I love Fridays. This past one headed into a much needed long weekend, Thanksgiving. Three days off with no real plans. We celebrated the holiday last weekend ahead of time for the new "Celebrations" page here in blog land so I didn't have elaborate cooking plans. Fridays are short work days for me....done at 1pm....luxury! It's like a long weekend, every weekend. I love Fridays!
And this one came with a surprise...
And this one came with a surprise...
My son had sent me flowers! Just because...The card simply read "Happy Friday!" They made my day and put a spring in my step! He is a lovely boy with a generous spirit. He spoils me. I know, I know...I'm biased. But I don't care.
So that was the start of this wonderful weekend for me. Since then, I have drank coffee, read magazines, surfed the net, blogged, and yes, cooked. I stumbled across a scalloped potato recipe while surfing epicurious.com. that looked promising, a green bean recipe from the Barefoot Contessa and that lead to Thanksgiving dinner number two. So, with the ipod a little too loud, singing along (a little too loud from what I hear) I decided you needed to know about these discoveries Dear Reader.
This isn't your usual comfort food casserole of scalloped potatoes. Yes, you bake it in a casserole but that is where the similarity ends, my friend. This dish has style, sophistication and dare I say it? Pizazz! A grown up taste from the herbs de provence and goat cheese. I hear you saying ewwww. Stop it. If you like sour cream, you will like goat cheese. Goat cheese has a nice tang to it, the same way sour cream does. Its creamy deliciousness in a cheesy log form. Trust me. Have I ever lead you astray?
Now about the green beans. Not just boring old steamed beans. Nope. These green beans sing. Imagine opera. Notes of citrus, garlic and parmesan cheese will serenade you. So fresh, so tasty. I paired these with a nice spiral honey ham and the sweet and sour mustard sauce recipe I shared with you before. A nice alternative to the usual turkey and also perfect for Sunday dinner.
Scalloped Potatoes with Goat Cheese & Herbes De Provence
Adapted from epicurious.com
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup shallots, minced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
4 tsp herbes de Provence*
3/4 tsp salt
1 10oz log fresh goat cheese, crumbled
4 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
So that was the start of this wonderful weekend for me. Since then, I have drank coffee, read magazines, surfed the net, blogged, and yes, cooked. I stumbled across a scalloped potato recipe while surfing epicurious.com. that looked promising, a green bean recipe from the Barefoot Contessa and that lead to Thanksgiving dinner number two. So, with the ipod a little too loud, singing along (a little too loud from what I hear) I decided you needed to know about these discoveries Dear Reader.
This isn't your usual comfort food casserole of scalloped potatoes. Yes, you bake it in a casserole but that is where the similarity ends, my friend. This dish has style, sophistication and dare I say it? Pizazz! A grown up taste from the herbs de provence and goat cheese. I hear you saying ewwww. Stop it. If you like sour cream, you will like goat cheese. Goat cheese has a nice tang to it, the same way sour cream does. Its creamy deliciousness in a cheesy log form. Trust me. Have I ever lead you astray?
Now about the green beans. Not just boring old steamed beans. Nope. These green beans sing. Imagine opera. Notes of citrus, garlic and parmesan cheese will serenade you. So fresh, so tasty. I paired these with a nice spiral honey ham and the sweet and sour mustard sauce recipe I shared with you before. A nice alternative to the usual turkey and also perfect for Sunday dinner.
Scalloped Potatoes with Goat Cheese & Herbes De Provence
Adapted from epicurious.com
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup shallots, minced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
4 tsp herbes de Provence*
3/4 tsp salt
1 10oz log fresh goat cheese, crumbled
4 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
*Herbes de Provence is a blend of basil, lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, and savory.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13" x 9" casserole. Combine the whipping cream, chicken broth, white wine, shallots, garlic, herbes de provence and salt in large pot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Crumble half of the goat cheese into pot and whisk until combined and smooth. Add prepared potatoes, bring pot to simmer again and continue cooking for 10 minutes.
Gently pour the potato mixture into prepared dish, spreading them outevenly. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for about 50 minutes. The potatoes should be tender and the liquid thickened and bubbling. Crumble remaining goat cheese over the top and return to oven until cheese has softened, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest 15 minutes before serving. Serves 8.
Green Bean Gremolata
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof
1 lb green beans, trimmed
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon zest
3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
3 tbsp parmesan, grated
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Bring large pot of water to boil over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and blanch for 3 minutes. You want them still a bit crisp. Drain the beans and put into bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process and retain bright colour.
In a small bowl, mix the garlic, lemon zest, parsley, and parmesan and set aside.
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof
1 lb green beans, trimmed
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon zest
3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
3 tbsp parmesan, grated
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Bring large pot of water to boil over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and blanch for 3 minutes. You want them still a bit crisp. Drain the beans and put into bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process and retain bright colour.
In a small bowl, mix the garlic, lemon zest, parsley, and parmesan and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in large pan over medium-high heat. Drain the beans and pat dry with paper towel. Add beans to pan and turn to coat well. Sauté for 2 minutes and warmed through. Remove from heat. Add the gremolata mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4 to 6.
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