The proper name for the tiny french green beans is haricots verts (ah-ree-ko v-eh-rr).  That’s my personal pronunciation guide, so your mileage may vary.  As other children hustled off to Camp Longhorn or Mystic or Birch Knoll, I begged to go to French camp at Concordia Language Villages in central Minnesota.  Instead of soundly declaring me completely dorky, I prefer to think this an example of my endearingly bizarre nature.  Unfortunately, I can offer no tips on Spanish pronunciation, my husband declared me useless there years ago.  (I do think I’m improving with my Pimsler’s Spanish Audio Cds.)  In retrospect, I also went to computer engineering camp before my junior year in high school.  Only student not to get my 2 bit by 2 bit multiplier to work.  Yep, I think I’ve confirmed myself totally dorky.

Anyhow, these haricots verts are a super fast, healthy side, perfect for a weeknight.  I hope you enjoy them as much as my children and I do.  If you enjoy your shallots more caramelized – cook longer right after you add them.  Bon appetit!

Haricots Verts with Almonds Recipe

serves 5 adults

1 lb haricots verts, cleaned and ends trimmed

1 and 1/2 tbsp butter

2 large shallots, sliced into thin rings

1/2 c. blanched, slivered almonds

1/2 tsp kosher salt

12 turns fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp dried oregano

Place a steamer basket or a colander over a pan of boiling water.  Place haricots verts in steamer basket and cover with a lid.  Steam for about 2 minutes then, taste to check tenderness.  When bright green, softened, but still crunchy – remove from heat and plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking.  This batch took approximately 2 minutes and 45 seconds.  They need to be *vibrant* green!

Drain haricots verts and pat dry with a towel.  Heat a saute pan over medium heat for three minutes.  Add butter, let melt, then add shallots.  Cook two minute, then add haricots verts and almonds.  Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.  Cook two more minutes, then serve.

I’m probably going to have to break down and get a salad spinner this year and maybe even a toaster.  After completely exhausting myself last year hand making nearly everything from scratch, I’m looking for ways to bring back the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) plan to at least some of our meals.  When I make toast for my kids or husband I burn approximately six slices for every one that’s edible.  I know you *can* make toast in the oven, but apparently that’s not my strong suit.

As I was cleaning out my refrigerators this morning, I was trying to think of a system where I could *easily* keep track of what’s in my fridge and therefore what I can make.  It’s all well and dandy if I can see that I have a red bell pepper then use my search box to utilize it, but what if it falls to the bottom of the drawer?  Maybe in five years I can pay for my groceries with my iPhone, then automatically add ingredients and quantities to my kitchen database, then click a button on my website to suggest all the recipes I can cook for dinner.  Wouldn’t *that* be convenient? ; )

Homemade croutons from a stale baguette are sooooo much better, but a box will do in a pinch.

Chopped Romaine Salad with Lane’s Favorite Vinaigrette Recipe

(serves 8 as a side dish)

Leaves from 1 and 1/2 hearts of romaine lettuce

2 cucumbers

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Parmesan cheese

croutons

Lane’s Favorite Vinaigrette

Rinse romaine leaves and gently pat dry.  Chop into 1-inch segments.  Peel cucumbers, then halve lengthwise and slice into 1/2 inch segments.  Gently sprinkle cucumbers with sea salt and  pepper.  Use vegetable peeler to shave slivers of parmesan cheese into Romaine lettuce.  Sprinkle with croutons, then add the seasoned cucumbers.  Top with vinaigrette and toss with tongs.

Lane’s Favorite Vinaigrette Recipe

(makes approx 1 cup of dressing)

3 and 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar

3 and 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

7 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chives

1 tsp Murray River Salt

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

12 turns fresh ground pepper

3 shakes dry mustard

Combine all ingredients, then whisk with a fork to combine.  Serve immediately after stirring.

In keeping with my Thanksgiving theme, here are my Top 5 Mashed Potato Tips for home cooks.

1. Russet Potatoes.  You may know them as Baking Potatoes.  These are the ones you see in the photo.
2. Start with cold water from the tap.  Place potatoes in cold water, then turn on heat.
3. Buy a potato ricer.  If you don’t have a potato ricer use a slotted spoon, then ask for a ricer for Christmas.
4. Use real butter.
5. Use real cream.  You can use milk it’s fine, I do it, too.  But if it’s Thanksgiving, use the cream, then go run some stairs.

