Nicoise and My Herbed Viniagrette

The best salad in the world...great for a summer night w/ a little wine (french of course)

I used garbanzo beans instead of the potatoes because I accidently juiced all my potatoes (really good for detoxing- but that's abfat -another blog for another time).  It was good and it's a better option if you are low-carb.  I used pan seared ahi for this one, but have made it since with canned tuna and it  was good too (obviously the ahi was amazing).  Oh and I had these huge capers that madit really good...but you could use normal capers too.  


Salad Niçoise (pronounced nee-suaz) is essentially a French composed salad, much like our American Cobb salad, but with tuna, green beans, and potatoes, instead of chicken, bacon, and avocado. Salad Niçoise hails from Nice, on the Mediterranean Sea, though like so many foods we enjoy here of French origin, has changed a bit to adapt to our tastes. According to the Wikipedia the Niçoise salads are always made with raw vegetables and served with anchovies. Nicoise salads that are served in America are typically served on a bed of lettuce and include cooked green beans and potatoes. According to our Paris insider, the Niçoise salads there are all made with canned tuna. Depending on the establishment here, I've had them either with canned or with freshly grilled tuna. Like its American Cobb salad cousin, the Salad Nicoise takes some time to prepare, given all of the ingredients. This is one dish where setting up your mise en place (all ingredients chopped and ready to go) will help the salad come together smoothly.

Nicoise Salad Recipe

Ingredients

Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves 
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh basil leaves 
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves 
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salad

• 2 grilled or otherwise cooked tuna steaks* (8 oz each) or 2-3 cans of tuna
• 4 hard boiled eggs peeled and either halved or quartered 
• 4 small new red potatoes (each about 2 inches in diameter, about 1 1/4 pounds total), each potato scrubbed and quartered
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 2 medium heads Boston lettuce or butter lettuce, leaves washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces
• 5 small ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into eighths
• 1 small red onion, sliced very thin
• 8 ounces green beans, stem ends trimmed and each bean halved crosswise
• 1/4 cup niçoise olives 
• 2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and/or several anchovies (optional)

Method

*Marinate tuna steaks in a little olive oil for an hour. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat, or place on a hot grill. Cook the steaks 2 to 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.
1 Whisk lemon juice, oil, shallot, thyme, basil, oregano, and mustard in medium bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
2 Bring potatoes and 4 quarts cold water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and cook until potatoes are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon (do not discard boiling water). Toss warm potatoes with 1/4 cup vinaigrette; set aside.
3 While potatoes are cooking, toss lettuce with 1/4 cup vinaigrette in large bowl until coated. Arrange bed of lettuce on a serving platter (I used two serving platters, shown in the photos). Cut tuna into 1/2-inch thick slices, coat with vinaigrette. Mound tuna in center of lettuce. Toss tomatoes, red onion, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste in bowl; arrange tomato-onion mixture on the lettuce bed. Arrange reserved potatoes in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.
4 Return water to boil; add 1 tablespoon salt and green beans. Cook until tender but crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain beans, transfer to reserved ice water, and let stand until just cool, about 30 seconds; dry beans well. Toss beans, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste; arrange in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.
5 Arrange hard boiled eggs, olives, and anchovies (if using) in mounds on the lettuce bed. Drizzle eggs with remaining 2 tablespoons dressing, sprinkle entire salad with capers (if using), and serve immediately

Blissful Banana no-bake dessert

This no-bake dessert will knock your socks off.  ha!  As I have stated previously, I am a cook, not a baker.  But this dessert, even I can handle!  A friend that came to girls night last week even loved it and she hates bananas!  I'm thinking you could even substitute any fruit you want and it would be good (raspberries, strawberries, nectarines)...but there's just something about bananas, cream and chocolate.  PS- serve with coffee and the combo is to.die.for.

Just a shout out to my Irish grandmother...this is her recipe and it has become a Forrester, now Cefalia, tradition at every holiday. 

I'll add a picture of the pie next time I make it! 

