Test Kitchen: Easy recipes for this weekend

By / Food / February 4th, 2021 / 22
white and brown textile on black table

Salmon Provençal

Roasting is such an easy way to get dinner on the table without too much fuss. Herbes de Provence is a blend that usually contains savory, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, oregano and sometimes lavender. You can use one or two of those herbs in this dish if you don’t have herbes de Provence. You can also use canned diced tomatoes rather than the cherry tomatoes.

4 salmon fillets

Salt and pepper to taste

1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half

1/2 tsp herbes de Provence

2 large shallots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup white wine

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, quartered

  1. Heat oven to 400˚F.
  2. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange salmon in dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, combine artichoke hearts, tomatoes, olives, herbes de Provence, shallots, garlic, wine and oil. Pour over salmon.
  3. Roast, uncovered, 20 minutes or until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Serve with sliced lemon.
  4. Match: Open a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or a Provence rosé.

Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie is always a welcome dish at the fall table. And although authentic shepherd’s pie is made with lamb, I prefer a mixture of beef and veal. To make mashed potatoes, peel and dice baking potatoes. Cook in boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer to mixing bowl. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper. Using hand mixer, mash until smooth. Or, in a pinch, make instant mashed potatoes.

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

3/4 lb lean ground beef

1/4 lb ground veal

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 cup mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped

2 tbsp flour

1 cup beef stock

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 cups hot mashed potatoes

Paprika, for garnish

  1. Heat oven to 375˚F.
  2. In a large skillet, cook onion over medium heat until translucent. Add beef and veal. Season with thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally. When meat is no longer pink, add carrot and mushrooms.
  3. Cover and cook about 7 minutes or until carrot is tender. Stir in flour. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring, then add stock, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened.
  4. Spoon meat mixture into a 9×13 pan. Gently spread mashed potatoes over meat mixture. Bake in oven 25 minutes or until bubbly.
  5. Match: Good with an ale or Zinfandel.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Quench Food Editor, Nancy Johnson, minced, sliced, chopped, sautéed and sipped her way through George Brown College’s culinary program with a focus on food writing and wine. Nancy cooks by the code her Italian grandmother taught her: For the best results, always use the freshest, best ingredients. She writes for Ohio-based Wine Buzz Magazine and recently published a short story in Woman’s World Magazine. She is always on a diet.

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