Jacques' Lentil Salad

This is a slightly adapted version of a recipe in Julia Child and Jacques Pepin's collaborative cookbook "Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home." With lettuce growing in the garden and tomatoes finish ripening as summer starts to cool late in the season, this is a delicious way of taking advantage of the season. Truth be told, I also cheat and freeze fresh tomatoes for the off season so I can make dishes that require fresh tomato.

The lentils

1 1/2 cups French green lentils (305g)

3 1/2 cups water

1 onion (6oz/170g) chopped

1 or 2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp salt

1 pinch ground cloves

The dressing

2 Tbsps. (24g) white-wine vinegar

1/4 cup (50g) olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp Dijon-style mustard

Tabasco sauce

1 large ripe tomato cored, seeded and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (8-9oz before coring and seeding)

1/3 cup finely chopped shallots, green onions, or onion (50-55g)

2 tsps. minced garlic (1 small or 6g clove)

2 Tbsps. chopped fresh chives, for garnish

For the lentils:

1. Combine lentils, water, onion, thyme, bay leaf, salt and cloves in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. 
2. Cook at least 25 minutes, until lentils are cooked through but hold their shape. 
3. Let cool to lukewarm; drain any remaining liquid. 
4. Pour lentils into a mixing bowl. Discard thyme and bay leaf.

For the dressing: 

1. Whisk together vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, mustard and Tabasco. 
2. Stir in chopped tomato, shallots and garlic.
3. Let it stand for at least 10 minutes to let the onion sharpness mellow.
4. Pour the dressing over the warm lentils; fold in gently. Taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle with chopped chives.

Coleslaw with vinaigrette

I really like this salad. It is quite tart when fresh, but mellows wonderfully of the next few days if you don't eat it all in one go. The juices from the carrots and the cabbage leach out and blend with the vinaigrette as the flavours meld over time.

1lbs/455g cabbage (recommended is ½ green cabbage and ½ red cabbage), finely sliced

2 large carrots (6oz/170g) grated

2 scallions, finely sliced (30 to 40g)

¼ cup (60g) Tbsps apple cider or white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp (25g) Dijon mustard

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp pepper

½ cup (100g) good olive oil

1. Prepare all the vegetables and mix in a large bowl.
2. Put the remaining ingredients in a small jar, screw on the lid tightly and shake until emulsified, just a few seconds.
3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix together thoroughly.

Salade de carrottes (Carrot Salad)

This has become one of my go-to salads instead of leaf lettuce. Sometimes I'm looking to pair a different flavor, and sometimes it's for the colour. Seasonally speaking, it's also a way of having a crunch salad when leaf lettuce isn't available.

1 lb carrots, peeled and grated

2 Tbsps minced chives or chopped green onion (15g)

2 Tbsps minced fresh parsley

Dressing

3 Tbsps. (36g) fine olive oil*

2 Tbsps. (27g) lemon juice

2 tsps. (14g) honey or maple syrup

1 tsp (7g) Dijon mustard

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp salt

1. In a large bowl combine the carrot, chive or green onion and parsley.
2. To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until emulsified.
3. Pour the dressing over the carrot mixture and toss until the carrots are evenly coated. 
4. Allow the salad to marinate for at least 20 minutes before serving. Toss again before serving. 

*I don't usually talk about 'using only the best' of anything, but I did bother to point out that a fine extra-virgin olive oil would be choice in this instance. Regular olive oil is mainly for cooking and doesn't have much in the way of flavor. However, in a salad dressing of this kind you want to taste the olive oil, which is why a real cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil, preferably unfiltered, is best for a really tasty dressing but, if you don't have any, it'll be just fine.

Potato Quiche

It sounds boring. It sounds plain. It's nothing short of surprisingly delicious! So few ingredients, and so simple, yet it makes a lovely, surprisingly light quiche.

