French Fun
dessert wine, dessert forks, and...dessert! delicious lemon tart.
The Menu
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/8797082.jpg)
French Cafe Diva
Simple Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin
Serves 4 to 6
Browning the bacon, chicken and vegetables briefly before adding them to the crock pot creates deep rich flavors in both the chicken and sauce. After the brief sauté, the crock pot does all the work.
Ingredients:
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I did 10. It worked out fine)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 slices bacon, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 (12-ounce) package white or baby bella mushrooms, quartered
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth*
1 1/2 cups red wine
2 large sprigs thyme
Method Arrange chicken on a large sheet of waxed paper. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly coat chicken all over with flour and set aside.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until golden and just crisp, 3 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in same skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned all over, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a large plate as done and set aside.
Depending on what is left in the pan you can melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter or oil in same skillet. Add mushrooms and cook until edges begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add carrots, onions, garlic and salt and cook until vegetables just begin to soften. Transfer vegetables and broth to crock pot. Arrange chicken on top. Sprinkle bacon over chicken. Add wine and thyme sprigs. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. Season with salt and pepper, then serve.
Serves 4 to 6
Browning the bacon, chicken and vegetables briefly before adding them to the crock pot creates deep rich flavors in both the chicken and sauce. After the brief sauté, the crock pot does all the work.
Ingredients:
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I did 10. It worked out fine)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 slices bacon, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 (12-ounce) package white or baby bella mushrooms, quartered
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth*
1 1/2 cups red wine
2 large sprigs thyme
Method Arrange chicken on a large sheet of waxed paper. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly coat chicken all over with flour and set aside.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until golden and just crisp, 3 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in same skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned all over, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a large plate as done and set aside.
Depending on what is left in the pan you can melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter or oil in same skillet. Add mushrooms and cook until edges begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add carrots, onions, garlic and salt and cook until vegetables just begin to soften. Transfer vegetables and broth to crock pot. Arrange chicken on top. Sprinkle bacon over chicken. Add wine and thyme sprigs. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. Season with salt and pepper, then serve.
Red Beet & Goat Cheese Terrine
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/8491218.jpg)
Ingredients:
4 medium-size red beets
16 oz. soft goat cheese
3 T cream cheese
4 tsp. minced thyme
2 tsp. minced rosemary
1 lemon
salt & pepper
Preparation:
Wash and trim the beets. Put then in a pot and add enough water to cover them. Squeeze in the juice from one half of the lemon. Bring to a boil and then reduce water to a high simmer. Cook until tender (20-30 min - poke them with a fork to see if they're tender). Drain, cool, and then rub off the skins. Using a sharp knife, slice beets as thinly as possible and set aside.
Combine goat cheese, cream cheese, thyme, and rosemary in a food processor. Squeeze in juice from the remaining half of lemon. Process until smooth and creamy.
Line a terrine (the recipe calls for an 11 x 3 x 3 terrine - i say, use whatever you've got! i used a mini bread pan - not sure of the dimensions) with wax paper. Line the bottom and the side with beet slices, overlapping slightly.
Fill the mold with goat cheese. Smooth and top with a layer of beet slices. Press gently on top to flatten and compress. Trim any beet slices on the side of the mold that extend above the top, to make a neat edge.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to 2 days.
To serve, invert chilled terrine onto a plate and remove wax paper. Cut into slices while chilled; serve at room temperature.
Yield: 6-8 servings.
4 medium-size red beets
16 oz. soft goat cheese
3 T cream cheese
4 tsp. minced thyme
2 tsp. minced rosemary
1 lemon
salt & pepper
Preparation:
Wash and trim the beets. Put then in a pot and add enough water to cover them. Squeeze in the juice from one half of the lemon. Bring to a boil and then reduce water to a high simmer. Cook until tender (20-30 min - poke them with a fork to see if they're tender). Drain, cool, and then rub off the skins. Using a sharp knife, slice beets as thinly as possible and set aside.
