fettuccine w/ prosciutto & orange

Sounds odd, right? Prosciutto and orange do not seem like they're two things that should really go together. Cheese and orange doesn't sound quite right either. Well strangely, they're all lovely. Whodathunk? Go easy on the cheese though. It may seem ridiculous to say that, but trust me: lesson learned. Here's what you'll need:

• 12 ounces fettuccine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 lb. sliced prosciutto, chopped
• 1 orange, zested (is that a word?) and juiced
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• Black pepper

salmon w/ hoisin, orange and bok choy

I don't know what to call this. It seems like a pseudo-salad, but that's just because it's over a leafy green (one making it's debut on Bon Chap). Whatever it is, it was pretty damn good. I'm chalking this one up to the hoison-orange super team in the dish. I don't know why they go together, but they really do - deliciously so. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 head of bok choy, chopped
• 1 salmon fillet
• 1 orange
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon hoison sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger (or just use the powder stuff like I did)
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

southwestern chicken casserole

While most people aren't so thrilled with the end of Summer, I really don't mind it. I love the chilly weather, the layers and the coats, the return of hot coffee, and the change in seasonal cuisine. I've said it before and I'll say it again - casseroles are one of my all-time favorites. You really can't screw them up, and they're almost always delicious. I tend to make the same ones over and over (ahem, tuna noodle), but I do like to brand out. For my first new casserole of the season, I made a Southwestern version. Is there anything Southwestern about it? I have no idea. Readers from New Mexico - feel free to weigh in! It has salsa, and I think to those of us out on the East coast, anything with salsa in it is "Southwestern." Whatever. It's good, try it out. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 servings rice, cooked
• 1 large chicken breast
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Dash of black pepper and salt
• 1 package cheddar/monterey jack shredded cheese
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or chicken, your choice)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 jar medium, chunky salsa

caprese pizza

When you're working crazy hours and have absolutely no time, sometimes there's nothing better than a 5 minute pizza. This caprese is beyond easy, yet quite tasty. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 small can of tomato sauce
• 1 large tomato
• 1 ball bufala mozzarella
• A few basil leaves
• 10" whole wheat flatbreads (these came in packs of 5 for $2 at my market) or ready-made pizza crusts

sautéed chicken & radishes w/ mustard & tarragon

Longest post title yet? Possibly. Best new meal in a month or two? Definitely! Last night was a happy blend of known deliciousness (as evidenced by my oft-referenced dijon salmon w/ tarragon recipe) and new surprises. With the exception of a random salad here and there, I don't think I've really ever had a radish before tonight. I also don't think I've ever had sautéed spinach. Both are going to be new staples, along with the delicious chicken I had for the main course. Here's what you'll need:

• Skinless, boneless chicken breast
• Black pepper
• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons shallot, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/2 dozen radishes, halved lengthwise
• 1 bunch fresh spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

tilapia piccata w/ snap peas

It's been awhile since I've made a good, new fish recipe. Everytime I'm hungry for some tasty fish, I resort back to the dijon mustard salmon recipe from awhile back. It's delicious, but every now and then you need to try something new. Tonight I tried a new tilapia recipe, it was very subtle, but the snap peas really made it light and fresh. And it took all of 25 minutes, start to finish. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 tilapia fillet
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon capers
• 6 ounces snap peas
• 1 red potato, cubed pieces
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons white wine

spaghetti alla carbonara

I seem to be on a pasta kick lately. Maybe the late summer heat has me craving carbs? Maybe I'm just tired of making salads and pizzas? Whatever the case, I've been revisiting old favorites and trying out new ones. Carbonara is a dish that was big in Rome when I studied there, but I haven't attempted to make myself until now. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound pancetta, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste

szechwan shrimp stir-fry

It's been awhile since I'd made a stir-fry (see here and here), but they're so delicious and almost impossible to screw up, I figured why not try another? It's all in the sauce. You'll have to trust me on this one. The ingredients sound a little gross together, and they don't even smell that great when you mix them (I'm really selling this one, huh?), but something happens when you put it all together and it comes out great. You can throw in whatever vegetables you want. I had red and white onions, broccoli and mushrooms laying around. Snow peas and baby corn or carrots would work great as well. Here's what you'll need:

