ribs and lentils

Lentils I think are not consumed in States  quite enough. they are delicious and very healthy they are a good source of proteins and fibers, contains  folic  acid and potassium and are good for the heart. In France as the child I remember eating lentils quite often  They are not  inexpensive , they are good braised with meat , and make delicious soup and salad.

this ribs and lentils dish is easy , not very time consuming , rather economic, particularly if you buy the ribs on sale . hope you try it and enjoy it

Ingredients

3 ribs
I branch of celery
1 and 1/2 cup of  carrots
2 cups of lentils
1 cup of white wine
3 tbs of olive oil
garlic
salt and pepper

instructions

Prep . the vegetables
salt and pepper the meat
 In a very heavy and hot pan saute the meat till brown

when the meat is well brown put it on the side
saute the carrots and the celery in the same pan for about  5 mins

.
De glazed the pan with the white wine
add the meat back in the pan and the garlic
add the chicken stock
the chicken stock should cover the meat only to the middle.

ass salt and pepper
Cook about 2 hours at 350 degrees F or till the meat fall apart.
When the meat is done add the lentils
cook for 30 mns or till  the lentils are done

the meat fall apart, the lentils and the carrots taste delicious in the very slowly cook sauce.

Miam miam   Bon appetit

shrimp" saute" in garlic on fettuccini

Ingredients  2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil  salt pepper  Your favorite Italian dressing  about 3/4 lbs fettuccine  2 cloves garlic  1 lb large shrimps   2 springs of parsley 2 springs of dill  1/4 cup of dried tomatoes  the zest from 1/2 a lemon  1/2 a glass of white wine.  a sprinkle of red pepper flakes Directions In a medium pan heat the olive oil on medium heat. brown the shrimp till they are pink about 5 minutes. Brown them in batches do not crowd them In the same pan brown the garlic and the tomatoes add the white wine add the shrimps to the pan . Add the parsley and the chives. and the lemon zest keep warm Cook the pasta in a lot of  boiled salted water as indicated on the box. When the pasta is done drain it( Keep some of the water to add to the sauce if needed) Add the pasta to the shrimps. I make the same recipe without tomatoes but with cream and Parmesan cheese in the winter but this version is a lot better in warm weather. you may want to use linguine instead of fettuccine actually I like it better but I used what I had in my pantry! i always like to use wine to deglaze the pan but you could omit it and use a little chicken stock. A table miam miam bon ap

roast chicken

When I live in France the most usual Sunday dinner meal was roast chicken. A farmer  brought us a nice plump organic chicken almost every Sunday. After a few preparations the chicken cook all by itself the oven and you can enjoy a relaxing Sunday

                   All trussed and ready to cook

Ingredients

 1 nice organic chicken ( or any fat good looking chicken)
6 tablespoons butter at room temperature
2 or 3 rosemary sprigs .
4 or 5 potatoes
2 or 3 carrots
salt. pepper.
green onion
4 or 5 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup of white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock

Preparation
Prepare the vegetables
peel the carrots and slice them
peel the potatoes and cut in small cubes
"blanche" the carrots for a few minutes
In a bowl toss the potatoes and carrots with 3 tablespoons olive oil and the remaining of the chopped rosemary

Rinse the inside of the chicken.
Dry the chicken very well
put 2 tablespoons of butter a spring of rosemary and some chopped green onion in the cavity
add some salt and pepper
make a paste with the rest of the butter, some salt and pepper and the chopped rosemary

Introduce the butter paste between the flesh and the skin spreading it good.
Put the chicken in a large roasting pan and cook in the  preheated oven at 400 degrees

.
Roast for about 15 minutes

Bring the temperature down to 375 degrees F
Add the vegetables around the chicken and continue to cook for 30 to 45 minutes
Check the chicken ounce and a while and toss the vegetables add a little more butter or oil if necessary
The chicken is cooked when the juices run clear when  the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a knife.
Take the chicken and the vegetables out of the pan
deglaze the pan with the wine and a little  chicken stock
Serve the juice with the chicken and the vegetable

Add a green salad and you have a delicious Sunday dinner
Bon appetit!

Note . you just can relaxed why your chicken is ready.
if this chicken is just for you and your love you will have a lot of chicken left over you can make a lot of different dishes for the rest of the week or froze some in plastic bag for future dinners

chicken terriyaki in crock pot.

