Sous Vide bacon

Amazing man 10/10
http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/11/how-to-make-juicy-sous-vide-bacon.html


Get super thick cut bacon, 12 oz 4 slices


Seal it


12 hours



Cooked both sides - re-read recipe and it says 2 minutes on one side ony.

Shrimp Avocado Barley salad

I used to find a recipe on the internet but alas, this summer I cannot find the site anymore so I have to go back memory and learn through trial and error.

2 strips of bacon
2 cups barley
lime juice
dash of rice wine vinegar
salt
red onion
cilantro
drizzle of olive oil
0.5-1 cup tomatoes
1 pound cooked shrimp
1 Avocado

1. Cook Barley. 4.5 ish cups of water. It's $1.69 a pound at whole foods. What a deal. 30 minutes on simmer, cover. Note : once I thought using shrimp broth would be wonderful. That was a mistake. It's too shrimpy.

2. Cut up bacon and fry until crispy. Let cook in own fat. Set aside
3. Mise en place time. Exclude the avocado. It's not invited.

dice 0.25 cups of red onion

dice .25 cup of cilantro

dice tomatoes

chop into bite-sized pieces shrimp

4. After barley is done, rinse and drain in cold water
5. In a large mixing bowl combine remaining ingredients
6. Chill for at least an hour or put into the freezer for about 15 minutes ( do not forget to take out)
7. When ready to serve, dice up avocado mix into bowl and squeeze extra lime juice
8. Season to taste with salt. You must salt!

Warnings: Red onion is powerful and one must use it with caution. You can overpower the dish with oniony rawness and it will be inedible. Remove if you are a zealous onion chopper (like somebody I know who I live with).

Homemade tomato soup

It's simple and very delicious to make. Must have a hand held blender. Perfect low calorie dinner, this with a slice of bread (optional), and an apple, cheddar cheese. Very cheap to make, buy second tomatoes at the market (1-1.25 a pound), skin them (score them, boiling water for 20 seconds), chop. I leave the seeds in - extra fiber makes everybody happy.

Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients:
1 medium chopped onion
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 lb. fresh tomatoes seeded and chopped OR one 51⁄2 oz. can chopped tomatoes, drained
1 pinch ground red pepper
1 teaspoon fresh or dried basil
2 cups milk (optional) I like to sub with chicken broth instead
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. In a medium saucepan, cook onion in oil over medium heat, stirring frequently until golden brown, about 4 minutes.
2. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add chopped tomatoes.
3. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 10 minutes.
4. Spoon 3⁄4 of mixture into food processor or blender container; puree until smooth. Return to saucepan.
5. Add red pepper, basil, and milk or broth to the soup. Heat until hot but do not boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Whole Branzino fish

No recipe. This is a me dish.

Whole Branzino varies from .75-1.25 pounds. One fish is enough for two people if you have vegetables or side dishes. The cost is about $10.00 a pound.

Ingredients
1. Whole Branzino
2. Lemons
3. Parsley
4. Kosher salt
5. Pepper (optional)
6. Olive oil
7. Garlic
8. Onions (optional)

I don't like pepper. Yes, gasp. But Mr. likes it and I sometimes oblige. Onions are not needed but if I have some old dry onion in the fridge, I toss it in for the fish to rest on. Shove the cavity with lemons (half crescent), parsley and salt and top with more lemon and salt. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. I don't like overcooked fish so feel free to poke at it with your finger at 25 minutes. If the guy is over 1 pounds, I would count on 30 minutes or more.

Roasted duck, pate, and duck fat

Roasted duck, pate, and duck fat

http://www.thehungrymouse.com/2009/02/11/the-best-way-to-roast-a-duck-hello-crispy-skin/


I am not posting the recipe as it is quite elaborate. Click on the link to Hungry Mouse for details.


As we this year did not celebrate Thanksgiving (we were in Argentina), we postponed a big bird dinner until the spring. As spring approached, we no longer wanted frozen turkey, but fresh duck! Ducks are very small, about 5 pounds a bird, two would suffice for a party of 5. We picked up two fresh birds from the "Let's Meat on the Avenue" in Alexandria, VA. It was about $25 each.





We wanted duck liver pate for appetizers, which require liver, garlic, salt, pepper, butter or duck fat. All we needed was a couple of tablespoons. The tail was the perfect place to get it.





Our fear was that we would have difficulty identifying liver amongst other organs. We performed a "that is NOT a liver, and that could be a liver" method of separation. Our second step was to smell it. I think we did OK.



