Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

To continue the Greens of Winter theme, I made this flavorful and simple chicken dish that utilizes convenient store-bought products.  It was a featured recipe in Publix’s Aprons Simple Meal Program.  Every week they feature recipes from products on their aisles.  All of the ingredients are gathered at the cooking station so that, if, after sampling the dish and it is to your liking, you can gather all of the ingredients to make it; all in one place.  Genius!

Here are the major players in the dish.  I forgot to include the red wine vinegar and the sugar, but you get the general idea.  The Aprons Program is a wonderful idea for harried cooks and working families who have very little time to shop, but still want to serve their families home-cooked meals.  This was almost just as simple as ordering a pizza or stopping for take-out chinese food.  Nutritionally there is no contest. It is low in fat and full of healthy ingredients.

The only addition I made to this meal was a pot of mashed potatoes.  A brown and wild rice mix would also be good.  I think we are off to a great start in the New Year.

CHICKEN OVER WARM KALE AND ASPARAGUS SALAD (Publix Aprons Simple Meals)

1 ( 3 oz ) package shallots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 lb fresh asparagus spears
1 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/4 teaspoon garlic/herb seasoning, divided
2 tablespoon canola oil
1 pint grape tomatoes
3 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 ( 5 oz ) container kale salad blend
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

PREP: Chop shallots and basil.  Cut asparagus into 1-inch long pieces, removing tough root end.

STEPS:
1. Preheat large saute pan on medium-high 2-3 minutes.  Season chicken with 1 teaspoon garlic/herb seasoning (wash hands).  Place oil in pan, then add chicken; cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until browned.

2. Reduce heat to low.  Stir in tomatoes and shallots; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes are softened.

3. Combine vinegar and sugar, then stir into tomato mixture; cook 8-10 minutes, turning chicken occasionally, or until liquid has reduced by about one-half and chicken is 165 degrees F.  Remove chicken from pan; let stand 5 minutes to rest.

4. Stir kale, basil, asparagus, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon seasoning into tomato mixture; cook 1 minute or until salad is wilted.  Transfer salad to serving plates; slice chicken and arrange on top of salad.  Sprinkle with cheese; serve.  Serves 4.

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I am alone this week.  What a change from the full house that we had last week.  Let me explain the circumstances.  The family had to leave on Tuesday.  But David also left on Tuesday.  He is riding his motorcycle to Michigan and beyond.  Yes see, I have a 50th class reunion on September 14th in my hometown of Dowagiac, Michigan.  David decided that this would be a good opportunity for him to ride his bike around Lake Superior.  So David, one friend from here, and one of my classmates from Michigan are on a Lake Superior odyssey which will take them into Canada and the UP of Michigan as they round that majestic body or water.  He will get back to our hometown in time for the reunion.

The quiet time has been both good and disconcerting.  It is hard to bid farewell to a house full of loved ones with active kiddos.  When your spouse leaves too the silence can be deafening. But it hasn’t been hard to fill the time.  The good part has been the time spent reading on the sleeping porch while listening to the lapping water, bird calls and scurrying squirrels gathering nuts for winter.  That has been very relaxing and a reminder of why I love the lake so much.  The rest of the time has been devoted to putting the house back in order, cleaning the refrigerator and actually doing some cooking.  Not only do I have to eat, but I also have to post recipes if I want to stay active on my blog.  Blogging has always been a relaxing creative outlet for me.  And it seems to be easier as a solitary pursuit.

I normally would have made this easy chicken recipe in the late afternoon so that we could have it for dinner.  But with David away, I made it at 1:00 o’clock so that I could take advantage of the natural light for photography purposes.  I just reheated  one of the breast pieces for my dinner later.  The rest will be lunches and dinners to come.

Who said cooking for one has to be a chore?  This recipe came from Gourmet Magazine.  It is hard to believe that something so quick and easy could be so good.  The combination of grainy mustard, apricot preserves, soy sauce and almonds makes simple chicken breasts dazzle.  Served with a simple wild rice blend and green beans, I ate well indeed.  With one week to go before the reunion do you think I have time to diet?  Probably not.

APRICOT CHICKEN WITH ALMONDS (Adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

4 (6-oz) skinless boneless chicken breast halves (I used 6 small breasts)
5/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to hold the breasts without crowding.

