Review of last recipe - (Easy Homemade) Strawberry Ice Cream (photo of blueberry ice cream) - There were three variations, so I made the blueberry one, thinking it would be different.  It is easy, but the sweetened condensed milk is too cloying, and adds a strange taste to the ice cream.

TODAY'S RECIPE - NECTARINE POULET SAUTE
This recipe was photocopied from the newspaper, and is in narrative form. It may be difficult to find nectarines, so I may have to get frozen ones ... or substitute peaches.

Serves 5 (isn't that an odd number?)

French cuisine offers a simple chicken in cream sauce, turned into a dazzling main dish when combined with colorful, tart-sweet nectarines.

Combine 1 tsp garlic salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1 1/2 tsp paprika, 2 tbsp cornstarch in a bag.  Add 5 large boned chicken breast halves; shake until well coated.  Brown chicken slowly in 1 tbsp oil heated with 1 tbsp butter in large skillet.  Add 3 tbsp brandy; cover and cook until almost tender; about 25 minutes.  Halve 3 or 4 fresh nectarines; removing pits.  Cut fruit into thick slices.  Add to chicken; pour 1 cup whipping cream over all. Continue cooking uncovered over moderate heat; about 10 minutes longer, until chicken is done and nectarines heated and glazed.  Serve from skillet or arrange in serving dish with fresh herbs for garnish.

Review of last recipe  - Medaillons de Veau au Cresson (photo above) - One of the best blog meals ever! 

TODAY'S RECIPE - (EASY HOMEMADE) STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

A Borden's recipe circa 1982 ...

Makes 1 1/2 quarts

3 egg yolks

1  14 oz can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla 

1/3 cup chopped strawberries

1 cups (1 pint) whipping cream. whipped

2 cups fresh or unsweetened frozen strawberries, mashed or pureed (1 cup)

In large bowl, beat egg yolks; stir in sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, chopped  strawberries.  Fold in whipped cream .  Pour 1/3 mixture into aluminum foil lined 9" x 5" loaf pan or other 2 qt container.  Spoon 1/3 mashed strawberries on top.  Repeat layering; top with strawberry mixture.  Swirl with knife or spatula. Cover, freeze 6 hours or until firm.   Scoop ice cream mixture from pan, or peel off foil and slice. Return leftovers to freezer.

Blueberry:  Omit vanilla and chopped fruit.  In large bowl, beat egg yolks, stir in sweetened condensed milk and 1 tsp lemon rind.  Fold in whipped cream.  Proceed as above, layering with 1 cup pureed blueberries.

Peach:  Omit vanilla.  In large bowl, beat egg yolks, stir in sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup mashed peaches, 1/2 chopped peaches and 1/4 tsp almond extract.  Fold in whipped cream.  Proceed as above.

Review of last recipe - Marinated Round Steak (photo above) - Nothing great; the marinade flavor wasn't complex enough.

TODAY'S RECIPE - MEDAILLONS DE VEAU AU CRESSON
                              (Veal Medallions with Watercress)
From La Fine Bouche Restaurant in Centerbrook, CT ...  My recent Google search brought forth an article from The New York Times dated June 6, 1999 which mentioned that the restaurant's format was changed by the owner to a less expensive, more casual place; now called Steve's Centerbrook Cafe, which appears to still be in business.  The writer had praised La Fine Bouche as a go-to high end restaurant in the Old Saybrook-New Haven area, and continued his praise regarding the new cafe.

Serves 6

Watercress Butter:
1 bunch watercress
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1/3 lb sweet unsalted butter, cut in pieces
salt
pepper

Veal:
1/4 cup flour
12-18 slices veal loin
salt
pepper
3 tbsp oil

Sauce:
1 tbsp shallots
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup white wine

Watercress Butter:  Blanch watercress 30 seconds in rapidly boiling water. Drain immediately; refresh in ice water.  Squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible.  Cut off one inch of stems and discard.  Chop coarsely; puree with chives in food processor for 4-5 minutes, scraping sides.   Add butter and process until smooth.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Veal:  Lightly flour and season veal.  Heat the oil in a saute pan.  Cook veal quickly over high heat; just a few minutes on each side.  Remove to hot serving dish or individual plates.

Sauce:  In small saucepan, boil the white wine with shallots over high heat until liquid is reduced to about 2 tbsp.  Add cream and reduce again to about 3 tbsp.  Remove pan from heat and quickly whisk in watercress butter by tablespoonfuls.  Adjust seasoning if necessary.  Pour sauce beside  the veal, not on top.


                                     

Review of last recipe - Chocolate Chip Brownies (photo above) - Was pleased with this recipe because it made a small enough quantity so that I don't have to feel like I'll have brownies around to eat for a week.  Normally, I make brownies from a mix, but this was just as easy and so much better.

TODAY'S RECIPE - MARINATED ROUND STEAK
From a Star Market recipe dated March 1, 1980.

Serves 6

2 lbs round steak, about 1" thick
unseasoned meat tenderizer
1 1/4 cups wine or cider vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1 tbsp italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp pepper

Place steak in shallow dish and sprinkle with meat tenderizer following label directions.  Cover with mixture of vinegar, oil, herbs, garlic and bay leaf.  Cover and chill about 2 hours, turning meat several times so that it will season evenly.

When ready to broil, remove meat from marinade. Place on broiler rack and sprinkle top evenly with half of the pepper.

Broil about 6" from heat for 10-12 minutes.  Turn, sprinkle with remaining pepper, and broil for an additional 8-10 minutes for rare, or more until steak is done to your preference.

Remove to a cutting board and slice diagonally into 1/4"-1/2" thick slices.

Review of last recipe - Broiled Marinated Chicken Breasts  (photo above) - The chicken breast (actually, 1/2 of it) is in the upper right hand corner, along with some lo mein I made.  It was really tasty and very moist!

TODAY'S RECIPE - CHOCOLATE CHIP BROWNIES
From The Boston Globe, November 16, 1983 ...

Serves 16 -  325 degree oven

Shortening to grease cake pan
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp butter
2 tbsp milk
12 oz semisweet chocolate pieces; divided into two equal portions
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/3 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp confectioners' sugar

Grease a 9" square baking pan and set it aside.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Put sugar, butter and milk in a 3 qt saucepan and set over medium heat and cook mixture, stirring constantly until butter melts and mixture begins to boil.  Immediately remove saucepan from heat.

Add 6 oz of the chocolate pieces to the mixture in saucepan and stir with a spoon until chocolate melts.  Let the chocolate mixture cool about 1 minute.

Add vanilla and 1 egg to the mixture in the saucepan.  Beat with portable mixer until mixture is smooth and well blended.  Add another egg and beat well.  Add flour, baking soda sand salt to the mixture in the saucepan. Beat just until mixture is well blended.  Stir in remaining chocolate pieces.

Transfer mixture to greased pan.  Set pan on the middle rack of a preheated 325 degree oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.

When brownies are done, remove pan from oven.  Set pan on a rack and let brownies cool completely.

Put confectioners' sugar in a small strainer.  With the bottom of a spoon, press sugar through the strainer over the top of the brownies.  Cut brownies into 16 squares.