Coq-au-Coca!

Our neighbours have a cockerel who, mercifully, doesn't wake us in the morning with the usual 'Coc-a-ric-o'.
Instead he sings at 6pm each evening with a welcome chant of 'A-pér-o!'
It seems that even the chickens in France understand the important things in life!

They make pretty good eating too- as was ably demonstrated at our final Atelier de Cuisine this month, before the long summer break.







On the menu for this 'end of term' special was a cold soup made from fresh green vegetables and coconut milk to start; chicken cooked in coca cola served with a potato and onion tortilla for main course; and a rhum baba style pudding with fruit salad.
The starter is a good one for when you have an excess of veg ( from your veg garden, or when cheap and in season in the shops).

Soupe Froide au Lait de Coco (de Joselyne)

Serves 6

2 courgettes
200g green beans
150 g peas
300g spinach or chard leaves or lettuce
200 ml coconut milk
seasoning (salt, pepper, nutmeg)

1. Prepare the veg, cutting the courgettes into small cubes.

Prepare the green veg

2. Cook in 600ml boiling water until tender
3. Add the coconut milk and cook for a further 5 minutes
4. Blitz the soup with a hand blender and add the salt and pepper (and nutmeg if you like it) until you are satisfied with the seasoning.

Blitz the soup with a hand blender

5. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours and then serve in dainty glasses.

Soupe Froide au Lait de Coco

Cold soups have featured before on the blog- like these Gazpacho Shots:

Gazpacho Shots with Aubergine Toasts
http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.fr/search/label/gazpacho%20soup

Gazpacho Soup II

Now for the main course, with that surprising chicken.

I would never have thought to mix my soft drinks in with my meat, rather than drinking them- but you can always learn from other people. I have altered Yvette's recipe here slightly, as I preferred to use fresh onions rather than dried. I hope she forgives me.

Coq au Coca (for 6)

6 chicken thighs (skinless but bone-in)

1x 330 ml tin cola

2 onions, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, crushed and finely chopped

1 heaped tbsp gravy granules

1. Preheat the oven to 210 degrees

2. Brown the onions in a heavy based casserole dish, add the garlic.

3. Lay the chicken thighs over the onions in the dish

4. Pour on the cola and sprinkle on the gravy granules

Chicken ready for the oven

5. Place a lid on the casserole and cook for half an hour in the oven.

6. After 30 minutes, uncover and contine to cook for a further 30 minutes until the sauce is syrupy and the chicken is tender.

Coq au Coca

As you can see, the chicken was served accomapanied by a delicious tortilla made with eggs, potatoes and onions. Here is the recipe:

Tortilla (for 6)

6 eggs

500g firm fleshed potatoes

1 large onion

salt, pepper, oil

1. Peel and slice the onion

2. Peel and slice the potatoes into thin rondelles

Potatoes and onions prepared

3. Cook the potatoes in the oil over a low heat for 15 minutes

4. Add the onion and contine to cook until they start to lightly brown

5. Beat the eggs, add plenty of salt and pepper and pour them over the potatoes and onions

6. Cook without stirring for a further 5 minutes until the egg looks set underneath

7. Slide it out onto a plate, turn it upside down using another plate and return it to the pan to cook on the other side for a further few minutes.

Tortilla

Tortilla really is the best friend of the leftovers cook- a handful of cooked potates, veg, leftover salad, even pasta can be used up and made into a meal with the simple addition of beaten eggs. I make it using leftover spaghetti bolognaise:

Spag Bol Frittata
http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.fr/search/label/frittata

Finally, it's time for the pièce de resistance- the dessert!

I would make these again any day- so simple, no need for yeast or proving. Decorate them as you want, with cream, fruit or crème anglaise.

Bouchées au rhum façon baba (de Joselyne) 

Makes 10 mini babas.

100g self rasing flour

80g sugar

2 small eggs

50g melted butter

For the syrup- 250ml water, 100 ml dark rum, 100g sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

2. Pour the flour, sugar, beaten eggs and melted butter into a large bowl and mix well.

Mix it all together in order

3. Pour into moulds (eg. dariole moulds or muffin cases), place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, pour the syrup ingredients into a pan and heat over a medium heat until it reduces slightly.

Warm the syrup until it reduces slightly

5. Take the babas out of the oven, unmould them and place in a large gratin dish

Babas ready for their rum!

