Poulet Saute aux Herbes de Provence

Ingredients

  • 1/4 pound butter
  • 2-1/2 to 3 pounds cut-up frying chicken
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 cloves unpeeled garlic
  • 2/3 cup dry white wine or 1/2 cup dry white vermouth
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon dry white wine or vermouth
  • 2 tablespoons fresh minced basil, fennel fronds or parsley

Instructions

  1. Heat butter in a large skillet until it is foaming. Add chicken pieces and saute for 7 to 8 minutes, turning often. Do not let chicken color more than a deep golden yellow. Season with herbs and salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook, uncovered, for another 20 to 25 minutes, turning 2 to 3 times, or until chicken is tender and juices run clear. Remove chicken to a warm platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
  2. Mash garlic cloves with the back of a spoon. Remove peel. Add wine and boil down until reduced by half.
  3. Beat egg yolks in a separate small saucepan until thick and sticky. Beat in lemon juice and wine with a whisk. Add liquid remaining in saute pan, a half teaspoon at a time, until a creamy mayonnaise sauce begins to form. Beat over very low heat until warm and thickened.. Remove from heat. Add finishing herbs and adjust to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

From One Perfect Bite/Juila Child

Lentils + Quinoa with Spinach

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 cup chopped carrots (about 3 medium)
  • 1 cup chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
  • 1 jalapeño  seeded + dieced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt + pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup lentils
  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup coconut milk

Instructions

  1. Cook quinoa separately
  2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or cast iron pot. Add onion, carrots, celery, pepppers and garlic, and cook until everything has started to soften, about 3 – 4 minutes.
  3. Season with ginger and spices and stir around until the whole mixture becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.
  4. Pour in the tomatoes, lentils, and broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce to simmer for 25 – 30 minutes until lentils are soft.
  5. Remove pot from the heat, uncover and add spinach and coconut milk, stirring gently to combine. Taste (carefully!) and season with salt and pepper.
  6. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh herbs and sliced hot peppers.
Adapted from Simply Quinoa.

Ard Bia Brown Soda Bread

Ingredients

  • 125g strong white flour
  • 125g brown flour
  • 50g sunflower seeds, plus extra for topping
  • 50g sesame seeds, plus extra for topping
  • 50g pumpkin seeds, plus extra for topping
  • 50g pinhead oatmeal
  • 1 tbsp baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 300ml buttermilk

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease a 900g loaf tin.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, mixing well. Add the oil and half the buttermilk, stir well to mix and add the rest of the buttermilk bit by bit. You’re looking for a moist consistency but don’t want it to be too wet or sticky.
  3. Transfer the mixture to the greased loaf tin. Score the surface with a sharp knife. (Because we include a little white flour in our recipe, the bread will rise more than traditional soda bread. It needs to be scored to rise evenly.)
  4. Scatter the top with extra seeds and bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean. Allow to cool a little before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

From Paolo’s Brown Soda Bread from Ard Bia Cookbook & the Ard Bia Blog.

Pan-Seared Albacore Tuna Loin

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb albacore tuna loin
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

For the rub/crust:

  • 1/2 Tbsp paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • A heavy-bottomed pan big enough to cook your whole loin

Instructions

  1. Pat your loin dry so that your crust will adhere.
  2. Rub with a bit of olive oil then eason with sea salt,then roll in your crust rub.
  3. Heat your pan for 4 minutes, then add oil.
  4. When it shimmers, lay your loin on the pain and LEAVE IT ALONE for 1 minute per side. 2 if you want it less rare. Your crust will get dark and crispy, this is good.
  5. Turn and repeat so the outside is uniformly cooked.
  6. Remove and slice crosswise into 1/3″ slices with a very sharp (serrated works well) knife.

From Sea Forager.

Pat Conroy’s Baby Crab Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lump crabmeat
  • 1 egg white, light beaten
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground hot red pepper
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt, divided
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 3 tablespoons oil, cook’s preference, divided
  • Lemon wedges, optional

Instructions

Move the crabmeat to a large bowl and pour the egg white over the crabmeat in a slow stream, stopping occasionally to mix. When the crabmeat has absorbed the egg and feels slightly sticky to the touch, sift the flour over the crabmeat. Sprinkle with chives, peppers, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir lightly from the bottom, but don’t overhand.

Separate the crabmeat into 16 caked by gently rolling each portion in a flattened palm. Gently press down to form the cake and move to a large plate. Sprinkle with remaining salt. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Melt half of the butter and half of the oil in a large skillet. Move 8 of the crab cakes to the hot fat and cook until a crust forms, about 2 minutes. Turn carefully with a thin metal or plastic spatula and cook another 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and melt the remaining butter and oil. Cook remaining crab cakes in the same fashion. Serve hot with optional lemon wedges.

Sablefish Fish Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sablefish
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp panko, plus more for coating to cook
  • 2 green onions – thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • pinch ground cayenne
  • Old Bay
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp butter

Instructions

  1. Prep fish. Remove skin & bones if necessary. Slice into small cubes & transfer to a mixing bowl.
  2. Gently stir in egg, then sprinkle in flour, panko, scallions, salt & peppers over fish & stir.
  3. Scoop out roughly 1/4 cup fish mixture & use your hands to form into cakes. Transfer to a small sheet pan or plate. Sprinkle with Old Bay. Cover with saran & refrigerate for an hour.
  4. Pour some panko onto a small plate. Coat chilled fish cakes with panko.
  5. Heat a heavy pan over medium-high heat, melt in the butter & oil.
  6. Cook about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden & the fish is just cooked through.

Adapted from Seaforager based on Pat Conroy’s baby crab cake recipe from Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking.

Sticky Coconut Chicken and Rice

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 teaspoons coarse ground salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 ½ cups short-grain white rice, rinsed until water runs clear
  • 1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth 
  • 1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
  • ½ cup roasted cashews
  • 3 green onions, green and white parts, thinly sliced (½ packed cup)
  • 4 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Rub chicken with 1 tablespoon of oil, and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
  2. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium. Working in two batches, brown chicken, turning halfway, until no longer pink, around 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the ginger and the garlic to the empty pot, and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add rice and stir until evenly coated in the oil. Add broth, coconut milk, bell pepper, cashews, scallions and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to lift up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Arrange chicken on top, add any accumulated juices from the plate and bring to a boil over high.
  4. Cover and bake until all of the liquid is absorbed, rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, 25 minutes. Scatter cilantro over the chicken and rice, then divide among bowls. Serve with hot sauce.

Adapted from NY Times Cooking.

Ginger Soy Dressing (Copycat Makoto Ginger Dressing)

  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon grated celery
  • 1 tablespoon grated carrot
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (approx 1.5 lemons)
  • 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey
  • A pinch of cayenne

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly with immersion blender.

Adapted from the Gourmess.