It’s Suppertime!
Simply Suppers by Jennifer Chandler
Jennifer Chandler, a Memphis-based food writer, blogger, food stylist, and mother of two, follows up her Simply Salads cookbook with a heartwarming, family-friendly collection of recipes devoted solely to suppertime. Simply Suppers: Comfort Food You Can Get on the Table in No Time Flat (Thomas Nelson) is organized by courses, from soup all the way to dessert, and refreshingly features enticing recipes you will actually try. Jennifer, a trained culinary professional, provides an addendum to each recipe: a “Cooking Tip,” notes for “Do Ahead” or substitutions in “Back-to-the-Basics.” So what’s for supper? Delta Magazine compiled a hearty fall/winter menu from Simply Suppers that will surely answer that question.
Hearty Fall Menu:
French Onion Soup
Peppered Filets with a Grainy Mustard Cream Sauce
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Cheddar-Pecan Green Bean Casserole
Rustic Apple Tart
French Onion Soup
Despite its fancy presentation, French onion soup is surprisingly easy to make. Caramelizing the onions and topping the soup with a delicious, nutty cheese is the secret to this classic French bistro soup.
1/2 cup unsalted butter
6 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (about 4 large onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons cognac
1 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 cups beef stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 baguette, thinly sliced into at least 8 rounds
1 1/2 cups grated Gruyére cheese
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme, and cook, stirring often, until soft and caramel colored, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Add the cognac and cook until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and simmer uncovered until the wine has almost evaporated, about 8 minutes. Dust the onion mixture with the flour and stir to coat. Cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.
Pour in the beef stock and, over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the temperature to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors have melded, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
Preheat the broiler. Toast the bread lightly. Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls. Top each bowl with 2 slices of the toasted bread and 1 /4 cup of cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 6.
Cooking Tip: If you do not have ovenproof bowls, no worries. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer, sprinkle the slices with the cheese, and broil until bubbly and golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Top the soup with the cheesy baguette slices.
Freezes Well: French onion soup freezes well without the cheesy toast topping. When ready to eat, top the thawed and reheated soup with the baguette slices and cheese.
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Peppered Filets with a Grainy Mustard Cream Sauce
I think the best way to prepare a filet is with a cast-iron skillet and an oven. First I sear the meat on the stovetop to give it a nice crust, and then I finish the steak in the oven. The results are a more tender and juicy steak than any I have had off of a grill.
4 filet mignons, cut 1 1/4-inches
thick each
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and finely minced
1/4 cup brandy
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1/2 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 395 degrees.
Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Generously season the beef with salt. Evenly press the coarse pepper on both flat sides of the filets. In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil until a few droplets of water sizzle when carefully sprinkled in the skillet. Sear the steaks until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. (For medium, cook the steak an additional 2 to 3 minutes.) Transfer the steaks to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Pour all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet. Add the shallots and sauté over medium heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the brandy and simmer, uncovered until the liquor has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the mustard and heavy cream. Bring the sauce to a simmer and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the steaks hot with the sauce. Serves 4.
Cooking Tip: For a milder sauce, you can substitute traditional Dijon mustard for the whole-grain variety.
Back-to-the-Basics: I like the flavor that the brandy imparts to this sauce. You can substitute bourbon or cognac if you prefer. Or just omit the alcohol completely.
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Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are always a favorite, and roasted garlic makes them sublime.
For the Roasted Garlic:
1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Mashed Potatoes:
3 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cubed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
To roast the garlic: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Trim about 1 /2-inch off the top of the head of garlic, leaving the head intact. Place the garlic in a small baking dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the cut top of the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the garlic is soft, about 1 hour. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Squeeze the base of the garlic to pop the cloves from the skin.
To make the mashed potatoes: In a large stockpot place the potatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt, and enough cold water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes. While the potatoes are still hot, mash the potatoes through a potato ricer. Place the mashed potatoes back into the cooking pot.
Puree the roasted garlic with the heavy cream in a food processor. Add the garlic puree, butter, and olive oil to the mashed potatoes and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.
Cooking Tip: Using a potato ricer makes for smoother mashed potatoes. For a slightly lumpier mixture, use a potato masher instead. Never used a food processor, because it makes potatoes gluey.
Time-Saving Tip: Want the garlic flavor but don’t have the time for roasting? Substitute roasted garlic olive oil for the plain olive oil.
Back-to-the-Basics: Not a garlic fan? Just omit the garlic.
Cheddar-Pecan Green Bean Casserole
This homemade version of the classic canned-soup green bean dish is sure to be a favorite at your house. The haricots verts, pecans, and the touch of sharp cheddar in the sauce elevate this dish to new heights.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus extra to grease the baking dish
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen haricots verts, trimmed
8 ounces button mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup French-fried onions
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Preheat the oven to 395 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with butter and set aside.
Fill a large pot with water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Over high heat, bring the salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again and set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir to combine. Slowly stir in the stock and heavy cream. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the green beans and stir until well coated. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.
In a medium mixing bowl toss together the French-fried onions, bread crumbs, and pecans. In a small saucepan, melt t he remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir the melted butter into the onion mixture. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the green beans. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden and bubbly, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serves 6.
Cooking tip: What are haricots verts? Quite simply, they are very small and slender French green beans. (Haricots verts is French for green beans.) They tend to be more slender and flavorful that the thicker, American green beans. Most markets now carry them both fresh and frozen. American beans, fresh or frozen, are an acceptable substitute.
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Rustic Apple Tart
Nothing conjures up Americana more than a slice of apple pie. Don’t fuss over having the perfect crust. Instead whip up a rustic version that is meant to look a little rough around the edges. This free-form tart dishes up the sweet apple pie flavor we have all grown to love.
1 unbaked pie crust (9-inch), homemade or store-bought
4 Granny Smith apples (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into thin slices, about 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Preheat the over to 375 degrees.
Roll the dough into a 10-inch round, about 1/2-inch thick. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine the apples, 1/2 cup of the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt, and toss to coat. Fill the center of the pie crust with the apple mixture in an even layer, leaving about 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border up and over the apples, overlapping every 2 to 3 inches, to make a rim. Brush the rim with the egg wash, and evenly sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the rim.
Bake until the crust is nicely browned and the apples are bubble, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on rack for 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm. Serves 8.
Variation: This tart would also be delicious when made with pears.
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