Maple-Mustard Glazed Chicken

I have tried very hard not to sound the January "diet" drum on this blog.  But "ta dum", it has been happening.  One of us has been doing a better job than the other, but we both have been more conscious of what we are putting in our mouths.  My way to lose weight is portion control.  I keep eating most all of the foods I always eat, but just less of them.  Sweets are limited but not eliminated.  I feel like we eat a pretty healthy diet anyway, so just cutting down a bit is my solution.  Also I have added a weekly weigh-in at Weight Watchers.  That is all of the motivation I need.  And a five pound weight loss, so far, is my reward.

This recipe for maple-mustard glazed chicken was in the latest issue of Cooking Light.  Everyone gets tired of skinless, boneless chicken breasts when you are on a diet.  This issue of the magazine is dedicated to 25 healthy chicken dinners and there are several great recipes that improve the ho-hum chicken breast.  I chose to make this recipe because I love the ingredients.  Stone-ground mustard, pure maple syrup, lots of garlic and chicken broth combine to make a beautiful glaze.  What could be more beautiful?

MAPLE-MUSTARD GLAZED CHICKEN

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil; swirl to coat.  Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt.  Add chicken to pan; saute 2 minutes on each side or until browned.  Remove chicken from pan.  Add broth, syrup, thyme, and garlic to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add vinegar and mustard; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Return chicken to pan, and spoon mustard mixture over chicken.  Bake at 400 degrees F. for 10 minutes or until the chicken is done.  Remove chicken from pan; let stand 5 minutes.  Place pan over medium heat; cook mustard mixture 2 minutes or until liquid is syrupy, stirring frequently.  Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

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A Quality Meal on the Run

Just because you are busy doesn't mean you have to settle for take-out when it comes to dinner.  All it takes is a little planning and a well stocked pantry.

I feel like I am channeling The Pioneer Woman right now.  Her latest episode on The Food Network had to do with just this subject.  She has good reason to keep a stocked pantry after all.  If you lived on a cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere, you would do the same.  But even if you have a Whole Foods and a Costco in the next block, having a pantry stocked with quality ingredients is worth your while.

My nearest Costco is 50 miles away.  My friend Maxine and I just made a run there earlier this week.  I came home with a huge hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano at half the price of what is available in my local store.  I found a 12 ounce package of Speck, that wonderful smoked prosciutto from Italy that is so good in Spaghetti Carbonara.  It will keep well in the refrigerator for months.  From Whole Foods I buy artisanal dried pastas and quality jarred marinara sauce.  I also like to keep jarred pesto sauce and sweet pickled peppers.  The pesto sauce adds a bright note to pasta dishes and the pickled peppers look pretty and add a piquant flavor to many dishes.  See how Sam of My Carolina Kitchen used them in this recipe.  Her Chicken Scarpariello is outstanding.

I was running late yesterday.  Knowing what I had in the pantry, I stopped at the grocery store and picked up some hot chicken sausage and breezed through the express lane.  Dinner was on the table within the hour and it was a very good meal.  What went into it made all of the difference.

CHICKEN SAUSAGE PASTA

1 lb good quality hot or mild chicken sausages, removed from casings
1 red or green bell pepper, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup good quality marinara sauce
3 heaping tablespoons pesto sauce
8 to 10 pickled small sweet peppers, halved
1 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, more for garnishing

8 ounces Organic Strozzapreti pasta or penne pasta of your choice
Salt to taste
1/2 cup pasta water

In a large skillet over medium high heat saute chicken sausage, breaking up big pieces.  Add peppers, onion and garlic and saute until peppers have softened.  Add wine to skillet and scrape pan to loosen the browned bits.  Add marinara sauce, pesto and pickled peppers to dish.  Reduce heat to low and simmer while you cook the pasta.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add at least a tablespoon of salt.  Cook the pasta according to package directions.  When done, scope out some of the pasta water and then drain the pasta.  Add it to the skillet with the sauce.  Add the shredded Parmigiano and stir to combine.  Add some pasta water if the mixture is dry.  Turn pasta onto a serving plate and serve garnished with more cheese.

