Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

This is going to be just a quick post.  We are with our family in North Carolina getting ready for Christmas.  We took Rachel to a huge Mall today.  Santa was there, but she chose not to sit on his lap or talk to him.  She said he already knew what she wanted . . . . I love the mind of a five year old.

This chicken is easy and delicious.  It was one of the quick meals I prepared before we left Florida.  The tropical fruit, lime juice, tequilla and orange juice give it a festive air.  Enjoy the holidays.

MARGARITA-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS

1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoon garlic powder
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooking spray
1 cup thinly sliced onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dried tropical fruit
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup tequila
1 lime, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small baking dish.  Sprinkle chicken with salt; dredge chicken in flour mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.  Transfer chicken to an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Add onion to pan; cook 3 minutes.  Add garlic,and saute 1 minute.

Combine fruit, juice, and tequila in a microwave-safe dish, and microwave at HIGH 2 minutes.  Pour fruit mixture into pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Cook 1 minute.  Pour onion mixture over chicken; top with lime slices.  Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes or until chicken is done.

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I am calling this a mahogany Cornish hen.  Because I drizzled it with honey before baking, it came out a little darker than I would have liked.  But there is no denying the excellent flavor.

I did not roast a turkey this year.  We spent Thanksgiving at our friends’ home and my only contribution was a butternut squash casserole.  We missed our family but it was interesting to view another familiy’s rituals, which to be quite honest, were so much like our own.  Generations, from the revered older uncle to the youngest one year old tripping over doorway steps and trying to pull knives out of the open dishwasher, were all present and accounted for.  The turkey, mashed potatoes and dressing, not to mention the crockpot full of gravy were all just right.  On that one day in November we are all the same.  Thank you Stephanie and Bruce for a great day.

So on Friday, because I was not preoccupied with shopping, I decided I would make Cornish hens to feel a part of the Thanksgiving weekend.  Black Friday shopping is not for me, but we actually did venture out to a big box store to take advantage of the sale on appliances.  We ordered a new stainless steel gas stove and refrigerator.  They will be delivered on December 10th.  In the meantime, we have to get a propane tank and a gas line into the house. I love my gas stove in Lake Lure and look forward to replacing the electric stove here.

The Cornish hens were an experiment.  I received my package of O OLIVE OIL’S blood orange olive oil and porto vinegar and have been enjoying the flavors.  I will be posting my contest entry recipe on December 1st.  I am one of 8 contestants in the eRecipeCards cookoff.  We will be judged on our recipe, our writing style and our photography.  I would appreciate your vote on December 1st.

But back to the Cornish hens.  The recipe was simply a matter of drizzling spatchcocked Cornish hens with honey, olive oil and balsamic style vinegar.  They were seasoned with chopped rosemary and salt and pepper and baked in a 400 degree F. oven until done.  My only advice is to have a very sharp knife to remove the backbones and press down hard on the breasts to flatten the birds.

I will see you back here on Thursday.  I have given my entry recipe much thought and hope it is a winner.  It showcases the citrusy flavors of the olive oil and the smoky nuances of the port vinegar.  Now if I just had a new camera  . . . .  early Christmas present maybe?

The days are moving quickly this time of year.  We are packing up and organizing for our trip to Florida.  To be honest I haven’t been doing a lot of cooking.  There has been nothing “blog worthy” to write about.  I found these country style ribs in the freezer and after thawing them, David put a dry rub on them, slathered them with Sweet Baby Rays and put them in the crock pot to cook for seven hours.

We are leaving today to spend a few days with the family.  I love seeing the Grandkids dress up for Halloween.  Rachel is going to be the Statue of Liberty and Cameron will be a red hot chili pepper.

Happy Halloween everybody.  Maybe this “bloody” mess will put you in the spirit.

I have no pictures of the finished ribs.

CROCK POT RIBS

3 to 4 pounds Country Style Ribs
2 tbls Paprika
3 tbls Brown sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bottle Sweet Baby Rays Barbecue Sauce

Mix together the dry rub ingredients.  Massage them into the ribs.  Place the ribs in a crock pot.  Pour barbecue sauce over them.  Cover and cook on low for about 7 hours.

Remove ribs to foil lined sheet pan.  Pour barbecue sauce into a sauce pan.  Skim fat from surface and cook on medium high heat until sauce is slightly reduced and thickened.  Brush ribs with sauce and either put them under the broiler to brown for a few minutes or grill them briefly.

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As much as I love beef stroganoff, it seems I never have enough sauce for the noodles.  It occured to me that I could actually turn all of the ingredients into a soup.  It is a creative cooking adventure to deconstruct a recipe and turn it into something else.  Rachel Ray is always doing this with her stoups.  I wonder if she has done it with beef stroganoff?  I haven’t looked.

We have had a constant house party here at the lake this September.  It has been fun, but cooking for two again is relaxing.  The weather has cooled and I have the last load of beach towels in the dryer ready to be folded and stored for the season.  The light on the lake has lengthened and mornings are crisp and clear.  It is soup time.

The beef stroganoff recipe came about because it was what I had on hand.  There was a top sirloin steak in the freezer, beef broth and noodles in the pantry, and heavy cream and sour cream in the fridge.  It would have been good with mushrooms if I had them but the lack of them did not change the goodness of the soup.

A quick word about photography and my blog makeover.  The above picture was taken at my kitchen window which receives morning light.  The shadow that you see on the plate could be easily eliminated.   Cristobal told me that by using a white core board in front of the soup the light from the window would be reflected back on the food.  Here is an example of what I am talking about from expert photographer and blogger Helene of  Tartlette.  Notice the white board in her fourth picture.  I just need to get one for myself.  My new blog look is still in the works.  Son Michael is doing it in his spare time, so I will have to be patient. 

But you don’t have to be patient waiting for this soup to cook.  It comes together quickly and tastes like it cooked for hours.

BEEF STROGANOFF SOUP

1 1/2 to 2 pounds top sirlion steak or roast cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry sherry
2 to 3 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 to 2 cups medium egg noodles
1/2 cup heavy cream
Sour cream and snipped chives for garnish

Melt butter and oil in heavy soup pot.  Add beef cubes in two batches and cook until nicely browned.  Add the chopped onion when you add the second batch of beef.  Return reserved beef to pot and add the sherry to the mixture.  Stir to deglaze the pan and cook over medium high heat until the sherry has reduced.  Salt and pepper the beef to taste.  Add the beef broth, water and Worcestershire sauce to pan.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until beef is tender, about 30 to 45 minutes.  Add the noodles to the pot and simmer until they are cooked through.  Add the cream to the mixture and stir and cook until it is warmed through.  Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and snipped chives.

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