Victoria's Slow Cooker Tri-Tip
Here is a nice Sunday meal that really is no fuss. Throw in some carrots, potatoes and cipollini onions and you have a complete meal.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Boneless Tri-Tip Weighing 5 Pounds
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
8 Chopped Garlic Coves
1/3 Cup Unbleached Flour
3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 Tablespoon Anchovy Paste
1 Tablespoon Beef Bouillon
1 Cup Red Wine
14 1/2 Ounce Can Whole Tomatoes With Juices (Quartered)
3 Dried Bay Leaves
1 Teaspoon Sage
1 Teaspoon Rosemary
1/2 Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 Pound Halved Small White Potatoes
4 Cut Carrots
12 Ounces Blanched & Peeled Cipollini Onions
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat until it is shimmering. Brown the tri-tip on both sides which should be 5 minutes per side. Transfer the tri-tip to a 6 quart slow cooker. In the skillet stir in the garlic, flour, tomato paste, anchovy paste and beef bouillon. Cook for 1 minute. Deglaze the skillet with the red wine. Scrap up the bits on the bottom. Add the tomatoes, tomato juice, bay leaves, sage, rosemary, nutmeg, salt and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. You want the consistency to be thick. Pour the wine mixture over the tri-tip in the slow cooker. Add the potatoes, carrots and cipollini onions to the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook on the high setting for 5 hours. You will want the tri-tip to be fork tender. Transfer the roast to a serving platter. Arrange the vegetables around the tri-tip or place them in their own separate serving bowl. Strain the remaining sauce and skim off any excess fat from the surface. Serve the sauce with the roast. Leftovers make great sandwiches! Serves 8
*In order to easily peel the cipollini onions blanch them for 2 minutes in boiling water. Transfer them to an ice water bath and the skins will slip right off.
Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
I don’t know one person who can resist this weekend morning cake.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
3/4 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup Softened Butter
2 Eggs
8 Ounces Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Prepare a Large glass baking pan (13x9x2) by greasing it with butter or olive oil. In a medium size bowl combine the nuts, chocolate chips, 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. This is for the filling. Set aside. In a small size bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large size bowl combine 1 cup of the sugar and butter. Beat with an electric mixer on a medium speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs and beat for another minute. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat for 30 seconds. Add the flour mixture and beat for 1 minute. The batter will be thick, but the consistency should be smooth. Remove 1 cup of the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Distribute the filling over the top of the batter. Finally spoon the 1 cup of reserved batter over the filling in small mounds. Bake for 55 minutes until done. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving. Serves 8
Onion Rings
I allow myself the treat of eating onion rings about once a year. They are so naughty, but so good. Here is a great basic onion ring recipe. I made them with grilled burgers this evening.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 Cup Unbleached Flour
2/3 Cup Milk
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
4 Sliced Medium Yellow or White Onions
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Deep Fryer or Large Skillet Filled With Vegetable Oil
To make the batter combine the flour, milk, egg and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium size bowl. Whisk the batter until it is nice and smooth. In a large skillet or deep fryer heat the oil to 375° F. Slice the onions into 1/4 inch thick slices and separate into rings. Using tongs or a fork, dip the onion rings into the batter. Drain off the excess batter. Fry the onion rings in the hot oil for 3 minutes. Be careful to fry only a few at a time so that you do not crowd the pan. You will want the onion rings to be golden brown. Stir once with a fork to make sure the rings stay separate. Remove the onion rings from the oil make sure to drain on a paper towel. Transfer to a serving platter and salt with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Serves 6
Spinach Salad
This is a delicious main-dish salad. For a refreshing side-dish salad, simply reduce the portions and omit the egg and bacon. This salad pairs very well with roast chicken or a thick grilled pork or veal chop.
INGREDIENTS
Salad:
2 Hard Boiled Eggs (Peeled)
3 Pounds Flat Leaf or Baby Spinach
6 Diced White Mushrooms
6 Strips Crumbled Bacon
6 Slivered Green Onions
1 Sliced Green Apple
10 Toasted Whole Pecans
1 Cup Garlic Croutons
Dressing:
1 Tablespoon Honey Dijon Mustard
1 Minced Garlic Clove
1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Dill
1 1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
6 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together until nice and creamy. Press the egg yolks through a fine mesh strainer and finely chop the egg whites. Keep the egg yolks and the egg whites separate. Set aside. Add the spinach and mushrooms to the salad bowl and toss well to coat. Divide among 4 serving bowls. Sprinkle the egg whites, bacon, green onions and egg yolks around the top of the salad. Arrange the apple slices around the outside of the salad and layer several of the apple slices with the toasted pecans. Top with croutons. Pass around the dressing for everyone to help themselves. Serves 4
Everyday Meatballs
I love these basic meatballs especially topped on a pile of pasta covered in a red sauce. Just a basic gal I guess.
