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Texas Clam Chowder – The Best 1024 727 Mari Bickmore

Texas Clam Chowder – The Best

Well this beginning has nothing to do with Clam Chowder, Texas or otherwise (that comes later).  In the middle of the night, many times, I have thought about topics I wanted to write about and none of those times did I follow through; they’re now like the misty stuff of dreams.  Here’s one I remember though…A couple of weeks after the inauguration I had a great conversation with a friend on the wrong side (oops).  We disagreed on many things, agreed on some, and did so amicably.  One of her big problems was the theory that Trump had some connection with Russia, still unsure as to what.  I don’t buy into any of that, nor do I think Trump has a man crush on Putin.  Anyway, as it turns out everyone and their dog has had a meeting with the Russians…on both sides of the fence…except, it seems, Sarah Jessica Parker, if you follow that sort of thing.  I recall a statement by Obama before the last election when he thought the mic was off that goes like this:  “After My Election I Have More Flexibility.”  Did you see the MSM go after that?  None of them seemed to have a problem with that…but now it’s like they’ve all went CRAZIER.   Also, how can they say the Russians interfered with the election exactly?  Even if they did hack the DNC and reveal things that they had done…then the DNC did those things.  Somehow the real “criminals” are  made to be okay just because their crimes were revealed by the Russians (if that is even true).   I know, we’re living in the Twilight Zone.

And now we see the true (tolerant HAHAHAHA) Alt-Left…breaking private property, impeding regular people’s road right-of-way, beating people up, acting like idiots, and trying to stop the free speech of others with differing ideas…the list goes on and on.  I’m glad we didn’t act that way when the travesty that is Obama was elected.  Sure, I complained, and hopefully so did millions of other people, but that was mostly words on a screen and not looting and assault.

Finally, I’m moving on.   I’m still looking at those resolutions and my work on them is a bit stifled, so I went to the gym yesterday for the first time this year.  And today I was shamed again, so I went on a 2.5-mile walk.  Who knows, maybe it’s a trend!  However, I have been playing tennis a few times a week.  Does that count?  First time playing on a mixed doubles team and it’s fun!  I was always intimidated about playing with guys so I always turned down the invites to play on those teams.  We are in second place.  Bummer.  Maybe that will change.  In any event, I had to make food to take to a match the other day and remembered how yummy my recipe for TEXAS Clam Chowder was, so I made it.   Instant hit!  I’ve been perfecting this one for many years.

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Mari’s Texas Clam Chowder
TEXAS CLAM CHOWDER — ONE OF MY PERSONAL FAVS
1/2 pound smoked peppered bacon, chopped into small pieces (I chop it small before I fry it, but you could just fry it and crumble later; it’s just easier to put it all in the pot to fry chopped small)
3  jars or cans baby clams and/or minced clams (I actually buy fresh clams if I can find them but that is unusual)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp cornstarch
4-6 medium red potatoes (peeled or unpeeled), diced
6 medium carrots peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp Tony Cachere’s Creole Seasoning (you can try jalapeno pepper too)
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
6-8 ounces large fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red onion, minced
Whipping/heavy cream about 1-3 cups depending on the consistency you want, I’m usually at about 2 cups.
In a large pot, fry chopped bacon until crispy browned; remove and drain on paper towels.  Drain off all but about a 1-2 Tbsp of the rendered fat.  Mix the cornstarch with a little water and mix until smooth.  Add clams w/juice and water to the pot along with the cornstarch mixture.  Add chopped potatoes and carrots, white pepper, parsley and seasoning to taste (I usually use about what is listed above).  Add chopped celery and mushrooms, then onion.  Crunch bacon into small pieces and add back to pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until carrots are done.  Add enough cream to achieve desired consistency.  I serve with oyster crackers.
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El Dorado Quesadillas 1024 739 Mari Bickmore

El Dorado Quesadillas

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This 2016 election year is the election year from Hell.  As I have mentioned, we have a woman who is as corrupt and self-serving as the day is long.  She is no more a public servant than a man in the moon…there is no man in the moon…

