Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

I have blogged about this recipe before, but since it is one of my favorites and because I am always changing recipes to improve them, I thought it would be a good idea to update it.  Lots of people make short ribs on the bone.  Although I love the flavor that the bones impart to a slow roasted dish it does make it harder to cut and eat.  When you are feeding a crowd I prefer boneless, succulent, fall apart beef short ribs.

Variations of this beef casserole have become popular at our large family celebrations.  But it occurred to me that it would also make a great alternative to steak for that Valentine dinner for two.  Just cut the recipe in half.

The ingredients combine to produce a very unique flavor.  Along with the wine and beef broth the sauce is flavored with orange zest strips, dried ancho chile for heat, cinnamon for a hit of spice and chocolate for a smooth lusciousness.  The vegetables are added, not only for their flavor, but for their thickening quality when the sauce is pureed.  Best of all,  the short ribs can be prepared and assembled in advance, giving you more time to make that decadent chocolate mousse for your special Valentine.

SPICED CABERNET BONELESS SHORT RIBS

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds Boneless Beef Short Ribs (about 14)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 onions, chopped
3 carrots, cut into small chunks
2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfindal
1 cinnamon stick
1 dried Ancho Chile, stemmed and halved
2 cups beef broth
The zest of one orange, cut into thick strips
1 ounce good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Season short ribs with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven.  Saute short ribs in batches.  Remove them to a plate when they are browned.  Add additional olive oil to Dutch oven if necessary.  Add chopped vegetables and saute until onion is softened.

Deglaze the pan with the wine.  Add the cinnamon stick, Ancho chile, and orange zest strips.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the wine is reduced by half.  Add the chocolate.  Stir to incorporate.  Return the ribs to the pan and add enough beef broth to just cover.  Bring to a simmer.  Cover and place in the oven.  Bake for 3 hours.

Remove meat from pot and place in serving casserole.  Strain the sauce, discard the cinnamon stick and puree the strained vegetables, chili and orange zest.  Bring the liquid to a boil and cook for 5 minutes to reduce it slightly.  Add the pureed vegetables and stir to combine and thicken the sauce.  Pour sauce over short ribs and serve.

Printable recipe

Back in the early years of our marriage, we often had dinner parties.  It was the late 70’s and everyone was doing it.  At the time there were so many “exotic” foods to try;  Coq au vin, paella with that strange and expensive spice saffron, and Beef Wellington.

We had fun in the kitchen.  One of my favorite cookbooks of that time was The Pleasure of your Company by  Diana and Paul von Welanetz.  They were world travelers and cooking instructors from California.  Diana had studied at the Cordon Bleu and the couple loved food of all ethnic origins.  The Pleasure of your Company had recipes for, among many,  A Spanish Paella Party, An Italian Dinner for a Couple or a Crowd, A German Party for Eight or More and An Elegant Dinner Party in the New Orleans Manner.

The menu for the Elegant Dinner Party in the New Orleans Manner was very French.  It included Oysters Rockefeller, Coq au Vin, French-Style Baked Peas, Croissants, French Quarter Ice Cream Torte with Fudge Sauce and Cafe Brulot.  I made it often.

The other night I pulled a package of frozen peas out of the freezer, they being the only vegetable I had for dinner and a light bulb went on in my head.  “What about those French peas I used to make?”  “Where is that cookbook?”  Luckily it was on my cookbook shelf here in Florida and I turned to the much used and stained page.

I am calling this vegetable dish “Retro” because it was something I used to do and because of the casserole I cooked it in.

This Pyrex casserole is 46 years old.  It was a wedding present.  It has a lid and I still love using it.  It is perfect for the Peas Francais.  One of the reasons I love this recipe is that you put frozen peas directly in the oven with pats of butter, chopped shallots and lettuce.  Easy peasy, literally.

The finished dish tastes great.  The bit of sugar, butter, shallots and lettuce make a big difference.  David tasted the peas and said “Ah . . . now I remember this”.  A trip down memory lane indeed.

