Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Pineapple Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

The salad is the most interesting combo in the universe.  When I read Joy's post about this salad she came up with, I couldn't wait to try it.  It is shaved (raw) Brussels sprouts with chunks of fresh pineapple, avocado, roasted macadamia nuts and French lentils and a pineapple poppy seed vinaigrette.  Fascinating.  Genius.  

Let me just give a little of my experience with the different components.  

Raw Brussels sprouts are good.  The closer you get to the core, the more bitter they taste.  But the bitterness is nice with the other parts of the salad.  Also, 8 cups?  Yikes, that is like a million.  I just got a regular amount.  

Pineapple.  It was actually on sale for me at my Whole Foods.  Even though I claim to be the best produce-picker-outer (including pineapples), the one I picked was pretty horrible.  However, it tasted great in the salad and still made a delicious dressing.  Who knew?

French Lentils.  Fancy lentils.  They are a pretty color.  But they taste the same to me.  Maybe they taste more muddy.  But in a good way.  Hard to explain.

Macadamia nuts.  Are AMAZING!  

As you can see, I did more of a lentil salad with shaved Brussels sprouts, pineapple, avocado and macadamia nuts on top.  This is mostly because I couldn't afford 8 cups of shaved Brussels sprouts.  But I liked the proportions.  Joy's proportions also look delicious.  Also, this dressing is a real winner.  And I am not usually a fan of sweet dressings.  

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Pineapple Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

by Joy the Baker

8 cups raw Brussels sprouts ribbons (lay sprouts on their sides and sliced thin, creating green ribbons)

1/2 cup scallions, sliced from the white to the green

1/4 cup parsley, coarsely chopped

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks, sliced bite size

1 cup French Lentils, cooked

1 cup raw macadamia nuts, roasted in olive oil, salt, and pepper

1 cup avocado chunks

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Toss raw macadamia nuts in 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper and roast for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Simmer one cup of French lentils in 3 cups of water. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until just cooked through. Drain completely, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and set aside to cool completely.

Slice pineapple into bite size chunks.

Prepare salad dressing.

Slice avocado.

Just before serving the salad, toss together Brussels sprouts, scallions, parsley, pineapple, lentils, macadamia nuts and avocado chunks. Drizzle in dressing and toss well. Serve immediately.

(Servings: 6, Prep time: 1 hr., Difficulty: Easy)

Pineapple Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoons chopped scallions (the white portion)

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon canola oil

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

salt and pepper to taste

Place fresh pineapple chunks in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend pineapple into a mostly smooth, frothy pulp. Place a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl and press the pineapple puree through the strainer into the bowl. Scrape the bottom of the fine mesh strainer to get all the good bits. There will be just a bit of pineapple pulp in the fine mesh strainer when you’re done. You’ll have about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of juice/pulp.

In the the bowl of the food processor, combine juice/pump, honey, rice wine vinegar, scallions, garlic, and mustard. Pulse 5 times to incorporate. With the food processor on, slowly stream in the canola oil. Stop the food processor once the dressing is emulsified. Pour the dressing into a medium bowl and stir in poppy seeds, salt and pepper.

Salad dressing should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

(Makes 2 cups)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  8/10

Scot (taste):  9/10

Effort:  3/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5

Pad Thai

Go ahead...vote again and again.  I won't mind.  :)

This is my second time posting a Pad Thai recipe up in here.  But the thing is, the first one isn't that real.  I mean, it is good...but it is the kind of Pad Thai recipe that involves no special ingredients.  Which is nice.  Recipes like that have their place.  But, I have been searching for a more authentic Pad Thai recipe.  I have experimented quite a bit since then.  And I have finally come to a conclusion!

I thought I would give you a little tour of the ingredients.  I love going to the Asian Market in Boulder.  So, I don't mind the hassle of finding weird Asian ingredients like salted/pickled turnips.

