Cod with Olive-Tomato Crust

No, it's not burned! Just looks that way ... but the flavor of the topping was too good to pass up. It's just sun-dried tomatoes, black olives and parmesan. It would go well with chicken too. 

Recipe

1/2 c. oil packed sun-dried tomato halves
1/2 c. pitted black olives
2 T. parmesan
– put this in a food processor and process until you have a puree that will hold together

4 cod loin fillets
1 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the broiler. Rub the fish with 1 T. of the oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place on a piece of oiled foil on a baking sheet. Cover the top of the fish with the tomato-olive puree and put in the oven, about 4-inches from the heat source.

Depending on how thick your fillets are, broil for between 5 and 15 minutes. I had fairly thick fillets so it took just about 13-14 minutes to cook through. To serve, drizzle a little olive oil over the fish and sprinkle some fresh herbs on top (parsley or oregano would go nicely).

– Jacques Pépin, "More Fast Food My Way"

Shrimp Pane on Watercress

Jacques Pépin's recipe for Shrimp Pane (pane means "breaded") is elegant, light, and crunchy – what a great dish for a party or a small gathering of friends. Whole shrimp are coated with a shrimp puree (using the lower tail segments of the shrimp + 3 whole shrimp, egg, garlic and parsley), breaded with fresh bread crumbs, and fried for 3 minutes on each side in oil and butter. It's served on a bed of peppery watercress dressed lightly with walnut oil and sherry vinegar. Make the shrimp before your guests arrive and keep in the fridge until you're ready to cook.

This past weekend, I served this with a first course of cold black bean soup with banana and a cookie dough raspberry tart.

For Jacques Pépin's recipe click here, and to watch him prepare click here (at about the 3:55 mark)

Orecchiette with Fennel and Tuna

I am constantly amazed at the ease of preparation for Jacques Pépin's recipes from his "Fast Food My Way" cookbooks. The marriage of pine nuts, garlic, raisins, tuna and fennel in this recipe is perfection, and the shape of the orecchiette pasta works well. For a quick meal, try this fabulous combination!

Recipe

1/3 c. olive oil
1-1/2 c. chopped onions
3 T. pine nuts
1-1/2 T. chopped garlic
2 T. golden raisins
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. finely ground black pepper
2 cans (6-oz. each) tuna
1 fennel bulb cut into very thin slices
3 T. water
1 lb. orecchiette pasta
grated parmesan cheese

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and pine nuts and sauté for 1 minute. Add the garlic, raisins, parsley, 1-1/2 tsp. salt, and pepper. Crumble the tuna and add it with its juice to the pan and cook for 20 seconds. Add the fennel and water. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until most of the water is gone and the fennel is tender. Transfer mixture to a bowl large enough to hold the cooked pasta.

Add the pasta to the boiling water, return to a boil and boil the pasta for about 8-10 minutes.

Add 1/2 c. pasta water to the tuna and fennel mixture in the bowl and drain the pasta. Add pasta to the bowl, toss well, and serve with grated parmesan and a sprinkling of the fennel fronds.

– Jacques Pépin, "More Fast Food My Way"

Little Shrimp Casseroles

A perfect do-ahead dish, great for parties – serve in four individual gratin dishes, or one large one. Shrimp, scallions, garlic, mushrooms, salt and pepper, and melted butter are tossed together, topped with bread crumbs mixed with a little olive oil, and a splash of wine, and baked for 10 minutes at 425-degrees. Succulent, buttery, garlicky shrimp with a crusty topping, served with a chilled Lachini Vineyards 2013 Pinot Gris, what could be better?!

As you can see, I was a bit heavy handed with the bread crumbs and you can barely see the shrimp underneath!

Recipe

4 T. butter, melted
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1/4 c. minced scallions
1/2 c. coarsely chopped white button mushrooms
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 T. olive oil
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled (about 24)
1 c. fresh bread crumbs (from 3/4 slice of bread processed in a food processor)
1/4 c. dry white wine

Pre-heat oven to 425-degrees.

Mix the melted butter in a glass bowl with the garlic, scallions, mushrooms, salt, pepper, and 1 T. of the oil. Add the shrimp and toss to mix well.

