Banana-and-PB-Stuffed French Toast

Have I ever shared how much I adore French toast?


Actually, I'm a francophile in many regards - I so dearly love their wine (Beaujolais being my favorite, and only available this very time of year!), their language (though I speak little - "J'adore les croissants avec poulet et Jean-Paul Gaultier!"), their fashion - oh, and did I mention their food? I spend about 92.8% of my time daydreaming about wandering through Le-Grande-Jatte-esque landscapes, picnicking with a baguette, some stinky cheese, and some red wine near a bridge, followed by a jaunt through the Louvre and maybe dinner in some obscure post-beatnik cafe--


--and then I remember I'm actually sitting in front of my iMac, thinking up banner ads. Sigh. Now might be a good time to mention two things: 1.) I've never actually been to France, and 2.) I'm not at all convinced that French toast bears any resemblance to anything the French actually eat for le petit dejeuner. That notwithstanding, my love for French toast (much like my love for the fried potatoes and the kisses for which they are so well-known) endures despite its dubious provenance.


Usually, I make it very simply: egg, milk, cinnamon, butter, maple syrup. Done. But, a few almost-too-ripe bananas weeping on my fruit tray and a new jar of homemade peach honey whispering from within the cupboard, I decided to make that IHOP-bastardization of French toast - Stuffed French Toast. Although this came out nicely and was a fantastic way to start a lazy weekend morning, I truly prefer French toast in its simplest form, but since this insisted on photographing well and being somewhat interesting, I decided to share it. So, thank you, France, for your toast! And thank you America, for your irrepressible spirit of excess!


PEANUT-BUTTER-AND-BANANA-STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

INGREDIENTS

4 thick slices bread (I used whole wheat)
a few spoonfuls natural (unsweetened) peanut butter
1-2 ripe bananas, sliced into rounds
drizzle of peach honey (or regular honey)
2 eggs
1 T. heavy cream (milk is fine, too)
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
2 T. butter
maple syrup for drizzling


STEP 1:

Beat the eggs, cream, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside. Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

STEP 2:

Spread 2 slices of bread with the peanut butter, then top with the banana slices. Drizzle honey over both. Top with the other pieces of bread, making two sandwiches.

STEP 3:

Melt the butter in the pan. Dredge each sandwich in the egg mixture, until coated. Fry on the first side until golden-brown. Flip and fry on the other side until golden-brown. Remove from heat, slice in half, drizzle with syrup, and serve. Enjoy!

100th Post - Coq Au Vin (!)

Well, obviously I'm not making a one-hundred-year-old recipe for my 100th post....I'm making a THOUSAND-year-old-recipe for my 100th post!

Did I mention it's my 100th post? Yay!


Coq au vin was made famous (?) by Julia (Child, that is), but long before that, it was loved by Julius (Caesar, that is). Legends trace its origins back to ancient Gaul, but it has no doubt been a rustic peasant meal for centuries (thanks, Wikipedia!).

This recipe will be, I think, 100% organic (as I had planned to do for my 100th post originally). I got all the ingredients for it at the new, absolutely squeal-inducing Whole Foods at North and Clybourn (seriously, that place is a Foodie Palace). I have been promising myself I'd make Coq Au Vin for...I don't know, years now. I was going to make Ross pot roast tonight, per his request, but we ended up eating so much red meat this weekend that we made a last-minute change, and I decided to try to do justice to this age-old classic that the French do so well.

I did research several recipes (Julia's in particular), but I did a little editing - I am simply not in an economic state of affairs which would allow the purchase of cognac, for Gawd's sake, for one little meal (I am positive that I would never again use cognac). Plus, Julia says you have to set it on fire - um, PHOBIA! So this coq will just have to do without the cognac. There are a few other things I'm skipping, such as boiling the bacon (have I ever mentioned that I only have one functioning burner on my 4-burner stovetop? It's true), and using pearl onions (couldn't find them - so I'm subbing in a regular old onion, chopped into pearl onion-sized pieces).

COQ AU VIN

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
thyme leaves
salt and pepper

1 large yellow onion
1 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
thyme leaves
1/3 c. beef broth
salt and pepper

4 chicken breasts and 6 drumsticks, bone in and skin on, rinsed and patted very dry
5 slices bacon, cut into thirds
2 T. butter
salt and pepper
1/2 T. tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, mashed
3 c/ red wine (I used cabernet sauvignon)
1-2 c. beef broth
thyme leaves
2 T. butter, at room temperature
3 T. flour
egg noodles, cooked until al dente

STEP ONE:

Brown mushrooms in butter and olive oil with thyme and salt and pepper. Set aside.


STEP TWO:

Brown onions in butter and olive oil with thyme and salt and pepper. Add beef broth, cover, and simmer until tender and beef broth has mostly evaporated.



STEP THREE:

Fry bacon pieces in butter until crisp and browned. Remove bacon with slotted spoon. Brown the chicken in the bacon fat and butter, seasoning on both sides with salt and pepper (if you do not have a very large pan, do this in batches). Return all chicken to hot pan, and add wine, broth, tomato paste, garlic, and thyme. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through.