However, my first experience buying them was...scary.  I always look around the hardly organized store to try to find stuff myself.  Almost every time, I end up asking the lady in charge where things are.  When I asked her for the turnips, she took me to the end aisle (the dark one), got down to the bottom shelf and started digging through these bags of random pickled veggies.  After trying to convince me that the "radishes" were the same as the "turnips", I somehow found the bag of salted turnips.  It was coated in some sticky substance.  Mangled.  Pretty sketchy.  But I can't be afraid.  I buy and use and go on with my life.

Upon bringing the bag home, thoroughly disinfecting the outside of the bag, I look at little closer at the bag only to find that the English on the bag hardly qualifies as English.  "Serving Instruction:  It's with fish or meat togeher boil or fried. It's the optimum delicius toop." Hmmm.  There are even errors in the Nutrition Facts.

I used them.  But something was wrong.  They tasted similar to what I would imagine a finger would taste like.  Raw.  Human Finger.

So, what did I do?  I went back and got another bag (different brand) and tried again.  The second bag (the first one pictured) was 1000% times better.  Still their presence in my Pad Thai wasn't anything to write home to mom about.  But, they add a nice salty interesting something something.  Definitely optional.

The next Asian ingredient is Palm sugar.  I liked it and it was fun to use.  I am sure I would not be able to tell the difference between Palm sugar and brown sugar.  But is a nice alternative to your regular old sugar.  Recommended but not mandatory.

Lastly, you'll need these three more common ingredients.  The rice noodles you can definitely find at a regular grocery store.  The fish sauce probably too.  The tamarind concentrate will probably call for a trip to the Asian market.  And all are absolutely necessary.

The rest of the ingredients are pretty normal.  Eggs, limes, cilantro, green onions, bean sprouts, garlic, chile powder, peanuts and shrimp.

The trick to making good Pad Thai is to prep everything and then make in small batches (1-2 servings).  Don't overcook the rice noodles before stir-frying them.  They can still have quite a bite to them before you throw them in the wok.  Personally, I like less fish sauce than what many recipes call for.  And I am not even scared of the stank of fish sauce, I just like the balance better with less.  I also like a spicy Pad Thai.  My chile powder currently is weak.  Weak!  I added two whole tablespoons and I could feed the resulting Pad Thai to an infant.  But all chile powders are different.  And finally, I love lots of cilantro and lime.  Not sure how authentic cilantro is, but I love it.  

Pad Thai

adapted from use real butter

vegetable oil (for frying)

12 oz. chicken (2 oz. per serving)

4 cloves minced garlic (about 1/2+ clove per serving)

sauce (see below) (about 1/4 cup per serving)

1 lb. rice noodles, soaked in warm water to soften (but not too soft)

6 eggs (1 egg per serving)

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined (4-6 shrimp per serving)

1 cup ground peanuts (1-2 tbsps per serving)

3-4 cups bean sprouts (1/2 cup per serving)

1/2 cup pickled turnips, chopped (optional, 1+ tbsp per serving)

1 cup garlic chives or green onions, chopped (2 tbsps per serving)

1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped

more sprouts (garnish)

more cilantro (garnish)

fresh limes (garnish)

sauce

1/2 cup tamarind paste

1/3 cup fish sauce

1/2 cup palm sugar (I used 4 pods)

1 tbsp chili powder (to taste)

Make the sauce: Over a low flame, heat the tamarind, fish sauce, and palm sugar together until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the chili powder a teaspoon at a time to desired spiciness. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Turn off the heat (keep sauce warm).

Make the pad thai: [The key is to cook up 1-2 servings at a time!] Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add 2 ounces of chicken and stir-fry until it is half cooked. Add 1-2 tablespoons of sauce, and a pinch of garlic. Stir around and add about 2 cups of loosely packed (for me, a big handful) of rice noodles plus 1/4 cup of sauce to the pan and stir vigorously until the noodles soften. If it dries out, you can add some water. Push the noodles to the side and crack an egg into the pan. Let the egg cook for 10 seconds and then toss the noodles and egg together in the pan. Drop 4-6 shrimp, a couple of tablespoons of ground peanuts, a heaping tablespoon of turnip, and 1/2 cup of sprouts into the pan. Stir fry until the shrimp are just cooked (very fast – about a minute). Toss in the green onions or garlic chives and cilantro and remove from heat. Serve hot with more sprouts, ground peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges for garnish.

