Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

If you want a simple and juicy pork chop, this is your recipe.  I am enjoying cooking in my smaller Florida kitchen. Because counter space is limited, I have been concentrating on doing all of the individual steps in meal prep (Mise en place) and then assembling all of the pieces into the finished meal.  I also feel more organized and relaxed cooking this way.

We were very pleased with this recipe.  Sometimes pork chops are dry, but I have to say that these were very juicy and flavorful with the caramelized onion gravy.  It was a great meal for a Sunday evening.  I have to thank my husband for finding the recipe and shopping for the ingredients.  I assumed he was going to cook them also, but he got busy on his computer and deferred to me.  In my quiet kitchen I rinsed, chopped and cooked; the best therapy I know.

Enjoy!

BAKED SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS WITH ONION GRAVY (Adapted from Wholesome Yum)

4 6-oz. Boneless pork chops
1 tsp Seal salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
Garlic powder and onion powder to taste
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 large Onions, sliced into then half moons
2 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Fresh thyme
1 cup Chicken broth
1.5 oz Cream cheese, cut into small chunks

Season the pork chops on both sides with seal salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the pork chops and sear on both sides, about 3 minutes per side without moving, until browned.  Transfer the pork chops to a plate and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium-low or medium.  Using the same pan, saute the slice onions for 15-20 minutes, until caramelized.

Once the onions are caramelized, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Add the minced garlic and thyme leaves to the dutch oven or pan.  Saute for about a minute, until fragrant.

Add the chicken broth to the pan.  Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for about 2-3 minutes, until it gets thicker and the volume is reduced by a least 1/4.

Remove from heat.  Add the cream cheese.  Stir in the cream cheese until it melts into the sauce.

Return the pork chops to the pan and spoon the sauce and onions over them.  Cover with a lid and bake for 20-25 minutes,until cooked through. (Time will vary depending on the thickness of your pork chops- use a thermometer to check and cook to 145 degrees F.

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If you have ever watched the HGTV show Beat Bobby Flay, you know that he wins the challenges many more times than he loses.  One of the reasons is his use of texture in his dishes. I have watched him spreading cooked rice on a sheet pan, cooling it and then frying it in a skillet.  The crispy rice wins over the judges even when the rice is not the centerpiece of the dish.  Paired with braised meats or Asian-inspired dishes, the rice is always  a winner.

My carb conscious husband could not resist this rice.  He even added some of the leftover rice to his seafood gumbo and said it was just the thing to complete it.

The rice does require some initial prep work, but is easy to do.  The last minute sauté does not take long.  You can even do this with left-over take out rice that has been chilled.  The recipe is in Bobby Flay’s new cookbook,  Bobby at Home.

CRISPY COCONUT-SCALLION RICE (Adapted from Bobby Flay)

1 cup canned coconut milk
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/4 cups Jasmine Brown Rice or Carolina long-grain rice (Bobby uses 2 cups)
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions plus more for garnish
3 Tablespoons canola oil

Combine the coconut milk, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.  Stir in the rice and bring back to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the is tender, about 18 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork  Spread the rice in an even layer over a large baking sheet and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.  The rice can be made up to 24 hours in advance: store it on the baking sheet, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.

Combine the rice and scallions in a large bowl.  Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick pan over high heat until it begins to shimmer.  Add the rice and, using a heavy-duty metal spatula, immediately press the rice down into the pan until the top is flat.  Cook, without stirring, until the bottom becomes golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes (start checking at 4 minutes, making sure not to burn it).  Turn the rice over and press down firmly on the top again.  Cook until the bottom is golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes more.  Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with more scallions, and serve.

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One of my Christmas presents from my Daughter-In-Law Kristen was a small bottle of citrus flavoring that can miraculously transform many kinds of baked goods.  The flavor is subtle with warm and zesty overtones.  It is described as a combination of vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet.  You will want to use it in everything.

Fiori de Sicilia is sold by King Arthur Flour.  This Italian flavoring is used by Italians to scent their panettone and pandoro.  But it can be used in cookies, pound cake, pies, meringues and sweet breads.  It is strong, so no more than 1/2 teaspoon is needed to flavor your baked goods.