I found that extremely easy easy recipe on Pinterest . After trying it I was not to happy with it. Here is my version of it.  It is still pretty easy.  Your mother said she made that recipe and you really like it.

ingredients

6  chicken thights
1tbls oil
1 tbls butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup  teriyaki sauce
3 tbls vinegar
1 tb minced ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 cup corn stach
1 cup water
soy sauce


preparations

heat up the oil and the butter.
Make sure the chicken thights are dry. salt them and pepper them and brown them in the hot butter and oil
add the chicken to the crock pot
add all the ingredients but the water and corn starch

Cook for 4 or 5 hours till the chicken is cook
In a small pan mix the corn starch in the water and cook till thick about 5 minutes mixing all the time

Add to the chicken.

serve on steam rice
Steam broccoli will be delicious with the sauce too..



I brown the chicken before because when you "braise " any meat I think it is better to brown the meat before. it seems to develop a better taste. but if you are short in time just add the chicken directly to the crock pot.
I added powder ginger because ginger root will not be a thing you will always  have on hand
Add some soy sauce has needed

Miam miam miam Bon Appetit 



cabbage and sausage

easy to make and comforting on a cold day. Jesse and Jermy love this.

Ingredients

1 kielbasa( or other kind of sausage)
1 piece of salt pork or bacon cut in small pieces
1 onion
1carrot
1 head of cabbage .
8 potatoes
2 cups of white wine  or 2 tbs of wine vinegar
olive oil
butter
Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

Preparation

Prepare vegetables
Peel onion and carrots and cut in small cubes
Clean  the cabbage. Take the core and  the old exterior leaves  out. cut in quarters.

Peel potatoes cut in small pieces

Brown the salt pork( or bacon) in the olive oil
Add the carrots and onions cook a few minutes
,
 add the sausage cook a few minutes

,add the white wine and cook 5 more minutes

,add the cabbage and potatoes and water to barely cover

add salt pepper and the bouquet garni.

cook for about 40 minutes or till the potatoes are cook.( or put in a crock pot on low for about 7 hours or on high for about 4 hours.

notes : if you don't have a bouquet garni just add bay leave, Thyme, rosemary what ever herbs you like. If you don't have any fresh herbs you could add a little bit of "herbes de Provence "or" Italian seasoning". It is about the same thing and you can keep a jar in your kitchen at all time.

I like to have sour cream and mustard with it. and cornichons or pickles

easy chicken stew

when Brigitte came to visit us she made this for dinner and Jesse loved it . very easy to make.

Ingredients

4 pieces of chicken thighs
1 tbls of oil and 1 tbls of butter
1/2 small onion
I branch of celery
2 large carrots or a few small ones
1 cup of wine
enough chicken stock to cover the chicken
1/2  tbls Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

preparation

clean the celery and the carrots
chopped the vegetables

Make sure the chicken is very dry . Dry it with paper towel if necessary.

Salt and pepper the chicken
Brown the chicken in the butter and oil
put the chicken on the side
in the same pan brown the vegetables
When the vegetables are cooked( about 1o minutes)

.
Deglazed with the wine

cook about 10 minutes
add the chicken back to the pan
cover the chicken with the stock
add the Italian spice add some more salt and pepper if needed

 cover the pan and put in the oven for about 30 to 40 minutes . Check if it cook after 30 minutes.

A table , bon appetit, Miam miam.

Notes
-You may keep a bottle of wine for cooking  a long time in your refrigerator.
but if you don't have any wine you may add a tbls of wine vinegar.
-Make sure you pan is a pan that go in the oven, if you don't have one you may finish cooking the chicken on the top of the stove on medium heat.
-You should try to use onion if you chop them very fine you won't ever feel them. If you absolutely can not use onion at least try some onion powder.
-Brigitte made this stew with  chicken legs it was delicious too.
_I like to serve this chicken on boiled rice or you could add potatoes before to put in the oven
Enjoy!


.

lean day : Rice, corn and beans.

this is a meat less dish but it could to used as a side dish for meat or fish.

Ingredients

1 cup left over rice
1 can beans
1 can corn
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
sour cream (optional)

preparation

mix rice, beans and corn in a pan
cook till warm
add the cheese till it melt.
serve with sour cream if desired.

note
Easy way to cook rice
 Put 1 cup of rice in 2 cups of water or chicken stock bring to a boil and then cover and cook slowly till ready. if you use water add 1 tbls salt..
will be nice serve in a soft taco.

pretty tasty

A table. Bon appetit
. Miam  miam Miam

pork chops with beans

I love to make pork chops with beans . I usually used dry beans but the preparation is a little involve and demand some early preparations. this easier version should be very good too.( I used a pan that go in the oven)

Ingredients

4 Pork chops
3 tbls olive oil
1 clove garlic chopped
1 small onion chopped very fine
1 red bell pepper
dried rosemary
1 can chicken stock
2tbls tomato paste
1 can cannellini beans
  
preparation

Brown the pork chops in the olive oil
set aside .
In the same skillet brown  the onion, the red bell pepper for about 10 minutes add the garlic, brown for 5 more minutes
add the chicken stock ,the rosemary the tomato paste mix well
add the beans
add the pork chops
put in the oven and cook for about 30 to 40 minutes till the pork chops are cooked.