(Servings: 6, Prep time: 45 min., Cook time: 15 min., Difficulty: Intermediate)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  8/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  3/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5

Beef Congee (Rice Porridge)

Thank you for all your votes!  Forever and always.  If you can, please keep voting.  Every 24 hours.  Until Friday.  It is a lot to ask, I know.  But I love ya for it.  Let me know when you vote and you could win some cookies.  

I have been wanting to make congee for forever.  For forevs.  I have had it in various strange situations, including on a camping trip.  A few summers ago, I went on this canoeing trip to the boundary waters in Northern MN.  It was actually my friends "hikelorette".  She wanted a wilderness experience before her HUGE Vietnamese wedding that summer.  The girls on the trip had varied levels of experience with camping.  Some had never even car camped.  Some were more experienced backpackers.  

Too soupy, but still delicious

We went during bug season.  And when I say bug season, it doesn't mean like you may want to bring along some bug spray.  It means you need full body protection, a bug net mask/hat, and Deet.  There were swarms of bugs flying around your personal bubble at all times.  Especially your face.  

One of my favorite parts of the trip was all the delicious food we had.  With all the Asian influence on the trip, we had a lot of Asian food, including congee.  It was the first time I had it and they made it very clear that the texture of our backpacking version was not correct.  That is why I love the Asian cultures.  They know their food.  They respect it.  It is just a big part of their lives.  

I chose to make this beef version of congee.  It was extremely amazing.  And I loved everything about it.  Even though it does have some Asian flavors, it actually felt like a comfort food for me.  I think it is ground beef and the starchiness from the rice that reminds me of the meals I grew up eating like meatloaf, beef stroganoff, swedish meatballs, etc.  But this is also extremely easy to make.  I guess it is more of a breakfast or lunch type dish.  However, it is great for dinner but definitely needs something else and probably a veggie (no veggies, ahhh!).  It is often made without meat and then there is some yummy meat served on the side.  

Let me discuss some of the Asian ingredients that you will (not) need to get at your favorite Asian grocer.  First, there is this crazy "Thousand Year Egg".  I pretend like I am an adventurous eater and I usually will try anything.  However, this is some egg that has been preserved in clay, ash, salt and lime for weeks to months.  Hmm.  I'll pass on that one.  The second, is the dried shrimp, which I have wanted to try for a while.  So, I did get some.  They are actually in the frozen section of the Asian Market.  They are also kind of disgusting.  Definitely edible.  And I did include them in my congee.  But I don't see the point of them, so I would skip them too.  This means that all the ingredients are very easy to find!  Last note, for me, it was a little soupy day one of making it.  But after it sat and was reheated for leftovers, it was the perfect texture.  But I liked both.  I wonder if I rinsed my rice too many times?  

Not worth it.

Beef Congee (Rice Porridge)

from Steamy Kitchen

1 cup raw rice

1/2 lb ground beef (marinated in 1 tbl soy sauce, 1 tbl cornstarch, 1/2 tsp Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbl dried shrimp (optional)

10 c water or stock

1 1/2 tbl soy sauce + ground pepper to taste

Toppings: minced scallions, cilantro, deep fried wonton skins, shredded ginger or Thousand Year Egg (optional of course)

Wash rice, drain and repeat 3 more times until the water runs clear. Marinate the beef for 10 minutes. Soak dried shrimp in 1/2 c hot water and drain.

Heat large stockpot over med-high heat with 2T cooking oil. When hot, add ground beef, dried shrimp and garlic. Fry until ground beef is browned. Add the stock or water, soy sauce and rice. Turn heat to high. When boiling, immediately turn heat to low. (If you want Thousand Year Egg – add it now) Simmer 40 min. Taste and adjust with more soy and pepper if needed.