One of my Monday Night cooking class participants pointed out that the idea of mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving was really odd to her.  Truth be told, I didn’t grow up with mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving either.  I think we had sweet potatoes and rice.  But if you’re already making gravy, I consider it a crime against humanity not to provide mashed potatoes as a vehicle for gravy delivery.

In other news, I woke up to an email from an email from a casting director informing me of a casting call for a new Food Network TV show.  Unfortunately, they weren’t asking me to have my own half-hour instructional cooking series where I could wear snappy outfits, cook in a beautiful and well equipped kitchen set, all while engaging enthusiastically with my viewers, and creating my own signature tag line while you watch me lovingly and debate the merits of my latest hairstyle.  What they *are* looking for is a team of two people who are dreaming of opening a restaurant.  She asked if I’d post the information on my blog, so if this sounds like you, here’s the casting call info.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

10am-1pm

Westin Park Central

12720 Merit Drive, Dallas, TX 75251

If you haven’t yet had a chance to hop on over to Marx Foods site and Vote for my Beef Tenderloin with Calamarata Pasta in Porcini Mushroom Sauce.  They have all sorts of contests going on while you’re there to win some magical bounty of your very own.  Just follow the link, click Vote, and then click the button next to DinnerandConversation.  As always I thank you for your support and look forward to providing you with as many fresh recipes as I possibly can!  Poll will be open through Friday the 19th!

Mashed Potatoes Recipe

4 big, giant Russet Potatoes

4 tbsp butter

3/4 c. heavy cream

1 tsp fine ground sea salt – or even better Murray River Pink Flake Salt

10 turns fresh ground pepper

Peel potatoes with your trusty vegetable peeler.  Slice in half length-wise, then place the cut side down, and slice into 1 and 1/2 inch segments cross-wise.  Place cut potatoes in a large pot, then cover with water until the water reaches 2-3 inches above the top of the potatoes.  Turn heat on high and cook uncovered.  It takes approximately 55 minutes for this quantity to become fork tender.  You don’t want them to completely fall apart, but you do want the fork to easily pierce and break a piece into two pieces with a gentle application of pressure.  Drain the potatoes into a colander.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked potato pieces to your potato ricer.  Rice back into pan.  Bury the butter into the riced potatoes covering it completely.  Wait about 4-5 minutes, then add cream and turn heat half-way between low and medium.  Gently fold in cream and butter to potatoes, then season with salt and pepper.  Taste, then season again.  If you’re using kosher salt, wait about two minutes before adding additional salt for the kosher salt to dissolve, then stir and taste.

The children certainly had a fabulous time as did the adults.  I just love a family backyard party.  Part of my entry response to the contest was detailing how much I love home entertaining and preparing food for guests to enjoy and celebrate together.  I love watching children have a fantastic time, while the grownups get to imbibe an adult beverage and spend time mingling and simply enjoying the moment.

Menu

Appetizers

Crostini with Goat Cheese and ‘wichcraft Tomato Relish

Caprese Salad Crostini with Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette

Frozen Green Grapes

Mains

Seared Pork Tenderloin with Lime-Cumin-Corriander Marindade

Citrus Marinated Grilled Chicken with Fresh Herb Sauce

Ripe Watermelon Balls

Strawberries and Raspberries with Fresh Mint Garnish

Sugar Snap Peas with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Sauce

Sliced and Seasoned Kirby Cucumbers

Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Goat Cheese, and Almond Slivers

Dessert

Chocolate Cake with Espresso Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Ganache

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

The items with links have already been featured on dinnerandconversation.com and helped make this party great.  Those with out, barring the raw foods, will be featured over the next week or so.  Part of home entertaining, especially in the summer in Texas, requires cold raw foods, so that’s part of why those were included.  The other reason is in my personal food philosophy.  Blessedly, I have children who will eat darn near anything.  I don’t prepare separate children’s meals, partly of course because we don’t have toddler food wars, so I wanted to include a variety of fruits that I thought even picky preschoolers could enjoy before indulging in a dessert sugar high.

All in all, I’d call it a grand success.  As I individually break down the recipes, I’ll give some tips on how I go about planning quantities and portion sizes for large gatherings.  Salud to the home party!

