Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

I haven’t done much grocery shopping since we returned to Lake Lure. Our meals have been very simple; grilled meat, baked sweet potatoes and frozen vegies. Breakfast has been cereal and english muffins. Lunch has been sandwiches or leftovers. The reason I have not filled the larder is because the larder looks like this.

David is working hard to get the pantry finished and the shelves will go in this weekend. I can hardly wait. I picture rows of canned goods, baskets with condiments sorted by cuisines, a large bread tin, and glass containers with various flours, rices and pastas, all labeled and neat. The reality is that I am much more organized in my mind than I am in accomplishment. But I will try to keep it in order.

I was in the mood for something sweet for breakfast the other day and had the baking basics on hand and an old Gourmet magazine in hand when I found a recipe for this blueberry pudding cake. I had some blueberries that I brought from Florida in the freezer so it was a fait accompli. This recipe was in the July 2005 issue of Gourmet and was featured in their Gourmet Every Day Quick Kitchen. It is indeed quick and the resulting cake is moist and crumbly and oh so good with freshly brewed coffee.

BLUEBERRY PUDDING CAKE

1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water ( use less for frozen berries)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice ( I left it out )
1 teaspoon cornstarch
10 oz. blueberries ( 2 cups )
1 cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 inch square baking pan.

Stir together 1/3 cup sugar with water, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan, then stir in blueberries. Bring to a simmer, then simmer, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk together egg, milk, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl, then add flour mixture whisking until just combined.

Spoon batter into baking pan, spreading evenly, then pour blueberry mixture evenly over batter (berries will sink). Bake until a knife inserted into center of cake portion comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes.

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We had a wonderful holiday with the family. It was the first time we had seen them since Christmas and the changes in little Rachel were quite noticeable. She will be three in May and is now communicating with great enthusiasm. She helped me prepare dinner one night and although we made quite a mess, she was very good at rolling chicken strips in breadcrumbs and placing them on the baking pan.

The only down side to our visit was that I got food poisoning from a fast food sandwich and lost all interest in eating and cooking. Even a trip to Trader Joe’s, which I was looking forward to, was a disaster. My plan was to stock up on hard to find condiments while getting the chicken and panko crumbs for dinner. I ended up spending all of my time in their bathroom – quite nice, by the way – and rushing through the check out line with my meager purchases.

On the way back to Lake Lure we had to stop for groceries for dinner and the only thing that appealed to my sensitive stomach was the thought of chicken and dumplings; a mild, filling and therapeutic dish. I am finally back to normal and will get back my enthusiasm for blogging, but for a while there I was worried that I would never want to look at, or for that matter, think about food again.

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

1 3 to 4 pound whole chicken
2 stalks of celery
2 carrots
1 onion
6 cups of water
1 or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste

3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup minced parsley and chives

Place chicken in large dutch oven and add the two stalks of celery, carrots and onion, roughly chopped. Add the six cups of water, thyme sprigs, and bouillon cubes. Bring water to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for one hour. Remove chicken to cool slightly and strain broth.

Return broth to dutch oven and add the 3 stalks of chopped celery and 2 chopped carrots. Simmer for 10 minutes while removing the chicken from the bones. Add the shredded chicken and frozen vegetables to the broth.

For the dumplings, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the chopped fresh parley and chives. Add melted butter and milk. Gently mix with spoon until mixture comes together. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls into pot. Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Do not lift lid while cooking.

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It is Barefoot Blogger Thursday and today’s recipe was chosen by McKenzie of Kenzie’s Kitchen. Visit her blog to see the changes she made to this delicious dish. I have to say, I thoroughly loved making this chicken salad. What’s not to like about succulent chicken, fresh asparagus, red pepper strips and scallions in a tasty sesame, peanut dressing. And I enjoyed doing it in my Lake Lure kitchen.

It has taken us awhile to get the computers up and running. Reception is not good here in the mountains. Our original computer port was in the garage apartment up the hill from the cottage. We have been staying there while much of the construction has been going on. Now that we have moved permanently to the cottage, everything had to be dismantled and brought down the hill. I am not technically inclined, so I waited patiently (Ha!) while David cussed and wired. I took the time to sit on the deck and enjoy the beautiful Spring display all around me. Florida is wonderful, but the soft greens, pinks and whites of a changing landscape are breathtaking. Here is a view out the sliding doors to the water.

I did make a few changes to the recipe. After reading so many reviewers who said the chicken salad was too salty, I added just a pinch instead of the 4 teaspoons called for. Also I used 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts because that is what I had and there were just the two of us. I also halved the dressing and cut back on the peanut butter. The changes worked perfectly and we enjoyed a lovely lunch on a warming Spring day. Thank you McKenzie for the perfect choice of Ina’s recipe.

CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

8 split chicken breasts (bone in, skin on)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound asparagus, ends removed, cut into thirds diagonally
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
4 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds, toasted

For the Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup good apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large, bite-sized pieces.

Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers into strips about the size of the asparagus pieces. Combine the shredded chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl.

Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

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