(Servings: 5-6, Prep time: 15 min., Cook time: 40 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:  

Shanon (taste):  9/10

Scot (taste):  7/10

Effort:  1/5

Dishwashing Effort:  1/5

Lemony Kale and Quinoa with a Poached Egg

Remember:  If you can, vote again for my video in the Whole Foods Foodie Fantasy Video Contest.  It only takes a second to vote and the video is only a minute long.  You can win a fantastic prize.  Heck, I'll even throw in a high five.  

So.  I have been running.  I am your typical runner.  Wearing fancy running shoes with one of those arm band things jammin' to my favorite "pump it up" playlist.  Keeping an eye on my pace using my sporty wrist watch.  Jogging at the intersections.  Probably toe running.  Heck, I even do the barefoot thing.  

Yah...not at all actually.

Have you ever watched a class of middle schoolers "run the mile" during PE class?  That is me.  The kind of running that always looks like the runner is just about to slow down to walking speed, but hasn't quite made the commitment.  To avoid looking like a complete fool in this fitness mecca of the world known as Boulder, I have lots of strategies.  First, I always have my dog with me so I pretend he is the one who forced me to stop or slow down.  If that isn't an option (for example if he is pulling me), I check my non-existent watch and verify my non-existent pace.  Is my shoe tied?  Ehhh...looks a little loose, I better fix it.  Oooh, I am feeling tight, I better stop and stretch (note: stretch quads and calves, much more believable than triceps and biceps).  

In summary, I get my fitness on.  And that is all that really matters.  And my dog loves me.  Even though I think he makes it pretty clear on our runs that he has doubts about it being called a "run".  

Well, enough about running, what about this dish?  I was inspired to make this after seeing a Lemony Parmesan Dressing in one of Melissa Clark's recipe for a Lemony Kale Pasta.  I decided to use the dressing to flavor up some sauteed kale and quinoa.  Top with a poached egg and goat cheese and I am pretty happy.  

Lemony Kale and Quinoa with a Poached Egg

1 cup quinoa

1 tbsp of olive oil

2 bunches of kale, washed, stems removed and coarsely chopped

Lemon Parmesan Dressing (recipe below)

4-8 eggs

2-4 ounces of goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

Prepare pot for poaching eggs: In a large deep skillet or pot, fill with at least 3 inches of water, cover, put over high heat and bring to a boil.

Prepare quinoa: Add 2 cups water and the quinoa to a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until quinoa is tender (about 15 minutes).

Sauté kale: Preheat a skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil. Add kale in batches until it is all cooked down and tender. Cover and keep warm. Once the kale and quinoa are cooked, dress each separately with the Lemon Parmesan Dressing, to taste. You may not need all the dressing.

Right before serving, poach the eggs: Immediately after the poaching water has come to a boil, reduce heat so that it is no longer boiling. Crack each egg first into a small bowl or cup. Lower small dish with egg very close to the water and slowly

pour into the water (putting circular biscuit cutters in the bottom of the pan and dumping the egg directly over/into the cutter will help keep the whites together), cover, turn of heat, and let sit for 4 minutes. You can remove the eggs after this

point and keep them in a bowl of room temperature or colder water until you are ready to use them.

To serve: Place a ring of sautéed kale in the bottom of a bowl. Place a mound of quinoa in the center. Top with 1 or 2 poached eggs and sprinkle over top with crumbled goat cheese.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 40 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Lemon Parmesan Dressing

from In The Kitchen with a Good Appetite by Melissa Clark via Annie’s Eats

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

5-6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 2 lemons

1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mince the garlic cloves. Sprinkle the minced garlic with 1/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt and smash the garlic into a paste with a fork or the side of a chef’s knife. Transfer the garlic paste to a small bowl. Add in the Parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Whisk together until well combined.

