FAVORITE SUMMER SALAD

In an earlier post I promised to share my favorite salad recipe so here it it. Not a lot of people visit over the winter but once summer arrives the cottage is an endless open door which requires easy meals and lots of them. Easy is key because I'd rather be in the water than at the stove. Chicken breasts take no time at all on the grill and when set on mixed greens with a delish topping, well.. everyone is happy. This recipe came from my step grandma Pearl and step aunt Sue, otherwise know as my "Lake Girls". They also spent all summer on a lake near by and also had many mouths to feed from May to September.  Both of my Lake Girls are in heaven now, but hardly a day goes by when I don't think about the fun we had playing dice, cards, suntanning, morning coffee and EATING! One day we tried to guess how many times we fed friends and family this salad. I believe the total was over 40 and there were never leftovers.  Enjoy, but before you do, here are my favorite Lake Girl quotes. Pearl : "Everyone has problems and NObody wants to hear about them, get over it!"  Sue : " let's go get ourselves new nail polish and fry ourselves on the beach it always works to make things better."  They were both right, and of course good food helps too!

TARRAGON CHICKEN SALAD

4 seasoned, grilled chicken breasts

Mixed salad greens

Roasted red peppers thin sliced (roast yourself or buy in jar for ease)

Mix together: 1 C. mayonnaise

                         4 T. red or white wine vinegar

                         4 T minced shallots

                         4 T. chopped fresh tarragon (I tend to add more but do it to taste)

                          3 T drained, rough chopped capers 

I usually make this dressing in the morning so its ready to go when I grill the chicken.

Toss mixed salad greens ( I like spring greens) with just a touch of good olive oil or Italian dressing . Top with chicken and tarragon mixture, garnish with roasted red peppers.

SHRIMPLE PLEASURES

The thing I have missed most about my past "city" life is a great grocery store. I would get so frustrated shopping here in the woods that I would sometimes say "HECK with it!" and just leave my half filled cart and go home. Food snob yes, but understand that I was spoiled by Trader Joes , Byerlys, Lunds and countless fresh meat/seafood and ethnic markets within a 15 minute drive. Then low and behold, one day I stopped to get gas and inside was a most wonderful meat market! S & S Meats...and fuel LOL! Those of you who process game already know about this gem, but I didn't. I could go on and on about the brots they  make...every combo imaginable from prime rib brots to peanut butter & jelly brots.. yep, you heard me right. And they "tumble" steaks and roasts in some kind of machine that...well... I wont buy steaks anywhere else. Plus, if ya want something all you have to do is call. On this day I called about shrimp, and boy did they have shrimp! More like mini lobsters. S & S meats and fuel have made this food snob a happy snob.

GRILLED SHRIMP WITH GARLIC LIME ANGEL HAIR PASTA

I marinated shrimp for about half hour in Italian dressing, 4 cloves garlic, lime juice of 1 lime, Sriracha to taste depending on your heat level.
Skewer shrimp (easier to flip) onto hot grill until cooked. Best way to tell is if shell is bright pink and feel for texture.
Meanwhile, melt stick of butter with about 1/4 cup good olive oil, scallions, chopped roasted red peppers and as much garlic as you can handle and toss into your cooked angel hair pasta. Finish pasta with zest from your lime.

I served with grilled zucchini and Parmesan bread. If you have other sides to this dish give me a holler, I'm always looking for new ideas!

PINKY'S PUFFY APPLE PANCAKE

I'm a bacon egg breakfast girl but once in a while I just have to switch things up. This puffy apple pancake is delish! Syrup optional, side of bacon a must. Warning, its baked in a 9 x 13 pan but 2 of us nearly ate the whole thing! I can't wait  to make this cottage breakfast for my granddaughter, sweet and yummy just like her.

Place 1/2 stick of butter in a glass 9 x 13 pan into 425 oven until melted. Slice apples onto the melted butter ( 2-3 apples I mix honey crisp with granny smith). Return to oven and let apples bake about 10 min. until softened. Meanwhile, whisk up the batter.

1 C. whole milk

4 eggs

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 t salt

1/4 t Cinnamon (or to taste)

2/3 C. flour

Pour over the tender apples, sprinkle with brown sugar, about 3-4 T.  Bake for about 20 min until puffed and golden.

