Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

One way to usher in the New Year is with this Cointreau spiked French toast.  The French bread is soaked overnight in a mixture of eggs, orange juice, the orange liqueur, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla.  It can be topped with powdered sugar and an orange infused maple syrup.  We enjoyed this Christmas morning, but it would be perfect for New Year’s Day.

The recipe came from one of my childhood friends.  I have mentioned before that a group of my high school friends and I self-published a cookbook of our favorite recipes.  Norma had spent many years as a caterer and this was one of the breakfast dishes that she liked to serve.  It is very easy to assemble for a crowd once the initial soaking is finished; just brown and serve.

Serve with Champagne and orange juice for a celebration of the new year.  I offer you love and hope for 2018.

ORANGE FRENCH TOAST

1 loaf of French bread
6 eggs, beaten
2 cups orange juice
1/8 cup Cointreau or other Orange liqueur
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Powdered sugar
6 ounces maple syrup
2 ounces orange juice concentrate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Slice bread into 1-inch thick slices.  Lay bread in jelly roll pan.  Pour next 7 ingredients that have been whipped together, over the bread and refrigerate overnight.  Turn griddle on medium and heat up.  Lightly butter griddle, lay bread on griddle and cook for 5 minutes on each side.  You can finish cooking if need be in the oven at 325 degrees.

In a saucepan, mix together the maple syrup, orange juice concentrate, and vanilla.  Cook mixture for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle french toast with powdered sugar and pour sauce over it.

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Cookie Brittle is a new treat for Christmas in our house.  The recipe came from one of my favorite sites, Food52.  I will be packaging this up for friends and neighbors.  The butterscotch-caramel flavor of this crispy treat is habit forming so be careful when you make it.  Someone in our house has been sneaking bits of it at all times of day and night.  Think I am going to have to make a second batch.

These shirred eggs make a wonderful festive breakfast for the holidays.  They can be prepared ahead and then baked when you are ready.  Make as many as you want.  It was a perfect Sunday morning meal.

Served with bacon and Focaccia Bread Stick for dipping you can’t go wrong.  The recipe is here.

 

Our Christmas card this year.  The Grands are growing up so fast.  Wishing all of you a festive holiday and Happy New Year my friends.

You can find the recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle here.

While staying with our family over Thanksgiving, my DIL Kristen made this flavorful soup for our lunch preceding our Thanksgiving dinner. The butternut squash is combined with a few parsnips and potatoes and simmered in chicken broth. Once cooked it is puréed with an immersion blender.  There is no need for heavy cream.  The soup is thick and velvety.  The smoked almonds and chopped scallions add a bit of crunch and flavor.  I will be making this butternut squash soup all through our chilly December.  If you want to make it vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

We got our tree right after Thanksgiving because our home was on a Christmas Walk on December 2nd. I scrambled to get all of the decorations out before the end of November.  But now it is done and I can sit back and enjoy the season in peace. Here are a few pictures of the results.

The mantel and chairs in their Christmas adornment.

The den, ready for a fire and a good book.

I have been busy making cookies, but on this day the Crock Pot is busy next to the sink making our dinner.  So much to do.

Oranges in my hearth pot next to the fireplace.

Another view of the kitchen.

Christmas porch on a beautiful sunshiny day.

Lower porch with my new reindeer pillow.

My talented Mother’s Christmas Carolers.  I think everyone in our small town had a set of her carolers and I have fond memories of her making them in the hundreds.  She “lives on” in many households through her work.

My husband has never grown up.  Fortunately we built bookshelves along the stairwell to our downstairs area.  I have given David free reign with all of his collectible toys.  When the Grands were younger they marveled at all of the mechanical toys (except for the bug-eyed monkeys that scared them).  The shelves seem particularly festive at Christmas.

Enjoy the festive season and this velvety butternut squash soup on the countdown to Christmas. I am happy to have time to relax.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP (RECIPE FROM KRISTEN KLETT)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 medium yellow onion – rough chop
• 2 cloves of garlic – rough chop
• 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
• 1 medium butternut squash, cut into approx. 1” cubes (3 to 4 cups)
• 3 small parsnips – cut similar to squash
• 2 very small yukon potatoes (fingerling okay) – peeled and cut similar to squash and parsnips
• 3 cups of chicken broth (I prefer making mine with “better than boullion” chicken base – much richer flavor)
• 3 shakes of cayenne pepper

• Salt and pepper to taste

FOR GARNISH

• Smoked almonds – chopped/crushed
• Scallions – chopped

In a medium pan, saute the onions in olive oil with a sprinkle of salt and pepper until the onions are translucent.

