Seared Salmon & Lemon Labneh

Seared Salmon & Lemon Labneh

Seared Salmon & Lemon LabnehWe received this fabulous salmon and simple recipe in our Blue Apron kit this week and it was one of my favorite dishes from the meal program thus far. I loved all the bold flavors and the various texture. I don’t zest my lemon and instead finely chop the rinds it for bigger lemon flavors to match against the salmon.

I’ve written about freekeh before, it’s an ancient grain popular in the Middle East and the Mediterranean that I use in place of rice in hot dishes and salads.

The rich seared salmon paired with the chewy freekeh and dates then topped with creamy, lemony labneh is a sure winner that’ll become a staple dish at our home.

Ingredients:

  • 1 10-ounce skin-on salmon fillet
  • ½ cup cracked freekeh
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 zucchini
  • 4 dried medjool dates
  • ¼ cup labneh cheese
  • 1 pink lemon (or regular lemon if you can’t find pink)

Freekeh Directions:

  1. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Once boiling, add the freekeh and cook, uncovered, 24 to 26 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Cover to keep warm.

Food Prep Directions:

  1. Using a peeler, remove the rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter and deseed the lemon.
  2. Halve the zucchini lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick pieces.
  3. Peel and roughly chop the garlic.
  4. Pit and roughly chop the dates.

Lemon Labneh Directions:

  1. While the freekeh continues to cook, in a bowl, combine the labneh, the juice of 2 lemon wedges, and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fish Directions:

  1. Once the freekeh has cooked about 15 minutes, pat the fish dry with paper towels. Transfer to a cutting board, skin side down. Cut into 2 equal-sized pieces; season with salt and pepper on both sides.
  2. In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the seasoned fish, skinless side down. Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil and cook 4 to 5 minutes on the first side, or until lightly browned. Flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through.
  3. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate. Cover with the aluminum foil to keep warm.

Zucchini Directions:

  1. To the pan of reserved fond, add the sliced zucchini in an even layer; season with salt and pepper. (If the pan seems dry, add a drizzle of olive oil.) Cook on medium-high, without stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned and slightly softened.
  2. Add the chopped garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened. Turn off the heat.

Serving Directions:

  1. To the pot of cooked freekeh, add the cooked zucchini, chopped dates, lemon zest, the juice of the remaining lemon wedges, and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Serve the cooked fish with the finished freekeh. Top the fish with the lemon labneh.

Serves 2.

Baked Ditali Pasta and Creamy Tomato Sauce

Baked Ditali Pasta and Creamy Tomato Sauce

pasta and creamy tomato sauceThis baked ditali pasta and creamy tomato sauce casserole is delicious and simple to make. This is a Blue Apron pasta recipe that was a huge hit at our home for its taste, ease of preparing and for its cheesy, comforting qualities.

I love that the broccoli and pasta are cooked at the same time in one pot – how fab is that!? The garlic/breadcrumb topping is packed with bold flavors and provides a nice crunch.

Ingredients:

  • 6 ounces ditali (also called ditalini) pasta (or other small tubular pasta)
  • ½ pound broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 1 yellow onion, small diced
  • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning (mix of basil, sage, oregano, savory, rosemary, thyme and marjoram)
  • ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 cloves garlic, finely chopped then smashed into a paste
  • ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. capers
  • 4 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese, torn into small pieces

Pasta and Broccoli Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 475°F.
  2. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high.
  3. Add the pasta and broccoli pieces to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8-9 minutes (or two minutes less than package directions), or until the broccoli is bright green and the pasta is al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Turn off the heat. Reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water, drain thoroughly and return to the pot.

Sauce Directions:

  1. While the pasta and broccoli cook, in a large pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the diced onion, Italian seasoning and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened.
  2. Add the tomatoes (carefully, as the liquid may splatter); season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
  3. Add the heavy cream and cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Casserole Assembly Directions:

  1. Place the garlic paste in a bowl and add the breadcrumbs, olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.
  2. To the pot of cooked pasta and broccoli, add the sauce, capers and the reserved cooking water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Transfer the pasta mixture to a baking dish (9×9 or 11×7). Evenly top with the cheese and seasoned breadcrumbs.
  4. Bake the casserole 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbly around the edges. Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle with olive oil. Let stand for at least 2 minutes before serving.

Makes 2 generous entrée-sized portions or 4 side dish portions.

Cheers,

Veronique

Easy Veal Saltimbocca

Easy Veal Saltimbocca

Veal Saltimbocca

Veal Saltimbocca Over Spinach

Veal Saltimbocca is a specialty in Rome and is a simple dish of veal scallopini, wrapped in Prosciutto and fresh sage, sautéed then served in a buttery pan sauce.

