Pan-Seared Chicken with Garlic Sauce

There are some nights when I just don’t have time to cook, but want to make something nice. I almost always have chicken breasts on hand, so it’s become somewhat of a fall-back food. It’s nice that it can be made into basically any dish and can be enhanced with any spices you may have on hand. This dish was made entirely with ingredients I had readily available and came together in minutes and in one dish. I was not expecting much from it, but the garlic sauce proved to be rich and elegant. Enough so, that one could even consider serving this for a special occasion…it’s that good!

Pan-Seared Chicken with Garlic Sauce
Ingredients:
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. olive oil
12 medium garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 chicken breasts
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 cup chicken broth, divided

To Make:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Combine first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Sprinkle generously over chicken breasts, covering both sides. Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet. Add chicken and cook 2 minutes on each side. Add garlic cloves to skillet along with 3/4 cup of chicken broth. Place skillet in oven and bake until chicken is done and garlic is soft (approx. 10 – 15 minutes). Remove from oven. Set aside chicken breasts, keeping them warm. Add remaining broth to skillet. Mash garlic cloves with fork and cook over medium heat for 2 – 3 minutes, or until heated through. Serve garlic sauce over chicken.

Yield:
2 Servings

Polenta Bread

I actually don’t eat bread that often, it really doesn’t agree with me. Some days, however, the idea of fresh baked bread is just so appealing, I can’t resist making a loaf to have with dinner. I’ve been thinking about corn bread recently and how good it tastes with a sweet, honey butter. I don’t really like the grainy texture of traditional cornbread, so when I ran across this recipe for polenta bread, I just had to try it. It’s a mix of white flour with a small amount corn meal added in. It’s got a light, crumbly texture with just a hint of the typical corn bread flavor. It has a beautiful soft yellow color, too. It’s a new favorite of mine!

Polenta Bread
Adapted from “marabout chef – pain maison, Cathy Ytak”
Ingredients:
1 cup water
3 cups flour
1/3 cup corn meal
1 egg, beaten
2.5 tsp. instant yeast
1.5 tsp. salt
1 T. olive oil
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice

To Make:
Add ingredients according to your bread machine instructions. Settings: Normal or White Bread. Medium color and size.

Yield:
1 Loaf

Lamb with Red Pepper Tapenade

The actual definition of Tapenade – a thick paste originally from Provence made with capers, olives, anchovies, lemon juice and herbs. The name comes from Tapeno, which means caper. It’s used as a condiment on grilled fish, meat or served with cruditées and toast. Today, the definition is not as straightforward. It can be used to describe any paste involving vegetables, lemon juice and herbs added to fish or meat or served as a spread. I’ve taken liberties with the looser definition in using the term with this dish. It seemed fitting, and anyway, who cares? When it tastes this good, you just can’t worry about the details!

Lamb with Red Pepper Tapenade
Adapted from “Marie Claire Recettes: saveur, Donna Hay”
Ingredients:
6-8 lamb chops
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 cup cilantro leaves (I couldn’t find these in winter, so I left them out)
2 tsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. crushed red pepper (or harissa, if you can find it)
2 pitas (for serving)
Tzatziki sauce (for serving)*

To Make:
Remove excess fat from the lamb chops. Mix the pepper, onion, cilantro, crushed red pepper and garlic together. Add lemon juice and olive oil. Stir to combine. Spread tapenade onto both sides of each lamb chop. Broil in oven for 3 – 4 minutes each side.
Serve with tzatziki and pitas.

Yield:
2 Servings

*Tzatziki sauce can be bought or made. I usually make my own since it is so simple. It will keep for 3 -4 days, covered, in the refrigerator.

Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients:
1/2 cup yogurt (greek style, if available)
1/2 cucumber, peeled and de-seeded
2 T. fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
salt, to taste

To Make:
Mix all ingredients together. Season with salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Italian Turkey Roulades

I know what you are thinking, turkey doesn’t immediately jump to mind as an Italian specialty. Sometimes when creating a recipe, one needs to improvise with what one has on hand. We were supposed to go out with friends for dinner, but when they had to cancel, we had to come up with something quick and easy. The extra challenge came because, as you know, in Belgium there are no shops open near us on a Sunday evening. So, we had to work with what we had. Normally, it would be best to use chicken or veal for this recipe, but the turkey worked wonderfully and the recipe turned out so well, I had to share.

Italian Turkey Roulades
Ingredients:
4 turkey cutlets, pounded thin (could use chicken or veal)
1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pesto sauce
1 bunch arugula (also known as rocket)
4 slices of bacon
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 box cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. olive oil
fresh shaved parmesan cheese
whole wheat pasta (if desired)

To Make:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lay each turkey cutlet in front of you lengthwise. Top with thin layer of pesto sauce, mozzarella cheese and arugula. Roll away from you keeping everything tightly inside the turkey. Wrap each roll with a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Heat olive oil in oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey rolls to pan and brown on all sides (about 10 minutes). Place skillet in oven and cook until turkey is cooked-through (about 15 minutes). Remove turkey rolls from skillet and set aside. Over medium heat, in same skillet, add white wine to deglaze pan scraping up all the browned bits. Stir in garlic, pine nuts and cherry tomatoes until heated through.
Place a serving of pasta on each plate, top with turkey roulades and pour over some of the sauce. Finish with fresh parmesan shavings. Serve.

Yield:
2 Servings

Gâteau de Ménage

A specialty of the Haut Doubs (Franche-Comté) region of France, the gâteau de ménage (cake of the home) or galette comtoise is a very simple cake that is prepared throughout the year. It has the similar consistency to shortbread with a buttery taste finishing in subtle sweetness and a hint of orange. It is described as a “cake that tastes of Sundays and celebrations.” Who wouldn’t want to try that? It’s not very sweet so makes a nice light finish to the end of a meal. It would also be wonderful served for brunch or taken on a picnic. This cake freezes well if you can’t eat it all at once!

Gâteau de Ménage (Recipe for Bread Machine)
Adapted from “marabout chef – pain maison, Cathy Ytak”
Cake Ingredients:
1 oz. milk + 1 T. rum
1/2 stick (or 5 T.) butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 cups cake flour or pastry flour, sifted
1 tsp. instant yeast

Garniture Ingredients:
1 egg, beaten
1.5 T. heavy whipping cream
2 T. crystallized sugar
1 T. orange peel
1 T. butter, cut into pieces

To Make:
Add all ingredients to bread machine according to directions. Place setting on dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough from machine. Lightly flour a tart mold. Place dough in mold and lightly press to fit. Let rise 30 minutes at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cover the dough with crystallized sugar. Then, in small bowl, whisk together egg, cream, and orange peel. Pour over cake and scatter butter pieces all over surface. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cake is golden brown. Remove from mold and leave to cool on a rack.

Yield:
8 – 10 Servings

Chocolate French Toast

This is another special breakfast at our house. It’s made with chocolate bread, which is not as sweet as it sounds. Topped with maple syrup and strawberries, it’s a decadent breakfast treat!

Chocolate French Toast
Ingredients:
4 slices chocolate bread, each about 1/2 in. thick
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
butter
syrup
fruit toppings (optional)

To Make:
Whisk together eggs and milk. Heat 1 T. butter in pan over medium-high heat. Soak chocolate slices in egg mixture until evenly coated on each side. Let extra drain off. Add to pan and cook about 3 minutes each side or until golden brown. Serve warm with extra butter, syrup or toppings of your choice.

Yield:
2-4 Servings

Chocolate Bread

There is a famous bakery in the Twin Cities called the Turtle Bread Company. They make the best chocolate bread in the world! It’s made with cocoa, so it’s not too sweet and has chunks of chocolate in it that stays just the slightest bit crunchy and melty. It’s perfect. I haven’t been able to find anything quite like it in Brussels, but have recently tried to make my own. It’s not quite the same as we have different flours and chocolate over here, but I thought it turned out pretty good for a first attempt! I make the bread just so I can make French Toast out of it later and then freeze the rest for another time.

Chocolate Bread
(For bread machine)
Ingredients:
1 package instant yeast
3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 unsweetened cocoa
1 egg, unbeaten
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

To Make:
Add ingredients according to your bread machine instructions. Chocolate morsels are added half-way through kneading process. Settings: Normal, White, or Sweet. Medium color and size.

Yield:
1 Loaf

Mrouzia (Lamb Tagine with Raisins, Honey & Almonds)

North African cuisine is all around us in Belgium. There are so many types of dishes that I never knew of before moving here. It’s opened up the possibilites of a brand new way of thinking about slow-cooked food and stews. Tajines are my favorite and there are as many varieties as you can think of cooking under the peculiar dome-shaped lid. While we don’t have a tajine with us here (we do have one in Minneapolis – never used!), these dishes work equally well in a Dutch oven. This particular dish, Mrouzia, is traditionally made after the celebration of Aid el Kebir (“Feast of the Slaugther of the Lamb”). Apparently, it is a time when a family would have large amounts of meat on hand. It was created to preserve the lamb in the days before refrigeration was invented. It’s a sweet dish, with earthy notes and goes well with a serving of couscous on the side. If you’re like Matt and don’t like raisins, just pick around them when you eat it. They add a richness and sweetness to the sauce.

