A Supremely-Easy Summer Salad & A Cat That Loves Lettuce.

So tonight I'm feeling very accomplished. I made my own dressing. I'm eating fresh goat cheese drizzled with honey. I toasted pine nuts!!!

I went back into the Bonne Femme Cookbook and poured over the salad section. The author, Wini Moranville praises La Bonne Femmes for making all of their dressings fresh (and often table side). For whatever reason, over the years I have stayed away from homemade dressings. I don't really know why. Maybe I was worried that I would get carried away with the olive oil- that things would just turn out way too...oily.

Never fear- Vive La Bonne Femme! C'est Facile! It's Easy!

Truthfully, today was a bit stressful. I was looking forward to coming home and cooking; but I think if I had encountered something supremely difficult the Hubs might have come home from work to find me in the floor eating the goat cheese and drinking Pinot Grigio.

Pine nuts toasting in a little skillet. 

I used 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 clove of garlic minced, salt and pepper to taste.

I toasted baguette slices and topped with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil.

And here is the amusing part...my cat Pumpkin LOVES salad. 

Pumpkin begging for lettuce.

He recognizes the salad container. I go to get the 50/50 Spring Mix/Spinach salad mix out of the fridge and he runs to my feet...meowing. His little lettuce eating activity has become a sort of party trick. When guests come over and I'm fixing salad he gets a tiny piece and everyone laughs. 

So the sun is setting and I toss my salad mix in my homemade (not too oily) dressing and top it with the toasted pine nuts. My toasted baguettes receive a topping of melted goat cheese drizzled with honey.

To add some protein, I poached some eggs. 

Here is the delicious "Pumpkin envying" salad with poached eggs.

You can leave the eggs off- there is plenty of
protein in the pine nuts and goat cheese.

This was delicious! 

The dressing is very garlicky, but the whole meal was light for a perfect summer night. Not too heavy, and definitely not too oily- it was just right. 

If I ever wanted to do this as a side salad (not the main entree') it would yield 4 side salads.

The Hubs and I sat on the back porch listening to the French Cafe' Pandora Radio Station, ate our Melty Goat Cheese Salad with Honey and Pine Nuts, and sipped our Pinot Grigio.

Pumpkin, meanwhile, had his cat food.

La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Summer Pasta...Fresh Veggies, Easy Homemade Vinaigrette, and a Punch of Protein!!!

I love Summer Pasta Salads! Fresh herbs & veggies are the BEST this time of year. 

The Southern Living July issue has some really yummy looking options.

Penne with Green Beans and Tomatoes Covered in a Homemade Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette.
I added a punch of protein with Tuna!

Mincing a Shallot.

Whole-grain Dijon was on the grocery list. This country
Dijon is the same thing. Found it on sale at Publix!

Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette:

Stir together 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice and 1 minced shallot; let stand 5 minutes. Whisk 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1 Tbsp honey (one of my favorite ingredients!), and whole grain Dijon mustard (*see my note above). Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week. 

This is a BPA-Free Dressing Container I found at Publix. I only used 3/4 of this for this recipe, so there is plenty for other salads throughout the week.

Penne with Green Beans & Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 (16oz) pkg of whole wheat penne

1 (8oz) pkg of haricots verts (aka- French green beans)

1 pt. grape tomatoes

3/4 cup Lemon- Shallot Vinaigrette

1/4 cup chopped dill

Pre-cut and cleaned haricots verts can be found in the fresh steam-in-bag section of Publix.

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions. Add green beans to boiling water during the last 2 minutes of cooking time, drain.

Rinse pasta mixture under cold running water until cool, drain.

Toss together pasta mixture, tomatoes and vinaigrette.

*This is where I added 2 cans of tuna. Drain tuna and toss in the pasta mixture.

Cover and chill up to 24 hours, if desired. 

Just before serving, stir in dill, and add salt and pepper to taste.

It looks so pretty in my Mickey Mouse Pasta Bowl.

We enjoyed this pasta with a bright Sauvignon Blanc, but a Pinot Grigio would be a good choice too!

Summer is my favorite time of year! 

La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Tater Tots in a Casserole...What Are You Saying?!?!!!