Combine goat cheese, cream cheese, thyme, and rosemary in a food processor. Squeeze in juice from the remaining half of lemon. Process until smooth and creamy.
Line a terrine (the recipe calls for an 11 x 3 x 3 terrine - i say, use whatever you've got! i used a mini bread pan - not sure of the dimensions) with wax paper. Line the bottom and the side with beet slices, overlapping slightly.
Fill the mold with goat cheese. Smooth and top with a layer of beet slices. Press gently on top to flatten and compress. Trim any beet slices on the side of the mold that extend above the top, to make a neat edge.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to 2 days.
To serve, invert chilled terrine onto a plate and remove wax paper. Cut into slices while chilled; serve at room temperature.
Yield: 6-8 servings.
Meyer Lemon Curd Tart
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup Meyer lemon juice, freshly squeezed and strained
1 tbsp lemon zest
3 large eggs
2 (large) egg yolks
6 tbsp butter, softened and cut into tbsps
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
In a large bowl, while the sugar is heating, whisk together lemon zest, eggs and egg yolks. When sugar mixture comes to a boil, add very small amounts of it to the egg mixture while whisking continuously to temper the mixture. Add only a few tablespoons at a time and do not stop stirring (firmly, but not too vigorously) until all of the sugar/lemon mix has been added.
Transfer egg mixture back to sauce pan and return to stove. Cook on medium heat until thickened, about 8 minutes, whisking frequently.
Remove custard from stove and whisk in butter, adding in one tablespoon at a time. When all butter has been added, cool curd for 15 minutes before pouring into prepared tart crust.
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut in cubes
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp lemon juice (meyer or regular)
2 tsp lemon zest
For the crust:
Preheat oven to 425F
In a food processor, combine flour and sugar and pulse to blend. Add butter and pulse until mixture is coarse and sandy. Add in egg yolk, lemon juice and lemon zest and whizz until dough starts to come together, adding an extra tablespoon of water or lemon juice, if necessary.
Turn dough into bowl and knead gently until it forms a ball.
Place dough on a lightly floured board and roll until it is large enough to fit a 9-in tart pan. Lay dough gently into pan and press (do not stretch) into the corners. Cut excess from the top of the pan.
Prick the crust with a fork and place a sheet of foil on top of it, filling with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and beans and bake for 5 more minutes. Set aside to cool before filling.
Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours before serving. If storing longer than that, cover tart with plastic wrap when set and completely cool.
2/3 cup Meyer lemon juice, freshly squeezed and strained
1 tbsp lemon zest
3 large eggs
2 (large) egg yolks
6 tbsp butter, softened and cut into tbsps
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
In a large bowl, while the sugar is heating, whisk together lemon zest, eggs and egg yolks. When sugar mixture comes to a boil, add very small amounts of it to the egg mixture while whisking continuously to temper the mixture. Add only a few tablespoons at a time and do not stop stirring (firmly, but not too vigorously) until all of the sugar/lemon mix has been added.
Transfer egg mixture back to sauce pan and return to stove. Cook on medium heat until thickened, about 8 minutes, whisking frequently.
Remove custard from stove and whisk in butter, adding in one tablespoon at a time. When all butter has been added, cool curd for 15 minutes before pouring into prepared tart crust.
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut in cubes
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp lemon juice (meyer or regular)
2 tsp lemon zest
For the crust:
Preheat oven to 425F
In a food processor, combine flour and sugar and pulse to blend. Add butter and pulse until mixture is coarse and sandy. Add in egg yolk, lemon juice and lemon zest and whizz until dough starts to come together, adding an extra tablespoon of water or lemon juice, if necessary.
Turn dough into bowl and knead gently until it forms a ball.
Place dough on a lightly floured board and roll until it is large enough to fit a 9-in tart pan. Lay dough gently into pan and press (do not stretch) into the corners. Cut excess from the top of the pan.
Prick the crust with a fork and place a sheet of foil on top of it, filling with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and beans and bake for 5 more minutes. Set aside to cool before filling.
Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours before serving. If storing longer than that, cover tart with plastic wrap when set and completely cool.