RECIPE: FRENCH CASSOULET MADE EASY AND FAST

I was home recently, recuperating from Covid and I decided to make a quick version of a French peasant dish called cassoulet. It is something I discovered from my travels in France but this is a much faster, cheaper version and I happened to have all of the ingredients in my pantry or freezer. I learned this from Jacques Pepin; he is a master when it comes to using what you have in your freezer and pantry. Serve it with a slice of warm crusty bread. It is cozy and comforting, just the ticket as the weather turns colder or you have a cold. 🤧

QUICK CASSOULET

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 sausages- I used chicken sausage

1/2 yellow onion, chopped into large pieces

3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 cup chicken broth

1- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 can Cannellini beans, drained

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

And while the carrots are not traditional for this dish, I added them plus 1 cup spinach to add some color and nutritional value.

DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet and add the sausage. Brown well on all sides. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the carrots, chicken broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook until the carrots are fork tender, about 12 minutes.

Add the drained Cannellini beans and 1 cup spinach, if using. Cook another 5 minutes. Check the seasoning; adjust if necessary. Serve with a slice of crusty warm bread.

PS- for those like me who are trying to improve their nutrition, Cannellini beans are a good source of:

Iron: 6.6mg per cup (170g)

Potassium: 1004mg per cup (170g)

Magnesium: 100mg per cup (170g)

Calcium: 161mg per cup (170g)

Folate: 138mcg per cup (170g)

Vitamin B6: 0.6mg per cup (170g)

RECIPE: INA GARTEN'S ICED HERBAL TEA

I MADE INA’S ICED HERBAL TEA AND I LOVE IT!

I recently made the Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten’s Iced Herbal Tea and it is so good. As a southerner with an affinity for iced tea, I do occasionally make iced tea with Earl Grey or Constant Comment, so I thought this was worth a try. It is a perfect summer drink and even a nice “mocktail” option when you need one. I topped it with a bit of club soda to brighten it up. That makes it feel more like a cocktail. Here is Ina’s recipe:

ICED HERBAL TEA

INGREDIENTS

4 Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea bags

4 Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger tea bags

4 cups boiling water

4 cups pure apple juice

DIRECTIONS: Steep the 8 tea bags in 4 cups of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Combine tea with the apple juice and refrigerate until cold. Serve over ice. Top with a splash of club soda, if desired. Garnish with lemon wheel.

RECIPE: SQUASH CROQUETTES

If you have a vegetable garden, chances are you will have a huge crop of yellow squash. Growing up, my mom found creative ways to use it; one of the most popular was squash croquettes. Almost everyone I grew up with remembers ordering squash croquettes at the Pioneer Cafeteria in Roebuck. It was one of the few places we would go out to eat as a family. It was an upscale (meaning there was a waterfall feature in the middle of the room) meat and three steamtable restaurant where you would go down the line with a tray and select a meat and three vegetables. Of course, vegetables could be anything from Jello to mac n cheese… but you could bet that just about every diner would order the squash croquettes if they were available.

Here is the recipe for those famous Pioneer Cafeteria squash croquettes; my mother’s recipe is very similar. I hope you make them, and they become one of your own summer favorites.

PIONEER SQUASH CROQUETTES

NGREDIENTS

2 pounds choice yellow squash (about 6 medium squash)

1 cup yellow onion, minced

1 stick margarine

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

4 eggs, well beaten

2 cups white bread crumbs, plus more for rolling

1 cup cornbread crumbs

1/2 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, optional

1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying

DIRECTIONS:

Cut squash into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Add to a pot of water, making sure to just cover the squash. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and then cook until fork tender. Allow to drain thoroughly for 3 hours in the refrigerator. (Note: If you are in a hurry, you can pile the squash onto a large, clean square of cheesecloth and twist to get rid of the excess water.)

Sauté onions in a saucepan with margarine until brown. Cool.

Place drained squash in a large bowl. Add the cooled onions and all the remaining ingredients except the oil and the reserved breadcrumbs, mixing well. 

Shape croquettes using a #12 ice cream scoop. and roll them in the reserved breadcrumbs.

Fry in oil heated to 350° until golden brown. Drain off excess oil on paper towels.