Light Lunch France by Ruth Paget

Light Lunch France by Ruth Paget 

I go through cookbooks looking for ways to eat well on a budget. I like international cookbooks, because they provide me with ideas for adding variety to my diet by using local ingredients in different combinations to keep costs down. 

With that thought in mind, I went through France: From the Source published by Lonely Planet Publishing and found the following five recipes that could easily be incorporated into an American diet for variety:  

-Gratin Dauphinois (Dauphinois Potato Gratin) 

-Salade Lyonnaise 

-Pissaldière (Caramelized Onion Tart) 

-Gâteaux des Noix (Walnut Cake) 

-Clafoutis (Cherry Flan) 

I have listed the main ingredients that go into these dishes below along with the page number with the recipe in France: From the Source: 

-page 52 – Gratin Dauphinois (Dauphinois Potato Gratin) 

-potatoes 

-garlic 

-single cream 

-thick cream 

-grated Swiss cheese 

-blue cheese for the topping to be broiled 

 -p.222 – Salad Lyonnaise 

 -poached or over easy egg 

-slab bacon 

-sherry vinegar 

-bread for croutons 

-lettuce 

-p.234 – Pissaldière (Caramelized Onion Tart) 

 -onions 

-garlic, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper 

-black olives 

-cherry tomatoes 

-pizza dough 

 -p.206 – Gâteaux des Noix (Walnut Cake) 

-ground walnuts 

-eggs 

-sugar 

-white wine 

-walnut oil 

-flour 

-corn flour

-p.202 – Clafoutis (Cherry Flan) 

 -eggs 

-milk 

-sugar 

-vanilla extract 

-flour 

-butter 

-cherries with or without pits 

If you would like an introduction to France’s classic dishes, you might be interested in purchasing France: From the Source by Lonely Planet Publishing. 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Barbecue Chicken and Potatoes Recipe by Ruth Paget

Barbecue Chicken and Potatoes Recipe by Ruth Paget 

Serves 6 

Ingredients: 

For Barbecue Sauce- 

-1/2 cup chopped onion 

-1/2 cup chopped green pepper 

-1/4 chopped celery 

-1/4 cup olive oil 

-1/2 cup catsup 

-1/4 cup water 

-2 tablespoons vinegar 

-2 tablespoons sugar 

-1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce 

-1 tablespoon mustard 

-2 teaspoons salt 

-1 teaspoon pepper 

 -3 pounds chicken drumsticks 

-4 large peeled and chopped Idaho potatoes 

Steps: 

1-Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2-Sauté onion, green pepper and celery in oil in a frying pan until tender. Add catsup, water, vinegar, sugar, and seasonings. Simmer for 15 minutes. 

3-Arrange chicken and potatoes in a shallow baking pan. Pour barbecue sauce over chicken and bake for 1 hour or longer until potatoes are tender and chicken cuts easily, basting frequently. 

(A Royal Oak, Michigan recipe)

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Salmon Patties Recipe by Ruth Paget

Salmon Patties Recipe by Ruth Paget 

Serves 6 

Ingredients: 

-2 cups drained, canned salmon 

-4 cups crushed saltine crackers 

-1 beaten egg 

-4 tablespoons butter 

Steps: 

1-Mix salmon with crackers in a bowl. Add in eggs and thoroughly mix. 

2-Make 1-inch patties with your hands. 

3-Melt butter and fry patties until dark brown on all sides 

Serve with catsup or hot sauce. 

You could probably make this recipe with drained, canned tuna as well.

(A Royal Oak,Michigan recipe)

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Pork Chop Casserole Recipe by Ruth Paget

Pork Chop Casserole Recipe by Ruth Paget 

You will need two frying pans with lids to make this recipe. 

Serves 6 

Ingredients: 

-6 pork chops 

-2 tablespoons butter 

-2 sliced onions 

-1 green pepper sliced in rings with ribs and seeds removed 

-1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes 

-1/2 cup cooked rice 

-1 teaspoon salt 

-1 teaspoon pepper 

-1 cup water 

Steps: 

1-Brown pork chops in butter for 10 minutes 

2-Top each pork chop with onion slices and green pepper rings. 

3-Add half of the tomatoes, rice, salt, pepper, and water to each frying pan. 

4-Cover and simmer for 1 hour and no pink shows when you cut the pork chop. 

(A Royal Oak, Michigan Recipe) 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Fish Salad Recipe by Ruth Paget

Fish Salad Recipe by Ruth Paget 

Serves 6 

Ingredients: 

-3 pounds white fish (fresh or frozen) 

-3/4 cup chopped parsley 

-1/2 cup minced onion 

-1/3 cup chopped dill pickle 

-1/4 cup chopped green pepper 

-3 chopped pimientos 

-2 cored and chopped tomatoes 

-1 cup mayonnaise 

-1 chilled iceberg lettuce with leaves separated 

Steps: 

1-Poach fish over low heat for 15 minutes till it flakes. 

2-Drain fish, cool, and flake completely with a fork. 

3-Combine fish with parsley, onion, dill pickle, green pepper, pimientos, tomatoes, and mayonnaise. 

4-Chill for 2 hours. Use an ice cream scoop to measure scoops of salad out onto chilled iceberg lettuce leaves. 

(A Royal Oak, Michigan Recipe) 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Seafood Pasta Casserole Recipe by Ruth Paget

Seafood Pasta Casserole Recipe by Ruth Paget 

Serves 6 Ingredients: 

-3 pounds cooked, shelled, and chopped shrimp and/or crab 

-4 cups cooked tubetti pasta 

-1pound sliced mushrooms 

-4 cups Alfredo sauce 

-1/4 cup dry white wine 

-6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese 

Steps: 

1-Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2-Pour seafood into a 2-quart casserole dish and mix with pasta and mushrooms. 

3-Pour Alfredo sauce over the seafood mixture and blend well. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of the mixture. 

4-Bake for 30 minutes. Place under the broiler for 1 minute and serve immediately. 

(A Royal Oak, Michigan Recipe) 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Yorkshire Pudding and Sausage Recipe by Ruth Paget

Yorkshire Pudding with Sausage Recipe by Ruth Paget 

Serves 6 

Ingredients: 

-1 cup sifted flour 

-1 teaspoon salt 

-1 cup milk 

-3 beaten eggs 

-1 pound link sausages 

Steps: 

1-Add flour, salt, and 1/3 of the milk to the eggs. Beat until the flour is dampened. Gradually, add the rest of the milk and blend to make a batter. 

2-Refrigerate batter. Boil sausages according to package directions. Drain. 

3-Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 

4-Place sausages in a shallow baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Spoon out 4 tablespoons of fat and pour off the rest. 

5-Pour the 4 tablespoons of fat back over the sausages.

6-Pour pudding batter over the hot sausages and continue baking them for another 15 to 20 minutes until the Yorkshire pudding is puffy and brown. Cut in squares and serve at once. 

(A Royal Oak, Michigan Recipe) 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books