WHAT HAPPENED

In Week Twenty-Eight I decided to stop caring about whether or not what I was cooking was appropriate for the time of day or if it went together in a well-constructed menu. I just cooked. On Sunday night I served scallops, beets, oatmeal, biscuits, an omelette, french toast, and fruit salad. It was hilarious, and odd, but memorable.

WHAT I COOKED

Roasted Asparagus and Prosciutto, Foolproof
Easy Hollandaise Sauce, Foolproof
Roasted Chicken with Bread and Arugula Salad, Make It Ahead
Parmesan Roasted Zucchini, Cooking for Jeffery
Herbed New Potatoes, Barefoot In Paris
Stewed Berries & Ice Cream, Family Style

Bagels with Smoked Salmon & Whitefish Salad, Back to Basics
Sauteed Carrots, Family Style
Brisket with Carrots and Onions, Parties!
Chopped Liver, Parties!
Rendered Chicken Fat, Parties!
Noodle Kugel, Parties!

Seared Scallops & Potato Celery Root Purée, Foolproof
Beets with Orange Vinaigrette, Barefoot Contessa
Sunday Morning Oatmeal, At Home
French Toast Bread Pudding, How Easy Is That?
Country French Omelet, Back to Basics
Fruit Salad with Lemoncello, Back to Basics
Chive Biscuits, Family Style

WHAT I LEARNED

ROAST CHICKEN WITH BREAD AND ARUGULA SALAD.
Top ten alert. Roasting chicken on top of slices of bread is something you have to try. The resulting chicken bread (as I call it) is burnt on one side, soft on the other, and bathed in all those delicious chicken juices. The chopped up chicken bread becomes croutons for the salad, which includes fresh arugula, the chunks of roasted chicken, chopped green onions, currants, and a zingy dressing. I would make this a staple at HH if I could. We even nibbled on the leftovers the next day, which held up surprisingly well given that the greens were already dressed.

PARMESAN ROASTED ZUCCHINI.
This recipe is a great way to use zucchini if you’re looking for something new. It’s easy. It’s fast. It’s crunchy. It looks interesting on the plate. The flavor is well-rounded and satisfying without being odd or weird.

STEWED BERRIES WITH ICE CREAM.
I love having a fast dessert recipe in my repertoire, and this one could not be faster. Berries are cooked on the stove for a bit, with sugar and a hit of framboise (raspberry liqueur), until they are broken down a bit. Then, you scoop them into a bowl and top with your favorite vanilla ice cream. I really thought this was going to be boring, but it was truly delightful. Surprising, even. I served it in individual shallow gratin dishes. So cute.

SUNDAY MORNING OATMEAL.
This is a great example of how to take a simple ingredient (quick-cooking oats) and turn it into something special. Cooking oatmeal in part water and part dairy yields a luxurious consistency that feels elevated. I also liked the step of steeping the banana and dried fruit in the oatmeal for a few minutes before serving. The flavors infused the oatmeal, and the heat softened the fruit. I added a touch of maple syrup for sweetness.

COUNTRY FRENCH OMELETTE.
For such a straight-forward omelette recipe, this has crazy-good flavor. It is more like a frittata than an omelette, which makes this simpler to prepare in my opinion. There is no cheese, and I didn’t even miss it. I served this to my family of six by cutting it into small wedges. Excellent breakfast for dinner!

FRUIT SALAD WITH LIMONCELLO.
This is going to sound crazy, because, hello, we are talking about fruit salad which doesn’t normally require a recipe, but I could not get enough of this. The limoncello wakes up the flavor of the fruit, yet you cannot taste the liqueur. It reminds me of the same effect the framboise had on the stewed berries (see above). It adds another dimension of flavor that is impossible to achieve without the addition of the alcohol. The lemon curd yogurt topping is so fast, and seriously takes this whole dish over the top. This would make a perfect brunch or shower menu offering.