Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

Because it has been so cold in Florida and because I have been reading so many blogs from the more frigid regions of our country, I just had to pull out the slow cooker to cook something long and slow all day; something that would perfume the house and build an anticipation for the satisfying meal to come. I had a chuck roast freshly defrosted from the freezer and several different recipes for crock pot beef to choose from. I ended up combining several.   What I was looking for was intense flavor to offset the richness of the beef.  The balsamic vinegar went a long way in achieving that goal.  There are some recipes for slow cooker beef that include dried onion soup mix and cream of “whatever” soup.  I try to stay away from those recipes.  The additive ladened products just seem to intensify over long cooking, in my humble opinion. And not in a good way.

The ingredients I used were simple; beef broth, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and a bit of ketchup.  The resulting beef was succulent and delicious.  The sauce was especially good.  It was so good in fact that for lunch the next day I made a “Dip Sandwich”.  The tender beef and juices made for a marvelous sandwich.

The sandwiches would be great for a super bowl party.

CROCK POT BALSAMIC SHREDDED BEEF

1 4 to 5 pound chuck roast
1 tablespoon of canola oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
Red pepper flakes to taste, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon

Place 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy bottomed skillet.  When hot, add chuck roast and cook until browned on one side.  Turn, add onions and garlic to pan along with the meat.  Cook on second side until it is browned and onions are softened.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Place browned meat. onions and garlic in a slow cooker.  Mix together the remainder of the ingredients and pour over beef.  Cook the beef, covered in the slow cooker on a low setting for 7 to 8 hours.  Remove beef to a plate.  Shred it with two forks and return to slow cooker to combine with the juices.   Serve.

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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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The greens of winter reach their peak during the frigid months of the year.  Collard greens, kale and cabbage are all in season right now.  We drove to the panhandle of Florida for our New Year’s celebration with friends and the backroads were lined with fields of greens.  Workers were bent to the task of picking the leafy foliage. These inexpensive, calcium and vitamin A rich vegetables add a vitality to our winter fare.  I plan to make full use of them in my meal planning this month.

Every year, we get together with our friends of many years for a New Year’s celebration.  We have met at each others’ homes, but have also rented houses or condos in interesting places.  Last year we rented a house on Tybee Island.  This year we rented a condo in Destin, Florida.  The above picture is the view of the Gulf of Mexico from our balcony.  The locations may change, but the food is always the same for New Year’s Day.

We roast a pork butt long and slow until it falls apart.  We have garlic mashed potatoes, collard greens, black-eyed peas, pea salad and Rosa’s cornbread.  This year we made corn muffins because Jackie forgot her iron skillet and the condo kitchen had only a muffin tin.  It was a fine meal.  The best ever.  You can find some of the recipes in one of my previous posts here.  David has taken over the making of the collard greens.  He loads them up with two ham hocks and cooks them for hours.  The recipe came from his secretary Rosa, who also gave us the cornbread recipe.  I wrote about her in this post.

David made such a big pot of collard greens that we came home with leftovers.  Not one to waste a good thing, I made a pasta dish incorporating the greens.  The original recipe came from Gourmet Magazine.  Since my greens were already cooked, it was easy to throw together.  We loved it.  I will give you the recipe as written in Gourmet and Rosa’s recipe for collard greens.  The Gourmet recipe did not call for a long cooking of the greens.  Either way, I think you would enjoy this.  Happy New Year everyone.

FUSILLI WITH COLLARDS, BACON, AND GARLIC ( Adapted from Gourmet Magazine )

1 pound collards, coarse stems discarded and the leaves washed well and chopped coarse
1/4 pound sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 large garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 large onion, sliced thin
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 pound fusilli (spiral-shaped pasta)
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
freshly grated Parmesan as an accompaniment

In a kettle of boiling water boil the collards for 10 minutes, drain them in a colander set over a large bowl, and return the cooking liquid to the kettle.  In a large skillet cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until it is just browned and transfer it with a slotted spoon to a small bowl.  Pour off the fat from the skillet and in the skillet cook the garlic, the onion, and the red pepper flakes in half the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened and the garlic is golden brown.  Bring the cooking liquid to a boil, in it boil the fusilli until it is al dente, and drain the fusilli well.  To the skillet add the collards, the bacon, the fusilli, the remaining oil, and the vinegar and toss the mixture well.  Season the fusilli with salt and pepper, divide it among 4 bowls, and sprinkle each serving with some of the Parmesan.  Serves 4.