• 8 tablespoons water
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup sliced onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
• 1/2 cup mushrooms
• 12 ounces cooked shrimp, tails removed

pizza w/ prosciutto, pears & feta

The weather has been so ridunkulous lately that it's been pretty much unbearable to spend any amount of my windowless, a/c-less kitchen. That's why I've either been eating out, getting take out, or making things that take less than 5 minutes to make. This one isn't much of a recipe, but if you're in a situation like mine, you'll appreciate the idea.

I love a good, easy, personal-sized pizza (as you'll see here, and here, and more to come soon). Here's what you'll need for this masterpiece:

• 2 multigrain flatbread
• 6 slices of provolone cheese
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/4 lb. of prosciutto 
• 1/2 cup arugula
• 1 pear, sliced

limehouse chicken

You seriously can't go wrong with some well-made chicken. It's not the craziest dish in the world, but done right, it can be incredibly tasty. I tried a new one a few nights ago with ingredients I'd never used with chicken - mint, lime, brown sugar. It turned out great, a definite addition to my permanent rotation. Here's what you'll need:

• Chicken breast
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• A few shakes of red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 sprig fresh mint, chopped

leftover omelets

To some of you, the idea post may seem beyond obvious. I'm not a huge breakfast person. Usually I grab something simple - a croissant and coffee, a bowl of cereal, etc. However, I've been making a conscious effort to use leftover ingredients in the same week in order to stop letting things go to waste. Most often, the things I have laying around are herbs (basil, arugula), cheese and vegetables (onions, tomatoes, etc). Finally, the idea occurred to me to try tossing some of these ingredients into omelets.

Now, I also have to admit that up until a few weeks ago, I'd never made an omelet before. Ever. Turns out, they're super easy (I figured as much) and you seriously can't go wrong. I've been tossing in whatever I have laying around and it turns out amazing every time. Most recently, I took the leftover bacon, onion and green pepper from the traditional meatloaf recipe and tossed them with some cheddar (pictured) - amazing! The week before that, I used the basil and fontina from the chicken w/ fontina & proscuitto recipe and threw in some arugula for good measure - even more amazing! So for those of you out there who, like myself not too long ago, haven't tried your hand at the wonderful world of omelets, here's the basics:

• 2 eggs
• Pinch of salt

traditional meatloaf

Bon Chappétit actually started out as a recipe bank of sorts. It was a way for me to begin documenting and storing recipes that either my mother had passed down to me, or new ones that I'd tried and wanted to tell her about. It was a much more organized method than the random emails and newspaper clippings, Word documents (she gave me a Word doc recipe book when I'd gone to college) and the other various means we've used over the years.

That's really at the core of what this is all about - sharing recipes with those you love. Whether it be your parents, grandparents, friends back home (some of who may have blogs of their own), friends from wherever you may be now, or perfect strangers. Sometimes even more so than photographs, a meal can evoke all kinds of memories and emotions.

You may be wondering what this all has to do with meatloaf? Well, meatloaf has always been one of my favorites. I've always loved my mom's - even if it was one of the simpler dishes she made. It was hers, and it always reminded me of home no matter where I had it. Recently, I found my great grandmother's recipe buried in an email from my great aunt. I decided to give it a whirl, and even though I never had the pleasure of having the meal directly with my great grandmother, I still had nostalgic feelings while preparing and enjoying the meal. It was a true pleasure to make, and I got several meals out of it (including a breakfast, which I'll post soon). So without any additional rambling, here's what you'll need:

For the loaf:

