Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

The weather is frightful.  The skies are grey.  But the light still burns in our homes and on our hearths. We have put away the trappings of the holidays and are hunkering down for the long dark days of Winter. Warming soups and bread fresh from the oven are my preferred ways to fight the winter doldrums. And a great soup to brighten your days is this Jamaican inspired recipe.

With the bright additions of curry and allspice, this chicken, black bean and black-eyed pea soup hits all the right notes.  I added Himalayan red rice to the mix because I had it in my pantry.  I found it while cleaning out dated foodstuff.  Sometimes impulse buys get shoved into corners.   Himalayan Red Rice is grown in Nepal and has a red hued bran.  It is colorful for pilafs.

We have a snow storm predicted for the mountains this weekend so I am happy to have a pot of soup and homemade Rosemary Olive Oil Bread stashed away.  Cooking is a good way to survive anything nature throws at you.

JAMAICAN CHICKEN SOUP

1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup red wine
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen black-eyed peas, thawed
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I used Himalayan Red Rice)

Heat oil in a dutch oven.  Add chicken pieces and saute until browned.  Remove chicken and set aside.  Add onion to casserole and cook until transparent.  Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.  Add all of the spices and cook over low heat for about 1 minute.  Add wine and reduce slightly.  Return chicken to casserole and add the remaining ingredients.  Cover pot.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to low and cook for at least 30 minutes.  Garnish with parsley or cilantro if desired.

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Although the weather is still quite hot, Fall is in the air.  The leaves are starting to drop even though the colors have not changed much.  This time of year I start thinking about soup.  I was in the village of Saluda last week with a friend.  Saluda is a quaint town with an excellent bakery, unique eateries and two old fashioned grocery and hardware stores.

On one of the side streets we found this garden maintained by the local garden club with an antique shop at the bottom of the steps.

Beyond the garden is the outdoor eating area of The Purple Onion where we had lunch.

I had their cauliflower soup with a half of BLT sandwich on whole wheat bread from Wildflower Bakery.  Both were delicious and I decided I needed to make some cauliflower soup at home.  My only regret is that I did not come home with a loaf of that delicious bread.

I was very happy with the soup recipe that I came up with.  It is a combination of leeks sauteed in butter, cooked cauliflower, chicken broth or vegetable broth, and potatoes.  It is similar to the classic potato leek soup but is heavier on the cauliflower.  It has only two potatoes in it.  I used my emulsion blender to emulsify it and flavored it with herbs and lots of cracked black pepper.  If you prefer you can add some sauteed sausages or bacon to make it heartier.  We enjoyed it on a rainy evening this week.  Welcome Fall!

CAULIFLOWER, POTATO AND LEEK SOUP

2 leeks, trimmed, sliced and washed
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 32 ounce box of chicken or vegetable broth
2 medium size potatoes, peeled and diced
1 Bouquet Garni of thyme, basil, bay leaves and peppercorns
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets.  Stems removed
Freshly grated black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Cooked bacon or sausage (Optional)

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large stock pot.  Dry washed leek slices and add to butter.  Saute over medium heat until soft.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Pour the stock into the pot.  Wrap the herbs and pepper in a piece of cheesecloth and tie with twine.  Place in pot. Bring the liquid to a boil and add the diced potatoes and cook until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, chop the cauliflower and add to a large saucepan with water to cover.  Cook over medium heat until tender.  Save water and scoop the cauliflower into the stock pot with potatoes and leeks.  Cook for an additional 15 minutes.  Emulsify the soup either with an emulsion blender or in a blender.  If using blender, divide soup into several batches.  Return to stock pot.  If soup is too thick add some of the cauliflower water until you reach the desired consistency.  Season to taste with lots of pepper and salt as needed.  Add optional bacon or sausage.

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I would be curious if any of you have tasted Panamanian cuisine.  I have just been introduced to this  flavor profile. Panamanian cuisine is similar to other Caribbean locales and has been influenced by the Native Americans, Spanish and African immigrants who populate this land bridge between two continents. It includes tropical fruits, coconut, herbs like cilantro, rice and beans and seafood, pork and poultry.

I recently met Smith Anderson, founder of 980 Panama Gourmet Sauces. With his partner Alexis Gallardo, he conceived the idea of manufacturing sauces with ingredients straight from the fields of Panama.  All of their sauces are natural and gluten free. Alexis Gallardo, a native of Panama, had studied chemical engineering and was a part of his family’s manufacturing and distribution company that is the top exporter of natural vinegars in Central America.  Smith and Alexis formed their own company to produce flavorful sauces with an emphasis on freshness and quality ingredients.

Imagine adding Pineapple Coconut sauce to your caribbean rice dish or as a marinade for your favorite chicken.  The Wild Cilantro sauce adds just the right heat and flavor to tacos.  The Smoky Chipotle sauce would be great on ribs.  One of the newer sauces, not pictured above , is Caribbean Lime.  I used it in addition to the Wild Cilantro in the recipes I developed here. It has a bit of heat and a piquant flavor.

I marinated the pork cutlets in a mixture of the Wild Cilantro Sauce and the the Caribbean Lime Sauce with olive oil and vinegar before breading and frying.  The black beans were coated with a vinaigrette of olive oil, lime juice and the Wild Cilantro and Caribbean Lime Sauce. The Mango Salsa or Chatini comes from Dory Greenspan and is part of the cuisine of the island of Mauritius.  This is a meal worthy of sharing with friends and family with unique flavors and bright taste.

Smith Anderson has graciously offered to donate a four pack of sauces to one of my followers.  All you have to do is leave a comment below and like 980 sauces on Facebook. I will pick a winner by random drawing.

