FFwD - 'Chickened' Out on Cod and Spinach Roulades, Pun Intended

I need to state up front that I am a food coward.  I often have someone else taste a new food and tell me if its good.  If they approve I might nibble the edge.  I hesitate to taste new food or anything I'm not familiar with.  So when the recipe starts with put the fish in the food processor with egg whites and cream you can understand my squeamishness!  So to be fair to the recipe I asked Gary what he thought about it.  I'll just say he wasn't enthusiastic and leave it at that.

'Chickened Out' Roulades

But I wanted to play.  So I decided to try boneless chicken thighs.  I made the filling as directed in the recipe, onions, garlic and baby spinach.  It made a delicious filling or just a nice way to prepare spinach.  I did not puree the chicken but rolled up the thighs around the filling and pan fried them.  It turned out delicious but I should have made the sauce.  For some reason the sauce didn't appeal to me and the rolls seemed a bit undressed with no sauce.  I served them on a bed of roasted sweet potatoes, though, and with several glasses of chardonnay they tasted wonderful!

It was good and we enjoyed them as did our friends.  I have mixed feelings about my departure because the point of this project is to try new things and learn new skills.  On the other hand this is not the sort of dish we would enjoy.  I DO feel that my participation in the group is what gave me the courage to try something on my own.

I hope everyone had a good week.  So much tragedy in the U.S. this week.  I wish peace for everyone everywhere.

This is a French Friday with Dorie post.

FFwD - Financiers

Delicious Financiers!

Yummy.  Delicious.  Perfect little spring time treat.  Financiers are very easy to make with just melted butter, sugar, flour, egg whites and almond flour.  I used my mini processor to make almond flour and it really didn't grind it as fine as I would like.  Still it made excellent cakes but next time I will either use the big processor or buy almond flour.  This weekend I plan to make the chocolate ones!

This might seem like an odd combo of topics in a single post but after watching two PBS shows about Michael Mosley's search for better heath and longevity I'm committed to following his Fast Diet for 6 months.  I have a doctor's appointment Tuesday so I'll have my blood checked and then I will have it checked again in six months so I will know if this way of eating is benefiting my chemistry.  Yesterday was my first fast and it wasn't as difficult as I expected.  I broke my fast with financiers!  This plan calls for two days a week of calorie restriction, around 500 calories!

I love spring!  Tuesday in OKC was in the high 70s and Wednesday we had an ice storm.  My neighbors have draped their flowers and shrubs with sheets trying to save flowers and new growth.  That's spring for you!  New beginnings my friends!

This is a French Fridays with Dorie post.

FFwD - Pierre Hermé's Olive Sablés

Olive Sables

I was happy with this one.  I didn't have any trouble finding potato starch.  My dough came together quickly and easily and after chilling it was easy to slice.  It produced a tender and flavorful cookie.  I used oil cured olives and they have the perfect degree of saltiness to balance the sweetness of the cookie.  My husband and guests loved them!  I made the whole recipe, cooked one roll and have the other two sliced and frozen, ready to bake at a moments notice.  Cocktail party in an instant!  They were delicious with brie!

Ispahan Loaf Cake Sort Of

Since my epic fail with the ispahan loaf cake I've been having recurring nightmares of being a failed baker.  One day while wasting time surfing the internet I found a super simple cake recipe.  Who doesn't want a super simple cake recipe?  So I decided to try it subbing the rose flavoring for the vanilla.  This yogurt cake from The Cooking Frog is as easy and good as she says it is!  That said, I'm throwing out my rose extract.  We don't like it.  The cake is good though and its my new 'go to' easy and quick dessert!

Open Faced Bacon Tomato Mozzarella Sandwich
What's not to love?

One more quick thing then I'll let you go.  This project we are working on together is making me a better cook.  That hit home for me when I was going through leftovers from Easter Brunch.  I had tomatoes, mozzarella, and bacon and a few slices of bread.  I asked myself how to best use them.  "Damned if I know, Kimosabe.  All I know is when you're making those kind of calls, you're up in the high country."  Joe vs. The Volcano.  As we were happily munching away on our open faced oven broiled bacon sandwiches I realized how Dorie has made me a more confident and creative cook.  Thank you Dorie Greenspan, fellow French Friday cooks, and the originators and administrators of French Fridays with Dorie.

Don't forget to check out everyone's adventures at French Fridays with Dorie.