6. Pour over the warm syrup and let them soak it up. They will drink it all thirstily so don't worry that there is too much liquid.

7. Serve cold.

Bouchées au Rhum

And so we sat down to a delicious 4 course meal- this being the Auvergne, there was a cheese course in between- and celebrated the start of the summer holidays! 

Cock-a-doodle doo!

A la rentrée!*

*Some photos courtesy of Huguette- merci!

:

Quick Meals for One

I've been abandoned.

Luckily it is only temporary.
But nevertheless I faced the prospect of two weeks of cooking just for me.

'Heaven'- you might think- you can cook what you want to cook and eat and never mind about anyone else.

Tempting though the prospect of all my favourite foods might seem, the usual joie de vivre which has me skipping into the kitchen each evening to prepare something delicious has also abandoned me.

I don't feel motivated.



For the first week, I didn't starve of course. My freezer is full of leftover single portions (lasagne, pasta bake, Chow Phan, risotto) which I put aside for evenings when one or other of us is home alone.
But by Week 2 I needed to start cooking some proper food from fresh.

I wanted to eat something tasty- but I wanted it to be quick.
So here are some of the quick and tasty meals that I drummed up this week.

When in doubt (as my Mum used to say)- reach for a box of eggs.

A poached egg is a thing of beauty - and I used one to top three of my favourite dishes.Eggs Florentine,Corned Beef Hash and Salade des 3 Vallees.

But first, how to make the perfect poached egg.
If you really want to create a nicely shaped egg- especially if you are using it for a dinner party dish for example, follow these simple steps.

1. Line a ramekin dish with cling film and lightly oil the film with a flavourless vegetable oil

2. Break the egg into the film and tie it up with a twist like a little money bag

3. Bring a pan of water to the boil and turn down to a simmer

4. Place the little money bag in the water for 1 1/2 minutes

5. Take it out and place it in a cold bowl to stop the cooking process (You can keep them in this state of suspended animation for an hour or more if you want).

6. When you are ready to eat, pop it back into the water for 30 seconds and then fish out, unwrap and serve.
Hey presto! A perfectly round poached egg, with a soft runny yolk.

Eggs Florentine

To make Eggs Florentine, you need first to make a Hollandaise Sauce. There are three ways to do this
1. Buy it readymade- M and S do a good one
2. Make the Mayo Hollandaise from the blog here, using spoonfuls of mayonnaise, melted butter and lemon juice
http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/hollandaise
3. Make this simple sauce in the food processor:

 Melt 60g of unsalted butter in a pan or microwaveable dish.Take one egg yolk, the juice of half a squeezed lemon, a pinch of cayenne pepper if you have it and half a teaspoon of salt and put them in the goblet of the food processor or blender. Start the motor running and quickly but steadily trickle in the melted butter. Just watch the sauce emulsify. If it gets too thick, add a squeeze more lemon or a teaspoon of warm water.

Don't throw away your egg white- freeze it to use in meringues or cakes later.
To make Eggs Florentine- steam or microwave some spinach leaves, squeeze them quickly in a J cloth, then lay them on top of a toasted English muffin. Top with a softly poached egg and a good slather of the sauce  

Salade des 3 Vallees

Now, how about a simple salad? This one originates from an auberge we often frequent in the Auvergne. Strictly speaking, it is best made with the lovely green Puy lentils from the region- but for speed I am using tinned here.

Drain the lentils, mix with a good mustardy vinaigrette, some chopped spring onions and whatever you have to hand- cooked veg, tomatoes etc

Serve in a bowl with salad leaves, crispy bacon and of course a poached egg.

And to finish off the trio- Corned Beef Hash with Bacon and Eggs.

Corned Beef Hash with Bacon and Eggs

Brown a chopped onion in a frying pan and add some crushed garlic. Mix in some cooked boiled potatoes or leftover mash and 2-3 slices of corned beef, crumbled up.

Mash around in the pan and fry until golden underneath, mix it up some more so that the crunchy bits get mixed in and repeat the process.

Serve- you guessed it- topped with some crunchy bacon and a poached egg.