Life is a little crazy right now in our casa between the impending move and growing my chef business and catering services.  So if recipe postings are slim in the next few days, please know it’s because I’m either moving boxes, chasing children away from unpacking boxes, or I’ve discovered something crazy, like say, Cory packed my hard drive in an unmarked box and I have no. idea. where it is.  On the upside, I’ve safely packed away a stack of 20 old Gourmet magazines, which I plan to work through and feature this summer.

Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe serves 6

3 c. milk (I use 1%)

1/2 yellow or white onion

8-10 red new potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1/4 inch discs

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

8 turns fresh ground pepper

3 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

3/4 c. fresh grated parmesan reggiano

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm milk and the half an onion to a simmer.  Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes.

Heat oven to 325.  Grease casserole dish and arrange potato slices in rows in a single layer on the bottom.  In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add flour and stir with a wooden spatula for two minutes to form a paste.  Remove onion from milk and discard.  Pour milk into paste and stir continuously, when integrated, increase heat to medium high and cook for around five minutes until sauce has thickened substantially, stirring to prevent scorching.  Add 1 and a 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar and stir to integrate.  Pour cheese sauce over the potatoes, then top with the remaining cheddar and parmesan.  Bake in oven for 30 minutes, then increase heat to 400 and cook for an additional 10 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

I’ve made this with half and half and I’ve made it with cream.  It works both ways, but the cream is way better.  Anything resembling a quiche exists as the antithesis of diet food.  This tastes delicious and while you definitely shouldn’t eat it every day, pull it out every now and again and savor the taste.  It delivers a wonderful spicy, savory flavor that is surprising, then delightful.  Also can be made using a store bought frozen pie crust for ease!  Can be served for brunch, appetizers, or as a side dish at dinner.

Tomato Tart serves 8-10

adapted from Williams Sonoma Entertaining Cookbook

1/4 c. chilled butter

1/4 c. chilled Spectrum Palm Oil Shortening

1 and 1/2  c. flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3 and 1/2 tbsp ice water

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

3 tbsp fresh mint, minced

1/4 lb. Gruyere, sliced into thin slices

4 tomatoes on the vine

1 c. heavy cream

2 eggs

1/2 tsp kosher salt

12 turns fresh ground pepper

In a food processor, combine flour and salt.  Add butter and shortening cut into little pieces.  Use the pulse button to cut butter and shortening into flour until you see no more large pieces.  Through the top, pour the water 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to pulse until dough is just moist.  Move to a floured surface and form a ball.  Roll out with a floured rolling pin into a circle.  Press into the bottom of a glass pie pan, evening out and smoothing the edge.  Freeze overnight.

Core and cut tomatoes into slices.  Using a paring knife, trim the seeds and jelly from the slices, then move to a colander to drain.  Salt tomatoes slices, then let sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.  Remove the now frozen pie crust, and use a spatula to cover the bottom with the Dijon.  Sprinkle with mint, then top with the Gruyere slices.  Arrange tomatoes on top of the Gruyere.  Combine cream and eggs, whisk to beat.  Season cream and egg mixture with the salt and pepper, then pour over the tomatoes.  Bake in oven for about an hour, until filling has risen and firmed and has a golden brown color.

My fresh mozzarella came from the Dallas Mozzarella Company, a local factory making fresh handmade cheeses of truly exceptional quality.  I’ve been meaning to take their Hands on Cheese Making class for at least five years and just haven’t made it happen yet.  Trust me, I look hot in a hair net.  And the class includes a factory tour, a wine and cheese tasting, and take home samples of your own creations.  I think that’s a description of about my perfect day!  I’ve had a fascination with factories ever since I worked in a service company who sold things via service, but didn’t actually produce anything.  Apparently, the grass is always greener.  It’s a shame I never managed to tour 3M in college when I had the chance.  At that point, of course, endless lectures on the processes, software, and plants involved in making Scotch tape were hideously boring to me.  In any case, the Hands on Cheese Making Class is on my Bucket List.  I can knock out a factory tour and food creation in one fell swoop!

