La Poubelle days and Chicken Crepes....

One of the greatest Christmas gifts I ever received was from my brother-in-law Josh, about five years ago he gave me this Williams Sonoma box filled with a steel crepe pan, a crepe cookbook and crepe mix. I have been making crepes ever since. They are so simple to make the batter consists of flour, egg and water. You can use any skillet but I recommend investing in a crepe pan.

In my twenties I lived in Hollywood by Beachwood Canyon and spent all of my nights at La Poubelle, a french restaurant on Franklin (on the famous Franklin block where you can find, Birds, The Bourgeois Pig & Mayfair Market) yes, right across the street from the Scientology Celebrity Center.

La Poubelle was nightly hang out for all of us actors and artists who lived in the neighborhood, this is when you could smoke in bars. We would drink wine, and eat their famous chicken crepes until the wee hours of the morning while listening to Frank Sinatra and of course Jackie and Francois.....

Here is my favorite recipe for Chicken, Mushroom & Spinach Crepes with a Sherry Cream Sauce...

basic crepe recipe

1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour

a pinch of salt

1 egg lightly beaten

1 1/4 cups of milk

olive oil or butter for greasing pan

Put flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the egg and some of the milk into the well. Whisk gradually to make a smooth paste, slowly whisk in the rest of the milk. Pour batter into a measuring cup. Heat pan over medium heat and add a little bit of butter or oil, pour a thin layer of batter into the pan tilting until the bottom is covered. Cook 1-2 minutes until golden. Flip crepe and cook other side for about 40 seconds. Crepes should be very thin and golden on both sides. Set crepes aside.

Chicken, Spinach & Mushrooms Crepes with a Sherry Cream Sauce

8 oz white button mushrooms or mixed wild mushrooms if you prefer

2 tlb of butter

1 onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 bunch of spinach, washed and dried

2 chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces

2 tlb of chopped thyme

1/3 cup of chopped parsley

1/3 cup of sherry wine

2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400

Season chicken with salt and pepper add olive oil to a hot pan and cook chicken, set aside. Add butter to the pan and saute onions until soft, then add garlic cook for a few minutes and add the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are soft. Add the thyme, parsley, sherry, cream, salt & pepper. Cook for about two minutes and then add the spinach. Cook until wilted and stir in the chicken.

Lightly grease a shallow baking dish. Take the mixture and fill each crepe and fold up on both sides. Place each one in the pan side by side.

Bake for 15 minutes....

Enjoy....

Jamielyn xoxo

Bouillabaisse...sounds fancy but easy to do

One of my favorite kitchen tools is my Le Creuset Dutch Oven....

If you don't have one you should really make the investment. Pieces like this will last you a lifetime and are perfect for making soups and stews. What better way to make dinner then throw everything in one pot; it saves you so much time and there is very little to clean up!

I went to the best nutritionist years ago named Hermien Lee who taught me that the best way to stay healthy is to balance your protein and carbs. Never eat one without the other or you will still be hungry and they counter act each other. The problem is that most people eat more carbs then the proteins and vegetables and it should be the opposite.

One of my favorite dishes is Bouillabaisse, now I know this sounds complicated but it is very simple and anyone can make it. The perfect thing about this dish is that you get all of your proteins, vegetables and carbs. Not to mention that it is so flavorful and delicious. Here is a very simple recipe. I always add carrots to mine.

CHICKEN BOUILLABAISSE

recipe by Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

• 1 (4 to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• Good olive oil
• 1 large head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree
• 1 1/2 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons Pernod
• 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved
• carrots sliced (or any vegetables that you see fit)
• Crusty French bread, for serving

Directions

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it generously with salt, pepper, and the rosemary. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven and brown the chicken pieces in batches until nicely browned all over, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, saffron, fennel seeds, tomato puree, chicken stock, white wine, Pernod, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper to the pot. Stir and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the garlic is very tender, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Carefully pour the sauce into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree until smooth. Return the sauce to the Dutch oven and add the sliced potatoes, carrots and browned chicken pieces with their juices. Stir carefully.

Cover the pot and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is done. Check the seasonings and serve hot in shallow bowls with crusty bread.

Enjoy,

Jamielyn xoxo

Fruits and Vegetables......

I love all types of fruit and vegetables, one of the things I crave the most during this pregnancy is Juice! Almost any combination, you really can't go wrong and this is the perfect way to clean out your refrigerator of those left over carrots and apples.

The best $100 you will ever spend on a kitchen appliance is the Breville Compact Juice Extractor (no need to get the fancier more expensive one) I promise, it is easy to use, easy to clean and makes healthy, delicious juice!!!

Here is a recipe for my favorite juice......

