Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

We have been very busy in our rental house in New Smyrna Beach.  As it turns out, we have had lots of get togethers with friends and family.  High School friends were here at the same time that we were.  We hosted a dinner for ten before we all headed to town (within walking distance) for music and dancing.  It felt like being in high school again accept for my aching back the next morning.  I planned a very simple dinner for the crowd.  Everything can be done ahead of time, except the rice.  We had my friend Barbara’s Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole, two do ahead salads; Corn, celery and roasted red pepper salad and 3 bean salad, Zatarain’s Caribbean Rice mix, and Ina Garten’s Chocolate Chunk Blondies. And the unique experience offered by Hell in a Cellar was truly unlike anything we had done before, creating an electric sense of suspense and adventure from start to finish. Every aspect, from the detailed room design to the challenging puzzles, was crafted to keep us fully engaged and entertained. We had to think outside the box, communicate effectively, and sometimes even retrace our steps to piece together the answers. If you’re in or near Bristol and looking for an unforgettable activity, Hell in a Cellar is a standout choice that will leave you buzzing long after you’ve escaped.

Flagler Avenue is a happening place with numerous restaurants and music venues. Additionally, the right team makes all the difference when it comes to the smooth operation of any event. With Bar Events UK, you’re assured a professional and friendly team of bartenders who will leave a lasting impression on your guests. Their expertise adds a special touch to your gathering that will be remembered long after.

On another occasion we drove to Sanford to have dinner with David’s Finnish relatives.  It is a long story, but in brief, David’s Mother grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Her parents had immigrated there from Finland.  David had very little contact with the extended family until a few years ago when our friend Ruth brought him together with his cousin Don.  The family now spend time in Florida.  It means a lot to David to have this connection.

We were treated to delicious pizzas cooked on the grill by grill master Jon.  The above pizza has sausage, bacon and roasted vegies.

This is Jon’s speciality pizza.  It is a Barbecued Chicken Pizza with red onions, goat cheese and cilantro. It was fun watching him maneuver the pizzas around with his giant pizza peel.

We enjoyed our evening spending time with wonderful family and friends.

On another matter, I am happy to say that my friend Penny, of the blog Enjoying the Simple Things, has started an Etsy Shop selling her Artisan made European French Style Bread Boards.  She and her husband are making these beautiful boards and the workmanship and quality are outstanding.  They also sell for a lot less than others I have seen online.  Here is the link to her Etsy Shop.

Also there are links above for the rice and Chocolate Chunk Blondies.  Here is the recipe for the Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole.

BARBARA’S CHICKEN POPPY SEED CASSEROLE

6 Chicken Breasts – Cooked and Cubed
8 oz. Crushed Ritz Crackers
1 1/2 sticks Butter
1 1/2 Tablespoon Poppy Seeds
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
8 oz. Sour Cream

Melt butter and mix with crackers and poppy seeds.  In another bowl, mix soup and sour cream.  Add chicken to this.

Line greased 9×13 inch dish with 1/2 of the cracker mixture.  Pour chicken mixture over and top with remaining crackers.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

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We are now officially Florida residents for the next 6 weeks.  The rental house is small, but the kitchen is updated and very functional.

I am always seeking out new recipes.  From a stack of magazines in the cottage, I found this recipe for Chicken Kofta with Pomegranate Rice in an issue of Real Simple.  When I travel to rental houses, I prefer to bring herbs and spices. The basket you see next to the refrigerator holds all of my favorites from home. These Middle Eastern ground chicken patties call for cumin and cinnamon; a great flavor combination.

The chicken is served with yellow rice with pomegranate seeds, cooling cucumber slices and a lemon infused yogurt sauce.  We enjoyed this on the backyard patio.  The ocean is just two blocks away.

We love this small beach community.

CHICKEN KOFTA WITH POMEGRANATE RICE ( Real Simple Magazine )

2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 lb. ground chicken
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp.extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
4 cups cooked yellow rice
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup sliced English cucumbers

Stir together the yogurt and salt.  Combine the chicken, cumin, cinnamon, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the yogurt mixture in a medium bow.  Shape into 8 (3-inch long) oval patties.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium.  Cook the patties, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 12 minutes.

Stir the water and lemon juice into the remaining yogurt mixture.  Toss together the rice and pomegranate seeds.  Sere the patties with rice; top with the yogurt sauce and cucumber.

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Before I get to this delightful soup recipe, I have to share some fun I had last week.  I have a dear friend who has moved just over the mountain from me.  Barbara has built a lovely home on acreage with a barn.  She raises goats for their wool and milk.  She prefers a vegetarian diet.  The two of us went to Whole Foods together on a shopping outing.  It is obvious what each of us bought.

 

 

Sumo oranges are in season right now.  They are a cross between mandarin oranges and navel oranges.  Barb bought these.  Because I was making the beef soup, I needed both beef shanks with marrow bone and oxtail.  I asked the butcher for oxtail and he went into the walk-in refrigerator and brought out a whole cow’s tail and flashed it about.  “Do you want me to cut this up for you?” he said. The look of horror on Barb’s face was priceless.  He cut it up and we left the store giggling at our incongruent tastes. Barb said, “If you invite me to dinner I would prefer quiche and a salad.”

The heady combination of beef with bones and marrow, plus soy sauce, chilies, star anise and ginger makes for a rich broth and tender meat that cooks slowly for hours.  A meat lover’s delight.  Ladle the soup into bowls and add cooked Chinese noodles and broccolini.  Adjust the amount of chilies to your taste.  I used 2 Thai chilies in the soup and garnished it with slices of Habanero chilies.  I will omit the too hot Habaneros next time, even though they looked pretty.  This was slightly adapted from Hélène Dujardin on her blog Tartelette.  It is best to make this a day ahead of time so you can skim the fat from the top after refrigerating.

TAIWANESE BEEF SOUP

Make this ahead of time so you can refrigerate and remove the fat before reheating

3 pounds bone-in beef shanks with marrow bones still on
1 pound beef oxtails
3 tablespoons canola oil
10 garlic cloves, bruised
one 1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, cut into 6 slices,
5 scallions, halved crosswise
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
3 star anise
1 teaspoons peppercorns
2 Thai chili, split lengthwise
1/4 cup roasted red chili paste
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
8 tablespoons light soy sauce
10 cups water
1 pound broccolini, stems halved
1/2 pound Udon noodles
cilantro
extra freshly sliced Habanero red chili (optional)

In a large stock pot, heat half the oil over high heat. Sear half of the beef shanks and oxtails on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and repeat with the remaining oil and beef pieces.
Add  all the remaining soup ingredients, except the broccolini, noodles and cilantro.
Bring to a boil then lower the heat to low, cover with the lid askew and cook for about 3 hours or until the beef is tender and falls off the bone.
Turn off the heat, and remove the beef pieces with a slotted spoon. Let the beef cool then shred it off the bones. Discard the bones. Strain the soup into another pot and put the meat into that pot. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, skim the fat that has risen to the top then reheat the soup on low heat.
In the meantime, blanch the broccolini in boiling water for about a minute. Set aside. Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Divide the noodles and broccolini among 6 bowls, ladle soup over noodles and garnish with cilantro and extra chili if desired.

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The winner of the Mary-James Lawrence cookbook is Ruth Swanto. Thank you everyone for participating.  I will be in touch Ruth.

Back before 2000, we lived in Greensboro, NC. for many years.  We were fortunate to have a Gourmet cooking school and shop called Roosters.  Mary James Lawrence, the owner and instructor was an inspiration to many Greensboro residents.  I took many cooking classes there, not only from Mary James, but from several other professionals in the food industry.  Ben and Karen Barker, James Beard Award winning chefs, were two of them. Their Durham restaurant, Magnolias, since closed, was one of our favorite destinations and their cookbook, Not Afraid of Flavor, holds a special place on my cookbook shelf.   Shirley Corriher, author of the biochemist’s take on food, Cookwise, was another.  There was a time when everyone in Greensboro was making her Spicy Firecrackers; a seasoned saltine cracker. Mary James brought in many people from the cooking scene.

