Poulet au Bonne Femme was a recipe long before Julia Child wrote her amazing version. I think that we can get stuck in a recipe rut, afraid to deviate from what someone else has done. I hear from women all the time who feel that there is some insurmountable difference between a “foodie” and themselves.

I used to tell people that the only real difference between a chocolate pudding and a chocolate mousse is that you fold the whipped cream into the mousse and you put it atop the pudding. Most of the time it is the little details that make the difference in the dish. If you have been holding back because you are afraid of moving out of the hot dogs and beans rut…well try jumping in with this dish…simple, homestyle comfort food.

A slow simmer keeps your kitchen smelling fabulous. Seriously, Yankee Candles should have one that smells like this. I used dried trumpet mushrooms and I do suggest dried mushrooms for this dish. Why?

Well, when you are making a stew type dish, with a long simmering time the dried mushrooms will give a richer, more intense flavor than fresh. It is just that simple.

You can make this on top of the stove or in a crock pot. Super autumn comfort food! Sorry about the images. We are having lots of dark, dreary days and I haven’t gotten a light box yet. With 11 ft ceilings the lighting is less than optimum!

Need a menu? Try this…

Poulet au Bonne Femme Menu Suggestion

Rice (I used jasmine and flavored the cooking water with a little truffle oil)

Autumn Salad

Baguette

Walnut Genoise with Ganache

Poulet au Bonne Femme

• 6-8 boned chicken breasts, cut in chunks
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 6 carrots peeled and sliced
• 4 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 oz dried mushrooms (I used trumpet)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup chardonnay

1. Bring stock to a simmer and put the mushrooms in to rehydrate, set aside
2. In a large saute pan saute the bacon until it is done and the fat is rendered
3. Remove bacon from pan and set aside
4. Add onion, celery, garlic and carrots to the pan; saute until tender but not colored
5. Remove from pan
6. Add chicken and brown in the remaining bacon fat, you may need to add a little olive oil if there is not enough fat
7. When chicken is golden brown add the stock with mushrooms, chardonnay, vegetables, and herbs
8. Cover and simmer on low for an hour and a half, adding stock as necessary to keep from going dry but not so much it is soup. If you use a crockpot, 6-8 hours should be perfect
9. Serve with the crumbled, cooked  bacon sprinkled over top

Makes 8 servings

images:Marye Audet

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Sigh, no matter how many images I take …it still..looks like…ABC food. You know, A-lready B-een  C-hewed? Yeah. So, if you are big enough to NOT judge a book by it’s cover then you will probably be treated to one of your new favorite comfort foods.

King Ranch Chicken is an amazing combination of cooked chicken, corn tortillas, Ro-tel tomatoes, cheese, and cream with a few other things thrown in for good measure. It is the Tex-Mex version of Mac and cheese and DANG! it is good stuff.

You can vary the amount of chicken depending on your budget. I always just poach it and use the leftover  broth for soup.

Easy? I threw this together a couple of days after my surgery. You can make it ahead and refrigerate, make it ahead and freeze, or make it and eat it. You can also cook it in a slow cooker. Awesome stuff.

And there probably won’t be left overs.  If there are? Call me..I will be there in a heartbeat.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

• 2 to 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cooked
• 1 cup chicken broth, or leftover broth from poaching chicken
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups half and half cream
• 8 oz cream cheese, cut in chunks
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 cup chopped poblano pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 3 cans Ro-tel tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
• 24 corn tortillas, torn in pieces
• 3 cups shredded Colby- Jack cheese (or cheddar)

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. saute onion and peppers in a little oil until soft
3. Add the broth
4. whisk in the flour and cumin until smooth
5. Add cream cheese and cream and simmer until the cream sauce is thickened, whisking often
6. Adjust seasonings
7. Stir in Ro-tel and cilantro
8. Set cream sauce mixture aside
9. Oil a 13×9 inch casserole. add a layer of tortillas, then a layer of cheese, then a layer of chicken. Repeat layers several times until all the ingredients are used up. Pour Sauce over all and top with a layer of shredded cheese
10. Bake for 35-40 minutes

Serves 8

image:marye audet

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You are drooling aren’t you?

