Country French Omelet

My feelings about Ina Garten are hard to put into words; I adore her, but I sort of hate her at the same time. She seems sort of stuck-up, but also there's something really warm and welcoming about her. I think maybe I'm just jealous of her perfect house and her amazing kitchen and her obvious wealth, etc. etc.

So while my feelings about Ina herself may be a little mixed, my feelings about her food are definitely not: I love it. I've loved every single one of her recipes that I've tried, and I appreciate the fact that they're so simple to prepare and are made with such readily available ingredients. I was browsing through one of her cookbooks a couple of weekends ago, and when I saw this omelet I knew I had to try it. And I'm so glad I did. Joe and I were both absolutely blown away by this meal. It's made with simple ingredients, but the final dish is just so unbelievably good. You could play with the ingredients a lot, which is something I'll surely do in the future, but I'd suggest making it Ina's way at least once. Yummy!

Country French Omelet
Source: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup diced, unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 extra-large eggs (I used six large eggs)
3 tablespoons milk
Dash of hot sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add the bacon to a 10-inch skillet and cook for 3 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat, until the bacon is browned but not crisp. Take the bacon out of the pan and set aside on a plate.

3. Place the potatoes in the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until very tender and browned. Remove to the same plate with the bacon.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper together with a fork. After the potatoes are removed, pour the fat out of the pan and discard. Add the butter, lower the heat to low, and pour the eggs into the hot pan.

5. Sprinkle the bacon, potatoes, and chives evenly over the top and place the pan in the oven for about 8 minutes, just until the eggs are set. Slide onto a plate, divide in half, and serve hot.

Crock Pot Coq Au Vin

I love a good Crock pot dinner, especially in the middle of winter when the wind is howling and the snow is falling and the air is frigid and I need to be warmed up from the inside out. And that's exactly what this meal did.

I've been wanting to make coq au vin for a while now, and while this recipe takes a lot of liberties with the dish, it was still absolutely delicious. The wine added a subtle tangy quality to the dish, the bacon made it smoky, the mushrooms made it earthy, and the onions kept it a little bit sweet. It was the perfect balance of flavors. Next time, I'd make a few changes; I'd add carrots for a bit more sweetness, and at least one more clove of garlic. Though the boneless breasts actually turned out to be pretty tender, I might even try making this with bone-in chicken pieces and increase the cooking time a bit. I'll definitely make this again. When it comes to simplicity and comfort, the Crock pot just can't be beat!

Crock Pot Coq Au Vin

Source: Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes

4 slices thick-cut bacon
2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 cup sliced button mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1. Cook bacon in medium skillet over medium heat. Drain and crumble. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the following order: onions, bacon, mushrooms, garlic, thyme, pepper, chicken, wine and broth. Cover and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours.

2. Remove chicken and vegetables; cover and keep warm. Ladle 1/2 cup cooking liquid into small bowl; allow to cool slightly. Turn slow cooker to High; cover. Mix reserved liquid, tomato paste and flour until smooth. Return sauce mixture to slow cooker; cover and cook 15 minutes or until thickened.