Apricot Scones

It has been a week of hard work.  Returning to the lake after a 5 month absence requires lots of physical labor.  The winter winds howling through the Gorge tossed leaves, branches and twigs everywhere on the grounds.  The furniture on the porch was pushed eastward halfway across the room.  Broken hurricane globes littered the floor.  The lower porch door was not latched and piles of leaves had to be raked out.  Pollen covered everything.   Both porches are now back to normal.

David is still working on bleaching and cleaning the decks.

We require hearty sustenance in the morning to get us going on all of the chores.  Scones make a "not too sweet" accompaniment to a hearty breakfast.  They come together quickly and bake in just 15 minutes.  I don't know why I never thought to rely on them more often.

I love dried apricots.  They are perfect for these flaky scones.

The recipe comes from Cooking Light.  So why not have a slice with afternoon tea as well.


APRICOT SCONES

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup apricot nectar (I used pear nectar because it was what I had)
Cooking spray
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon sugar (I used Turbinado sugar)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.  

Add apricots; toss well.  Combine egg, buttermilk, and nectar; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 4 to 5 times with floured hands.  Pat dough into a 9-inch circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Cut dough into 12 wedges, cutting into but not through bottom of dough.  Brush egg white over surface of dough, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.  Serve warm.  Yield: 1 dozen (serving size: 1 scone).  Calories 148.

Printable recipe 

Bacon Maple Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

If you want a KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF dinner entree for your next party this is definitely it.   And believe it our not, this dish came about because I was cleaning the kitchen out in preparation for our return to Lake Lure.  I had a pork tenderloin in the freezer, dried figlets and apples, pecans, pear nectar and pure maple syrup that I did not want to take back with us.  I remembered a similar recipe from a blogger who is no longer blogging but who had great recipes.  Do any of you remember A Nod is as Good as a Wink to a Blind Horse?    George is missed by many of us.

I butterflied the pork tenderloin, mixed the stuffing ingredients together, rolled it up and wrapped bacon slices around it.  I drizzled more maple syrup on top of it, added pear nectar to the roasting dish and baked it for an hour, basting occasionally.  It came out looking like glazed perfection.

This is one of those dishes that I will make again and again.  The stuffing was sweet and moist and the pork was tender and tasty with it's cloak of bacon.

This is a real winner.  I can hardly wait to make it again.  That will happen in my Lake Lure Kitchen.  We are leaving the first of the week.  I will be posting again at the end of next week.  I have a lot of organizing and paring down to do before we leave.

Space will be tight.


BACON MAPLE STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN

For the stuffing:
2 apples, chopped
2 cups chopped dried fruit ( I used a combination of figs and dried apples)
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 apple cider or pear nectar

For the pork:
2 pork tenderloins
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon cardamom (Optional)
8 slices of bacon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 to 1 cup apple cider or pear nectar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix stuffing ingredients together and set aside.

Butterfly pork tenderloins by cutting down the middle of each one 2/3rds of the way through.  Place each between sheets of wax paper and pound out to a 1/4-inch rectangle.  Place as much stuffing as will fit easily on each one.  You will have extra to put in small casserole to cook separately.  Roll up pork starting at a long end and place seam sound down in baking pan or casserole.  Wrap each tenderloin with 4 slices of bacon.

Drizzle tops of each one with maple syrup and pour 1/2 cup apple cider or pear nectar into pan.  Place in oven and cook for 1 hour basting occasionally and adding more liquid if pan starts to caramalize too quickly.

Remove from oven and let rest covered for 5 minutes.  Slice and serve.

Printable recipe

French Hamburgers and Muffin Tin Potatoes

I can't believe I haven't blogged about these hamburgers before.  There is nothing special about them.  They are easy.  They are based on a recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child.  I first had them years ago at a friend's house.  She was working full time as a teacher and had two kids under three.  Preparing company meals was not a high priority.  But that did not stop Janice from inviting us to dinner and serving a meal that was tres chic.  With the French hamburgers she served rice pilaf, petite peas (from a frozen box), and bakery croissants.  We drank a very good jug wine.  We felt festive and pampered.