It is always good to finish with a little green salad.

a table . bon appetit . Miam. Miam

Notes
-If you don't have a pan that go in the oven you may finish the cooking on top of the stove on low to medium heat.
-you can used any white beans , Navy beans will be good to . Make sure you do not used already prepare beans like" Campbell pork and beans"

linguine with white clam sauce

Keep some clams cans and linguine in your pantry and a few other things in your refrigerator and in no time you will have a delicious little meal

this recipe photo show some frozen clams  in their shelves the recipe is for can clams


Ingredients
2 cans chopped clams
1lb linguine or angel hairs or spaghetti.
2 tbls butter
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic or garlic powder
1 pinch crushed red pepper(optional)
zest and juice of one lemon
white wine
fresh parsley( optional)
1/2 tsp of dry oregano

Preparation

Cook your pasta in boiling water like the package direct you cook your pasta al dente.
In a pan add the butter and  the olive oil cook on medium heat
Add the crushed red pepper and garlic cook about one minute
Add lemon zest and  juice the oregano and the wine and the clam juice .
Bring to a boil cook till thickened about 10 minutes
Add the clams stir till the clams are warm
Serve on the cook pasta

I have made that recipe many time with fresh clams but this is very good too.
When you buy clams cans, make sure it is chopped clams not shredded clams
A table,  bon appetite, Miam miam miam

things to have on hand for the recipes in the book

This list should help the new chef to do his groceries shopping. list can be change as desire and to your taste

To have :

In the freezer

Chicken breasts or fingers
Hamburgers meat
small pizza with no topping
fish fillets
fish sticks







In refrigerator

Cheese Cheddar and parmesan
chicken stock
bottle  wine ( not cooking wine)
Bolognese sauce made by your mother or bought ( some in jar are very go
Teriyaki sauce
hot sauce
ketchup
mustard
Bread
Butter
milk






In the cupboard

Macaroni
Ramen noodles
Angel hair
Oil
Olive oil
cereals
can of chopped clams
Italian seasonings packages

chicken cordon Campbell

When I first move in the USA in the sixty I thought the American food was awful . It was the big fad of making every thing with Campbell creamy chicken soup or mushroom soup and every thing did taste the same and really these  processes soups are not the most healthy. So I never cook with can soup, for myself I will make an easy béchamel with chicken stock and cream. (white sauce) But I have to agree  that for a beginner who is short on time  the cream soups make it easy and add taste. Children Cordon Bleu is a very traditional and delicious French recipe.  Here is a recipe inspired from that recipe . I could not call it Cordon Bleu so I call it Chicken Cordon Campbell

So here it is" Chicken Cordon Campbell "

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts
4slices of ham
4 slices of swish cheese
1 can cream chicken soup
1/4 cup milk
Salt and pepper

Preparation

Prepare the chicken

If the chicken breasts are very think try to slice them in 2 parts
put the breasts in a plastic bag and pound the till they are about 1/4 or1/2 of a inch
These part is fun it can take your frustration off!
salt and pepper the chicken breasts
On each chicken breast put a slice of ham and a slice of cheese
Roll tight and secure with toothpicks or kitchen string

Prepare the sauce

Put the can of soup in a bowl and mix with the milk till it is very smooth

Putting every thing together

Preheat the oven to 350 F
Brown the breasts, 2 at the time in the butter and oil till they are nice and golden
Cover with the sauce
Put pan in the oven and cook about 30mns

Serve the chicken with any kind of pasta and a salad!

A table , bon appetit, Miam, Miam.

Notes:
When browning the chicken make sure your pan is hot enough it must sizzle a bit.
when rolling the chicken make sure you leave a little room on the side of the breast so when you cook your chicken the stuffing doesn't ooze out
Before browning your chicken you may rolled it in flour egg and breadcrumbs it give it another texture it is more crispy. it is the way real ChickenCordon bleu is made

Quesadillas

excellent recipe to use left over roast chicken .  Nice  for a snack but they could be a meal just add some rice or refried beans

Ingredients

1 can corn( or a bag of frozen corn)
1 can beans ( any cooked beans)
Mexican shredded cheese
finally chopped onion(AhAhAh you could try dried onion for the flavor)
1 clove garlic chopped or  3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup fully cook chicken
6 burritos sized tortillas
your favorite salsa ( could be your mother salsa or a jar salsa)
diced tomatoes
shredded lettuce
sour cream

Preparation

Heat up the oven to 425 F
Spray a large cooking sheet with non stick cooking spray or just butter the sheet.
In a large bowl mix the 6 first ingredients
Place the tortillas on the cooking sheet and spray the corn mix on each of them and cover with another tortillas
Cook for about 10 mns
Serve with the tomatoes ,lettuce and sour cream you may add some more cheese too.

