Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

I can’t believe I haven’t blogged about these hamburgers before.  There is nothing special about them.  They are easy.  They are based on a recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child.  I first had them years ago at a friend’s house.  She was working full time as a teacher and had two kids under three.  Preparing company meals was not a high priority.  But that did not stop Janice from inviting us to dinner and serving a meal that was tres chic.  With the French hamburgers she served rice pilaf, petite peas (from a frozen box), and bakery croissants.  We drank a very good jug wine.  We felt festive and pampered.

I made the French hamburgers for us last week for dinner.  I was getting ready for company for bike week and wanted an easy meal.  But this time I used a good red wine, choppped shallots instead of onions and a good quality ground round.  I could have simply made Uncle Ben’s rice (the wine sauce is good on the rice), but I had just seen a recipe on Pinterest for Muffin Tin Onion Gruyere Potato Stacks and wanted to try them.  Thinly sliced potatoes, onions and Gruyere are stacked in muffin tin cups and baked.  They are so delicious.

With the meal I served a simple succotash from a freezer bag.  Sometimes simplicity is the key to a great meal.

The only thing missing was the croissant.

Here are some pictures taken during bike week.  The first has nothing to do with bike week.

Our friends brought us berets to take with us on our trip to France in June.

We enjoyed some great riding and people watching during bike week.  But frankly I think I will have more fun in Paris.  Enjoy this (loosely) inspired meal from France.

FRENCH HAMBURGERS

1 pound ground beef round
1 onion chopped, or three chopped shallots
Salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1 cup red wine

Form ground round into three patties.  Heat an iron skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot add hamburger patties, season, and cook until browned on both sides.  Remove from pan and let rest on a plate.  Reduce heat in skillet and add onion or shallots to pan.  Cook until onions are softened.  Add wine and cook for about 5 minutes to reduce slightly.  Return hamburgers to pan and cook to desired doneness.  Serve topped with wine and onion sauce.

Serves 2.

MUFFIN TIN ONION GRUYERE POTATO STACKS (From Stonegable’s Kitchen)

5 Baking Potatoes
2 onions, chopped
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups grated cheese, Gruyere or cheddar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Heavy cream or half and half
Cooking spray
Thyme sprigs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Thinly slice raw potatoes.  You can use a mandolin or slice them by hand 1/8th inch thick.  Set aside.  Melt about 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet and saute onion over a low heat until traslucent and slightly golden.  Add 2 more tablespoons butter to pan and let melt.  Set aside.

Spray all twelve muffin cups of a regular size muffin pan.

Add 1 slice of potato to the bottom of each muffin cup. Salt and pepper.  Add 1 more slice of potato to each.  Top each potato evenly with 1/2 of onion butter mixture.  Add 2 more potato slices to each muffin cup.  Sprinkle 1/2 of the grated cheese evenly over potatoes.  Add 1 more potato slice to each and salt and pepper.  Add another potato slice and evenly add the remaining onion and butter mixture.  Add an additional 1 to 2 potato slices and top evely with remaining cheese.

Pour 1 tablespoon cream over each potato stack.

Bake for 35 minutes until potaotes are tender.  Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Run a sharp knife around the edges of each muffin cup and pop each stack out with a fork.

Garnish with thyme.

Printable recipe French Hamburgers

Printable recipe Muffin Tin Potatoes

Do you have a favorite meatloaf recipe?  Most people do.  I do not.  I guess it’s because I can never leave well enough alone.  I am always looking for that elusive “best” combination.  This recipe comes pretty close to being in that category.  It helps that it was first published in Gourmet Magazine,  I have found that their recipes are almost always outstanding.

Some say that for a meatloaf to be great it has to have a combination of ground beef, veal and pork.  The supermarkets even sell a combination of meats for meatloaf.  I have made meatloaf with all ground beef, ground turkey and with various combinations.  This meatloaf adds ground pork to the ground beef mixture and it enhances the flavor.

But what sets this recipe apart is the addition of dried cherries and bacon.  You can use any dried fruit that you like, but I like the cherries.  Three strips of raw bacon and the cherries are ground together in a food processor and added to the meat mixture.  It adds a nice sweet and smoky flavor to the meatloaf.  The carrots, celery and onions also contribute to the texture.