• 2 lbs. of meat (I used 1 lb. of ground beef, and an additional lb. of beef/pork/veal combo)
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 onion, grated
• 1/4 finely chopped green pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cracker crumbs (I crumbled up Ritz)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 slices bacon

roasted pears w/ raspberries, blackberries & ricotta

Today we have the rarest of all types of posts here on BonChap - dessert! I'm not a huge dessert person in general, usually I'll just have a yogurt or piece of fruit. Which, now that I've typed that, I see that this recipe is just a baby step away from that. Still - baby steps! It's a great dish that actually fills you up. Best of a night when you've had an early dinner and need something to hold you over 'til bedtime. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 unpeeled pears (I used half Bosc and half Bartlett), quartered, cored
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 12-ounce package frozen blackberries and raspberries (or really any frozen berry combo)
• 1 cup fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese (it'd be perfectly tasty with vanilla ice cream as well)

bucatini all'amatriciana

There's seriously nothing better than a spicy pasta in my book. If you follow the blog, you've seen it pop up pretty often. No one does spicy pasta better than the Romans, and last night I tried an easy recipe for one of the quintessential roman sauce - amatriciana. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces thinly sliced guanciale (or pancetta ... or prosciutto ... or just bacon if you can't find any of those)
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 28 ounce can peeled tomatoes
• 12 ounces dried bucatini (spaghetti will totally work as well)
• 1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino

pot roast / leftover sandwiches

Sometimes the best meals in life are the simplest. Pot roast is definitely one of the dishes that proves this true to me. It can sound intimidating, as you can certainly get your Julia Child on with a pot roast. Or, you can put in minimal effort for maximum culinary pleasure. Here's my in-sane-ly simple pot roast recipe:

• 1 giant pot roast
• 1 onion
• 1 bag of baby carrots
• 4 potatoes, sliced
• Deli rolls
• Provolone

steak picadillo soft tacos

Confession: I love tacos. I make the chicken tacos featured on the blog awhile back all the time. I'm obsessed. I was craving them again tonight, but I came across a different taco recipe, and decided to give it a whir. Shocker: it was awesome! Here's what you'll need:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 12-ounce strip of skirt steak
• 3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes with jalapenos
• 1/3 cup halved drained pimiento-stuffed green olives
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 8 corn tortillas

chicken w/ fontina & prosciutto

I love a good stuffed chicken. I tried a new one last night with fontina and prosciutto, and I mean, with those ingredients, how could it not turn out to be a simply delicious dish? Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 cup coarsely grated Fontina cheese
• 1/3 cup (packed) soft garlic-herb cheese (such as Boursin)
• 1/3 cup chopped prosciutto
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• Chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry Marsala

jamaican jerk salmon w/ mango pineapple salsa

Salmon has been a pretty consistent staple on the blog, usually incorporating dijon mustard for some odd reason (not really that odd, I just like it). However, on occasion I like to branch out, try something new. I felt comfortable with this, as even though I've never cooked with a jerk rub (ha!) before, I have served my salmon with a variation of the mango salsa, so it wasn't THAT much of a stretch. Still, it turned out to be really great, especially with the weather (occasionally) turning warmer - the bit of kick and the citrus flavors felt like a giant step into Spring. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1/4 pineapple, cored and diced
• 1/2 cup rinsed and drained canned black beans
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• Salmon fillets (5 ounces each), skin on
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

pork loin w/ tarragon cream

Now that I have over 100 recipes (!!!) and counting on the blog, I find myself longing for some past recipes, and totally forgetting about others. One of those I've been thinking about for awhile actually the very first recipe posted - the pork loin Dan and I made about a year ago. That's right: April will be the one year anniversary for Bon Chappétit! Anyways, that pork loin was effing delicious, so I decided recently to go back and try another one, and had another great success. These things are so ridiculously easy it's not even funny. Here's what you'll need:

• 2-3 lb pork loin
• 3 large cloves garlic, slivered
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• Olive oil

eggplant parmesan

Who doesn't love eggplant parm? I mean, seriously. It may be laborious to make, but it's pretty foolproof, and totally delicious. I took advantage of a rainy day recently to make it for the first time in a year or so. Here's how it goes:

• 2  medium Italian eggplants, cut crosswise into 1/4" thick slices
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups olive oil
• 10-20 fresh basil leaves, torn in half
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 3 1/2 cups breadcrumbs (I had smaller amounts of Italian style and panko, so I just mixed them)
• 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
• 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I KNOW! I'm lazy...)