When I lived in South Florida, there was a place called La Pergola in Hollywood that was fantastic, in the most perfect old school Italian way. I’d often go there solo with a book and watch the all-male staff work the front of house with flair and a bit of flirtiness. My go-to meal was a tableside Caesar salad and the fantastic Veal Saltimbocca. The veal wasn’t a complicated dish, but it was tender, flavor-packed with sage leaves and spinach and a favorite.

I hadn’t made Veal Saltimbocca in 20 years when an urge for the classic came over me last week. In this version, there isn’t a ton of butter-laden sauce, but it’s still great and a bit lighter. The spinach component from the original dish comes in the form of garlic sautéed spinach, which eliminates the need for pasta for those nights where going low-carb is wanted.  

PS: Don’t like veal? Simply use chicken scallopini.

Veal Saltimbocca

Wrapping Veal with Prosciutto

Ingredients:

  • Large bunch of sage leaves (will need about 15 leaves)
  • 2 veal scallopini (about ½ pound), pounded thinly and evenly
  • 4 slices Prosciutto
  • 4 Tbsp. butter, divided
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
  • 16 ounces baby spinach
  • Pinch of salt and pepper
  • Splash of white wine or Marsala wine
  • Pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Press 4-5 sage leaves on each scallopini. Wrap each scallopini with two slices of Prosciutto.
  3. In a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the two scallopini to the skillet with the sage leaves side down. Cook for 3 minutes, until the Prosciutto is crispy. Carefully flip the scallopini and cook 2 minutes on the second side. Place the skillet in the oven and cook 5 minutes.
  4. While the scallopini are in the oven, add the olive oil to a sautéed pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the spinach and pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes and set aside, covered.
  5. Remove the scallopini from the skillet and place on a plate covered in foil. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Chop about 6 sage leaves and add to the butter. Once the sage butter is lightly browned, add the wine and stir to deglaze the pan of the yummy veal bits. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
  6. To plate, add sautéed spinach to two plates, top with the veal then a drizzle of the sage butter.

Serves 2.

Easy Veal Saltimbocca
Serves 2
An easy and delicious veal dish that originated from Rome.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. • Large bunch of sage leaves (will need about 15 leaves)
  2. • 2 veal scallopini (about ½ pound), pounded thinly and evenly
  3. • 4 slices Prosciutto
  4. • 4 Tbsp. butter, divided
  5. • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  6. • 2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
  7. • 16 ounces baby spinach
  8. • Pinch of salt and pepper
  9. • Splash of white wine or Marsala wine
  10. • Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. 2. Press 4-5 sage leaves on each scallopini. Wrap each scallopini with two slices of Prosciutto.
  3. 3. In a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the two scallopini to the skillet with the sage leaves side down. Cook for 3 minutes, until the Prosciutto is crispy. Carefully flip the scallopini and cook 2 minutes on the second side. Place the skillet in the oven and cook 5 minutes.
  4. 4. While the scallopini are in the oven, add the olive oil to a sautéed pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the spinach and pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes and set aside, covered.
  5. 5. Remove the scallopini from the skillet and place on a plate covered in foil. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Chop about 6 sage leaves and add to the butter. Once the sage butter is lightly browned, add the wine and stir to deglaze the pan of the yummy veal bits. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
  6. 6. To plate, add sautéed spinach to two plates, top with the veal then a drizzle of the sage butter.
Notes
  1. Not a fan of veal? Use chicken instead!
Food & Wine Chickie Insider https://www.foodandwinechickie.com/
Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

Bacon-wrapped scallops – add this to my list of ‘not really a recipe, but…’ deliciousness. I hadn’t made bacon-wrapped scallops since perhaps the 90s but needed to prepare something quick for a last minute invite of friends and had bacon and scallops so I thought…old school, but why not!?

I served these with a mixture of ketchup, mayo and Sriracha as a dipping sauce and the spice was pleasant with the fatty bacon.

Ingredients

  • 6 slices of thick-cut bacon
  • 12 large scallops

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Cover a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
  3. Cut the bacon slices in half, lengthwise.
  4. Wrap a strip of bacon around each scallop and secure the bacon with a toothpick.
  5. Place the bacon-wrapped scallops on the foil-covered baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp.