APPLE, KALE & LIME JUICE

1 bunch of kale (curly or flat)

1 lime

2 green apples

1 orange

Remove the rind from the orange and lime, wash the kale and cut the apples in quarters. Turn on the machine and drop everything in. Within seconds the juicer will extract all of the juice. Stir and drink.

Enjoy.......

Jamielyn xoxo

Soft Shell Crab for one......

I love every type of crab, King, Peektoe, Snow, Stone and one of my favorites Soft Shell Crab which is a Blue Crab. You might have had Soft Shell Crab rolls at a sushi restaurant. I love it so much and am always thinking of new ways to use it so the other day I was craving a salad and came up with this.....It is really simple to make and not to mention healthy!!!

• 2 soft shell crabs*
• baby arugula
• 1/4 can of lentils (rinsed and drained)
• cherry tomatoes
• pine nuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 tsp of old bay seasoning
• 2 tsp of japanese yuzu vinegar* or ponzu sauce
• 4 tlbs of olive oil
• juice of one 1/2 lime
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• a pinch grey or kosher salt & pepper

*soft shell crabs can be a little harder to find, you can look in your freezer section or seafood dept. I buy a big box of them at Los Angeles Fish Company downtown, Los Angeles. Look at September's blog "Everything Sushi" for location

*yuzu is an asian citrus fruit that is very tart and has overtones of mandarin orange

*you can buy yuzu vinegar at a asian market. Look at September's blog "Everything Sushi" you can find a location. If not substitute ponzu sauce which is much easier to find.

First you need to clean the soft shell crabs by removing what is called the apron which is the flap covering the backside, use your fingers to remove the gills and they are usually an orangish color and very slimy. (this only take a few seconds) then rinse under cool water and pat dry. (If you are buying live crabs you will also need to cut of the eyes and the mouth)

Heat 2 tlbs of olive oil in a pan until very hot, in the meantime mix the flour and old bay seasoning together. Dredge soft shells crabs in flour mixture covering both sides. Turn heat down low/med and add crabs to pans. Saute until brown on both sides.

Whisk together yuzu, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper and 2 tlbs of olive oil. I do this to taste. I tend to like things more on the tart side but if you like it a little sweeter you can add more sugar or 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar.

Toss baby arugula, tomatoes, pine nuts, lentils in dressing and add soft shell crabs......

Enjoy,

Jamielyn xoxo

Happy New Year!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas....ours was fantastic!!! Lots of family, food and laughs. We also felt our daughter kick several times during dinner which was very exciting and the first time my husband has felt her.

We have been so busy getting our house in order for the new year....we have made progress on the nursery....we bought all of our furniture and have been spending several hours at the Pacific Design Center looking at wallpaper... I finally found the perfect one online by a European company called Arthouse.....

Most of you have made your reservations or are doing last minute preparations for your New Years Eve parties tomorrow night. We are going to take it easy and spend it with a few couple friends of ours, go for a nice dinner and play board games. If you are entertaining at home here are a few tips.

• Keep it simple
• Stick to no more then three appetizers
• Buy Prosecco instead of Champagne (Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine, it is lighter and less expensive)
• Fondue is always festive and fun
• Make sure to drink a glass of water after each cocktail
• Don't drink and Drive

A cheese plate is always a great idea for a party. Here is the one I did for Christmas

The Perfect Cheese Plate:

This plate consists of a Triple Cream Brie, Herbed Goat Cheese with basil, parsley & rosemary, St. Andre, Hirtenkase (a German cheese) & Gorgonzola (an Italian blue cheese) Sourdough Baguette, Parmesan Crisps & La Panzella Crackers, Rosemary Cashews & Fig Preserves.

• You want to have a minimum of five cheeses (a goat, brie, blue and at least one hard cheese)
• Shop at a specialty cheese store or somewhere that has a wide variety like Whole Foods (they will let you try them)
• Step outside of the box. Try things you have never heard of before (this year instead of Mahon or Manchego which are great hard cheeses I added Hirtenkase which was delicious)
• Fig preserves or Mango Chutney goes great with cheese. All you need is one or the other (fig works nicely with any Blue where mango chutney goes with Mahon or Manchego)
• Nuts are also great with cheese (Cashews, Roasted Almonds or Marcona Almonds which are from Spain)
• Add your own herbs to your goat cheese (buy a plain log of goat cheese, finely chop any herbs you want and roll the cheese in them to cover completely)

I love La Panzenella crackers, they come in a variety of flavors and work well with any cheese

La Brea bakery makes fantastic bread!!! A Sourdough Baguette and Parmesan Crisps......they sell them in many grocery stores and if you live in Los Angeles you can go to their store....

624 S. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-939-6813

I have received emails from a few of you asking me to write on a more regular basis so I promise I am going to do so.......

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe New Year!

Enjoy,

Jamielyn xoxo

Happy Holidays.........

