Fast food from a celebrity French Chef? Yes. Television mega star and French chef, Jacques Pepin talked about his book and TV series “Fast Food My Way” on my recently interviewed him on OU Radio.
I asked him what he meant by fast food.
His answer — “Fast food is not a new type of cooking for me. After 5 or 6 hours cooking on a television set, I come home and want to cook something in a hurry. I use the supermarket to help prep my food. With a boneless, skinless chicken breast, pre-sliced mushrooms and washed spinach, I can have a meal ready in no time.”
Many times when I was visiting with Jacques and his wife, Gloria, in Connecticut, Jacques would put together a meal in minutes while we were sitting in his kitchen chatting over drinks. One such meal included searing fresh tuna in a hot skillet and putting it in a 250 degree oven to finish cooking while he prepared a few side dishes. The tuna was juicy and perfectly cooked with very little effort. And, finishing the fish in a slow oven, allowed him the freedom to complete the other dishes.
Chicken in a rich shallot, mushroom and balsamic vinegar sauce served over sautéed corn and peas is a dinner created by Jacques Pepin that takes only minutes to make. This recipe uses the same method of searing the meat and then finishing it in the oven using boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I’ve adapted Jacques Pepin’s recipe from “Fast Food My Way” for this quick meal for four.
This meal contains 544 calories per serving with 24 percent of calories from fat.
Helpful Hints:
- • Red or white onion can be substituted for shallots.
• To save washing a second skillet, use same skillet to cook the chicken and corn and peas. When the sauce for the chicken is done, pour it into a bowl and add the peas and corn to the skillet.
Countdown:
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees
- Prepare chicken and place in oven
- Make sauce and spoon into a bowl
- Make corn and peas in same skillet as chicken.
SHOPPING LIST
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for tonight’s Dinner in Minutes:
To buy:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 package frozen baby peas
- 1 package frozen corn kernels
- 4 shallots
- 1 small package mushrooms
- 1 small bunch chives.
Staples:
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Ketchup
- Salt
- Black peppercorns.
Linda Gassenheimer is the author of fourteen cookbooks including her newest, Prevention’s Fit and Fast Meals in Minutes and Mix ‘n Match Meals in Minutes for People with Diabetes. Email Linda at dinnerinminutes@ou.org. You can visit Linda on her web page at www.DinnerInMinutes.com.
The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.