Coq au Vin Blanc and Strawberry Bacon Spinach Salad

It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted a recipe. I've made a few, but nothing has stood out as "blog" worthy. See, I don't just post to be posting. No way man! This blog is serious culinary content. Uh huh, right!

I had some friends over last night to decorate Easter Eggs. What a riot! The meal was so good that once we were eating the room got quiet. That's the sign of a good meal.

The Menu!
Coq Au Vin
Strawberry Bacon Spinach Salad
Parsley / butter red potatoes

Coq Au Vin Blanc

Courtesy of Rachael Ray Magazine

Courtesy of Rachael Ray magazine
Servings 4

• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb Boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 " pieces
• 2 T all purpose flour, plus more for dredging
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 lb frozen pearl onions, thawed and patted dry
• 1 lb Small white mushrooms, halved
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 sprigs Thyme
• 2 Cups chicken broth
• 2 cups white wine (dry - I used a sauvignon blanc)
• 1/2 cup Heavy cream
• flat leaf parsley chopped for topping

Heat 2 T EVOO in a large skillet over med-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, dredge in flour and add to the pan in a single layer; do not crowd the meat. Cook chicken until browned, about 4-5 minutes on each side.

While chicken is cooking, heat a large dutch oven or deep skillet over med-high heat with the remaining EVOO. When EVOO is hot, add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Pour off a little of the bacon fat, leaving a thin, even layer in the pan. Add the onions, mushrooms, bay leaf, and thyme (the leaves will fall off the sprigs during cooking).

Cook until the onions have a little color and the mushrooms are tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add 2 T flour to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the chicken broth, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom, and cook for 5 minutes.

Over high heat cook, add the wine to the cooked chicken in the skillet and scrape up the brown bits. Reduce the liquid for about 5 minutes then add the chicken and wine to the broth and vegetables in the dutch oven; stir to combine.

Stir in cream, lower the heat to a simmer and reduce the sauce for abut 5 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the pan. Serve with toasted garlic bread. Top the chicken and sauce with bacon and parsley when serving.

Strawberry Bacon Spinach Salad
Courtesy of Taste of Home
Servings: 6

Photo courtesy of Taste of Home

• 1 package Baby spinach (6 oz)
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
• 8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup red onion (I forgot this last night, but think it would make an excellent addition)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I toasted mine because the flavor comes out more)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
• ( I couldn't find raspberry vinegar, so instead of the mayo, sugar and vinegar, I just bought a raspberry vinaigrette. )

In a salad bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, bacon, onion and walnuts. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar. Serve with salad.

Finally, we had a no bake cookie issue. I made this recipe a thousand times, and this time actually read the recipe and realized I was adding things in wrong. Yet this time, we had to eat our no bake cookies with a spoon. = )