Florida Agenda

By JEAN DOHERTY

This one is easy, healthy and delicious. You can serve it hot or cold, with a hot coulis (pronounced “coolee,” it’s a fruit or vegetable purée, used as a sauce) of tomato, or with a greens salad.

Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 or 4 black olives, sliced
• ½ green bell pepper, diced
• ½ eggplant, cubed
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• Salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 ¼ cups of self-rising flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup of milk
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1 ½ cups of shredded Swiss or sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Heat two tablespoons of EVOO olive oil in a heavy pan over a medium heat, and cook the shallot, garlic, green bell pepper, eggplant, tomato, and zucchini, stirring until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Season the vegetables with a sprinkling of salt and black pepper as they cook. (I usually add a pinch of Herbs de Provence, but, as always, you are the chef.) Whisk the flour with the eggs and milk in a mixing bowl until they are smoothly combined, and then whisk in the 1/3 cup of olive oil. Gently fold the vegetables and the olives into this flour mixture, and stir in the cheese.

Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake the loaf in the preheated oven until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, which should be about 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing, and then finish cooling on a wire rack. Slice when cooled, and serve with a greens salad. Bon appétit!

Although born in Dublin, Ireland, chef Jean Doherty spent most of her life in Lyon, France, the gastronomical capital of the world. Together with Vero, her partner of 25 years, Jean has owned and run multiple restaurants including Fort Lauderdale’s Le Patio.

By JEAN DOHERTY

Quiche is a savory, open-faced pastry crust dish, with a delicious filling of custard and cheese, meat, or vegetables. Try THIS variation of an old favorite on for size: It has NO pastry, filo, or crust!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of butter, divided

• 12 green onions or scallions, chopped

• ½ teaspoon of salt, divided

• ½ teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper, divided

• 4 eggs

• 4 ounces of goat cheese, sliced

• ½ cup of half and half

• ½ cup of sour cream

• ½ cup of milk

• Dash of hot pepper sauce (if desired)

• Dash of Worcestershire Sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round baking dish with one tablespoon of butter, and set aside. Melt the remaining butter in a pan over a medium heat, and cook the onions, until they are nice and brown, for about two minutes. Whisk the eggs.

Stir in the goat cheese, breaking up any lumps. Season with the salt and pepper. When it is fairly smooth, whisk in the remaining ingredients. Pour this mixture into the ovenproof dish, and then sprinkle with the green onions. Bake 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 20 minutes. Garnish, if desired, with additional green onions or parsley.

Serve with a green salad. You are the chef!

By JEAN DOHERTY

“Graa-tan!” This is probably the most famous dish from the Rhone Alp region, and it’s one of the first recipes I learned to make during my stay in Lyon. Gratin is a well known culinary technique in which any ingredient is browned, usually by using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, butter, or egg. This “browned crust” is obtained by baking or cooking under an overhead grill or broiler to form a golden brown top. It is traditionally served from the oven to the table in its baking dish.

Ingredients:

•2 lbs of potatoes (russet are grand)

•1 or 2 cloves of garlic, mashed

•2 oz of butter

•2 cups of whole milk

•5 oz of French or Swiss Gruyère cheese

•1 pint of heavy cream

•Herbs de Provence (if preferred)

•Salt

•Pepper

Preheat oven to 360ºF. Slice the potatoes into thin slices—don’t rinse them, we want the starch.

Put the potatoes in a pan, and cover with milk. Add salt. Bring to a boil, starting at moderate heat for about five minutes, and then lower the heat for about 10 minutes.

Stir from time to time, taking care not to break the slices. Rub an ovenproof dish with garlic, and grease it well with butter. Transfer half of the potatoes to the gratin dish.

Add half the cheese, heavy cream, and pepper to the layer. Put the second half of the potatoes and cover with the cheese and cream that’s left.

You can sprinkle with Herbs de Provence before popping in the oven—as I always say, you are the chef!

Cook for about one hour at 360ºF. The Gratin Dauphinois is ready when the top is golden brown.

By Jean Dogerty

Easy, delicious, healthy. This recipe is so
customizable, you should feel free to use
your imagination and change out for the
veggies you love. Here are the basics:

Ingredients:
• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 pinch of grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup of freshly grated Gruyere, divided

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cook
the cauliflower florets in a large pot of
boiling salted water for five to six minutes,
until tender but still firm. Drain. While they’re
cooking, make your bechamel: melt the butter
in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the
flour, stirring constantly with a whisk for two
minutes. Pour the milk into the butter-flour
mixture, and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil,
whisking constantly, for one minute, or until
thickened. Remove from, add the salt, pepper,
nutmeg, and the Gruyere.
Place the drained cauliflower in your “gratin”
dish, and pour the sauce evenly on top. Take
the remaining ¼ cup of Gruyere and sprinkle
on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for
25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned.
Serve hot in the “gratin” dish with the meat or
fish of your choice. You are the chef!