Don’t think I wouldn’t like a woman president, but one who is strong, honorable, and worthy of the title, not one who cleans up her husband’s womanizing problems with her witch’s broom.  Back in 1992, when we lived in Memphis, we had some good friends who lived in Arkansas and were friends of the Clinton’s.  Even though they were friends, they had some pretty bad/wild stories about the Clinton’s, and many revolved around just those things…and they were their friends.   If you are not a liberal wearing blinders, then you have to have read soooo many terrible things about them over these many years, but they seem to be teflon and get away with it all.  Probably because the people who could throw them under the bus are either DEATHLY afraid of them or they have dirt on that person, i.e. blackmail.  But basically they just don’t want to die a early and mysterious death.  I’m sure Hillary has collected enough dirt on people to fill several books.  In any event, this new book by the ex-secret service guy on their staff, just backs up all the things I’ve known or thought I knew (Crisis of Character: A White House Secret Service Officer Discloses His Firsthand Experience with Hillary, Bill, and How They Operate by Gary Byrne).  But do I think liberals will be able to process it???  HAHAHA!  Absolutely not.  They did elect ZerO a second time, and look how he has morally and fiscally bankrupted my country.  I still haven’t figured out how the American public thought electing someone who spent their formative years in Indonesia instead of being steeped in the American culture and learned to love America would be a good choice for President.  It never made sense and still doesn’t.  Anyhow, somehow being a statesman and having integrity is not important for getting elected to President in our current pop culture society.  I find that quite sad and disturbing.
The other day someone I know made a post stating that Christians shouldn’t post things that are judgmental about candidates and that instead they should only post positive things about their own choice for office.  I absolutely and unequivocally disagree with this posit.   Not only when someone is running for office are they laying their life bare for all to scrutinize, but as Christians we are supposed to do some investigation to find the best candidate to strengthen the values we want upheld in our localities and country to maintain for us and our children.  Exposing a bad apple is a good thing.  We are supposed to hate the sin but love the sinner, but when you “hate” a public figure you are hating what they stand for, since we don’t actually know them on a personal level.  We are actually supposed to judge a righteous judgment (that’s true, look it up).  I don’t condone maligning someone with untruths, but, especially in this case, you don’t have to look too far until you see the abyss.  Hillary is like black mold in the walls of a house that is spreading through the cracks and corners and the liberals are like the homeowners who are in denial and just keep painting over it.   We may all do things that are wrong (not as bad as Clinton by any stretch) and make bad choices, but we are not running for political office and then acting like we are in it to help people.  I find her scary and justified in noting it.  We won’t even go into how much she lied on her recent Email-gate investigation and how she somehow wiggled out of getting indicted, although who really thought they would do that to a Clinton…they live above the law and know it.  That’s why they do the things they do.  I will address this later.

On a lighter note, since I always have to end with food, fashion, or design, so food it is…again.  This is a fairly quick and easy dinner, and just yummy.

El DORADO QUESADILLAS

4 boneless chicken thighs

1 large boneless chicken breast

1/3 cup Kitchen Bouquet sauce

1 tsp Tony Cachere’s Creole Seasoning

Grated sharp cheddar OR Mexican cheese blend

Cotijo OR Queso Fresco

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Good quality flour tortillas

1 Granny Smith apple or other tart firm apple

Cinnamon

Butter

1 Haas avocado

Creamy chipotle sauce (recipe below)

Place all chicken in a glass bowl and stir with the Kitchen Bouquet and Tony’s; let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.  Meanwhile prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Cut the apple into semi-thin slices and halve.  Sprinkle very lightly with cinnamon and saute in butter until al dente and set aside.

Saute the chicken on medium-high until golden on each side, just a couple of minutes, and then reduce heat to low-medium until done.  Cool just until able to handle, then shred.

In a nonstick skillet, either melt a small amount of butter (my choice) or use an oil of your choice and heat on medium.  Place a flour tortilla in the skillet and twirl to evenly disperse the oil.  Sprinkle all over with both of the cheeses (I don’t do it very heavy, but depends on how much cheese you like).  On one side place chicken pieces, apples, and sauce.  On the other side sprinkle onions, cilantro and some avocado.  Fold the quesadilla in half and cook until golden on each side.  I slice some tomatoes and use the extra avocado to garnish.  Really yummy!

Chipotle Sauce

Okay, this is just something easily made up.  The first time I made it I used ½ cup prepared Chipotle Mayo, about 3 Tbsp of cream, 1/4 tsp cayenne and 1/4 tsp salt.  Way good.