STEP FOUR:

Remove chicken with slotted spoon and set aside on platter. Boil the wine/broth until reduced to about 2 and 1/2 cups of liquid. Meanwhile, cut the meat off the bones of the chicken. Discard bones and skin. (This isn't part of the traditional recipe; I just wanted to make it easier to eat for my guests - plus, a lot of people are skeeved out by chicken bones.)

STEP FIVE:

Mash 2 T. butter and 3 T. flour until it comes to a paste. When wine/broth is reduced, reduce heat to simmer and whisk in the flour/butter paste. Simmer for a few minutes until thickened. Stir in the bacon, mushrooms, and onions. Simmer until everything is hot. Stir in chicken.






STEP SIX:

Serve coq au vin over hot buttered egg noodles. Enjoy!



JUDGES' VERDICTS:

TAYLOR: A great balance of flavors. It almost ate like a beef stroganoff - egg noodles with a buttery sauce - but with chicken and bacon instead. The mushroom and red wine teamed up nicely as usual to infuse the sauce with a nice earthy tone.

The meal performed so well that I actually refrained from ordering at the Wieners Circle later that night. A pretty good compliment in itself. As a review I'd have to give this one only four out of five stars, since the chef did admit to using a recipe this time.

SARAH: Amazing flavor and so tender and juicy. Mmmm bacon fat. Even though that sounds fattening, I felt really good afterwards. Nice hearty meal.

ROSS: I would say this dish grabbed hold of my taste buds and shook them like they owed money. It was extremely flavorful and I wish I had some in my mouth right now. This was my first French fricassee, so my judging skills may not be apropos, but I like tons of flavor and hearty homecooked meals, and this is one of the best. It’s probably way too hard for you to make.

MY VOTE ON MY DISH: 9 stars! Even with all the step-skipping and lame substitutions, this dish was delicious (I can only imagine how incredible it would be if I had followed Julia's instructions to the letter). It reminded me a lot of a chicken-y version of beef stroganoff. I think that it's more commonly served over mashed potatoes, not egg noodles, and that would also be delicious (believe me, I'm going to try it out with the leftovers).

I'm really glad I cooked the chicken on the bone, but I'm also glad I cut it off the bone to serve it - I'd recommend that for any situation except for a dinner party, where you may want the aesthetic element of having whole chicken pieces spread out on a serving platter (this meal would be a great meal for "company" - it's complex enough to be impressive, but not so overwhelming that it would be stressful. Some creamy whipped potatoes and a salad and you'd have your guests raving. It also makes a lot of food).


This wonderful meal topped off a fantastic Memorial Day weekend with my better half in town, filled with food, baseball games, food, and more food!

Thus begins the amazing phenomenon that is Summer in Chicago!


Thanks for reading! More soon...

Sauteed Vegetables and Parmesan Pain Perdu

I recently saw a recipe for pain perdu, which is basically a baked, savory version of French toast. I had been thinking about it since I saw it, and I'd also been craving an eggy dish for dinner all day. I also had some nice cheeses and fresh veggies on hand, so I thought I'd make a sort of grilled cheese/omelet/quiche hybrid, and put it in the pain perdu category.


This was a really easy weeknight meal that was rich enough to feel like dinner, but light enough that it didn't undo my whole day.

SAUTEED VEGETABLES & PARMESAN PAIN PERDU

INGREDIENTS

4 slices French baguette
2 eggs
1/4 c. half and half
1/4 c. grated (packed) parmesan
1 slice sharp provolone cheese
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 zucchini, cut into half-moons
1/4 large white onion, sliced
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh thyme leaves

STEP ONE:

Preheat the oven to 375. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the half and half and parmesan, and some salt and pepper.


STEP TWO:

Place the bread slices in a shallow baking dish. Pour the egg mixture over the top. Place the provolone over the top of the bread, tearing into pieces so it covers the bread. Bake at 375 until the provolone is bubbly on top and the egg mixture is set, about 15 minutes.



STEP THREE:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Saute the onions and peppers with a little salt and pepper and the thyme. When tender and a little browned, remove from skillet. Add the zucchini to the skillet and cook until a little browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total.



STEP FOUR:

Place a few slices of the bread on a plate (I used three), and top with the veggie mixture. Enjoy!

This was cheesy, savory, and fresh - and super easy. I just used the veggies I had on hand, but spinach, chard, arugula, poblano peppers, shallots, tomatoes - they'd all be great swaps. This would also be delicious topped with a little Romesco sauce or a quick balsamic vinegrette - or just a drizzle of balsamic itself. You could also use whatever cheese you like - feta, chevre, mozzarella, even cheddar. You could also lighten it up with egg whites. Instead of the cooked vegetables, you could top the pain perdu with a fresh salad tossed with just a bit of lemon juice and olive oil.


I think you get the picture: this is a forgiving dish that can really become whatever you want it to be. It would be lovely with some parma ham or sliced turkey. I'd love to try it with my leftover lamb, too - like little open-faced sandwiches.

The French really get the whole bread-and-cheese thing, don't they?


Thanks for reading. Au revoir! More soon...