Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

I had no idea that Massachusetts has an official State muffin.  The corn muffin was chosen by the school children of Massachusetts to have that honor.  It is a staple of New England cookery.  I could not find a state muffin for North Carolina or Florida so if anyone knows if there is such a thing, I would like to be informed.

I was simply looking for a good corn muffin to go with some split pea soup that I had simmering.  I found one on Martha Stewart’s website and was curious as to why she called it a Massachusetts corn muffin.  The addition of honey is characteristic of all of the recipes I viewed for that designation.

This is a pleasantly sweet muffin.  I enjoyed it with the split pea soup.  I am enjoying it in the morning with a cup of coffee.  It is large and not at all crumbly so it is easy to smear with butter and /or additional honey.  It will be a regular component of soup dinners in our house.

You might want to check to see if your state or region has a designated muffin.  Massachusetts certainly has a good one.

MASSACHUSETTS CORN MUFFINS

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
coarse salt
1/4 cup safflower oil (I used regular canola oil)
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with oil or smear with butter.

In a large bowl combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt.  In another bowl combine the oil, butter and honey.  Add the eggs and milk and beat to combine.  Add the wet ingredients to the cornmeal mixture and stir together.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  They will be almost full.  Bake until tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean, about 18 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.

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December and the holidays are upon us.  We need all the help we can get this month.  My thoughts are on baking cookies, buying presents, entertaining and trying to cram it all into a three to four week period.  I actually relish the festive atmosphere of the month.  Our family will be visiting us in Florida for the holidays for the first time and we have our long standing New Year’s celebration with dear friends to look forward to.  What could be better?  But it does require a little planning.

Let’s consider breakfast for company.  We all have that breakfast casserole that can be assembled and placed in the refrigerator overnight.  Just put it in the oven in the morning and breakfast is on the table within an hour.  Most of those casseroles are based on bread, whether it is sour dough, challah, croissants or French.  I love all of them.  But I was looking for something a little less dense.  I should say lighter.  Since the inspiration for this recipe came from Cooking Light that would be the case.

In place of the bread this recipe has baby spinach, mushrooms, center cut bacon, fresh basil, and just the right amount of hash brown potatoes.  The eggy goodness and Swiss cheese is the same, so it is a casserole that everyone would enjoy.  Everything but the eggs and milk  can be assembled the night before, so in the morning it is almost as easy to get in the oven as the traditional breakfast casserole.

I had fun with my small star cutter.  I opened a jar of roasted red peppers and cut stars out of the peppers and placed them on the top of the casserole before I put it in the oven.  I can see getting even more creative with this for Christmas.  This recipe is open to creativity.  You can replace the bacon with sausage or add any seasoning or ingredients that appeal to you.  Holiday goodness made easy.

EGGS AND HASH BROWN CASSEROLE (Cooking Light)

8 center-cut bacon slices
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
8 ounces sliced shiitake mushroom caps
3 clove garlic, minced
2 cups shredded hash brown potatoes (such as Simply Potatoes)
1/4 cup Chicken stock
5 cups fresh baby spinach
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 ounces Swiss cheese, grated
Cooking Spray
1/2 cup low-fat milk
6 large eggs, lightly beaten

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan;  Increase heat to medium-high.  Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to drippings in pan; saute for 6 minutes.  Add potatoes and stock; cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add spinach, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts.  Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.  Stir in crumbled bacon and cheese.  Place mushroom mixture in an 11 x 7- inch broiler-safe glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Uncover dish.  Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, milk, and eggs in a medium bowl.  Pour egg mixture over mushroom mixture. Add any cut out decorations from a jar of roasted red peppers to the top.  Bake at 350 degrees F. for 28 minutes.

Preheat broiler to high; remove dish while broiler preheats.  Broil 3 minutes or until top is browned and just set.  Let stand 5 minutes.

Note:   I did not have to broil the casserole because it browned nicely; though it took a little longer in the oven to set the center.

