You have guests coming, so what kind of a beautiful meal will you use to impress them? Whether you use it as a first course or an entrée, you can’t go wrong with Coquilles Saint-Jacques - scallops sautéed in butter and spice, and then served in a rich mushroom wine sauce. Even more appropriate for guests and other special occasion meals is that the dish is served in gorgeous scallop shells. While it’s not a simple, two-step recipe, it can be done by fairly inexperienced cooks with tremendous results. Who can resist a bubbling hot, individual casserole covered in cheese and bread crumbs? Bon appetit!

French recipes for special occasions:

• Blood Orange Vinaigrette Recipe
• Roasted Cauliflower Soup Recipe
• Savory Sweet Potato Soufflé Recipe
• Wine-Poached Salmon with Black Truffles Recipe
• Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Scallop Shells for Coquilles Saint-Jacques Photo: Rick Joshua

This roasted beet salad is a wonderful, healthy dish to make anytime you have access to fresh beets. It’s a whole beet salad because the entire beet – root, stem, and greens – can be used in this recipe. Any vinaigrette or citronette dressing can be used to garnish this versatile salad, but blood orange dressing really makes the flavors pop. Add rustic artisan bread and a pureed soup, like butternut squash bisque for a filling, nutritious meal. Bon appetit!

Roasted Beet Salad Photo: ©Laurel Fan

Herbes de Provence is a classic herb blend using fresh or dried herbs. Very popular in the Mediterranean South of France, it is used to season everything from soups to grilled chicken. This traditional version uses lavender. Although purists will argue against the exclusion of the herb, one absolutely can omit it from this recipe and still have a delicious and authentic Provencal herb blend. Bon appetit!

Fresh Herbes de Provence Photo: Amanda Wray

Poulet à la crème, or chicken in cream, is a versatile meal in France. There are countless variations of the dish, and this one is among the simplest. Made famous in the Bresse region, this recipe is an easy preparation of chicken browned in butter and then braised in a thyme-infused wine and cream reduction. The lily is gilded by serving the chicken with caramelized mushrooms, onions, and shallots. The result is delicious and even beginning cooks can make it to perfection. Bon appetit!

Poulet à la Crème Photo: Laurel Fan