By the way, if you would like some more ideas,there are some good ones on this website- including one from Yours truly
.https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwivoevQyuvMAhXHiRoKHWhFC3EQFggcMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Flifeandstyle%2F2015%2Fnov%2F07%2Fmexican-guacamole-socca-spaghetti-recipe-swap-meals-for-one&usg=AFQjCNGMHOuoxOEgto0NJLJSdIP4TKU4KA&sig2=u_mHuArKg_6qx02EZjLdaA&bvm=bv.122448493,d.d2s

I haven't made the Quesadillas recipe on the above website- but I intend to. Indeed, Quesadillas (or my own version made with pitta bread on the sandwich toaster) is my next favourite way to quickly rustle up a meal for one.

Pitta Cheese and Bean Quesadillas

And whilst we've got the sandwich toaster out- how about these quick hot puds-

Firstly I unveil the Banoffanini- like a sweet panini but with a Banoffee filling.

Lightly butter the outside of a fruit teacake or slices from a fruit loaf. Fill the bun or sandwich with sliced banana and caramel sauce.

Press down in the sandwich machine and toast until crispy on the outside (but molten on the inside). Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Banoffanini

And now the Chock Berry- the same but with fruits of the forest and chocolate sauce. Mmm!

Chock Berry Toastie

And so my blog and my fortnight of solitude comes to an end. I hope you enjoy the recipes- with or without company!

Just Six Eggs

I know I've blogged on this subject before- but if a thing's worth doing, it's probably worth doing again and this time I have come up with a few more cracking ways to use up a box of eggs.

My dear Mum used to say, if you have half a dozen eggs in the fridge you always have a meal. And not just one. I've got three here for you.




First of all, I'm going mad and using up three of the little chaps in a quiche. I know I make a lot of quiches but this time it's a Trout and Watercress Quiche, which feels quite special.

Bake a 20 cm pastry case blind or use a pre-prepared one for simplicity.

Let the pastry case cool down if need be, and meanwhile chop half a bag of washed watercress* quite coarsely. Take one trout fillet and cook it in the microwave for 1 minute in a microwaveable dish covered with cling film. (If you don't have a microwave - pan fry it quickly or poach until it is translucent.)

Spread the watercress over the base of the patry case, flake the cooked trout flesh (discarding the skin) over the watercress and add a thin layer of grated Emmental or strong cheddar cheese.
Beat the 3 eggs with some salt and pepper in a measuring jug and bring the level up to 500ml with some milk.
Carefully pour into the quiche shell ( it should just fit) and bake at 180 degrees until firm and golden.
Scrummy hot, cold or warm.

Trout and Watercress Quiche

*You can use up the remainder of the bag of watercress in a Salad Bag Soup.

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/super-speedy-summer-suppers.html

The next recipe is one I've adapted from a recipe book by cute Italian Gino d'Acampo. When I saw it, it struck me immediately as a genius way of using up leftover Spaghetti Bolognaise. I have some leftover sauce, but no spaghetti, so decided to use up a bit of tagliatelle I had in the storecupboard as there was such a small amount in the bag, it wouldn't make a whole portion by itself. Did it work? Well reader, it was good- so the recipe uses up whatever little bits of pasta you might have.

Just a few ingredients

This might not look like much ot make a meal for two - but the diminutive chef obviously knows how to make a little go a long way- and with the addition of some grated cheese ( Emmental, Cheddar, Parmesan or Pecorino- whatever you like) and a sliced tomato, we had a scrumptious supper.

Cook the pasta until it is al dente and mix it into your pan of leftover meat sauce:

Mix the pasta and the sauce

Beat the eggs with a splash of milk and a handful of grated cheese and pour into the pan with the pasta and sauce, top with some more cheese and a sliced tomato:

Add the eggs, cheese and a sliced tomato

Bake for 20 minutes or so in the oven at 180 degrees until set and golden. (Make sure your pan is ovenproof, or transfer it to a baking dish and smooth it level before baking):

Golden frittata

Serve it straight from the pan or turn it out onto a plate. 

Finally, I'm using the last egg in a Chef's Salad.

If you have never heard of this recipe, a Chef's Salad is basically the ultimate leftover salad dish- made from whatever the chef has left over in the fridge. No frills.

Traditionally, it is supposed to contain hard boiled egg, some kind of cold meat, grated cheese, salad leaves, tomatoes and cucumber- plus whatever else you want to put in there. I like sweetcorn and some garlicky croutons* to give it crunch. Dress the whole lot with a lemony vinaigrette, or salad cream (if you must).