Fiori di Sicilia certainly woke up my blueberry muffins.  The recipe I used came from Bobby Flay’s new cookbook, Bobby at Home.  His recipe only called for lemon zest and vanilla extract for flavoring.  I’m sure the original recipe would be just fine if you don’t have the Italian flavoring.  That option will be in the following recipe.

We are happily settled in our Florida cottage for the Winter.  The muffins will go in the freezer for all of our guests and friends over the next few months.

CITRUS INFUSED BLUEBERRY MUFFINS (Adapted from Bobby Flay)

Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 cup frozen blueberries
(1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract) or (1/2 tsp. vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp fiori di sicilia)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.

Combine the flour, sugars, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.  Whisk the egg in a medium bowl until smooth, then add the buttermilk, melted butter, oil and vanilla (or vanilla and fiori di sicilia combination).  Add lemon zest if using.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until the batter just comes together.  Fold in the frozen blueberries.  Evenly divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with a few moist crumbs attache 18 to 20 minutes.  Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from the tin and let cool 5 minutes longer.

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I am bringing back  favorite recipes for Christmas cookies with an update.  The first recipe is for Chocolate Shortbread Bars. I have been making these for years because who doesn’t love chocolate, shortbread and pecans?  But in the past, I have made them with a simple chocolate like milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips.  This year I have amped up the chocolate.  I have used a high quality bittersweet chocolate instead.  Dark chocolate with less sweetness has its followers.  These chocolate bars are the best.

Then there are my Moon and Stars cookies.  Swedish crescent cookies covered in powdered sugar have been favorites of mine for many years.  I have a former neighbor in Florida who is missing these cookies.  She is Jewish and we traded her Latkes for these cookies for many years. Her Potato Latkes were the best and I am proud of my Swedish crescent cookies.  The star cookies are Speculoos, a spicy Belgium cookie celebrating Saint Nicholas from Dorie Greenspan.  The cinnamon aroma will waft through your kitchen and make you glad that it is the holidays.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all.

Recipes:

Chocolate Shortbread Bars

Swedish Crescent Cookies

Speculoos

And so it begins.  I have to admit that I got a head start on the holidays by putting up the tree and decorating right before Thanksgiving. Since we have to put everything away by December 29th to make the trek to Florida, it seemed like the right thing to do to get the most joy out of the season.  This Scalloped Potato Recipe is another reason for joy.  It is easy to assemble and a perfect dish to make ahead of time and reheat.  Because it is just the two of us before the holidays get underway, I halved the recipe for this photo-op.  But as a full recipe, it would go so well with Christmas celebrations with friends to accompany most anything from Roasted Rib Eye, Crown Roast of Pork, Baked Ham or Leg of Lamb.

The combination of Gruyere Cheese and a thick white sauce make the potatoes luscious.

There will be more Christmas recipes in the next few weeks.  We wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

CREAMY GRAVY SCALLOPED POTATOES

• 3 pounds Potatoes , peeled and sliced thin
• 1/4 cup Butter , plus extra for buttering baking dish
• 3 cloves Garlic , minced
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 1 cup Chicken Stock or Beef or Vegetable Stock
• 2 cups Milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt , or to taste
• Fresh Cracked Black Pepper , to taste
• 2 cups shredded Cheese , divided
• Optional – chopped Italian Parsley for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter an 9”x13” baking dish. Set aside.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter and then add the garlic. Cook until softened, about 1 minute.
3. Whisk in the flour until smooth and cook for about 20 seconds. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock until well combined. Whisk in the milk and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring regularly until it comes to a gentle boil and slightly thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Layer 1/2 of the potatoes in the prepared baking dish, making sure to separate slices. Top with half of the gravy. Layer about 1/2 of the cheese over the potatoes.
5. Top with the remaining potatoes (making sure to separate slices). Top with remaining gravy and cheese.
6. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes, the remove foil and bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes or until top is golden and potatoes are cooked through. If desired, top with chopped parsley and serve warm.

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