Yeah…I am not talking about the stuff in a box. We are talking the real thing…oozing melted cheese, creamy goodness and crunchy crumbs on top. Budget friendly? Yep, it isn’t too bad. But the real payoff is in the whole-body hug that macaroni and cheese is.

Because, really, it is. You take a bite and all of a suddenly everything that has been bothering you for the entire week (unless it is gall bladder problems..mac and cheese will make those worse. I know) melts away and your soul feels soothed by the lullaby going on in your mouth.

This is my version of macaroni and cheese supreme. The original recipe came out of a 1940s cookbook that I have and the main difference is in the cheese blend. They used all sharp cheddar and you can certainly do that if you like. I am telling you I am totally addicted to Panko crumbs at this point. I have put crumb toppings on casseroles before but this was well beyond perfect. You can use any bread crumbs but please try it just once with the Panko.

Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese Supreme

serves 8

• 1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon of pepper
• 4 cups half and half cream or whole milk
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup pimento
• 2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cut in small cubes
• 1 cup Swiss cut in small cubes
• 1 1/2 cup Panko crumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Melt butter and saute the onion in it.
3. Add flour, salt, and pepper and mix well
4. Stir in half and half
5. Cook until smooth and thickened
6. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cubed cheese and Panko, and stir until smooth
7. Mix with macaroni and stir in the cubed cheese. Spoon into casserole dish
8. Sprinkle Panko and a generous amount of pepper on top and bake for 30 minutes

images:maryeaudet

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Noodles, bacon, cheese….what’s not to love?

This freezes well, kidls love it, so do husbands and hormonal women…Perfect for a cold day, a bad day, a busy day…or just because.  Vary the cheese for flavor changes, use ham instead of bacon…Use a different type of pasta if you want. Yum.

This is my entry for Presto Pasta.   For more great pasta dishes head over to Presto Pasta Nights

Noodles, Bacon, and Cheese

• 2 lb egg noodles, cooked and drained
• 1/2 lb or more of bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup of cheddar cubed or grated
• 1 cup of Swiss, Gruyere, Monterey Jack,  Jalapeno jack, Gouda, Havarti…or a mix cubed or grated
• 2 cups of milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup flour

Saute the bacon and onion until the bacon is crisp and the onion is tender.  Mix with the noodles in a greased casserole.  Mix the cheeses together.  Mix in 3/4 cup of the cheese.

Make a white sauce.   Mix the flour and milk in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave, stirring often, until mixture thickens.  Stir in the butter and cheese.  Microwave until melted and smooth, continuing to stir often.

Check seasoning and add salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the noodles and mix well.  You can serve immediately or top with bread crumbs and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.

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Back in the day Mrs. Cleaver and her contemporaries were very likely to serve dinner with a plate of rolls hot from the oven.  And those rolls were likely to be cloverleafs.

These are an easy roll to make and most people really like them because the shape is so…home. There is just something about these light, buttery rolls that makes you think of chilly days,  pot roast, and apple pie.

Make them with white flour, wheat, or a combination…but DO make them.  They freeze really well so make a bunch of them and have them whenever you need some comfort food.

Cloverleaf Rolls

• 2  packages yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 cups warm milk
• 1/2 cup sugar or honey
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter melted (this is not a typo)

In a bowl dissolve the  yeast in the warm water. Allow to foam up.

Beat in milk, sugar, egg, butter and salt.  Add 2 cups of flour and beat until smooth. 

Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and  knead until smooth about 6-8 minutes.  Put the dough in a greased bowl. grease the top and cover it.  

Allow to rise in a warm spot for about an hour, or until doubled.  This will take about an hour.

Punch dough down. Roll into 90 equal sized balls.  Dip the balls in the remaining melted butter and place three  in greased muffin cups.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees  for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with butter or honey butter.

Makes 30.

Images:Marye Audet

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I used to be an avid okra hater.

After all, I grew up nestled in the historic bosom of eastern Pa. Daintily eating pot pie (wet), Italian hoagies (wet), and Shoofly pie (wet). I nibbled on apple fritters and noshed on pretzels with yellow mustard served from the cart by a guy with a half smoked cigarette hanging out of his mouth and dirty hands.