I regret not having photographs of the pate, but as you can imagine, it looks like bile. I must say that it tasted delicious and it was incredibly easy to make. I am confident I can get livers from the local butcher and whip up a great appetizer for the next dinner party. Note that we increased the ratio of fat to liver to prevent it from tasting too 'livery'.


We then cut off loose fatty skin and rendered it with a bit of water.



With extra skin from two birds, we yielded about 1.5 cup of duck fat. We store it in the freezer and use it to flavor roasted vegetables for a little extra kick.




To make sure we really got the skin crispy, we utilized the heat gun, which also doubles as a embossing heat gun.

Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pappardelle-with-lamb-ragu

This was very elegant and the pappardelle made the difference. Harris teeter did sell it for $6.99! It was imported from Italy. Only could afford one box. Due to the costs I now am looking into making pasta myself and since the noodles are so wide, I can use the roller without the pasta cutter. That will be a separate project at a later date. I used local lamb from the farmer's market. Everything else sadly is not from the local market, unless HT counts. It was very easy to make and it was a bit strange to have crunchy texture from carrots in the dish. I substituted oregano for thyme (dried), but that was a mistake on my part.

Pappardelle with Lamb Ragù

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 celery rib, finely diced
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1/4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
3/4 pound pappardelle
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped mint

In a large cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 5 minutes. Add the lamb, coriander, fennel, cumin, rosemary and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the stock and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook over moderately low heat until the liquid is slightly reduced, 25 to 30 minutes.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, shaking well. Add the pasta to the sauce. Add the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and toss over low heat. Serve the pasta in bowls, topped with the ricotta and mint.

Smoky Shrimp and Grits

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/smoky-shrimp-and-grits




This was easy to make and very delicious. Not as much cheese as regular shrimp and grits. I would like to try this with white grits next time. I also did not use quick cooking grits, but stone grind ones that take 27 minutes. I might experiment with shrimp stock but it could be overpowering.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup quick-cooking grits
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup snipped chives
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 cup dry white wine
DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Gradually add the grits and a generous pinch of salt. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the grits are thick and porridge-like, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper and stir in the cheddar cheese, baby spinach and chives; stir until the cheese is melted and the spinach is wilted. Cover the grits and keep warm.
In a large skillet, heat the canola oil with the garlic over high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and paprika, season with salt and black pepper and cook until the shrimp are opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until the shrimp are white throughout and the garlic-paprika sauce is slightly reduced.
Spoon the grits into bowls, top with the shrimp and sauce; serve.

Skillet roasted spiced Okra

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/skillet-roasted-spiced-okra




Delicious and fast. I didn't have ground fennel seeds so I used whole. I may use more fenugreek next time. Cutting Okra was dangerous business - they were really prickly.

NGREDIENTS
3/4 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of ground fenugreek (optional)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound small okra, halved lengthwise
Salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, blend the paprika with the cumin, coriander, fennel, turmeric, cinnamon and fenugreek.
In each of 2 large nonstick skillets, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the okra, cut side down, and cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until browned on the bottom, 4 minutes longer. Turn the okra and cook over low heat until tender, 2 minutes. Season with salt and sprinkle with the spice mixture. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Drizzle the lemon juice over the okra and serve.

Portuguese Kale & Potato soup

We got our first bucket of CSA goods and it was mostly kale. I don't like kale but I have to eat it. It's full of calcium. The web said it was easy to freeze, so I went the soup route. I hope I don't get more kale next week. This produced about 12 cups of soup. We froze some of it and I would double the sausage.


http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Portuguese-kale-and-potato-soup-1026



* garlic cloves, minced
* 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
* 3/4 cup sliced carrots
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 pound russet (baking) potatoes (about 2 large)
* 4 cups chicken broth
* 3/4 pound Spanish chorizo (cured spicy pork sausage, available at Hispanic markets and some specialty food shops), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
* 3/4 pound kale, stems discarded and the leaves washed well, spun dry, and shredded thin (about 8 cups packed)
* 1 pound red potatoes

In a kettle cook the garlic, the onions, and the carrot in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened. Add the russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, the broth, and 4 cups water, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. While the potatoes are cooking, in a skillet cook the chorizo over moderate heat, stirring, until it is browned lightly and transfer it with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. With the slotted spoon transfer the cooked potatoes to a blender, add about 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid and purée the mixture until it is smooth. Stir the purée into the broth mixture, add the chorizo, the kale, the red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces, and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer the soup, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Miso glazed catfish

Bok Choy is in season and I cannot fear this vegetable anymore.

