Cook pasta. Reserve 3/4 to 1 C pasta water, then drain and keep warm.
Heat pan, add butter and oil. Let it brown over medium heat. Add broccoli, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook over medium or medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Whisk pasta water with mustard, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Pour over broccoli and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and let stand while you grate the parmesan cheese. Toss the pasta with the cheese.
Notes
You could change this up so easily to suit your tastes, and what’s in your pantry. Squash, cauliflower, fennel, carrots, onions, more garlic, less garlic… you get the picture. Use what you have and what you like!
I love cold nights warmed by steaming bowls of soup. It’s soup season and I fully intend to take advantage of it. Freshly made, reheated, at home, out with friends… it’s one of my all time favorite comfort foods.
Did you ever watch the Seinfeld episode where they aren’t allowed to buy soup anymore? I always get so frustrated when people have food to eat, on a show, and they can’t. I don’t know why it bothers me so much. But, it does. I think I would be devastated if I had to wait one year to come back for soup.
Do you like fennel? I didn’t think I did. But, I’ve discovered that I do. Especially in Mac and Cheese, roasted, and in soups.
Heat soup pot. Add olive oil. When oil is hot, add fish and cook, over med-low heat for 3 minutes. Add veggies, salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium, and cook covered, for 10 minutes.
Add vinegar, stir to deglaze the pan (scrape off any browned bits from the bottom).
Whisk together flour and 1/4 C water. Add to soup pot. Stir. Add hot water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook 15-20 minutes, or until veggies are tender and fish is cooked.
Remove from heat and add milk, cream, and fennel pollen. Stir. Add lemon. Stir. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
It was a good weekend. One with just the right amount of fun and relaxation. It involved cooking, an evening of shopping for kitchen tools, some hanging out with friends, and lots of time with Husband.
It included Dutch Blitz, a new friend, a new recipe, and playing with new kitchen toys.
And it definitely had dessert. Really yummy homemade Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pudding. Made by a friend who surprised me with his cooking talents.
And it involved not doing the dishes because others volunteered.
Last modified on 2013-01-29 02:05:41 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
Chicken Cordon Bleu avec Moutarde
Recipe Type: Main, Chicken, Meat, Poultry
Cuisine: French
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Chicken Cordon Bleu with a twist – mustard!
Ingredients
6 chicken breasts
6 slices of prosciutto
12 slices of gruyère cheese
2 T dijon mustard
salt
pepper
paprika
flour
1/2 C parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 to 1 C water
lemon juice
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Slice chicken almost all the way through, lengthwise, creating a flap. Stuff with 2 pieces of gruyère and 1 piece of prosciutto. Close flap and spread the top with dijon, a sprinkle of salt, pepper, paprika, and flour.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Pour in water. Place chicken in pan, mustard side up.
Bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake 15-20 minutes more (or until chicken reaches 175F).
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Slice chicken almost all the way through, lengthwise, creating a flap. Stuff with 2 pieces of gruyère and 1 piece of prosciutto. Close flap and spread the top with dijon, a sprinkle of salt, pepper, paprika, and flour.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Pour in water. Place chicken in pan, mustard side up.
Bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake 15-20 minutes more (or until chicken reaches 175F).
Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be the busiest of my weekdays. I’m usually pretty tired at the end of the day. I try to plan our menu accordingly, but this week I had something on the menu that wasn’t super quick or easy. So when it was 6pm and I was just barely finished working, I decided to make a quicker version of what I’d originally planned.
I had about a zillion heads of cabbage.
I’m not kidding. There’s even some in the freezer.
I also had two chicken thighs that were kinda defrosted. Thanks to Bari Olive Oil Company, I always have good quality olive oil. I also like to have things like dijon mustard, garlic, onion, and balsamic vinegar on hand. That pretty much makes up our dinner. Oh, and there’s butter. Mmm, butter.
I was going to say that this is not the healthiest meal ever… But, as I look at the ingredients, I might stop myself.
Because it’s homemade, so I know what’s in it. I recognize all the ingredients. And, it’s not deep fried, which is another plus. There’s definitely a place in my life for deep fried (deep fried Oreos at the fair!). Just not every day.
I know how some people feel about things like butter and oil. (Did you ever see that SNL Weekend Update segment where Kristen Wiig does an impersonation of Paula Dean? I think it’s funny.) People are concerned about calorie and fat consumption. I get it. But, I enjoy both as a part of a healthy, balanced approach to eating. I’d rather have the real thing and be mindful about what I’m eating than have something that’s mostly filler and empty calories.
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, or know me personally, you’re probably aware that this is my approach to eating. It doesn’t have to be yours. If it’s not, we can definitely still be friends. And, rest assured, I will still eat ice cream and In-n-Out on occasion. I will also eat lots of amazing, seasonal fruits and vegetables, organic meats, cheeses, oils, nuts… food. Good food.
Now that’s how I like to eat.
Oh, and to my friend, Kari, I wish you could come over for dinner too. Since you live far away, here’s the recipe. 🙂
Last modified on 2013-01-26 00:19:26 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Crispy Dijon Chicken Thighs
Recipe Type: Main, Stove Top, Meat, Chicken
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
2 chicken thighs
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 T dijon mustard, divided
1-2 T flour
salt
pepper
Instructions
Spread 1/4 T dijon over one side of each chicken thigh. Season it with salt and pepper. Sprinkle it with flour.
Heat skillet. Add olive oil. When hot, shake excess flour from chicken and place in pan, mustard side down.
Top each thigh with remaining mustard, salt, pepper, flour, and 1 T butter. Place lid on pan and cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes. Flip and cook 8-10 minutes more, or until chicken reaches 180F.
Last modified on 2013-02-20 21:02:02 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
Hot Napa Slaw
Recipe Type: Side, Salad, Hot, Vegetables
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
1/2 large napa cabbage, chopped
1/2 T dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot (about 1 C), chopped
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 t salt
pepper
1/4 C water
1 T olive oil
2 T butter
Instructions
Heat pan. Add butter and oil and let it brown (be careful that it doesn’t burn). Add shallot and salt, cook 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Turn heat to low and add cabbage, vinegar, pepper, dijon, and water. Stir. Cook covered, for 10-20 minutes, or until cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally.
