Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

I have a weakness for a certain Mexican Taco Dinner Kit in the Supermarket that makes me feel guilty every time I buy it. But to me it is really good and easy to make – just grab a pound of ground beef and throw it together. But my mind is working while preparing this dinner. What is in this Taco seasoning? What kind of cheese is this that I’m squeezing out of this small foil packet. Surely there is a better value in buying a 12 pack of flour tortillas than the 4 tortillas in this box. So the last time I was strolling the international aisle of the supermarket and was tempted by the siren call of this convenience food, I paused and decided that maybe, just maybe I could make my own so called dinner kit. And maybe I could make it healthier. I decided to substitute ground turkey for the ground beef and as a bonus, the turkey is less expensive than the ground beef. I substituted multi-grain flour tortillas for the flour tortillas and decided I could make my own taco seasoning from the herbs and spices in my pantry. The only liquid in the store taco kit is water, so I bought canned tomatoes. And last but not least I bought real cheese, not the grated variety but real block cheese. To go with this, I added black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, scallions and avocado. I should have gotten sour cream too but thought I had it in the fridge. It was a comforting meal. From now on I plan to keep my dinner kit ingredients in the pantry, fridge and freezer.

MEXICAN CASSEROLE

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t.cumin
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. dried oregano
1 10.75 oz. can tomato puree
1 10 oz. can Ro-Tel
4 Multi-grain flour tortillas – 8 inch
3 to 4 ounces sharp cheddar, grated
3 to 4 ounces monterey jack cheese, grated

Brown turkey in 12 ” skillet breaking apart until no longer pink. Drain off any liquid. Add herbs and spices and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato puree and ro-tel and cook at medium low heat until liquid is somewhat reduced about 15 minutes. Film a deep dish pie plate with oil. Place 1 tortilla in dish. Top with 1/4 of turkey mixture and 1/4 of each cheese. Layer 3 more times ending with cheeses. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Cut into 6 wedges. Serve with heated black beans, lettuce, tomato, scallions , avocado, and sour cream. I dressed the lettuce with vinegar and oil. Add other condiments to your taste.

On Christmas Eve at my Son and Daughter-In-Law’s home, Kristen served a fragrant Winter Squash Soup and all of us decided that it should become an annual tradition. Since returning to Florida the days have been warm and my thoughts and appetite have dictated a grill mentality, but even Florida gets cold when the weather in the Northeast is below zero, as it is this week. So my thoughts returned to that warming soup and cooking seasonally. I try to go to the local farmer’s market every week. We are fortunate to have a longer growing season than most of the country, so it is easier to buy produce that is grown locally.

The lettuce looked beautiful and was much less expensive than the grocery store bagged variety.

At the end of this row were beautiful winter squash, both butternut and acorn. Dinner was inevitable – Winter Squash Soup and Salad. Kristen researched Butternut squash soup recipes on Epicurious and this recipe received the highest rating.
WINTER SQUASH SOUP WITH GRUYERE CROUTONS
Soup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
3 14 1/2 ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 1/4 t. minced fresh thyme
1 1/4 t. minced fresh sage
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 t. sugar
Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmner until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and sugar; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)
Croutons
2 T. (1/4 stick) butter
24 1/4 inch thick baguette bread slices
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 t. minced fresh thyme
1 t. minced fresh sage
Preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrage bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then thyme and sage over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.

Printable recipe

Oh what a food orgy the holidays were! And I loved every minute of it – from Kristen’s Christmas Eve Short Ribs of Beef, to Jeff’s Christmas Baby back ribs seasoned three ways and smoked slowly all day, to our New Years Day meal with friends. We have been gathering for New Years with our motorcycle “gang” ( or should I say over the hill gang) for a long time. The menu has become a tradition and each of us has a speciality. We have slow roasted fall apart pork roast, sweet potato casserole, black-eyed peas, turnip greens and Rosa’s corn bread, which is redolent of buttermilk, butter AND oil. But this post is supposed to be about restraint! I’m trying, I’m trying . . . I don’t believe in diets anymore. What works for me is portion control. OK, I was in the library the other day and ran across “The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook”, so the chicken recipe came from this obvious diet cookbook. But what I liked about it was that it was full of flavor and in order to get the 4 oz. chicken breast it called for, I had to cut the standard breasts I got from the grocery store in half. With this I served jasmine rice cooked according to package directions but with the addition of orange zest to complement the chicken. And to be sure we were eating the right portions, I put the rice in individual 1/2 cup molds, kept them warm in the oven and unmolded on the plates when dinner was ready. From The Barefoot Contessa ( does she ever fail to deliver?) I made Broccoli Rabe with garlic. If you don’t like bitter greens I’m sure you could substitute broccolini. It was a satisfying meal and I felt righteous in my restraint even as I scoured the pantry for chocolate. Just a small piece.