Go ahead and preheat your oven to 375°F.

Stir together flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow bowl, then stir together breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a third shallow bowl.

Heat up the olive oil in a large, deep, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Allow the oil to heat up while you prepare the eggplant.

Working with 1 slice at a time, dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip off, and dredge in the breadcrumbs, pressing until evenly coated.

Fry eggplant slices a few at a time (fill the skillet, but they shouldn't overlap or anything), turning over once or twice, until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.

While that's going, heat up your sauce (I actually combined 1/2 jar tomato basil with 1/2 roasted garlic, as that's what I had in the fridge already - turned out well). Coarsely chop the basil leaves and add them to the sauce to simmer while you finish frying the eggplant.

Take a baking dish (I only used a 9x9, as I cook in a toaster over, but you could use a full size one should you have the appliances to accommodate it). Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange about one third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover the eggplant with about one third of remaining sauce (about 1 cup) and one third of mozzarella slices. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle top with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano.

I baked covered for about 20 minutes, then uncovered until the cheese is melted and golden and sauce is bubbling, about another 20 minutes.

I like to serve mine over a bowl of pasta, but you could totally eat it as-is. This would easily feed a family of 4, or make some amazing lunches for the following days.

Bon chappétit!

filet mignon w/ pepper cream sauce

When I studied in Rome in college, I indulged in amazing Italian food morning, noon and night. However, every once in awhile I'd get a craving for a really awesome steak. There was a small place in Trastevere that served an amazing filet with this creamy peppercorn sauce. I've tried a bunch of recipes that sounded the same, but nothing's been quite as good - until now! This was super easy to do. Here's what you'll need:

• Coarsely crushed black peppercorns
• 2 (6 ounce) beef tenderloin filets, 1 1/2 inches thick
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Place the peppercorns into a shallow bowl. Sprinkle the beef tenderloin filets with salt on both sides, and coat both sides with crushed peppercorns.

Melt the butter with the olive oil over high heat in a non-stick skillet until the foam disappears from the butter. Gently place the steaks in the pan, and cook until they start to become firm and are reddish-pink and juicy in the center, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to platter, and cover tightly with foil.

Pour the beef broth into the skillet, and use a whisk to stir the broth and scrape up any dissolved brown flavor bits from the skillet. Whisk in the cream, and simmer the sauce until it's reduced and thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Place the steaks back in the skillet, turn to coat with sauce, and serve with the remaining sauce.

I made these with roasted red potatoes, and the extra sauce was even amazing on those.

Bon chappétit!

california chicken panini

Like many people, I tend to be a creature of habit. My habit as of late has been being entirely too busy to cook elaborate dinners (not that they're ever really elaborate, but roll with it) and constantly going to the local market for sandwiches for dinner. Granted, they make amazing sandwiches. However, it's recently gotten to the point that they actually know my order when I walk up to the counter. Not good.

What does one do in this situation? You'd think I'd realize how lame I've been and get back to cooking. Not quite. I avoid the sandwich counter out of shame, but I still crave the sandwiches! Here's my attempt to recreate my favorite sandwich of late - the california chicken panini (panini = sandwich. Look it up). Here's what you'll need:

• 1 chicken breast
• 2 whole wheat pita
• 1 tomato
• 1 avocado
• 1 cup grated swiss cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of salt, sugar and pepper

Begin by heating the 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat in a non-stick skillet. Add the garlic and simmer until it begin to brown. Add your chicken and lightly salt/pepper. Cook chicken until juices run clear, flipping only once or twice - about 5-6 minutes per side. Slice into 1/2" strips.