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Helpful Hints from My Cottage Kitchen 2

I started writing a periodic blog post called "Helpful Hints from my Cottage Kitchen" back in April of last year.  Here is the post where I wrote about one of my favorite pans.  Since that time, I have neglected the project but haven't forgotten about it.  While we were in Charleston for the New Years Holiday, we girls spent one day shopping in the historic downtown area.  Across the street from the place we had lunch ( High Cotton) was a wonderful cooking store called Charleston Cooks!   They had so many unique gadgets that we all came home with something.  Jackie got a butter keeper.  It keeps butter at room temperature in a sealed container on your counter.  I have one and it is so nice to always have room temperature butter to spread on toast or bread.  Barbara got a salt pig.  Again something I already have.  Kosher salt in a protected porcelain "thingy" right at your fingertips.   This is what I got.

Sometimes when I prebake a pie crust before I add the filling, the fluted edges get too brown when the pie goes back into the oven with the filling.  All of the self-help cooking manuals tell you to cover the crust with pieces of aluminum foil.  I'm sorry, but that just doesn't work for me. It is too clumsy and hard to get the aluminum foil around the edges of the dish.  These silicone pie shields are genius!  They fit just right, even over highly fluted edges.  The package includes 5 pieces.  I only needed 4 for a standard 9" pie, but if you have a 12" pie dish you are covered.  This was worth the $8.00 I had to pay for it.

The pie shields are great.  I made this quiche recently and realized that the edges were browning too quickly.  I plopped the silicone shields on it and all was well.  Here is the source for them from Charleston Cooks!  But I am sure you could also find them on Amazon.  I hope you find this helpful.  I know it has made me very happy.  But then it doesn't take much to make me happy.  My husband is grateful.  

Spicy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Don't you just want to dip your chips into this cheesy concoction?  I have made this twice during the holidays.  The original recipe came from the Tabasco website.  My DIL Kristen introduced it to me and I have been making it for large get-togethers ever since.  There is lots of cheese in it but somehow the spinach and artichokes make it seem healthier.  At least that's what I tell myself.

It is a simple appetizer to prepare if you remember to thaw the frozen spinach ahead of time.  Also be sure to squeeze the spinach like you really mean it until there is little moisture left in it.  Everything is cooked together in a large skillet and then transferred to a baking dish to bubble and brown in the oven.

This would be perfect for a Super Bowl party.  As much as I love guacamole and hummus, it is comforting to have a dip that is hot out of the oven.  I think you will agree.

SPICY SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE DIP

1 stick of butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 (10-oz) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 (14-oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (not marinated)
1 (8-oz) pkg. cream cheese
1 (8-oz) carton sour cream
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons Tabasco pepper sauce (or to taste)
Salt to taste
Garnish with a finely chopped tomato or a sprinkling of paprika

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in spinach, artichokes, cream cheese, sour cream, 3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, Tabasco pepper sauce and salt.

Stir until well blended and heated through.  Pour mixture into a 1/2-quart casserole dish and top with remaining Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses.  Bake in a 350 F oven until cheese starts to brown, about 10 minutes.  Serve with pita bread or tortilla chips.  Garnish with chopped tomato or paprika.

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Pork and Wild Rice Soup

Making soup is a creative outlet.  I like to experiment with combining ingredients.  Making soup is also forgiving of mistakes.  Even if you screw up, it still tastes good.  But in this case there were no screw ups.  I started with a recipe from Cooking Light magazine and adapted it.  I had some boneless pork chops in the freezer and had just been to the supermarket where I found a quick cooking wild rice medley from a company called Canoe.  Their website is interesting and the name Canoe came about because wild rice was first harvested from canoes.  The wild rice medley has bits of dried red peppers, carrots, celery, onion and parsley in it but no pesky preservatives or additives.

I love combining black beans and greens together in a soup.  Kale is one of my favorites and it adds great nutrients and color.  The recipe called for two serrano chilies and lime juice which added a kick and a refreshing bite.