Well, so all there is to say is: Yum!

Yes- go ahead and cheer- Tater Tots for dinner! Hooray!

Oh- but I've gotten ahead of myself.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 carrots, cut 1/2"thick rounds

2 stalks of celery, cut 1/4" half-moons

1 onion chopped (I actually substituted a large shallot- I had guests who don't like onions very much.)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup whole milk (I used 2%)

4 cups shredded cooked chicken (*1 rotisserie chicken yields approx. 4 cups.)

3 cups frozen tater tots, thawed

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (I substituted 1/2 tsp of dried thyme)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.

Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high until hot. Add carrots, celery and onion and season with 

1 tsp of salt and 3/4 tsp pepper.

Cook stirring occasionally, until veggies are golden, about 12 minutes.

Stir in flour, then whisk broth & milk, bring to a boil whisking.

Boil until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in chicken.

Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish.

Pulse the tots in a food processor with thyme. 

Pulse until medium ground. I left some tots a little more lumpy.

Scatter over the top of the casserole.

Bake until the filling is bubbling and topping is golden and
crisp, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

We covered ours with some fresh ground pepper. It yields 4 large servings.

I found this on the Food Network App and it was marked Easy- and it truly is! Especially if you cut cooking time with the rotisserie chicken.

This is the ultimate comfort food and in this girl's food diary...# 1 Casserole...I mean, it has tater tots!!!

La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Oh My Stars...And Stripes! July 4th- Decor, Delicious Food & A Day of Thankfulness!!!

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

I hope you had a day of sweet thankfulness, family & fun celebrating the freedom we are blessed to enjoy!

We so enjoyed our celebration!

Here is a peek at our decorating (Mason would be thrilled with our theming) and our delicious 4th- themed food!

I got this cute little crab a a boutique shop in Gulf Shores! The blackboard makes it easy to change party messages!

We started our day with a yummy Red, White & Blue French Toast Bake. It is so easy to assemble and wonderfully delicious the next morning.

Slice a baguette into 1/2" slices and lay flat in a greased (cooking spray) 13 x 9.

Mix 4 whole eggs, 4 egg whites, 1 cup of low fat milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract in a bowl. Pour over sliced bread. 

Put 5 cups of fresh or frozen mixed berries in a bowl (I used frozen mixed berries found in the Publix frozen food section). Add 1 1/2 Tbsp of lemon juice & 1 Tbsp of brown sugar to berries and stir.

Top french toast with berry mixture. Mix 2 Tbsp of brown sugar and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, then sprinkle over the top of the french toast.

Refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
We use this time to make coffee and mimosas!!!

Top with a dollop of vanilla yogurt and drizzle with your favorite syrup! Yum, yum, yum!

Well, now it's time to get decorating!

I found these fans at Party City for $7.

We attached them to the curtain rod on the back porch.

We used mason jars with pretty red ribbons for drink glasses.

I found these name tags that slide over
cute paper straws at Hobby Lobby!

USA napkins at Party City.

I rolled the silverware in the napkins and
tied jute as a napkin ring.

Happy sunflowers!

Paper fold-out stars from Party City.

The Menu!
Beef Sliders with gorgonzola,
caramelized onions and applewood
smoked bacon on King's Hawaiian Rolls.
Hashbrown casserole, Rosemary and Lemon
Scented Haricot Verts, Watermelon, Key Lime Pie
& Jack's Cosmic Lemonade- Jack Daniels &
Lemonade. (Our three cats always grace the
handwritten plate- can you see them?)

Stars and Stripes square plates from Party City.

The picks are for cupcakes, but we found that they held a
beef slider together pretty well! Plus it looked like little fireworks
on our plates!!!

It was a fun night. But we are quick to remember all those who have given of themselves and many who have given their lives so that we can enjoy this time with family. 

I thought about those who bravely fought to make this an independent nation during the Revolutionary War, those who kept it together during the Civil War, those who fought to preserve us and bring peace and freedom to those we share this world with during WWI & WWII, my grandfather who was in the Korean War, my cousin who was in Vietnam, a brother-in-law who fought in Afghanistan...God, Thank You! Thank You for Your Grace, Your Protection & Provision!