(Servings: 1+ cup)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  9/10

Scot (taste):  9/10

Effort:  3/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5

Soaked Oatmeal

First, I'd like to give a shout out for all of you who have voted for my Whole Foods Foodie Fantasy Video.  LYLAS.  Second, please vote again!  Day two has begun (you might have to wait 24 hours from the last time you voted).  If you aren't friends with me on Facebook, please let me know you voted so that I can enter you into my contest to win a cookie gift basket delivered right to your door.  Voting is so much fun that you will wish you could do it more than once per day.  Trust me.  Yeah...I'll just keep reminding you...

Oatmeal.  I was first introduced to the idea of soaked oatmeal only a few months ago by some friends.  We ate it before a race and I have been hooked ever since.  It is totally delicious!  Soaked Oatmeal >>Not Soaked Oatmeal.  

I have learned a lot about it since, but I have to say that all of the research I have done is post-loving-soaked-oatmeal.  So, let me tell you why I loved it the first time I had it.  First, the texture is way better.  The oats expand while they are soaking and it gives the oatmeal a porridge-like texture.  Not that I have ever had porridge.  Who eats porridge these days?  Second, it digests like a charm.  When you are eating breakfast the morning before a workout or a race or an important event, it is especially important to eat something that is easy to digest.  However, that is something you would really want everyday, right?  Hmm...but bacon is so good on that special occasion.  

Now, I promise I knew none of the science behind soaking oats before falling in love with them and deciding on those two benefits.  Per my research (how office-memo-y of me), these are exactly the reasons why people do it!  In fact, from what I have read, this was traditionally how all grains and oats used to be prepared back in the day (ref).  Not sure how far back it goes, but apparently it used to be included in any recipes that called for oats or grains.  Anyways, let's talk about the digestion.  Whole grains contain phytic acid in the bran of the grain.  The phytic acid combines with key minerals (like calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, etc.) and prevents their absorption in the intestinal tract.  This makes digestion more difficult.  By soaking the grain, it will neutralize the phytic acid and release those nutrients for absorption (ref).  Because I my experience, I am a believer (also a belieber).  However, this isn't fact and many believe that soaking the oats isn't necessary to break down the phytic acid and that cooking them will break it down enough (ref).  

Regardless of the phytic acid thing, there are two non-negotiable benefits:

1.  It is way faster.  After soaking, the oats just need to be warmed and breakfast is ready!

2.  Superior texture.  

This recipe is for a maple/brown sugar oatmeal with sliced bananas and walnuts.  After reading In Defense of Food, I am now deathly afraid of the one processed food we do eat regularly: cereal.  So oatmeal is helping me through my breakfast dilemma.  

Soaked Oatmeal

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick or instant)

2 cups water for soaking

brown sugar

100% pure maple syrup

bananas, sliced

walnuts

whole milk

In a medium saucepan, add the equal parts oats and water. Cover and let oats soak for 12-24 hours (overnight is fine, but the longer the better) at room temperature.

The next morning put saucepan with the oats over medium to medium-high heat until they are hot! I usually add another 1/2 cup of water, but it is really your preference as to how wet or dry you like your oatmeal. Once it has reached the right consistency and is warm, add brown sugar and maple syrup, to taste. You can also do this at the table for each serving separately. Top with sliced bananas and walnuts, and pour whole milk over the top.

(Servings: 2-4, Prep time: 5 minutes, Cook time: 5 minutes, Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  9/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  1/5

Dishwashing Effort:  1/5

Love you

Oh, hey.  It's me.  Favor.

I entered the Whole Foods Foodie Fantasy video contest.  Good news is that we (Scot and I) made it to the Top 8 finalists.

I was wonderrrrrrrrrring....if any of you out there would like to vote for me?  Like everyday until the contest ends?  One vote per Facebook user is allowed per day.  You can vote here:

http://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/92636/voteable_entries?ogn=facebook

What do you get out of this?  Actually nothing.  I get a trip to Berlin/Paris if our video wins.  So it is really a win/win situation for everyone.

