Everyday Cooking à la Française...

Since I got back to France last year, the bulk of my cooking is done at lunch time for my mom and my uncle.  I pretty much cook everyday.  For them, dinner mainly consists of vegetable soup so noon is when I get to cook up some creative, fun and fast dishes.  I usually start between 11:15am and 11:30am and have lunch ready by noon.  Sometimes a little prep gets done earlier in the morning but mostly these dishes are quick and delicious.  So I thought I'd share with you some of them so you can use them for your week night meals.  Most of them are cooked in my LeCreuset iron skillet.  I don't measure anything when I cook these but I'll give you some pointers to recreate them in your own kitchen for your family.

And no I haven't gained any weight though I'm using a bit more cream (a version of half-and-half) and eating a whole lot more cheeses after each meal.  What can I say, it's such a French thing to do... and quality prevails over quantity.

Bon Appetit!

Sautéed Cauliflower and Spinach with Herbed Yogurt and Green Olive
Cut up a small head of cauliflower into thick slices and sauté the slices, on both sides, in olive oil in a  cast iron skillet.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add some white wine and water, cover the pan and cook until the cauliflower is tender.  Add some coarsely chopped spinach and smoked paprika and cook covered for a couple minutes.  While the cauliflower is cooking, mix some greek yogurt (or goat yogurt or fromage blanc) with a 1/2 crushed garlic clove and chopped fresh parsley or any fresh herbs on hand.  Chop up some pitted green olives and mix some olive oil and black pepper.  Serve the cauliflower topped with the herbed yogurt and green olives.

Beef Filet with Spinach and Jerusalem Artichoke
Peel and boil the jerusalem artichokes in salted water with a couple tablespoons baking soda until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain, cool and cut into 1/2-inch slices.  In a cast iron skillet, heat some butter and cook the slices until nicely browned on each side.  Remove and keep warm.  Add the steaks and cook to desired doneness.  Remove and keep warm.  Add the spinach with some oil from sundried tomatoes.  Add some sun-dried tomatoes and serve all together.

Veal Scallopini with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
In a cast iron skillet, saute sliced mushrooms in some butter.  Remove to the side when done.  Add the scallopini and cook about a minute on each side in a bit more butter.  Add some white wine and deglaze the pan.  Add some light cream (half-and-half) and cook lightly.  Return the mushroom to the pan and sprinkle with chopped parsley.  Serve with rice than you can start while cooking the mushrooms.

Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Sauce
Cut a pork tenderloin in two pieces.  Brine the tenderloin in the morning in 4 cups water with 4 tablespoons coarse salt.  Drain and rinse.
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.  In a cast iron skillet, cook a small sliced onion in a tablespoon of olive oil until lightly browned and almost soft.  Add a couple cloves of garlic chopped up.  Push to the side in the pan and add the pork.  Brown the pork on two sides.  Add some white wine to deglaze the pan.  Add some light cream, a generous tablespoon of coarse mustard and more white wine.  Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  Let the pork rest 5 minutes.  Slice and serve with the sauce and some frozen french fries baked in the oven along the pork!  I've also served it with some quinoa tossed with slices of sun-dried tomatoes, parsley and toasted pine nuts.

Baked Salmon with Mustard Glaze, Red Rice and Swiss Chard
In the morning, cook the red rice in plenty of salted water for about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Boil some water for the chard.  Mix together in a small bowl, two tablespoons of coarse grain mustard, two tablespoons chopped Italian parsley, one tablespoon honey and one tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.  Top two salmon fillet with this mixture.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, boil the diced white stems of the chard for 10 minutes.  Add the coarsely chopped green leaves and cook 5 more minutes.  Drain and add a bit of butter.

Chicken Breast Cutlets with Smoked Paprika Sauce
Saute the chicken cutlets in a bit of olive oil.  Add some smoked paprika, white wine and some light cream.  Cook for a minute or two.  Add chopped parsley and serve with rice.

Roasted Romanesco and Carrot with Whole Fish
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.  Toss sliced carrots with some olive oil, herbes de Provence, salt and pepper.  Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Do the same thing with a Romanesco cabbage cut into florets.  Move the carrot slices to one side of the baking sheet.  Add the florets to the other side and roast for 15 minutes.  Season your favorite small whole fish or small fillet in the same way as the vegetables and add to the baking sheet along the vegetables.  Roast for 15 minutes.   Serve all together.

Sautéed Turkey Breast à la Provençale
In a cast iron skillet, quickly saute pieces of turkey cutlets in some olive oil.  Remove to the side.  Add a sliced shallot and some garlic cloves.  Add some halved cherry tomatoes and cook for a couple minutes.  Add some chicken broth and white.  Cook for a minute.  Add some spinach and Niçoise olives.  Return the turkey to the pan for a minute and then serve with quick cooking polenta seasoned with salt, pepper and a tab of butter and grated parmesan cheese.

Mock Fettuccini à la Carbonara
Boil water for pasta and cook pasta while making the sauce.  Sauté lardons (or diced bacon) in butter in an iron skillet.  Add a sliced shallot and some garlic.  Cook until soft and the lardons are starting to brown.  Add some white wine, light cream and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add some grated parmesan cheese and canned peas.  Toss with cooked fettuccini and serve.