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David asked me to make salmon cakes for him last week.  I had a can of salmon in the pantry.  I threw together a hasty batch of them and although they were good, they were not memorable.  He is nothing if not persistent.  He researched different recipes, finally settled on a Barefoot Contessa recipe, bought all of the ingredients and made a batch himself.

This recipe used fresh salmon, lots of fresh vegetables and Old Bay Seasoning.  It seemed like he was in the kitchen for hours.  I have learned that when he is cooking it is wise to move my pretty rug that is usually in front of the stove and make myself scarce.   Things tend to fly.

His salmon cakes were delicious.  He had almost decided that they were too much trouble until we tasted them.  Wow!  Leave it to the Barefoot Contessa to have the perfect recipe.  And he cleaned up the kitchen too.  Think I’ll keep both him and this recipe.

SALMON CAKES ( The Barefoot Contessa )

1/2 pound fresh salmon
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 1/2 cups small-diced celery (4 stalks)
1/2 cup small-diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup small-diced yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
3 slices stale bread, crusts removed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the salmon on a sheet pan, skin side down.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until just cooked.  Remove from the oven and cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Allow to rest for 10 miutes nd refrigerate until cold.

Meanwhile, place 2 tablespoons of the butter 2 tablespoons olive oil, the onion, celery, red and yellow bell peppers, parsley, capers, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce,  crab boil seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt , and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large saute pan over medium-low heat and cook until the vegetables are soft, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.  Cool to room temperature.

Break the bread slices in pieces and process the bread in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  You should have about 1 cup of bread crumbs.  Place the read crumbs on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 5 minutes until lightly browned, tossing occasionally.

Flake the chilled salmon inot a large bowl.  Add the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs.  Add the vegetable mixture and mix well.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Shape into 10 cakes.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  In batches, add the salmon cakes and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until browned.  Drain on paper towels; keep them warm in a preheated 250 degree F oven and serve hot.

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Welcome to my new Word Press website.  I still have some technical issues to work out, but I am happy with the design and look of my updated blog.  Thanks to my talented Son and Daughter-in-Law for their expertise.  If you encounter any problems in leaving comments or with any other issue please email me at pennyklett@gmail.com.

Thanksgiving is an excuse for wonderful leftovers in my opinion.  Every year I make an extra pumpkin pie just so I can have it for breakfast for a week.  But turkey tetrazzini has always been my reason for roasting a turkey.  It is just as much a tradition as the Thanksgiving dinner itself.

I have been using the same recipe for years and it will be difficult for me to be specific about proportions because everything is now done by rote.  But one thing I have learned over the years is to use less pasta than you think you will need because the pasta absorbs a lot of the sauce while it bakes.

Enjoy this simple dish made from leftovers.  It goes well with that leftover cranberry sauce too.

TURKEY TETRAZZINI

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup white wine or dry sherry
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
4 cups cubed cooked turkey
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
1/2 cup Panko crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 pound (8 ounces) Spaghetti cooked according to directions on box

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large skillet melt butter over medium heat.  Add flour and whisk flour and butter together until it turns a light brown.  Mix together wine and chicken broth.  Add to skillet.  Continue whisking until sauce thickens.  Add 1/2 and 1/2 and turkey.  Cook until heated through.  Mix in cooked spaghetti.  Add a little pasta water if it is dry.

Pour contents of skillet into a greased casserole.  Sprinkle top with almonds, panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Bake casserole until bubbly and cheese and breadcrumbs are browned. (About 20 minutes).

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My blog will be undergoing some technical changes over the next week or so.  Therefore, I will be taking  a short break to recharge my batteries and come back with new and fresh ideas.

The part of Thanksgiving that has real meaning for me is the giving of thanks.  Thank you for following my blog for the last four years.  My life is so much fuller for all of the friends I have made.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I will see you back here to kick off the month of December.