Middle Eastern Couscous with Saffron

I hadn't used Israeli couscous before so I was in for a treat. Larger in diameter that the regular couscous that everyone is familiar with, soft and flavorful it's a must for this dish. I served the couscous with Jacques Pépin's Turkey Scaloppine with Dried Morels - a perfect combination.

Recipe

2 T. olive oil
2/3 c. finely chopped onion
1/4 c. pumpkin seeds (+ 1 T. for garnish)
1 tsp. saffron (crush between your fingers before adding)
1 c. Israeli couscous
1-1/2 c. vegetable stock
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh tarragon or parsley (for garnish)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat and add the onion, pumpkin seeds, and saffron. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the couscous and mix well. Add the chicken stock, salt and pepper, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cover and cook for about 10-12 minutes. Uncover, turn the heat up to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 or 4 minutes longer (so the grains are dry and fluffy). Serve garnished with the herb sprigs and a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds.

– Jacques Pépin, "More Fast Food My Way"

Turkey Scaloppine with Dried Morels

Out of all the recipes I've made so far from Jacques Pépin's "Fast Food My Way" and "More Fast Food My Way" cookbooks, the Turkey Scaloppine with Dried Mushrooms is my #1 Favorite! Fantastic, rich flavors, and as always, very easy to prepare. Serve this for a special occasion dinner as the dried morels are on the expensive side. A half-ounce package was nearly $12 and you need one ounce for this recipe. But after tasting, it was worth it! Have everything prepared and ready to go near the stove as this dish cooks quickly. Serves 4 (or two very hungry people). Middle Eastern Couscous with Saffron pairs nicely with this dish.

Watch Jacques prepare this dish here (at about the 13:18 mark)

Recipe

1 oz. dried morels (about 1 c.)
1-1/2 c. tepid water
2 T. butter
4 large turkey scaloppine or cutlets (about 1 lb.)
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4. tsp. freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 T. flour
1/2 c. finely chopped shallots or onion
2 T. white dry vermouth
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 T. chopped fresh tarragon, or chives (for garnish)

Rinse the morels briefly under cool running water and put them in a small bowl with the tepid water. Push them down and press a piece of foil on top to keep the mushrooms under the water.

Put the butter and oil in a large saucepan and heat over high heat. I used a large non-stick pan that accommodated all 4 of the cutlets. Sprinkle the scaloppine with about half the salt and pepper on both sides and dip them very lightly into the flour. Shake off any excess. Saute over high heat for about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Put the onion in the same skillet you fried the scaloppine in and saute for about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and soaking liquid (be sure to pour the liquid carefully and leave behind any dirt from the mushrooms on the bottom). Boil for a few seconds to deglaze. Continue cooking, uncovered, over high heat for about 4-5 minutes until the liquid is almost completely gone (maybe a tablespoon or two left in the pan). Add the vermouth and cook for another minute. Add the cream and boil for a minute or two to reduce and thicken the sauce. Add the remaining salt and pepper and any liquid that has come out of the resting scaloppine.

Arrange the scaloppine on a nice serving dish and pour the sauce on top. Sprinkle with tarragon or chives and serve.

– Jacques Pépin, "More Fast Food My Way"

Chicken Bouillabaisse with Rouille

A quick, hearty, satisfying meal for those chilly, windy almost-Winter days. You really don't need to serve this with anything else – it's a meal in itself. I didn't have chicken thighs so I substituted three chicken breasts and marinated in the fridge for about 3 hours (can be marinated up to 8 hours). Serves 4.

Recipe

4 large skinless chicken thighs (about 1-3/4 lbs.)
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. coarsely chopped onion
1 rib of chopped celery
1 coarsely chopped carrot
1 T. coarsely chopped garlic
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. saffron
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds
1/4 tsp. herbes de Provence
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
(1) 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. dry white wine
3/4 c. chicken broth (or water)
5 red or yellow Yukon Gold potatoes (about 3/4 lb. total), peeled and cut into 4 pieces each
1 kielbasa sausage (about 10 oz.), cut into 2" pieces
2 T. chopped tarragon (or parsley or chives)
Splash (2 tsp.) of Pernod (an anise flavored liqueur) *optional

ROUILLE
1/4 c. liquid from the soup
1/2 of one of the cooked potatoes in the stew
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 tsp. sweet paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 egg yolk
1/2 c. olive oil
Dash of salt, if needed

FOR THE BOUILLABAISSE:
In a large bowl combine the olive oil with the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, lemon zest, saffron, fennel seeds and herbes de Provence. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken, toss to coat and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Or marinate in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.

When ready to cook, put the chicken and marinade ingredients in a Dutch oven or stainless steel pot and add the tomatoes, wine, chicken broth (or water) and potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently until the potatoes are half cooked, about 25 minutes. Add the kielbasa and tarragon (and the Pernod if using) and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes longer.