Gastronomic heaven.

And then…when I was 11 we moved….to Texas.

Everything seemed hot, over-spiced and greasy. Unless it was undercooked and bland (grits). I went to a school that kept bottles of tabasco and jalapenos on the table. They ate things like frito pie, which looked disgusting, fried pickles (also disgusting) …You could BUY cups of pickle juice at the skating rink…were these people crazy?…And corn dogs.

Have you every really looked at a corn dog after you have bit into it?

It looks not quite right.

If you asked for a coke at a restaurant they asked you what kind.

And then…Okra.

I think my friend Mary and I made up a poem years ago (as adults…we ARE more or less adults…more or less) about okra…

Okra okra in the pot

Is it okra?

Or is it (s) not?

And yet. Somewhere on the way to middle age I developed a taste for it. I have no clue how….It snuck up on me like a San Angelo windstorm. But there is was.

I was addicted.

I loved it even more the summer our property went under 15 feet of good solid creek water.

The only thing that survived and kept producing? Okra.

110 degree heat? No matter. Okra.

I give up. Everyone in the family likes it, including Marc. Who was raised in…you know….:::New England:::

You can get frozen breaded Okra at the store but it is not anything like the real thing.

Fried Okra

• 20-30 pods okra, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces
• 2 egg, beaten
• 2 cups cornmeal (I like the coarser corn meal used for polenta)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• vegetable oil (peanut is best) for the deep fryer

1. In a small bowl, soak okra in egg for 5 to 10 minutes.
   
2. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, salt, and pepper.
3. Heat oil in a electric fryer. Dredge okra in the cornmeal mixture, coating evenly. Carefully place okra in hot oil; stir continuously.
   
4. When it is golden drain it and let the oil heat up for the next batch.
5. Serve with tabasco.
   

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I usually think of this casserole in the fall when the weather is cooling down but it is one of those that the family loves any time of the year, and so when I found ham on clearance at the grocers the other day this was an immediate thought. You can add buttered, toasted crumbs to the top just before baking if you like, but just plain like this is fine too. It is creamy and filling and you can use less ham to stretch the budget a bit more if you like. Vary the types of cheese used to vary the flavor in this versatile dish.

Ham and Potato Gratin

• 2 pounds peeled, diced and cooked
• 2 c ham,diced
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion tops
  
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 small onion,chopped
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 4 ounces shredded Swiss
• 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375F
Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Combine potatoes and ham, in a 13 x 9 inch casserole and set aside.

Melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until tender and transparent. Add flour and stir until well blended. Slowly add cream, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and continue to simmer and stir sauce until it is thickened. Pour over the ham mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 30 minutes until bubbly. Serves 8 or so.

This can be assembled ahead and baked within 2 days.

You can also assemble this and freeze it. Thaw overnight in the fridge, and bake as directed for a wonderful once a month cooking dish.

Images: (c) Marye Audet

Content (c)Marye Audet forBaking Delights

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Well Marc came home and talked sternly to the computer and of course it is up and running again.

I thought perhaps I had better post some savory foods since I have been on such a dessert kick lately.  This recipe is a big comfort food for me. It is very versatile, inexpensive and filling. Best of all it just tastes good. The hard thing was actually writing hte recipe for it because I just put in what I have and don’t bother to measure much.  This freezes well, stores for a week in the fridge if you need it to (AS IF) and you can adjust the ingredients as you like. This recipe makes a 13″ x 9″ casserole dish, 8-10 servings at our house, probably 12-16 at someone else’s house.  If you don’t need that much you can even freeze it in single serving freezer containers for a quick  meal for one, or if you do once a month cooking this does freeze well.

Tamale Pie

6 cups cooked pinto beans

1 16 oz package frozen corn kernels

1 onion chopped

1 bell pepper chopped

1 clove garlic chopped fine

1 jalapeno chopped fine

oil for saute-ing

1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped

1 large can diced tomatoes.

