Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

This chicken dish began with a mistake. Our only local supermarket is about 15 minutes away around the lake. Sometimes we try to combine trips. David needed to go to the hardware store so I reluctantly turned over my lenghthy grocery list to him. I wanted to try the recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu that was in the latest issue of Cook’s Country. It called for boneless chicken breasts, black forest ham and swiss cheese. It seemed simple at the time, but David came home with thin boneless chicken breasts. Of course I was very understanding. Afterall, I am always even-tempered and perfect. . . . enough said. To his credit, the store was actually out of boneless chicken breasts when he was there and he figured I could make do with the thin ones. But what he didn’t know was that the whole premise of this recipe was to cut a pocket into the chicken breasts and insert two cylinders of cheese stuffed ham. There was no way that was going to happen. So I improvised and I think the results were great.

I placed about 1/2 cup of grated swiss cheese on a stack of two ham slices, rolled it up and placed the roll in the center of one of the chicken breasts. I pounded a second chicken breast in wax paper to make it slightly larger than the first and placed it over the top. I pressed gently on the meat to make it stick together. When all of the breasts were stuffed they went in the refrigerator for a half an hour. I then proceeded with the breading and the baking. The seal worked very well, with just a little of the cheese oozing out. I loved the breading which included bread crumbs and Ritz crackers. This is one of those dishes you can prepare ahead and bake when you are ready. Great for company. You can do it my way or follow this recipe.

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I want to love chicken casseroles, but there are few that do anything for me. I love chicken and dumplings, a Mexican king ranch casserole, and chicken pot pie, but that is about it. Most casseroles start with a can of cream of “something” soup and I am not being a snob by avoiding these recipes. For health reasons we are trying to avoid processed foods. That eliminates a whole slew of recipes. One of the chicken casseroles I used to like was chicken divan. The last time I made it with cream of chicken soup and mayonnaise I could hardly eat it in spite of the presence of the broccoli and chicken. Mayonnaise does not belong in a casserole! I’m sure some of you will disagree. I have adapted some recipes that call for cream of chicken soup by thickening chicken broth with butter and flour so it is doable, but I am still underwhelmed. I tried this recipe yesterday because it sounded promising. It is Chicken and Green Onion Cobbler.

It sounded promising. It included saffron, ham and lots of green onions with a cornmeal and cheese crust. The chicken stock was thickened with flour and butter and there were lots of vegetables in it. I halved the recipe for the two of us. I had high expectations. I was disappointed. Saffron is expensive and it did nothing for this casserole. It called for such a small amount that it disappeared, neither flavoring nor lending a yellow hue to the finished product. I will save my saffron for paella which I do love. The raw green onions were overpowering and the cobbler crust was bland. I expected that the ham would be a nice touch but it seemed out of place for some reason. I am including the recipe here if you would like to try it. I could be wrong. It could be tweaked. If you have a chicken casserole that you love, please email me with the recipe and I promise that I will try it. I want to love chicken casseroles.

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We have gone from winter to summer with nary a moment to enjoy spring. The weather has been extremely warm in the North Carolina mountains. People are cruising the lake in their boats, children are swimming, and the doors and windows are wide open. If it weren’t for the blooming trees and the pollen covering everything, I would think it was the month of August. We will spend the day today painting the Adirondack chairs and planting geraniums in the window boxes on the deck. Spring is supposed to return with cooler temperatures at the end of the week, but we are enjoying this opportunity to put things back in order for the summer.

If you have leftover ham from Easter this is a great casserole to assemble early in the day and have ready to put in the oven at dinner time. Belgian endive is not a vegetable that I cook often. I first became interested in it when I saw a recipe for a caramelized endive tatin on Lucy’s Kitchen Notebook blog. I have had Belgian endive raw in salads and it’s leaves used as scoops for various appetizers and have always found it to be bitter. But when it is braised it becomes mild with none of the unctious taste I usually associate with it. Lucy’s caramelized endive is a wonderful recipe. I decided to experiment further with it. Because of the torpedo shape of Belgian endive, it lends itself to being wrapped. Enclosed in ham slices, the braised bundles can be placed in a casserole, covered with a white sauce and sprinkled with cheese and breadcrumbs and baked to creamy perfection. If you do not have leftover ham, you can use good quality ham slices from the deli. This is a great casserole to have ready to bake after a busy day working outside in the yard or garden.

GRATIN OF ENDIVE AND HAM (Adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe)

1 14 ounce can chicken broth
6 small heads of Belgian endive

6 thin ham slices
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup Swiss cheese
1 cup Panko crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil

Bring broth to simmer in heavy medium skillet over medium high heat. Add endive and simmer uncovered until tender, turning occasionally, about 12 minutes. Drain thoroughly. place endive on paper towels and cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a baking dish. Roll each endive in ham slice to enclose. Arrange rolls in single layer in prepared dish. Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook 1 minute. Add milk, cream, mustard, and nutmeg; bring to boil, whisking constantly. Boil sauce 1 minute; season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over rolls. Sprinkle cheese evenly over casserole. Heat olive oil in small skillet. Add panko crumbs and toss to combine and brown lightly. Sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake until sauce is bubbling all over and top is beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.

