Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

In my previous post I mentioned the beautiful large sage leaves in my herb containers.  Some of the leaves were large enough to almost cover the tops of my chicken breasts.  They are hard to see in the above photo, but were a perfect layer to the prosciutto wrapped chicken breasts.  Saltimbocca is an Italian dish that is most often made with veal.  But it is easily adapted to thin chicken breasts.

The chicken saltimbocca makes an impressive company meal.  The lemony sauce adds moisture and a bright flavor to counterbalance the earthy sage and the salty prosciutto.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to everyone.  Thinking of my Dad who was a Marine hero on Guadalcanal Island during World War II.

Never forgotten.

CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA

• 4 (4 oz.) chicken cutlets
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 4 to 8 fresh sage leaves, depending on size
• 4 very thinly slices of prosciutto.  I bought a 3 oz pkg. in the Deli
• 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ⅓ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (juice of approx.1 large lemon)
• ½ tsp cornstarch
• 4 lemon wedges (optional)

1. Sprinkle salt on each chicken cutlet evenly. Place sage leaves on top of each cutlet. Wrap each cutlet with prosciutto slices to keep sage leaves in place.
2. In a small bowl combine chicken broth, lemon juice and ½ tsp cornstarch. Whisk until smooth.
3. Over medium heat heat a large skillet. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to pan and swirl to coat. Place chicken in skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Flip chicken and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and place on a platter (keep warm).
4. Re-whisk cornstarch mixture and add to remaining 1 Tsp. oil in a pan, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until sauce is slightly thickened (approx. 1 min.) stirring constantly. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with lemon wedges ,if desired.

Printable Recipe

Do ahead dishes are a necessity to me these days.  I no longer have the stamina to put in a four hour marathon pulling a company meal together.  I am all about freezer casseroles, dishes that can be assembled ahead and then baked at a leisurely pace.  These sweet and sour potatoes fit the bill.  They can be put together, held and baked when you are ready.

I apologize for being absent for the last few weeks.  No excuse other than we’ve been busy and cooking hasn’t been a priority.  But we have started to get into the swing of approaching summer.  The grill has been dusted off, the herb boxes are full and these potatoes would go well with anything you want to cook outside.

I have planted lots of basil, parsley, thyme and tarragon; some of my favorite herbs.  I love tarragon chicken, basil panzanella, thyme on braised pork and parsley on everything.  I found a fat sage plant with huge leaves and made a chicken saltimbocca which I hope to blog about soon.

You can see the lovely sage leaves near the middle of the above picture.

This recipe was slightly adapted from Pattie at the wonderful blog Ollie-Podridra.  It’s a keeper.

BAKED GERMAN POTATO SALAD

1 1/2 Pounds yukon  gold baby potatoes
4 strips of bacon
3 scallions, chopped (white and green parts)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water, divided
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. celery seed
2 1/2 tsp. flour
Fresh parsley for garnish

Cook scrubbed potatoes in saucepan covered with water until just tender.  Drain.  When easy to handle, slice into chunks and place into a baking dish just large enough to hold them.

Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp.  Drain and reserve drippings.  Crumble bacon and set aside.  Sauté scallions in drippings for a few minutes.  Stir in brown sugar, 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup vinegar, salt and celery seed.  Simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes.

Combine flour and remaining 1/4 cup water until smooth.  Stir into onion mixture.  Bring to a boil and cook and stir until thickened.  Pour over potatoes.  Add bacon.  Gently stir to coat.

At this point you can set aside or refrigerate if not cooked on that day.

If refrigerated, bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes or until heated through.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley.  Yield 4 servings.

Printable Recipe

Anytime I see a recipe with hummingbird in the title I perk up.  I love hummingbird cake with its signature bananas, pineapples, nuts, coconut and spices.  As a follower of FOOD52, I was intrigued by a recipe entered in the contest for banana recipes.  At this point I don’t know which of the entries will win, but this is a winner in my humble opinion.

I love the introduction of a fresh orange, including the pulp and zest.  It adds a moistness to the loaf.  The coconut is a fun addition.  Buttermilk is a big part of the mix and the buttermilk glaze makes everything work together. This is a stellar recipe and I hope that Carrie does well in the contest.  Keep checking on FOOD52 to see who wins.

Check out Carries recipe here.  Note that she left out one ingredient; 1 teaspoon baking soda.

This wonderful chicken casserole has been in my wheel house for a long time.  I first blogged about it here.  This version came from Sam Sifton at the New York Times.  I love the addition of lots of tomatoes. But the basics of the dish are still here: chicken,curry, dried fruit, almonds, and bacon.  It is perfect for a crowd.