The second time I used ½ up mayo, 3 Tbsp prepared chipotle sauce, 3 Tbsp cream, 1/4 tsp cayenne, and ½ tsp salt.

They are both equally as good in the quesadilla.  The first one has an edge on just tasting out of the bowl.

EAT UP!

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What Are Excuses For? (and Fish Cakes) 1024 768 Mari Bickmore

What Are Excuses For? (and Fish Cakes)

I tell you what excuses are for…to make up reasons why you haven’t done something you need to do.   Well, it’s not that I need to write this, but I do like to do it.  You wouldn’t think so considering the paucity of posts I have written, now would you.  I have to make a confession though.  Something I don’t really like to talk about, yet here I am laying it out to the world…or actually the five people who might actually read this post.  I had been a little down, i.e. melancholy; depressed if you will.  Maybe I was just teary for awhlle.  Call it what you will.  Not a debilitating thing, but not fun either.  From early 2016 until sometime in April I would just cry too easily.  It’s like tears were just parked behind my eyes waiting to come out.  Do you ever feel that way.  I don’t think it’s fun for people you live with either.  If someone said something the least bit off-putting to me, I cried, and then I would start thinking about things I couldn’t control in my life, and that would make the crying last longer.  I have moved so many times now that I have all but forgotten how to make friends, and that would be my biggest trigger.  Somehow I came out of that…thank you God.  I don’t want to make light of depression by saying I came out of it just like that.  I have had this, whatever this is, on and off for many years and it is usually situationally-based in nature.  Stuff happens, right?  Sometimes I just don’t deal well with it.  Anyway, now I’m still trying to remember how to make friends, even though I’m not sure I have the energy for it.  I have concluded that it takes a lot to make new friends at my age.  I feel like everyone in a new place already has a life and friends and is quite busy and that they don’t need someone new in their lives…so I don’t barge in to upset their applecart, so to speak.  In any event, right now my son’s girlfriend from Norway is staying with us and I really like her…maybe she’ll be my friend.  Kind of sounds like I’m in junior high..right?  “Will you be my friend?”

Good new is that I’m able to play tennis again, the sun is shining everyday, the flowers are blooming, and life is good.   My husband is a love and takes good care of me.  I would promise that I won’t write anything morose for quite some time, but I might not be able to keep that promise.  Just depends what life brings my way.  There are lots of things happening in the world that I have a strong opinion on right now:  CRAZY election year here – a lying, corrupt, self-serving witch and a real estate mogul who can’t keep his mouth shut to save his campaign…or is that what he wants us to think?  More CRAAZZY Muslim murderers, Brexit, men using the little girls room, “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!”…and the beat goes on.  Ready to put my two cents out there.

In the spirit of Norway (see above), I decided to make something with fish and that turned out to be a very good thing.  I promise you will love these fish cakes.  If you love crab cakes, you will definitely love these.  They are more Cajun than Norwegian, but those guys need to get some spice in their life, I mean spice in their food.

Cajun-Spiced Fish Cakes

Ingredients

2 pounds Alaskan halibut fillets, poached and flaked (about 4 cups loosely packed) I think you coud use most types of mild, white fish or even salmon AND you could sear it  also (I poached mine the day before, and it was actually leftovers and refrigerated overnight – it made it easy to handle)

Option: 2/3 cup of chopped shrimp or langostino

2/3 cup unseasoned fine bread crumbs

4 tsp BonTon Seafood Spice by Jazz  

1-1/2 tsp dried chives or 1/3 cup chopped chives

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp salt

1  cup Mayonnaise

1 large egg, beaten (or 2 small/medium)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (or more if needed)

1 tbsp olive oil

Mache lettuce or mixed greens.

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the halibut, optional shrimp/langostino, bread crumbs, BonTon spice, salt, cayenne, chives, cilantro, mayonnaise, and egg.  Mix all together gently until crumbs are incorporated.  IMG_5690

Shape into about 3-inch patties about 3/4 inch thick.   Makes 9-10 patties. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

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In a large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat . Add the cakes and cook until golden, 3-5 minutes per side.  Place two cakes on top of lettuce and a dollop of tartar sauce and serve.  I promise you these are really yummy and pretty darn simple too!