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I don’t know about you, but my Mother always made her baked beans by doctoring up the canned variety of baked beans with ketchup, onion and brown sugar. For years I have been making baked beans by first opening a can and adding a variety of things from sausage to green peppers. I remember that years ago my Aunt Ruth always brought baked beans to our Christmas Eve celebration and everyone thought they were so special because she started out with dried great northern beans. I don’t know what took me so long to actually make beans from scratch, so to speak, but I am so glad that I did and no canned beans will ever grace my pantry again. They take time, but it is waiting time, not active time, so if you plan ahead you will be rewarded with the best baked beans you have ever tasted.

The recipe that I chose to follow came from Ina Garten. I trust her instincts and liked her ingredients. Instead of great northern or other white beans, she used dried red kidney beans. She flavored them with pure maple syrup, brown sugar, ketchup, Chinese chili paste and fresh ginger. Thick cut bacon cubes were added for meatiness. As I write this at 5:00 AM on Saturday morning, I am thinking about going to the refrigerator and scooping out a serving and warming the beans for breakfast. They were that good. If you are serving ham for Easter on Sunday, this would be the perfect side dish. Happy Easter.

MAPLE BAKED BEANS (From The Barefoot Contessa at Home)

1 pound dry red kidney beans
1 large yellow onion, cut in eighths
1 bay leaf
6 whole black peppercorns
3/4 cup medium amber pure maple syrup
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Chinese chili paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
5 ounces thick-cut bacon, cubed

Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water by 1 inch and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overningt. Drain and rinse the beans and then drain again.

Place the beans in a large pot with 2 quarts water, the onion, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 50 minutes, or until tender. A good test is to scoop up several beans in a spoon and blow on them; if the skins start to peel off, they’re done. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid.

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. In a small saucepan, whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, ketchup, chili paste, ginger, salt, and 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid, still reserving the remaining liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat for 6 minutes.

Transfer the beans to a medium Dutch oven or a bean pot. Push half the bacon into the beans and place the rest on the top. Pour the maple syrup sauce over the beans. Place the lid on top and bake for 6 to 8 hours. Check occasionally; if the beans are too dry, add 1/2 cup more of the cooking liquid. You can remove the lid for the last 30 minutes to thicken the sauce. Discard the bay leaf. Serve hot.

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It is Barefoot Blogger Thursday and time again to duplicate one of Ina Garten’s great recipes. I never worry about what choices are made by our group members every other Thursday because in my mind, there is no bad Barefoot Contessa recipe. Ina has a way of combining simple ingredients in a way that makes for an extraordinary dining experience. This week’s recipe was chosen by Karen of Shortbread and I can just see taking this wonderful sandwich in a picnic hamper on a drive along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway and stopping at one of the overlooks, spreading a blanket, and eating a leisurely picnic with this as the centerpiece.

The idea for this sandwich came from the ingredients in a caesar salad. Ina uses a caesar dressing for the spread and toasted ciabatta bread in place of croutons. I used romaine lettuce to be true to the original salad. Ina used arugula. She included shaved Parmesan and added roasted chicken breasts, crispy pancetta, and sun-dried tomatoes to make this a substantial sandwich. The recipe can be found in her Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. If you have that book check out the picture of the sandwich. I tried to copy it in my picture below. How did I do? If you don’t have the cookbook here is the recipe.

CAESAR CLUB SANDWICH

2 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
good olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
1 large garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-lear parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
1 large ciabatta bread
2 ounces baby arugula, wahed and spun dry (I used chopped romaine)
12 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
2 to 3 ounces Parmesan, shaved

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan skin side up. Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until cooked through. Cool slightly, discard the skin and bones, and slice the meat thickly. Set aside.

Meanwhile, place the pancetta on another sheet pan in a single layer. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to drain on paper towels.

Place the garlic and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until minced. Add the anchovy paste, mustard, lemon juice, and mayonnaise and process again to make a smooth dressing. (Refrigerate the Caesar dressing if not using it immediately.)

Slice the ciabatta in half horizontally and separate the top from the bottom Toast the bread in the oven, cut side up, for 5 to 7 minutes; cool slightly. Spread the cut sides of each piece with the Caesar dressing. Place half the arugula on the bottom piece of bread and then layer in order: the sun-dried tomatoes, shaved Parmesan, crispy pancetta, and sliced chicken. Sprinle with salt and pepper and finish with another layer of arugula. Place the top slice of ciabatta on top and cut in thirds crosswise. Serve at room temperature. Serves 3.

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