Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

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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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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It is good to be back in The Sunshine State.  As much as we love the North Carolina mountains, a change of scene can be invigorating and cleansing.  My thoughts on cooking change with the environment also.  I left my Kitchen Aid mixer and food processor in the Lake Lure kitchen.  The meals I fix here are usually simple and straight forward.  We eat more seafood and try to get more exercise.

The local market had some beautiful wild jumbo shrimp so I adapted a Cooking Light recipe to make this pasta dish.  While visiting the kids I made a run through Trader Joe’s to pick up pantry staples for Florida.  Their lemon pepper pappardelle pasta goes very well with seafood.  Add a bunch of baby arugula and you have a meal in a dish.

So simple and easy!  There are changes coming to my blog.  I am in the process of moving over to Word Press so I hope you will stick with me.

SHRIMP AND ARUGULA PASTA

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
12 ounces pasta of choice, fusilli, linguine, pappardelle
3 cups (packed) fresh baby or regular arugula

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes.  Add the red pepper flakes and white wine and bring to a simmer.  Simmer until the wine reduces by half, about 5 minutes.  Add the shrimp and cook just until they are pink, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Drain the pasta, saving some of the pasta water.  Add the pasta and the arugula to the skillet.  Toss to combine.  Season the pasta with salt and pepper and add a little pasta water if dry.  Transfer to a large bowl and serve.

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The flavors of Provence can be found in this Soupe au Pistou.  In the Provencal language, pistou means basil and the word has come to mean this soup as well.  It is a summer soup utilizing all the the vegetables from the garden.

This authentic recipe came from Antoine Bouterin in his book Cooking Provence; Four Generations of Recipes and Tradition. 

Bouterin,  the former chef of Le Perigord in New York City, grew up in his Grandparent’s 400 year old farm house in St.- Remy-de-Provence.  He learned how to cook watching his Grandmother turn out meals on her cast-iron, wood-burning stove surrounded by the aromas of drying herbs and citrus peel.  Each summer she would make this soup from the bounty of the farm with a generous addition of garlic and basil.

I had expected to like this soup, but I found it to be more complex than just a liking.  It has a depth of flavor to it that is soothing.  It makes you want to return your spoon to your bowl over and over again.  I am anxious to try it again when the tomatoes are at their peak.  It will be a regular summer soup at the cottage.

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SOUP (SOUPE AU PISTOU)

2 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 medium-size turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
8 cups water
4 cups homemade or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 medium-size zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup green beans, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 large leeks, white and tender green parts, well washed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 medium-size potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (I used Yukon Gold)
1 cup canned flageolets, undrained (or cannellini beans)
1 cup broken pieces thin spaghetti
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 large tomatoes, juice and seeds gently squeezed out and cut into 1/2-inch dice
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil

In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the corn oil until very hot but not smoking, then add the onion and saute until golden, about 5 minutes.  Add the carrots and turnips and saute 2 minutes.  Add the water and broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook 10 minutes.  Add the zucchini, green beans, leeks, and potatoes and simmer 30 minutes.

Add the flageolets and spaghetti and cook 15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, parsley and basil and set aside.  Just before serving the soup, add the tomato mixture and cook just until heated through.  Serve the soup hot or at room temperature.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Note:  You can prepare the soup up to the point of adding the tomatoes and refrigerate up to 3 days.  It will thicken in the refrigerator, so add a little water or broth as needed.

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On this sunny Saturday morning I baked this lovely breakfast casserole. Our friends needed something special to see them off on their journey home, but I am still trying to be mindful of our
calorie intake. This blueberry french toast bake came from Ellie Krieger’s So Easy cookbook. I like her recipes because she packs a lot of nutrition and flavor into her food and not a lot of fat. Also this is one of those great casseroles that you assemble the night before and just bake in the morning. It made the kitchen smell like cinnamon and vanilla and gave me time to prepare the rest of the breakfast while I sipped my morning coffee.

The last two weeks have been a challenge to our commitment to weight lose but we are still on course. I have been walking every day and am thinking of joining a yoga class. Believe it or not, David has joined a Zoomba class at his gym. He is not known for his rhythm and I have a hard time picturing him salsa dancing. At least he is getting a good workout.

Give this recipe a try. It is crispy on top and soft and eggy on the inside with a flavor burst of blueberries and cinnamon. By the way I halved the recipe below and cooked it in a 9″ square pan.

BLUEBERRY-ALMOND FRENCH TOAST BAKE

Cooking spray
1 whole wheat baquette (about 18″ long), cut into 1 ” cubes
2 cups low-fat milk
8 large eggs
8 large egg whites
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Spray a 9 X 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange the bread in a single layer in the baking pan. Whisk together the milk, eggs, egg whites, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the pan, spreading it around so the liquid saturates the bread. Scatter the blueberries evenly on top. Sprinkle with the almonds and brown sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Serve hot.

Serving size – 1 4×3 inch piece, 270 calories. 5 Weight Watchers points

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