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I had some jalapeno and horseradish tartar sauce that I didn’t love, so I used about half a cup of that and added about 2/3 cup mayo, a minced sweet pickle, a little lemon juice, a tsp or so of chopped cilantro, and a 1/4 tsp of salt.  Perfect for the fish cakes.  Your favorite tartar sauce should work just fine too, or a garlic aioli.

Well, that ought to be enough until next time!  I already need a vacation…where should we go?

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Seared Scallops with Almond Oil 1024 768 Mari Bickmore

Seared Scallops with Almond Oil

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We are in the midst of winter…cold and snow.  Hubby broke out the new snowblower yesterday and had a good time with his new toy.  I am tired of winter, but, then again, I’m tired of winter before it even starts.  I should live in a warmer climate.  But I’ve known that for a very long time.  I do tend to cook more, though, as I don’t get out as much.  I do have to say that these scallops are really, truly wonderful.  They will make you feel like you are eating out at a Michelin restaurant.

I also watch/read a lot of news.  For commentary look past the recipe.  More reasons to repatriate all Muslims to Islam-only countries.

Ingredients

1/4 cup roasted Marcona almonds (I couldn’t find them at my regular grocers, but did find at Costco)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1-1/2 tablespoons (or more)  white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

8 large sea scallops (about 9 oz.), side muscle removed

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2-3 sprigs thyme

2 tablespoons peach preserves

Preparation

1.  Roughly chop almonds into pieces.

2.  Stir preserves and 1/2 tsp water together in a small bowl and set aside.P1030445

3.  Mix almonds and 4 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl. Whisk in 1-1/2 Tbsp. vinegar and chives; season vinaigrette with salt, pepper, and more vinegar, if desired.P1030444

4.  Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

5.  Season scallops with salt and pepper. Add to skillet. Cook until deep golden and caramelized, 2-3 minutes.P1030450

6.  Turn scallops over to sear the other side.  Immediately add butter and thyme. Frequently spoon butter over the scallops and cook until they are deep golden and just cooked through, 2-3 minutes longer.

6.  Smear 1 Tbsp. preserve mixture onto the center of two plates and top with 4 scallops each. Drizzle some vinaigrette over. Garnish with herbs or baby greens.P1030456

After capturing over 300 Christians in Syria a few days ago, the
Islamic State has begun executing them in the way of Muhammad.

Islam’s Latest Contributions to Peace“Mohammed is God’s apostle.  Those who follow him are harsh
to the unbelievers but merciful to one another”  Quran 48:29
Note that this list is just for two days… Remember, you can find these atrocities every. single.day.

2015.02.27 (Mainok, Nigeria) – Islamist gunmen walk into a market and shoot fourteen traders to death.
2015.02.27 (Nangarhar, Afghanistan) – Two children are disassembled by a Fedayeen suicide bomber.
2015.02.26 (Jos, Nigeria) – A dozen students are among seventeen innocents shredded by Islamist bombers at a bus station.
2015.02.26 (Zaourararm, Niger) – Two villagers on a horse-driven car are taken out by Boko Haram bombers.
2015.02.26 (Biu, Nigeria) – Nineteen people, including several women, are reduced to pulp by a suicide bomber at a market.
2015.02.26 (Cairo, Egypt) – A person bleeds to death outside a pizzeria following a Religion of Peace bomb blast.
Herbed Roast Chicken (Super Easy One-Pan Dinner!) 1024 696 Mari Bickmore

Herbed Roast Chicken (Super Easy One-Pan Dinner!)

Snow day!  Just enough to look pretty and not cause much trouble, but it is cold.  I hope it is really cold all next week, as I won’t be here to enjoy it. I went out before the snow this morning to get my windshield chick olives 7replaced as it has a crack longer than a dollar bill. However, when I got there they did not have the OEM windshield I was promised, and the one they wanted to put in had a scratch, so I went halfway across town for nothing.

