ACE Cooking Class – Cooking Basics 101 Concludes; Mediterranean Meals

Post Date: 21 March 2018

 

When I wrote the first draft of this post it was a warm, spring like afternoon, but that has quickly changed to a winter morning.  The 2 Mediterranean dishes discussed below are perfect for this weather.

ACE Class- Cooking Basics 101 Concludes, Session 3 on March 23

 

 

 

Session 3 of Cooking Basics 101 meets this Friday evening. Last week we made a traditional French Vinaigrette with Mustard and Baby Spinach and Sautéed Asparagus with Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil and Seeds.  Our main course was Baked Salmon Filets (pictured above) with Mustard and for dessert we made Marscapone Strawberry Cups.

This week we will be using the oven for most of our dishes.  Our salad will be Orange Couscous.  But the vegetables will be Legumes en Papilotte, vegetables roasted in parchment paper, and the main course will be Salisbury Steaks.  We will sear them in a skillet, then finish them in the oven while we use the pan juices to make a pan sauce with onions.  Our dessert will be mini Lemon Olive Oil Pound Cakes.

 

 

 

 

 

Mediterranean Diet Dishes

 

 

I made two recipes last week from Prevention Magazine’s Mediterranean Table cookbook.  Pictured above is a Greek dish, Shrimp Saganaki.  It gets its name from the cooking vessel it is traditionally made in.  I had some frozen shrimp from an earlier recipe, so I decided to try this one.  It is all in one skillet, so it is easy to make.  First Shallots, then Tomatoes, Salt and Pepper, Ouzo, then the Shrimp, garnished with chopped Italian Parsley.  It tasted great and did not take long to make, but the best thing about the recipe is that now I have a bottle of Ouzo.

 

The second dish I made from the cookbook was Chicken and Olives with Couscous (pictured above).  This dish is a bit more time consuming than the Saganaki, but it is well worth it.  The recipe calls for chicken thighs, but instead I used boneless skinless chicken beasts cut into the approximate size of thighs.  To start you brown the chicken in an oven proof skillet, then remove the chicken pieces and add Garlic, Onion, Bell Peppers, Thyme, and Oregano, then Tomatoes and Chicken Broth to a boil.  Then the Chicken is put back into the skillet along with Olives.  You cover the skillet, then place it in the oven to finish while you make the Couscous.

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Upcoming Classes

 

Here is my schedule for the rest of the spring term.

 

April 13, 20, and 27 – Friday Evening – Easy Gourmet Meals – Plum Center

 

May 5, 12, and 19 – Saturday Morning – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

 

June 1 and 8 – Friday Evening – Off the Beaten Track in Provence – Plum Center

 

June 23 and 30 – Saturday Morning – Dolci Italiani II/Italian Desserts – Woodson High School

 

To register for these classes, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

 

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/

 

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

 

Till next time, keep cooking.

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu