daikon radish.


Cauliflower, Beet & Green Bean Salad
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can sliced beets, drained and slices halved
2 cups cooked green beans, drained, or 1 can whole green beans, drained
3 green onions, sliced
palmful fresh parsley
juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup olive oil
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Toss the cauliflower into boiling salted water and cook one minute. Drain cauliflower and submerse in cold water (ice water, ideally) to stop cooking quickly. Drain well. Toss cauliflower beets and beans in a bowl with green onion and parsley. Whisk lemon juice with olive oil and toss with vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Tomato Pesto and Fresh Mozzarella Salad
3 cups spring mix lettuce
1 lb vine-ripened fresh tomatoes, sliced
1 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced and quartered
¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
2 Tbsp pesto

Lay the lettuce as an even bed on a wide plate. Top with overlapping cheese and tomato slices. Mix the pesto with the vinaigrette and pour over salad.

This is a winter version, using pesto. In summer I use fresh basil leaves overlapped with the cheese and tomato instead. Both are fantastic.


Balsamic Vinaigrette
¼ cup Balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely mined
2/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup olive oil
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Whisk all ingredients together. Makes 1 cup.


Cauliflower Salad with Olives, Artichokes & Mushrooms
1 head fresh cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can California olives, drained
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 jar marinated artichokes, drained and quartered
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Toss the cauliflower into boiling salted water and cook one minute. Drain cauliflower and submerse in cold water (ice water, ideally) to stop cooking quickly. Drain well. Toss together cauliflower olives, tomatoes, artichokes and mushrooms in a bowl. Whisk lemon juice with olive oil and toss with vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss in fresh, minced cilantro or parsley if desired.


Beet and Corn Salad
1 can sliced beets, drained and sliced in half
1 can Niblet corn, drained
½ small red Bermuda onion, thinly sliced, or 2 Tbsp chives
¼ cup vinaigrette dressing

Toss all ingredients together and allow to marinate at least 30 minutes.


Vinaigrette Dressing
¼ cup cider or red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 clove garlic minced, or 1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried dill weed
1 rounded Tbsp Dijon mustard
¾ cup canola or olive oil, or a mix of the two

Whisk together the first five ingredients until the salt dissolves. Whisk in the remaining ingredients.

Lime Shrimp Xicohtencatl

This was inspired by a most fantastic Mexican restaurant in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where we celebrated Tommy's birthday. The waiter, Aldfredo, described each dish in such enticing detail. I was tempted by their lime shrimp, but opted for the red snapper with a creamy sauce made with fresh Mexican peppers.

I enjoyed the snapper tremendously. And this is what I imagined the shrimp must have been like, seeing it at the table next to us!

1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled
1 Tbsp ancho chili powder (or regular chili powder)
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
freshly ground pepper
½ tsp kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, sliced
1 lime, cut in half

Toss shrimp with chili, cumin, peppers and salt. Heat a large skillet until just smoking hot. Carefully add about 1 Tbsp canola oil and swirl. Toss in shrimp and gently shake pan as shrimp sizzle and spit. After about 2 minutes or when first side has browned nicely, flip each shrimp and then tip in garlic, shaking the pan. Let garlic and second side of shrimp cook another minute or two. Squeeze in juice of half the lime. Slice the remaining lime in quarters and serve alongside shrimp.

Serves four.

Mustard Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms and Sundried Tomatoes

1 Tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp crushed dried thyme
½ tsp dried rosemary
1 Tbsp dried onion flakes
1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
¼ tsp dried crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper (I like peppercorn blend)

2 pork tenderloins
¼ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
10 oz button mushrooms, cleaned
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven t0 375F. Quarter mushrooms if large, otherwise leave small ones whole. Rub tenderloins evenly with rub mix and allow flavor to infuse for 1-24 hours, refrigerated. Bring tenderloins to room temperature. Sear tenderloins in a large oven-going skillet over very high heat with a bit of canola oil, turning loins to brown on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Remove temporarily to a plate. Toss the mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and garlic into pan and sauté until mushrooms give off their water and dry up a bit. Return the tenderloins to the pan, and insert digital thermometer probe into middle of one tenderloin.

Transfer skillet to the oven and bake until thermometer reads 130. Remove tenderloins to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil to let rest 10 minutes. Add wine to mushrooms and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Slice pork and serve with mushrooms and tomato ragout.

Chicken Tenderloins with Artichoke, Capers and White Wine

15-18 chicken breast tenderloins
24 whole baby artichokes, brined and drained (jarred or canned)
4 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup dry white wine
1 rounded Tbsp capers
1 rounded Tbsp sundried tomatoes, minced
1 tsp herbs de Provence

In a large non-stick skillet, sauté the tenderloins in a bit of olive oil until the first side starts to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Flip the chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook to heat everything through.

Serves six.

Salmon with Mustard, Capers and Sundried Toatoes

Our friend Lauren loved the way I cooked salmon, mustard and tomato many years ago and she has made the recipe many times since. It never made it into any of the “Cuisine” cookbooks, but it really is very worth trying.

Maille Provencal mustard is slightly pink/orange, with red pepper overtones – very hard to find in USA, but easy in Canada (and France!). I have colleagues from Canada who smuggle it down to me in Connecticut when they visit – a real treat. For the original recipe, favorite of Lauren, substitute the capers and sundried tomatoes for 2 fresh diced, seeded and drained tomatoes.


2 Tbsp Maille Provencal Mustard
1 Tbsp small capers
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes in oil, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of ½ lime
1½ lb salmon fillets

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix together all ingredients except the salmon in a bowl. Place the salmon on an oven-going shallow roasting pan. Spread the mustard sauce evenly over the salmon. Roast fish in oven for 10 minutes per inch of salmon.

This is also excellent on Steelhead Trout, Mahi Mahi or other stronger-flavored fish.

Scallops with Ham, Andouille & Asparagus

½ lb ham steak cut into ¼-inch cubes
¼ lb Andouille sausage, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 lb. asparagus, cut into 1-2 inch spears
1 orange pepper cut into 1-inch spears
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 lb. bay scallops (frozen is fine)
3 Tbsp butter

In a large non-stick skillet, sauté the ham, Andouille, peppers, asparagus, garlic and tomatoes in a bit of olive oil. Cook until the asparagus just begins to soften. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the scallops and butter and cook until the scallops are cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Serve over rice or creamy polenta or grits. Serves 4-6

Start the New Year with Flare

Didn't Julia Child say "Save the livers!"?

Or am I only remembering a satirical Saturday Night Live episode (http://www.hulu.com/watch/3523/saturday-night-live-the-french-chef)?

When someone gives you Cognac - flambé! My Father-in-law gave us a nice bottle of Cognac for Christmas and I think Cognac is fine as a drink, but I think it is even better in a paté or a nice prime rib jus. It is a must in coq au vin and is excellent in fruit salads. Start the New Year with a flare - uh... carefully.

Paté with Apples and Cognac½ stick butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1½ lb chicken livers
1 onion, finely diced
1 apple, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup Cognac
¼ cup cream

Sauté the livers in half the butter and half the oil until just cooked through, turning often. Meanwhile in a separate skillet, sauté the onion and apple in the remaining butter and oil until golden and starting to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove apple mixture from heat and carefully add the cognac. Very carefully ignite to flambé the Cognac in the pan, allowing the flames to burn out. Tip the livers, apples and cream into a food processor and add a bit of salt to taste (about ½ tsp). Purée very well until very creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool at least 2 hours in the refrigerator, until firm.