1 blind baked pie crust, completely cooled
2 Tbsps (1oz/28gr) butter (or ham fat for a bit of a smoked flavor)
8 to 10 oz potatoes, skin-on, grated
1 bunch chives, chopped fine (about 1 oz or 40 to 50 grams)
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated (optional, substitute 1.5 oz of the cheddar for parmesan for an added kick)
3 large eggs

1 cup coffee cream OR ½ cup heavy cream + ½ cup milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard

1. Blind bake the pie crust if it isn't already.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
3. In a non-stick pan melt the butter and fry the grated potato over medium heat until just al dente. VARIATIONS - you can gently cook the potato and avoid browning it which will make for a very light quiche, OR cook the potato at a higher temperature to whichever degree of browning you want for a deeper flavour, a little like hash-browns.
4. Add the chives and turn off the heat, only slightly cooking the chives. Set aside.
5. In a bowl, whisk the eggs then add the cream, milk and mustards. Mix well.
6. Put the potato at the bottom of the crust. Make sure the potato is in small pieces so that the custard can seep into it; it may have glommed together into masses while pre-cooking. 
7. Following the potato is a layer of the grated cheese, and finally pour the egg mixture over all.
8. Bake in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the center is set, the custard is puffed up and browned.
9. To keep the quiche warm, cover it with aluminum foil and bake it in a preheated oven at 200-250F.

Deviled Eggs

A classic! How could I not have a recipe for this when we've got chickens!

6 large eggs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 to 2 dashes Tabasco sauce, to taste
Salt, to taste (I never add it because the mustard and mayo is enough)
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp snipped fresh chives
3 Tbsps mayonnaise
Paprika, for garnish

1. Rinse eggs with warm water, and place in a small saucepan. Cover with cold water, place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover and let sit for 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and peel. Cool in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for 15 minutes.
2. Halve eggs lengthwise, and carefully scoop out yolks. Place yolks in a bowl, and mash with a fork. Add mustard, Tabasco, salt, pepper and snipped chives. Stir in mayonnaise.
3. Fill each egg white with about 1½ teaspoons of the egg-yolk mixture and dust the top with paprika. 

The beginning of a sauce obsession - Caraway and Cream Sauce

Cook's Illustrated has an awesome Web site with amazing recipes. It's turned me on to sauces in a big way. I figure it would be great for a bistro - cooking the chicken ahead of time, a quick fry in a pan to liven it up, plate it, and drizzle with sauce. The following is a sauce inspired by one of theirs. I have made it to use with the recipe for Chicken Cutlets, but it could just as easily be made for a whole chicken cut into pieces and grilled as below.

For the chicken

2 to 3 Tbsps vegetable oil

1 whole chicken cut into pieces (either 4 or 8)

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Pat chicken thighs dry.
3. Add chicken pieces to the skillet, smooth side down; cook for 5-7 minutes without moving, and then turn over when the chicken easily releases from the pan on its own. Cook until the juices run clear, an additional 7-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken piece.
4. Set the chicken aside and keep warm.
5. Remove all but 1 Tbsp of oil and immediately start to cook the shallot as per below.

For the sauce

1 Tbsp oil
2 medium shallots, minced

OPTIONAL: 1 Belgian endive or 5 large Romaine lettuce leaves, cut cross-wise, in thin strips

2 Tbsps apple cider vinegar

1 tsp caraway seeds

½ cup beef stock

½ cup heavy cream or crème fraîche

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Set the skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots (and leaves if using) and sauté until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the caraway seeds and continue cooking until the shallots are lightly browned, an extra 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add the cider vinegar and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon (remember, browned bits = flavor!).
3. Add the stock and cream; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced to a generous ½ cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Dijon mustard; season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces, spoon over the sauce and cook together another 5 minutes or until internal temperature of the breasts reaches 165°F. .
4. OR: Spoon the sauce over chicken cutlets and serve immediately.