Although born in Dublin, Ireland, chef Jean Doherty
spent most of her life in Lyon, France, the gastronomical
capital of the world. Together with Vero,
her partner of 25 years, Jean has owned and run
multiple restaurants including Fort Lauderdale’s Le
Patio.

BY JEAN DOHERTY

Green beans are fantastic in a salad, both healthy and delicious. Mix ’em with the right ingredients, and you’ll be hooked forever. Shallots will give the dish that lovely pink color, and, of course, an unforgettable flavor.

• 1 teaspoon, extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large shallot, minced

• 1 pound, green beans, trimmed

• ½ cup water

• 2 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

• 2 tablespoons, chopped toasted hazelnuts, almonds, or walnuts

• Salt Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium high heat.

Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until it starts to brown, between 30 seconds and a minute. Add the green beans and cook, stirring often, until seared in spots, between two and three minutes.

Add a little water, then cover, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally (about three minutes for a tender-crisp result, or six minutes for tender).

Remove from heat and stir in the bacon, along with whatever nuts you are using, and salt. To toast nuts or seeds on the stovetop: Toast in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, from three to five minutes.

If you’re using the broiler, watch them like a hawk—

By JEAN DOHERTY

A bisque is a smooth, creamy, highlyseasoned soup of French origin. It’s rich and decadent. It’s classically based on a strained broth or “coulis” of crustaceans. It can be made from lobster, crab, shrimp or crayfish. In authentic bisque, the shells are ground to a fine paste and added to thicken the soup.
• 1 3 ¼ lbs. lobster heads
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small carrot, chopped
• 1 stick celery, chopped
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large tomato
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper, plus extra to serve
• 1 tbsp brandy
• A pint of dry white wine
• 2 pints of fish stock
• A pint of veal stock
• A pint of heavy cream
• 8 tsp Armagnac brandy
• Sea salt
Mash the lobster heads with your rolling pin until they are well broken up. Have a blast. Let ‘em have it!!! Heat the olive oil in a thick-assed saucepan and cook the onion, carrot and celery over a low heat. When the vegetables are lightly browned, add the parsley, thyme and bay leaf and the lobster heads, stirring so that they don’t stick or burn. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, cayenne pepper and the brandy. Stir well, then add the wine.

Bring to the boil and cook for at least 3 minutes. Add the fish stock and veal stock and bring back to the boil. Season lightly with sea salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and skimming off any scum that appears on the surface. Drain through a colander set over a clean saucepan pressing the lobster bones well to extract all the juices and flavor.

To serve, bring the soup back to the boil and allow it to reduce. Add up to a pint of heavy cream, according to your taste, and boil for 5 minutes. Pour 2 teaspoons of Armagnac per person into four warmed soup bowls and pour the soup over it. If you have any lobster claw meat available add that too.

Sprinkle with cayenne pepper and serve immediately.

You are the chef!

By JEAN DOHERTY

Irish woman shoutin’…If your “soda bread” has raisins, it’s not “soda bread! It’s called “Railway Cake”! (a currant at every station!)

If it contains eggs, baking powder, sugar or shortening, it’s called “cake”, not “bread.” All are tasty, but not traditional Irish Soda Bread! In Ireland, the flour is made from soft wheat; so when making it here in the states, soda bread is best made with a cake or pastry flour (which are made from soft wheat).

It lowers the level of gluten. I recommend the minimum amount of mixing of the ingredients before baking; the dough should not be kneaded.

4 cups of cake or pastry flour

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1 Teaspoon salt 14 oz of buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 425 F. degrees and lightly flour a round cake pan. In a large bowl sieve and combine all the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk to form a sticky dough. It’s sloppy, that’s normal. Flop it into a round shaped cake pan and cut a cross on the top of the dough. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. The bottom of the bread should sound hollow when tapped so you’ll know it’s done. Cover the bread with a tea towel and lightly sprinkle water on the cloth to keep the bread moist.

I’m not goin’ to say “you are a chef” cause you don’t do it your way for this one.

By JEAN DOHERTY

Tapenade is the easy peasy recipe you can whip up in 2 minutes. It is very versatile and can be used a number of ways rather than just as a spread or a dip. Spread a thin layer of it on a chicken between the skin and the breast, maybe with some fresh herbs before roasting; put dabs on hard-boiled eggs and top with pine nuts; or spread it on a sandwich instead of mustard or mayo.