MANDARIN ORANGE CHICKEN

3 Tbls frozen orange juice concentrate (thawed)
3 Tbls lower-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbls freshly minced garlic
1 Tbls hot sesame oil
1 tsp chili garlic sauce or chili paste
3/4 cup canned unsweetened mandarin oranges in juice
6 4oz. trimmed boneless, skinless breasts

In a large, resealable plastic bag or container, mix the juice concentrate, soy sauce, garlic, oil and chili sauce or chili paste. Gently stir in the oranges and their juice. Add the chicken, submerging it in marinade. Seal the bag or container and marinate in the refrigerator at least 6 hours or overnight, rotating once or twice.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Transfer the chicken to an 11″ x 7″ glass baking or casserole dish (or the equivalent) in a single layer and pour the remaining marinade on top. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA’S BROCCOLI RABE WITH GARLIC

2 bunches broccoli rabe
3 Tbls good olive oil
6 large garlic cloves sliced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Cut off and discard the tough ends of the broccoli rabe and cut the rest of it into 2 inch pieces. Place the broccoli in a colander and rinse. Drain well.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon, and set aside.
Add the broccoli to the hot oil. Add the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cook covered over medium to low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs, until the stalks are tender but still al dente. Add the reserved garlic, check the seasonings, and serve hot.

Happy Mother’s day to all of you Moms out there. Amy has asked me to do a guest post for her today. I first met Amy and David when they vacationed at our guest cottage last July. Amy was pregnant with Natalie at the time and I have since followed her progress on her blog. We are hoping that they will come back sometime so that we can meet Natalie in person. I admire all of you young Mothers who are raising families and juggling a multitude of responsiblities. That is why I chose this recipe for Chicken Chilaquiles to share with you. It is one that my wonderful daughter-in-law makes for her family on a regular basis. Kristen is a busy working Mommy, but she still manages to prepare wonderful meals for her family. My sweet granddaughter Rachel even helps her sometimes.

What is so great about this recipe is that it starts with a rotisserie chicken. You can have dinner on the table in an easy 30 minutes. The ingredients are simple but the taste is anything but simple. It is made with salsa verde which is easy to find in the grocery store with the rest of the salsas. The tortilla chips and chicken thicken the salsa and chicken broth and the topping of grated cheese and sour cream add a richness to the casserole. It is pretty to look at too. If you have time you can add other condiments to the dish. Rachel loves avocados so sometimes Kristen adds them to the top. Diced tomatoes would also be a great addition. But maybe not for Amy and David.

CHICKEN CHILAQUILES

1 cup sour cream

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

1 3/4 cups Salsa Verde (Pace has a good one, as does Trader Joe’s)

1 can reduced sodium chicken broth

Coarsely shredded chicken form a rotisserie chicken, skin removed

Salt and Pepper to taste

6 cups coarsely crushed tortilla chips plus a few more for the top

6 ounces grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Stir together sour cream and just enough milk to get a thick pourable consistency.

Bring salsa and broth to a boil in a heavy pot over moderately high heat. Add the chicken, salt and pepper and cook, stirring until chicken is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes, then stir in 6 cups tortilla chips and cook until chips are softened (but not mushy), about 1 minute.

Transfer chilaquiles to a large platter or casserole. Sprinkle with grated cheese, sour cream broken chips and cilantro. Serve rest of sour cream on the side. Garnish with other condiments if desired.