Blissful Banana Pie

Ingredients:

Graham cracker crust
1  16oz package of semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup of milk
3 cups of miniature marshmellows
1 package of instant vanilla pudding (the bigger box)
Carton of cool whip
2 bananas

• In a sauce pot combine the whole bag of chocolate chips and 1 cup of marshmellows- heat on LOW  until the marshmellow and chocolate chips have melted.  
• Pour into the crust (do not refridgerate)
• Prepare pudding as directed, EXCEPT use only 1 1/2 cups of milk (this is key)  - then, chill
• Fold 1/2 of the cool whip with the remaining 2 cups of marshmellows with the chilled vanilla pudding
• Slice the bananas over the chocolate mixture
• Pour the vanilla/marshmellow/cool whip mixture over the bananas
• Chill for several hours
• Spread the remaining half of cool whip over the pie (like an icing) and garnish with additional bananas

Sit back and enjoy all the compliments ;)

My Herbed Wine Baked Chicken

My Very Safe/NEVER Fail Baked Chicken Dinner

So, I don't remember where I read it..... (I think it was Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach.  Highly recommend)...but I read that if you can get a recipe in your mind so much so, that when you're at the market you already know the ingredient list, that you can make the dish with out looking at the recipe...THEN it's in your repertoire.  Well, this is that dish for me.  My Mom used to make it all the time...it was the dinner I requested for my birthday dinner.  I cannot count the number of times I've made this dish.  It honestly never comes out wrong.  I like bone-in chicken, but anyone that knows me knows that...but I've made it with chicken breast too and as long as you don't cook it forever, it still comes out.  Anyway, I'll start yapping about how great it is and give you the recipe to try.

Herbed Wine Chicken

Preheat the oven to 350

(side note:  this is the written recipe I was given by my mom, who was given it by her mom---but feel free to use ANY type of chicken- just adjust the cooking time- if not using bone-in...go low and slow (my fav)... to make sure you don't over cook)

4 split breasts
1/4 t garlic  (I use like 3 T! )  hee hee so adjust to what you like
1/4 t pepper  ( I use more)
1/2 t oregano (dried)-- I use way more and I've used fresh also, but i like oregano
1 t salt  [I use sea salt and adjust depending on what kind of butter I use (salted/unsalted)]
1/4 c butter- I use a whole stick of unsalted
1/4 c white wine-- I buy cheap chardonnay for this---breaks my heart to use my good wine ;)

Melt the butter in 9 x 13 or a square one (depending on how much chicken you're making)...add all the seasoning and mix together with a fork--everything EXCEPT the wine.
put the thawed chicken in coat both sides...Add the wine...cover and bake away!

If you're making the split breasts it will take 45 mins - 1 hour...WAY less if your chicken is boneless.  Sorry, I have a huge problem with people overcooking chicken...it should still be pinkish...if the juices are clear, you're fine.  Everyone is so scared of salmonella that they're making jerky out of their chicken.  What a waste. 
Anyway, what I ALWAYS serve with this is steamed broccoli and white rice...then I pour the juices over both...
I'll stop yapping...try it once.  It's amazing..and SO easy and it's stuff we mostly already have- except the cheap white wine, which I now keep stocked.
Enjoy...I'd post a picture, but honestly it doesn't look that impressive...but the taste makes up for it...and you can mix it all around...ok, I'll stop.  Bon apetit!

Mushroom Soup w/ Balsamic Topper

Mushroon Soup w Balsamic Topper

Mushroom Soup You and Everyone Else will Actually Like

I love mushrooms, but never really know what to do with them when I buy them except make a veal marsala or put em with onions and lay em on some steak.  I came across this recipe and LOVE the mushroomy taste of it- trust me, I've tried many recipes.  I thought the other recipes were okay, but my husband refused to eat them.  But he LOVES this soup and actually gets excited when I tell him I'm making it.  Oh, and the balsamic at the end sounds weird, but TRY IT!  It makes it, and vinegar is soooo good for us!

Cut one large onioninto slices  and saute with some evoo
Cut 12oz. of mushrooms into slices (I use porcini and Chanterelle)- but get a mix of whatever is available

Once the onion is getting soft (after about 5 mins) add the mushrooms (I add some organic unsalted butter too at this point)
Saute for about 8 mins (until they've realeased their jucies)

Add 2-4 cups on chicken stock and dried or fresh parsley. Bring soup to a very gentle simmer and cook uncovered for about one hour. After an hour (when soup should have reduced by at least 1/4) taste for flavor, and add salt and fresh ground black pepper as needed. If the soup doesn't seem flavorful enough, cook a bit longer to reduce a little more. When soup has a good mushroom flavor, puree. Use an immersion blender in the pot, or carefully remove hot soup to a food processor or or regular blender to puree. (Be very careful if using food processor or blender. Puree in batches, and don't overfill the container.)