LITTLE ITALY BITES

My friend Nancy lives on an island all summer with her family. They have an AMAZING beach so when the sun comes out you will most likely find me there. For last weeks visit, I had an "idea" for making mini lasagnas that could be finger food for our lake day. I basically winged it as it was only an idea. First batch was very good and quickly eaten by children and adults. But, as the saying goes, "two heads are better than one!" Very true. We began to brain storm on how to turn good into GREAT. Nancy suggested placing a slice of peperoni on the lower layer to prevent the cheese from soaking in too much and she just happened to have some on hand. Note: when you live on an island, getting to town is not an everyday event so you stock up the freezer when you do make the trip.  OK where was I.... The muffin tin I used held 12. For our second batch we used Nancy's tin that held 6 larger muffins. Both worked well, but we agreed that preparing our "Little Italy Bites" were easier to handle when using the larger muffin cups. Theory being every thing spreads out more making them somehow less messy to eat. Of course you can make more at-a-time with the 12 cup, but which ever one you own, these can easily be frozen, put in freezer bags and simply re-heat in the oven as a do-ahead party treat (and who doesn't like do-ahead ideas!).  In order to explain assembly, I've added several pictures. We will definitely make again and again, and who knows, next time we might try a Mexican take on the recipe? If it sparks your imagination, please share!                                            

LITTLE ITALY BITES

Won ton wrappers (produce department of your store)
Ricotta cheese (always use Whole milk Ricotta!!)
 Pound Italian sausage (bulk)
Favorite spaghetti sauce
Peperoni slices
Mozzarella cheese

Cook sausage in frying pan, drain any grease
Add spaghetti sauce ( just till sausage is coated, I'd say 3/4th of a jar)
Spray muffin tins with Pam

Place one won ton into each cup. Peperoni slice on bottom. Dollop of Ricotta (about 1/2 teaspoon)
Top with about 1/2 teaspoon spaghetti sausage mix. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Place a second won ton over first layer (reverse the corners). Simply repeat the layers, ending with mozzarella.

Bake at 350 for about 15 min. You want the won tons to be crispy around the edge. Lift out onto your platter. Let cool a minute or two. Again, the concept could work with all kinds of ingredients so let your imagination go wild, I love new ideas!  xox Pinky                                           
                                           

                                            
                                              
                                          

Lets Talk Walleye

                                                                                 
First of all, I love fishing but admit I have never been a great fisherman... my Dad used to tell me that I had a knack for finding all the Dogfish on Pokegama (our cabin for over 35 some years). I have caught "good" fish over the years, but also admit mostly by luck..or with a guide in Canada.  OK, now that I have confessed, lets move on. It really wasn't until I moved to this cottage that I learned every lake is different when it come to fishing... depth, clarity, structure etc. I  had spent most of my life fishing on one lake. I needed help. My game plan was to listen and watch my friends who knew this lake. I dare not give the advice I have learned for fear of being killed... fishing tips are rarely shared, so I count it as a privilege that I will not divulge. I will however, share my newest recipe. I know everyone has their favorite... my include Sue's potato chip crust, Johnny's Blackened Wally Sandwich  with Ranch Sauce, Walleye Florentine and of course, a great beer batter.. but I like to experiment and this attempt was a keeper! Crispy yummy outside... flaky moist inside. The season is just beginning, so if you want to share your favorite, I'm all ears...and stomach!!

PINKY'S WALLEYE COATING

2 Cups crushed pretzels (I use a rolling pin)
1 Cup instant mashed potatoes flakes
McCormick's Montreal Chicken grill seasoning (to taste..I used about a Tablespoon)
1/2 C milk
1 egg
Wisk egg and milk together
Dip fish in egg mix and then in crumbs

Heat peanut oil with 1 T butter in cast iron or heavy pan and fry till crispy
Simple but delish... cook'in is always easier than catching

    Home fries and Grandma's slaw were the perfect addition

        Sometimes you cant beat a mix and I have to say this one is a winner!! Just enough "kick"


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NOT YO MAMA'S S'MORES

                                                                                
I have always loved sitt'in by a campfire.  I even built a small campfire pit in the backyard when my sons were growing up in the suburbs (not common). Its where the boys and their friends spent countless weekend nights (best memories). One morning while everyone was asleep I made breakfast out there, feeling sure the smell of bacon would float through their bedroom windows to wake up my boys. It worked! The aromas coming off my cast iron pan, coffee warming on the coals, also lured curious neighbors who had been mowing their yards LOL. Heavenly odors of fire, bacon,eggs and fresh morning air... Who could resist?

