Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

Just when I mentioned in my last blog post how much I enjoy Mark Bittman in the online New York Times Dining Guide each Wednesday, he announces that he will no longer be a featured contributor to that section.  He will be missed in the dining section, but will still be at The Times in the opinion section.  That should be interesting.  He will also contribute recipes to The Times Sunday Magazine.   His latest book, The Food Matters Cookbook is being offered as a giveaway by Heather of Girlichef.  All you need do to enter to win is go to her link, post a Mark Bittman recipe and follow her directions to be eligible.

While reading his last article, I was taken with the list of his top 25 videos from the past 13 years with the Times.  That is one of the reasons I have enjoyed the online recipes.  Each one is accompanied by a video.

The one that really caught my eye was the recipe and video for the More Vegetable Than Egg Frittata.  We are trying very hard to eat our vegetables and we are not eating as many eggs as we used to.  Therefore his frittata made perfect sense to me.  There are just enough eggs in it to bind the vegetables together.  It is almost a vegetable pancake.

The version I made included a large sweet onion, a half of a green pepper and a 14 ounce bag of baby spinach that I blanched briefly in a little water, shocked in ice water and drained and squeezed very, very dry.  My herb of choice was fresh basil and parsley from my container garden.  But as he explains in his video, any vegetable or herb will do. The important thing is to have between 3 and 4 cups of vegetables to 3 eggs as opposed to 1 to 2 cups of vegetables to 6 eggs.

This breakfast made me feel good and kept me going all morning.

MORE VEGETABLE THAN EGG FRITTATA ( Mark Bittman )

2 Tablespoons olive oil or butter
1/2 onion, sliced (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 to 6 cups of any chopped or slice raw or barely cooked vegetables
1/4 cup fresh basil or parsley leaves, or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or mint leaves, or any other herb
3 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Put olive oil or butter in a 10 inch skillet ( preferably nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron) and turn heat to medium.  When fat is hot, add onion, if using, and cook, sprinkling with salt and pepper, until it is soft, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add vegetables, raise heat and cook stirring occasionally, until they soften, from a couple of minutes for greens to 15 minutes for sliced potatoes.  Adjust heat so vegetables brown a little without scorching. (With precooked vegetables like asparagus and squeezed dry spinach, just add them to onions and stir before proceeding.)

When vegetables are nearly done, turn heat to low and add herbs.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, beat eggs with some salt and pepper, along with cheese if you are using it.  Pour over vegetables, distributing them evenly.  Cook, undisturbed for a minute or so.  Put into a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes until set.  Slide frittata onto a plate and cut into wedges.

But don’t go by just my example.  Here is Mark Bittman’s asparagus frittata video.

Mark Bittman has done much to bring to our attention the fact that food matters.  What we eat and the choices we make about the location and quality of  that food is important to all of us.

To read more about his recipes follow girlichef and Alex of A Moderate Life for their weekly Tackling Bittman series.  

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There is a giveaway over at Girlichef’s blog.  This month she is giving away a copy of Mark Bittman’s new book, The Food Matters Cookbook.  To be eligible for the cookbook all one needs to do is blog about one of Mark Bittman’s recipes.  To me that is a no brainer.  I love all of Bitty’s ideas and recipes.  I follow him every Wednesday in The New York Times.  His philosophy is that what you eat matters both to you personally, and in the long run, to the health of the world in general.  Eating seasonally means that the food you are eating is the freshest and finest that you can find.  Eating locally means that small businesses and farmers are rewarded and will profit from their crops so that they will continue with their time honored traditions, as opposed to the practices of corperate farming.  Eating whole grains instead of processed food will help our bodies remain healthy.  Food really does matter and we have it in our power to make a difference.

Take pancakes.  I love pancakes.  Most of the time I make them from scratch and  I have felt good about it.  But my pancakes are made with unbleached white flour.  If I am going to the trouble of making a calorie laden pancake, I might as well boost the nutritional value so that it is better for me.