Just got through watching the news….those muzzies are at it again.  Burning someone ALIVE.  Disgusting.  Surprised?  No?!  Me either.  Also, I saw that a bunch of celebrities are boycotting the Dorchester Group Hotels, which includes the Beverly Hills Hotel, Hotel Bel-Air and eight others.  It is owned by the sultan of Brunei.  I usually think celebrities have no business saying anything about politics, and that is still the case.  This is not really politics…and this time they are right.  Nobody should stay at one of these hotels.  This guy is a tool and in 2014 he instituted a strict Sharia penal code in Brunei.  Women are basically worthless and the LGBT community gets it worse… and he is pretty much exempt from it.  Needless to say, if you believe in human rights, then you are SOL.  Pretty much Islam in a nutshell.  Okay, there is my side dish of commentary for today.

I had a busy day so I wanted to make something really easy for dinner, and I’ve been wanting to try this recipe. Perfect to just put in the oven, sit back and enjoy the aroma.  It is from Bon Appetit with a few minor changes.  It was so flavorful and tender, and wish I had put more olives on my plate.  Definitely a keeper.  When I make it again I am going to chop carrots and roast with it, so I don’t have to make anything else on the side. I roasted broccoli this time and it was great, but you really don’t have to make anything extra.  It was easy and I can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow night.  A fairly healthy meal so I’m feeling pretty good!

Ingredients

  • 1 large bay leaf or 2 small
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1½ pound fingerling potatoes, halved
  • 3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives 
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 chicken leg quarters
  • 1/4  cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 450°.
  • Pulse bay leaf, fennel seeds, and ½ tsp. red pepper flakes in spice mill until finely ground.
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  • Toss potatoes with olives, 2 Tbsp olive oil, half of spice mixture, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
  • Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and rub with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper and rub with remaining spice mixture.
  • Place the potato mixture around chicken and roast until potatoes are fork-tender, chicken is cooked through, and skin is crisp, 45-55 minutes.
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  • Top the chicken and potato mixture with parsley, lemon zest,(and more red pepper flakes, if desired); spoon pan juices around.

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HERBED PORK TENDERLOIN 1024 768 Mari Bickmore

HERBED PORK TENDERLOIN

I have to own up to the fact that I have become a full-fledged couch potato and am still using this cold as an excuse.  I’m still watching the Australian Open and wonder if my cold will end miraculously when it is over.  Maybe my foot will be miraculously healed at the same time.  Now that would be
herb pork 8fabulous.  Then I could play tennis instead of watch it.  More fabulous still, indeed.

While I am laying here watching TV, I am also surfing.  I always say that somewhere on the earth there is an atrocity being committed by Islam every single day, so I thought I would actually look that up.  There is absolutely a site that posts these happenings by the “religion of peace” and I was pretty much correct.  Every single day.  Sometimes more than once a day it seems.  Was I surprised?  Not at all. It is funny that our current administration won’t even call them terrorists? That politically correct nonsense is certainly evocative of Russia and China many years ago, when many people were killed for speaking their minds.  Hmmmmm….

So, in honor of Islam, I am giving you what is possibly my favorite pork recipe that will make everyone think you are chef of the day!  A winner for certain, and so easy you won’t believe how good it turns out!  It so great with or without the sauce, but I’m a sucker for a cream sauce.

INGREDIENTS

  • Two pork tenderloins
  • Herbes de Provence
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
  • Olive oil

Sauce:

  • 1/3 cup White wine
  • 1-1/2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 cup Heavy cream

PREPARATION

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2.  Rinse tenderloins with water and pat dry with a paper towel.

3.  Roll in Herbes de Provence pressing to get coated well and then sprinkle fairly liberally with salt.  Then sprinkle with pepper.

4.  In a skillet over medium-high heat sear the tenderloins on all sides in olive oil.

5.  Place tenderloins in a roasting pan coated with olive oil and roast for 35 minutes.

herb pork 1herb pork 4

Sauce:

1.  Using the skillet that you seared the tenderloins in, heat the skillet over medium heat

2.  Pour white wine and balsamic vinegar into the hot skillet and reduce until only about 1 Tbsp remaining.

3.  Lower heat and stir in the cream, stirring until it thickens slightly.

When the tenderloin is done, let it rest for about 8-10 minutes.  Slice into 1/2-inch slices and serve, drizzling some of the cream over the medallions.herb pork 5

See how simple….and so delicious!