Caprese Salad Crostini

Baguette

1 clove garlic

olive oil

1 /2 lb ball fresh mozzarella

3 vine ripened tomatoes

12-15 basil leaves, halved

Garlic Balsamic Vinagrette

Preheat oven to 425.  Cut baguette into half-inch slices – or approx 25-30 pieces.  Smash garlic with a large knife, peel and break into two halves.  Rub top of each baguette slice with one of the pieces of garlic, as it disintegrates, switch to the other piece.  Using a brush, paint the top of each slice with olive oil.  Place each slice on a cookie sheet and bake 5-7 minutes until your crostini are lightly browned.

Slice mozzarella into 1/4 inch slices, then half or quarter as necessary to fit onto crostini.  Slice tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices, then quarter.  Top crostinis with mozzarella, then basil, then tomato, then drizzle with Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

1/2 c. olive oil

1/4 c. water

1.5 tbsp fresh garlic, minced

1/2 tsp Murray River salt

8 turns fresh ground pepper

For the vinaigrette, combine vinegar, oil, water, garlic, salt and pepper.  Whisk together then let rest for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to combine.  Whisk again before serving.  Keep remainder in fridge for up to two weeks.

I also had forgotten how much I love mashed potatoes.  I used to make them all the time, in many variations.  Back in my days of Sunday dinner, before we had children, my house was a revolving door with an open invitation to any and all friends for a Sunday meal.  Mashed potatoes were a habitual side dish at these events.  Garlic mashed potatoes, horseradish mashed potatoes, mashed with chives, etc., etc.  Long ago I abandoned white potatoes in  favor of sweet potatoes for optimal nutrition (lower glycemic index).  Well, I’ve decided I hate sweet potatoes.  I almost *never* want to cook them, so I’m welcoming back russets with enthusiasm.  It’s a problem considering we have a football national championship looming and sweet potatoes are one of my staple burnt orange foods.  Anyway, if you’re looking to lighten up these potatoes, you can totally use milk – even skim.  I just happen to have heavy cream on hand and let’s face it, if you can afford the calories, it is better this way, but it won’t ruin them to use milk.  I frequently make them that way when we don’t have cream.

Roasted Chicken Breasts with Orange Chili Sauce serves 3

3 chicken split breasts

olive oil

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 c. chicken broth

2/3 c. fresh squeezed clementine juice

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

3 tbsps butter

1 tbsp chopped fresh Italian Parsley

Preheat oven to 425.  In a heavy bottomed skillet, drizzle chicken breasts with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for approx an hour, until internal temperature reaches 165.

Remove chicken breasts to a cutting board to rest.  Spoon off as much fat as you can from skillet, leaving any remaining juices.  Saute garlic in juices over medium heat for about 1 minute, scraping up any brown bits.  Add chicken broth, and cook on medium high heat until reduced by 1/4 volume, about five minutes.  Add orange juice and crushed red pepper, cook another two minutes.  Stir in butter, then parsley.  Serve chicken over garlic mashed potatoes, then top with orange chili sauce.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes serves 4

2 large russet potatoes

1/4 c. heavy cream

3 tbsp butter

3 large cloves garlic

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Peel potatoes, then slice into 1 inch rounds then half each piece.  Place in a pan and fill with cold water, covering potatoes by an inch and a half.  Bring to a boil then continue to boil until potatoes begin to crumble.  Drain, then use a potato ricer to mash potatoes.

Add cream and butter to potatoes, but don’t stir yet.  In a small skillet, warm olive oil, then add garlic and saute on medium until fragrant and just beginning to brown.  Add garlic to potatoes, then stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper, then taste and adjust seasonings if desired.

I came up with this recipe largely because I way over purchased fresh ginger in my efforts towards my making my own ginger ale, a work still in progress.  I don’t often cook with fresh ginger which is really a shame.   I minced mine by hand with a very sharp knife, but if you own a fine microplane grater, you should absolutely use that.  I just haven’t purchased one of those yet.  If you’re short on time, I’d recommend just cooking 1 c. of quinoa in 2.5 cups of water for 15 minutes instead of the two part method below.  I usually cook it that way and can’t imagine that it would make too much of a difference.  Quinoa can be bitter if not rinsed well – so I’ve heard, so far I’ve never run into this myself – so take caution to rinse extra well in a strainer before you get started.  I like my quinoa al dente – kind of crunchy tasting – almost like the texture of the teeny tiny brightly colored roe used in sushi, I forgot what they are called, I don’t eat sushi nearly as much as I used to.  If you’ve tried it and prefer a softer texture, just up your cooking time by about 3-5 minutes.