This recipe was super easy however miso paste is expensive and needs refrigeration. We have a whole month to attempt consuming the entire bucket. Fish needs to be cooked about 8-10 minutes rather than 5. This meal is extremely low in carbs, high in protein and uses the "Best Choice" of sustainable fishes .


http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/11/miso-glazed-catfish-and-baby-bok-choy-recipe.html#comments


serves 2 - Adapted from Whole Foods.
Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tablespoon white miso
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 catfish fillets (about 5 ounces a piece)
4 baby bok choy, halved
Procedure

1. Combine miso, sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of the oil, and 1/2 tablespoon of warm water in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Brush about half of the glaze onto both sides of the catfish fillets.


2. Pour the remaining oil into a large skillet. Turn the heat to medium. Add the catfish fillets and cook for about five minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the fillets, cover with aluminum foil while you cook the bok choy.

3. Keep the same skillet over medium heat. Quickly, brush the remaining glaze on the bok choy, and place on the skillet cut side down. Pour in 2 tablespoons of water, and scrape up any browned bits. Cover the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring every one minute. The bok choy should be tender and wilted, but still bright green. Serve with the catfish.

Turkey Herbed Brined

Last year I tried to cook a turkey and it was pale, sickly, and undercooked. I was defeated. This year I was determined not to let that happen again. Anne Burrell came to the rescue!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/brined-herb-crusted-turkey-with-apple-cider-gravy-recipe/index.html

SPY: This was a challenge for me - what in the heck will fit this enormous turkey as well as several quarts of water and salt? I fished out my handy Tupperware that stored my Apocalypse rice supply. It fit perfectly. Now wait 3 days.

Brining - I realized after day 2 that my turkey was about 9 pounds and at least 4 pounds lighter than what Anne used on the show. I began to worry that I would over brine the turkey. I decided to pull it out on Saturday morning. (From Wednesday night)

Slathering butter - This was very unpleasant as I don't like to get dirty with a raw turkey. It was so cold and my fingers got numb. The cold turkey would harden the butter into chunks. I would let the turkey sit out room temperature longer next time.

Time - ~2.5 hours. Realized thermometer is broken, used the poking method to check temperature.




Skin - The skin kept sliding away from the cavity due to jamming our fingers under the skin. Next time, there must be skewers to hold the skin in place. The skin was all exposed to the elements and I was afraid it would dry out. I made a mini aluminum hat to protect it. It looks like the turkey is flashing us.


Giblet bag - I told Mike that there was not one inside the bird. I fished around inside and did not find a bag. After dinner was over, alas, we discovered a sad plastic bag cooked inside. I hope the plastic did not poison the guests.


Ingredients
Brine:

* 7 quarts water
* 1 quart apple cider
* 3/4 cup kosher salt
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1 large onion, diced
* 1 large or 2 small carrots, diced
* 3 ribs celery, diced
* 1 head garlic, cut in 1/2 equatorially
* 1/2 bunch fresh rosemary
* 1/2 bunch fresh sage
* 6 bay leaves
* 1 (12 to 14 pound) turkey, free range organic is great!

Herb crust:

* 1 bunch fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
* 1 bunch fresh sage, leaves finely chopped
* 3 sticks butter, room temperature
* Kosher salt

Gravy:

* 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
* 1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
* 2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
* 4 cloves garlic, smashed
* 2 Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/2-inch dice
* 5 bay leaves
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 bunch thyme
* Kosher salt
* 1 quart chicken stock, divided
* 2 cups apple cider, divided
* 1/2 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

To brine the turkey: Combine all of the ingredients for the brine in a large container. Add the turkey and let it brine in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

To prepare the turkey for cooking: Remove the turkey from the brine the night before roasting and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. Combine the rosemary, sage, and butter for the herb crust in a small bowl. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Work the butter under the skin of the turkey and massage it into the breasts and the legs. Massage the butter on the outside of the skin as well. Tie the legs together over the breast so they will protect it during cooking and help keep it moist and juicy.

Gravy preparation: Put the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, apples, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and thyme in a roasting pan and season with salt. Arrange the turkey on top of the veggies and refrigerate overnight UNCOVERED! Yes, that's right, uncovered. This will help the skin dry out and become really brown and crispy. Make sure that there is no raw food near the turkey in the refrigerator. After refrigerating overnight, the turkey is ready to go in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Put 2 cups chicken stock and 1 cup apple cider in the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until the skin gets really nice and brown, about 40 minutes. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees F for the remainder of the cooking time. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes or so and add more stock to the roasting pan, if needed. Cook about 17 minutes per pound. Once it gets to the proper color, tent the turkey with aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark.

