2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
½ pound ground beef
4 large tomatoes
¼ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan
Optional: 1 minced red or yellow pepper, 2 teaspoons dried parsley and/or oregano, salt, pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the onion and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, quickly add the ground beef (to “seize” the meat), stir vigorously for 1 minute, and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer the meat until thoroughly cooked, about 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes: slice off the tops and set them aside, then hollow out the insides of the tomatoes with a small spoon, removing the flesh and pulp to a bowl. (The result will look like little bowls.) Turn the tomatoes upside down on a plate to allow the juices to drain. Chop the tomato insides and add them to the simmering beef mixture. (Optional: add diced red or yellow pepper along with the tomatoes.)
4. Combine the bread crumbs, herbs, and spices in a mixing bowl. (I use a little parsley and oregano, salt and pepper, but my sister-in-law uses paprika. Get creative!)
5. Add the bread-crumb mixture to the meat in the skillet and stir thoroughly. Spoon the resulting mixture (the “farce”) into the tomato “bowls.” Sprinkle with Parmesan. Put the tops back on the tomatoes like little “hats.”
6. Place the tomatoes in a baking dish, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are deliciously melt-in-your-month (fondant). Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Tip: This dish can easily be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to bake. If you put the tomatoes straight into the oven from the fridge, you’ll need to increase the baking time to 25 or 30 minutes.
Gratin de chou-fleur
(Cauliflower Casserole)
Preparation: 10 minutes
Baking: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 adult servings
This dish is tastier than it sounds, I promise!
I have to admit that cauliflower is not one of my favorite vegetables, but I love this dish, in which cauliflower is baked in a classic French béchamel (white) sauce. The classic French gratin is usually made with potatoes (and called gratin dauphinois), but you can make a gratin with almost any vegetable.
1 cauliflower, chopped in bite-size pieces
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
½ cup bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan
Optional: salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon
1. Put a pot of water to boil on the stove, preheat your oven to 350°F, and butter a medium casserole dish.
2. Meanwhile, chop the cauliflower into bite-size pieces. Add it to pot when water is at a rolling boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook for 5 minutes while making the white sauce.
3. To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour, stir well (until the flour is absorbed), raise the heat to high, and stir for 30 seconds. Add the milk and stir constantly until the mixture has thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, and nutmeg or cinnamon (if desired). Set aside.
4. To make the topping, mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan in a small bowl.
5. To make the gratin, drain the cauliflower (which will be soft but not floppy) and place it in the dish. Pour the white sauce on top, sprinkle with bread-crumb mixture, and bake for 10 minutes, or until the top is golden-brown and crunchy.
Five-Minute Fish
en Papillote
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Servings: 1 adult, 2 children, or 4 toddlers per fillet
Many of the families we got to know in France had two working parents. So I was always amazed when we got dinner invitations and saw what these busy couples (okay, usually the mom) had managed to whip together. Part of the secret is that they had figured out how to streamline their cooking. This fish dish is an excellent example of how a tasty and elegant dish can be prepared quickly.
Cooking en papillote means tightly wrapping something (usually fish) in parchment paper and baking it in the oven. The dish steams in its own juices, and the flavors are wonderfully concentrated.
This dish is also fun to serve. Papillon is the French word for butterfly, which is a lovely metaphor for the visual effect of this dish. Bring the baking dish to the table, and watch everyone’s faces as you unfold the wrapping to release the savory steam.
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 fillet of fish per person: (salmon, sole, and halibut are our favorites)
1 medium zucchini (for every 2 fillets), sliced thin (but not peeled)
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup plain yogurt (or mayonnaise or crème fraîche, if you have it)
½ cup fresh minced chives
Optional: salt and pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Choose a baking dish that’s just big enough to hold the fish in a single layer. On a work surface, spread out a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil that’s twice as big as the dish. Spread the oil over half of the sheet and lay the fish on the oil (skin-side down, if appropriate).
3. Layer the zucchini slices on top of the fish.
4. Mix the lemon juice, yogurt (or crème fraîche), chives (and salt and pepper, if desired), and pour the mixture on top of the fish.
5. Fold and close the paper tightly so that no steam can escape (I usually make two or three folds with the two edges, then tuck the ends under). Bake for 10 minutes per inch measured at the thickest part of the fish (no peeking!). You’ll know it’s done when it flakes easily when a fork is inserted gently.
Tip: Kids love helping to prepare this meal: wrapping the fish in its “cocoon” before it heads into the oven feels festive, like preparing a lovely present.
Bouillabaisse
for Babies
(Soupe de poisson de Madame Georges)
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 20 to 30 minutes
Servings: 4–6