Serve hot with 2 T of good quality balsamic on top!  Bon Appetit

butternut squash soup

'm also currently making a butternut squash soup, for me to eat during the week ‪#‎timetolosethelast10‬ ...and I totally cheated and bought butternut pieces at trader joes...sauteeing onion, celery and carrots, adding the butternut squash- (blend until smooth)...adding chicken broth to mixture as needed and some of my homemade bone broth...simmering til thick...adding some creme fraise (b/c I don't have cream)...a pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric...s&p to taste...serve with peppitas (sounds weird, but it's delicious)..... I used to roast the squash pull out the seeds and roast them...but that was when I had 2 kids and had an extra second. Now I spend all my extra seconds on FB, b/c it's WAY more fun.   xo & bon appetit

Drip Beef....

Drip Beef, Two Ways

Posted by Ree

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commentsprint recipe

Drip Beef. To me, the name means Scumptious. Hearty. 

Drip Beef. To me, the name means Crowd pleasing. Yummy.

Drip Beef. To me, the name means Hyacinth. 

Well, so many things mean Hyacinth to me—not just this flavorful, slow-cooked shredded beef slapped on a buttered bun and dipped in the cooking juices…though the significance of such beauty should never be underestimated. But Hyacinth is so much more than Drip Beef. How can I adequately describe her? Sweetness and Light. Goodness and Kindness. Selflessness and Generosity. Cracks up at her own jokes if she has two sips of wine.

You’d love Hyacinth if you met her. 

Anyway, Hyacinth’s family is really big on Drip Beef. They eat it at their family gatherings. And since I happen to think Drip Beef the perfect Superbowl food, I adapted her recipes to share with you this week. Because here’s the thing: Drip Beef couldn’t be easier to make. You literally spend five minutes (maximum) slopping some ingredients together in a pot or a slow cooker. Then you cook it for six or so hours, until the meat is positively falling apart. Then you shred the meat and let it sit in the juices until you’re ready to serve it up on toasted, buttered deli rolls to a hungry roomful of rabid football fans. What could possibly be better?

Here’s a bonus, though: you can make the meat the day before, then pop it in the fridge overnight. This is actually my preferred method for two reasons: one, you don’t have to worry about it on game day. Two, the next day when you pull the pot out of the fridge, you can easily remove the hardened fat that’s risen to the top of the pan. Then you just reheat it on the stovetop and go for it! And I actually think the meat winds up being even more flavorful and tender that way. 

Here are two different approaches:

The First Cast of Characters: chuck roast, beef consomme, pepperoncinis, water, Italian seasoning, and salt. 

I received this as a gift recently. It’s awesome. But you can use any combination Italian seasoning—Hyacinth’s recipe uses a Good Seasons Italian Dressing packet! 

Throw the chuck roast into a pot.

Then pour in the can of consomme. Beef broth can also be used.

Note: You can read all about the difference between beef broth and consomme in this post.

But I’ll just go ahead and tell you the most important difference as it relates to this dish. Now, listen up, because this is vital:

I had beef consomme in my pantry. I did not have beef broth in my pantry. So I used beef consomme. The end.

Now, add in about 15 or so pepperoncinis, along with half the juice of a 16 ounce jar. 

Dump in 3 or 4 tablespoons of Italian seasoning. Depending on whether or not the seasoning contains salt, you’ll need to add a little of that, too.

Stir around the liquid and seasonings a bit. And that’s it!

Now cover the pot and stick it into a 275 degree oven for 5 to 6 hours. Don’t even worry about checking on it; just let the magic happen. You can also use a slow cooker if that’s your preference, or (as we’ll see in the next recipe) you can simmer it on the stove. Versatility galore!

Next, let’s get the other one started. This is a little more basic, a little less risky (it doesn’t contain spicy peppers), and produces quite a bit more liquid than the first. 

The Second Cast of Characters: chuck roast, onion, garlic, cooking sherry, soy sauce, and water. And butter. And salt. 

Amen.

Heat a big dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Slice up an onion. Thick slices, not too thin.

Melt a half a stick of butter…

Throw in the onions and stir them around…

Cook them for a couple of minutes.

Next, just throw the chuck roast right on top.

Pour in the soy sauce.

The sherry…

And the water. Throw in a little salt, too. 

Finally, throw in a few peeled cloves of garlic. 

Put on the lid, then stick it on the stovetop over simmering heat. Let it go for about 6 hours without giving it so much of a thought.

**FAST FORWARD: SIX HOURS**

By the time the meat was done, it was dark in my kitchen and I don’t know how to use my flash so please forgive the lighting…but yum. Here’s what the first one looks like when it’s done.

And just look at those beautifully curious green goblins in there.

Make sure the meat’s nice and tender (if not, return it to the oven for 30 minutes or so), then use two forks to pull the meat apart.

Keep going until it’s totally shredded—no big chunks at all. Now just cover it and keep warm until you’re ready to serve it…or stick it in the fridge overnight.

