Recipes

Cookbook Review: Southern Living Southern Made Fresh

March 30, 2015, posted by Gina with asides by Michelle – Yesterday I found a new cookbook called Southern Made Fresh by Southern Living and authored by Tasia Malakasis. Southern Living magazines and books have long been a fabulous source for trusted and delicious recipes. Malakasis offers fresh twists on familiar Southern recipes by taking a lighter, healthier approach. I took a little time to peruse this book and I would like to highlight a few recipes tthat really appealed to me.

Green Beans with Gribiche Sauce

Perhaps Michelle from our office in France has tried this dish. This sauce is a mixture of mayonnaise, lots of fresh herbs, chopped eggs, capers and pickles and it sounds so decadent to me. Oh, and another nod to France, it calls for haricots verts, which is French for very thin, fresh green beans. [Michelle’s note: Well, I’ve seen green beans and gribiche on menus but never together; it sounds delicious though. You often see gribiche sauce served with tête de veau (calf’s head). I know, don’t freak out on me I just live here.]

Tomato Pie with Fresh Corn and Herbs

This just screams summer to me. I have made a tomato pie for so many years that I no longer need a recipe to prepare it. What caught my attention with this recipe is that it calls for fresh corn and herbs in the filling with heirloom tomatoes on top. What’s great about the corn is that it allows you to omit eggs and use less cheese, only 1 cup of parmesean, which makes for a healthier pie.

Rillettes

I will admit to never having read this word before opening this cookbook. Rillettes, as stated in the book, is French for pulled meat that’s combined with flavorful herbs, butter or lard. Did I read that right? Yep, it says lard. Upon further investigation, no lard is actually used in the making of this dish. Instead, butter or cheese are used as the binding agent. Perhaps our French office can weigh in on this little culinary treat. In the book, several different meats are used including chicken, sardines, and pork. [Michelle’s note: Ah yes, rillettes, a fairly common item on menus in Lyon. It’s a thick spread usually eaten with toast. I ate herring rillettes as an appetizer recently and, oddly, just before the writing of this post I ate at a restaurant that served sardine rillettes as an amuse bouche.]

If you were to ask me if you should purchase this book my answer would be yes. Besides having a great selection of delicious sounding and easy to follow recipes, the book is filled with beautiful pictures that will either make you want to cook, eat or have a garden of your own. Most of the recipes have photographs to accompany them. I will admit that I was not familiar with Tasia Malakasis, but she appears like a lovely host throughout the book sharing stories and inspiration. While she lets her readers know she is part Greek and part Southern to the core, she certainly has a range of influences woven throughout the book. The one downside is there are not many dessert recipes, though she admits to not having a sweet tooth, a trait I wish I could acquire. But what it lacks in deserts, it more than makes up for with its wide variety savory dishes that would appeal to just about any palette.

To read more about this cookbook and the author click HERE.

Bonus photos from Michelle:

An acquired taste: Tête de Veau with Gribiche sauce

Scallop Rillettes and Goose Rillettes at the French grocery store chain Monoprix

Cookbook Club Early Spring Lunch 1 comment

March 11, 2015, posted by Gina

Does a cookbook club sound fun to you? I belong to one and we are currently trying out recipes from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks.

We have 12 members, as we determined that’s how many people most of us can seat comfortably in our homes, we meet once a month and we take turns being the hostess. The hostess plans the menu, prepares the main course, sets the theme, if there is one, and sends the menu out via email. The members sign up for the dish they would like to prepare and the big rule is they must prepare the recipe exactly as it is written in the cookbook.

: Provençal Tomatoes

Once we are finished with our meal, we make notes in our cookbooks as each person talks about their recipe. They may suggest any changes they would make to it and whether or not they would make it again.

All recipes can be found in Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks; Family Style, Parties and The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. You can also find the recipes online (google “Ina Garten’s Parmesan Chicken”, for example).

The Menu for an Early Spring Lunch

YUMMY DRINK – Herbal Iced Tea*

APPETIZER – Smoked Salmon Dip

SALADS – Tabbouleh and Tuna Tartare

MAIN COURSE – Parmesan Chicken, Provençal Tomatoes and Chive Biscuits

DESSERT – Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake and Coconut Cupcakes

The Verdict: Surprisingly, everyone liked ALL of the items which rarely happens. My favorite was the orange chocolate chunk cake. I make the Parmesan Chicken on a regular basis for my family and the tomatoes were fabulous even though it’s not peak tomato season. Many thought the coconut cupcakes would be great for Easter, maybe put a few jelly beans on top. Both salads were delicious and the tabbouleh in particular tasted very fresh.

: Tabbouleh Salad

: Tuna Tartare

*A note regarding the herbal iced tea, we all agreed that it was a little tart. The original recipe it calls for pure apple juice which, in addition to being much more expensive than regular apple juice, was not very sweet. We decided that this tea would taste better if it was slighter sweeter and used regular apple juice to obtain that sweetness. Maybe it’s the Southern predilection for sweet tea, who knows? Honestly, it was a little tart, 12 people can’t all be wrong, right?

: Chive Biscuits

Country Ham and Shrimp on Toast

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
12 oz. chopped, cooked, country ham (can use a ham steak)
3 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1 leek bulb, finely chopped
1/2 cup brandy
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 pounds fresh, small shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
8 slices bread, trimmed, cut into points, toasted

Directions:

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over high heat. Add the country ham. Saute quickly. Add garlic and leek.

Saute until the leek begins to wilt, remove from heat. Stir in the brandy and return to heat. Stir in whipping cream, cayenne and sage.

Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add the shrimp. Simmer for 2 minutes or until the shrimp turns light pink. Stir in the parsley.

Serve on toast points.

Zucchini Pasta

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta, cooked (we used fettuccine), save about 3 cups of the pasta water to mix with final dish
6 thinly sliced zucchini, roast on 450° for 15 minutes (drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper first)
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Zest of 1/2 lemon (more if you like)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

While zucchini is roasting, saute onions and garlic in the tablespoon of olive oil. Add to cooked pasta along with the Parmesan cheese, olives, and lemon zest. In a small saucepan, melt the two tablespoons of butter. Take off heat and add the bread crumbs and combine. Add to pasta. Once the zucchini is roasted combine with the pasta. Stir all ingredients and serve. Add salt and more Parmesan to taste.

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, washed, remove the insides
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning
2 tablespoons herbes de Provence or French Roasting Rub
1 tablespoon garlic salt

Directions:

Place chicken in a shallow roasting dish. Rub chicken with olive oil. Squeeze lemon juice over chicken then place the squeezed lemon inside chicken cavity. Sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning, herbes de Provence and garlic salt over the chicken. Bake uncovered at 350° for 20 minutes per pound.

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce and Rice Consommé

This week we tried two new recipes; one for chicken and the other for rice. The rice recipe is actually one that has been around for a while and we don’t know how we ever lived without it. Both recipes are super easy, delicious and together make a great weeknight family meal.

Ingredients:

4 whole, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 whole garlic cloves, minced
1 cup white wine
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 heaping tablespoon grainy mustard
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have eight thinner pieces of chicken. Salt and pepper both sides.

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken and keep on a platter.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and saute for one minute while stirring.

Add the wine and cook until reduced in half.

Add the mustards, cream and chicken broth. Stir and cook for 5 minutes while stirring.

Serve chicken with sauce on top.

Rice Consommé

1 cup raw rice
1 can beef consommé
1 can water
1/4 cup butter
1/2 package onion soup mix
1 small jar sliced mushrooms

Combine all ingredients in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover and bake in a preheated oven on 350 for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.