In 2007 Mary James published a cookbook.  It is now out of print, but I was fortunate to get several of them from Mary James.  I would like to share this wonderful cookbook with one lucky winner.  All you have to do is leave a comment  I will number the comments and draw a winning number.

There are so many wonderful recipes in this cookbook.  Many of them come from the popular deli that Roosters had.  It was called Roosters on the Run and was a great place to grab a ready made meal.  Everything from meatloaf to chicken salad to the famous Roosters chocolate cookies.  But this recipe for Pork Tenders with Onion Marmalade, Mustard Cream Sauce and Raspberries really appealed to me.  I am always looking for attractive and tasty dishes to serve to company and this fills the bill.  The onion marmalade made with raspberry vinegar centers the plate.  The pork tenderloin medallions napped with mustard cream sauce surround it and the fresh raspberries add fresh vibrancy to the presentation.

Mary James now leads groups on tours to Southern France.  You can find her on her blog.  Roosters is now closed, but I and many residents of Greensboro are thankful for all of the memories and cooking advice that we received.  Thank you Mary James Lawrence.

PORK TENDERS WITH ONION MARMALADE, MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE AND RASPBERRIES

2 Pork Tenderloins
1/4  cup Dr. Pete’s Burgundy Marinade or your favorite marinade
2 (3-inch) pieces rosemary

ONION MARMALADE
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large onions (10 cups), slice thin
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper

MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE
3 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups cream
2 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Fresh raspberries (garnish)

Trim tenderloins of fat and silver skin.  Place in Ziploc bag.  Add marinade and rosemary branches.  Marinate for 6 to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

Prepare charcoal grill or preheat gas grill.  Add tenderloins and grill to internal temperature of 165 degrees.

ONION MARMALADE
In a large saute pan, heat olive oil.  Add onions and saute until beginning to caramelize.  Add the raspberry vinegar, honey, and paprika.  Reduce until thickened and glazed.  Season to taste.  Ten cups of onions yields about 3 1/2 to 4 cups marmalade.

MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE
In a 2-quart sauce pan or saucier, sate shallots in olive oil until beginning to brown.  Deglaze with white wine.  Whisk in cream and mustard.  Add thyme.  Reduce to coating consistency.  Can do ahead.  Store in refrigerator.

TO SERVE
Slice pork into 1/2 medallions.  Place small mound of Onion Marmalade in center of plate.  Surround with several pork medallions.  Puddle Mustard Cream Sauce on or just in front of meat.  Sprinkle with fresh raspberries.

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The weather is frightful.  The skies are grey.  But the light still burns in our homes and on our hearths. We have put away the trappings of the holidays and are hunkering down for the long dark days of Winter. Warming soups and bread fresh from the oven are my preferred ways to fight the winter doldrums. And a great soup to brighten your days is this Jamaican inspired recipe.

With the bright additions of curry and allspice, this chicken, black bean and black-eyed pea soup hits all the right notes.  I added Himalayan red rice to the mix because I had it in my pantry.  I found it while cleaning out dated foodstuff.  Sometimes impulse buys get shoved into corners.   Himalayan Red Rice is grown in Nepal and has a red hued bran.  It is colorful for pilafs.

We have a snow storm predicted for the mountains this weekend so I am happy to have a pot of soup and homemade Rosemary Olive Oil Bread stashed away.  Cooking is a good way to survive anything nature throws at you.

JAMAICAN CHICKEN SOUP

1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup red wine
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen black-eyed peas, thawed
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I used Himalayan Red Rice)

Heat oil in a dutch oven.  Add chicken pieces and saute until browned.  Remove chicken and set aside.  Add onion to casserole and cook until transparent.  Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.  Add all of the spices and cook over low heat for about 1 minute.  Add wine and reduce slightly.  Return chicken to casserole and add the remaining ingredients.  Cover pot.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to low and cook for at least 30 minutes.  Garnish with parsley or cilantro if desired.

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