A table. Bon appetit. MiamMiam

Notes
I know you do not like onions but really sometimes they are necessary to enhance the taste of food . May be you could try onion powder. I always add onion in my food and I chopped it so fine you never know. your mother does the shame she actually grate the onion. (Ooops I should not have told you that)

macaroni and cheese

so so easy

Inspire from"Diana Donahoo

Ingredients

1/3 cup pasta
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1/2 shredded cheese
salt pepper

Preparation

In a microwave proof  bawl
add all the ingredients together
Microwave

And there you are! could be a very nice evening snack!


Bon appetite , Miam Miam Miam


Notes

Will be very nice for a more consistent meal to add some cooked chicken or cooked ham.
When you cook chicken or ham next time cook enough and keep some left over in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

chicken breast with Parmesan

Another very easy recipe for chicken.

 

Inspire from

 kalynskitchen.com

 

 

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts
olive oil
Italian seasoning in a package
1/2 a cup of milk
1/2 a cup of flour
1/2 a cup of bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese
a little of crushed red pepper if you like
salt pepper

Preparation

mixed the Italian seasoning in a plastic bag
add the chicken to the bag check the bag so all the pieces of chicken are cover with the marinade.
Marinade the chicken during the day or at least one hour.
Have 3 dishes one for the milk one for the flour one for the bread crumb.
mix the bread crumbs with some salt and the Parmesan cheese
Put your chicken in the different dishes alternatively make sure they are well cover with the coating

heat up the oven to 450 F and cook for about. 45 Mns

A table .Bon appetit.  Miam Miam


Notes;
- this will be very nice with steam broccoli and rice.
-check the chicken after 30 mins it may be cooked. do not over cook it will become tough
_ Panko is a very nice Japanese bread crumb very light. It is found now in most groceries store

If more of us valued food and cheer above the hoarded gold it will be a merrier world
Sorry I don't know who said that

 

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chicken and vegetable casserole with Italian dressing

I have often cook with Italian dressing specially to marinate my meat, I never try that casserole but it sound so easy for a beginner. I got this idea from Pinterest could not find the originator name sorry.

Ingredients
4 pieces of chicken thighs
4 red potatoes .( no need to peel)
1 can of green beans
Italian dressing
1 stick of butter
salt pepper

Preparations

preheat the oven to 350 F
Salt and pepper the chicken
put in a  dish that go in the oven
surround with the drain green beans and the potatoes
sprinkle with the pack of italian dressing
melt the stick of butter and drizzle it on the dressing
put a foil over the dish cook 45 min cover  and 15 more mins uncover

A table, bon appetit , Miam miam.

Notes . the package of Italian dressings are very good and easy to keep on hand.


"There is no sincerer love than the love of food". Edward Bernard Shaw

easy saute chicken in cream sauce

This is extremelly easy and not time consuming.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts
2 tb butter
teriyaki sauce
salt pepper
angel hair pasta
1 cup chicken stock
1tb Dijon mustard
1/4 cup heavy cream
parmesan


Preparation

In the morning (or at least 1 hour early) marinade the chicken in Terriyaki .
when ready to cook .
Saute your chicken in a frying pan
add salt and pepper
deglazed the pan with a cup of the chicken stock
add the mustard.

cook your pasta add 1 Tb of butter

serve chicken over pasta
add the parmesan
  A table! bon appetit! miam miam!

notes
_ do not over cook the chicken or it will get tough
- the chicken must be brown that mean a high to medium heat . when you put the chicken in the pan it must sizzle
- when  browning the chicken, it must not be wet so dry it a bit with paper towel.
-it will taste better if you brown some onion before you brown the chicken( I know that is a NO NO .may be you should try onion powder)
-when you marinate the chicken it must be all cover with the Terriyaki sauce
- it is nice to have frozen chicken breasts  in the freezer a lot of dishes can be done with them . very often they have sales: 2 for one specially in Bilo


-Do you know who always said "Bon appetit " after her recipes . your favorite lady Julia Child.