Dear family and friends..... another month flew by. I am now 24 weeks pregnant and feeling really good. I finally have tons of energy and am back to doing yoga daily.

My husband and I have been very busy with the holidays...we put our tree up right after Thanksgiving and have all of our shopping done. We also celebrate Hanukkah so we went up north to celebrate with his family. We went to a really fun party where we ate tons of latkes...they were good but not nearly the same as my mother in laws.......We have also been busy cleaning out my office to turn it into a nursery. I will post photos in the upcoming months.

For Christmas we go to Orange County and celebrate with my family. My sister Kristin is a excellent cook and usually makes a prime rib with horseradish cream.....

Some of you my be looking for some last minute gift ideas so here are a few....my next blog feature will be the best of 2009 but here are some really good cookbooks that you can pick up

"How to Roast a Lamb" by Michael Psilakis

I just got this book, it is a beautiful book filled with some many wonderful recipes.

"Baked" by Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito

I have baked my way through this book and everything is so delicious!

Another great gift idea is to give a cooking magazine subscription. You would be surprised by how many of your friends who love to cook don't subscribe to magazines. Here is a couple I would recommend.

"Bon Appetit"

"Martha Stewart Living"

As far as your Christmas dinner I would suggest the following menu......

Starters -

Rosemary Cashews

Crudite with Green Goddess Dressing

Main Course -

Prime Rib w/Madeira & Horseradish Cream

Salad (something light; Arugula w/shaved parmesan & a lemon vinaigrette)

Any potato of your choice (how about latkes?)

Dessert -

Chocolate Souffle

Rosemary Cashews

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds cashew nuts
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the nuts on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until they are warmed through. Meanwhile, combine the rosemary, pepper, sugar, salt and butter in a large bowl. Toss the warm nuts with the rosemary mixture until the nuts are completely coated. Serve warm.

Crudites with Green Goddess Dressing

Use any combination of vegetables that you like. I would recommend, carrots, celery, red & yellow pepper, asparagus, zuchinni, cucumber & radishes. Slice all vegetables into strips and arrange neatly on a platter. Accompany with the following dressing

Green Goddess Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 cup good mayonnaise
• 1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (6 to 7 scallions)
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup sour cream
• 
  
• Directions
• Place the mayonnaise, scallions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the sour cream and process just until blended
• 
  
• Prime Rib with Madeira Wine & Horseradish Cream
• 
  
• 1 9- to 9 1/2-pound prime rib beef roast, excess fat trimmed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 medium onions, peeled, quartered
• 2 1/2 cups canned beef broth
• 1 3/4 cups Madeira
• 1 1/4 cups dry red wine
• 4 large fresh thyme sprigs
• 4 large fresh parsley sprigs
• 3 large fresh rosemary sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 450°F. Place beef, fat side up, on heavy large rimmed baking sheet. Rub with oil; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast beef 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Place onions around beef. Continue to roast until thermometer inserted into center of beef registers 125°F for medium-rare, stirring onions occasionally, about 2 hours 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine broth, Madeira, wine, thyme, parsley, rosemary, and bay leaf in medium saucepan. Boil until mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Discard herbs.

Transfer beef to platter. Using slotted spoon, transfer onions to same platter; tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes.

Scrape juices and browned bits from baking sheet into sauce; bring to boil. Mix butter and flour in small bowl to blend. Whisk into sauce; simmer until smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve beef with sauces.

Horseradish Cream

1 1/2 cups crème fraîche or sour cream

1/2 cup prepared white horseradish

6 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Whisk all ingredients to blend in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.)

Chocolate Souffle

Ingredients

• 
  
• 7 ounces finely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus for preparing the molds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 8 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Confectioners' sugar for garnish

Directions

Brush 6 (6-ounce) ramekins with soft butter, then coat with sugar. Put the prepared ramekins in the freezer. (This can be done a day ahead.)

Set an oven rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Put the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside.

Combine the egg yolks and warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer or large bowl and beat until frothy. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar, and continue beating until ribbons form, about 5 minutes. Very lightly fold the yolks into the chocolate mixture. (Rinse the bowl well, if using for beating the egg whites.)

Remove prepared ramekins from freezer. Put the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer, or large non-reactive bowl, add the lemon juice. Beat on medium until frothy; then gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and increase speed to high. Beat until the whites hold a stiff but not dry peak.

Working quickly, fold about a third of the egg whites into the chocolate to lighten; then fold in remaining whites until blended. Gently ladle or spoon the souffle mixture into the ramekins, and place on a baking sheet. (Level off the surface with a straight edge, scraping any excess mixture back into the bowl.)

Immediately bake until the souffle rises about 1 1/2 inches from the ramekins, and the tops are touched with brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, dust with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.

Happy holidays & enjoy......

Jamielyn xoxo