Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

I haven’t been posting as often these days.  We have been busy getting the Florida house in order so that we can sell it.  We have come to the conclusion that owning two houses is not in our best interest.  But before I get to all of that, I wanted to share this recipe with you for Chicken Marsala.  Several people have mentioned this dish recently; Monique in particular.  Monique tried David Lebovitz’s recipe for the dish.  About a month ago, I tried a rendition from allrecipes.com.  But after Monique’s rave about David’s recipe, I decided to give it a look.  This time I ended up combining the two recipes for my own version of the dish.

From the allrecipe recipe I added the chopped tomatoes.  They add color to the dish.  From David’s recipe I added more Marsala.  You can never have too much Marsala.  I think I ended up with a winner.

Here is our house as it used to look.  We called it “Big Pink”.  Pink houses are not uncommon in Florida.  Plus the color seemed to work with the roof tiles.  We decided that it might sell better if it were more neutral; to be quite frank, I hate neutral.

Here is the new paint color.  The beige has a bit of pink in it but is subdued.  We also added some landscaping to the front of the house.

We painted the front double doors black because I like black.  The painter and hubby did not like that idea, but I prevailed.  We replaced the garage light fixtures with larger black lanterns.

Here is a close up of the front door.  The only problem with having glass doors is that our dog Daisy is usually sitting right in front of the doors barking at anyone who walks by.  But it does give the entrance area lots of light.

Another area we worked on, besides the kitchen, was the Master bathroom.  The vanity in this room is low.  Lots of bathroom vanities were low when our house was built in the early 90’s.  Instead of replacing the vanity, we installed two tall vessel sinks with tall swivel faucets.  We also replaced the countertop with granite.  The other update was getting rid of the horrible wall to wall flat mirror and replacing it with two black framed mirrors.  There was a medicine cabinet to the left of the mirror on the adjoining wall.  That is also gone.  This has turned out to be a very user friendly bathroom.  I am happy with it.  Did I mention that the bathroom used to be painted red?  That was David’s great idea.  Somehow, I could hear prospective buyers saying “WHOA!” if we kept it that way.  Neutral seems to work here.

Here is my combined recipe for chicken marsala.  I assembled this plate after we had enjoyed the chicken last night so it is not as full as it would be if you served it to company. In other words, these are leftovers.  We are getting packed up to return to Lake Lure, so posts may be sporadic in the next few weeks.

CHICKEN MARSALA

2 pounds chicken cutlets, pounded thin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces button mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2/3 cup Marsala wine
1 small tomato, diced
1 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Chopped parsley

Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper.  Pour flour into a shallow dish.  Press chicken cutlets into flour to coat each side, shaking to remove any excess flour.  Set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in large skillet.  When hot, add sliced mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook stirring occasionally until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another minute.  Remove the mushrooms to a plate and wipe out pan.  Add 1 more tablespoon oil and butter to pan.  Add half of the chicken cutlets and saute until they are browned on each side.  Remove to a plate.  Add another 1 tablespoon of oil and butter to pan and repeat with remaining chicken pieces.  While chicken is browning mix together the chicken broth and cornstarch.  Stir until cornstarch is dissolved.  Add the Marsala wine.

When second batch of chicken is done, remove it from the pan.  Add to wine mixture to the pan and scrape up the browned bits.  Stir until it starts to thicken slightly.  Return the mushrooms and chicken to the pan.  Add the diced tomato and cook for about 6 minutes.  Add remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, the balsamic vinegar and the chopped parsley.  Stir to combine.  Serve with noodles, mashed potatoes or rice.

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On these dreary winter days, I have been thinking about food that I have experienced in our travels.  There is something to be said for infusing flavor into a dish.  French bistros offer dishes that are well known for simplicity and big flavors.  The countryside of France is full of cozy bistros nestled in picturesque villages.  We had the pleasure of visiting many on our last two trips to France.

In St. Remy we had a lovely lunch at Bistrot Decouverte.  The French blue shutters are so typical of Provencal buildings.  Our lunch of braised chicken and salade verte with a glass of chilled rose’ wine was perfect.

Unfortunately the only picture we took was of my empty plate and my satisfied expression.

We spent a week in the charming village of L’Isle Sur la Sorgue.  This village has been called little Venice because the waters of The Sorgue river flow around and through the town.  It is also known for its Brocantes or antique stores.  One of the most popular antique’s fair in France is held every Sunday in the Market Square.  There are also numerous small bistros to enjoy.

We enjoyed many fine meals and aperitifs along the cobbled streets.

David was pleased to find braised rabbit on the menu of L’Aparte, a Bistro with a water view.  It was served with baked ratatouille and a green salad.

In remembrance of all the fine meals we had in French Bistros, I made this flavorful dish of Chicken Thighs in Raspberry White Balsamic Vinegar.  It is studded with cherry tomatoes.  The ingredient list is short.  The cooking time is also.  But the flavors are big.  It is an adaptation of a dish from Bistro d’a Cote in Paris that Patricia Wells wrote about in her book Bistro Cooking.  If you want to be transported to a warm sunny clime while the snow flurries swirl, this is just the dish to serve for dinner.  You won’t be disappointed.

BISTRO CHICKEN THIGHS WITH RASPBERRY VINEGAR

Serves 2 to 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 chicken thighs, trimmed of some of the skin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup Raspberry Blush Vinegar ( I used “Alessi” which may be available in your local store for no more than $4.00)
Small container of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter to finish
Chopped parsley to garnish

In a nonreactive skillet, heat the oil and butter over high heat.  Season the chicken thighs liberally with and salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the hot skillet and cook until the skin side is golden brown (Approx. 5 minutes).  Regulate the heat so that you do not burn the chicken. Turn the pieces and brown them on the other side for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the skillet and pour out the cooking fat.  Return the chicken to the skillet and very slowly add the vinegar.  Lower the heat to medium and reduce the vinegar by half, turning the chicken from time to time to coat it with the mixture, about 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and chicken stock. Cover and simmer gently over medium low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a platter and whisk in the 1 tablespoon of butter.  Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes.