                                    our "city" campfire site       
                                              
  Here at the cottage, campfires are weekly if not nightly and a favorite place to gather and cook. Naturally we go through thousands of hotdogs, s'more fixings and fresh fish, but typical to "dana" style, I like to switch things up. Before dinner one night, I thought these would be fun for guests to make and they were.

NOT YO MAMA'S  S'MORES
(Amount really depends on how many people)

Fresh Whole Milk Mozzarella balls (not skim milk and not sliced!)
Jar ('s) Sundried Tomatoe halves in oil (drain)
Fresh basil leaves
Garlic Pannini crackers or Garlic Bagle chips

Cut mozzarella in about 2 inch cubes
Set everything out in bowls or platter along with your campfire forks
Roast cheese over INDIRECT heat untill nice and warm
Grab a cracker, top with basil, tomatoe and warmed cheese.
**Note: would also be good on sliced, toasted baguette rubbed with a little garlic clove

                                     like mother like son

                            Add guitars for a perfect recipe
                                                           

My Frog Pond

                                                                             
              View of my bridge over pond

The story goes that when when the cottage was for sale many would be buyers turned it down because of the pond that sits on the property and the long bridge (somewhat rickety) as the only way to reach the beach. Those are the very things that I first fell in love with (before I'd ever even been inside).  The bridge shouted romance to me and I still believe I'll see a wedding on that bridge one day...(boys? are you listening :^).  As for the pond, it is a treasure of critter life. Ducks are the first to occupy in the spring, and discovering their beautiful green eggs is better than any Easter egg hunt. Next come the Spring Peeper frogs, which happened this week. Hundreds if not thousands of them! At least that is how it sounds. Like a chorus of tinkering bells as evening sets in. The most beautiful music after a long silent winter. Its funny that for so many of them living in the pond, I rarely see them.. but there is no doubt they are there.  And if they sense you are there (like when I step onto my bridge) they all shut up.. all at once! Perhaps they all get a memo that says..."Shhhhh!!!"  Muskrats will soon be building homes on the pond and Red Wing Blackbirds will perch on the cattails but my favorite of all pond life are my Bullfrogs.  No sound, not even the Loons make me smile and laugh as I do with my "bullies" as I call them.

                                                                         
At night they engage in what sounds like a bunch of old men playing poker, farting , burping and telling jokes... one or two start with their low voices and pretty soon they all respond in unison...then quiet.. then another one speaks up... then they all chime in with baritone laughter...and I can't help but laugh along with them.  If Im working along the pond..raking or whatnot, its common for a bully to lay flat out on a log (some are a good 7 inches) with his toes dangling in the water and just watch me. They are not shy like the Peepers. Ive lost a few to snakes but they live an average of 5 years so many I have come to name and have even held their tadpole offspring.  I'm glad other buyers rejected the pond. I'm in awe and wonder every day and in a few weeks I'll be eves dropping on the bullies first poker game of summer.

    A rare moment to capture, cycle of nature              

Swiss it, Dip it!

My neighbors and I never gather together without bringing something to the table...be it breakfast, lunch, dinner or relaxing on the dock with munchies.  Game is on with these folks because I truely live on a road with the best cooks in the north woods... if not the state! After a 'girls' day of beach pedicures and facials, I brought this dip to our pre-dinner campfire. It was a hit. Note: For girls day I made a triple batch... we all love to cook but we really love to EAT!

Pinky's Swiss Dip

6-8 strips cooked and crumbled bacon (no such thing as too much bacon)
8 oz Cream cheese
1/2 C. Mayo
2 t Dijon
1 1/2 -2 Cups grated Swiss
2 or 3 chopped scallions (green onions)
1/2 C. crushed "Blue Diamond, Smokehouse Almonds"

Preheat oven 400
bake till golden and oooy goooy... top with crushed almonds
I served with Bagel Crisps, but any cracker will do.
*** NOTE*** Im a Hellmanns mayo snob..if you use another brand I dont even want to talk about it