CARIBBEAN PORK

4 Tenderized boneless pork cutlets
1 Tablespoon Wild Cilantro 980 Sauce
1 Tablespoon Caribbean Lime 980 Sauce
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

3/4 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg beaten with a little water
1 cup Panko crumbs

2 Tablespoons oil for frying

Combine the 980 sauces with the olive oil and white wine vinegar.  Place pork cutlets in shallow rectangular bowl.  Spoon sauce over them, turn and cover both sides of pork evenly with marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Place flour in bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Place egg and water in another bowl.  Put Panko crumbs in a third bowl.  Dip pork chops in flour, then egg and then in Panko crumbs being sure that the chops are well covered.  Place chops and on large plate and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour to set crumbs.

Heat oil in large skillet and brown chops on both sides.  Place in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes to be sure that they are cooked through.

BLACK BEAN SALAD

1 15 Oz. can black beans drained and rinsed
1 large celery stalk, diced
1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 scallions chopped

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon lime juice
zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon Wild Cilantro 980 Sauce
1 teaspoon Caribbean Lime 980 Sauce

Combine black beans with celery, celery leaves, tomatoes and scallions.

Combine the vinaigrette ingredients and pour over black bean mixture.  Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour to combine flavors.  Serve as is or over a bed of watercress.

MANGO CHATINI ( Dory Greenspan )

Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, or to taste
1 large ripe but firm mango, peeled, pitted, and finely diced
1 spring onion, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Pinch of cayenne

Stir the lime juice and ginger together in a small serving bowl.  Add the mango, onion, and cilantro and season with slat, pepper and if you’d like, a pinch of cayenne.

Serve over Caribbean pork cutlet.

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This will be a quick post.  We are leaving for Michigan this week for a celebration of our 50th Wedding Anniversary.  David and I both grew up there in a small town in Southwestern Michigan.  It just seemed fitting that we should return to the place where it all began.

David made these fried green tomatoes last night as an appetizer.  They were so good that I could not resist sharing his simple recipe.  What sets them apart is the Balsamic vinegar glaze.

The glaze is made from a slow reduction of true Modena Italian Balsamic Vinegar.  It has a sweet complex flavor that complements both sweet and savory dishes.  We found it at our local supermarket, but you can order it online here.

I think you will agree that this makes an outstanding appetizer or first course.

DAVID’S FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

Green Tomatoes – As many as you like, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Salt and Pepper to taste
Flour and Cornmeal in equal amounts
Smoked paprika to taste.  David used a lot.
Milk for dipping
Vegetable Oil for frying

Delallo Glaze drizzled on tomatoes to finish

After slicing tomatoes sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Mix the flour, cornmeal and smoked paprika in a shallow bowl.  Place milk in a separate shallow bowl.

Dip the tomatoes first in the milk and then dredge in the flour mixture.  Place on a large plate or cookie sheet and let rest in the fridge for about 1/2 hour to set crumb. You can skip this step if you are in a hurry.

Heat enough oil in a large skillet to generously film the bottom of the pan.  Approximately 3 tablespoons.  When oil is hot add the tomatoes and fry until the first side is golden.  Flip and fry on the other side.  Remove from pan when done and add additional batches as needed, adding more oil if pan becomes dry.

To serve, place on small plates and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.

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We did not need another kitchen gadget.  But the concept was too good to ignore.  To be able to make thin ribbons from zucchini, sweet potatoes, potatoes or any myriad of vegetables appealed to me.  The Spiralizer was on sale at William Sonoma.  I am glad that I spent the $29.00 for it.  We have used it many times already. Spiralized zucchinis are called zoodles.

While on Facebook one day, this recipe for a salad with spiralized zucchini and other raw vegetables popped up.  It was one of those streaming videos with all of the instructions delineated. I made it.  We loved it.  I just made it again.  It is easy and uses all of my favorite raw vegies.  The only ingredient that I cooked was the corn.  I bought two ears of corn and blanched them briefly.  But the other ingredients are raw.  It has a light mustardy vinaigrette dressing that gives just the right amount of flavor.

The cottage has some new lights.  Originally, we had some inexpensive Lowe’s pendant lights hanging over the sink area.  I have been wanting to replace them with more industrial wire cage pendants with Edison light bulbs.  While shopping at a furniture store in Black Mountain, I found these.  I love them.  Convincing David was another matter.David is all about energy efficient bulbs.  I am not sure that these Edison light bulbs are that bad.  After all, they are only 40 watts each.  His other argument against the lights was that  he loved our old fixtures. Some husbands don’t notice or care about design elements.  He is not one of them.  Sometimes I love that, other times . . . not so much.

I prevailed because it was Mother’s Day and I promised to turn the lights on only when necessary.  Mother’s Day holds much power.

I hope that you will love this salad as much as we have.  It is something that makes you feel good about what you are eating, but is so good that you would eat it even if it wasn’t good for you.  One night we had it with salmon . . . one night with ribs. Either way you can feel righteous.

ZOODLE MIXED SALAD

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Juice of 1 lime
3 Tablespoons white vinegar
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 to 2 Tablespoons grainy mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Zucchinis spiralized or shredded
3/4 cup red cabbage sliced thinly
2 ears of corn, blanched and cut from cobs
1 cup of broccoli florets cut small
15 grape tomatoes cut in half
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

In a large bowl mix the olive oil, lime, vinegar, honey, mustard and salt and pepper until emulsified.  Add the remaining ingredients and toss until coated with dressing.  Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour for flavors to meld.  Serve.  Leftovers will keep in fridge for a few days.

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