ROSA’S COLLARD GREENS (This is a very loose recipe)

Put your ham hocks in water and cook on top of the stove.
Then cut the greens up, cut bottom stems off.  Do not cook stems, then wash greens 4 times in the sink.
Then put more water in the pot with the meat, add the greens.
Add hot peppers, salt, pinch of sugar.
Let cook about 1 hour and 1/2.

Printable recipe:  Fusilli with Collards, Bacon, and Garlic

Printable recipe:  Rosa’s Collard Greens

You can never have too many make-ahead casseroles in your arsenal during the holiday season.  Cauliflower recipes seem to be everywhere on the internet and on the cooking shows.  I made a cauliflower, kale and sausage soup recently and it was a real hit.  The thing about cauliflower is that it is such a mild vegetable that it picks up the flavors of anything that you add to it.

In this case, the additions were a bechamel sauce, Gruyere and Parmesan cheese and a crisp sourdough bread crumb topping.  It doesn’t hurt that the recipe came from the Barefoot Contessa.  We were having steaks for dinner the other night and I felt like making something other than potatoes to go with them.  This cauliflower gratin was the perfect choice.  I actually assembled it ahead of time and popped it into the oven when David lit the grill.

It was creamy, crunchy and delicious.  I am keeping this recipe to share with company.

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN

1 ( 3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh sourdough bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm.  Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.  Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil.  Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened.  Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch dish.  Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere.  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoon of the butter.  Drizzle over the bread crumb mixture.  Stir to combine and then sprinkle the mixture over the gratin.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned.

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Ginger, garlic, allspice and Mexican tomatoes with green chiles all combine to make this flavorful easy slow-cooker  Caribbean stew.  The winter weather seems to have griped much of our country.  Soups and stews are always welcomed in out household, even though we have not experienced the cold that many of you are facing.  This is my homage to the colder climes.  I remember how effectively a warm fire and a bowl of stew could chase away the bitter cold.  I can still picture us in our northern abode, huddled in front of our hearth clutching warm bowls of stew, spooning their warmth into our mouths, while sipping glasses of  Burgundy wine.  It was a comforting feeling knowing we were snug and warm while the winds blew and the snow swirled outside of our windows.  We are far from that weather now, but I have to admit that I enjoyed it and miss it.  So forgive me for romanticizing winter.  I also know the down side.

Because I have been so busy, I wanted to enlist my slow-cooker to be my kitchen ally for the day.  This recipe was in last years’ Food Network Magazine.  Once the prep work is done, there is nothing more to do for dinner, unless you want to heat some rolls or make a salad.   Stay warm.

SLOW-COOKER CARIBBEAN BEEF STEW

3 sprigs thyme
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
4 medium carrots, cut crosswise into thirds
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 10-ounce can Rotel (Mexican-style diced tomatoes with green chiles)
4 scallions
Hot sauce, for serving

Strip the leaves from 1 sprig thyme and chop; combine with the flour, allspice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper in a large bowl.  Add the beef and toss to coat.  Put the potatoes, carrots, the remaining 2 thyme sprigs, the ginger and garlic in a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker.  Add the beef, reserving any excess seasoned flour in the bowl.  Whisk 1/2 cup water and the Worcestershire sauce into the reserved seasoned flour, then add to the slow cooker.  Pour the tomatoes on top.  Cover and cook on low 7 hours or on high 4 hours.

Add the scallions to the stew and season with salt.  Divide among bowls and serve with hot sauce.

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