1 tsp cumin

1 tbs chili powder

salt to taste

2 c grated colby jack cheese

For the topping:

1 1/2 white corn meal

1/4  c flour

1  tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 c buttermilk

2 tbs oil or  melted butter

1 egg

Preheat oven to 375.

Saute bell pepper, onion, garlic, and jalapeno until tender.  Remove from heat and add corn kernels, pinto beans, chopped cilantro,canned tomatoes and seasoning. If mixture seems very dry add a little tomato juice or water. Spread in 13×9 pan. Top with cheese.

Mix cornmeal, flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.  Stir together beaten egg,  melted butter, and butter milk.  You can also add 1 can of chiles at this point if you like. Stir the cornmeal mixture into the egg mixture, beating until smooth.  Pour over top of cheese layer and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until cornbread tests done and  bean mixture is heated through.

You can add other vegetables to this. It is always fantastic.

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But the color of the light is starting to change. Autumn light has a golden cast to it..and it is beginning. I can feel in myself the changes that I grew up with in Pennsylvania/New Jersey..the turning of the leaves..the first gentle fall breezes..the smell of leaves burning, and the sound of the Canadian Geese flying over head. These images are a permanent part of my life even though I only see them in my spirit now.

In the early days of September there was an apple tree that ripened in a nearby field. Actually on the fence line between a neighbor’s property and a huge undeveloped hunk of land that grew amazing things like blackberries and Queen Anne’s Lace. That should tell you how long ago THAT was. Anyway this apple tree grew the crispest, tart-sweet apples that I have ever tasted with perfect white flesh…I have never tasted the like before, nor since. I suspect it was an old heirloom variety. I am sure that it was turned into landfill long since.

Anyway..fall makes me think of apples…and this is an excellent way to enjoy the season’s best. I was trying to wait to get a picture of this..You won’t see it on the pages of a gourmet magazine, nor on one of the chef reality shows..this is home cooking..it is really delicious and I think the recipe dates back from the 50’s…I am not sure, but it smells like everything autumn is and it tastes …well try it and see and let me know what you think..and if you email me a picture of it I will post it here.

Apple Butterscotch Bundt Cake

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups chopped tart apples
1 6 oz package butterscotch chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine oil and sugar; mix well. Stir in eggs then beat until smooth and creamy. Add flour, salt, and soda. Stir in remaining ingredients, blending well. Pour batter into a 10-inch Bundt pan or tube pan; bake at 350° for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Combine topping ingredients in a saucepan; cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth. Pour warm mixture over warm cake while it’s still in the pan. Cool cake thoroughly before removing.

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One of the things I am learning from the chaos is that everything does not have to be an event to be pleasant and good. The people that come to our home group enjoy simplicity as much (and maybe more) as the stellar concoctions I have come up with in the past. There is a reason that sheet cakes, bundt cakes and such turn up at church potlucks time after time.

This is simplicity. I am in the process of making it so I will come back and add photos later. The cake is moist, rich and deliciously chocolaty. And best of all…simple. So sorry, no chipotle today…I think my family is chipotled out. BUT…seriously….chipotle would be really good in this…

Chocolate sheet cake

1 cup water ( or coffee)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

4C powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk or cream

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 15 1/2 x 10 1/2×1-inch baking sheet. Whisk 1 cup water, 1/2 c butter, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Whisk in sugar, flour, salt, then buttermilk and eggs. Spread batter in prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle batter with semisweet chocolate chips. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cake in pan to rack.

Meanwhile, melt remaining 1/2 cup butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Whisk in powdered sugar, whole milk, remaining 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Spread frosting over warm cake. Sprinkle with nuts. Cool cake completely in pan.

Serves 24

O.k..now that I have made it…

I did end up tweaking the frosting. Well..it wasn’t even a tweak.  I used 4 c powdered sugar, 1/2 hershey’s special  dark cocoa, 1/2 c butter,  1 tsp almond extract, 1/3 c coffee, 1 tbs chili powder, 1 tsp cinnamon

I am calling it aztec chocolate frosting.    It paired very well with the dark chocolate cake..The pictures weren’t very good and the cake was gone before I could get more pictures. ….

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