Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

How many ways can you cook a chicken breast?  It is only limited by your imagination.  But this is one of my favorite ways to do it.  There is something very special about putting a pecan crust on a chicken breast.  It is so Southern, and since I have lived in the South for most of my life, it is now in my genes and a part of my cooking style.

There is so much going on right now.  I am sure you are experiencing the same thing.  The panic of  ” Oh no, I am not ready for Christmas”, the decorating, the gift buying and the pressure to pull out all of the stops with baking and entertaining.  My mantra this year is to relax.  I am doing meals that are easy.  No complicated gourmet dishes are involved.

The pecan mixture can be made ahead of time and kept in a baggie in the freezer.  I buy my chicken breasts from Springer Mountain.  They are hand trimmed to 4 ounces each and individually wrapped.  It makes it easy to pull out the number that you need.  The thawing time is quick.

This is an easy week night meal after you have spent the day shopping.  Pair it with sauteed green beans and baked acorn squash.  I used some of the left over pecan mixture in the cavities of the squash along with a little brown sugar and a pat of butter.

PECAN CRUSTED CHICKEN WITH MUSTARD SAUCE ( Adapted from Food and Wine Magazine)

Serves 4

1 cup pecans
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cayenne
1 egg
2 tablespoon water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/3 pounds in all)
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons grainy or Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a food processor, pulse the pecans with the cornstarch, thyme, paprika, 1 1`/4 teaspoons of the alt, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne until the nuts are chopped fine.  Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

Whisk together the egg and the water in a small bowl.  Dip each chicken breast into the egg mixture and then into the nut mixture.

In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat.  Add the chicken to he pan and cook or 5 minutes.  Turn and continue cooking until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes longer.  Be gentle when you turn the chicken because the pecan crust is delicate.  I transferred the chicken to a small baking sheet and put them in the oven at 350 F for about 10 minutes to be sure they were cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, parsley, a pinch of cayenne, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Serve the chicken with the mustard dipping sauce.

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I know I have shown you a million pictures of our Lake Lure Cottage in North Carolina, but I don’t think I have welcomed you to our Florida abode.  We call it Big Pink, because it is obviously, well . . . . Pink.  But it is also named after one of our favorite record albums by The Band.  Big Pink was the name of a house where the The Band recorded the album Music From Big Pink  It is located just out side of Woodstock New York.  David actually made a pilgrimage to the Big Pink house on one of his motorcycle rides.  You can read about it here.

This is the view that greets you when you enter the house.  I worked at a very large furniture store in High Point North Carolina for many years.  When my coworkers heard that we were retiring to Florida for part of the year, they started kidding me about the flamingo painting (click here to learn more)  that was hanging in our store’s art gallery.  Each time I would pass it, I would smile.  When I showed it to David, he actually fell in love with it.  So it made its way into our stash of furnishings for Florida.  On an interior designing  note, because that was what I did for many years, I think the hall table would look good with some travel stamped antique suitcases stacked up under it.  I would also like to replace the candle sconces with something more substantial.

Our living room is casual with a West Indies vibe.  The Audubon prints on the walls flanking the Tommy Bahama entertainment center were one of my inexpensive decorating achievements.  I had copies of the prints from an Audubon book blown up on quality paper at Staples.  I found the matting paper on line and the frames from the Daytona Flea Market.  The total cost was $18.00 for each of them.

The dining room is a wing off of the living room.

The kitchen is a work in progress.  Two years ago we updated the countertops to Corian.  Last year we replaced all of the white appliances with stainless steel.  This year we plan on having all of the cabinet doors replaced.  I like working in my efficient small kitchen.

Here is another view of my kitchen.  I made the black and white checked curtains.  The runner on the floor is from Dash and Albert.  I love it because it is washable.  Outfitting a second kitchen can be costly.  To save money, I found the Oster mixer at a yard sale for $10.00.  It actually runs just as well as my Kitchen Aid mixer at Lake Lure.  Go figure.

There is room in the kitchen for a dining area.  Instead of that, I bought a kitchen island at my furniture store.  It gives me more work space and an open storage area.  I roll out pie crusts and make Christmas cookies here.  I am on the lookout for an industrial looking chandelier to hang over the island.

This is a view taken from the sliding doors out to the lanai.

This is the view from the dining room.  I know the kitchen will look so much better with new cabinet doors.  Some of them will be glass panes; maybe the cabinet over the dishwasher.  I would appreciate suggestions.

Thanks for stopping by.  Help yourself to an updated sausage cheese ball.  Remember when these were all the rage?  I found this new recipe on Pinterest.  It adds cream cheese to the standard mix and we really enjoyed them.

UPDATED SAUSAGE CHEESE BALLS

1 pound hot bulk sausage
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
4 to 6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups Bisquick

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix sausage, cream cheese and shredded cheese with a fork to blend together.  Mix in Bisquick.  You may have to use your hands.  Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  You will need to make them in 3 batches.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Can be served hot out of the oven or at room temperature.
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This is one of those dishes that would be great with any holiday dinner.  It has both the vibes of mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole.  But the addition of Gruyere cheese, bacon and sourdough bread crumbs just gild the lily.  I am always looking for casseroles that can be prepared ahead of time and this fits my requirements perfectly.

This is a very loose adaptation of a recipe from Sarah Leah Chase for Pumpkin and Potato Gratin.  It would be very good made with a baking pumpkin I am sure.  We are not hosting Thanksgiving this year as the family will be scattered.  Instead we have been invited to have Thanksgiving with friends here in Florida.  I will be making the apple and pumpkin pies.  I am experimenting with a new pie crust recipe.