Remove the turkey from the oven when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey registers 160 degrees F. Make sure that the thermometer is not touching a bone when doing the reading. When the turkey has reached the proper temperature, remove it from the roasting pan to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Strain all the veggies over a bowl to separate them from the stock/mixture. Discard the veggies. Skim off the fat and add it to the roasting pan. This is the fat for the roux. Put the roasting pan over 2 burners and over a low heat and whisk in the flour. Cook until the mixture looks like wet sand, about 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the remaining 1 cup apple cider, remaining chicken stock and the stock/cider mixture. Cook until the mixture has thickened and reached a gravy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Pour into a serving pitcher or bowl.

Where in the world

I have been absent. I apologize, a wedding came up. My past recipes have been unsuccesful. I have become lazy. I will post again.

Sourdough Part 1

I saw a posting about sourdough and first I need to make sourdough starter. Recipe is from Lauren Groveman’s I Love to Cook Book. This sourdough starter appears in Lauren’s recipe for Pane di Casa.

2 c. warm water
1 teaspoon, plus a little of mild honey
2 TBSP yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, honey and yeast. When the yeast is dissolved and bubbly, stir in 2 c. flour until smooth. Add the rest of the flour 1/2 c. at a time, stirring until well-mixed each time. Cover the bowl securely with plastic wrap and let it sit. It will initially balloon up HUGELY, and then settle down. (Once it settled, I transferred it to a plastic ice cream bucket and put the lid on.) Let it sit and ferment for 4 days in a warm spot.

First 15 minutes, it looked like this.

After about an hour it doubled. I'm sure it takes less time, but I just was checking in sporadically.

Eww.

Now it sits on the counter for 4-5 days! This can the starter that keeps on living as long as I feed it.

Yuck

As you can see my last three recipes were a bust. They all tasted pretty terrible and I was so embarrassed of my "curry potato" that I deleted the photographs. I got a Martha Stewart "quick meals" book from the library and would like to try some recipes. I hope this goes better.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

This stuff is terrible but it lasted over a week - tons and tons of chicken left. The salsa made this way to watery and I felt like I was eating cafeteria food only worse.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Crockpot-Chicken-Tacos

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
A chopped onion (optional)
A chopped green pepper (optional)
1 packet taco seasoning
16 ounces salsa (that's 2 cups if you're using a larger bottle).
Flour tortillas, corn tortillas, or taco shells
Toppings: your choice of lettuce, sour cream, grated cheese, tomatoes, salsa, diced purple onions, olives, guacamole, etc.
---
Put the chicken in a Crockpot. Add the onion and pepper if you want.

Pour the other stuff over the chicken.
Mix the seasoning with salsa and pour over chicken. You can add some more water if you think it needs more liquid, but the salsa and the chicken will produce ample liquid as it cooks.
Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.

Done cooking.
The chicken is done when it can be shredded easily with a fork.

Shred with a fork.
Lift the chicken out and shred it with a fork.

Tortillas and toppings.
Serve with soft flour tortillas

Cabbage Kielbasa soup

This was in a Food and Wine magazine. Mike liked it, but I don't like cabbage. It stinks. I couldn't wait to get rid of the stuff. Once I ate the meat, I didn't want to finish the cabbage.



INGREDIENTS
7 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup long-grain white rice, such as basmati or jasmine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 pound kielbasa, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 medium green cabbage, cored and finely shredded
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, combine 1 3/4 cups of the chicken broth with the rice and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 18 minutes, until the rice is tender.
Meanwhile, in a soup pot, heat the oil. Add the kielbasa and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the onion and cabbage and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the remaining 6 cups of broth and bring to a simmer. Cook over moderately low heat until the cabbage is tender, 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the rice and serve.

Indian Chicken with Spinach

Saag Gosht
Serves 4-6

SPY - I forgot to seed the tomatoes, so the sauce was extra watery.

Onion Paste
1 large red onion
1.5 tablesppons of ginger
2-3 cloves of garlic

Tomato Mixture
2 medium tomatoes
2 hot green chilies

4-6 tablespoons of ghee or butter, oil
1 cassia leaf or bay leaf
4 green cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
4 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
.5 teaspoon turmeric
6 tablespoon of whole milk yogurt
1.5 pound of lamb or chicken thighs
2 cups of hot water
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 spinach
1.5 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves or kasoori methi
3-4 heavy cream or crème Fraîche
.5-1 teaspoon garam marsala
3 tablespoon cilantro

1. Make onion paste. Paste onion, ginger, garlic into blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to bowl and put aside. Without washing, put tomatoes and green chilies and puree until smooth.
2. heat oil in dutch oven over med high heat. whe hot add cassia leaf, cardamon pods, cinnamon, cloves. Cook until fragrant 15 secs. add onion paste an cook until fried 12-15 minutes. Stir tomato mixture for 10 minutes until oil separates.