Father- I ask for Your continued Grace for us all!

In Jesus' Name- Amen!

God- Bless America!

La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Easy (When Time Is Of The Essence) Baked Brie App!

This is a go to from now on!!!

Here we go...are you ready? Don't blink, cause you could miss it!

Pick your favorite Brie round. Make sure that it is in the wooden box.

 Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top rind from the brie. Bake for 10 minutes. Spoon this yummy Peach Habanero Jelly over the top of the brie, mounding slightly. Then bake an additional 5 to 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Transfer brie box to a serving platter and serve immediately with crackers.

Delicious!

I served this on Town House Flip Side Pretzel Crackers.

So where can you get this yummy, delicious, delightful jelly???

Believe it or not, my mom sells it! Raven's Nest is a great company that sells dips, jellies, and some of the best Cornbread Dressing seasoning known to man. You might find a vendor in your area, or you can just contact May We Suggest (mom's company) at: maywesuggest@comcast.net

They also make this little number! It is a best seller for Raven's Nest and for any vendor carrying them!

The Raspberry Jalapeno is great over cream cheese and served with crackers. And we have used the Peach Habanero over chicken and fish. It is a versatile ingredient to have on hand!

If you can't get your hands on some Raven's Nest- no fear! Just choose a good pepper jelly and top with that.

So- did you get it: brie, bake, smother and cover...serve! Easy peasy!

Easy apps- just another way to keep it La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Vive La Bonne Femme!

So the French cooking had to begin somewhere, and Dennis likes curry (which I never would have guessed was in French cooking, but...here is it), so Curried Chicken Comte' it shall be!

Wini Moranville (the Bonne Femme cookbook author) says that the Franche-Comte' region is located on the eastern side of France. 

This dish comes from that region. Think Chicken Florentine...but French!

I found my shallots near the garlic at Publix. I also opted for Fontina cheese- which was easier to find (see below).

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1.5 lbs total)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 large shallot

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp sweet curry powder

1 cup 2% milk

3/4 cup shredded Comte', Gruyere, Emmental, or Fontina cheese (about 3 oz)

1Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

9 oz of fresh spinach (I used the baby spinach found near the bagged salad.)

Look! Just as the reviews (and the introduction to the cookbook) said: ingredients you can easily find in the grocery store!!!

French Cooking Diary Entry #1: Hooray for easily found ingredients!

Now for the cooking. Would there be complicated steps? Obscure utensils needed???

Nope. Pretty much, I pounded the chicken flat (actually the Hubs did that), and cooked it through in 1 Tbsp of butter. I removed the chicken and kept warm. I added the second Tbsp of butter and cooked the shallot until tender (not brown)...PS- I put a YouTube clip on the La Bonne Vie Facebook page showing the easiest way to mince a shallot- its super-easy!

I then added the flour and curry to form a paste and then cooked until brown.

I added the milk slowly and whisked to combine; brought it to a boil and cooked 2 more minutes- the sauce was thickening.

I added a 1/2 cup of cheese, stirred until it melted and set aside.

 Are you smelling the curry yet? It turned a beautiful yellow and the smell was fantastic!

I had to get to the spinach, so I heated the olive oil in a skillet and added the spinach in 2 batches. It was way too much to try to do in one batch. 

I cooked the spinach until it was slightly wilted, and then placed it in my pretty Southern Living 13 x 9 baking dish. The spinach matches the green in the handles.

I placed the chicken on top of the spinach.

I took the curry sauce and covered each piece of chicken evenly, and then sprinkled it with the remaining cheese.

I placed the baking dish under a pre-heated broiler to allow the cheese to melt.

I served this dish over Moranville's Any Night Rice Bake, but serving over rice or mashed/pureed potatoes would be wonderful!

We enjoyed our first home-cooked French meal with a glass of Lonely Cow Sauvignon Blanc!

So I did it! No difficult steps, no weird kitchen contraptions, no frustrating ingredients...just simple, quick, kitchen-to-table French cooking. Hmmm...so this is what the Bonne Femme cooking style is?

Vive la bonne femme! Long live this cooking style...I think I can handle it!

La Bonne Vie Y'all!