The port of Charleston saw many products from the Orient in the 18th and 19th century.  Curry powder was one of them and this dish became popular with hostesses all over the south.  FDR was very fond of Country Captain and had it served to him often in Warm Springs, Georgia.  It is best served over rice.

We are back in beautiful Lake Lure enjoying our home and especially my kitchen, although David was the one responsible for this delicious meal.  So glad that he loves to cook as much as I do.

COUNTRY CAPTAIN

1/4 cup flour
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbls butter
3 pounds chicken pieces (We used thighs and legs)
4 slices bacon
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green pepper, seeded and diced
2 tsps celery, diced
1 Tbls minced garlic
2 Tbls curry powder
3 Tbls dried cranberries or currants
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes and their juices
3 Tbls slivered almonds, toasted
Cooked white rice

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.  Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and the thyme in a bowl.  In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat until it foams.  Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off excess, and fry, in batches if needed, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the skillet.

Return the skillet to medium heat, add the bacon and fry until crispy.  Transfer to a plate.  Once cool, crumble and set aside.

Add the onion, pepper, celery, garlic, curry powder and 1 tablespoon of the cranberries or currants to the skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until soft and fragrant, about 7 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, bring to a boil and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of an ovenproof casserole large enough to hold the chicken snugly in one layer.  Arrange the chicken on top.  Pour the remaining sauce over and around the chicken.  Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes.  Remove the foil and cook for 15 minutes more.

Top with the crumbled bacon, remaining cranberries or currants and slivered almonds.  Serve with cooked rice and any condiments you wish.

Printable Recipe

Recently we hosted our dear friends for bike week in Florida.  We enjoyed many great meals together, both at home and at the great restaurants in New Smyrna Beach.  I am never alone in the kitchen when we are together.  There are many great cooks in our group.  One day Barbara decided to spend some time preparing some of her favorite recipes.  One was her homemade biscuits with country ham which I will blog about some time after we get back to NC.  The other was her version of Mystery Bars.  We passed a plate of them after our meal of Beef Bourguignon.  They were an elegant ending to a great meal.

Elegant you say?  That was what struck me.  A small morsel of rich tasting flavor hit me immediately.  They are nothing more than lots of butter and dark brown sugar with what I consider the mystery; Black Walnuts.  All of it is rolled about in confectioners sugar.  Amazing.  You will always have what you need on the pantry shelf for a quick and easy dessert.

It was a wonderful week which also included one of the guys making two batches of boiled peanuts in a crock pot.  I also made Barbara’s Chicken Poppy Seed casserole, which I blogged about here.  Jackie brought a great smoked salmon dip and David made wonderful ribs and Big Charlie’s Gumbo.

Last Sunday, after everyone had left, David and I went on an excursion to Blue Spring on the St. Johns River.  During the winter months Blue Spring, with its constant temperature of 73 degrees, becomes home to hundreds of manatees.  Manatees are marine mammals that live in the shallow rivers, bays and estuaries of coastal areas.  They rarely venture into waters below 63 degrees.  They are slow moving giants related to elephants, but totally aquatic; although they surface often to breathe.  I had a one on one experience with a manatee a few years ago when we still owned our Florida home on a canal.  One surfaced next to our dock when I was home alone.  I had heard that manatees appreciate fresh water so I turned on the hose and sprayed it into the water.  The manatee got under the spray and turned over onto her back and let me spray her stomach with water.  She was playful and huge.  I kept looking around hoping someone would come around to experience this amazing event with me.  But it turned out to be a one-on-one moment.

Alligators are afraid of manatees.  Manatees are much too large to attack.  Even so, mother manatees must protect their calves from alligators.  If an alligator threatens a calf, several female manatees will coordinate protection by attempting to crush the alligator between their bodies.

Our trip to Blue Spring brought us close to many species including manatees, alligators and great blue herons.  We enjoyed a picnic on the grounds and came away appreciating nature on a beautiful spring day.

We head home in a few days.  I have a few mystery bars left to munch on in the car.  I appreciate Barbara sharing this wonderful recipe.  There are many Mystery Bar recipes on the internet, but I haven’t found one like this one.  It is a keeper, an elegant keeper.

MYSTERY BARS

2 eggs
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
Dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped black walnuts
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Beat eggs.  Add brown sugar.  Beat.  Add flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in nuts.  Pour into 9×13 inch dish.

Bake at 300 degrees F for 45 minutes.  Cool completely (Very important).  Cut into squares.  Roll in powdered sugar.

Recipe does not turn out right with store brand dark brown sugar.  Use name brand such as Domino.

Printable Recipe