Have you noticed the great variety of tortillas in the market lately?  Mission has just come out with with an artisan tortilla with flaxseed and blue corn.  It has lots of Omega 3s and is high in fiber.  I topped the soup with these tortilla strips which I toasted in the oven.  You can also top the soup with sliced avocado and sour cream.  Anyway you do it, you can't go wrong with this great combination.

PORK AND WILD RICE SOUP

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound pork loin, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 cup quick cooking wild rice medley
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
1 1/2 cups of water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 (32-ounce) carton fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups kale, washed, stems removed and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Toasted tortilla strips, avocado and/or sour cream for garnish

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Brown pork on all sides.  Remove from pan.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Add rice, onion, garlic and chiles; saute 3 minutes or until onion is tender.  Add pork, water oregano, brogh and beans; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender.  Stir in kale, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper and simmer gently until kale is wilted, about 2 minutes.  Top each serving with garnishes of choice.  Serves 6.


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Orange and Olive Oil Cake

I have a list of Pins on Pinterest that I would love to get through this year.  If you haven't been to that website you really should give it a look.  The whole idea is that you can create pin boards of images that you have seen on the web and go back to your pin boards anytime that you would like.  I have pin boards for home design ideas, Holiday ideas and of course Recipes to Try.  This recipe appeared on Pinterest not too long ago and the idea of a refreshing orange studded cake (or sweet bread) really appealed to me.  The use of olive oil instead of butter sounded like a healthy alternative also.

The original recipe came from Smitten Kitchen.  Deb used blood oranges in the recipe.  The recipe that appeared on Pinterest came from Small Kitchen College started by the gals at Big Girls Small Kitchen fame.  I adapted the recipe from their recipe.  But the concept is simple and delicious.  The batter is flavored with orange zest, orange juice and orange chunks.  The fat is olive oil instead of butter.  I was lucky enough to have some leftover O Olive Oil Blood Orange oil to use from the contest I was in recently.  By the way, I did not win in case you are wondering.  The recipe calls for 2/3 cups of olive oil.  I had about 1/3 cup of the flavored oil and used 1/3 cup of regular olive oil.

The cake was moist and delicious with an appealing orange flavor.  You can serve it as is for breakfast or topped with fruit and whipped cream for dessert.  I had it mixed up and in the oven before I walked the dog this morning  What a treat is was to come home to the lovely smells emanating from my oven.

One Pin off of my list!  I would do better if I didn't keep finding more pins to add. 

ORANGE AND OLIVE OIL CAKE

Butter for greasing pan
2 oranges
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain yogurt ( I used sour cream )
3 large eggs
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, add the zest of 2 oranges, sugar, eggs, yogurt or sour cream and olive oil.  Squeeze in the juice of 1 orange.  Cut another peeled orange into 1/4 inch cubes and add to the bowl.  Mix well.  In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the wet and dry ingredients together and stir well.  Pour the batter into the greased pan.  Bake for approx. 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

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Spiced Beef Corn Bread Cobbler

Plans do not always work out the way we would like.  I was hoping to have a new blog design finished this week, but jumping from Blogger to Word Press is taking some time.  Added to that, my Son and I are working long distance on the technicalities.  When all of the kinks are worked out, I will launch The new Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen website with a giveaway.  I'm just not sure when it will happen.

Added to that,  I have jumped from a lovely holiday into a dentist's chair.  Life is kind of uncomfortable right now.  For the next few days soft foods are in order.  I am thinking that I will get out my Cuisinart hand blender and make some tasty smooth soups.

But for those of you who would like a little substance to your meal, this spiced beef corn bread cobbler is an easy, flavorful casserole.  I adapted the recipe from  Gourmet Magazine.   I still miss that magazine and, over the years, have found so many great recipes in it's pages.  "Think of this dish as a sloppy joe with a corn bread and Cheddar crust" according to the introduction to the recipe.  It has spiced elements from cinnamon, cayenne, allspice and ginger and soothing elements from the corn bread and cheddar.  To me it is comfort food with a twist.