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Chorizo and Mushroom Fritatta 1024 768 Mari Bickmore

Chorizo and Mushroom Fritatta

fritatta 9I have been a little under the weather for a few days, so just laid in bed yesterday and watched a bunch of British mini series.  Caught up on what Lizzy and Darcy have been up to on Death Comes to Pemberley and seven (yes, count them — 7) episodes of Bletchley Circle.  That is seasons 1 and 2.  I don’t know if there are more. Oh, and I topped off the evening with an episode of Luther.  All I have to say is that DayQuil was my friend yesterday and is holding me up today, too.  I didn’t even have my laptop in the bed with me, just laid there not moving.

Today I have at least moved to the sofa and am watching the Australian Open.  I am also trying to catch up on things.  Still being disgusted by the Paris shootings and terrorist attacks worldwide by evil people.  Je Suis Charlie!  Did you know that on January 9 some of those same people attacked a worshipper  in Italy and commenced to destroy a large statue of the Virgin Mary and urinate on it??  Aren’t you disgusted?!  I am not Catholic and this disgusts me.  Well….off on a tangent again.

A few days ago I had a recipe laid out to make for that night and when I started pulling out my ingredients I found that I was missing a few things that I thought I had.  I was not a happy camper, but necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention.  Taking stock of the ingredients that I did have here is what I came up with.  Now knowing what constitutes a basic fritatta, you will be able to do the same thing!

Chorizo Frittata

Ingredients 
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 small potatoes, sliced very thin
8 ounces crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup green onions, chopped
8 ounces bulk chorizo sausage
12 large eggs
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1-1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 350°.
2. Heat a Tbsp of olive oil in a 10-inch cast iron or nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat and cook chorizo until done and evenly crumblet.  Remove chorizo and set aside.fritatta 2

3.  Add 2 Tbsp of olive oil to skillet and then add potatoes, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

fritatta 44.  Add mushrooms and onions to skillet and cook, stirring often, until softened and all liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes. Remove and set aside.fritatta 6

5. Meanwhile, whisk eggs, crème fraîche, and parsley in a large bowl; stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt (about 3/4 tsp) and pepper.
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6.  Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Arrange potatoes to cover bottom of skillet, then pour mushrooms evenly over the potatoes, then do the same with the chorizo.
7. Pour the egg mixture over the the potato, mushrooms, chorizo layers and evenly distribute mixture. Cook the frittata, without stirring, until its edges begin to set, about 5 minutes. fritatta 8
8. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup cheese over eggs and transfer skillet to oven.
9. Bake frittata until golden brown and center is set, 25-30 minutes.

fritatta 10

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Coq au Vin – In a slow cooker! 1024 689 Mari Bickmore

Coq au Vin – In a slow cooker!

coq au vin 9

I would have to say one of my favorite places to visit is France, from the eastern Atlantic shore to Paris down to Provence (especially in the lavender season), along the coast and over to the Dordogne, which is where I would love to live. So who else to take inspiration from but Julia Child. This is certainly not her classic coq au vin recipe, but I think a good adaptation. Sitting here in chilly winter weather, the rich, filling and flavorsome goodness of Coq au Vin just fit the bill. I made it fairly easy to make it in my slow cooker, yet it remians very close to the original. In the words of Julia Child “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.” The only thing wrong with this recipe is that my kitchen window is not overlooking the Dordogne River.  The  sauce turns out so rich and wonderful! I love it served with mashed potatoes.

Ingredients
3-1/2 pounds skinless chicken thighs & legs (or a breast also if you like)
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp gluten-free flour or all-purpose flour
salt & pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
4 slices lean bacon
36 very small pearl onions peeled and left whole (or 18 larger ones – can use frozen)
½ lb sliced button mushrooms
½ lb sliced baby bella mushrooms
2-1/2 cups red wine (tested with cabernet sauvignon)
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large sprig thyme (or a generous 3/4 tsp dried)
1-1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. Place the chicken, flour, salt and pepper in a gallon size ziploc bag and shake well. Make sure the chicken is liberally coated with the flour mixture. This may have to be done in divided amounts.coq au vin

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat, then add the chicken pieces. You may have to use more olive oil that stated to brown your chicken.

coq au vin 23. Brown the chicken for about 2 minutes on either side until it turns a lightly golden color.
4. Stir the remainder of the flour from the bag into the browned chicken and transfer to your slow cooker.
5. In the same skillet, cook the four pieces of bacon until crispy. Remove onto paper towels to drain.