Divide the mixture among four individual gratin dishes with about 1 cup capacity (or into one large gratin dish or shallow baking dish). In another bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the remaining tablespoon of oil so they are lightly coated but still fluffy.

Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the shrimp mixture, and pour the wine on top. 

Put gratin dishes on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the top is browned and shrimp are just cooked through. Serve immediately.

– Jacques Pépin, "Fast Food My Way"

Feta Stuffed Lamb Burger with Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce

90-degrees today and a perfect dinner is Jacques Pépin's Feta Stuffed Lamb Burger on the grill! Served with a yogurt-cucumber sauce with fresh mint over a bed of lightly dressed mixed greens and a Penner-Ash 2012 Pinot - can't get better than that!

Recipe

YOGURT-CUCUMBER SAUCE
1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, and grated
1-1/2 T. chopped fresh mint
1 tsp. chopped garlic
3/4 tsp. salt
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 c. plain Greek yogurt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl (can be refrigerated up to one week).

LAMB BURGERS
1 lb. ground lamb
1 c. coarsely chopped mushrooms
1/3 c. coarsely chopped onion
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano ( I used a combination of dried and chopped fresh oregano)
1/2 c. crumbled feta (1/2-inch pieces)
1 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl mix together the lamb, mushrooms, onion, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Form into 4 patties. Make a shallow depression in the center of each with your thumb and insert a chunk of the feta. Bring the edges together and press gently to enclose the cheese. Rub olive oil over the patties and grill over medium-high heat for about 12-18 minutes for medium.

I served on a bed of mixed greens with the dressing used for the Tall Greek Tomato Salad that I served with the burgers. Put a dollop of the yogurt-cucumber on top of the burger and serve.

– Jacques Pépin, "More Fast Food My Way"

Chicken Supreme Kiev-Style

The man can do no wrong! Jacques Pépin's Chicken Supreme Kiev-Style ("Good Life Cooking") is a must have recipe to include in your list of favorites. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are butterflied and lightly pounded between two sheets of plastic wrap to achieve a uniform thickness; a mixture of sautéed onion, garlic, mushroom, salt, pepper, and fresh cilantro is set in the middle of the chicken breast and then folded over to enclose the stuffing, dipped in milk (I used soy milk) and rolled in fresh bread crumbs seasoned with salt, pepper, and more fresh cilantro with a touch of olive oil to prevent the crust from burning. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes. The result is an herbal-infused, moist, crunchy mouthful ... absolutely delicious! Definitely use fresh herbs as dried herbs would not do this dish justice. If you don't care for cilantro, substitute your favorite herb. Tarragon, dill, thyme, or another fresh herb would work well here. Parsley might be okay if that's all you have, but it wouldn't pack enough of a punch, in my opinion. Serve with a simple green salad and a glass of Penner-Ash Viognier, and that's it!

Recipe

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (trim fat)
Mushroom Filling:
   1-1/2 T. virgin olive oil
   1-1/2 c. onions, chopped
   8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and chopped (3 cups)
   3-4 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed, and chopped
   1/2 tsp. salt
   1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
   2 T. fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
Coating:
   4 slices cubed white bread (put in food processor to make crumbs (about 2 cups)
   2 T. olive oil
   2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
   1/2 tsp. salt
   1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
   1/4 c. milk (or milk substitute)

Slice horizontally almost all the way through the chicken breast, open like a book, put between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound lightly to achieve an even thickness. For the filling, heat olive oil over medium high heat, add onion and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, covered, for 3 minutes. Add the cilantro, stir and transfer mixture to a plate to cool.

When the filling is cooled, mound one portion in the middle of each chicken breast. Fold meat over the filling to enclose it completely. For the coating, mix the bread crumbs, cilantro, salt and pepper in a bowl, add the 2 T. of olive oil, stir and set aside.

Dip the chicken breasts in the milk, then roll in the bread crumb mixture, arrange on a roasting pan and bake for 20-25 minutes in a 400-degree oven.

– Jacques Pépin, "Good Life Cooking"