Lamb Tagine with Raisins, Honey & Almonds
Ingredients:
1 tsp. ras-el-hanout*
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 pinch saffron threads
3 cups water
1 lb. boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed & cut into 1 in. cubes
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 3 in. cinnamon stick
1 T. butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup golden raisins
2/3 cup whole blanched almonds
2 T. honey
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

To Make:
Whisk together ras-el-hanout, salt, pepper, ginger, saffron and 1 cup water in large dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in lamb, remaining 2 cups water, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, and butter. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until lamb is just tender (about 30 minutes).
Stir in raisins, almonds, honey and ground cinnamon and simmer, covered, until meat is very tender (about 15 minutes more).
Uncover and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until sauce is thickened (about 5 minutes longer).

Yield:
2-4 Servings

*ras-el-hanout is a spice blend popular in middle-eastern cooking. You can find it at specialty stores or make your own. It keeps well in an air-tight container. It varies from recipe to recipe, but here is the one I used:

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• I teaspoon turmeic

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix all ingredients together and seal in an air-tight jar. Is also great just sprinkled on couscous or as a spice rub on your favorite meat.

Beef Tenderloin Encrusted with Mushrooms

This is a traditional French dish, filet de boeuf en croûte de champignons. It looks elegant and has a commanding table presence. People will think you spent all day in the kitchen making this special dish for them, but in fact, it’s quite easy. It takes about an hour from start to finish. It would make a great dinner party or holiday dish. I served it with baked sweet potato fries on the side to make it more of a casual affair. Who says you can’t make weeknight meals look special?

Beef Tenderloin Encrusted with Mushrooms
Adapted from Ripailles, Stéphan Reynaud
Ingredients:
1.5 pound beef tenderloin, trimmed
1 small container of mushrooms (any variety or combination)
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
1 cup terragon leaves
1 cup curly parsley
2 shallots, peeled, minced
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 egg yolk
olive oil
salt and pepper

To Make:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef on all sides for 10 minutes, remove beef from pan and set aside on a grill so the juices can run out. Let rest 30 minutes.
Finely chop together mushrooms, terragon and parsley. Lightly oil same skillet as before and heat over medium-high heat. Sautée shallots and garlic until soft. Add mushroom mixture and cook until the mixture is slightly dry (about 5 minutes). Season generously with salt and pepper.
Roll out the sheet of puff pastry, short side facing you. Measure the amount to wrap the tenderloin in full, and trim edges. Set aside extra dough. Spread the mushroom mixture on the sheet of pastry in a layer about 1/2 in. thick. Place the tenderloin in the center and wrap, sealing the edges with egg white. Cut a small hole in the top of the pastry, so steam can escape. Place on baking sheet. Cut extra dough into strips and decorate beef with lattice stripes. Brush lightly with egg yolk. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden-brown.

Yield:
4 Servings

Greek Chicken with White Beans, Tomatoes, Avocado and Feta

Every time we go to a Greek restaurant, I order Gigantes Beans (butter beans served with a savory tomato sauce) as a mezze. Some of our favorite Greek restaurants have it already waiting on the table. It is a homey and hearty appetizer that you can eat alone or spread on bread. I had Greek food on the brain today, but since Matt’s out of town, I didn’t want to fuss with dinner. I wanted to make something quick, easy and healthy with virtually no clean-up. Inspired by Gigantes Beans, this one-dish meal fit the bill.

Greek Chicken with White Beans, Tomatoes, Avocado & Feta
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small onion, rough chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can butter beans, drained (can substitute any white beans)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. olive oil
1 avocado, peeled, thinly sliced
2 T. feta cheese, crumbled

To Make:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat olive oil in large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Sautée onion until soft and translucent (approx. 3-5 mins.) Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add beans, garlic, oregano, red pepper, basil and salt. Let cook 1 minute. Add chicken breasts to skillet and cover with some of the bean mixture. Place avocado slices over the chicken. Place skillet in oven and bake for 15 – 20 mins. or until chicken is cooked through. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add crumbled feta.

Yield:
2 Servings