* For croutons and other bready ideas go to:

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/garlic-bread-dauphinoise-and-10-other.html

Chef's Salad

If you want to see more egg-citing recipes from the blog you can follow this link:

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/week-16-take-half-dozen-eggs.html

I'll leave you now to get cracking.......

Week 44- Office Party Leftovers and Hangovers

It's office party season.

Usually, when you think about 'the next day' - all that remains is a thumping head, a churning stomach and a vague sense that you said or did some rather regrettable things.

On my team, we celebrate twice- an evening at the pub which, yes, has the potential to lead to all of the above (and I do believe in always fulfilling my potential)- and a lunchtime buffet where everyone brings a dish and we all have a jolly nice lunch.

The only problem with the latter is that everyone contributes really generously and there is always lots of food left over. It seems criminal to go round with a black dustbin bag and throw away delicious food because people have been kind enough to make it or buy it, but have been too restrained to eat it all up.

So, this year, I collected up what was left and made various dishes out of it all. What I couldn't adapt, I froze. What I couldn't freeze, I gave away.

For this week's blog menu, I took pity on the carrots which had been sliced up to go with hummus and dips, the nuts and dried fruits which some health conscious member of the team had laid out - only to be snubbed in favour of Stollen, mince pies and cheesecake-  also the cocktail sausages which went largely ignored ( as always, on a team of mostly vegetarians and people from faiths which don't eat pork) and a huge Panettone which sat disconsolate and forgotten like the plateau of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's lost world.

I made a nut terrine (like a nut roast but somehow less virtuous), followed by a spiced sausage and bean stew and a caramel bread and butter pudding.

For the terrine- put whatever you have in the way of dried fruit, vegetables and nuts into the goblet of your food processor. I had  carrot sticks, apricots, dates, brazil nuts and walnuts. Pulse to a fine chop.
Meanwhile, toast some pine nuts in a pan until just coloured. Be quick. Don't let them burn.
Similarly soften some onion and some garlic in some olive oil.

Mix everything together in a bowl with some soft breadcrumbs, some grated cheese, some grated nutmeg, salt and pepper and allspice and 2 beaten eggs.
Pour into a well greased loaf tin and bake at 180 degrees until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. (About 20 minutes).

Nut terrine

Serve hot with salad leaves and chutney or style auvergnat napped with hot mushroom sauce.

Terrine with hot mushroom sauce

Sausage and bean stew

Main course again requires some onion softened with garlic in a frying pan. Add the cocktail sausages and heat through. Next add a carton of chopped tomatoes with added chili (or add the chili yourself), a dash of Worcester sauce, a dessertspoon of black treacle (or muscavado sugar), a dessertspoon of balsamic vinegar and a tin of butter beans (drained). Refill the tin and add the starchy water to the pan. Bring to a bubbling boil then reduce to simmer.

When the liquid is thickening, pour into a gratin dish, top with fresh breadcrumbs and place in a hot oven (200 degrees) until the breadcrumbs begin to turn golden - abut 10 minutes.

It made a great huevos rancheros for supper the next day too.

Huevos rancheros

For dessert, I sliced the Panettone and laid one layer in a gratin dish.I spread caramel sauce ( or dulce de leche) over this layer. Next layer went on until the dish was full. I mixed two beaten eggs with 200 ml of milk and a dessertspoon of vanilla essence. Pour the custard over the bread and press it down until the bread is pretty much submerged. I didn't sweeten the egg custard as the caramel sauce is very sweet, as is the Panettone and -oh dear- I sprinkled vanilla sugar over the top before it went into the oven as well.

Panettone-zillah

Spread with caramel sauce

Caramel Panettone bread and butter pudding

Bake at 180 degrees until golden and between mostly firm at the sides and wobbly in the centre. (Think dancing at the office party unrestricted by Spanx).

When serving you can give the top some added crunch by finishing with a blowtorch.

Even though I say it myself, this was a fab meal made from stuff that was destined for the bin.

Enjoy your Christmas break! I know I will.

Week 34- Chicken or egg?

The old question- which came first?

Answer for today- both.

My menu this week features eggs to start, chicken for main course, then eggs again used in the pudding.

