Chicken Provencal

 

Chicken Provencal

Serves 2
According to Julia Child, the combo of thyme, basil, fennel and garlic makes this “de Provence.” I wouldn’t know. But, I do know that this is one of the best chicken recipes I have ever made. The funny thing is, I’m really bad at following directions for French recipes – they’re too complex. So I just take the general flavor combinations and go with my gut. So here is my easy version with a lemon-basil cream sauce.
--AnglophileinLA
Chicken
6-8 chicken tenders
1/4th stick butter
1 tsp dried thyme, or a small handful fresh (I used fresh)
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp fennel seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
a dash of dry white wine

Sauce
1 egg yolk
½ cup buttermilk
Juice from ½ lemon
1 Tb dry white wine
5 leaves fresh basil, chopped coarse
For the chicken:
1. Put the garlic and butter in at the same time, so the butter melts as the garlic cooks, infusing everything with garlicky goodness.
2. Add the thyme, dried basil and fennel seeds.
3. Add the chicken, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Brown the chicken in the butter, then flip.
4. Add the wine, and cover the pot, let cook for another 5 minutes.


For the sauce

Take all the ingredients and put them in a pot, stirring constantly. Let it simmer for a couple minutes. I don’t think the darkened basil looks that good, so I poured the sauce through a strainer over the chicken.

I served the chicken over quinoa, which was perfect to soak up the sauce, and had a side of simple green beans.

Steak Voranski

Who likes to set fire to things? Who likes alcohol in their food?

If you answered “ME! ME!” then this recipe is indeed for YOU! Warning: this recipe is highly flammable so make sure your head is well away from the action when you flambé. But, it looks really cool, so perform it in front of an audience.

This recipe comes from my very own Van Mullem Family Cookbook, courtesy of my aunt Vicky who took a few French cooking classes. --AnglophileinLA

Ingredients & Directions

Brown Sauce:
2/3 cup water
1 Tb cornstarch (or flour)
1 Knorr beef bouillon cube

In a small saucepan, add cornstarch to cold water and mix. Add bouillon and bring to bubbling. Stir until thickened.

Add:
1 ½ Tb Dijon Mustard
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
5 drops of Tabasco

Steak for four – filet mignon if you have the money
Butter or olive oil (I used garlic olive oil from World Market)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
¼ cup cognac
2/3 cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped parsley to garnish

Melt butter (or heat oil) in frying pan. When melted and hot, add the rosemary and let “sweat” for one minute. When bubbly and hot, put in steaks.

For “rare” (about 1 ½ inch thick filets) sauté 4 minutes on each side. Now add the cognac, let it heat up a little, and light it with a very LONG lighter. When I did this, flames shot up about a foot and a half. But, I promise, the flames do die out eventually – no need to grab the extinguisher and ruin your hard work. When the flames die out, remove meat to platter and season with salt and pepper.

Pour brown sauce mixture into the pan, stirring until all the cooking juices are well blended. Pour in cream and let this boil until sauce is thickened and smooth. Pour sauce over meat and mashed potatoes, garnish with parsley and serve.

Bon Appetite!

A Wanderfood Wednesday post.

Boeuf Bourguignon

I am definitely not going all “Julie and Julia” on you. Mrs. Child would never use a packet to make her Boeuf Bourguignon. But, a packet is what I have, in addition to frozen Costco steak, carrots, fresh herbs and bacon. So in the dish they go! I’m serving this British-style with peas and potatoes and a hunk of French bread. As my Grandfather sings whenever he’s making something remotely French: Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir?

Without further ado – marinate the chef, and begin. --AnglophileinLA


Boeuf Bourguignon

Ingredients:
1 Packet Colman’s Beef Bourguignon mix
A little under 2 cups – half water, half red wine
1-2 Chopped carrots
½ Onion chopped
Chopped fresh parsley
Chopped fresh thyme
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 lb Stew beef, cubed
3 slices smoked bacon, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the beef, onions, carrots, garlic, bacon and herbs into a casserole dish.
Mix the contents of the Colman’s packet with the water/wine mixture and pour over the beef and vegetables.
Cover and cook for 1-2 hours, until the beef is tender.

Mexi-Greek Quiche

This is my own recipe, thrown together when I needed to get rid of some eggs and set myself up with healthy lunches for the week. It’s Mexican because I put a jalapeno pepper in it, and it’s Greek because of the feta, garlic and spinach combination. I guess it’s also a little French. Maybe I should name it Euro-mutt quiche. –AnglophileLV

Mexi-Greek Quiche

3 Eggs
1 pie crust
4 pieces bacon
½ red onion
1 Jalapeno, chopped fine
2 Tb. Chopped sundried tomatoes
1 bag spinach
1 C. chopped Cauliflower
1 clove garlic
1 C. garlic and herb feta
A few sprigs fresh parsley
½ C. cottage cheese
½ tsp. mustard
½ tsp parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy and set aside.
3. Chop the ½ C. red onion and cook in the bacon grease. Add the Jalapeno.
4. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted. Turn off the heat from the skillet.
5. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sundried tomato, feta, cottage cheese, mustard, cauliflower, garlic (chopped fine), and parsley. Mix well. Add the mixture in the skillet. Crumble the bacon and add to the bowl. Blend well.
6. Put everything into the pie crust and top with a light sprinkling of parmesan.
7. Cook for 45minutes until the top is lightly browned.