I realized after watching  Julie Julia,  I didn’t have Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. How could I call myself a cook and not have this very important book.

I ordered it online and started reading it as soon as I received it. I came across the coq au vin in the book and wanted to replicate it immediately.

The only problem was that it was quite complicated and time consuming. It took me a while but I managed to shorten and simplify the recipe.

The result was delicious and best of all, my daughter loved it- especially because she loves mushrooms and chicken. Best of all I served the chicken on top toasted sliced baguettes rubbed with fresh garlic.

Try my version of coq au vin- you will love it…

• 2-3 pound whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces and skin removed
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/3 cup bacon, cut into a small dice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 (10 oz) packs of cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¼ cup cognac
• 2 cups red wine (pinot noir, zinfandel- any light red wine)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat a large Dutch oven with one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Add the bacon bits and sauté on medium heat till the bits are golden brown. Take the bacon out and keep aside. Add the chicken pieces in two batches and brown on both side, sprinkling salt and pepper. Take the chicken pieces out and keep aside.
Reheat the pan and add one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté on high heat till they are golden brown- about 7 to 8 minutes. Take the mushrooms out and keep aside. Add the onions and garlic. Saute on medium high heat till the onions are soft and translucent- about 3-4 minutes. Add the fresh thyme and tomato paste. Saute for a minute and add the cognac. Scrape all the bits off the bottom and mix for 30 seconds and add the red wine and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil on high heat and add the chicken pieces. Bring back to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cover with lid. Take out the two breast pieces after about 20 minutes and keep aside. Continue to cook the rest for another 30 minutes. Take out the chicken pieces with the breast pieces. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce to about 2½ cups. In the meantime add the flour and oil to a small bowl. Mix well and add to the simmering sauce, whisking it in to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil. Taste for seasonings and add salt if needed. Add the mushrooms and chicken pieces. Top with the bacon bits and chopped parsley.
Serve on top of toasted baguette slices rubbed with fresh garlic. Serve with the same red wine you used for the sauce.

The stew took no time to put together. It cooked on the stove for a good half an hour, forty minutes. You can cook it even longer, depending on the meat.

Everyone loved it- the only problem was that it finished in one sitting. Everyone wanted it the next day.

• 1 to 1½ pounds 1-inch beef pieces (appropriate for stews)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Add the flour, salt and pepper to a platter, mix well and dredge the beef pieces in the seasoned flour and keep aside.

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Heat a large Dutch oven with the oil. Brown the seasoned beef pieces on high heat in two to three batches and keep aside.

• 3 cups sliced Cremini mushrooms
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice and zest of one navel orange
• 1 cup red wine (pinot noir)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Salt
• Pepper

Reheat the pan and add the mushrooms. Saute for 5 to 6 minutes on high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the orange juice, red wine, chicken broth and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and simmer with lid on for 30 to 40 minutes or till the beef pieces are tender. Take the lid off and turn the heat up to evaporate any excess moisture. Taste for seasonings and serve with the leftover wine and crusty bread.

I wanted to do a simple fish stew that is a bit French and Italian at the same time.  I sauteed the fish lightly and added the onions and garlic. For extra flavor, I used parsley and my favorite herb that goes so well with fish- dill. Tomato paste makes this fast stew taste like it has been on the stove for hours.

The most important ingredient in this dish (besides the fish) is the fish stock. I was able to find it at Whole Foods and I believe it is available in most grocery store. If you can’t find it, don’t worry- use chicken stock instead but I have to say, the fish stock provides a great flavor to this simple dish. I added potatoes to make this stew a bit more substantial. I was initially thinking of serving a salad with the dish but then decided to come up with a zucchini pesto and served it on top of some toasted bread- that is the Italian part of the meal.

My daughter loved the stew including the zucchini pesto bruschetta. My husband and I opened a Pinto Noir and enjoyed a lovely dinner.

Try this quick, delicious fish stew for dinner next time you feel like eating fish…

• 1 pound cod, cut into 3 to 4 inches pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil on high heat. Add the fish pieces in two or three batches. Cook the fish about a minute or two on each side and sprinkle salt. Take out and keep aside.

