April & May French Fridays with Dorie Roundup

The months of April and May are extremely busy for me and I didn't manage to make all of the FFwD recipes, but I did manage to squeeze in 5 of the 8 or 9 recipes planned.  Lately I have been finding it increasingly harder to fit in the FFwD recipes, but I really don't want to give up on the project because I've been so pleased with the recipes and I've learned quite a bit along the way.  The following recipes are no exception.

 Bistrot Paul Bert Pepper Steak

Okay, first up is this gorgeous Bistrot Paul Bert Pepper Steak and let me tell you, I made this over a month ago and I can still remember taking every luscious bite of it.  I didn't even know that a supermarket fillet could be this good.  Wow!  Dorie's recipe uses a fillet cut which is pressed into cracked pepper, pan-seared, and covered in a sauce of Cognac and cream.  Worth every calorie.....

Garlicky Crumb-Coated Broccoli

On the side I served this wonderful side dish, which I could totally make into a meal by the way, Dorie's Garlicky Crumb-Coated Broccoli.  Holy cow...I think I inhaled this.  I really did!  I absolutely adore broccoli and Dorie's recipe left the broccoli perfectly cooked with a good bite to it.  Of course, it was those amazing garlicky breadcrumbs that had me going back for more and more.  The recipe indicated that this dish didn't keep, or reheat well, and I needn't have worried about that.  We devoured it!  This recipe was probably my favorite of all the recipes I tried in April and May and I will definitely make broccoli this way from now on.

Quinoa, Fruit, and Nut Salad

I keep trying and trying to like quinoa.  Really I do.  This is the third time I've tried quinoa and I was really hoping that Dorie's recipe for Quinoa, Fruit and Nut Salad would make me a believer.  It didn't.  The recipe came together well and I really loved the idea of adding all the dried fruit and nuts,  but I guess I don't like quinoa and most likely never will.  I should point out that plenty of others tried this recipe and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Spinach and Bacon Quiche

I love my greens, so there was no way I was skipping Dorie's Spinach and Bacon Quiche.  Didn't matter to me if no one else in house was interested in eating this or not, I was definitely making it and I'm so thrilled I did.  Dorie's tart dough comes together so easily and bakes up so buttery and flaky.  A beautiful filling of sauteed spinach, crisp bacon, onions, garlic, egg, and cream is topped off with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese to create an amazing breakfast or brunch treat.  I had no problem eating a slice every day until it was gone. 

Cardamom Rice Pilaf

The last dish I made was Dorie's Cardamom Rice Pilaf.  Cardamom pods are bruised in order to release the tiny seeds inside which contribute both flavor and aroma to the plain white rice.  I made half of the recipe, which called for 1/2 cup rice and about 3 cardamom pods.  I think the flavor of the cardamom was subtle, yet recognizable.   I really enjoyed this rice with Dorie's Spiced and Buttered Glazed Carrots (which also have cardamom) and thought both of these dishes paired wonderfully together.  I will definitely pair both the cardamom rice and the buttery spiced carrots together again!