My Great French Adventure

I've spent the last few weeks tasting my way through France for work. Yes, my job is awesome. It wasn't all fun and games mind you. The group of us on this wine buying trip were up and at our first winery of the day by 9am most days. We tasted anywhere between 80-120 wines a day. We were at our hotels long enough to toss suitcases into the room before going out to amazing wine dinners with amazing winemakers. Then you get up and do it all again, every day, for two weeks straight. Awesome, yes, but intensive. 

My meals in France were rich to say the least. There was an insane amount of cheese, charcuterie, and bread. I ate about a million gougeres. If there were vegetables offered they were devoured with great appreciation, the French have perfected the simple green salad. We ate roasted duck, foie gras, oysters, truffles, sausages, paté, I had three versions of Croque Madame! Honestly, I ate everything and washed it all down with copious amounts of wine. It was not a health food trip for certain.

Now that I'm back I've delved into a bit of a cleanse, which I do annually. It's not a diet, because I still eat well...very well. It's not necessarily about cutting things out, it's about focusing on the healthier things. Lean proteins, fish, whole grains, and glorious vegetables. I've included a couple of my recent recipe favorites here. Plus one less healthy recipe; a slow cooker Pork Cuban sandwich which makes an excellent Super Bowl Party menu item. Because healthy and Super Bowl don't mix.

Try these recipes out, they are (mostly) good for you and will make you feel comfort from within. Enjoy!

Chicken Cacciatore

Serves 4-5

A pretty classic dish that is hearty, and healthy. Perfect on a winter's night.

Ingredients                                                 

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

6 to 8 chicken legs and/or thighs

1 small onion, minced

1 small carrot, minced

2 rib celery, minced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons fresh minced Italian parsley

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 pound button mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup red wine

1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes in juice

Preparation

1. Reconstitute dried mushrooms by placing in a bowl and pour 2 cups boiling water over them and let sit 15 to 30 minutes, until mushrooms are soft. Drain through a strainer and reserve 1 cup of liquid. Chop mushrooms coarsely and set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown, in batches. Pour the fat off from the pan and discard. Turn the heat down to medium, add the remaining oil and the onion, carrot, celery and garlic as well as a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Stir in the fresh and dried mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until the wine has reduced by about half. Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the mushroom soaking liquid that you set aside.

3. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and stir so that they are submerged in the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve with pasta or rice.

Tortilla Soup

Adapted from Thug Kitchen cookbook

Serves 4 as a main, 6 as a side

This comes together really quickly, so it makes a great mid-week meal.

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1-2 jalapeños, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

21/2 teaspoons each ground cumin, dried oregano, and chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes

1/4 cup tomato paste

5 cups vegetable broth (you can use chicken broth too)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

6-8 corn tortillas cut into 1-inch squares

11/2 cups cooked chickpeas

Toppings: chopped cilantro, minced jalapeño, avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream

Preparation
1. Grab a large soup pot and sauté the onion in the oil until it starts to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the carrot and pepper and cook until everything is golden, another 3 minutes. Add the jalapeño, garlic, spices, and salt and cook for another few seconds to toast the spices. Add the tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Add the canned diced tomatoes and broth and let that all come to a simmer.

2. Add the lime juice and tortilla squares. Stir everything up and let it simmer together until the tortillas get nice and soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and puree soup using an immersion blender or do it in bathes in a blender. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

3. Serve soup with chickpeas pile in the center of each bowl with whatever garnishes you prefer. Serve immediately.

Slow Cooker Cuban Sandwich

Adapted from Jeff Mauro on Foodnetwork.com

Serves 6
Super Bowl baby! This recipe is easy to make ahead, full of flavor and will stand out against the usual Super Bowl foods (look out chicken wings and chili).

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lime (2 tablespoons)

Juice of 1 orange (2 tablespoons)

3 to 3 1/2-pound boneless pork shoulder

6 ciabatta rolls

3 Tablespoons Yellow mustard

1/2 cup Mayo

1 pound Swiss, thick-sliced

1 pound honey ham, thinly sliced

6 whole dill pickles, sliced (about 2 cups)

1 red onion, thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Mix the oil, salt, cumin, oregano, black pepper, red pepper, garlic, lime juice and orange juice in a small bowl. Make slits in the pork with a paring knife and rub liberally all over with the oil mixture. Place the pork in a slow cooker and top with the remaining juices from the bowl. Cover and cook on low until tender, flipping once halfway through, about 6 hours. Remove from the slow cooker and let cool slightly. Shred the pork into thick chunks with 2 forks. Set the pork aside and keep warm in the cooking liquid.

2. Pre-heat panini press or alternatively preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix mayo and yellow mustard together in a small bowl. Slice ciabatta rolls and smear both sides with mayo/mustard mixture. Layer on the Swiss, ham, pulled pork and pickles and onions.

3. If using a panini press, place assembled sandwiches on and press until cheese is just melted and bread is toasted, about 4 minutes apiece. If using the oven, place sandwiches on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes until the cheese has slightly melted. Serve immediately.