Give this a try for dinner.  If you have a meatloaf that you love and would like to share it, email me with the recipe.  My quest is ongoing.

GOURMET MEATLOAF

1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (from 2 slices firm white sandwich bread)
1/3 cup milk
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium celery rib, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries or pitted prunes, chopped
1 1/2 pound ground beef chuck
1/2 pound ground pork (not lean)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.  Cover skillet and reduce heat to low, then cook until carrot is tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.  Add to bread crumb mixture.

Finely chop bacon and cherries or prunes in a food processor, then add to onion mixture along with beef, pork, eggs, and parsley and mix together with your hands.

Pack mixture together into a loaf and place in a shallow baking dish.  Spread ketchup over top and bake for approximately 1 1/4 hours.

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Two of my favorite cooks are Ina Garten and Dorie Greenspan.  Imagine taking their recipes for cauliflower gratin and combining them.  You have an immediate winner.  What I love about Dorie’s recipe is the bacon.  Cauliflower is somewhat bland and adding crispy bacon gives it a smoky punch.  What I love about Ina’s recipe is the Gruyere cheese sauce.  Although Dorie’s recipe has Gruyere cheese in it, the sauce is an egg custard and I was looking for more of a white sauce with cheese.

This is definitely a company-worthy dish.  It goes well with grilled meats and fish or simple roasts or chicken.  We have had it for several meals now and it reheats well.  I will be making another gratin next week when our friends are here for a visit.  It is always nice to have a great casserole in your repertoire.

The only thing I will do differently next time is use fresh breadcrumbs instead of whole wheat dried breadcrumbs.  The dried breadcrumbs were too dark and dense.  I think the cauliflower florets would show better with the fresh breadcrumbs.

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN (Adapted from Ina Garten and Dorie Greenspan)

1 head of cauliflower, cut into large florets
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups hot milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 to 4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  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 salt and pepper to taste, the nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere cheese and the Parmesan cheese.

Pour one third of the sauce on the bottom of an 8x11x2-inch baking dish.  Place the drained cauliflower on top and sprinkle the bacon pieces over it.  Spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top.  Combine the breadcrumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top.  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned.

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We love Thai restaurants.  We have a favorite in Hendersonville, NC when we are staying at the lake.  We also have a favorite in Jacksonville, Fl.  I have attempted to cook Thai food at home, but it never seems to have the complex flavors of the curries that I have eaten in restaurants.  The lemongrass, fish sauce and Thai basil all contribute to the complex nuances.

While I was getting my hair cut last month I was talking to my hairdresser about food.  Duh . . . What else do I talk about with such authority?  I was lamenting the lack of alternative food markets in the area.  She said, ” I don’t know what you are looking for, but you really ought to check out the Asian Market up the road”  I had no idea it existed as it is in a small strip mall set back off the main road going through town.

It is a wonderful place.  The parking spaces are usually all full and the small market buzzes with people roaming its crowded aisles.  There before me were sheaves of lemongrass and packages of purple stemmed Thai basil for $1.00 a package.  There were so many Asian inspired sauces and fruits and vegetables that I was in a fog of shopping bliss.

The variety of peppers was astounding and the packages of unusual herbs for $1.00 each made me very happy.

After shopping I came home with what I needed to put together a red curry chicken.

The basil you see in this picture is not the Thai basil.  Thai basil has purple stems and has more of an anise flavor than regular basil.  They were out of it when I returned for more ingredients.  The lemongrass stalks are woody and have to be treated right so that they are not stringy.  They have a lemon flavor.  If you can’t find them you can use lemon zest and lemon juice.  I use lite coconut milk and red curry paste.  I decided to leave out the fish sauce.

I combined the Thai ingredients with chicken breast cubes, red and green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers and red onions.  We loved it.  Now we don’t have to jump in the car and go to a restaurant when we need our Thai curry fix.

They say you should photograph your food on plain white plates but I love pretty plates.  I think my curry looks special on one of my Paris Royal black and white plates.

