Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

There is no better time on the lake than Summer. Early mornings on the porch are cool and refreshing. I gaze at the still water from my treetop aerie while sipping my morning coffee and reflect on the day ahead. Occasionally a fish will jump creating ripples on the flat surface. The hum of a fishing boat can be heard above the bird song. Pileated woodpeckers, unaware of my presence, peck away at the trees surrounding me. The ski club members are up early as usual and the first ski boat slices through the water pulling the gracefully weaving skier.

But the day’s chores beckon and I return to the kitchen to make lists and organize the house. David starts working on projects. He greets Don, our contractor friend who is helping us. We are making progress on the lower level. Our old bathroom has been transformed into a small spa retreat with a jacuzzi tub and steam bath. The two small bedrooms have new bead board paneling and old hardwood floors that need refinishing after pulling up the carpeting. Sometimes I am the gopher and head to Lowe’s or Home Depot to get building supplies. The day passes with occasional forays to the deck or boathouse to watch the passing parade of boats pulling delightedly screaming children on floats or the local police boat on it’s way to Larkins on the Lake for lunch.

Lately, afternoons have been predictable with darkening skies and rumbles of thunder. But the storms pass quickly and by the time we are ready for dinner the sun is shining, reflecting millions of diamonds on the churning lake surface. It is time to light the grill.

I have many recipes for grilled chicken but this is my favorite. I can’t give credit for the origin because frankly I copied it years ago and do not remember where I got it. You do have to plan ahead because it is best if it marinates for at least six hours. I love what goes into the marinade. The citrus gives it a refreshing flavor and the brown sugar helps create a succulent glaze. We eat on the porch surrounded by the darkening evening sky, the smell of others’ grills, and conversations drifting across the water.

CITRUS GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS

3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tbls grainy mustard
1/4 cup vinegar
1 lime, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 Tbls olive oil

6 boneless chicken breasts

Combine marinade ingredients in a blender or small food processor and pulse until everything is emulsified and smooth. Marinate chicken in mixture for at least two hours and up to 24 hours. Place chicken on a hot grill which has been brushed with oil. Grill for 5 minutes per side basting often.

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I am so happy about this week’s Barefoot Blogger recipe. I have been making this curried couscous for years and it is what I always pair with grilled chicken in the summer. So thank you to Ellyn of Recipe Collector and Tester for having the brilliant idea to choose it for one of the June recipes. One of the things that is so great about this couscous is that you can make it ahead of time and serve it at room temperature. Even if you make it early in the morning, you can refrigerate it and take it out about an hour before you want to serve it. It is also a snap to put together. The only prep that takes a little time is the chopping of the vegetables. It is so colorful and tasty that I always get complements on it. I think that even if you are not a fan of curry you will like it. The curry is not overpowering and lends a lovely yellow hue to the dish. The recipe calls for dried currants but I usually use dried cranberries. This time I substituted jumbo red raisins because it was what I had in the pantry. I also substituted

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All I can say about this meal is Wow! I am visiting my son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. They had been to a birthday party all Sunday afternoon and when I arrived Kristen put this meal together in no time at all. The chicken chilaquiles should be on everyone’s rotation of quick meals. It starts with a rotisserie chicken. Need I say more? But the end results are worthy of any company dish you would want to make. Kristen is a fantastic cook. I remember the time, shortly after she and Michael were first married, when they ate the lettuce wraps at P.F Changs. She has a very sophisticated palate and figured out what was in them and started making them at home. Every meal at their home is an adventure in wonderful flavors; exotic pizzas, complex salads and flavorful Mexican dishes like this one. Kristen got the original recipe from epicurious but she tweaked it to suit her taste. The guacamole salad is from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa at Home. I have been buying Kristen the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks for Christmas and she loves them as much as I do. This is one of my favorite summer salads. It is colorful with grape tomatoes, yellow peppers, black beans and avocados and paired so well with the chicken. It was a lovely Summer evening and we enjoyed this feast on the deck with a bottle of chardonnay. Life is good.