INGREDIENTS
16 Ounces Hot or Mild Ground Italian Sausage
1 Lightly Beaten Egg
1/3 Cup Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Chop the onion into fine pieces. In a large bowl combine the egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, milk and chopped onions. Add the sausage to the bread crumb mixture and mix well with your hands and shape into 20 meatballs. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the meatballs on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta and favorite sauce. Also is great for making a delicious grinder. Serves 6
Weekend Coffee Cake
The perfect morning to make an easy, but delicious coffee cake for breakfast. I used apricots, plums and blueberries for the fruit, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Butter
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3 Beaten Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk or Sour Milk
1 Sliced Plum
2 Sliced Apricots
2 Cups Blueberries
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Prepare a large baking plan by greasing sides and bottom. In a large size bowl combine the flour, brown sugar and salt. Cut in the butter. You want the mixture to look like coarse crumbs. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. In a medium bowl combine the eggs and buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk use sour milk by adding 2 tablespoons of either lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the plum and apricot slices to the top of the batter. Finally, sprinkle the blueberries on the top of the batter. Bake for 45 minutes or until done. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm. Serves 8
Cinnamon Bread French Toast
I had some leftover cinnamon bread that was on its last legs. I decided to make French Toast out of it and I have to say that Cinnamon Bread French Toast is amazing!
INGREDIENTS
4 Lightly Beaten Eggs
1 Cup Half & Half or Milk
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
8 Slices Cinnamon Bread
2 Tablespoons Butter
Maple Syrup
In a shallow bowl beat together the eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla. Cut the bread in half and dip the bread halves into the egg mixture. Coat both sides by letting the bread soak in the egg mixture for 10 seconds per side. On a griddle or in a skillet melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over a medium heat. Add half of the bread slices and cook for 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining butter and bread slices. Serve warm and serve with maple syrup. Serves 4
Victoria’s Carrot Cake
If you’ve never eaten my Carrot Cake then you are in for a real treat. I rarely share this recipe and have had people beg me over the years to make my Carrot Cake for various occasions. Now you can make my cake in your own home.
INGREDIENTS
5 Lightly Beaten Eggs
2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
3 1/2 Cups Finely Shredded Carrots
3/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Take the eggs out of the refrigerator and let them sit for 30 minutes to bring them to room temperature. Prepare two 8×1 1/2 inch round cake pans (grease well). In a large size bowl stir together the flour, surgar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. In a separate large bowl combine the eggs, carrots, oil and vanilla. Slowly add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined, but don’t over mix. Pour the batter evenly into the two greased cake pans. Bake for 35 minutes until done. Remove the cake pans from the oven and let them cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pans and allow the cake to completely cool on the wire racks. Assemble and frost the middle, sides and top with cream cheese frosting. Cover and store the cake in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serves 12
Cream Cheese Frosting
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
1 Cup Softened Butter
3 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
7 Cups Powdered Sugar
In a large size bowl beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla with a mixer on medium until fluffy. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Beat for 2 minutes to make sure to get all of the powdered sugar lumps out and the frosting is at spreading consistency. If you need more powdered sugar feel free to add more. Makes about 4 cups.
Applesauce
Most of the apples that you use for cooking will work for canning and freezing. The best types of apples for canning and freezing are Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty and Jonathan. Stay away from soft varieties like Red Delicious and those with bruises.
INGREDIENTS
8 Pounds Apples
2 Cups Water
1/4 Cup Strained Fresh Lemon Juice
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
Wash, core and quarter your apples. In a large heavy pot combine the apples, water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer, with the lid on, for 30 minutes until the apples are very tender. Make sure to stir often. Press the apples through a food mill or sieve. Return the pulp to the pot and throw away the skins. Stir in the sugar. Add a bit more water if you need to for your desired consistency and bring to a boil. Spoon the hot applesauce into hot, sterilized pint canning jars. Make sure to leave 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the jar rims and adjust the lids. Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes. Remove the jars from the hot water and cool on wire racks. Makes 6 pints.
Classic Martini
Here’s an idea, why not have a martini party?
INGREDIENTS
2 Ounces Gin
1/2 Ounce Dry Vermouth
3 Green Olives
Lemon Peel
Thread 3 green olives on a cocktail pick and set aside. In a cocktail shaker combine the gin and vermouth. Add ice cubes. Cover and shake until VERY cold. Strain the liquid into a martini glass. Garnish with the olives and lemon twist. Makes 1 serving.
