French Provençal Meal

Happy belated Bastille Day, and as such, it is time to explore our French side with a little French country dining.  Enjoy

- Chez

Chicken Breasts Provençal


• 1 14.5 ounce can, fire-roasted, dice tomatoes
• 4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless boneless chicken breasts, tenders reserved for another use
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 small can, brine-cured black olives, chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon finely shredded basil

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook chicken, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and keep warm, covered.

Add garlic and onion to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits. Stir in tomatoes, stock, and olives and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened into a sauce, 8 to 10 minutes. Whisk in butter and any juices from chicken platter.

Add chicken and simmer until just heated through, about 4 minutes. Serve sprinkled with basil.

Herbes de Provence New Potatoes

• 1 lb new potatoes, scrubbed clean
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp Herbes de Provence
• ¼ tsp coarse sea salt
• ¼ tsp flakes sea salt
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Fresh ground pepper

Place potatoes in stockpot & cover with salted water. Bring to boil over high heat.

Cook 8-10 minutes until potatoes are just tender. Drain and set aside.

In large skillet , heat oil over medium heat. Add herbs de Provence.

Cook, stirring constantly, 10-15 seconds.

Add drained potatoes, coarse salt, and lemon juice; toss to coat.

Cook 2-3 minutes & remove from heat. Sprinkle with pepper and flaked sea salt.

The 'Roswell Incident' Meal (Serves 4)

The anniversary of the ‘Roswell Incident’ brought some killer food to Chez’s table and he would be remiss if he did not share these lovelies with mankind.
As a result, here is the full meal deal, straight from Alfa Centauri…

- Chez


Bacon-Wrapped Pig Wings (serves 4)

Spice Rub -

• 1/2 cup Sugar in the Raw
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coffee
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. The rub may be stored in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 6 months.]

• Four 1-inch-thick boneless pork chops
• 12 slices bacon (thick sliced)
• Tooth picks
• Fresh dandelion greens


Cut each pork chop into three strips. To wrap the "wings," start by overlapping the bacon on one end of a pork strip, then wrapping it up and around in a candy-cane fashion. Secure the bacon at the top with a toothpick. If you need to use a toothpick at both ends, go ahead. Season the bacon-wrapped wings liberally with the rub.

Preheat the oven to 370F. Place the ‘wings’ directly on a wire rack, on a sheet pan and place in the center of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip over and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Finish under the broiler to crisp the bacon, about 3-5 minutes. Place wings on top of greens.Serve with barbecue sauce for dipping.

OMG BBQ Sauce

• 1/2 cup store-bought (I like KC Masterpiece) BBQ Sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 3 tbs prepared horseradish
• 1tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbs maple syrup
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1/2 coarse chopped onion
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine all of the above and simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring as necessary to prevent burning. Serve on the side, with the ‘wings’. Serve warm.

Pasta Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Green Olivada

• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pitted green olives (from about 6 ounces unpitted whole olives), divided
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound gemelli, pasta
• 1 pints cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 8-ounce package small (cherry-size) fresh mozzarella balls in water
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

With machine running, add garlic clove to processor through feed tube and process until finely chopped; turn off machine. Add 1 cup chopped olives, capers, red wine vinegar, mustard, and crushed red pepper. Using 6 on/off turns, process to chop coarsely. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup olive oil, forming coarse puree. Transfer to bowl; stir in remaining 1 cup olives. Season olivada to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Olivada can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Transfer drained pasta to large bowl. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil over pasta; toss to coat. Cool, stirring occasionally.

Add olivada, halved tomatoes, mozzarella, and oregano to pasta; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Monterey Jack Cheese Soup (serves 8)

Warm, wholesome, filling and fulfilling...

... This one is without a doubt the finest cheese-based soup you have ever had. This one is an absolute ‘must try’… I double dog dare you!

- Chez

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken broth

1 -14.5 oz can fire roasted, diced tomatoes

1 - 4 oz. can green chiles, chopped

1 c onion, coarsely chopped

3 cups shredded Monterey jack or Pepper Jack cheese (3/4lb)

6 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

6 tbsp butter, melted

5 c milk, hot

1/2 tsp fresh ground plack pepper

1/2 tsp garlic, minced

1 fresh jalapeno, cut into thin disks (garnish)

12 - fresh cherry tomatos, quartered (garnish)

1 - loaf crust bread

Directions:

Mix broth, onion, tomato, chiles and garlic.

Bring to boil on high heat; cover. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes.

Take melted butter add to flour. Return this mixture back to heat on the stove and cook 3 minutes.

Stir in 3 1/2 cups of the hot milk; add 1/2 cup at a time. Cook 7 minutes until thickened.

Remove broth from heat and stir into milk mixture 1/4 cup at a time. Return to heat; add remaining 1 1/2 cups of hot milk, salt and pepper and cheese.

Stir until cheese is melted and soup is well heated.

Garnish with jalapeño and tomato and serve with warm crusty bread.