CHICKEN CHILAQUILES

1 cup sour cream
3 to 4 Tbls milk
1 3/4 cups Green salsa ( Pace has a good one, as does Trader Joe’s)
1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
Coarsely shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken, skin removed
salt and pepper to taste
6 cups coarsely crushed tortilla chips plus a few more for the top
6 ounces grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Stir together sour cream and just enough milk to get a thick pourable consistency.

Bring salsa and broth to a boil in a heavy pot over moderately high heat. Add the chicken, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until chicken is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes, then stir in 6 cups tortilla chips and cook until chips are softened (but not mushy), about 1 minute.

Transfer chilaquiles to a large platter. Sprinkle with grated cheese, sour cream, broken chips and cilantro. Serve rest of sour cream on the side.

GUACAMOLE SALAD

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2 inch diced
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 Tbls minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
1/2 tsp freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled and 1/2 inch dice

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you’re ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Printable recipe – Chicken Chilaquiles
Printable recipe – Guacamole Salad

Kate of Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails is having a Great Cookbook Giveaway. She has too many cookbooks and is giving them away to fellow food bloggers. The only stipulation she has is that the recipient needs to blog about a recipe from the book they win and mention her blog when they do, so that others will be aware of this opportunity. I was lucky enough to win her first giveaway. The book that I won was Entertain by Ed Baines. Ed Baines is a hotty. He is the chef and co-owner of Randall & Aubin champagne and oyster bar in London’s Soho. He appears on his own TV show, Ed Baines Entertains and for a time he was the official Armani chef and a model on the side. What’s not to like about the guy? He has a passion for food and grew up in a household where fresh local ingredients were the norm. My only problem was trying to figure out which of his wonderful recipes to try.

The recipe I finally chose was Chocolate, Pear & Almond Tart. For those of you who have followed my blog, you probably know that I am partial to pastries and tarts. I would be in my element in a French Patisserie. What I loved about this tart was the first burst of chocolate and orange zest in my mouth when I tasted it. To me chocolate and orange were made for each other. The almonds and pears were more subtle but balanced well with the stronger flavors. The one thing I had a problem with was the pastry. It did not brown as much as I would have liked. I think this problem could be solved by baking the tart at a higher temperature. Even though it did not brown well the pastry was excellent due to the addition of powdered sugar. Ed Baines is an excellent chef and I am pleased to own his cookbook. Thank you Kate for the gift and for inscribing a message to me. Now, all of you need to go over to her blog to take advantage of the cookbook giveaway.

CHOCOLATE, PEAR, & ALMOND TART

For the Pastry:
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
a pinch of salt
1 stick of unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1 egg
1 Tbls orange zest

Sift the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl and mix together. Add the softened butter and using your fingertips, rub it into the flour until you have a breadcrumb consistency. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and orange rind together with 1 tablespoon of water. Add this to the flour mixture and stir, then work the mixture together until you have a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Tart Filling:
1 stick of cubed butter, softened
3 -4 fresh pears (or canned pear halves, drained) I used canned
2 ounces ground almonds
2 ounces slivered almonds
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
zest of one large orange
9 ounces dark chocolate, shredded ( I used mini chocolate chips)
1 Tbls apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees ( I say 350 degrees). Butter a 10 inch tart pan. Peel and core the pears if fresh, then cut them into halves lenghwise. Roll out the pastry and use to line the tart pan. Prick the base of the tart with a fork several times ( this stops the pastry rising through the filling ).

In a large mixing bowl, mix the ground almonds, flour, sugar, and cubes of softened butter with your fingertips, until you have a crumble. Now add the eggs and mix well, again using your fingertips, until you have a paste. Add the vanilla extract, orange rind, shredded chocolate, and slivered almonds, and fold this mixture together.

Place the pear halves over the base of the tart shell and pour over the mixture. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.

While this is cooking, put the apricot jam in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water and heat gently to form a light syrup.

To test if the tart is properly cooked through, push in a small knife tip and remove; if nothing is sticking to it, the tart is done. Remove from the oven and lightly brush wih the apricot glaze.

This tart is best served hot, with either ice cream or custard flavored with a dash of Amaretto.

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