Ok, let me bribe you.  Here is the deal.  Go vote for me each day.  Each time you vote, either comment on my blog (this post would be easiest, but any post is fine) or comment on my video on Facebook.  Call me.  Email me.  G-chat me.  Whatever you want.  You could say things like:
"Hey, I voted for you today"
"Great vid" (I would assume this would count for one day)
"I have actually been voting everyday, so give me credit for 5."  (I would assume you might be lying but would give you the benefit of the doubt)
"Hi!"  (officially, I have to count this for one)
"YOU ARE THE COOLEST PERSON EVER" (at least two)

For each time that you vote, I will put you in a drawing to win a fantastic prize.  Most likely the prize will be a million dollars.  Other prize options include:

1.  less than a million dollars
2.  a box of homemade cookies and treats mailed right to your door

Yeah, it will be number 2.  Seriously, I will pick 5 names out of a hat of everyone who participated and send out 5 boxes of delicious treats.  The more times you vote, the more times your name goes in the hat.

The Fine Print:

1.  Only one prize per person.
2.  US deliveries only (although, if you win and live outside the US, I can send it as a gift to some lucky US dweller).
3.  Lying is technically allowed.
4.  Voting starts April 5th (now!) and ends April 15th.
5.  There won't actually be a hat.  I will probably use some random number chooser.  Maybe I'll program it myself.  Not to brag or anything.
6.  At this point, this is really a popularity contest.  So, I have to campaign like this to win.  Sorry!  Takes me back to when I ran for treasurer in 5th grade and continued to make points like "I am good at math", "I am trustworthy", and most importantly, "I will make a difference".  I don't think I won.  Never have been good at the popularity contests.  Help.
7.  Winner is announced April 18th!

Here is the video (you can also watch it on Facebook):

Weekday Cassoulet

I have been wanting to make a cassoulet for a long time.  It is a traditional French, slow cooking bean stew.  My first place to look for a recipe was Julia Child's cookbook.  I read the whole recipe.  About 3 times, which is what you have to do to understand Julia's recipes.  I love them but they also drive me crazy.  Least concise recipes ever.  

Anyways, the recipe in Julia's cookbook for a real deal cassoulet literally takes 3 weeks to make.  And I am busy.  

I have had Melissa's version saved for a while now and I thought I would finally give it a try.  Bacon.  Beans.  Chicken.  Really simple stuff.  And a pretty quick meal.  Nothing like the traditional French recipe, but a tasty general idea.    

I didn't think this would be enough veggies, so I also made a side of brussels sprouts with some of the bacon from the cassoulet and sliced almonds.  Turns out, the cassoulet would be perfectly enough on its own.  But Scot does love these brussels sprouts.  He said he would give them "at least a 9/10".  I make something similar a lot.  Just sautéed brussels sprouts with bacon or bacon grease.  I added almonds this time but don't always.  

Weekday Cassoulet

recipe courtesy Melissa d'Arabian via Food Network

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, cut in 1/2 through the bone

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound slab bacon, sliced into large lardons

1 large onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup white wine

2 cups cooked Northern white beans

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tomato, sliced very thinly

Garlic Bread Crumbs, recipe follows

1 baguette, sliced, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse and dry the chicken well and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

In a large Dutch oven, over medium-low heat, add the bacon and slowly render the fat. Remove the bacon to a plate when crispy, leaving the fat in the pan. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the chicken, skin side down. Brown the chicken on both sides and then remove to a plate. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine and reduce by half. Stir in the beans, bay leaf and thyme. Nestle the chicken thighs and bacon into the pot. Add the chicken stock, cover and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove the lid and top the cassoulet with sliced tomatoes and the Garlic Bread Crumbs. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, 15 minutes longer. Serve the cassoulet with baguette slices.

Garlic Bread Crumbs

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

3 slices slightly stale or dried bread, pulsed into crumbs in food processor

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small saute pan over low heat, add the oil and the garlic. Stir until the oil is fragrant, about 1 minute. Toss in the bread crumbs and cook until the bread crumbs start to turn golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from heat.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 40 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  6/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  3/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5