You can fold some into an omelet with some creamy-smooth goat cheese, or toss it in pasta as an instant sauce with chunks of fresh cooked or good-quality canned tuna. Make an entree of it; maybe even adding cubes of feta at the end. Green and black olives are natural aphrodisiacs. Use them to spice up your palate and your plate for a taste of succulent seduction with your mate.

Besides increasing your libido, olives are jam packed with health benefits and being healthy is crucial to having a good sex life… Olives help prevent heart disease, prevent colon cancer, and one of the best reasons for me to eat olives is that they prevent frequency of hot flashes going through menopause. LOL.

• 1 clove garlic, chopped

• 1 Jar or tin of whole, pitted Black

olives

• 1 (2 ounce) can anchovy fillets,

rinsed

• 1 tablespoon capers

• 1 pinch chopped fresh thyme

• 1 pinch chopped fresh rosemary

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the garlic, olives, anchovies, capers, thyme, rosemary and lemon juice in your electric blender. Slowly drip the olive oil into the blender while you are blending the ingredients together. Blend until a paste is formed. Don’t add salt!!! Spread on Pita bread, crackers, toasts…or use as a dip.

Enjoy. You are a chef!

By JEAN DOHERTY

Growing up in Ireland, my mother would inevitably overcook the lamb chops- -burn ‘em right to a cinder! It was while living in France that I learned to eat lamb rare, enjoy it, and finally get to really taste it. Lamb tastes so good on its own, so the seasoning should compliment, not dominate it.

A rack of lamb or “carré d’agneau” is a part of lamb which is cut perpendicularly to the spine, and has 16 ribs or chops. When it’s been “frenched,” the bones have been cleaned of their fat and they look like lolly pops when sliced off the “rack.” “En chemise” (French for “shirt on”) is a term used to describe ingredients which are wrapped in something, or which are cooked in their natural covering.

For example: spuds with the skin on, or in this case garlic with its skin on. Garlic roasted “en chemise” is so delicious, even people who don’t like garlic love it. The only difficulty in this recipe is not to overcook the meat.
• A whole head of garlic
• Fresh rosemary and sprigs of thyme
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil
• An 8 bone rack of lamb, trimmed
and frenched and cut in half.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Separate the cloves of garlic, without peeling them.

Brush extra virgin olive oil all over the lamb and put it in an ovenproof dish,

with the bones crossed like you would clasp your two hands together with your fingers.

Season the meat well with salt and pepper. Place the garlic cloves and the rosemary under

the “bridge” you have formed. Bake for about 20 or 25 minutes or until desired doneness.

When you remove from the oven, let it rest for about 5 minutes before carving. Serve it with

the garlic cloves in their skins, and sprinkled with fresh thyme. Serve with the side you love best…

You are the chef!

Although born in Dublin, Ireland, chef Jean
Doherty spent most of her life in Lyon,
France, the gastronomical capital of the
world. Together with Vero, her partner of
25 years, Jean has owned and run multiple
restaurants including Fort Lauderdale’s Le Patio.

  By JEAN DOHERTY

The hot toddy was traditionally drunk before bedtime, or in wet or cold weather. Toddies were believed to help cure the cold and flu. In Ireland it was, and still is, the “cheap” cure for the common cold.

When I was sick in bed as a child, I vividly remember crying because my mother was having me drink a hot toddy—although I wouldn’t cry now. There are varied accounts of the origins of the hot toddy. Most people believe that it came from Britain by way of India.

In India, the juice of a certain palm tree is called tari, and this juice is made into a sweet alcoholic drink. The English in India at the time used this in their tea with spices, fruit, and alcohol and then introduced it to Britain. L

ike nearly every recipe I give you, you can mix and play around with the ingredients. In place of Irish whiskey, you can use Bourbon or rum, and replace the sugar with honey. As always, YOU are the chef!

• 1 oz Irish whiskey
• 1 spoonful of brown sugar
• 1 slice of lemon
• 7 or 8 cloves
• 1 cup of hot water

Pour the whiskey and sugar into a strong heatproof glass.

Embed the cloves, one in each segment of the lemon slice and place in the glass.

Add the boiling water and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Serve immediately.

Sláinte!

Although born in Dublin, Ireland, chef Jean Doherty spent most of her life

in Lyon, France, the gastronomical capital of the world. Together with Vero,

her partner of 25 years, Jean has owned and run multiple restaurants including

Fort Lauderdale’s Le Patio.