Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

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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As you read this we are traveling back to Lake Lure in the beautiful North Carolina mountains. The temperature there today is supposed to be at least 80 degrees. We haven’t seen a temperature that high for the whole winter season here in Florida. Go figure. I am looking forward to working in my kitchen again and having meals on our screened in porch overlooking the lake.

This picture was taken at sunset last summer.

I love watching Tyler Florence’s ultimate recipes on The Food Network. Everything he makes looks like perfection. Last week he made this recipe using scallops and I was determined to try it. When I got to the supermarket shrimp were about half the price of scallops and since I have been cooking alot of scallops lately, I thought the shrimp would be a good alternative. The carrots he used in the recipe were fresh baby carrots and they looked like they had just been pulled from the earth and gently washed. All I could find were the bagged small carrots that I usually avoid. Tyler used wild chanterelle mushrooms but there was not a wild mushroom in sight at the market, so I used plain button mushrooms. The beurre blanc sauce that he used got several negative reviews and was heavy on the vinegar and butter so I looked for a buerre blanc sauce that was kinder to our weight loss program. (As an update I am 8 pounds lighter and am looking forward to walking the mountain roads in Lake Lure). He did suggest that frozen peas were a fine substitute for fresh baby peas so that was not a problem. I already had one sheet of puff pastry in the freezer that had been there for a time and when I cooked my pastry cups they did not get as tall as Tyler’s but I persevered with my prep work wondering how I could have gotten so off base with a recipe. By the time I plated the food, it looked very appetizing, and when we sat down to eat, it all tasted outstanding. Just imagine what it would be like if I had all of the right ingredients. This recipe is a keeper and when I get to the Farmer’s Market in Asheville I will be looking for fresh baby carrots, fresh peas in the pod and wild chanterelle mushrooms.

SAUTEED SHRIMP IN BEURRE BLANC WITH BABY SPRING VEGETABLES IN PUFF PASTRY

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed and cut into 4 1/2 inch diameter circles
1 egg, lightly beaten
Sea salt (I used Kosher salt)
1 cup sweet baby peas or frozen peas run under warm water to thaw
2 bunches baby carrots, trimmed and peeled with a little stem left on
1 pound shelled and deveined shrimp or 1 pound scallops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pint chanterelles, halved (or similar wild mushrooms)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Beurre Blanc:
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 stick unsalted butter cut into small cubes and kept cold
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Begin by baking the puff pastry cups. Lay the thawed puff pastry sheet on a light floured surface. Using a 4 1/2 inch round cutter, cut out 4 circles. Set them on a parchement-lined sheet pan. Lightly score the tops of the puff pastry with a 4 inch round cutter. This will help remove the top of the puff pastry after it is cooked, to create a cup. Beat egg then use a a pastry brush to brush the tops. Season with sea salt and place into the preheated oven. Bake in oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden and crispy. Once cooled, cut the tops of the cups off and lay bases out on plates with the tops next to them.

For the carrots and peas. If using fresh baby carrots, add carrots to a pot of boiling water and blanch them until they are tender but firm, about 2 minutes. If using fresh peas add them about 1 minute after the carrots. Drain the vegetables and set aside. If using bagged small carrots, place on a sheet pan with a drizzle of olive oil and roast in the oven until slightly browned. If using frozen peas, run them under warm water to thaw.

Clean the shrimp or scallops and season with salt and pepper. Set a large saute pan over high heat and add olive oil. Once heated, add shrimp and cook until they just turn pink. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until done. Return the shrimp to the pan along with the carrots and peas. Keep warm.

Make the beurre blanc sauce. Add the minced shallot, vinegar and wine to a small saucepan. Cook over medium high heat until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons. Add the cream and warm it in the pan. Reduce the heat to low and add the cold butter cubes a few at a time whisking to incorporate them. Continue adding cubes and whisking until all of the butter is incorporated into the sauce. Keep the heat low so the butter does not separate. Remove from heat.

To serve, portion out the shrimp mixture in and around the pastry cups on the plates. Spoon sauce on shrimp mixture and put tops back on pastry cups. Serve immediately.

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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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Spring has arrived in Florida. It is nice to be able to walk out the door in sandles and summer clothes. The birds are singing and soon the manatees will be returning to the canals in our area with their pups. Last year I was down on our dock when a huge manatee appeared. I had heard that they like to drink fresh water, so I turned on the hose. Slowly he made his way over to me and lifted his huge head up out of the water and drank his fill. He then turned over on his back and let me spray his belly with the fresh water. I was in awe of this beautiful creature.

A friend and I went to the Farmer’s Market on Friday and loaded up on fresh produce. The Florida strawberries were beautiful and the asparagus was refreshingly crisp and green. I had leftover red pepper pesto from my last post so I incorporated it into a spring pasta dish full of fresh vegetables and chicken. I highly recommend this pesto. It was great on the appetizer, wonderful added to a pizza and now in this pasta dish.

We are returning to Lake Lure March 31st. Friends have told us that the weather has been lovely there, so I am looking forward to the soft greens of the budding trees and the pinks and whites of the dogwoods in bloom. All of us have endured a long winter. It is good to anticipate the spring season.

RED PEPPER PESTO PASTA PRIMAVERA

2 boneless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into thirds, blanched and put into ice water to set color and stop the cooking
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 green pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, cut into thin strips
1 cup red pepper pesto (see previous post)
12 ounces tri-colored linguini
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown chicken in olive oil until no longer pink. Remove from pan. Add more olive oil if necessary and saute, red and green pepper, onion, and carrots until crisp tender. Return chicken and asparagus to skillet. Add red pepper pesto and a little water. Stir to combine ingredients.

Cook pasta according to package directions. When done scoop out some of the pasta water. Drain pasta and add to skillet with chicken and vegetables. Add some of the pasta water if it is too dry. Toss to combine. Season to taste and serve.

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