 Originally published Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Bacon and Onion Quiche

November 2010 - Bacon, my Jewish friends tell me bacon is the one pork product that has either caused or could cause them to break with kosher. Pork, for my part, is part of my nutritional heritage as a descendent to the Gauls (I base this on the historically accurate documents about a small village that resisted the Romans, chronicled in the works titled "Astérix le Gaulois"). In spite of this, it is also one of the meats that, in my current financially precarious state, I will only buy free range or organic, and have waited with bated breath for the time the happy porker farmers come to the local farmer's market so that I can purchase a few choice packets. As luck would have it, happy pigs are more readily available that I thought, for the local Capers-slash-Whole Foods market carries bacon from happy, outdoor pigs from a local producer. As happy as I am to have discovered this bacon, I nevertheless use it judiciously - its flavour is so strong that it tends to overpower anything else in the dish, which is why I use it primarily as 'lardons' when making hearty winter stews. But for some reason I wanted to make a quiche with bacon and gruyère. After looking around at other recipes, I decided to throw in some onion and dijon mustard as well. And I'm quite pleased with the result - a nice balance of flavours for a warming winter dish where the bacon plays a part in the society of flavours instead of being a corporate raider.

1 blind baked pie crust, completely cooled

3 slices bacon (thick slices, if thin adjust the quantity accordingly)

1 large onion, sliced into rounds

1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

3 large eggs

1 cup coffee cream OR ½ cup heavy cream + ½ cup milk

2 tsps Dijon mustard

¾ cup Gruyère cheese, grated

1. Prepare the blind-baked pie crust. Allow to cool completely before using to allow the crust to set.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
3. Chop bacon into lardons (cut bacon into paper-clip sized pieces). Cook the lardons in a big skillet until semi crisp.
4. Remove all but 1 Tbsp. of the bacon fat (to save in use in other recipes) from the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until the onions are soft and start to brown. At this point, add the parsley and garlic, and cook 1 more minute.
5. Once the bacon has cooled a bit, chop into smaller pieces, and combine with the onion mixture.
6. In a bowl, whisk the eggs until light. Stir in dairy and mustard and whisk again to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
7. In the pre-baked pie shell, sprinkle the cheese on the bottom, then the onion and bacon mixture, and finally smother it all with the egg mixture.
8. Bake the quiche until it's all puffed and golden brown and joyful, about 35 minutes.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature.
10. To keep the quiche warm, cover it with aluminum foil and bake it in a preheated oven at 200-250F.

Chicken with Mushroom and Leeks

The original to this recipe is in Food & Wine March 2011. It's called Simplest Chicken-and-Leek Stew. I think the name is misleading. To start, with the quantity of mushrooms in this recipe, this ingredient should be headlined, otherwise it's like calling a chocolate cake a sponge cake. Secondly, there are three different grouping of things to cook separately, and then you assemble, which means lots of dirty dishes and fiddling with removing from the pan and then putting back in. Thirdly, there is no stewing involved - all the ingredients are cooked separately, then added to the sauce with only a single measly minute of simmering before serving. The one thing that I will agree to about this recipe is that it is delicious.

2 Tbsps mild vegetable oil

2 medium leeks (12oz/340gr) tender parts only, thinly sliced

1⁄2 lb button mushrooms, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

1 lb chicken breast cut into 2 inch pieces

4 Tbsps flour (I use rice flour)

1 1⁄2 cups chicken broth

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme

2 Tbsps crème fraiche

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1. In a skillet heat 1 Tbsp oil, add leeks and cook over moderate heat until soft (approx 7 minutes). Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are soft, about 4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. In a bag mix 4 Tbsp flour, salt and pepper, and toss in chicken pieces. Shake until chicken is well covered, remove chicken and discard remaining flour. Add 1 Tbsp of oil to pan and the brown chicken, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken stock and thyme, simmering until chicken is cooked through (this should be quick since the browning should have cooked the chicken).
3. Remove the chicken from the pan and simmer the stock until it is reduced by half. Throw the chicken and veg back in and simmer over low temperature until it's all heated through, about 1 minute.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the crème fraiche and the Dijon and stir into the stew. Season to taste and serve.

