Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

This is a quick meal that brings back memories of an earlier time.  And a more simple time.  Most people equate salisbury steak with the TV dinners that were popular in the ’50’s and ’60’s.  We have come a long way since that time.  Even though that time was known for TV dinners, it was also the era of simple meals of meat and potatoes.  My Mother was known for her pork chops, meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  We never had such exotic food from other countries like pizza pie.  Technology and Julia Child changed all of that.  With the advent of cooking programs on television, many people were introduced to food from other nations.  Now with the internet, we can even cook the same food that is currently being prepared in home kitchens all over the world.  Social media has introduced us to quinoa, chia seeds and hemp hearts among other things.  I have been adding hemp hearts to my morning oatmeal.  Who would have thought?

But sometimes, an old-fashioned meal like this “updated” salisbury steak with French onion gravy is most welcomed.  Instead of potatoes it is served with  toasted slices of sourdough bread with Swiss cheese.  The gravy is a riff on French onion soup with beef broth, lots of onions, a little wine and a touch of tomato paste.  I enjoyed this combination.

Hope you enjoy this blast from the past.  To be honest, I am glad that we now have so many options, but still love the classics.

FRENCH ONION SALISBURY STEAK  (Adapted from Cuisine at Home )   

1 1/4 ground chuck
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
2 Tablespoons scallions, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Black pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cups onions, sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley for garnish
4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese, shredded
Cheese Toasts – Recipe follows

Combine chuck, parsley, scallion, salt, and pepper.  Divide evenly into 4 portions and shape each into 3/4-inch-1-inch thick oval patties.  Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge each patty in flour.  Reserve 1 teaspoon flour.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add patties and saute 3 minutes on each side, or until browned.  Remove from pan.  Add onions and sugar to pan; saute 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic and tomato paste; saute 1 minute, or until paste begins to brown.  Sprinkle onions with reserved flour; cook 1 minute.  Stir in broth and wine, then add the salt and thyme.

Return meat to pan and bring soup to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.  Serve steaks on Cheese Toasts with onion soup ladled over.  Garnish with parsley and Parmesan.

CHEESE TOASTS

4 slices French bread or Sourdough baguette, cut diagonally (1/2-inch thick)
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
Pinch of paprika
1/4 cup Swiss cheese, grated
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place bread on a baking sheet.  Combine butter garlic, and paprika, and spread on one side of each slice of bread.  Combine cheeses and sprinkle evenly over butter.  Bake until bread is crisp and cheese is bubbly, 10-15

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What a fun meal!  I am going to adapt this idea to all kinds of different fillings.  Meat pies, or pasties, have a long tradition.  When Cornish miners migrated to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in the 1800’s they brought this meat pie recipe with them.  It was later adopted by the wave of Finnish miners who followed.  It was easy to eat while underground.  The miners reheated their hand pies on shovels set over mining candles.

I have mentioned before that David’s Mother’s family were Finnish and settled in the UP.  Their last name was Syrjanen.  David’s Grandfather Gus Syrjanen founded the Trenary Home Bakery that is still in operation today.  It is known for its Trenary Toast.  There is also a family connection to designers and architects Eliel and Eero Saarinen.  When we were in the UP researching family history we enjoyed eating pasties at several small restaurants.  At the time, David did not love them, but the version I made this time was a real hit.

It was probably the hot chicken sausage that did it for him.  Most pasty recipes use ground beef and potatoes, which can be rather bland.  This was very tasty with the sausage, onions, red bell peppers and spinach.  The crust was made from Pillsbury pie dough so was easy to assemble.  You could make your own pastry but I needed a quick dinner the night that I made these.  They were perfect over a tossed salad.

Pasties or hand pies are so versatile.  You can fill them with anything.  How about a Mexican filling with ground beef, cumin, salsa and cheese.  Or make it vegetarian with black beans and cheese.  My DIL Kristen made a version using pizza dough, seasoned chicken, sour cream and cheese.  There are so many possibilities.

SAUSAGE AND SPINACH TURNOVERS (Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine )

1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 Medium red potato, peeled and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 (3.5 oz.) links of hot chicken Italian sausage, casings removed
3 cups bagged washed baby spinach
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt to taste
1/2 package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
1 tablespoon water
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil.  Add potatoes, bell pepper, and onion to pan; saute 4 minutes or until onion begins to brown, stirring frequently.  Add sausage; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.  Stir in spinach; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts.  Stir in basil, crushed red pepper, and salt.  Remove from heat.