Makes 12 bacon-wrapped scallops.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Serves 4
Delicious and easy appetizer that will be a favorite at your parties.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 6 slices of thick-cut bacon
  2. 12 large scallops
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Cover a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
  3. Cut the bacon slices in half, lengthwise.
  4. Wrap a strip of bacon around each scallop and secure the bacon with a toothpick.
  5. Place the bacon-wrapped scallops on the foil-covered baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp.
Notes
  1. I served these with a mixture of ketchup, mayo and Sriracha as a dipping sauce and the spice was pleasant with the fatty bacon.
Food & Wine Chickie Insider https://www.foodandwinechickie.com/
Easy Pears Foster

Easy Pears Foster

Pears FosterBananas Foster is a dessert originally-created at Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans back in the 1950s. The popular dish consists of ripe bananas cooked in a butter, dark rum, banana liquor and brown sugar sauce then topped with vanilla ice cream. It’s decadent, old school and a most perfect dish.

When I was growing up in Canada, my mom recreated this dish with canned pears instead of bananas as canned goods were a necessity during long winter months. I don’t know if it’s because this was a childhood favorite, but I actually like the pear version even better than the original banana version. I don’t even care that we still make it using canned pears versus using fresh one – it’s fabulous.

Ingredients:

  • ½ stick (1/4 cup) butter
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon (optional. I leave it out as I don’t like cinnamon)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup banana liqueur
  • 29-ounce can of pear halves, drained of their liquid (rinsed if in syrup)
  • ¼ cup dark rum
  • 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Pears Foster Flambe

Pears Foster Flambe

Directions:

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the butter, cinnamon (if using) and the brown sugar. Cook gently until sugar is dissolved, stirring continuously.
  2. Add the banana liqueur and pears to the skillet and cook until the pears begin to brown, turning them a few times for even color.
  3. Take the pan off the heat and carefully add the rum (SEE VIDEO OF THE FLAMBEED PEARS). Place the skillet back on the burner – be careful as the alcohol will ignite (we call this flambé). Allow the rum to cook off for a minute (flame will dissipate).
  4. Divide the pears among four serving dishes, top with the pan sauce and then ice cream. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Easy Pears Foster
Serves 4
Bananas Foster is a dessert originally-created at Brenna’s Restaurant in New Orleans back in the 1950s. The popular dish consists of ripe bananas cooked in a butter, dark rum, banana liquor and brown sugar sauce then topped with vanilla ice cream. It’s decadent, old school and a most perfect dish.
Write a review
Print
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
15 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
15 min
Ingredients
  1. • ½ stick (1/4 cup) butter
  2. • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon (optional. I leave it out as I don’t like cinnamon)
  3. • 1 cup brown sugar
  4. • ¼ cup banana liqueur
  5. • 29-ounce can of pear halves, drained of their liquid (rinsed if in syrup)
  6. • ¼ cup dark rum
  7. • 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Instructions
  1. 1. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the butter, cinnamon (if using) and the brown sugar. Cook gently until sugar is dissolved, stirring continuously.
  2. 2. Add the banana liqueur and pears to the skillet and cook until the pears begin to brown, turning them a few times for even color.
  3. 3. Take the pan off the heat and carefully add the rum. Place the skillet back on the burner – be careful as the alcohol will ignite (we call this flambé). Allow the rum to cook off for a minute (flame will dissipate).
  4. 4. Divide the pears among four serving dishes, top with the pan sauce and then ice cream. Serve immediately.
Food & Wine Chickie Insider https://www.foodandwinechickie.com/
Top Dishes for Mardi Gras Celebrations

Top Dishes for Mardi Gras Celebrations

According to Wikipedia, Mardi Gras, also called Fat Tuesday, refers to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday”, reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.

I’ve always liked Mardi Gras. When I was a young child in Canada, my grandma used to dress my sister and me up in costumes and take us trick or treating on her street. Back then, kids dressed up just like for Halloween and collected treats.

Now that I’m an adult, the holiday is still centered on treats, in the form of actual food and I don’t miss a chance to celebrate with New Orleans-worthy dishes. Here are some of my top dishes for Mardi Gras celebrations.

Crawfish Bisque

Easy Mardi Gras Beignets

Easy Crawfish Etouffee

New Orleans Jambalaya

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Veronique

 

Easy Maple Old Fashioned

Easy Maple Old Fashioned

Maple Old FashionedAt every party I host, I come up with a signature cocktail. I just find that super fun and it sets the mood for the rest of the evening. Being from Quebec originally, I’m predictably a big fan of maple syrup and love to incorporate it in cocktails because of its lack of sugar crystals and its….well, syrupy texture.

It’s winter here in New Jersey so the perfect drink for me includes Bourbon. With the Bourbon, I included my beloved maple syrup and some fantastic blood orange bitters – WOW! No worries if you can’t find blood orange bitters, any old bitters will work….I just loved the taste of them in this drink.