FRENCH-STYLE BAKED PEAS

3 ten-ounce packages frozen peas
1 shallot, or the white part of 2 scallions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter or margarine in a chunk ( I cubed it )
1 leaf iceberg lettuce, cut into 1/4 inch strips ( I used romaine )

Place the frozen peas in a 2 to 3 quart casserole with a tight-fitting lid.  Top with all the other ingredients.  Bake covered at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour.  (I cooked it for 45 minutes).  Stir and serve right in the casserole.

To Make Ahead:  Assemble all the ingredients except the lettuce.  Store in the freezer until ready to bake.  Top with lettuce 1 hour before serving and bake as directed.

As an added note:  Diana von Welanetz Wentworth is also the author of  The Chicken Soup for the Soul Cookbook and Send Me Someone, the story of the tragic loss of her husband Paul to cancer and the beginning of her new life with Ted Wentworth.


Printable recipe

I have tried very hard not to sound the January “diet” drum on this blog.  But “ta dum”, it has been happening.  One of us has been doing a better job than the other, but we both have been more conscious of what we are putting in our mouths.  My way to lose weight is portion control.  I keep eating most all of the foods I always eat, but just less of them.  Sweets are limited but not eliminated.  I feel like we eat a pretty healthy diet anyway, so just cutting down a bit is my solution.  Also I have added a weekly weigh-in at Weight Watchers.  That is all of the motivation I need.  And a five pound weight loss, so far, is my reward.

This recipe for maple-mustard glazed chicken was in the latest issue of Cooking Light.  Everyone gets tired of skinless, boneless chicken breasts when you are on a diet.  This issue of the magazine is dedicated to 25 healthy chicken dinners and there are several great recipes that improve the ho-hum chicken breast.  I chose to make this recipe because I love the ingredients.  Stone-ground mustard, pure maple syrup, lots of garlic and chicken broth combine to make a beautiful glaze.  What could be more beautiful?

MAPLE-MUSTARD GLAZED CHICKEN

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil; swirl to coat.  Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt.  Add chicken to pan; saute 2 minutes on each side or until browned.  Remove chicken from pan.  Add broth, syrup, thyme, and garlic to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add vinegar and mustard; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Return chicken to pan, and spoon mustard mixture over chicken.  Bake at 400 degrees F. for 10 minutes or until the chicken is done.  Remove chicken from pan; let stand 5 minutes.  Place pan over medium heat; cook mustard mixture 2 minutes or until liquid is syrupy, stirring frequently.  Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

Printable recipe

Just because you are busy doesn’t mean you have to settle for take-out when it comes to dinner.  All it takes is a little planning and a well stocked pantry.

I feel like I am channeling The Pioneer Woman right now.  Her latest episode on The Food Network had to do with just this subject.  She has good reason to keep a stocked pantry after all.  If you lived on a cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere, you would do the same.  But even if you have a Whole Foods and a Costco in the next block, having a pantry stocked with quality ingredients is worth your while.

My nearest Costco is 50 miles away.  My friend Maxine and I just made a run there earlier this week.  I came home with a huge hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano at half the price of what is available in my local store.  I found a 12 ounce package of Speck, that wonderful smoked prosciutto from Italy that is so good in Spaghetti Carbonara.  It will keep well in the refrigerator for months.  From Whole Foods I buy artisanal dried pastas and quality jarred marinara sauce.  I also like to keep jarred pesto sauce and sweet pickled peppers.  The pesto sauce adds a bright note to pasta dishes and the pickled peppers look pretty and add a piquant flavor to many dishes.  See how Sam of My Carolina Kitchen used them in this recipe.  Her Chicken Scarpariello is outstanding.

I was running late yesterday.  Knowing what I had in the pantry, I stopped at the grocery store and picked up some hot chicken sausage and breezed through the express lane.  Dinner was on the table within the hour and it was a very good meal.  What went into it made all of the difference.