Cut dough into 4 equal portions.  Roll each portion into a 5-inch circle.  Spoon about 1/2 cup sausage mixture on half of each circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border.  Fold dough over sausage mixture until edges almost meet.  Bring bottom edge of dough over top edge; crimp edges of dough to form a rim.

Place turnovers on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg white in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk; brush evenly over dough.  Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons cheese over each turnover.  Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes or until golden brown.  Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

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We returned to Florida from North Carolina just before winter storm Octavia descended upon the state. Because the Southern states were being hit so hard with snow, ice and sleet, there was a danger that power outages would occur.  It was a comfort to see over 30 power company trucks with buckets traveling in convoy from Florida up I 95 to the affected states.  I’m sure there were more Florida utility trucks traveling north up I 75 as well.  We are definitely the United States of America.  It was also a comfort to me to watch the outside temperature gauge in our car rise from 16 degrees in NC to 75 degrees in Florida.

This bowl of pasta and shrimp was also a comfort to me the day after we got home.  I was in the mood for something citrusy and healthy but with a little heft to it.  After all, I was still trying to thaw out.

The dish is elegant and easy.  Rosy salmon, pale green leaks and fresh herbs are tossed with broad pappardelle pasta.  I adapted the recipe from Cooking Light Magazine.  I didn’t have all of the fresh herbs that they called for, but used what I had; which was parsley, basil and thyme.  It is nice to be able to keep small pots of herbs just outside my door.  The lemons came from our small tree.

This had the taste of spring to me.  For all of you who are suffering through this brutal winter, I wish you an early spring.  In the meantime, this recipe might help a little.  Enjoy.

PAPPARDELLE WITH SALMON AND LEEKS

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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If you have leftover ham from the holidays, this is a perfect way to use it.  This lovely layered dish gives “casserole” a good name.  Pasta, Gruyere cheese, minced ham and chopped spinach are bound together in an eggy custard and topped with rye bread crumbs.  I made this on a cold dreary afternoon at the lake.  Photographing it was a real problem, so what you see was snapped the next day in the slanting light on our porch.  The good news is that this dish can be reheated and still tastes as good as the first time.

A cold front is headed to Lake Lure and we are looking forward to lighting a fire in the kitchen fireplace and cooking something in the coals.  David has a fascination with hearth cookery.  We have an adjustable fireplace grill that just fits into our fire box and a cast iron spider pot with legs.  The pot sits in the coals and is perfect for cooking stews and roasts.

David has accomplished a lot this week.  Because the lake level has been lowered, he was able to shore up the sea wall and reinforce the boat house supports.

I had a wonderful lunch with my dear blogging friend Penny of The Comforts of Home.  We met in Hendersonville, ate brick oven pizza, and shopped on Main Street. It was chilly but sunny. The frigid temperatures remind me of winters in Michigan where I grew up.  As nostalgic as it is, I have to say that I am looking forward to returning to Florida soon.

We enjoyed this casserole which I adapted from a recipe in Gourmet Magazine from 1993.  Every time I return to the lake, I peruse my collection of magazines dating back to 1968.  I wonder if any of them are now collector’s items?  The one thing I know for sure is that any recipe from Gourmet is a winner.

HAM, SPINACH, AND PASTA GRATIN

1/2 pound fusilli or other dried pasta
2 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 1/2 pound)
1 pound cooked ham, chopped fine (preferably in a food processor, about 3 cups)
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, cooked, drained, and squeezed dry
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
5 large eggs
3 cups milk
1 1/4 cups fresh rye bread crumbs

In a pot of salted boiling water boil the pasta until it is al dente, drain it well, and spread it in a greased 2-quart flameproof shallow baking dish.  Sprinkle the pasta with 1/2 cups of the Gruyere, top the Gruyere with the ham, spreading it evenly, and sprinkle the ham with 1 cup of the remaining Gruyere.  In a heavy skillet cook the onion and the garlic in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, add the spinach, the nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the excess liquid is evaporated.  Top the ham layer with the spinach mixture.

In a bowl whisk together the eggs, the milk, and salt and pepper to taste, pour the custard slowly over the spinach mixture, and bake the gratin, covered with foil, in the middle of a preheated 400 degree oven for 50 minutes, or until the custard is set.  Discard the foil, in a small bowl toss together the remaining 1 cup Gruyere and the bread crumbs, and sprinkle the topping evenly over the custard.  Broil the grain under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bread crumbs are golden brown.  Serves 6 to 8.

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