Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

January is a difficult month to get through sometimes. There is the let down from the excitments of the holidays and the weather that can be dreary, cold, and unpreditable. Now we don’t even have the Super Bowl and the attendant parties to look forward to. This year’s Super Bowl will be played February 7th in Miami at the Dolphins Stadium. But that does give you time for planning a party. Super Bowl food runs the gamut from chips and dips to pizza and subs. It is not the time to pull out the good china and the Coq Au Vin. One of my favorite easy comfort foods is a good sloppy joe. It is such a convenient choice for a crowd. You can put it in a crock pot to keep it warm. Serving from the crock pot is very convenient. A basket of good bakery rolls lightly toasted and a condiment bar can also be included. Condiments might include sliced pickles, pickled jalapenos, coleslaw, and shredded cheese. Another idea would be to offer the new slider size hamburger buns for those who want to exercise portion control. With some special potato chips and paper plates and napkins, you don’t even need silverware.
This recipe for sloppy joes is a little unusual. I adapted it from a recipe I saw on a website for Lindauer Family Farms. They raise natural, antibiotic free beef and their website includes recipes for beef. What I liked about the recipe was the inclusion of jellied cranberry sauce. I have used this before in making meatballs and it sounded perfect for sloppy joes. I love this recipe and it doubles easily for a crowd.

SLOPPY JOES
2 lbs ground beef round
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tbls brown sugar
1 Tbls dry mustard
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup ketchup
1 8 0z can jellied cranberry sauce
1 Tbls Worcestershire sauce
Brown ground beef and onions in a large sauce pan. Drain off fat. Add dry ingredients and stir and cook for a few minutes. Add ketchup, cranberry sauce and worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer on low-medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes.

There are many things to love about Thanksgiving.  One of my favorite things is the delicious side dishes.  No matter what you do to the turkey, it is still boring in my book.  But the sides can shine and make your table sparkle with vivid colors of orange in the sweet potatoes, red in the cranberry relish, and glistening green in beans or salads.

I love the idea of combining white and sweet potatoes.  This layered gratin can be partially made ahead which makes it a good side dish for Thanksgiving.  It also travels well if you are bringing a side dish to a hostess’s table.

This gratin is rich with shallots, Gruyere cheese, and cream.  Over the next few weeks I hope to post some more ideas for Thanksgiving side dishes.  We will be traveling for Thanksgiving, so hopefully a few of them may show up on our host’s table.

TWO POTATO GRATIN (Southern Living Magazine)

Oh, the sights we’ve seen.  But I will start at the beginning.  I flew into Anchorage on June 9th.  It was 10:30 at night and still light.  I have yet to see a complete sunset.  We spent the first two nights in Anchorage at The House of Jade, a lovely bed and breadfast with equally lovely hosts.

This is the entrance to the bed and breakfast.  The flowers here are enormous.  I’m not sure if it is because of the amount of sunshine that they receive or if it is because they need to be hardy to survive the harsh winters.

This is our talented hostess Dee in the middle with Tulin and me.  On the first morning we were there, she and her husband Yves served 16 people a multicourse breakfast effortlessly.

We were served fresh fruit with yogurt sauce, coffee cake, reindeer sausage, hash brown potatoes and quiche.  It was the perfect way to start the day.

  

Dee shared two of her recipes with me.  Her Apple Cranberry Coffee Cake and Alaska House of Jade Broccoli Quiche are both worthy of sharing and perfect for a crowd.

APPLE CRANBERRY COFFEE CAKE FROM ALASKA HOUSE OF JADE

Spray bundt pan with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to350 degrees.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter or marganine
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
2/3 cup dried cranberries (soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes first – then drain and pat dry)

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

6 tablespoons soft butter or margarine
1 cup firly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup pecans, chopped

Instructions:
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in sauce pan, add apple and cranberries.  Saute until tender (about 5 minutes).  Set aside.

Cream shortening, sugar and vanilla.  Add eggs, beating after each addition.  Sift flour, baking powder, salt and soda together.  Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.  Spread 1/2 batter in prepared 10 inch bundt pan.

Cream 1/2 cup butter or margarine, brown sugar and cinnamon together.  Add nuts and apple-cranberry saute and mix well.  Dot batter in pan evely with half of nut mixture.  Cover with remaining batter and top with remaining nut mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes then invert onto plate then  carefully invert one more time onto serving platter so the nut side is on top.

ALASKA HOUSE OF JADE BROCCOLI QUICHE

3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 to 4 cups chopped fresh broccoli
3 to 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 to 1 cup Mexican style cheese or cheddar cheese
12 eggs, well beaten
3 cups milk
1 1/2 cups half and half
salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
dash to 1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbls Dijon mustard

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Over medium-low heat melt butter in a large sauce pan.  Add onions, garlic and cook slowly, stirring occasionally until soft.

Blanch broccoli in a large pan of boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes and drain.

Spoon vegetables into 9 x 13 inch pan that has been sprayed with Pam.

Combine eggs and milk and whip; then add cheese and seasonings.  Stir in onion, garlic and the butter you cooked them in.  Pour egg mixture over vegetables.  Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until center has set.

Note:  You can substitute any vegetables you prefer – or any meats such as ham or sausage.

Printable recipe Coffee Cake

Printable recipe Quiche