I made the French hamburgers for us last week for dinner.  I was getting ready for company for bike week and wanted an easy meal.  But this time I used a good red wine, choppped shallots instead of onions and a good quality ground round.  I could have simply made Uncle Ben's rice (the wine sauce is good on the rice), but I had just seen a recipe on Pinterest for Muffin Tin Onion Gruyere Potato Stacks and wanted to try them.  Thinly sliced potatoes, onions and Gruyere are stacked in muffin tin cups and baked.  They are so delicious.

With the meal I served a simple succotash from a freezer bag.  Sometimes simplicity is the key to a great meal.

The only thing missing was the croissant.

Here are some pictures taken during bike week.  The first has nothing to do with bike week.

Our friends brought us berets to take with us on our trip to France in June.

We enjoyed some great riding and people watching during bike week.  But frankly I think I will have more fun in Paris.  Enjoy this (loosely) inspired meal from France.


FRENCH HAMBURGERS

1 pound ground beef round
1 onion chopped, or three chopped shallots
Salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1 cup red wine

Form ground round into three patties.  Heat an iron skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot add hamburger patties, season, and cook until browned on both sides.  Remove from pan and let rest on a plate.  Reduce heat in skillet and add onion or shallots to pan.  Cook until onions are softened.  Add wine and cook for about 5 minutes to reduce slightly.  Return hamburgers to pan and cook to desired doneness.  Serve topped with wine and onion sauce.

Serves 2.


MUFFIN TIN ONION GRUYERE POTATO STACKS (From Stonegable's Kitchen)

5 Baking Potatoes
2 onions, chopped
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups grated cheese, Gruyere or cheddar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Heavy cream or half and half
Cooking spray
Thyme sprigs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Thinly slice raw potatoes.  You can use a mandolin or slice them by hand 1/8th inch thick.  Set aside.  Melt about 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet and saute onion over a low heat until traslucent and slightly golden.  Add 2 more tablespoons butter to pan and let melt.  Set aside.

Spray all twelve muffin cups of a regular size muffin pan.

Add 1 slice of potato to the bottom of each muffin cup. Salt and pepper.  Add 1 more slice of potato to each.  Top each potato evenly with 1/2 of onion butter mixture.  Add 2 more potato slices to each muffin cup.  Sprinkle 1/2 of the grated cheese evenly over potatoes.  Add 1 more potato slice to each and salt and pepper.  Add another potato slice and evenly add the remaining onion and butter mixture.  Add an additional 1 to 2 potato slices and top evely with remaining cheese.

Pour 1 tablespoon cream over each potato stack.

Bake for 35 minutes until potaotes are tender.  Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Run a sharp knife around the edges of each muffin cup and pop each stack out with a fork.

Garnish with thyme.


Printable recipe French Hamburgers

Printable recipe Muffin Tin Potatoes

Gourmet Meatloaf

Do you have a favorite meatloaf recipe?  Most people do.  I do not.  I guess it's because I can never leave well enough alone.  I am always looking for that elusive "best" combination.  This recipe comes pretty close to being in that category.  It helps that it was first published in Gourmet Magazine,  I have found that their recipes are almost always outstanding.

Some say that for a meatloaf to be great it has to have a combination of ground beef, veal and pork.  The supermarkets even sell a combination of meats for meatloaf.  I have made meatloaf with all ground beef, ground turkey and with various combinations.  This meatloaf adds ground pork to the ground beef mixture and it enhances the flavor.


But what sets this recipe apart is the addition of dried cherries and bacon.  You can use any dried fruit that you like, but I like the cherries.  Three strips of raw bacon and the cherries are ground together in a food processor and added to the meat mixture.  It adds a nice sweet and smoky flavor to the meatloaf.  The carrots, celery and onions also contribute to the texture.

Give this a try for dinner.  If you have a meatloaf that you love and would like to share it, email me with the recipe.  My quest is ongoing.




GOURMET MEATLOAF


1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (from 2 slices firm white sandwich bread)
1/3 cup milk
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium celery rib, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries or pitted prunes, chopped
1 1/2 pound ground beef chuck
1/2 pound ground pork (not lean)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup ketchup


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl.


Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.  Cover skillet and reduce heat to low, then cook until carrot is tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.  Add to bread crumb mixture.


Finely chop bacon and cherries or prunes in a food processor, then add to onion mixture along with beef, pork, eggs, and parsley and mix together with your hands.


Pack mixture together into a loaf and place in a shallow baking dish.  Spread ketchup over top and bake for approximately 1 1/4 hours.


Printable recipe

Cauliflower Gratin

Two of my favorite cooks are Ina Garten and Dorie Greenspan.  Imagine taking their recipes for cauliflower gratin and combining them.  You have an immediate winner.  What I love about Dorie's recipe is the bacon.  Cauliflower is somewhat bland and adding crispy bacon gives it a smoky punch.  What I love about Ina's recipe is the Gruyere cheese sauce.  Although Dorie's recipe has Gruyere cheese in it, the sauce is an egg custard and I was looking for more of a white sauce with cheese.

This is definitely a company-worthy dish.  It goes well with grilled meats and fish or simple roasts or chicken.  We have had it for several meals now and it reheats well.  I will be making another gratin next week when our friends are here for a visit.  It is always nice to have a great casserole in your repertoire.

The only thing I will do differently next time is use fresh breadcrumbs instead of whole wheat dried breadcrumbs.  The dried breadcrumbs were too dark and dense.  I think the cauliflower florets would show better with the fresh breadcrumbs.


CAULIFLOWER GRATIN (Adapted from Ina Garten and Dorie Greenspan)

1 head of cauliflower, cut into large florets
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups hot milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 to 4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm.  Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.  Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil.  Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened.  Off the heat, add salt and pepper to taste, the nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere cheese and the Parmesan cheese.

Pour one third of the sauce on the bottom of an 8x11x2-inch baking dish.  Place the drained cauliflower on top and sprinkle the bacon pieces over it.  Spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top.  Combine the breadcrumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top.  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned.


Printable recipe

Thai Red Curry Chicken

We love Thai restaurants.  We have a favorite in Hendersonville, NC when we are staying at the lake.  We also have a favorite in Jacksonville, Fl.  I have attempted to cook Thai food at home, but it never seems to have the complex flavors of the curries that I have eaten in restaurants.  The lemongrass, fish sauce and Thai basil all contribute to the complex nuances.

While I was getting my hair cut last month I was talking to my hairdresser about food.  Duh . . . What else do I talk about with such authority?  I was lamenting the lack of alternative food markets in the area.  She said, " I don't know what you are looking for, but you really ought to check out the Asian Market up the road"  I had no idea it existed as it is in a small strip mall set back off the main road going through town.

It is a wonderful place.  The parking spaces are usually all full and the small market buzzes with people roaming its crowded aisles.  There before me were sheaves of lemongrass and packages of purple stemmed Thai basil for $1.00 a package.  There were so many Asian inspired sauces and fruits and vegetables that I was in a fog of shopping bliss.

The variety of peppers was astounding and the packages of unusual herbs for $1.00 each made me very happy.

After shopping I came home with what I needed to put together a red curry chicken.

The basil you see in this picture is not the Thai basil.  Thai basil has purple stems and has more of an anise flavor than regular basil.  They were out of it when I returned for more ingredients.  The lemongrass stalks are woody and have to be treated right so that they are not stringy.  They have a lemon flavor.  If you can't find them you can use lemon zest and lemon juice.  I use lite coconut milk and red curry paste.  I decided to leave out the fish sauce.

I combined the Thai ingredients with chicken breast cubes, red and green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers and red onions.  We loved it.  Now we don't have to jump in the car and go to a restaurant when we need our Thai curry fix.

They say you should photograph your food on plain white plates but I love pretty plates.  I think my curry looks special on one of my Paris Royal black and white plates.


THAI RED CURRY CHICKEN

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 to 2 jalepeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic
1 stalk of lemongrass (peeled and sliced thinly) or zest of one lemon
3 to 4 tablespoons red curry paste (More if you like it hotter)
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 can of coconut milk or lite coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Jasmine or brown rice as an accompaniment


Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the chicken breast pieces and cook until all sides are browned.  Remove chicken to a plate.  Add the peppers and onions and cook until wilted.  Add the garlic and lemongrass if you are using.  (My lemongrass was too woody and I substituted the lemon zest).