I'm starting with eggs florentine- a toasted English muffin topped with spinach, a poached egg and drizzled with hollandaise sauce- mmmm!




Next is a coq au vin done in white wine, with bacon.

To finish off, we have a cafe gourmand- but featuring little pancakes and sauces (with various leftover bits of pud added to them.)

First, make your hollandaise:  Melt 60g of unsalted butter in a pan or microwaveable dish.Take one egg yolk, the juice of half a squeezed lemon, a pinch of cayenne pepper if you have it and half a teaspoon of salt and put them in the goblet of the food processor or blender. Start the motor running and quickly but steadily trickle in the melted butter. Just watch the sauce emulsify. If it gets too thick, add a squeeze more lemon or a teaspoon of warm water.

Don't throw away your egg white- freeze it to use in meringues or cakes later.

To make eggs florentine- steam or microwave some spinach leaves, squeeze them quickly in a J cloth, then lay them on top of a toasted English muffin. Top with a softly poached egg and a good slather of the sauce.

Eggs Florentine

Now, it's the chicken's turn to star.

I like to make coq au vin in the slow cooker, gently casseroled for 6-7 hours- but you can achieve the same effect in a moderate oven for 2 hours or so in a casserole dish.

You need- 2 onions chopped, 150 g of smoked bacon lardons, 2 chicken thighs and 1 drumstick per person, 2 bay leaves, a good large wine glass of white wine, 1-2 cups of chicken stock. I like to add mushrooms too- but leave those out if you're not a fan.

Simply soften the onions in some oil, brown the chicken pieces and lardons in the same frying pan and place them in the crockpot. De-glaze the pan with the wine and pour over the meat. Add the stock and the bay leaves and leave to simmer away.

About half an hour from serving time, add some lightly browned mushrooms and taste the sauce- adding more salt or pepper if you want. Thicken if you need to with cornflour or gravy granules and serve with either mashed potatoes or potato gratin.

Coq au vin

Pudding is one of my favourites- cafe gourmand or a cup of coffee with lots of little bits of puds.

You can make this dessert with any leftover puds you have- cake, tarts, rice pudding, a bit of chocolate mousse, ice cream, sorbet, cheesecake, fruit salad etc 

The only requirement is that they should be cut or plated up in dainty fairy-sized portions.

In the photo I have some tiny little pancakes ( think making drop scones or fritters rather than pan-sized crepes), some slices of lemon tart, fruit tart and chocolate tart (recipes for lemon and summer fruit tart on the blog- look in the cloud at the top of the page to find them) and an artistic swirl of sauces- chocolate, caramel, strawberry - whatever you fancy or have to hand.

Cafe gourmand with pancakes

By the way, a quick and easy way to make tartlets for this dessert is as follows: with leftover pastry trimmings,line some little tartlet pans and bake blind for 10-15 minutes or so

until just golden and crisp on the bottom. Switch off the oven. Spoon in a tablespoon of chocolate spread, jam, lemon curd or jam and coconut combi as I have here:

Return the tarts to the warm oven until the jam/chocolate spread goes liquid and fills the tartlet case. Take out and cool. Voila!

Chocolate or jam tartlets

Of course you will have leftovers from this meal- hollandaise sauce ( too good to waste a drop) and chicken.

I used the hollandaise with salmon the next day, and also poured over broccoli- which was as scrumptious as over asparagus. It's lovely over new potatoes too.

Salmon and broccoli with hollandaise sauce

With the chicken I made one of my latest favourite recipes- pastotto!

This is like a risotto- but made with pasta. It's a delicious way to use up any leftovers and make them do another meal- great with fish, mushrooms and in this case chicken.

All you need is the right pasta- so use orzo or avoine as it is called in French- little rice shaped pasta pieces.

Soften 1 onion and some garlic in a frying pan, add the orzo and stir well to absorb the flavours. Then add a little white wine and stir until absorbed. Now add your leftover chicken sauce and stir in well. Allow to bubble away for 10 minutes or so, then stir well and add more stock or liquid as you need to. Taste the pasta from time to time, and when all the liquid has been absorbed and the grains are tender- serve. (I stirred through some rocket at the last minute.)

Chicken Pastotto

So, I hope I've solved the problem of what's for dinner tonight- now, what about that chicken and egg?