Lay out your pita, and cover 1/2 with chicken slices. Top each with 1/2 cup of the swiss and heat under a broiler in the oven for just a few minutes to melt the cheese.

While that goes, mix the remaining 1/4 cup of oil, 1/8 cup of balsamic, salt, sugar and pepper to make a nice little balsamic vinaigrette. (Why isn't that spelled "vinegarette?" English...)

Now you're ready to build the sandwich/panini. Layer tomato and avocado on top of the chicken and drizzle a little vinaigrette over top. Cut the pita in half, and place the empty half on top to finish your sandwich/panini.

Of course if you have a panini press, I'm sure you could use that. I've no experience with those, so I can' say for sure, though I'd think it would work by virtue of the name alone. If you try it out with one and have suggestions, feel free to leave it in the comments.

Bon chappétit!

baked farfalle w/ mushrooms, prosciutto & peas

As I've said many times, one of my favorite things about cold weather I enjoy most is a good casserole. They're hot, easy and delicious. Even though my favorite is the classic tuna noodle, I do like to branch out on occasion and try something different. This week I pick up a recipe for a new one with prosciutto. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/4 lb. prosciutto, thinly sliced then coarsely chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 lb. farfalle pasta
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• Salt and pepper 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and oil or butter a square baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the farfalle per the box directions.

Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, warm 1 tablespoon of oil. Then add the shallots and sauté for a couple minutes. Stir in the prosciutto and cook for just a minute or so, then remove the prosciutto and shallots and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the same skillet over medium heat and sauté the mushrooms until they start to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Return the prosciutto and shallots to the pan, and add in the pas. All them to cook for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to brown. Gradually add the milk while stirring, then cook over medium heat until the sauce begins to boil and thicken. Stir in a dash of salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and add in the other ingredients (mushroom mixture), the pasta and 3/4 cup of cheese.

Spoon the mixture into the baking dish and top for the remaining cheese and butter. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and just barely begins to brown.

Bon chappétit!

tuna melts

I love tuna melts. My sister and I got addicted to them many summers ago. We'd eat them practically everyday for lunch. There's a fun story behind our tuna melting adventures actually, but I won't embarrass her by recounting that one again here (...you can email me if you want to know!) I got the craving again the other night, so I whipped up a few. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 can tuna
• 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
• 2 tomato slices
• 4 slices thick cut Italian bread (or any bread of your choice)
• 2 slices American cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• Dash of garlic salt

Begin by mixing the tuna, mayonnaise and garlic salt in a bowl together. Next, melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet. Lightly brown each side of each slice of bread (just a minute or so per side), then build out two sandwiches (bread-tuna-tomato-cheese-bread). Heat on the skillet until the cheese (not the meat!) begins to melt. Serve immediately.

Is this a ground-breaking recipe? No. But sometimes we all need to be reminded of the simple joys in life. I suppose this is my reminder that tuna melts are delicious.

Bon chappétit!

veal scallops w/ prosciutto & sage

I'll start by saying that I'm well aware that today's dish might be controversial to some. I know many are ethically opposed to things like veal. Sometimes I am; last night I was not. I've never actually cooked with it before, and I was curious to see how it would go. Now that I'm typing this up, I realize that I actually made almost the identical recipe back in October with tilapia. So if you think this sounds good, but can't bring yourself to use veal, try that one! But if you're willing to forge ahead, here's what you'll need:

• 6 veal scallops (about 1/2 lb.)
• 6 slices of prosciutto
• 6 sage leaves
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• Pepper

Begin by taking each veal scallop and topping with a slice of prosciutto and a sage leaf. Secure the three together with a toothpick. Dust each scallop lightly with flour, shaking off any excess.