2012 will be a special year for us.  Last year we fulfilled one of David's wishes to travel to Alaska; he on his motorcycle, and me flying in to meet him.  This year we will fulfill my dream of traveling to Paris and Provence.  We leave for Paris on June 9th.  I decided that I did not want to stay in a hotel, so after a lengthy search on HomeAway and VRBO, I found an apartment in the 7th Arrondissiment near the Eiffel Tower and around the corner from the Rue Cler.  Here is the website if you are interested in a future trip.  The owners are American and have outfitted the apartment to familiar standards.

After a week in Paris we will take the Fast Train to Provence.  We have found an apartment in the market town of  L'Isle Sur La Sorgue.  Every Sunday they host one of the best Antique Markets in Provence.  We will rent a car after leaving the train so that we can explore many Provencal villages and towns.

The kitchen in Provence looks so inviting.  I can hardly wait to shop the markets and cook in this lovely space.  Here is the website.

We originally planned to return home after a week in Provence, but if you recall, we met a wonderful French couple on our motorcycle trip last year.  They were on a year long motorcycle trip through Canada, America and South America.  They stopped and spent a few days with us in Lake Lure.  Read about it here.  They have invited us to stay in their second home in The Loire Valley for a few days.  So after leaving Provence, we will drive back North to spend time with them and then fly home from Paris.  In the meantime we are listening to French CD's and trying to get our mouths around the language.

I hope you enjoy this simple casserole.  I also hope that I will be up to cooking more interesting things than "thin gruel" this weekend.


SPICED BEEF CORN BREAD COBBLER

1 medium onion, chopped
4 tablespoons, vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef chuck
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (14 to 15 oz) can diced fire roasted tomatoes in juice
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
2 oz coarsely grated sharp Cheddar (about 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Lightly oil a 9 1/2 inch pie plate. 

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons oil in a deep 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until edges are golden, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook, stirring 1 minute.  Add beef and cook, breaking up large lumps, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes.  (I drained off fat at this point).  Add sugar, spices, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Add tomatoes with juice and briskly simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, 8 to 10 minutes.

While beef simmers, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small bowl, then stir into cornmeal mixture until just combined.  Fold in 1/2 cup cheese.

Spoon cooked spiced beef into pie plate with a slotted spoon, reserving juices in skillet.  Skim off and discard fat ( if not already discaded) from juices if desired, then pour juices over beef in pie plate.

Spoon 4 mounds of corn bread batter over beef, then sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons cheese over batter.  Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of corn bread comes out clean, 15 to 25 minutes.


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Holiday Happenings

It has been a season full of love, laughter and awesome food.  We returned home yesterday and I have had little time to unpack, let alone cook, so I am offering you a pictorial review of our holiday.  Hope your holiday was as happy an occasion as ours was.

For our Christmas Eve dinner Kristen made Ina Garten's Short Ribs.  The casserole was assembled with lots of root vegetables.

The short ribs were roasted to brown and then added to the casserole.

Cam Man, looking "oh so cool" and Gampy waiting for dinner.

Rachel and the neighbor kids toasting the holiday with sparkling grape juice.

Gampy reading Rachel a Christmas Eve bedtime story.  What makes it special is that it is one that Gampy wrote himself.  It is called Rachel and the Wizard of Lake Lure.

Michael and Kristen on Christmas day at the family celebration at her sister's home.

Uncle Jeff's 19 hour smoked brisket.  This is just a small portion of the 11 pound roast.  Just look at that beautiful smoke ring.  It was unbelieveably delicious.

We spent the New Years weekend in Charleston with our good friends.  On Friday night Johnny and Karen made a low country boil with shrimp, sausages, potatoes and corn.

We had mussels on the side.

Johnny also brought the appetizers.  With that grin he could do a commercial for Cheez-Its.

For New Years Eve we did steaks and baked potatoes.

Barbara made a delicious salad.

The cooks wish all of you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!