Last Wednesday Bitty broached that very subject in The New York Times.  His recipe for Cardamon-Scented Oatmeal Pancakes with Apricots and Almonds sounded delicious.  We have been watching our calorie intake lately and we are trying to eat better.  You notice I did not say we were on a diet.  There is a difference.  As a treat and a good way to start a lazy Sunday morning I made his pancakes.  They were like no other pancakes I have had before.  And because they were loaded with good things like oatmeal, crunchy almonds and dried fruit, I needed only two of them to be satisfied.  Usually the maple syrup is there to make the bland pancakes taste better.  These pancakes can almost stand on their own.  But of course, I used maple syrup; just not as much.  Mark Bittman recommends honey.  I used cinnamon instead of cardamom because it was what I had.  I also used dried cranberries instead of apricots.  You can adapt them to your own taste.  Enjoy.

CINNAMON-SCENTED OATMEAL PANCAKES WITH CRANBERRIES AND ALMONDS

1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teapoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups cooked oatmeal
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Vegetable or olive oil for frying
Honey, for serving

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees.  Combine the flours, oats, almonds, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk; stir in the cooked oatmeal and the cranberries until just incorporated.  Add the oatmeal mixture to the dry ingredients and stir gently; don’t overmix.  The consistency should be that of thick pancake batter; add a little more milk or whole wheat flour as needed.
3. Put a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.  When a few drops of water dance on its surface, add a thin film of vegetable oil and let it become hot.  Spoon out the batter, making any size pancakes you like.  Cook until bubbles form on the top and pop, 2 to 3 minutes.  Carefully flip the pancakes and cook until they’re browned on the other side, a couple of minutes more.  You may have to rotate the cakes to cook them evenly, depending on the heat source and pan.  As they finish, transfer them to a plate in the oven while you cook the remaining batter.  Serve with honey or maple syrup.  Yield 4 to 6 servings.

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My thanks to Girlichef and Alex of A Moderate Life, who was the brainchild behind the Tackling Bittman blog hop. Girlichef will be doing a round up of Mark Bittman recipes the first part of February and Alex will also be featuring his recipes on the Tackling Bittman Blog Hop.

I have made many cassoulets over the years.  I blogged about Julia Child’s lentil cassoulet here.  Most cassoulets have several kinds of meats.  In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia explains that several regions of France claim that their version is the only authentic version.  Toulousains claim that it must include preserved goose, confit d’oie, or it is not a real cassoulet.  Some say that the cassoulet was born in Castelnaudary and should only include beans, pork,and sausage.  The recipe that she includes in “Mastering” includes pork loin, shoulder of lamb and sausages.  The one thing that all cassoulets have in common is the beans.  They all include white beans, except the lentil cassoulet that I made previously.  A true cassoulet starts with dry white beans and can take days to make.

When I saw the recipe for Quick Cassoulet in Cooking Light ( I know, I know . . . . seems like everything I cook lately comes from that source),  I knew I had to make it.  Every cassoulet is basically baked beans with meat added.  What makes it special is the flavor in the liquid in the dish.  When you saute onions, carrots, garlic and celery to soften and then add white wine and cognac to the pan, you are bound to end up with a tasty base.  Using canned cannellini beans shortens the cooking time and a finishing touch of butter moistened bread crumbs finishes the dish. 

In this dish the only meat is sausage.  I will present the recipe as written, but you can use any type of sausage that you prefer.  I used a fresh turkey sausage and a smoked turkey sausage mixture.  You could even add leftover shredded chicken or pork.

QUICK CASSOULET

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 (4-inch) pork sausages, sliced (about 8 ounces)
4 (4-inch) lamb sausages, sliced  (D’Artagnan is a good source)
4 (4-inch) duck sausages, sliced (Again D’Artagnan)
Cooking spray
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup cognac or brandy
5 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
3 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can no-salt added diced tomatoes, drained
1 (4 ounce) piece French bread baguette
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven 325 degrees F.  Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add sausages; cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently. ( I had to do this in batches)  Remove sausages from pan using a slotted spoon; drain.  Wipe pan with paper towels, leaving browned bits on bottom of pan.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add onion and next 5 ingredients (through salt); cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add wine and cognac; bring to a boil.  Cook 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

Place thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and cloves on a double layer of cheesecloth.  Gather edges of cheesecloth together; tie securely.  Add cheesecloth bag, broth, beans, and tomatoes to vegetable mixture; stir to combine.  Return sausages to pan; stir.  Bring mixture to a boil, and remove from heat.  ( At this point I transferred the mixture to a casserole, but if you are using an attractive Dutch oven leave it alone).

Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until fine crumbs measure 2 cups.  Melt butter in a large skiller over medium-high heat.  Add crumbs to pan; saute 5 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.  Sprinkle crumbs evenly over bean mixture.  Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.  Discard cheesecloth bag before serving.

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I would make this dish again just for the charred tomato salsa.  We have been eating light since the first of the month, but every once in a while I get a desire for Mexican food.  Most of my recipes for Mexican dishes are heavy on the cheese and sour cream.  My good friend Maxine has been passing on her Cooking Light  magazines to me and I found this recipe for a lightened up Mexican casserole.  It add lots of vegetables, a homemade tomato salsa, chicken instead of beef and less of the cheese and corn tortillas.

I did make some changes to the recipe.  I had two turkey thighs that I simmered in some water and taco seasonings instead of the chicken breasts.  If you were pressed for time you could even substitute a rotisserie chicken.  The recipe also calls for 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese which is not one of my favorites so I eliminated that and added a little more of the Monterey Jack.  I used black beans instead of corn only because I had no corn in the freezer like I had assumed.

The charred tomato salsa uses plum tomatoes which are easy to find this time of year, a jalepeno pepper, onion and garlic.  It is easy to assemble and would be good on it’s own with tortilla chips.  For the original recipe you can go to the Cooking Light website.  Here is my version.

MEXICAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE WITH CHARRED TOMATO SALSA

Salsa:
8 plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 seeded jalapeno pepper, quartered
Cooking spray
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Casserole:
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fresh or frozen corn ( I used black beans)
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 cups shredded cooked chicken ( I used turkey thighs )
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (10-ounce) can green chile enchilada sauce
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

I halved this recipe successfully.

Preheat broiler.  To prepare salsa, combine first 4 ingredients on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Broil 20 minutes or until charred, stirring once.  Remove from oven; cool slightly.  Place tomato mixture in a food processor; add cilantro, lime juice, and pepper.  Process again.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  To prepare casserole, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Lightly coat pan with cooking spray.  Add 1 cup onion, zucchini, and bell pepper; saute 6 minutes or until tender.  Add black beans and chicken and next five ingredients; saute 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.  Remove from heat.

Spread 1/2 cup salsa ove the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Arrange half of tortillas over salsa.  Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture evenly over tortillas.  Top with 3/4 cup salsa.  Sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese.  Repeat layers, starting with remaining tortillas, and ending with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbly.  Yield; 8 servings. 

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I have a small container herb garden that I keep on the lanai here in Florida.  I find it much more practical than planting herbs in the ground.  We just got our second or third hard freeze of the season and many of my herbs would not have survivied without the ability to bring them inside.  The sage would probably be fine on it’s own, but not the basil or parsley.  The one herb plant that is doing beautifully outside is my rosemary.  It is now a bush.  I will try to take a picture of it when the sun comes up.

But last night I used sage leaves in my chicken saltimbocca.  I have made this dish before but had forgotten how pretty it looks.  The paper-thin pieces of prosciutto wrap snuggly around the chicken and the sage leaves shine through.  The prosciutto clings on it’s own without the use of toothpicks and keeps the chicken moist while lending it a salty tang.  The sage leaves have an earthy flavor when you bite into them.  This is a great way to wake up a ho-hum chicken breast.

I served the chicken with braised kale and a baked sweet potato with cinnamon.  It might be better to serve it on a bed of pasta to absorb the juices from the lemon sauce.

LEMONY CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA ( adapted from Cooking Light)

4 (4ounce) chicken cutlets
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces very thinly slices prosciutto, 8 pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt.  Place 3 sage leaves on each cutlet; wrap 2 prosciutto slices around each cutlet, securing sage leaves in place.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan and swirl to coat.  Add chicken to pan; cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until done.  Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Combine broth, lemon juice and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth.  Add cornstarch mixture to the pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened.  Spoon sauce over chicken.

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