Melt the butter in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place the veal scallops prosciutto-side down for about 1 minute (or until it begins to turn golden brown). Flip and cook for about another minute, lightly dusting them with pepper. Then reduce the heat and cook for another few minutes (4-5, depending on their thickness) until the veal is cooked through.

Remove from heat and set aside. Add the wine to the pan to deglaze. Let boil for a few minutes until most of it has cooked off, then serve over the scallops as a sauce (this probably serves two easily). I thought the flavors were really lovely together.

Bon chappétit!

salmon w/ brown sugar glaze

If you follow the blog regularly, you may have noticed some patterns developing. One of which is my growing obsession with dishes that combine salmon and dijon mustard (you can see past recipes here and here). I recently tried another one that was even more simple than most recipes on the site (which is really saying something) and quite delicious. Here's what you'll need:

• Salmon filets
• 2 parts brown sugar
• 1 part dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Next prep the glaze by mixing the brown sugar and mustard in a bowl. For one salmon filet, I did 2 teaspoons sugar and 1 teaspoon mustard. Mash it all together and let it sit for 2 minutes (it'll become nice and glaze-like while it hangs out over there).

Lightly salt and pepper your salmon and place it on a piece of tinfoil. Spread the glaze generously over top, then loosely tent the foil over the salmon. Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes covered, and another 3 or so uncovered (or until salmon flakes easily with a fork).

Presto, dunzo, you're ready to eat.

Bon chappétit!

tuna noodle casserole, part deux

As many of you know, I'm a huge fan of casserole season. Now that the weather is friggid out, I've been revisiting some favorites. Tonight, I was in the mood for a tuna noodle casserole. I've made one once before that I've posted on the blog. However, the last time I had this, I felt it was a little...underwhelming. I found a recipe for homemade - yet still simple - tuna casserole. I added my own touch to it and gave it a whirl. It turned out fantastic. If you love the dish in general, you'll definitely love how this one turns out. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 1/2 package uncooked medium egg noodles
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 oz button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/8 cup flour
• 1.5 cups milk
• 2 cans tuna, drained and flaked
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 small can French's fried onions
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

So, this is going to sound like a lot of time and energy to put into a simple dish. However, you can do all three of the following paragraphs simultaneously and it will only take about 10 minutes to prep. It's not as bad as it sounds - promise.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Butter a medium baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles, cook per the package directions and drain.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the chopped onion and garlic, and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Increase the heat to medium-high, and mix in the mushrooms. Continue to cook and stir 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms soften.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk, and continue cooking 5 minutes, or until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tuna, peas, mushroom mixture, and cooked noodles.

Transfer everything to the baking dish. Spread the cheddar cheese in a layer across the top, and finish everything off with the French's onions.

Bake for 20 minutes covered, and then uncover for 2-5 minutes, or until the onions on top begin to brown just a bit.

It's probably due to the insane amount of butter, but this dish was incredible! So much flavor, and such a huge improvement over the last tuna casserole recipe. And to boot, I got a huge dinner and two generous lunches out of it - all for under $20. Can't beat that.

Bon chappétit!

Been awhile...

So many of you out there probably think I just got completely tired of keeping up with the blog and dropped all activities related to it. Much to the contrary, I've been in overdrive the past 6 weeks or so. Problem is, it was all for a secret, so I wasn't able to post. And do to all this, among other things, I was too busy to try many new recipes out.

However, the cat's now out of the bag and I can finally fill you all in. I've actually been turning my favorite meals from 2010 into the first edition of the Bon Chappetit cookbook! I made a fancier version for the family for Christmas, however I tried to make it a little more affordable for the masses, should any of you want to take this little gem home for yourselves. You can check out a preview below.

I would like to thank everyone who's been following the blog through the past year. It's been an incredibly enriching experience, and I look forward to continued posting in 2011. Happy New Year everyone!

Bon Chappetit by Christopher Chappel | Make Your Own Book