THAI RED CURRY CHICKEN

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 to 2 jalepeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic
1 stalk of lemongrass (peeled and sliced thinly) or zest of one lemon
3 to 4 tablespoons red curry paste (More if you like it hotter)
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 can of coconut milk or lite coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Jasmine or brown rice as an accompaniment

Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the chicken breast pieces and cook until all sides are browned.  Remove chicken to a plate.  Add the peppers and onions and cook until wilted.  Add the garlic and lemongrass if you are using.  (My lemongrass was too woody and I substituted the lemon zest).

Return chicken to skillet and add the red curry paste, coconut milk and Thai basil leaves.  Stir the ingredients and cook over low heat until the flavors come together (about 20 minutes).

Serve over rice.  Makes 4 servings.

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Food beautiful food.  What is not to love about this colorful plate of Chicken Paillards with Orange Salsa as shown above.  For me, that love would not have been possible last week.  I was sure that I was doomed to live on saltine crackers and gatorade for the rest of my life.

The background:  We traveled to Cary, NC to spend time with our Son, DIL and two Grandkids before driving to Emerald Isle for Grandson Camerons’s 1st birthday party with the extended family.  All four of them had had the flu before we arrived, but were over it.  We arrived on Wednesday.  Thursday we dropped GD Rachel off at her art class and killed time at a local brewery just down the street from her studio.  Son Michael ordered onion rings and “fried pickles” to go with a glass of the local brew.  I said ” I don’t think I can eat all of that greasy food”.  “Not to worry Mom”, he said.   “OK” I said.  I ate it.

Later that night:  Heartburn, or so I thought.  Wrong!  Full blown flu gripped me and stayed with me all night.  David and I decided that we could not leave with them to go to the beach.  I was too weak and did not want to expose the rest of the family to the bug.  Michael, Kristen and the kids headed for the beach on Friday.  That night David got the flu too.

As I lay in bed feeling the worst misery I had felt in a long time, these were the thoughts running through my mind:

I will never, ever, eat fried pickles again.  Don’t even think about them!

How can I continue to blog about food?  I hate food.  Maybe I could blog about bread, but only if it’s toasted.

We are going to Paris in June.  I can’t even think about fromage, charcuterie, or wine.  No picnics for me.  What a waste.  Too late to cancel.

My life of loving food is over.  Just give my some thin gruel and I will survive.  Maybe.

As David and I nursed our stomachs with crackers and gatorade at the kids house, word started filtering back from the beach. The cousins were starting to get sick.  Then Kristen’s Mom got sick.  Then her brother-in-law was laid low.  Before the weekend was over, everyone at the beach was stricken with the flu.  It turned out that we were all exposed to the Norovirus ( Cruise ship virus ).  This flu is virulent and highly contagious.  There is no vaccine for it and those exposed are contagious long after the symptoms subside.

It has been a week and we are back in Florida, still weak but on the mend.  This was the first real meal I have made in a long time.

The love for food is coming back.  I was drawn to the produce aisle of the supermarket for some reason.  They had a box of little cutie mandarin oranges that looked health giving in their vitamin C rich orange skins.  I made a salsa with them to go with pounded chicken breasts.  With cherry tomatoes, celery, red onion and jalapeno peppers it made a vibrant topping.  With the dish I served healthy quinoa and fresh sauteed kale.

I think I will survive to cook again and make the trip to Paris.  But I will never have another fried pickle again, even if it had nothing to do with what happened.

CHICKEN PAILLARDS WITH ORANGE SALSA ( Bon Appetit )

4 chicken breast halves
4 clementines, mandarin oranges or oranges, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and cut into thin rings
1/2 to 2/3 cup juice from clementines or oranges (about 6 clementines)

2 tablespoons oil for sauteing chicken

Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper and pound to about 1/4 inch thickness.

Mix oranges and next 8 ingredients in medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook until slightly browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.  Transfer chicken to platter.  Add clementine juice to skillet, boil until reduced to about 1/4 cup, stirring often, about 2 minutes.  Drizzle sauce over chicken.  Spoon salsa over and serve.

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