Whether you are having Thanksgiving at home or are invited to enjoy it with friends and family, this casserole would make a great addition to the table.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND POTATO GRATIN

Serves 8

Thumbing through some old Gourmet magazines the other day, I found this recipe for shrimp savarins.  I love molds of all kinds and descriptions, but savarin molds were new to me.

Savarins are ring shaped sponge cakes often soaked in rum syrup and filled with fresh fruit.  They are named for Jean Brillat-Savarin, a famous French politician and gastronome.  They can be one single large ring or smaller individual rings.  You can buy savarin molds at several sources such as this.

I was excited to try this savory version of savarins.  I love how the shrimp fit nicely around the cornmeal rings.

I decided that this recipe was perfect for a first course at a dinner party or a holiday meal.  I was even able to make the dish in stages.  The cornmeal savarins were made early in the day.  The shrimp was also easy to do ahead of time.  All I did near serving time was to arrange the shrimp around the cornmeal rings that I had arranged on a baking sheet and placed them in the oven to rewarm.  While they were warming I made the orange butter sauce.

 This was a delicious combination.  The orange butter beurre blanc played well off of the light cornmeal rings and the shrimp cooked in vermouth and tequila was a perfect foil.  The presentation was amazing and unexpected in my humble opinion.  This dish is a keeper.

This will be our farewell to Lake Lure for the winter season.  We leave for Florida today.  My next post will be from there.  I will miss my mountain lake cottage, but look forward to our time in sunny Florida.

SHRIMP WITH ORANGE BUTTER SAUCE AND CORNMEAL SAVARINS (Adapted from Gourmet)

36 large shrimp, shelled and deveined, reserving 6 shells
2 cups dry vermouth
1/4 cup tequila
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the Sauce:
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons dry white wine
6 tablespoons fresh orange juice
the zest from 1 orange
2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

6 cornmeal savarins (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon minced scallion top for garnish

In a large skillet combine the shrimp, the vermouth, the tequila, and the butter.  Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring, and simmer the shrimp for 1 minute and 30 seconds, or until they are just firm.  Transfer the shrimp to a plate with a slotted spoon and keep them warm.

Make the sauce:  Reduce the shrimp cooking liquid with the reserved shells over moderately high heat to about 3 tablespoons, discard the shells, and in a saucepan combine the reduced liquid with the shallot, the vinegar, the wine, the orange juice, and the orange zest.  Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer it for 5 minutes, or until it is reduced to about 1/4 cup.  Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time, lifting the pan from the heat occasionally to cool the mixture and adding each new piece of butter before the previous one has melted completely.  (The sauce should should not get hot enough to liquefy.  It should be the consistency of then hollandaise.)  Keep the sauce warm over hot water.

Arrange the savarins on heated plates or shallow bowls and top each savarin with some of the shrimp.  My shrimp were small so I used 5 per savarin.  The original recipe used 3 per savarin.  Spoon some of the sauce onto the plates or bowls.  Garnish each serving with the scallion tops.  Serves 6.

CORNMEAL SAVARINS

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour
1 large egg yolk, beaten lightly
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg white at room temperature
1/4 cup corn kernels, thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper or minced pimiento
2 tablespoons minced Anaheim chili pepper

Into a bowl sift together the cornmeal, the baking powder, the sugar, the salt, and the flour.  In another bowl combine the egg yolk, the butter, the cream the buttermilk, and the baking soda and stir the mixture into the cornmeal mixture.  In a small bowl beat the egg white until it holds stiff peaks and fold it into the cornmeal mixture with the corn kernels, the red bell pepper and the chili pepper.

Spray 8 metal savarin molds, each 3 1/4 inches in diameter, well with non-stick vegetable coating and fill them with scant 1/3-cup measures of the batter. Bake the molds on a jelly-roll pan in the lower third of a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until a wooden pick comes out clean.  Loosen the edges of the cornbread with a small knife and turn them out onto a rack.  The cornbread savarins may be made ahead and kept chilled or frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap.  Makes 8 individual cornbreads.

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A tartine is the French equivalent of the Italian bruschetta.  According to Dorie Greenspan the French verb tartiner means to spread.  So a tartine is a slice of bread that has been spread with some topping or toppings.  We had company for dinner last night.  Penny of The Comforts of Home and From Harvest to Table and her husband were here.  When we had dinner at their house Penny served two kinds of bruschetta so I decided that toasted bread would also be my appetizer.  This inspiration from Dorie Greenspan’s book Around my French Table was one of them.

It seemed to be an unusual combination, but the flavor was refreshing.  I toasted sourdough baguette slices, spread them with softened goat cheese, topped them with strawberry slices, sprinkled them with pepper and finally drizzled them with a balsamic vinegar and apricot jam reduction.  So if you are looking for an appetizer that is something a little different but packs a big impact, this would be a good choice.

They were also easy.  Unfortunately I did not get a picture of them last night so I made a few more this morning and garnished them with fresh whole strawberries;  just in case you were wondering about the presentation Penny.  LOL. Last night they were served on a tray with some other baguette appetizers.

Next up, an easy dessert that requires no cooking but looks elegant.

STRAWBERRY AND GOAT CHEESE TARTINES  (Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Around my French Table)

12 slices of a sourdough baguette, about 1/4 inch thick
Olive oil
4 ounces of goat cheese at room temperature
About 12 strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
Coarsely ground black pepper

Balsamic vinegar and apricot jam reduction – Recipe follows

Spread the baguette slices lightly with olive oil.  Toast them briefly in a toaster oven.  Cool slightly.  Spread with the softened cream cheese.  Fan the strawberry slices on top of each.  Sprinkle with pepper and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.

BALSAMIC-APRICOT GLAZE (Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay)

2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons apricot jam

Put the vinegar in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup.  Whisk in the apricot jam and let cool slightly.

This is also good on grilled chicken or fish.

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