Flavorful Chicken and Potato Salad

Life in France is obviously different from life in the United States.  One of the most frustrating things to adapt to has been store hours.  Everything is closed on holidays, Sunday, and even often at lunch time.  This entails a little more meal planning than I am used to.  Back home, it does not matter if it is Thanksgiving Day and I run out of butter; all I have to do is run to the 24 hour grocery store, no sweat.  But here, things are trickier.  This little difference has caused me to think about my next meal even more than I normally would have, and to come up with recipes and meals that are make-ahead, portable and made with shelf-stable ingredients.  

Maisons Lafitte

A week or two ago I headed ten minutes from my house to Maisons-Lafitte for the day and knew that a pack-able, make-ahead meal would be necessary to take with me for lunch.  The grocery stores were already closed for the night, because they close at 8, and I had to work with what I already had on hand.  Thus, my new favorite potato salad was born.

You can make as much or as little as you like.  Eat it warm or store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  You will notice that none of my measurements are exact because each time I make it to taste.  

Ingredients

-potatoes

-chicken breasts

 -shallots, sliced (or onions)

-garlic, minced
-Dijon/Ancienne mustard

-mayonnaise

-salt

-pepper

-oregano

-paprika

-cumin

1. Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces and boil until cooked through.  Meanwhile, poach the chicken breasts in a pot of water seasoned with bay leaves, spices, salt, lemon etc.

2. Shred cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces and toss it in a bowl with the potatoes.

3. Add remaining ingredients to taste and enjoy!

Chocolate Truffles (Truffes au Chocolat)

Since arriving in France, I have been missing working with chocolate.  Naturally, I enjoy eating the creations of renowned Parisian chocolatiers, but there is something special about eating delicious bonbons made with your own two hands.

Last weekend, with the help of my now photographer boyfriend, I whipped up a batch of simple chocolate truffles.  I made a trip to Déco Relief next to St. Eustache to pick up some Mexican Cacao Barry chocolate and a new spatula.   

These truffles are a great place to start if you are new to the world of chocolate making.  Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Chocolate Truffles
-300g chocolate
-165g heavy cream
-20g honey
-30g salted butter

-tempered chocolate (for dipping)
-cocoa powder (for rolling)

First, you will measure all of your ingredients.

Melt your chocolate very slowly in the microwave or over a pot of simmering water.  Stir often.

Add the warmed cream and honey in 5 or 6 stages.  Stir vigorously.  The ganache will look split at first, but fear not, it will come together.

When all of the liquid is incorporated, add the butter and use an immersion blender to mix.

Leave the ganache in a covered bowl overnight or in the refrigerator for a few hours, until it is firm.

Roll pieces of the set ganache into spheres and temper your chocolate.

Put some cocoa powder in a shallow container.  Dip each piece of ganache in the tempered chocolate and cover it in cocoa powder.  When the chocolate has set, sieve and set aside.

  

Enjoy!

Bonus Outtake:

Déco Relief

Kitchen equipment store specializing in cake and chocolate decorating supplies.

6 Rue Montmartre 75001

Metro: Les Halles/Chatelet

Gâteau aux Pommes (Apple Cake)

Autumn apples are ripe for the picking and ready for eating.  Did you go to the orchard and come home with more than you meant to?  Get creative with your baking this year.  Who said apple pie was all there is?

Last week, I mixed up a simple hazelnut cake batter and arranged some apple slices on top.  I used one of my favorites: Granny Smith.

Happy Fall Y'all!

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

This weekend my family celebrated my Gramps' 87th birthday.  My sister always remembered that Gramps' favorite ice cream flavor was butter pecan.  So, I asked if I could make some for the soiree.  I researched a few recipes and came up blank.  How is it that the internet has no satisfactory butter pecan ice cream recipes?  Come on, internet!  I mean, ice cream should not include sweetened condensed milk or copious amounts of cornstarch.  Real talk.

In my humble opinion, - okay...I'm not being very humble right now...- maple syrup is a great way to intensify pecan flavor, so my recipe includes a splash of Grade B.  And check out my post from last week to see how to make the pecans crunchy and buttery.

Ingredients

-5 eggs yolks
-16 oz heavy cream
-16 oz whole milk
-pinch of salt
-1 vanilla bean
-230 g (~1 c.) light brown sugar
-120 g maple syrup (~1/3 c.)
-desired amount of caramelized pecan pieces

1. Heat the cream, milk, salt and scraped vanilla bean in a medium saucepan to a simmer.

2. In a bowl, whisk together sugar, maple syrup and egg yolks.

3. Pour the hot cream mixture into the bowl over the eggs and sugar, whisking and adding only a little at a time until fully incorporated.  Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

4. Cook mixture, stir constantly with a wooden spoon.  Cook until any bubbles dissipate and the mixture coats the back of the spoon when a finger is dragged across it.

5. Strain and chill the ice cream base until cold.

6. Spin ice cream per the instructions on your ice cream maker.  Fold in pecans and freeze.

Pumpkin Cake Truffles

Chefs tend to be very conscious of food waste.  Of course, nobody likes wasting food, but in an industry where margins are already low, it's extra important to eliminate waste.

The last few years saw the rise of the "cake pop" or "cake ball."  These cute, bite-sized creations are just a baker's way of getting rid of leftover cake and frosting.  There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but you should know that as a home baker you are perfectly able to re-create these often pricey treats at a low cost.

All you've got to do is crumble together leftover cake scraps and frosting, roll it into little spheres and get some chocolate for dipping.  There is no exact ratio, just wing it.

Today, I used leftover pumpkin spice cake and cream cheese frosting.  Use any flavor combinations you like.  If you have these two ingredients left-over after a cake assembly, just freeze them until you're ready to use.

If you know how to temper chocolate: do it.  If not, no sweat, just keep all of your ingredients cool before dipping and store the finished product in the refrigerator or freezer so your chocolate shells don't get too soft.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut

Some days it's just best to keep desserts simple.  Today I'm sharing an easy recipe for cookies with just one extra ingredient.  You don't need any fancy equipment; a bowl and a wooden spoon will get the job done.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut

-1/2 c butter, softened

-1 c brown sugar, packed

-1/2 c granulated sugar

-2 eggs

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-1/2 tsp baking soda

-1 tsp salt

-1 1/4 c flour, spooned and leveled

-1 c oats

-2/3 c coconut flakes, unsweetened

-1 c chocolate chips

1. Mix together the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated and fluffy.

2. Add eggs and vanilla, mix until combined.

3. Mix in dry ingredients until almost incorporated, then add the oats, coconut and chocolate chips and stir until fully mixed.

4. Chill dough until firm.  Scoop onto a cookie sheet and bake in a 350F oven until golden, 10 minutes.

What's your favorite cookie add-in?