Poulet Au Vinaigre Recipe

An old French dish,  chicken in vinegar sauce enjoyed a revival in the 1970s, and is still on many bistro menus.  For the best results, use naturally fermented French vinegar.

Ingredients:
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup water
2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup top-quality red wine vinegar

Preparation:

1. Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, if necessary, add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.
2. Lower the heat, and season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper.  Add 1/2 cup of water, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the scallions and 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley.  Move the pieces of white meat to the top so the dark meat, which takes longer to cook, can get more heat.  Cover again and cook until the meat shows no sign of pink when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife at the thighbone, about 20 minutes.
4. Transfer the chicken to a platter.  Add the vinegar to the skillet.  Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, and cook, scraping up the brown residue in the pan, until the vinegar has reduced to a thick glaze, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of water and mix until smooth.
5. Add 1/4 cup of chopped parsley, pour the sauce over the chicken, and serve hot.

Recipe courtesy of The Essential James Beard Cookbook by James Beard.

France [ print this recipe for Poulet Au Vinaigre ]

The Father Loaf Recipe

If you're going to have the Mother Loaf, you've got to have the The Father Loaf.  So what makesthis meatloaf different from its better half?  You'll see.  We've added some barbecue sauce, a different herb blend, and topped it with Cheesy Taters.  Here's to dads everywhere!

Ingredients:
1 cup dry white bread crumbs
1 cup 100% whole grain rolled oats
2/3 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tbsp + 2 tspn Worchestire sauce
2 tspn traditional barbecue sauce
2 tspn minced garlic
2 tspn minced fresh chives
1 tspn dried Herbes de Provence
1 tspn paprika
1 tspn fine sea salt
1 tspn black pepper
1 pound(450 g) ground chuck beef
1 pound(450 g) ground pork
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/3 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
2/3 cup finely chopped curly parsely
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
canola or vegetable spray, for greasing
1 batch of Cheesy Taters

For the Glaze and Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup traditional barbecue sauce
granulated sugar, to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine the bread crumbs, oats, and milk in a bowl and let soften.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and barbecue sauces, garlic, chives, Herbes de Provence, paprika, salt, and pepper.  In a large bowl, combine the ground meats, onion, celery, bell pepper, and parsley.  Add the eggs, the ketchup mixture, and the softened bread crumb/oats mixture, and then mix well with your hands.
4. Cover a sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray  with canola or vegetable oil.  Using your hands, form the meatloaf mixture into a generous log on the prepared pan and smooth the surface, or create your own shape - Dad may even want to fashion it into a football to accompany one of those big games!  Bake in the oven for approximately 35 minutes.
5. While the meatloaf is baking, begin preparing the Cheesy Taters.  Also stir together the ingredients for the glaze and dipping sauce.
6. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and brush the top with some of the glaze mixture.  Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit but note that the total cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your particular creation.
7. Top with hot Cheesy Taters and enjoy with the remaining glaze mixture as a dipping sauce. 

Recipe courtesy of The Meatloaf Bakery Cookbook - Comfort Food with a Twist by Cynthia Kallile

United States Chicago  [ print this recipe for The Father Loaf ]

Cheesy Taters Recipe

Imagine a creamy blend of three cheeses with sour cream and butter.  Cheesy potatoes have never been this good.  Love them alone and on the Father Loaf.

Ingredients:
8 Russet potatoes (about 2 lb./900 g), peeled and cut into 2-inch/5-cm cubes
2 tbsp. 2% milk
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sour cream
1 1/3 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
coarse sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce the heat and continue cooking for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.  In the meantime, warm the milk in a microwave.
2. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return to the pan.  Add the warm milk, softened butter, and sour cream, and then mash with a potato masher.  While the potatoes are still hot, add the cheeses and continue mashing until they are melted.  Season with salt and pepper - because these cheeses can be salty, you may not need to add any salt, perhaps only a little white pepper to bring out the flavors.  As for lumps, they're totally acceptable if you don't intend to do any creative piping.  However, if you'de like to try your hand with a pastry bag and your favorite decorative tip, be sure to minimize lumps, because they make piping more difficult.

Variation:  Caraway-Horseradish Smashers

Make 1 batch of Cheesy Taters, following the recipe above, but replace the cheeses with  1 tbsp. plus 1 tspn. prepared(pure) horseradish and the same quantity of crushed caraway seeds-feel free to add more horseradish to taste.  Continue mashing until the potatoes reach the desired consistency (smooth for piping or toping).  Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe courtesy of The Meatloaf Bakery Cookbook - Comfort Food with a Twist by Cynthia Kallile

United States Chicago [ print this recipe for Cheesy Taters ]

Coq au Vin Assez Rapide Recipe

Chicken with wine is one of those special dishes I’ve found everywhere in my travels through Burgundy. Classic coq au vin can be fussy and time-consuming, as some recipes call for marinating the chicken in wine overnight and peeling a lot of petits oignons (here, frozen pearl onions are used – no one will know the difference). The assez rapide (pretty quick) recipe gets right to the heart of the classic dish without a lot of fuss.

The traditional wine for coq au vin is a Pinot Noir from Burgundy. But I’ve always enjoyed this dish most when made with that other Burgundian red – the terrific cru Beaujolais (made from the Gamay grape). To me, Beaujolais is the quintessential dinner-at-home wine – fruity, soft, and approachable – and it goes with everything. Get an extra bottle to drink with dinner.