FOR THE ROUILLE:
Transfer half of a cooked potato half to a food processor along with 1/4 c. of the cooking liquid from the stew. Add the garlic, paprika and cayenne and process for 10 seconds. Add the egg yolk. Then, with the machine running, add the olive oil in a thin stream and process until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt if needed.

Serve the bouillabaisse in shallow bowls with a few spoonfuls of the rouille drizzled on top.

– Jacques Pépin, "Fast Food My Way"

Smoked Trout Salad with Horseradish Cream

A light but filling salad that I made for lunch today. You can find pre-packaged smoked trout in specialty grocery stores or Trader Joe, but my local market had fresh smoked "candied" steelhead so I thought I'd give it a go. I wasn't sure how the sweet flavor would go with the horseradish and other ingredients in this recipe, but it was a hit! Serve with a tasty pinot rose wine. Recipe below makes two good-size portions.

Recipe

8 oz. smoked Steelhead (or other trout)
1 hard boiled egg, peeled
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 to 2/3 c. pitted mixed olives (Kalamata, black, and green), cut in half or quartered for larger olives
1/4 to 1/3 c. chopped sweet onion
3 T. loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, or roughly chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. olive oil
2 Boston lettuce leaves

HORSERADISH CREAM
1/4 c. whipped cream cheese
1 T. bottled horseradish (I used horseradish cream)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Crunchy French bread for serving

Using an egg slicer, cut the egg into vertical slices, then pivot the slices at 90-degrees in the slicer and cut them again, or chop into squares. Put the egg, tomato, olives, onion, cilantro (or parsley), salt, pepper and oil in a bowl and toss gently.

For the horseradish cream, mix the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Divide the tomato mixture among two plates, creating a mound in the middle of the plate. Make a well in the center of each mound; using a spoon spread it out slightly to accommodate the lettuce leaf. Place the lettuce in the middle and put half the horseradish cream on the lettuce leaf. Arrange the pieces of trout on top of the horseradish cream and sprinkle with any remaining chopped cilantro.

Serve with slices of French bread and butter.

– Jacques Pépin, "Fast Food My Way"

Apple, Dried Apricot and Pecan Crumble

A great recipe for Fall apple season - sweet, crunchy and comforting.

Recipe

2 lbs. apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1" pieces (about 3 large apples)
3/4 c. dried apricots, cut into 3/4" pieces
1/2 c. pecans, broken into pieces
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. orange juice
1/3 c. sugar

CRUMBLE TOPPING
3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/3 c. sugar
1 stick butter, at room temperature so it's soft

1/2 c. Crème Fraîche for serving

Mix the apples, apricots, pecans, cinnamon, orange juice, and sugar in a large bowl.

For the topping combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix with your fingers until crumbly and well mixed.

Heat the oven to 400-degrees. Put the apple mixture in a 6-cup baking dish (or gratin dish) and sprinkle the crumble mixture over the top, spreading evenly. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes until the topping is brown and crusty and the apples are soft and cooked. Serve with Crème Fraîche or sour cream.

– Jacques Pépin, "Fast Food My Way"

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

Quiche is great for any meal − breakfast with sliced fruit, lunch with a light salad, or dinner with a glass of white wine. Make it even easier by using a store-bought crust. Remove the crust from the freezer and thaw for about 10 minutes, prick all over with a fork, and bake at 400-degrees for about 10-15 minutes, remove from oven and set aside. Turn down the oven heat to 325-degrees while you prepare the filling.

Today I used broccoli and cheddar, but use any combination of vegetable and/or meat and cheese that you have on hand for the filling. The method is the same − pre-bake the crust; sauté the filling ingredients in a tablespoon or two of butter until soft, then set aside; grate the cheese; and whisk the custard ingredients in a separate bowl. Place your cooked filling on the bottom of the pie crust, sprinkle with the cheese, pour the custard on top, and bake!

Recipe

FILLING IDEAS
★ 1/2 c. thinly sliced shallots or onion, 1 cup chopped broccoli, 1 c. grated cheddar cheese (pictured above)
★ 1/2 c. thinly sliced shallots, (1) 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, defrost and squeeze out all the water, 1 c. grated gruyere cheese. For this quiche I sautéed the shallots separately and put on the bottom of the pie crust, sprinkled the cheese, spread the spinach on top of the cheese and pour the custard on top.
★ 6-8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled, 2 chopped green onions, 1 c. grated gruyere or swiss cheese
★ 1-1/2 lbs. asparagus cut into 1" pieces and cooked, toss with 1 c. freshly grated parmesan
★ Onion Quiche: Peel and slice 4-5 medium onions, saute in 1/4 c. butter until soft and brown and all the moisture has cooked away, and season highly with salt, pepper and paprika. I don't usually add cheese to this one. Makes a good appetizer if you bake in a square pan and cut into bite-size square pieces.

CUSTARD
1 c. heavy cream
4 eggs
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Beat the ingredients with a whisk for about 15-20 seconds. Pour over filling ingredients.

Put the quiche on a baking sheet and bake at 325-degrees for about 50 minutes.