Coq au Vin

From Linda Bell, The Culinary Classroom

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 ounces Applewood Smoked Bacon – cut into 3-inch slices
• ¼ cup olive or canola oil
• 1 whole chicken cut into 6 pieces (@ 3.5 lb.)
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• ½ lb. carrots cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
• 1 whole yellow onion – thick slices
• 2 cloves garlic medium dice
• 2 ounces tomato paste
• ¼ cup Cognac or brandy
• 2 cups chicken stock (simmering in separate pan)
• ½ bottle dry French wine
• Thyme – 6 sprigs
• Bay leaf – 1
• 1 TBS butter mixed with 1 ½ TBS all-purpose flour
• 1 TBS butter
• 1 bag pearl onions, blanched and skin removed (or can substitute frozen small onions)
• ½ pound mushrooms, quartered
• 1 bunch minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven 275 degrees.

2. Heat oil in large Dutch oven or deep (4 inch) heavy-duty stainless steel or cast iron fry pan. Add bacon and brown lightly over medium high heat. Remove bacon with slotted spoon to a plate.

3. Dry chicken with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

4. Brown chicken in the pan that was used for the bacon – fry over medium high heat turning to brown evenly about 8 minutes per side. This may be done in two batches, as the chicken needs to be placed in a single layer.

5. Set chicken aside with bacon on plate.

6. De-grease pan – remove and discard excessive grease. Add the carrots, onions, tomato paste to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10- 12 minutes until onions turn light golden, stirring while cooking. Add the garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.

7. Remove pan from cooktop and pour cognac over the ingredients and ignite with long match – STAND BACK until flames subside. Then return chicken and bacon to pan along with any accumulated juices.

8. Add wine, stock, thyme, bay leaf, and bring to simmer. Cover with tight fitting lid and place in oven for 40-50 minutes until juices of chicken run clear.

9. Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms and onions over medium high heat in medium sized sauté pan – when golden season lightly with salt and pepper. Add to the stew when stew is removed from oven.

10. Add the flour/ butter mixture to the stew and bring to simmer and allow to thicken slightly until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Taste for seasoning.

11. Serve and garnish with minced fresh parsley.

Braised Leeks

From Linda Bell, The Culinary Classroom

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 leeks, split lengthwise and washed
• 32 ounces chicken stock
• 1-ounce butter
• Salt, pepper to taste
• 2 TBS minced parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Remove any withered outside leaves of leeks. Trim root ends, being careful not to remove completely. Without cutting through the root, slit lengthwise once, give a quarter turn and slit lengthwise again. Wash under well running water, spreading leaves apart to remove grit and dirt. Trim to a total length of about 8 inches.
2. Place leeks in oven proof baking dish or skillet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour in enough liquid to come about halfway up the leeks. Add butter or oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place leeks over high heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until the white parts of the leek are easily pierced with a tip of a paring knife, 20-30 minutes. The cover may be left slightly ajar to evaporate some of the liquid. Remove leeks from liquid and serve.
4. To hold leeks, place on an ovenproof dish, cover with foil and keep in 200-degree oven for up to 30 minutes. To reheat at a later time, reserve the cooking liquid. About 20 minutes before serving, bring liquid up to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer. Add leeks to pan until hot throughout, 3-4 min. Sprinkle with minced parsley and serve.

Cheesy Herbed Polenta & Savory Baked Portobello

From Phoebe Canakis, Phoebe’s Pure Food

Part 1 – Cheesy Herbed Polenta

Yield: Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cup organic cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano or dried Italian herb blend
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 TBS butter

Directions

1. Over medium-low heat, sauté the garlic in the olive oil for 1 minute.
2. Add broth, and bring to a boil. 
3. Gradually whisk the cornmeal into the broth until it is creamy. Turn to medium-low heat, continuing to stir, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Be very careful to frequently stir, as air pockets will form, and the popping cornmeal mixture can burn your skin.
4. Stir in the cheese and butter. Serve immediately for a creamy polenta side dish.

Part 2: Savory Baked Portobello

Yield: Serves 4-6.

“This Savory Baked Portobello will fill your house with an amazing scent which may draw the neighbors in,” Canakis says. “Be sure to lock your doors before you begin. If there are any leftovers (highly unlikely) add broth, chopped vegetables and stretch this into a fabulous soup.”

“This is one of those recipes you want to use only as a guideline; play with the flavors to suit your own taste,” she suggests.

--Add chopped ancho peppers and cooked and crumbled Andouille sausage to the sauce 
--Use goat cheese or feta instead of a mozzarella
--Add Kalamata olives, capers or pepperoncini to the sauce for another layer of flavor
--Add Italian sausage to the sauce
--Think vegetarian and add chopped sweet potato or whole grain pasta

Mushroom Ingredients

• 4 to 6 Portobello mushroom tops, (enough to fill a 9x13-inch baking pan) gently wiped clean with a damp cloth
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• 4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional 
• 1 handful of shredded cheese or a shredded cheese blend (mozzarella and smoked mozzarella or aged provolone and mozzarella)

Sauce Ingredients

• 2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
• 4 TBS basil pesto or freshly chopped basil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and prepare a 9×14 baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Using the flat side of your knife’s blade, mash the chopped garlic with the salt to create a paste. In a cup, combine the garlic paste, olive oil, oregano, pepper and pepper flakes. Spread the mixture between the “gill side” of each mushroom. Set aside.
3. Combine the diced tomato, sauce, peppers, pesto, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour into the prepared baking pan.
4. Heat your cast iron grill pan (you can also use a George Foreman Grill or panini press) to medium heat. Place the mushrooms on the grill pan; weight them with a can of tomatoes and cook until seared, about 8 minutes. You want them to retain some firmness.
5. Place the mushrooms on the tomato mixture, and top with the cheese. 
6. Bake covered for the first 30 minutes. Remove the foil to lightly brown the cheese for the remaining 15 minutes.
7. Serve with a dollop of Cheesy Herbed Polenta.

Vegetable Lasagna

From Phoebe Canakis, Phoebe’s Pure Food

Yield: Serves 10 to 12

Ingredients

• 1 package (9-12 sheets) lasagna noodles, prepared per package instructions (I used Tinkyada Rice Noodles.) 
• 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion (8-ounces), peeled and chopped
• 1 bell pepper (6-ounces), seeded and chopped
• 1 TBS chopped garlic
• 4 ounces baby bella mushrooms, chopped 
• 3 cups chopped eggplant, reserve extra sliced eggplant for topping
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 TBS dried Italian herb blend or Phoebe's Pure Food herb blend
• 2 cups (8-ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 16-ounces ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, optional
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 TBS chopped, fresh parsley
• 24-ounce jar tomato sauce
• 1 to 2 tomatoes sliced
• eggplant slices, optional

Directions

1. Sauté the onions, pepper and garlic with the olive oil until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms, eggplant, salt and herb blend, continuing to cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Turn off heat, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
3. Combine 1 cup of the mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan, egg, garlic powder and fresh parsley.
4. Assemble the lasagna starting with 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of the pan, top with 3 to 4 noodles, spread the vegetable mixture over the noodles, top with 1 cup sauce, layer 3 to 4 noodles, dollop the cheese mixture over the noodles, top with 1 cup sauce, layer 3 to 4 noodles and spread with 1 cup sauce.
5. Top the lasagna with alternating layers of eggplant and tomato slices. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Cover with foil, and bake for 25 minutes, remove the foil, and bake for another 15 minutes.