Easy French

Good Morning.

I took five years of French from seventh grade through my junior year in high school and attribute my efforts and occasional struggles with a very French teacher who wore a bun on top of her head and shawls around her shoulders to why I love French food. Watching Julia helped a fair amount also. The French have given us an interesting cuisine because it can be pretty tricky or very easy, but the main ingredients in the savory dishes, regardless of skill level, are butter, herbs, and wine. Throw in some cheese and you're a certified French cook. Today we do easy recipes and leave the souffles to someone else. We begin with an hors d'oeuvre that a first grader can make.

Brie Tartlets

1 8 oz. wedge of Brie

15 frozen phyllo tartlets

1/2 cup raspberry or apricots preserves

Remove the rind from the Brie and cut it into small pieces. Put the tartlets on a baking sheet and place a piece of Brie in each cup. Top with just a dab of preserves. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the Brie is melted. This will probably take six or seven minutes.

This is a version of the Brie you throw in a baking dish, top with something, and bake until it oozes, often a bit much. This is easier and looks cute.

For a beverage, we suggest a French Martini. The only thing that makes it French is the Chambord but this is what mixologists call it.

2 oz. vodka

2 oz. pineapple juice

1/2 oz. Chambord

Place in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice, shake, and strain into a stemmed cocktail glass.

Substitute Creme de Cassis, the blackberry liqueur, if preferred, but the raspberry stuff is

traditional.

Now we have a classic salad. It doesn't have a name but it uses French ingredients.

2 cups romaine, torn into bite-sized pieces

2 cups baby spinach, stems removed

1 cup Bibb lettuce

2 tbsp. snipped fresh chives

1 tsp. fresh tarragon, chopped

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

A sprinkle of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup crumbled Roquefort

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, chives, tarragon, salt and pepper. Place the greens in a salad bowl, top with the cheese, add the dressing, and toss. Should serve four people.

For an entree, a nice French word, we suggest Poulet Francaise which means French Chicken.

I find the name a bit boring but the dish is a classic and this version is a snap.

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 lemon

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. paprika

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 14.5 oz. can chicken broth

Another lemon

6 slices of lemon

Fresh parsley

Mix the egg and the juice of half a lemon in a shallow dish. In another dish or on a plate, combine the flour, garlic powder, and paprika. Pound the chicken breast halves to half an inch

thick. Dip them in the egg mixture, then the flour mixture. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the chicken. Cook until golden on each side. In a bowl, combine the broth and the juice of the other lemon and pour over the chicken. Reduce the heat and simmer for eight or nine minutes. To serve, place the chicken breasts on a platter or on individual plates.

Garnish each piece with a slice of lemon and a bit of fresh parsley.

The only possible problem with this dish is letting the chicken get overdone. This is why many people prefer dark meat to white - the extra fat keeps the chicken moist without much attention.

When doing breasts, stay off the phone, watch the clock, and all will be well.

For a side, we have Zucchini Provencal.

3 zucchini

3 tbsp. olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Herbes de Provence

1/4 cup Panko

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, not French but they cook with it too

3 tbsp. olive oil

More salt and pepper

Cut the zucchini into slices. Arrange a layer in the bottom of a pie plate so they overlap slightly. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence. Repeat the layers until the zucchini is all used up. Bake in a 350 degree oven for half an hour. In a bowl, combine the Panko, Parmesan, and three tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove the zucchini from the oven, top with the breadcrumb and cheese mixture, and bake for ten minutes more.

For dessert, clearly a cheater type, we have Chocolate Hazelnut Puffs.

1 package of frozen puff pastry shells, thawed

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 tbsp. confectioners' sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup mascarpone

1/2 cup Nutella

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Chocolate chips

Bake the shells according to package directions and cool. In a bowl, beat the whipping cream until it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla, and beat until you have nice peaks. In another bowl, beat the cheese, Nutella, and cinnamon. Fold in the whipped cream. Spoon into the cooled shells and refrigerate. If desired, drizzle with melted chocolate just before serving. This can be made by melting some chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Use as many as you want. Or get the prepared item at the store and heat it up. Madame

LeFaivre wouldn't approve but c'est la vie.

Best regards,

Elisabeth