6. Also in the same skillet place the onions and mushrooms for about 4 minutes, stirring regularly, until glazed and shiny, then transfer the mixture into your slow cooker.
7. Crumble the bacon and add to the slow cooker.
coq au vin 48. Whisk the wine and tomato paste together lightly until the tomato
paste breaks down then combine with the garlic, thyme, oregano and bay leaf and add into the chicken mixture.

Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3 1/2 – 4 hours.

The slow cooked chicken will fall easily from the bone into the sauce once done.

coq au vin 7

Excellent served with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

“Mise en place” a french culinary term which means organizing the process of cooking by making it more efficient, helping prevent mistakes or forgetting vital ingredients. Line up your spice jars and set out all ingredients before starting the first step. I recommend this for all recipes.

Great Greek Pastitsio 1024 768 Mari Bickmore

Great Greek Pastitsio

As far as I’m concerned, this is the Greek version of a lasagna and it gives the same comfort you would get from that.  I probably like it better.

pastitsio 1

One of my sons has recently been traveling.  He has now been gone since September 2 and has visited many friends and places all over Europe.  He just left Athens yesterday to work for a couple of weeks in Japan.  Athens was his longest stay, probably almost a month, the last two weeks of which he spent with a family he met there, so he got a good slice of life.  I have a few stories to share as soon as I can pin him down for more details.  He recently told me about the pastitsio that he ate at a nice local restaurant and that made me crave it.  I pulled out this recipe I had made a few years ago, which I knew made a quite tasty pastitsio.  I hope the leftovers last a couple of days!  It made me wish I was sitting in a cheap little taverna somewhere in Greece with friends, probably overlooking the Mediterranean.  Breezy with blue skies, a plate of olives, and some fresh blood orange juice, thinking about visiting some ruins tomorrow…or the next day.

This is not a quick make, but it is not difficult either.  I would start it about three hours before you want to serve, just to give yourself some time.  It would be nice to have an antipasto to serve along with it…I did not for the first day, but think I will run out and get some for tonight!  Don’t forget,  you can make this gluten-free by substituting the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour and the pasta with a brown-rice or other gluten free pasta, but no matter how gluten-free you make it, you can’t seem to take out those calories.  But now fat is good for you! so hey.

Ingredients

Meat Sauce:

3 Tbps olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground lamb

3/4 cup dry red wine

4 medium to large garlic cloves

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

1-1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or dried)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 can crushed tomatoes in puree, 28 oz.

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bechamel:

1 1/2 cups whole milk (not 2%, not skim)

1 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan (you can grate in your food processor, but I typically buy the good freshly grated Parmesan in the better cheeses area)

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt, plain

3/4 pound small shells

Directions

Sauce:

1.  Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot.  Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes.

2.  Add the ground beef and lamb.  Saute with the onions on medium for 8-10 minutes, until it’s no longer pink, crumbling it with the back of wooden spoon until there are no chunks left. Drain off any excess liquid.

3.  Add wine and cook for about two more minutes.

4.  Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and cayenne, and continue cooking on medium for five  minutes.

5.  Add the tomatoes, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bechamel:

1.  Heat the milk and cream together in a medium bowl in the micro about 2-1/2 minutes until it is warm.

2.  In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes.

3.  Pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the butter and flour mixture, about a half cup at a time, whisking constantly and blending completely with each addition of milk.  Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick.

4.  Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper.

5.  Stir in 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the tomato and meat sauce.  Turn off the heat and set aside to cool for 8-10 minutes.  Stir occasionally to release the heat.

6.  Stir in the eggs and yogurt.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Don’t over-cook because the pasta will later be baked. Drain and set aside.