Quinoa, Black Beans, and Tomatoes in a Citrus Ginger Vinaigrette

1/4 c. fresh squeezed orange juice

2 tbsps fresh squeezed lemon juice

3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 tbsp yellow onion, minced (green onions would have been great!  I was out)

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp kosher salt

10 turns fresh ground pepper

1 c. organinc quinoa, rinsed very well in a strainer

1 c. canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 c. canned diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained

In a bowl, combine juices, oil, ginger, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper.  Set aside.

In a saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil.  Add 1/2 tsp kosher salt and quinoa.  Let cook uncovered for 8 minutes, then drain into strainer.  Place strainer over a 1 inch of simmering water, then cover quinoa with a clean dish towel (fold to make small enough that the sides won’t catch on fire!), followed by the saucepan’s lid.  Steam quinoa for 7 minutes, then set strainer aside.  After cooling a few minutes, add quinoa to vinaigrette stir, then add black beans, and tomatoes.  Stir then season to taste with salt and pepper.

I’ve been uninspired in my culinary pursuits lately, and just plain distracted in my grocery runs.  Consequently, I realized yesterday I had 16 yellow onions on my counter.  What better way to remedy that than french onion soup?   So I got out my rubber gloves and goggles and got to chopping.  Kidding.  Luckily chopping onions doesn’t bother me nearly as much as some people.  I only cried twice.  And frankly, I think I needed it.  Perhaps preparing this soup should be considered an emotional cleanse.  I attribute my success in limited tear production to my very sharp chef’s knife, thanks to my brand new knife sharpener, and the flame from my gas stove.  According to this wikipedia article, there’s some science to the sharp knife theory, and they also suggest chilling your onions if you’re concerned.

It’s no wonder I love this soup with the amount of alcohol that goes into it, the heating process actually burns off the alcohol content, but the flavor remains.  If you’re not a huge alcohol fan, I’d recommend keeping the sherry/cognac for deglazing – at least at half their amounts, but skip the red wine and replace it’s quantity with more beef stock.  But that’s only if you’re anti-alcohol.  I think the flavor is perfect, complex, and engaging just as written.  I think most chef’s use white wine in their French onion soups, I use red for a variety of reasons.  First, because I use beef stock and beef pairs best with reds, IMO.  Second, for color.  Third, I simply prefer red wine, and someone has to finish off that bottle.  And if you’re not a beef eater, like I know several of you aren’t, feel free to change this to chicken stock, or vegetable stock if you must.  But then you’re really going to need the alcohol for flavor. *wink*

The last caveat I have is that the easiest way to destroy this soup is  to accidentally use sweet onions.  Well it won’t destroy it, it just won’t be the flavor you’re expecting at all.  You need the yellow, dry onion flavor.  Sweet onions like Vidalia, Walla Walla, Maui and Texas 1015 are generally larger and rounder.  Yellow onions are small and firm, and in my experience, the outer papers seem more closely attached to the skin.  If you’re worried, look for the onions in bags, then confirm that the label reads “Yellow Onion” and nothing else.

French Onion Soup

8 peeled yellow onions, sliced to rounds, then halved to half moons

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

1/2 c. cognac

1/2 c. dry sherry

1 and 1/2 c. Shiraz or Cabernet  wine

8 c. beef stock (Kitchen Basics recommended)

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

In a stock pot with the heat a quarter of the way past medium towards high, combine the onions, bay leaves, oil, and butter.  Cook for 55 minutes until onions are soft and browned, stirring every five minutes or so with a wooden spatula.  Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan, and if you’re at all concerned about your onions burning, reduce the heat just a bit.

Add cognac and sherry to deglaze the pan, being sure to scrape up any brown bits and and combine.  Cook uncovered for 5 minutes.  Add wine, cook 20 minutes uncovered.  Add beef stock, increase heat to high, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a quarter of the way past low towards medium.  Add thyme and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste, amount will vary based on seasoning content of stock.  I used approx 2 and 1/2 teaspoons of salt and probably 15 turns of fresh ground pepper.  Let simmer another five minutes, retest, and adjust if needed.  Remove bay leaves, then serve traditionally, topped with a crostini and shredded Gruyere, broiled for a quick minute or with toppings to the side.