Here’s the other pot. As you can see, there’s a lot more liquid in this one.

Shred this meat up too, then cover the pot and keep warm until serving. 

Really, though, the beauty of this meat is that it can be made the day before, then refrigerated overnight. 

And if you do that…

This is what it looks like the next day. All the fat has conveniently risen to the top and hardened for your convenience. Isn’t that nice of the fat?

So just take off as much as you want.

I usually leave a little bit. It’s the kinda gal I am.

Yum! Hardened fat!

Just go ahead and throw this away. It’s the right thing to do.

Now grab some deli rolls. Bakery fresh if you live in civilization; Earthgrains if you don’t.

I don’t.

Cut ‘em down the middle…

Then smear them with butter and brown them on the griddle. You want ‘em buttery, golden, and crispy. If you’re doing a huge batch and trust yourself to watch them, you can do them under the broiler.

But I don’t trust myself to watch them.

I just make a big ol’ basket of these earlier in the day, then keep ‘em covered with a towel until the game starts. 

When it gets close to game time, just simmer the meat to warm it up. Here’s Pot 1. 

Here’s Pot 2. 

I had a terribly important decision to face yesterday, and that was this:

Which meat should I eat for lunch?

I had the whole world in front of me.

I chose the one with the peppers. 

To serve, just heap some meat on the toasted bottom half of the roll.

Then, while you could just stick the other half of the roll on top and chow down…I like to go one step further. Mozzarella, Provolone—heck, use Cheez Whiz if you want. 

I won’t tell anyone.

Stick it under the broiler to melt.

Serve up little bowls of the juice, too. It’s an absolute treasure.

Oh, yum. The best thing about this sandwich is that the meat is so moist, it seeps into the roll on the bottom and fills it with such flavor. 

And the peppers. Don’t get me started on the tangy wonderfulness.

Dip it into the juice…oh, man.

Heaven on a plate.

This is the meat from Pot #2. I went ahead and took the liberty of tasting this one as well. 

It’s for the art, man.

And they were both delicious. The Italian recipe is fabulous, and the peppers add a wonderful edge. The more basic recipe was delicious, too, and could be adapted with whatever herbs and spices you’d like to add. 

Have a Drip Beef fest for Superbowl Sunday! Men will propose, women will moan and groan with delight, and children will gather ’round your feet with their empty plates. 

Enjoy!

Here are the two printable recipes:

 

Recipe

Italian Drip Beef

Prep Time:

 5 Minutes

 

Cook Time:

 6 Hours

 

Difficulty:

 Easy

 

Servings:

 10

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 whole Beef Chuck Roast, 2.5 To 4 Pounds
• 1 can Beef Consomme Or Beef Broth
• 3 Tablespoons (heaping) Italian Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/2 jar (16 Oz) Pepperoncini Peppers, With Juice
•  Buttered, Toasted Deli Rolls

Preparation Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a heavy pot or dutch oven. Stir lightly to combine seasoning with the liquid.

Cover and bake in a 275 degree oven* for 5 to 6 hours, or until meat is fork-tender and falling apart. **If meat is not yet tender, return to oven for 30 minute intervals till it's tender!**

Remove from oven. With two forks, completely shred all meat, leaving no large chunks behind. Serve immediately, or keep warm over a simmer on the stove. 

May make the day before, then store in the refrigerator. Remove the hardened fat from the top before reheating.

Serve on buttered, toasted rolls. Top with cheese and melt under the broiler if desired. Serve with juices from the pot.

 

Recipe

Basic Drip Beef

Prep Time:

 5 Minutes

 

Cook Time:

 6 Hours

 

Difficulty:

 Easy

 

Servings:

 10

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 whole 2.5 To 4 Pound Chuck Roast
• 1/4 cup Butter
• 1 whole Large Onion, Sliced Thick
• 3 cloves Garlic, Peeled
• 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
• 1 cup Sherry (cooking Sherry Is Fine)
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 4 cups Water
•  Toasted, Buttered Deli Rolls
•  Rosemary, Thyme, Other Spices (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Heat butter in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onions for a couple of minutes, or until starting to get brown.

Set chuck roast on top of the onions. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover pot and simmer (very low heat) on the stove for 6 hours, or until beef is fork-tender and falling apart. **If meat is not yet tender, return to oven for 30 minute intervals till it's tender!** Shred meat with two forks until all large chunks are gone. Serve immediately or continue to simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

*Mixture can be refrigerated overnight. Remove hardened fat from top of pan before reheating.

Serve on top of toasted, buttered deli rolls. Top with cheese and place under the broiler if desired.