3. toss in coriander, cumin, turmeric and stir 1 minute. reduce heat and stir in yogurt 2 tablespoon at a time until mixed. Raise heat and add meat, sear 5 minutes. Add hot water adn salt and stir. bring to boil and reduce heat to med low. cover and simmer for 1.5 hours for lamb, 1 hour for chicken.
4. stir cooked spinach, fenugreek leaves, heavy cream, and simmer 3-4 minutes. transfer and sprinkle with garam masala and cilantro. server with hot rice or bread.

Orange Roughy with Indian spice tomatoes

Very simple to make, got some galam marsala around and dashed it in there. I have a costco sized bag of orange roughy at my disposal and I need ways to eat it and not get bored.
Verdict : Super easy to make and the mister liked it . I however, liked the ingredients on paper, but not so much together. Felt bland.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/106415
Ingredients
4 6-ounce orange roughy fillets or red snapper fillets (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick)
3 teaspoons garam masala
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Preparation
Sprinkle fish on both sides with salt and pepper, then with 1 teaspoon garam masala, dividing equally. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add fish and cook until opaque in center, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer fish to platter (do not clean skillet).

Add tomatoes with juices, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and remaining 2 teaspoons garam masala to same skillet. Simmer over medium-low heat until slightly thickened, scraping up any browned bits, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over fish. Top with yogurt and sprinkle with cilantro.

Chicken Au "Champagne" another French women recipe

Chicken Au Champagne - Another French Women don't get fat recipe.
a) Champagne is expensive, even at Costco. Substitute with some American substitute for $7.00 a bottle. Same thing, and you are boiling it to death in an oven.

b) shallots are a nice hidden surprise in the breast, though the color can give a false alarm that the chicken is rare. Don't alarm your guest

c) I chucked in sprigs of cilantro with the chicken because I had some left over. This is not so appealing after baking. Leave out or it looks like kelp.

d) Very simple and cheap, though something about baking "champagne" emits a foul vapor whenever the door is opened and stings your eyes like onions on crack.

e) Next time must stuff with garlic and a hidden cheese surprise!

http://www.mireilleguiliano.com/chickenauchampagne.htm
Ingredients

4 chicken breasts (with skin and bone)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Chervil, tarragon, or thyme (optional)
1 shallot, quartered
1 cup Champagne (Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut recommended)

1. Place the chicken breasts in a roasting pan, and season them. Pour 1/2 cup of the Champagne over breasts. Make a slit in each breast and insert a piece of shallot.

2. Place the pan under the broiler, skin-side down, for 3 minutes, until the skin is nicely browned. Turn and broil the other side for 5 minutes.

3. Remove the chicken from the broiler, baste with the pan juices, and add the remaining 1/2 cup of Champagne. Adjust the oven temperature to 475 degrees and bake the chicken for 30 minutes, basting once or twice.

4. Serve over brown rice. Sautéed mushrooms add a special touch and go beautifully with Champagne. (In a warm frying pan with a touch of olive oil, add clean, roughly chopped mushrooms, and cook for a few minutes. Add a few drops of lemon juice, freshly chopped sage, seasoning to taste, and 1 tablespoon of butter.) Pour the cooking juices from the chicken over the meat and rice. Serve the remainder of the bottle of Champagne (about 6 glasses) with the meal.

French women don't get fat Ratatouille

I read the book and there are many easy, simple, filling recipes that are good for you and can help you lose weight. Ratatouille is my first attempt. Things I would change.
a) peel the eggplant
b) use fresh parsley
c) chicken stock? maybe a cup.

link to book site
Ingredients
3 pounds Each of tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini
12 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of parsley
oil

1. Use equal amounts of tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini. Wash and cut into thick slices
2. lay in a heavy stock pot like Le Crueset pot, arrange as one layer after another.
3. Fill to rim, alternate tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, garlic and parsley, also salt and pepper
4. cook and cover over low heat for 2.5 hours
5. Cool for 20 minutes. eat like a soup. add olive oil in and grate fresh parmesan cheese

Leftovers
Use and cook with chicken or meat and then on a pizza. I haven't tried this yet.

Verdict

Delicious and healthy! Use fresh veggies, no canned at all.