CHICKEN SAUSAGE PASTA

1 lb good quality hot or mild chicken sausages, removed from casings
1 red or green bell pepper, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup good quality marinara sauce
3 heaping tablespoons pesto sauce
8 to 10 pickled small sweet peppers, halved
1 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, more for garnishing

8 ounces Organic Strozzapreti pasta or penne pasta of your choice
Salt to taste
1/2 cup pasta water

In a large skillet over medium high heat saute chicken sausage, breaking up big pieces.  Add peppers, onion and garlic and saute until peppers have softened.  Add wine to skillet and scrape pan to loosen the browned bits.  Add marinara sauce, pesto and pickled peppers to dish.  Reduce heat to low and simmer while you cook the pasta.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add at least a tablespoon of salt.  Cook the pasta according to package directions.  When done, scope out some of the pasta water and then drain the pasta.  Add it to the skillet with the sauce.  Add the shredded Parmigiano and stir to combine.  Add some pasta water if the mixture is dry.  Turn pasta onto a serving plate and serve garnished with more cheese.

Printable recipe

Plans do not always work out the way we would like.  I was hoping to have a new blog design finished this week, but jumping from Blogger to Word Press is taking some time.  Added to that, my Son and I are working long distance on the technicalities.  When all of the kinks are worked out, I will launch The new Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen website with a giveaway.  I’m just not sure when it will happen.

Added to that,  I have jumped from a lovely holiday into a dentist’s chair.  Life is kind of uncomfortable right now.  For the next few days soft foods are in order.  I am thinking that I will get out my Cuisinart hand blender and make some tasty smooth soups.

But for those of you who would like a little substance to your meal, this spiced beef corn bread cobbler is an easy, flavorful casserole.  I adapted the recipe from  Gourmet Magazine.   I still miss that magazine and, over the years, have found so many great recipes in it’s pages.  “Think of this dish as a sloppy joe with a corn bread and Cheddar crust” according to the introduction to the recipe.  It has spiced elements from cinnamon, cayenne, allspice and ginger and soothing elements from the corn bread and cheddar.  To me it is comfort food with a twist.

2012 will be a special year for us.  Last year we fulfilled one of David’s wishes to travel to Alaska; he on his motorcycle, and me flying in to meet him.  This year we will fulfill my dream of traveling to Paris and Provence.  We leave for Paris on June 9th.  I decided that I did not want to stay in a hotel, so after a lengthy search on HomeAway and VRBO, I found an apartment in the 7th Arrondissiment near the Eiffel Tower and around the corner from the Rue Cler.  Here is the website if you are interested in a future trip.  The owners are American and have outfitted the apartment to familiar standards.

After a week in Paris we will take the Fast Train to Provence.  We have found an apartment in the market town of  L’Isle Sur La Sorgue.  Every Sunday they host one of the best Antique Markets in Provence.  We will rent a car after leaving the train so that we can explore many Provencal villages and towns.

The kitchen in Provence looks so inviting.  I can hardly wait to shop the markets and cook in this lovely space.  Here is the website.

We originally planned to return home after a week in Provence, but if you recall, we met a wonderful French couple on our motorcycle trip last year.  They were on a year long motorcycle trip through Canada, America and South America.  They stopped and spent a few days with us in Lake Lure.  Read about it here.  They have invited us to stay in their second home in The Loire Valley for a few days.  So after leaving Provence, we will drive back North to spend time with them and then fly home from Paris.  In the meantime we are listening to French CD’s and trying to get our mouths around the language.

I hope you enjoy this simple casserole.  I also hope that I will be up to cooking more interesting things than “thin gruel” this weekend.

SPICED BEEF CORN BREAD COBBLER

1 medium onion, chopped
4 tablespoons, vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef chuck
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (14 to 15 oz) can diced fire roasted tomatoes in juice
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
2 oz coarsely grated sharp Cheddar (about 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Lightly oil a 9 1/2 inch pie plate.

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons oil in a deep 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until edges are golden, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook, stirring 1 minute.  Add beef and cook, breaking up large lumps, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes.  (I drained off fat at this point).  Add sugar, spices, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Add tomatoes with juice and briskly simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, 8 to 10 minutes.

While beef simmers, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small bowl, then stir milk and beaten egg into cornmeal mixture until just combined.  Fold in 1/2 cup cheese.

Spoon cooked spiced beef into pie plate with a slotted spoon, reserving juices in skillet.  Skim off and discard fat ( if not already discaded) from juices if desired, then pour juices over beef in pie plate.

Spoon 4 mounds of corn bread batter over beef, then sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons cheese over batter.  Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of corn bread comes out clean, 15 to 25 minutes.

Printable recipe