Salmon with Three-Lemon Creme Fraiche

This recipe takes a lot less time and effort than its fancy name implies. Impress your guests! It comes courtesy of Serious Eats, with the "quick" preserved lemon cheat recipe from Mark Bittman.

Creme fraiche can be easily swapped with Mexican crema or in a pinch with sour cream, although you might want to water down sour cream to loosen it up a bit.

Salmon with Three-Lemon Creme Fraiche
Serves 6

Create preserved lemon in an acid-proof vessel and let rest at least 30 minutes:
1 whole lemon, diced small
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

To create sauce, stir together:
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tbsp. preserved lemon
1/2 cup crème fraîche
salt and pepper to taste

Place on a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil:
1 bunch fresh thyme leaves
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1 whole salmon filet, covered in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper

Roast at 350 until the internal temperature registers 130, about 15-25 minutes.

Shrimp in Green Sauce

Shrimp in Green Sauce
serves 6

Boil in salted water:
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini (e.g. Buitoni)

Meanwhile, combine in the food processor:
1 bunch of green onions, tops only
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, rough chopped
1 bunch cilantro, rough chopped
3 tbsp. garlic olive oil
1/8 c. lemon juice
1/8 c. white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. red chilli flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Add to pan and saute for ~5 minutes, until shrimp are just cooked:
the pureed green sauce
1/4 c. white wine
1 pound of shrimp, peeled

Springerle with Fiori di Sicilia

My husband's family has German roots, and makes traditional Springerle cookies every Christmas. We've collectively worked our way through several variations of the recipe: we started with his grandmother's, moved on to the Joy of Cooking, and then stumbled across this gem from King Arthur Flour.

The King Arthur version steers clear of the traditional anise flavor and instead uses a floral and citrus extract called Fiori di Sicilia. We didn't want to invest in a bottle of fancy extract just for one recipe, so I whipped up a close approximation from extracts we already had on hand. The rose water adds a nice floral note, but is optional.

Springerle with Fiori di Sicilia
makes 2-3 dozen cookies

Combine to create home-made Fiori di Sicilia:
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. orange extract
1/4 tsp. lemon extract
1/8 tsp. rose water

Beat together for 5-6 minutes, until the mixture falls in thick ribbons from the beater:
3 large eggs
3 cups (12 oz.) powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. lemon or orange zest
1/4 tsp. Fiori di Sicilia flavoring

Slowly add in 3 cups (12 oz.) of cake flour to form a stiff dough. (AP flour is an okay substitute, but results in a denser cookie.)

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Flour your rolling surface and Springerle molds. Working with half the dough at a time, roll it out 1/4" thick. Press the mold firmly into the dough, then remove. Cut around the design and transfer the cookies to a greased baking sheet.

Allow the unbaked cookies to dry at room temperature, uncovered, for 24 hours. Turn them over once after 12 hours.

Bake at 250 for 35-40 minutes, until firm but not browned. Transfer them to a cooling rack.

Shopping list
3 large eggs
1 lemon or orange for zest

Check the pantry
3 cups powdered sugar
3 cups cake (or AP) flour
vanilla extract
orange extract
lemon extract
rose water

Southern Green Beans

This is a classic "low and slow" Southern dish. The beans are cooked over a low simmer, not boiled. This recipe is a great to make in advance, since these beans are far better on the second day. This is thanks to the magic of pot liquor (aka pot likker), the broth produced during the stewing process.

DO NOT substitute canned or frozen green beans - they'll just turn to mush.

Southern Green Beans
serves 4-6

Combine in a large stock pot:
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
1/3 pound thick-cut bacon, cut into roughly 2" squares
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 tsp. salt
1.5 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
enough cold water to float the beans

Cover the pot. Bring it to a boil, then immediately reduce to a very low simmer. Simmer covered for 1 hour, then adjust the salt level and simmer for about another 30 minutes.

Partially drain the beans, retaining 1-2 cups of liquid.

Finish with 1 tbsp. of butter (or rendered bacon fat if you have it).

Shopping list:
2 pounds fresh green beans
1/3 pound bacon
1 yellow onion

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon

Adapted from Food & Wine. I tried this out for Thanksgiving this year. I made the olive oil and lemon dressing as instructed, but found it very bitter. I added apple cider vinegar to offset those flavors and was pleased with the result. Rather than using fresh basil so far out of season, I incorporated dried basil in the dressing.

The pine nuts are an expensive ingredient and require the extra step of toasting. While they add a nice texture to the dish, it would be just fine without them.

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon
serves 4-6

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Cut 4 heads of broccoli into florets. In a large bowl, toss florets with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Transfer broccoli to a baking sheet.

Roast the broccoli in the oven at 400° for 20 minutes on a baking sheet, until browned and tender. Toss half way through.

If including pine nuts: Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast 1/4 cup pine nuts over medium heat for 5 minutes, until golden all over.

Whisk together the dressing:
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. garlic-infused olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Scrape the broccoli into a serving bowl. Just before serving, add the dressing and pine nuts. Toss to coat.

Shopping list:
4 heads of broccoli
1-2 lemons (for 2 tbsp. juice)
optional: 1/4 cup pine nuts

Check the pantry:
apple cider vinegar
garlic olive oil
dried basil

Dijon beef stew

Toned down from Smitten Kitchen, which in turn adapted it from the NYT.

This stew takes forever to make, and has lots of hands-on work. You've got to commit to this one. However, the results are hard to argue with. It's so good it will make me eat carrots, and my husband eat mushrooms. I recommend serving it with egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Dijon beef stew
serves 4 to 6

In a Dutch oven or large stock pot, cook on low until rendered:
1/4 lb. bacon, diced

Remove crisp bacon bits. Set aside.

Add and cook on medium-low for 15 minutes:
2 medium yellow onions, finely diced

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked onions to a large bowl.

Chop 2 pounds beef chuck into ~1-inch cubes. Salt and pepper the beef cubes, then coat with flour. Brown the cubes in the Dutch oven, one third at a time to avoid crowding the pan. Add additional butter to the pan between batches as needed. Cook over medium-high heat until the beef cubes are well browned and crusty on all sides, then transfer them to the bowl with the cooked onions. Repeat with the remaining beef.

Add 1/2 cup brandy to the empty pan and scrape to deglaze it.

Add and whisk to blend:
2 cups beef stock
1/2 cup smooth Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon coarse mustard

Return cooked meat and onions to the pan. Cover the pot most of the way and simmer on low until the meat is very tender, about 1 1/4 hours.

Add 4 med. carrots, sliced into even pieces. Continue simmering until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

While they cook, heat 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté 1/2 pound mushrooms (stemmed, cleaned and quartered) until browned.

Stir in:
cooked mushrooms
3 tbsp. coarse mustard
1/4 cup red wine
reserved bacon bits

Simmer 5 minutes, then adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Shopping list:
2 pounds beef chuck (sometimes labeled "stew beef")
2 cups beef stock
2 large onions
4 medium carrots
1/2 pound mushrooms
1/2 cup smooth Dijon mustard
4 tbsp. coarse or whole grain mustard

Check the pantry:
4 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup cooking brandy

Other drinks

Elderflower martini
Invented by my husband when he was looking for an excuse to use our St. Germain.

2 oz Saint Germain elderflower liqueur
1.5 oz gin
1.5 oz lime juice (~2 limes)

Shake with ice and serve neat.