Lake Lesson

                                      
Besides the kitchen, a happy place for me is going canoeing (or as my son Tom calls it: Going to church). The beauty of this lake is always amazing but my canoe takes me into places where boats cant reach and see things I normally wouldnt.  The lake is very clear ( 19 foot visability according to the DNR ) gliding over the underwater world below I watch schools of fish and I even pet a muskie in the shallows where they spawn...yes, I pet his back!  Ive watched a Great Blue Haron build his nest,  bald eagles fishing , 100's of painted turtles basking in the sun on a fallen tree, muskrats playing and a fox who must have been curious about me because he followed me along the shore stopping from time to time to simply watch me. God's creations come alive before my eyes. Needless to say, after a long winter I can hardly wait to take my canoe off shore. As the ice begings to thaw it creates rivers of water through the bay. When I moved here I thought.."how cool! I'll canoe the rivers between the ice!" and so I did...NOT a good idea. What this city girl didnt realize was that even the slightest breeze shifts the ice and closes up the rivers. So there I was, midway through the bay completly closed in by ice. Hard as I tried to brake it up with my paddle I was at the mercy of the wind. Nearly 2 hours later it broke free and I quickly paddled home. Yesterday was one of those days... 60 degrees, sunny and rivers of water through the ice. Forgetting about my past experience I decided to venture out...the call of my canoe blocked out my better judgement. JUST before I set out, all the lake ice moved right to my shore making my journey impossible. Tom is right..its church and I think I heard God say..."Hey! dumb blonde, I saved you from yourself this time, but when will you learn??"...."Thanks, Lord, I promise I'll use wisdom next spring.....maybe?"

Asian Steak Salad

Spring means grill (although I use year around) and my steak salad is my "second" favorite. You'll  have to check back later for my Grilled Tarragon Chicken Salad..the perfect last minute dish for guests and a staple at the cottage.  Warning!!! I rarely write down what I create, but Im trying to be better about that. Im now a grandma.. rather a Mimi :^)  and you must know that we talk in "pinch of this, dollop of that". But think this is pretty close. Give it a try and you tell me!

Pinkys  Asian Steak Salad 
serves 4

Dressing:
4 or 5 T rice vinegar
2 T honey
2 T soy sauce
Clove garlic smashed with a little kosher salt
3 T olive oil

About a pound snow peas (remove the strings!)
About a pound cherry (or grape) tomatoes (one container is good)
Can of mandrine oranges drained
 2 avocados, sliced
Bag of Spring Mix salad
Rib eye steak per person (4 for this recipe)
Toasted sesame seeds and thin sliced purple onion for garnish

Whisk togethre the vinegar, honey, soy sauce ,wasabi and garlic. Whisk in the oil to make a dressing.
Blanch the snow pea pods in  boiling water till JUST crisp-tender. Drain and put in ice water to keep the color, then drain.

Grill steaks to your liking, let rest then slice.
Toss the rest with the dressing and top with steak, purple onion and sesame seeds. Enjoy! But if you like WELL done steak I do NOT take responsibilty for the out come !

PS.. forgot to add the onions and sesame seeds before I took the picture.. oh well

WELCOME TO MY WORLD

Six years ago after a painful divorce I moved to Grand Rapids to a cabin which has come to be known as "Pinky's Cottage". That's me..Pinky. Why move from the city? Thats easy. This place..this lake..this cottage is where I found peace..joy..serenity..freedom..healing.  Its also where I found my inner country girl. It hasnt always been easy to live in the country. For example, my pipes froze for 5 months which meant melting a lot of snow to wash my hair and having to venture out in 40 below weather to go to the bathroom! But even the hard times have been worth it. There is nowhere I'd rather be. And, as it turns out, many friends and family love this place too and my door is always open to welcome them. Maybe they come for the fishing? Canoeing? Campfires? Or perhaps they come for the FOOD! My kitchen is very very tiny yet I have pumped out a whole lot of meals for big groups or small gatherings. The kitchen is one of my many 'happy' places..always has been. I post pictures from time to time of meals and over and over Im asked for the recipe. Which brings me to why Ive taken the advice from friends to start a blog. Yes, there will be recipes, but also a sharing of cottage life. I never take for granted the beauty of what surrounds me each day.. bald eagles, wolves, spawning muskies. I never take for granted the sound of loons on the bay or the owl who sits outside my window. I never take for granted the wonderful (crazy!) friends and neighbors who welcomed me here when I didn't know a soul. We have become one big ol' disfunctional family and I love them all.  So, welcome to the first post of Pinky's Cottage and come back again. The door is always open and something good is sure to be cooking.