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces bourbon (I used Bulleit)
  • ¾ ounce maple syrup (I like grade B for its extra flavor, but any kind is fine)
  • 4 dashes blood orange bitters
  • Orange peel for garnish

Directions:

  1. Add a large ice cube to a rocks glass.
  2. Pour the bourbon, maple syrup and bitters over the ice and stir until chilled and maple syrup is fully dissolved into the bourbon.
  3. Garnish with an orange peel.

 

Drink inspired by this recipe.

Prosciutto Wrapped Maple Sweet Potatoes

Prosciutto Wrapped Maple Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato Fries

Prosciutto Wrapped Maple Sweet Potatoes – come on, that sounds so good!

I’m from Quebec so my side dishes often feature maple syrup. It’s just a perfect ingredient, that’s great in both sweet and savory dishes and I use it frequently.

When I was asked to bring a Thanksgiving side dish recently, I wanted to do sweet potatoes, but not the traditional oversweet version with marshmallow topping that very few people actually like (in my circle anyways). This recipe is perfect as it still features the traditional sweet potatoes but they’re in finger food size in fries wrapped in salty prosciutto then glazed with maple syrup. There’s nothing to NOT like here folks.

The sweet potatoes will be in various size so aim to get to around 24 ‘fries’. If that means less than four potatoes, do less or add more prosciutto and do more fries!

Cooking for a crowd, double the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 4 long medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 24 fries/wedges
  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • Sprinkling of salt and pepper
  • 6-8 ounces thinly-sliced Prosciutto
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Sweet Potato Fries

Unbaked Sweet Potato Fries

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Place the sweet potato fries in a large bowl and drizzle them with oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, then toss to coat.
  3. Cut the Prosciutto pieces into two long strips. Wrap one Prosciutto strip around each potato fry, tucking the ends under the bottom. Bake for 20 minutes.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
  5. Brush the maple syrup mixture over the potato fries and bake an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Inspired from this recipe.

Short Cut Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

Short Cut Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

Creamy Chicken and Rice SoupCreamy chicken and rice soup has been a favorite of mine since my youth going to St Hubert restaurant in Quebec. St Hubert is a popular restaurant chain and the rice and creamy chicken soup it makes is pure comfort in a bowl.

This week as I was prepping for my pot of Sunday soup, I decided to make my typical chicken soup, creamy. Then I decided to replace the hand-cut spaghetti (popular at my home) with the rice from a boil-in bag. The result – velvety texture, big chicken flavor and hearty enough to almost use a fork to eat!

The “Short Cut” Part

I had leftover cooked chicken and homemade chicken broth in the freezer so I used that, but you could poach your own chicken to use or simply buy a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and grab store-bought broth. I’m a big believer in taking shortcuts in the kitchen, especially when they result in the heaven-in-a-bowl that is this Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup.

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium-large carrots, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • ½ tsp. each dried thyme and sage
  • 1 tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 cups diced roasted chicken
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tsp. corn starch diluted into ½ cup cold water
  • 1 Uncle Ben’s Boil-In Bag rice packet, uncooked OR 2 cups cooked long grain rice

Directions

  1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
  2. Add chicken broth, thyme, sage, salt, black pepper and chicken and cook for 10 more minutes.
  3. Add the cream and bring the soup to a simmer. Add the corn starch mixture and stir for 2 minutes until the soup has thickened.
  4. Add the uncooked rice, lower heat to medium-low and cook 15 more minutes. If using cooked rice, reduce the cooking time for 2 minutes.

Serves 6 generously.

Blueberry Panna Cotta

Blueberry Panna Cotta

Panna cotta, which means “cooked cream” in Italian, is a popular dessert of sweetened cream that’s thickened with gelatin. Since I love custards of all kinds, I’m a fan of panna cotta.

I’ve been in a blueberry mood since the start of the season. I put blueberry on my cereal to start the day and end the day with blueberries on my Greek yogurt – just yum!

This is a simple recipe that’s easy enough to make for a week night but impressive enough to make for a special occasion.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 4 ounce cream cheese
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • 10 Tbsp. blueberry jam
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 packet (7 grams or 2 ½ tsp.) flavorless gelatin (I use Knox)
  • 6 ½ Tbsp. water
  • ½ cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

  1. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, cook the milk, cream cheese, honey, 4 tablespoons of jam and the vanilla for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside for later use.
  2. In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in 1/5 cup of cold water. Add the rest of the water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the hot water to the dissolved gelatin and whisk to fully incorporate. Add the gelatin mixture to the milk/cheese mixture and whisk to incorporate.
  3. Using a hand mixer, blend the mixture until mostly smooth, about 2 minutes, then push through a fine sieve to remove any lumps. Add to small glass cups (yields enough for 6) and refrigerate at least 6 hours. Garnish with the remaining jam and fresh blueberries.

Yields 6 panna cottas.