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Arrange in baking dish and Bake for 10 minutes.

While chicken bakes, toast almonds in a small baking pan in oven stirring twice, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook apricot preserves, soy sauce, mustard, butter, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until preserves are melted.  Pour sauce over chicken and continue to bake until chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes more.

Turn on broiler and broil chicken 4 to 5 inches from heat, basting once, until chicken is glazed and browned in spots, about 3 minutes.  Serve sprinkled with almonds.

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Soup season is upon us.  So many of my favorite blogs are featuring delicious concoctions in a pot; everything from Pasta e fagiolo to Indian-spiced lentils and lamb stew.  Everyone has such warming, stick-to-the-ribs recipes.  This chicken gnocchi soup came about because it was what I had in the pantry and fridge.

The night before I made the soup we had a roasted chicken from an organic bird for which I had gladly paid a premium price.  I flavored it with rosemary, tarragon and lemon.  I turned the pan drippings into a light sauce by adding a little more chicken broth thickened with cornstarch and adding more tarragon.  It was delicious with tarragon flavored rice pilaf.  With a half of a chicken leftover and the pan drippings, I knew I wanted to make a soup.  I did not want to waste one iota of that succulent bird.

In my pantry was a package of mini-gnocchi, which you can find on the pasta aisle of your supermarket,  a box of chicken broth, and onions.  The fridge yielded carrots, celery, broccoli  spears and half and half.  I was good to go.

This was a most satisfying soup and it was easy to make.  Some of the components were influenced by the Chicken Gnocchi Soup that is served at Olive Garden.  But basically it was influenced by what I had on hand.

“There is nothing like soup.  It is by nature eccentric: not two are ever alike, unless of course you get your soup in a can.”   Laurie Colwin, Home Cooking (1988).

CHICKEN GNOCCHI SOUP

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, shredded
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme sprigs
1 pound of cooked, cubed chicken (Or 1/2 of a roasted chicken)
4 cups chicken broth
Drippings or gravy from roasted chicken if you have it
1 16 ounce package mini potato gnocchi
2 cups blanched broccoli florets
2 cups half and half
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic and thyme and cook until the onion is softened.  Add the chicken cubes and broth and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes.  Add the gnocchi and cook until dumplings come to the top (about 5 minutes).  Add broccoli and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.  Stir in half and half and heat until hot but not boiling.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

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This salad is a last hurrah to Summer.  It showcases the late peaches of the season and an organic fennel bulb that I picked up at the market.  With those I made a peach salsa to garnish my grilled chicken and salad greens.

The salsa also includes roasted red peppers and onions.  It made enough to have on hand for other uses over the next few days.

The inspiration for this dish came from a wonderful new cookbook that I purchased last month.  One of my favorite restaurants in Asheville, NC is The Tupelo Honey Cafe.

The name Tupelo Honey comes from a special honey produced by bees that get their nectar from a rare tupelo tree that grows in the river basins of NW Florida.  It has a distinct flavor and changes slightly from year to year.  The Tupelo Honey Cafe also has a distinct flavor.  It is a reflection of the new South where grits become grits with goat cheese and fried chicken becomes nutty fried chicken with sweet potato mash.  The plain biscuit becomes a ginormous biscuit with tomato shallot gravy and a BLT becomes a southern fried chicken BLT.  These are just a few of the riffs on Southern classics that are served at The Tupelo Honey Cafe.  Chef Brian Sonoskus and co-author Elizabeth Sims have recently come out with The Tupelo Honey Cafe Cookbook.

I love the unique recipes in this book.  I also love the concept behind the recipes.   One of the first chapters is “The Larder”.  These recipes are for salsas, gravies, sauces, dressings, spreads and preserves.  They are the keys to the great flavors that make all of the recipes shine.

The peach fennel salsa gives this salad a kick, but the homemade pecan vinaigrette is also the perfect addition to the whole flavor profile.

The chicken is marinated in pineapple juice, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic and ginger before it is sauteed on a grill pan.  There are 4 recipes to follow to bring the whole dish together. But it is so worth the time that it takes because, once it is prepped, it can all be pulled together at the last minute.  It reminds me of a restaurant kitchen where each component is made ahead and ready to go for the final flourish and presentation.   I love this concept.  Next I will try the Sweet Potato Pancakes with Peach Butter and Spiced Pecans.  See what I mean?

