Savoury French Toast

1/4 cup milk

2 thick slices day-old baguette

1 egg

1 pinch salt and pepper

1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, generous

2 teaspoons butter

Soak the bread in the milk on both sides to soften, about 5 minutes per side, depending on how hard the bread is. (If it is softer, it may need less time.) Beat the egg with salt, pepper and herbes de Provence in a flat dish. Gently melt the butter in a frying pan until foaming, but not coloured. Pull the bread from the milk and turn it around in the egg mixture to coat. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Eat with a spoonful of tomato jam, or, if you’re desperate, ketchup.

Laura Calder, www.foodnetwork.ca

 

Provencal New Potatoes Recipe 

2 pounds small new potatoes, the smallest you can find, no bigger than 1 1/2 inches, if bigger, cut them into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces

1 medium onion, sliced in the direction of root to top

6 cloves of garlic, crushed with peel on, do not remove peel

2-3 small to medium vine-ripened tomatoes, or plum tomatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

10 pitted olives, green and black, Kalamata and Nicoise

1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon herbes de Provence

1/2 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss ingredients together. Put all ingredients, except chives, into a large roasting pan, toss with your (clean) hands to coat completely with oil and seasonings. Spread everything out evenly. Put the potatoes in the oven, cook for 15 minutes at 400 degrees then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and cook for 30 to 40 minutes more, until the onions and tomatoes are somewhat caramelized and the potatoes are cooked through.

Halfway through cooking, stir the potatoes so that they remain well coated with oil and do not get dried out, and the bottom of the pan stays coated with oil. Let cool to room temp, sprinkle with chives: Remove from oven and let sit until cooled to room temperature. Sprinkle with freshly chopped chives to serve. 

Excellent served with steak and a side of greens. Toss fresh spinach or chard with the oil remaining in the potato roasting pan and put back into the oven for just a few minutes until just wilted.

www.simplyrecipes.com

 

Lemon and Lavender Broiled Trout

3 rainbow trout filets

1 meyer lemon, sliced thin

1tsp herbs de provence salt

pepper, to taste

On a baking sheet, lay down a piece of foil. Place trout on top of foil. Generously add pepper. Sprinkle herbs de provence salt over filets. Layer trout with lemon slices. Broil 4 to 5 inches away from burner on high for 10 minutes, or until fish is opaque and flaky.

SweetCsDesigns.com

 

Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs with Potatoes

Vinaigrette

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, less or more depending on how much you like mustard

1 teaspoon dried herbes de provence, can sub Italian seasoning or dry thyme or 1 Tablespoon of fresh chopped herbs such as thyme or tarragon)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Chicken

2 pounds chicken thighs, bone in, skin-on, trimmed of excess fat

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 large Yukon gold potatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled and thinly sliced, 1/8-inch thick or less

1 cup sliced, peeled shallots, can substitute thinly sliced onion that have soaked in water 10 min

3 to 4 whole garlic cloves, crushed and peeled

Several whole sprigs of fresh tarragon or thyme, optional

More salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle all sides of chicken thighs with kosher salt and set aside. In a small bowl whisk together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, herbes de provence, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Spread a teaspoon of olive oil over the bottom of  a large (9×13-inch) casserole dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with the thinly sliced potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Distribute the sliced shallots over the potatoes and sprinkle again with a little salt and pepper. Place the chicken thighs, skin-side up on top of the shallots. Wedge the garlic cloves between pieces of chicken. Wedge fresh herbs such as tarragon or thyme along the border, between the chicken pieces and the dish. Whisk the vinaigrette again and pour it over the chicken spreading it with your fingers to make sure the chicken is well coated.

 Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 50 minutes, or until the thighs are well browned and cooked through. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: If you find the potatoes still need a bit more time, just remove the thighs to a plate to rest and cook the potatoes an extra 10 minutes or so.

 Elise Bauer,www.simplyrecipes.com