Ingredients:
3 to 4 pounds bone-in, skin on chicken breast halves and/or thighs
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium-size carrot, peeled and diced
3 large shallots, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cru Beaujolais, such as Beaujolais Villages, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Morgon, or Brouilly (not Beaujolais Nouveau); you can also use Pinot Noir
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
1 tbsp snipped fresh parsley, plus additional snipped fresh parsley or chives, or a combination, for the garnish
1/2 tspn dried thyme, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions
3 tbsp unsalted butter
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, stems trimmed, left whole if small, quartered or halved if larger

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Snip away and discard any excess skin from the chicken thighs. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in 1/2 cup of the flour, pat off the excess, and set aside. Cook the bacon in a braiser or oven-safe Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp; remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add the vegetable oil to the bacon fat left in the braiser; heat over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes (reduce the heat to medium if the chicken browns too quickly). Transfer the chicken to a plate and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the braiser.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrot and shallots to the braiser; cook, stirring, until the carrots soften somewhat and the shallots are tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Add the wine and chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Return the chicken, skin side up, to the braiser and add the bacon.
4. Cover the braiser and transfer to the oven. Bake until the chicken is tender and no longer pink (the internal temperature should register 170 degrees Fahrenheit for breasts, 180 degrees Fahrenheit for thighs), about 1 hour.
5. About 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time, cook the frozen pearl onions in a large saucepan according to the package directions. Drain and leave in the colander. In the same saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat; add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until tender and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Return the onions to the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep warm.
6. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces to a large platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Discard the bay leaf. Pour the juices and solids into a large measuring cup and skim off the fat. You want a total of 2 cups of pan liquid, including the bacon, carrot, shallots, and garlic in the liquid. If you have more, boil the liquid in the pot over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 cups. If you have less, add additional chicken broth to make 2 cups, return the liquid to the pot, and bring to a boil.
7. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons flour together to make a paste (a beurre manié). Add the beurre manié bit by bit to the cooking liquid, stirring with a wire whisk to blend away any lumps. Cook, stirring, until the mixture boils and thickens, then continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Add the onions and mushrooms and heat through.
8. Divide the chicken among six shallow bowls. Pour the sauce over the chicken, dividing the bacon, mushrooms, and onions evenly. Top each serving with a sprinkling of parsley or chives and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Recipe courtesy of The Bonne Femme Cookbook by Wini Moranville

France [ print this recipe for Coq au Vin Assez Rapide ]

Easy Thanksgiving Dinner Recipe

Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday because it has nothing to do with politics or religion and it is all about getting family and friends together to enjoy great food. Many of us are fortunate enough to be a part of a large gathering on this day. However, many people will be spending this holiday alone because they are far from home, have a small family, have to work during the holiday, and/or many other reasons. Although they won't be able to join members of their family and friends, they can still enjoy a quick and easy Thanksgiving dinner that can be prepared by one person in less than 20 minutes. Here's how to do it.

Ingredients:
3 boneless turkey or chicken breasts
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 and 1/4 cup water
1 10 3/4 oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 6 oz. package of your favorite bread stuffing mix

serve these along with chicken and stuffing for a fast and easy Thanksgiving feast.
1 can Cranberry
1 store bought pie
1 bottle of your favorite wine (we chose Fritz's Riesling - $13 per bottle)

Preparation:

1. Place the chicken at the bottom of a greased slow cooker.
2. Pour the condensed soup over the chicken.
3. In a bowl, mix together the stuffing, water, and melted butter. Distribute this mixture evenly over the chicken.
4. Place cover on the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.

United States [ print this recipe for Easy Thanksgiving Dinner ]

Italian Meat Balls Recipe

If you never seem to have time to cook during the week, try this recipe for Italian meatballs. You can make these on the weekend and heat them up in the microwave (for about 1 minute) when you need them during the week.

We will cover them in a simple tomato sauce before they go into the oven. In addition, we made a velouté sauce that can be poured over the meatballs when they are served. This sauce is optional but very easy to make.

The Italian meatballs can be eaten as a stand alone dish or they can be added to your favorite pasta (such as Risotto Milanese) and sauce. Regardless of how you decide to use them, they will save you time during the week.


Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
2 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tspn salt
1 1/2 tspn black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms, ground

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a large casserole dish.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pork, beef, bread crumbs, milk, eggs, garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and porcini mushrooms.
3. Using your hands, form golf ball sized meatballs.
4. Place the meatballs into the casserole dish and place the dish into the oven.
5. Cook for 15 minutes.
6. Remove the casserole dish containing the meatballs from the oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Cover the meatballs with your favorite spaghetti sauce. I used canned pizza sauce.
8. When the temperature in the oven has reached 350 degrees Fahrenheit, place the meatballs back into the oven and bake for 1 hour.
9. Remove the meat balls from the oven and serve hot.

Italy [ print this recipe for Italian Meat Balls ]

Spicy Sesame Noodle Bowl Recipe

from  White Jacket Required by Jenna Weber.....

Whenever I am craving for Vietnamese food, I head to the kitchen and make this recipe.  Cooked shrimp make a nice addition.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/8 cup chili oil
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
5 clove garlic, minced
8 oz. soba noodles, cooked and drained (drizzle with sesame oil after cooking)
sesame seeds for garnish
sliced raw vegetables of your choice (red pepper strips, carrot sticks, bean sprouts)

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the soy sauce and hot water until combined and smooth.  Add canola oil and mix again, then add tahini, sugar, and vinegar, mixing well after each addition.
2. Add chili oil, sesame oil, and garlic.
3. Whisk until everything is combined.
4. Serve with noodles and top with sesame seeds and raw vegetables.

Recipe courtesy of White Jacket Required by Jenna Weber (author of the blog Eat, Live, Run ) 

Vietnam [ print this recipe for Spicy Sesame Noodle Bowl ]