PEACHY GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD WITH PECAN VINAIGRETTE

For the Chicken:
3 to 4 boneless chicken breasts
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger

Combine pineapple juice, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic and ginger.  Add chicken breast and marinate in fridge for 2 to 4 hours.  Remove from marinade and saute on a preheated ridged grill  pan or in an iron skillet turning once until cooked through. about 4 minutes per side.  Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, let rest and then slice thinly.

For the Peach Fennel Salsa:
1/2 cup diced fresh fennel (bulb, stalk, and feathery leaves, tough outer layer discarded)
2 cups peeled and diced peaches (about 4 peaches)
1 cup diced roasted red bell pepper (I used the jarred variety)
1/2 cup diced red onion
4 teaspoons roasted garlic oil (I cooked 4 whole garlic cloves in 1/4 cup olive oil for about 20 minutes)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine the fennel, peaches, bell peppers, onion, garlic oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 30 minutes.  The salsa can be kept refrigerated for 2 days.

For the Pecan Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 1/2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons tupelo honey (or what you have)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup canola oil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pulling it All Together:

Place salad greens in individual bowls.  Top with chicken slices and salsa.  Serve with the vinaigrette drizzled over the top.  Garnish with a fennel frond if desired.

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My husband and I actually went to high school together.  He graduated a year ahead of me.  This summer his class held their 50th class reunion.  Can that really be possible?  So the weekend before last we traveled back to Michigan to attend the event.  It was great to see everyone.  In my opinion most people looked the same because, in my mind’s eye, I can still picture the teenagers that dwell within.  I hope everyone else has as vivid an imagination as I have.

A trip home also includes time spent with my Brother and his family.  My Sister-In-Law, Barb, claims not to be a good cook, but I have never had a bad meal in her house.  In spite of the fact that she read the recipe wrong for this Caribbean Pork Stew with Peppers, it tasted yummy and makes a great Crock Pot meal.

My niece Morgan loves to cook and her contribution to the meal was flavorful Hawaiian Chicken Skewers.  The skewers were threaded with cubed chicken breast, pineapple chunks and red onions.

My Brother Bill is a grill master.  He refuses to use a gas grill and everything is done over charcoal and sometimes flavored with wood chips.  He has a serious grilling platform.

He has 6 Weber grills and sometimes they are all in use at the same time.  Bill got all of his grills for free.  His charcoal grills were all discards.  People throw away grills when the bases rust out.  The grills themselves are usually just fine.  He mounted the grills on old gas grill bases that were also discards.

In addition to the wonderful meals we were served, I came home with a bounty of potatoes and tomatoes from Bill’s garden.

Here are Barb’s and Morgan’s recipes.  I am lucky to have such a talented and creative family.  By the way Barb just started a blog called The ReShore House.  She and Bill live in an 1860 house on 2 1/2 city lots next door to the house where Bill and I grew up.  Mrs. ReShore still appears on occasion to those who believe in ghosts.  Visit Barb’s new venture that chronicles her antique business and life in an old house.  Welcome her to our blogging community.  Thanks.

CARIBBEAN PORK STEW WITH PEPPERS

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 lbs boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper , cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 cups orange juice

In a large resealable food storage platsic bag, place flour, salt and pepper.  Add pork; sela bag and shake to coat.  In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Brown pork cubes in oil on all sides, working in batches if necessary.

Spray 31/2 to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.  With slotted spoon, remove pork from skillet to slow cooker.  Stir in all remaning ingredients.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours.   Serve over cooked rice.

HAWAIIAN CHICKEN SKEWERS

6 boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 red onion, cut into 1 to 2 inch squares
Cubed pineapple to taste
1 bottle of Lawry’s Hawaiian Marinade
Garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste

Sprinkle cubed chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Place in resealable plastic bag.  Add marinade and marinate overnight or 8 hours or so.  Remove chicken from bag.  Place chicken cubes alternately with red onion squares and pineapple chunks on skewers that have been soaked in water for 1 hour.  Grill over indirect heat on a charcoal grill until chicken is cooked through.

Printable recipe – Pork Stew with Peppers

Printable recipe – Hawaiian Chicken Skewers