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup dill, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¾ cup dry, crisp white wine
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 cups fish stock
• 4-5 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and cut in half
• Salt

Reheat the same pan and add one tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the parsley and dill. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute. Add the white wine and scrape all the stuck on brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the tomato sauce and fish stock. Add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and lower the heat while the broth still simmers. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes till the broth consistency is between a stew and a soup and potatoes are tender. Add the fish pieces right before serving. Cook for 5 minutes or till the pieces are fully cooked. Taste for seasonings and add salt if necessary.
Serve with toasted baguette slices topped with zucchini pesto.

So, since the dish didn’t have any vegetables, I was planning on serving a salad. I had baby arugula in the fridge and decided to make it simple and add some lemon juice and salt. It suddenly occurred to me maybe I should serve the seasoned arugula on top of the dish! What a brilliant idea- actually it’s not mine- I have seen it many times on food television- they usually add seasoned greens on pizza, pasta, etc. Well it is a great idea- it tasted fantastic!  The lemony arugula was perfect with the creamy chicken and the sweet couscous. It really was a brilliant dish and I think great for company. We drank a Riesling with the chicken- the same one I used to make the sauce. It stood up to the strong flavors of the chicken dish but was light at the same time. It was a very enjoyable meal indeed- nothing better in life than to enjoy great food and wine with the people you love most! 

• 8 chicken thighs, skinless with bone (about 2 pounds)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• Salt
• Pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup pancetta, chopped
• 1 head of garlic, skins off and smashed
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme plus more for garnish
• ½ cup white wine
• 1½ cups chicken broth

Mix the flour with some salt and pepper in a wide platter. Sprinkle salt and pepper generously on the chicken pieces and dredge in the seasoned flour. Keep aside.
In the meantime, in a wide and heavy pan, heat the olive oil. Add the pancetta and sauté till golden brown, about 30 seconds. In batches, sauté the chicken in the fat until nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side. When the batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to sauté all the chicken pieces. Lower the heat once the chicken is done, and add all the garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the wine, return to a boil and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the thyme and chicken and the chicken broth. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is done. Take the cover off and bring to a boil to thicken the sauce for a good 7-8 minutes or till it reaches the desired consistency. Check for seasoning and garnish with fresh thyme.

Couscous with Pine Nuts and Currants

• 1 cup whole wheat couscous
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ¼ cup currants
• Salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium pan. Add the pine nuts and sauté for a minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the couscous and salt and cover the pan and turn the heat off. Let it cook for 5-10 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and add the currants and check for seasonings.

Serve with Arugula on top

• 3 cups baby arugula
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Salt

Mix the arugula with the lemon juice and salt. Serve on top of the chicken and couscous.

Sauce

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• 3-4 garlic cloves, not peeled
• 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to sprinkle

Preheat the oven on 400 degrees.
On a cookie sheet spread the tomatoes and garlic and top them with the oil and the salt and pepper. Roast them for about 30 minutes or till the tomatoes are soft and almost bursting. Squeeze the garlic out of the husks. Add the tomatoes and garlic into a blender and liquefy the mixture till smooth. Adjust seasonings. You will need about half of the sauce for the pizza.

Toppings

• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil- divided
• 10 ounces cremini mushroom, sliced
• Salt to taste

In a medium frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add the sliced onion. Cook about 20 minutes on medium low heat until the onions are soft and golden brown. Keep aside. In the same pan, heat the remaining olive oil and add the sliced mushrooms. Cook on medium high heat for about 15 minutes, until all the moisture is evaporated and the mushrooms are golden brown. Sprinkle salt to taste. Keep aside.

Pizza

• 1 large French Baguette
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 7-8 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
• Salt if needed

Preheat oven on 350 degrees.
Cut the baguette in half, lengthwise. Drizzle the olive oil and spread on both sides. Spread the roasted tomato and garlic sauce. Next, add the shredded cheese followed by the mushrooms and onions. Sprinkle salt to taste. Bake for about 10 minutes and serve!