Fixing the Fancy - Red Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

I often notice that there are some recipes where the ingredients sound fancy but the end product is bland. This often happens with Epicurious recipes, such as the Radicchio, Red Cabbage and Tomatoes with Orange Vinaigrette recipe. I made it because I like radicchio and thought, correctly, that the red salad would be visually appealing, but it was just bitter to taste. Ben played around with it and, in my opinion, fixed it.

NOTE: the cherry tomatoes sliced in half are very important - the acidity and flavour from the escaping juices help balance the bitterness of the radicchio.

1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 small head red cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsps. finely grated fresh orange zest

4 1/2 Tbsps. fresh orange juice

Juice from 1 lemon

1 Tbsp. sugar, or to taste

1 tsp. salt (add more to taste)

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

2 heads radicchio (3/4 pound total), cored and coarsely chopped

2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Chop onion and soak in cold water, to cover, for 15 minutes.
2. Shred cabbage, salt thoroughly and set in colander to sweat excess water. Leave for 15 minutes, rinse thoroughly with running water and quickly dry on paper towel.
3. While onion soaks and cabbage sweats, whisk together mustard, zest, juices, and salt and pepper to taste with sugar. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.
4. Drain onion well and toss together with radicchio, cabbage, tomatoes, and enough dressing to coat. Toss salad and adjust seasoning using sugar, salt and pepper.

Easy, Elegant Broiled Salmon - Broiled Salmon with Mustard and Crisp Dilled Crust

I am still amazed at how easy cooking is, if you have the right recipe. This is such a tasty recipe and it is quick and simple to make. The first time I made it was for dinner on Christmas Eve at my parent's this past Christmas, when it was just my parents, Ben and Myself for dinner. The salmon was scrumptious, although I did have to make some changes to the recipe.

Generally speaking it is best to have salmon with the skin on - it seems to be more moist - but I've also prepared it with skinned salmon cut into individual portions with equal success. Use the foil as suggested in the recipe - the salmon, with or without skin, will stick to the pan and dry out faster.

This is from Cook's Illustrated with, as usual, some refinements on my part.

NOTE - if you're cooking individual portions of fish, reduce the cooking time. Last time I made it this way the fish was a bit dry.

1 cup Panko

4 oz plain high-quality potato chips, crushed into rough 1/8-inch pieces, about 1 cup

6 Tbsps. chopped fresh dill leaves

1 whole side of salmon fillet , about 3 1/2 lbs., pinbones removed and belly fat trimmed

1 tsp. mild vegetable oil

3/4 tsp. salt

Ground black pepper

3 Tbsps. Dijon mustard

1. Adjust the first oven rack to an upper position, about 8 inches from the upper element, and then the second rack to one position lower; heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toast the bread crumbs evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and toast it on the lower rack to freshen it up, briefly, until light brown, shaking the pan once or twice. Toss together the bread crumbs, the crushed potato chips, and the dill in small bowl; set aside.
3. Increase the oven setting to broil. Cut piece of heavy-duty foil 6 inches longer than the fillet. Fold the foil lengthwise in thirds and place it lengthwise on a rimmed baking sheet; position the salmon lengthwise on the foil, allowing for the excess foil to overhang the baking sheet. Rub the fillet evenly with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Broil the salmon on the upper rack until the surface is spotty brown and the outer 1/2-inch of the thick end is opaque when gently flaked with a paring knife, 9 to 11 minutes.
5. Remove it from the oven and spread evenly with the mustard; press the bread crumb mixture onto the fish, using the mustard as the glue. Return the fish to the lower rack and continue broiling until the crust is deep golden brown, about 1 minute longer.