Return chicken to skillet and add the red curry paste, coconut milk and Thai basil leaves.  Stir the ingredients and cook over low heat until the flavors come together (about 20 minutes).

Serve over rice.  Makes 4 servings.


Printable recipe

Spinach and Bacon Quiche

SPINACH AND BACON QUICHE

1 tart shell made from a standard pastry dough, partially baked and cooled

10 ounces ready to use baby spinach (or about 1 1/4 pounds regular spinach, trimmed and washed)

4 strips bacon

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, split and finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

2 large eggs

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Put the tart shell on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

To cook the spinach, fit a steamer basket into a large pot.  Pour in enough water to come almost up to the steamer, cover, and bring to a boil.  Add the spinach, cover, and steam jot until soft and thoroughly wilted, about 4 minutes.  Remove the spinach, drain, and run under very cold water to cool it and set the color.

When the spinach is cool enough not to burn your hands, squeeze it between your palms to get out as much moisture as you can; do this in batches, so you can squeeze harder.  Put the clumps of spinach on a cutting board and coarsely chop or thinly slice the spinach.

Put the bacon in a skillet, place the skillet over medium heat, and cook, turning occasionally, until the bacon is crisp on both sides.  Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain, and pat it dry (set the pan aside).  Cut the bacon crosswise into thin strips.

Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet, return the skillet to medium heat, and toss in the onion and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft but not at all colored, about 5 minutes; remove from the heat.  Add the spinach and bacon bits to the pan, toss to blend, and add a little more salt and few generous grinding of pepper.

Turn the spinach-onion mixture into the crust, spreading it as evenly as you can.  Whisk the eggs and cream together until well blended and pour into the tart shell, giving the custard a minute to seep around the spinach and settle in.  Sprinkle the top of the quiche with the Parmesan.

Carefully slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is uniformly puffed (wait for the center to puff), browned, and set.  Transfer the quiche to a cooling rack, remove the sides of the pan and allow it to cool and gather itself for at least 5 minutes or so before serving.  

Rosemary Focaccia

I use rosemary in so many dishes.  I stuff it in whole chicken with lemons.  I sprinkle it on pork roasts and I flavor focaccia bread with it.  Rosemary is a woody perennial indigenous to the Mediterranean region.  It's Latin origin means sea dew and it thrives in dry soils with just the sea breezes to moisten it's needle like leaves.  When we first bought our Florida house, I planted a small rosemary sprig.  This is what it looks like five years later.

Not only do I love the way it adds flavor to so many dishes, but it supposedly has health benefits also.  It contains the antioxidants carsonic acid and rosmarinic acid which aid in preventing Alzheimer's disease.  That makes me want to just chew on it's leaves out of hand.  : >)

This is a very easy focaccia bread to make.  The rosemary is both sprinkled on the top of the bread before baking and added to the dough after an initial steep in boiling water.  The bread is good with soup or it can be split to make a tasty sandwich.

I am willing to do my part in reducing the risk of losing my mind.  The phrase "Rosemary for Remembrance" is  more than folklore.


ROSEMARY FOCACCIA ( Cooking Light )

1 1/4 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
1 tablespoon honey
1 package dry yeast
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon water
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon seal salt or kosher salt

Combine boiling water, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and honey in a large bowl; cool to 100 to 110 degrees.  Sprinkle yeast over honey mixture; let stand 5 minutes.  Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Add 3 1/4 cups flour, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 teaspoon salt to honey mixture, stirring to form a soft dough.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface.  Knead until smooth and elastic ( about 10 minutes ); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size.  Punch dought down.  Pat dough into a 14 x 12-inch rectangle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Cover and let rise 20 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Uncover dough.  Make indentations in top of dough using handle of a wooden spoon or your fingertips.  Combine 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon water, and egg yolk; bush over dough.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with 8 teaspoons rosemary and sea salt.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.


Printable recipe