Stir the pasta into the meat and tomato sauce mixture, then pour the mixture into a baking dish (needs to be larger than a 10×12 casserole dish.  I use a 10 x 16 pan).  pastitsio 2

Pour the bechamel over the meat mixture and spread evenly to completely cover the pasta.  Then sprinkle the remaining 1 cup Parmesan cheese over the bechamel evenly. pastitsio 3

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until golden brown and bubbly. Set aside for 10 minutes and serve hot.

pastitsio 4

I know you will love this dish!  Please subscribe to my blog if you do.  I promise to add more good recipes and hopefully some stories to amuse, if even for a short time.

pastitsio 6pastitsio 10

Milano Chicken 1024 768 Mari Bickmore

Milano Chicken

crunchy chicken 2

So Thanksgiving is over and my children and grandchildren have left the premises.  It is soooo quiet, but it is clean.  I could do without the clean to have my granddaughters back!  They did wear us out.  I had forgotten just how much energy the little ones have.  We had to take them in shifts.  I think my husband only lasted about five minutes at a time.  They wanted to play hide-and-seek constantly, sometimes stopping for a Lego break.  Most of the activities in the area for their age were closed for the season.  That was a bad surprise.akina haruka pancakesI will forever complain that they live too far away…but it does give me a place to go when the winter here is too much to bear!  Plus, I can’t complain too much as we will see them soon.  Hoping for warm, sunny weather for Christmastime.

We are finally done with the leftovers.  I was looking for something that wasn’t too heavy and, while it isn’t a salad with lemon juice or steamed veggies, it certainly seemed to fit the bill.  I am going to call it healthy.  It may not meet Cooking Lite criteria, but, hey, there are veggies on top!  I do love a light crunch, so this will remain a staple in my recipe book.  Crunch, along with a nice light sauce and that tart mustard on the side.  If you don’t like mustard, you could definitely leave that off.  I hope you love this dish.  Let me know if you do!

Milano Chicken

Serves 4

6 small to medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces.  You could use real baby carrots which would make a lovely presentation (not the fake one’s they form – oh, I guess you could if you really wanted).

1 T white wine vinegar

4 eggs

1 small bunch tarragon, leaves picked

½ cup Dijon mustard

2  large boneless chicken breasts (I haven’t tried it, but I am sure you could substitute turkey or veal for the chicken)

1 cup blanched sliced almonds

1-1/2 cups Rice Krispies (or gluten-free Rice Krispies)

1/2 cup flour (or rice flour or gluten-free flour)

2 T olive oil, plus more for frying

4 T butter, plus more for frying

4 oz. cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved

½ cup scallions, trimmed, white stems cut into 1″ pieces, and greens thinly sliced

¼ cup dry white wine

2 T capers

Juice of 1 lemon or about 3 Tbsp reconstituted lemon juice.

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

1.  Place the Dijon into a small bowl.  Chop half the tarragon leaves, around 3 Tbsp, and add to the mustard and set aside.

2.  In a medium saucepan bring salted water to a boil, add carrots and simmer until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the carrots and reserve in a bowl.

3.  Return the water to a boil, add vinegar and place 2 whole eggs in their shell into the pan. Simmer for 8-9 minutes, then drain and peel the eggs under cold running water. Slice into quarters lengthwise.

4.  Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Place each piece between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using the smooth side of a meat mallet, pound them until they are 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

5.  Crack the remaining 2 eggs into a small bowl, and beat until smooth.

6.  In a food processor, chop the almonds into a fine meal (do not overchop, or they will clump).  My food processor was broken, so I used a pie roller and crushed them (same with the Rice Krispies)  Add the Rice Krispies, and pulse a few times until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.

7.  Place the flour, beaten eggs, and almond/Rice Krispie mixture  into separate shallow dishes, and season each with salt and pepper.  Working with one piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour.  Then dredge it in the egg, and  then dredge in the almond mixture, pressing slgihtly to make sure it sticks to the chicken.

8.  Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat, and add two to three pieces of chicken in a single layer. Cook for 3 minutes, or until golden-brown. Turn the chicken over, add 1 T butter, and continue cooking for another 3 minutes, basting the chicken with the butter in the pan. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces, adding more oil and butter as needed.  Drain off any darkened fat between batches.  Place the chicken on a paper-towel-lined platter and keep warm.

9.  In a medium sauté pan, heat 2 T olive oil over high heat, then add the mushrooms and scallion whites. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, and reduce until almost dry. Reduce the heat to medium, add 3 T butter, and heat until it browns. Add the reserved carrots, the capers, and lemon juice, and swirl to combine.

On your plate, place one piece of chicken and top with some sautéed mushrooms, carrots, and scallion whites. Spoon the pan sauce over and around the chicken. Garnish with two quarters of boiled egg, a few tarragon leaves, and some sliced scallion greens. Serve with the tarragon mustard.

crunchy chicken