Add the dijon mustard and garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes

Add the squash, parsnips and potatoes and stir to combine and coat with oil/onions/garlic. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Season with another sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Add the chicken broth. The broth should just cover the vegetables (too much broth will make your soup more watery/runny). Cook for 20 minutes on a low simmer until all vegetables are fork tender.

Turn the heat off and, using an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pan until silky smooth.

Add a few dashes of cayenne pepper to taste.

Serve soup topped with crushed smoked almonds & green onions.
TIP: Root vegetables pair very nicely with Gruyere cheese. If you want a tasty side for your soup, make grilled cheese or crostini with Gruyere.

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My Son, Michael, decided to forego the Thanksgiving turkey this year in favor of a smoked beef brisket.  We are so glad that he did.  The recipe came form Myron Mixon, winner of more competitive barbecue contests than anyone else in the world.  My husband David has smoked brisket before.  See the technique here.  Some recipes for smoking a brisket can take up to 18 hours.  But the recipe suggested by Myron Mixon in his cookbook Smokin’, can be done in 6 to 8 hours after the initial marinating time.

Instead of cooking the brisket low and slow, the meat is injected, marinated, spice rubbed and cooked at a constant temperature of 350 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.  The pan is then covered with aluminum foil and put back in the smoker to cook for another 1 1/2 hours or until the temperature reaches 205 degrees. From this point you wrap the pan in a  blanket, put it in a large cooler, and leave it to rest for 3 to 4 hours.

Our brisket weighed about 6 pounds. Just a note on the cut of brisket you should use.  Butcher shops usually break the meat down into two pieces.  The first cut is called the flat and is what most grocery stores sell because it is leaner.  But the second cut, called the point, is rounder and fattier and has more flavor.  This is the preferred cut.  Also notice in the above photo the toothpick in the end.  There is another one on the other end.  Michael put them in the meat when it was raw to show the direction of the grain.  When cooked it is less obvious. To slice a tender brisket, it is important to slice it against the grain rather than with the grain.

The recipe below is for a 15 to 20 pound brisket.  Since ours was much smaller, Michael felt the beef injection and marinade should be reduced.  The cooking time may also be less, although the resting time is quite flexible.

Michael served the brisket with a local barrel aged beer from Southern Peak Brewery called Midnight Conductor.  With hints of chocolate and dark fruit, it was the perfect accompaniment.  Next up, some delicious side dishes.

PERFECT SMOKED BEEF BRISKET

The days are counting down until Christmas; Christmas Tour that is.  My home will be on the tour with three other homes in my neighborhood on December 2nd.  All of this means that Thanksgiving has barely registered as I have been pulling out the Christmas baubles.  Thankfully, we will be having Thanksgiving at the kids’ home, so much of the responsibility is not on my shoulders.

When I am busy, I like to rely on my Crock Pot for meals.  This pork stew has the addition of raisins and vinegar which give the dish a sweet-and-sour (agrodolce) tang that is very pleasing.  The recipe comes from one of my favorite Crock Pot cookbooks, The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone.

The pork was very tender and it was delicious with Basmati rice.  I substituted dried cranberries for the raisins.

We will get our tree after Thanksgiving but all of the rest of the decorations are in place.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone.  Christmas will be here (for some of us) before we know it.

PORK STEW AGRODOLCE

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 large onions, chopped
2 large celery ribs, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 cup golden raisins (I used dried cranberries)

Pat the pork dry with paper towels.  Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the pork, without crowding the pan.  Brown the meat on all sides and transfer it to the slow cooker.

When all the meat has been browned, reduce the heat to medium.  Add the onions and celery to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until golden.

Add the wine and vinegar and bring it to a simmer.  Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker.  Add the carrots and raisins.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the pork is tender.  Serve hot.

Great with rice or polenta.

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