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Grilling season is a great time of year.  It is sometimes a relief to turn the cooking over to my grill maestro.  It frees up my time to concentrate on side dishes. I love the flavor of this Bourbon marinade.  It is a little bit sweet and full flavored.  The recipe came from Paula on her blog Call me PMc.  It couldn’t be easier to mix together the bourbon, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger.   The chicken skewers cook quickly.

I was looking for an interesting side dish to serve with the chicken and thought some kind of wild rice salad would be good.  I found a recipe from Ellie Krieger.  I wonder what happened to her show on the Food Network?  This orange and pistachio spiked rice salad is delicious.  It can be served cold or at room temperature.   It is even tasty warm.  It would be good with any barbecued chicken or pork.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July.  I will be taking a short break from blogging to spend time with the family.  We will be enjoying fireworks on the lake, swimming, hiking and most especially EATING.  Here is the gang that is coming.

See you back here soon.

BOURBON CHICKEN SKEWERS

For recipe see this link

ORANGE-PISTACHIO WILD RICE SALAD  (From Ellie Krieger )

2/3 cup brown rice
2/3 cup wild rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 orange, peel and pith removed, segmented and sliced (about 2/3 cup)
10 large basil leaves, sliced into ribbons (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup minced red onion
3 tablespoons chopped pistachios, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
For the dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the dressing:
Combine brown rice, wild rice and chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until all water is evaporated and rice is fully cooked, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.

When rice is cool, add orange slices, basil, red onion, pistachios and orange zest; mix to incorporate.

For the dressing:
Combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, orange juice, mustard, honey and salt in a metal bowl and whisk to incorporate.

Pour over rice mixture and toss to incorporate.

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The marriage of chicken and tarragon is a perfect match.  I have been making versions of this dish since the early years of our marriage.  I would say that chicken with tarragon and rice is one of David’s favorite dishes.  Most of the time I cut up a whole chicken, saute it in butter until it is browned, add wine and tarragon and cook covered on low until it is done.  I serve it with a rice pilau flavored with chicken broth and tarragon.

But this quick version is also a favorite.  I bought a package of chicken tenderloins, removed the white tendons, pounded them very thin and then sauteed them in butter until cooked through.  This took minutes.  The sauce was cooked separately and was redolent with shallots, wine, lemon juice, tarragon and butter.  I have fresh tarragon growing in a pot on my deck and love clipping the pretty green leaves.  But if you don’t have fresh tarragon, dry can be used.

This is an easy dish that is even good enough for company.  Serve it with rice pilau and blanched and sauteed green beans for a lovely meal.  The tarragon makes it special.

PAN-SEARED CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON BUTTER SAUCE (Adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
1/2 stick butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes.divided
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins, tendons removed, pounded thin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Cook shallot in 1 tablespoon butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add wine and boil until most of liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes.  Set aside.

Pat prepared chicken dry and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute chicken in batches, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through.  Transfer as cooked to a platter and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.

Return shallot mixture to moderately low heat and add remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 1 cube at a time, whisking until incorporated.  Remove from heat and whisk in tarragon, parsley, and lemon juice.  Spoon sauce over chicken.

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While we were in Washington DC a few weeks ago, we spent a Sunday morning visiting The Phillips Collection of art in one of the row houses in Dupont Circle.  We had decided that we wanted to stay in the neighborhood where our apartment was located.  As much as I admire the Metro System in DC, we found that the Red Line was undergoing an upgrade this Winter and parts of the track were closed.  On Saturday we had experienced delays, overcrowded cars and none of the ease that we had experienced in our previous visits.  Besides that, the morning was very cold, so being close to our warm apartment made sense.

The most well known painting in The Phillips Collection is Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party.  Duncan Phillips, an avid collector of modern art, acquired the painting in 1923.  He had opened his row house in Dupont Circle as an art museum in 1921.  Luncheon of the Boating Party “captures an idyllic atmosphere as Renoir’s friends share food, wine and conversation on a balcony overlooking the Seine at the Maison Fournaise Restaurant in Chatou.  Parisians flocked to the Maison Fournaise to rent rowing skiffs and . . . eat good meals.”   We also ate a good meal in the museum cafe, Tryst.  Chicken and barley soup was on the menu.  Due to the fact that I was still chilled to the bone, that was exactly what I wanted.  Lots of Hmmms later, David said “I know what you are thinking. You want to make this soup when you get home.”  He had it right.

The only decision was finding the right recipe that would be as close as possible to the soup that I had eaten.  Martha Stewart’s recipe won out.  It is full of vegetables and aromatic chicken and broth.  The barley is a quick cooking variety and I had this on the table in no time.  Each spoonful was as good as I remembered.  Even though we are all looking forward to Spring meals, this last hurrah to winter soups is worth your attention.

CHICKEN AND BARLEY SOUP  (Martha Stewart)

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 carrots, diced small
• 4 celery stalks, diced small
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 1 cup quick-cooking barley
• 5 ounces baby spinach (5 cups)

  1. STEP 1

     In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until chicken is opaque at edges, about 2 minutes.

  2. STEP 2

     Add broth and thyme and bring to a boil. Stir in barley. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until barley is tender and chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

  3. STEP 3

     Add spinach and cook until wilted, 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

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